He glanced up and set Tilly down, keeping his arm around her, and walked over to greet their guests. “Doc, Rachel, it’s good to see you. What brings you out this way?” He shook Charles’ hand and gave Rachel a brief hug.
“Nothing other than a sense it was time to visit some of my patients who don’t get to town much. It would be good to check on Tilly while we’re out this way.” He glanced at her, seeing the blush washing her face. “How are you doing?”
“I feel wonderful.” Tilly’s hand absently moved up to splay across her stomach.
“Why don’t we go inside and you can finish checking on Tilly while we rustle up some food?” Ty grasped her hand and started up the steps.
“We’ll meet you at the restaurant,” Luke called as Dax broke off from the group and walked toward the clinic. The brothers, plus Gabe and Cash, had spent a frustrating morning trying to locate Duff and Whitey Mayes. The camp where Cash first saw them had been abandoned, although the warm ashes from the fire told the men they’d missed their prey by hours. Even Cash’s solid tracking skills lost their trail over rocky paths and flowing streams.
“Doc, Rachel.” Dax pounded on the clinic door, getting no response. He looked up and down the boardwalk, then walked to the house in the back, thinking Rachel and the doctor might be taking their midday meal. Still no answer. He stalked back around to the front as Horace Clausen emerged from the bank.
“You looking for the doc?”
“I am. Have you seen him or Rachel today?”
“Spoke to him yesterday evening. He said they planned to visit some distant ranches and check on the families.”
“Any idea where?”
“Let’s see. As I recall, Charles mentioned stopping at the Murton place before heading toward the Weston, Kuhn, and Frey ranches. There’s little chance they’ll be back before day after tomorrow.”
“And you’re sure it was just the two of them?” Dax pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t help the sense of foreboding at the knowledge they’d traveled alone into what amounted to wilderness country where the Mayes brothers and possibly Drake and his men might be hiding.
“As far as I know. Why?”
Dax spent a few minutes filling Clausen in on the outlaw gang, as well as Parnell Drake.
“Where’s the sheriff now?”
“In the restaurant.” Dax and Horace headed toward it at a fast pace.
“There he is. Looks like he’s got Clausen with him,” Luke said as he signaled Dax.
It didn’t take the men long to formulate a plan to notify the citizens of the possible threat from both groups.
“My guess is Duff and Whitey Mayes want Dax and me, but they may not be above robbing the bank while they’re in town. It might be best if you could close up for a couple of days.” Luke folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.
“I can’t close down until the robbers are found. It could take days or weeks.” Clausen pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped his face.
“What about posting guards?” Cash asked. “Perhaps a show of force would dissuade them from trying something in Splendor.”
“It’s a good thought, except who would we get?” Clausen asked. “Most of the townspeople have guns and know how to use them, but they’re not guards.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We know they’re after us.” Dax nodded toward his brother. “Seems doubtful they’d come after Luke and me, then try to stage a holdup at the bank.”
“Dax is right. Their targets are the men who killed their brother, which means they must get to Dax and Luke first. We have to make sure they don’t get what they want.” Gabe signaled Suzanne for more coffee, then waited until she’d left to continue. “They don’t want to catch them with a group of people as there’s more chance of one of them getting shot.”
“They’d have to follow us all of the time,” Luke said.
“Or have someone on the inside who knows where you’ll be each day.” Cash sipped the hot coffee.
The table fell silent as the men contemplated Cash’s words. It could mean someone they knew and trusted had been feeding information to the Mayes brothers.
“You believe someone tipped them off about you finding their camp?” Dax asked.
“I do.” Cash set his cup down and glanced outside. “Have you hired any new men?”
“Two came on a few days ago. Quiet. They do what they’re told but, from what Hank says, don’t join in.” Dax thought about his first introduction to the two men and the irritation he felt at Ted Jones for eyeing Rachel.
“What are their names?” Cash asked.
“Bob and Ted Jones.”
“Could be they’re part of the Mayes group. There isn’t much out on the three Olin brothers, not like there is on Duff and Whitey. I’d keep an eye on them and anyone else you aren’t sure about,” Gabe said.
Dax nodded as he thought through the rest of the men and wondered who might be feeding information to the Mayes brothers, or even to Drake. He hoped the ex-sergeant had simply decided to leave Montana. At this point, Dax didn’t care what happened to the man as long as he no longer posed a threat.
“Anything I can do?” Horace Clausen had remained silent during the exchange. Since moving out from back east, he’d had little experience with the type of men being discussed. The bank had never been threatened by robbers.
