Promise Trail

by Davies, Shirleen

  Isabella sat up, the announcement snapping her out of her lethargy. “The mayor? I’d love to see where he lives.”

  Caro lifted a brow, her mouth tilting up into a smile. “So would I. The word is he’s quite interesting. An Irishman who married the daughter of the former mayor. Their chef is rumored to be one of the best in the city. Oh, I almost forgot, Lydia. The guest I sat next to during supper is a doctor. I think it’s time you made some decisions about, well…when the time comes.”

  Lydia hadn’t considered the baby’s birth. Splendor had one doctor, Rachel’s uncle, Doc Worthington. Her parents’ farm had been miles from a small town with one doctor. Lydia had never considered the ability to have a choice.

  “You mean I have a choice of who to use?”

  Caro laughed. “This is a big city. There are many doctors, some more established than others. I have gathered a few names for you.”

  “What about your doctor?”

  “Unfortunately, he’s retiring and moving to a small town north of here. The doctor I met tonight is taking over for him.”

  “Caro is right, Lydia. You should make a decision soon, in case there are any complications.” Although she’d desperately wanted children, Isabella had never been able to with her late husband.

  “You’re both right. Would it be convenient to meet with someone next week?”

  “Of course.” Caro reached into her purse. “Ah, here it is.” She pulled out an engraved card. “I think it embarrassed the doctor when I asked if he had a card. Some still regard them as tasteless. However, I find them quite useful. Let’s see. Mr. Gavin McLean. Monday morning, I’ll send an invitation for him to come by to meet with us.” Caro raised her hand, stifling a yawn. “Well, if you two will excuse me, I believe it’s time for me to get some rest.”

  “Goodnight, Caro.” Lydia stood, walking up to her friend, touching her arm. “You’ve done so much for me. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

  “Lydia, my dear, I’d never allow you to repay me. You’re my friend. Besides, I can’t express to you how much I enjoy having you and Isabella visiting.” Caro glanced at Isabella. “I know you’re planning to return to Splendor before the first snow, but I do hope you both know you’re welcome to stay with me as long as you’d like.”

  Isabella grinned. “Don’t offer something you may regret later.”

  Caro threw back her head and laughed. “I think you know me better than that. Believe me, if I didn’t want you here, I never would’ve mentioned it. Now, I really must go upstairs.”

  “I believe I’ll do the same, Caro.” Isabella laid a hand on Lydia’s shoulder. “Have you thought again about sending Bull a letter, telling him why you left?”

  Lydia’s face fell, her throat constricting when she tried to respond. She shook her head as tears formed.

  “It’s all right. You have time to decide what’s best. It’s just, well…I can’t help but believe if Bull knew, he wouldn’t hesitate to come for you.”

  Swiping at the tears trailing down her cheeks, she nodded, knowing Isabella meant well. Lydia still couldn’t get past the fear Bull would never be able to accept White Buffalo’s child.

  “Don’t forget. There’s a good chance the baby is Bull’s.”

  Lydia’s face heated. Her circumstances dictated her closest friends know she and Bull had been intimate before their marriage. There were no recriminations, no judgment. She’d received unconditional support and love. Plus, Rachel had made a good point before Lydia left for San Francisco, saying if she and Bull hadn’t made love, there’d be no question as to the baby’s father.

  “I know you’re right, Isabella. I could’ve already been pregnant when I rode to the Crow village.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I pray every night the child is Bull’s, and if it is, he’ll take me back.” Her voice cracked, prompting more tears. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so weepy all the time.”

  Isabella grinned. “It’s quite normal. Your emotions will control you until the baby comes. You might as well get used to it.”

  As tired as she felt, Lydia couldn’t bring herself to follow Isabella up to bed. Lowering herself onto the sofa, she placed both hands on her stomach. The slight bulge grew a tiny bit each day, stretching her dresses until they felt uncomfortably snug. Caro had noticed and, always gracious, had taken Lydia to her dressmaker. Now there were a dozen dresses hanging in her wardrobe. She had yet to wear even one.