“Make sure the people who work for you are aware that known bank robbers have been spotted not far from Splendor, and tell them to be vigilant. If they make it into the bank, give them what they want and let them leave. We don’t want anyone hurt.” Gabe didn’t like not having additional men to keep watch on the bank, but he had no choice. His focus had to be on the immediate risk—finding a way to protect Dax and Luke.
“Guess I’ll be going now. Keep me informed.”
Again silence enveloped the group as the banker walked away. Trouble seemed to be surrounding their small town and there weren’t enough men to protect everyone.
“Did you speak with the doctor and Rachel?” Luke asked.
“She and the doc left early today, heading south of town to visit some families.” The fact Rachel might be riding right into the path of the Mayes group or Drake gnawed at Dax, yet he’d convinced himself the men were after him and Luke, not the town doctor and his niece. In his mind, Dax felt certain there’d be no reason for the outlaws to go after innocents who had little connection to the Pelletiers—at least no connection anyone knew about.
“Do you think they’re in danger?” Cash asked.
“I wouldn’t think so. They’re after Luke and me, not anyone else. The fact is, they might be safer outside of town right now.” Dax hoped he was right. “Guess we’d better get back to the ranch and let the others know we haven’t found anyone yet.”
“I’ll grab Noah and start spreading the word in town about what’s going on, then I’ll ride out to your place. I want to find out more about possible hiding places for those men. Hank, Bull, and some of others might have ideas. The gang has to be holed up someplace and I want to know where.” Gabe stood. “As for Drake, maybe the man will show some brains and get out of the territory.”
Chapter Twenty
“They took off early this morning. I heard they were headed to our old camp south of town.” Bill had ridden away from the rest of the Pelletier cowhands toward the new camp in the hills west of the ranch. Not only had the group found a secluded canyon a couple of miles from where the cattle grazed, they’d also discovered caves covered by thick brush and trees.
“How many men are with the herd, and who’s left back at their house?” Duff asked.
“As far as I know, it’s the old man and his wife, plus the two injured men. Everyone else is with the herd.” Bill scratched his stubbled chin. “There must be close to twenty men either with the herd or checking for strays. They leave a few men with the herd at night. The rest, which I’m guessing to be about twelve men, will go
back to the bunkhouse. The Pelletiers almost always ride back to the ranch, so you’re looking at maybe fourteen men.”
“I’m looking for better odds than that.”
“We can’t keep waiting, Duff,” Whitey protested. “We need to make our move soon. They know we’re looking for them—”
“And that’s why we wait. We need them to think we’ve left the area, given up on going after them. That’s when we attack.”
“We didn’t sign up for this to take a year of our lives. We’ve got banks to rob and we’re wasting time. I say we ride in tonight and take them while they sleep.” Whitey stood inches from his brother, his features hard.
Duff pushed him back, causing Whitey to stumble and fall. “Get out of my face. I say we wait and that’s what we’ll do.” He started to turn, then stopped when he heard the cocking of a gun. He looked over his shoulder to see Whitey, still on the ground, his gun drawn and pointed at Duff.
Before Whitey knew what happened, Duff spun and kicked the gun from his hand, landed another kick to his jaw, then planted a boot on his brother’s chest while pulling his own gun, pointing it at Whitey’s head.
“Don’t ever threaten me again. Next time you do, I’ll use this.” Duff lowered the revolver a few inches closer to Whitey’s face. “You understand me?”
Whitey wiped blood from his face and nodded. “Sure, Duff. I understand.”
“Good.” Duff stepped backward, keeping his gaze trained on Whitey, holstering his gun. He surprised himself with how quick he’d moved with his bad leg, but now it hurt like a son of a bitch.
Bill looked between the two brothers, believing it wouldn’t be long before one of them did shoot the other over the reason for their trip.
“I’ve got to head back. Either Jed or I will let you know what’s happening.” Bill mounted his horse and started off toward the herd, glad to get away from the tension at their camp. He and Jed would need to find the opportunity soon, or someone besides the two Texas Rangers would end up dead.
“Seems to me everyone is doing fine here. Janie certainly recovered well.” Charles closed up the satchel he’d carried into the Weston house. “You certain it’s no problem for us to stay the night?”
“As long as you and your niece don’t mind bedding down in the same room as our youngest.” Lee Weston stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his lean chest.
“That’s fine with us. We hope to get an early start in the morning. Ty Murton told me the Kuhn place is a couple of hours from here.”
“Sounds about right. As long as the weather holds, you’ll be fine.” Lee bent down to pick up Janie.