  Leaning back, she looked at the ceiling, closing her eyes, wondering if the life inside her was a boy or girl. Lydia grinned, thinking of how the people at Redemption’s Edge would react. If a girl, Mary would mother her to death. A boy would become a full-fledged cowboy by the time he turned five—Bull would make sure of it.

  Rising, she walked to the stairs, her heavy heart laden with thoughts of Bull and what he must think of her. Doubt about her decision to leave plagued her. Perhaps Isabella was right. She’d been a coward to slip out of Splendor, taking a child with her who might belong to the man she loved.

  Closing the bedroom door behind her, she walked to the window, gazing out on the town and bay below. Squeezing her eyes tight, she rubbed her temples to relieve the intense pain. The truth hit her as sharp as a lance to her heart. The decision she’d made had been emotional, selfish, and wrong. After all he’d done, the patience he’d shown, the love that never wavered, she’d abandoned him as if he meant nothing to her.

  Turning from the window, she took a seat at the small desk, pulling paper from the drawer and picking up the pen. It was time Bull learned the truth.

  Redemption’s Edge

  The sun crested the eastern horizon, ushering in another day. Bull had yet to find any sleep. Once Rosemary began to confess how she and the boys had become rustlers, she hadn’t stopped, talking well past midnight.

  Dirk listened with a stoic expression, asking a few questions, commenting more than once about the lunacy of what the children had done. From his perspective, Rosemary had acted as a willful, undisciplined child. Bull had a different opinion.

  He saw four scared kids doing what they had to in order to survive. No matter how hard she worked, Rosemary couldn’t make enough to feed all of them, not to mention clothes, shoes without holes, or doctor care if one fell ill. The fact few would hire fifteen-year-old Jimmy bothered Bull more than a little. Certainly Stan Petermann at the general store, the barber, or the telegraph office could have hired him to clean and sweep the boardwalk.

  The only two people who’d stepped forward were Doc Worthington and Alison Coulter. Jimmy cleaned the clinic twice a month, and helped Alison in her dress shop once a month. It was as much as either could afford. He’d been surprised to learn Jimmy hadn’t approached Nick or Gabe about a job at their new hotel. Bull promised himself to speak with Gabe as soon as he went to town, assuming he hadn’t already locked the four up.

  “Bull, you about ready to start back to the ranch?”

  Dirk handed him a cup of coffee. So lost in his own thoughts, Bull hadn’t noticed the fire Dirk started or the coffee he brewed. The four children lay huddled together on one side of the clearing, Johnny and Tat began to stir a few yards away, and Billy held his position watching the cattle.

  “I’m more than ready to get to the ranch and figure out what to do next. I’ll wake the others, give ‘em some hardtack and coffee, then we’ll move the cattle back to the main herd.” His job as foreman still came first. Turning in the rustlers and talking to Gabe had to come second. Nudging Rosemary, he pulled back the blanket she shared with her brother, Ben. “Time to get up. We have to head back to the ranch.”

  Rosemary sat up, her gaze darting around, trying to figure out what happened. Then she noticed Bull and her jaw went slack. Her stomach clenched as the truth of the situation slapped her in the face.

  “Here.” Bull handed her the hardtack. “Coffee’s ready. Hurry up. We need to get the cattle back to the herd.” He walked a few feet away, then spun back around. “And don’t get
any ideas about trying to ride off. You wouldn’t get far, and it would just make Dirk mad. And, trust me, you don’t want to rile him any more than you already have.”

  She glanced at the boys as they stood, rolling up the bedrolls. Her heart broke at the scared looks on their faces, their sluggish movements.

  “Rosemary, what are we going to do?” Jimmy’s voice hitched. Running a hand through his long hair, he accepted the hardtack she handed him and took a bite, choking on the brittle biscuit.

  “There’s coffee ready.” She nodded toward the fire, glancing at Dirk, then quickly turning away. Rosemary had never met a man who unnerved her the way he did. Judgmental and arrogant, he looked at her as if her brains were scrambled. She cringed, remembering what he’d said to her last night. You, missy, don’t have the brains of a grasshopper. What could she say? As much as she hated to agree with him, Dirk was right. She’d made a poor decision. Now the boys might end up suffering for her stupidity.

  “You done feeling sorry for yourself?”

  She spun around, almost colliding with Dirk standing mere inches from her. Crossing his arms, he glared down at her.

  “‘Cause if you are, we need to get on the trail. You’ll ride next to me.”

  “But…” She glanced away. Riding next to him, even for a couple hours, would be pure torture. The man hated her, and she felt the same about him.

  His brow arched as his lips twisted into a wry smile. “You going to argue with me?”

  Shaking her head, Rosemary turned away. Grabbing her bedroll, she tied it to the back of her saddle, scolding herself for being exactly what Dirk called her—stupid. She’d brought this on herself. At least she could do her best to make sure the boys didn’t suffer for her blunder. She’d accept the blame, confess it was all her doing. As long as the boys went free, she didn’t care what they did to her.

  “Let’s ride.”

  At Bull’s command, she swung up into the saddle. The time had come to pay her penance.

  Gabe leaned a hip against Dax’s desk, his arms crossed as he looked at the three boys and young woman. By no definition would anyone consider her a child. She was a woman, plain and simple. A woman who should’ve known better than to rustle cattle.

  “You all know the penalty for rustling, right?”

  The four nodded, no one daring to look at him. Few rustlers escaped the hangman’s noose in Montana, and the town of Splendor took cattle theft seriously.

  “How many head did you turn over to Boyden Trask?”

  Rosemary lifted her head. “Thirty.”

  “All stolen from the Pelletier ranch.” It wasn’t a question. Gabe already knew the answer.

  She nodded, her body trembling under his scrutiny.

  “I’m tempted to haul you into jail until the circuit judge comes through.”

  “Are you going to lock us up?” Teddy couldn’t look Gabe in the eye. Shy and without a shred of self-confidence, he seemed much younger than fourteen.

  “That’s my job. And make no mistake. You are my prisoners whether or not you’re in the jail.”

  “They going to hang us?” Jimmy crossed his arms in a hopeless attempt to stop the fear racing through him.

  “It’s not my decision.” Gabe glanced up when the door opened. Dax and Luke walked in, each casting long, hard looks at each prisoner. “These are the people you stole from. Hardworking men who depend on the cattle they raise to feed their own families and the people who work for them. The money they get from selling their cattle is spent at the livery, lumber mill, restaurants, and general store. That money pays the employees at those places. They use it to feed their families and keep them clothed. Do you have any idea what I’m trying to explain to you?”

  They all nodded. Only Rosemary lifted her face. “Yes, sir, we do. We didn’t just steal from the Pelletiers. What we did took money from people in town, good people who depend on the money the same as everyone else.” She blinked, doing all she could to stop the tears from breaking free and rolling down her cheeks. Gripping her stomach, she cast a despondent look at Dax and Luke. “I’m so sorry. I wish there was a way to get your cattle back, make up for all I’ve done, but I’m afraid it’s too late.” She turned her attention back to Gabe, her eyes pleading with him for understanding. “Please don’t punish the boys. It was my idea, not theirs. Do what you want with me. Just, please, let them go.”

  Gabe glanced at Dax and Luke, who shook their heads. No matter the sincerity behind her plea, they weren’t going to let any of them off so easily. Dax stepped forward, pinning each with a hard glare. He didn’t say a word for several minutes, letting them stew in their own misery. By the time he spoke, they were trembling in fear.

  “Rosemary, I can’t even begin to tell you how disappointed I am. I can’t imagine what Suzanne will say when she finds out the woman she trusted to clean rooms and help downstairs has been stealing cattle. What I want to know is have you also been stealing from her boarders?”

  “No! I’d never do that.” Her eyes flashed.

  “That so? Yet you stole our cattle.”

  “We…I…” She sucked in a shaky breath. “You’re right. It makes no sense what I did.”

  “You mean what you all did. The boys are as guilty as you, Rosemary. They’re old enough to make their own decisions. Even Ben, who’s what? Nine?”

  Ben’s voice shook. “Yes, sir.”

  “As far as Luke and I see it, you’re as guilty as any other person who steals. That means each one of you must accept your punishment.” Dax turned his back to them, walking around his desk and lowering himself into his chair as a sob broke from Ben’s throat.

  Luke stepped around the big chair where Ben sat and crouched in front of him. “Look at me, son.”

  Ben shook his head, unable to meet Luke’s eyes.

  “There’s no shame in crying, as long as it’s for the right reasons. If you’re crying because you know you made a mistake and wish you could change things, then it’s all right. If you’re crying because you got caught and you’re scared, well, those aren’t the right kind of tears. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Ben hiccupped. “I think so, sir.”

  “So, which is it?”

  Ben glanced at his sister, then back at Luke. “I’m sorry for stealing your cattle. Real sorry.”

  Luke patted Ben on his knee, then stood. “What about the rest of you?”

  “What we did was plumb wrong. Wish I could change it, but that fella already has the cattle.” Jimmy cast a sorrowful look at Teddy, whose face had turned ashen.

  “Rosemary, tell us again what Boyden Trask said.”

  She looked at Luke, swallowing hard, remembering the man’s words. “He told us if we didn’t steal the cattle and sell them to him, he and his men would find and kill us.”

  “Tell us once more about how it all started.” Luke’s voice held no trace of sympathy.

  “We…I mean, I found a stray at the edge of your property when Suzanne asked me to take some of her baked goods out to Miss Rachel. The animal was all the way to town by the time I rode back.” She looked up at Luke. “I swear, it didn’t have a brand. I checked it real good and there was nothing.”

  Cocking his head, he crossed his arms, not sure whether to believe her or not. “Go on.”

  “I…um…herded it to the old shack where the boys and I live. We weren’t sure what to do with it. I mean, it was too big for us to butcher and eat without most of it going to waste. The next day, I overheard Mr. Trask talking about needing better quality beef for his restaurant in Big Pine.” She shot a look at Gabe, then Dax. “I don’t know what made me do it, where I got the courage, but I told him about the steer we had. He came and looked at it, then offered us money to bring him more.”

  “She refused,” Jimmy burst out, trying to make sure they all knew they hadn’t planned to become rustlers.

  “Mr. Trask said he’d tell the sheriff we stole the one at the cabin, and he’d kill us if we said otherwise
. He gave us money and took the steer, then told us he’d be back in two weeks and wanted six more. That’s when he told us again what would happen if we didn’t have the cattle. He said just one more time, six head, and he’d never be back to see us.” She sucked in a breath. “I should’ve gone to Sheriff Evans right off.” She bit her lip hard, doing whatever she could to hold back the tears. “Of course, he lied.”

  “He kept coming back, demanding more cattle, threatening us if we didn’t have them.” Jimmy jumped to his feet, pacing back and forth. “I should’ve killed him. It would’ve been better if I had.”

  Gabe walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “No, son. Killing a man is never the right solution. Not unless he’s going after you or someone else. What you should have done is come to me or one of my deputies.”

  Jimmy hung his head, staring at his ragged shoes. They were filled with so many holes, Gabe didn’t know how he even kept them on.

  Dax slapped his hand on the desk and stood. “We’ve heard enough.” He walked around the desk, never taking his gaze off Rosemary. “All right. This is how it’s going to be.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Suzanne stared into her cold cup of coffee. It seemed as though not a week went by where she didn’t suffer another blow to her pride.

  Nick began each day with a perfunctory greeting when she poured his coffee, then he’d disappear down the street to look in on one of the businesses he owned with Gabe and Lena. He no longer ate dinner or supper at the boardinghouse, preferring the food at his hotel. Not once had he mentioned their missed supper or the woman who’d captured his attention that night.

  Trying not to be obvious, she’d asked around about the dark-haired beauty, learning she’d come in on the stage, stayed at the hotel two nights, then traveled toward Big Pine. Suzanne hadn’t discovered the woman’s name or anything else about her. A few days later, Nick rode out of town, not returning for several days.