“I suspect you don’t get many visitors out this way.” Charles had met Leander Weston two other times. Once when he’d brought his oldest son into the clinic, and the second when he and his wife had brought Janie into town a few weeks ago.
The first time, Weston had ridden most of the day, listening to his son’s hacking cough and feeling his temperature rise. If he’d waited one more day, the chances were slim his son would’ve survived. It had taken two days to break the fever and another two to get enough food in the boy to make the return trip to their ranch. Lee had waited less time to bring Janie to town. A good indication the family valued his skills.
“Not many. A group of riders passed by last night, but didn’t stop. Maybe four or five men. They stopped a few yards from the barn and I thought they might ask to stay the night. I’m glad they didn’t.” He bounced his daughter a few times before she squirmed to be set down. “Good thing. I don’t much care for nighttime visitors. Usually means trouble of some sort.”
“I know what you mean.”
They turned as Rachel and Mrs. Weston walked in, a couple of kids at their heels.
“I’ll finish up supper. Won’t take long, then we can put the little ones to bed.” Marci Weston’s eyes sparkled when she looked up at her husband, her short, round frame in sharp contrast to his tall, lean body.
Two hours later, the last lantern had been extinguished and the house fell silent. Rachel lay next to Janie, staring at the ceiling and letting her mind wander to Dax. No matter how much she willed herself to think of other things, her thoughts had strayed little from him the last couple of days. She’d come to terms with his decision to leave and believed it to be the right choice for both of them.
Rachel now accepted how much she did want to marry and raise a family in Splendor. Even with the occasional danger, unpredictable weather, and unending work, there wasn’t any other place she wanted to live. In a few short months, it had become her home and she felt grateful her uncle had encouraged her to give it a chance. Her mind sorted through the possibilities of the men already in Splendor. Except for Dax, no one held any appeal. Not even Gabe Evans. Although the man was quite handsome, educated, and easy to talk to, there simply was not the attraction she felt toward Dax. Besides, he had the same desire to roam the country without commitments.
She considered some of the cowhands, finally allowing a smile to break cross her face as she contemplated an unorthodox approach, at least for women. Perhaps she’d check into a mail order husband. She raised a hand to stifle a laugh. Why not? Men did it, why couldn’t a woman? She closed her eyes and turned on her side, promising herself to at least consider the unconventional approach to starting a family.
“What now?” Lem Pruett set down his whiskey and glanced around the Big Pine saloon. For the last few days, he, Drake, and Archie Swaggert had been staying in the hotel, trying to figure out the best way to deal with the Pelletier brothers, and trying to stay out of the sheriff’s sight.
Drake didn’t know of any wanted posters out on them. They’d been able to commit their crimes and get out of the areas before anyone suspected them of the murders and thefts that had occurred.
“We stay out of sight for a few days, let them think we’ve left the area.”
Lem and Archie glanced at each other, not liking the plan.
“I don’t know. Seems it would be best to get out of here and not wait around. Why push our luck when we can go someplace where they won’t find us?” Archie asked.
Drake thought this over. As much as he wanted to rid his life of the general and his brother, it made little sense to draw more attention to themselves. No one knew of their past and he didn’t want to stir up suspicions now.
“Maybe that would be best. At least for now.” Drake narrowed his eyes as the saloon door swung open and a group of cowboys sauntered toward an empty table. He relaxed and took another sip of whiskey.
“Where would we go?” Archie asked.
“From what I hear, Colorado’s growing and ranchers are always looking for good men. We’ll ride straight toward Denver.”
“What happens if they still come after us?” Lem asked.
Drake looked between the two. He’d known them since before the war, yet he wouldn’t hesitate to ride away if one of them took a bullet. He’d leave them behind without a thought.
“They won’t.”
The Pelletiers had no real proof the three had been involved in the shootings at the ranch. No one knew of their actions since the war ended, and they couldn’t be tied to the murders committed on their way to Montana. Drake felt certain once they left Montana, nobody would care one way or another what happened to three ex-Confederate soldiers.
“The way I figure it, we’ll come away with a sizable profit this year if we can keep close to the same head count. Calving is heavy right now. We find ourselves another good bull and we’ll be set for next season.” Luke spread out the paper and pointed to the numbers he’d worked on for several days. “We have plenty of good land and water. Enough to triple the herd, at least.” He looked up at Dax, the glint of excitement in his eyes a welcome change from the trouble they faced.
“If we double the herd, how many additional men will we need?” Dax picked up one of the papers, studying the columns and noting the estimated expenses and profit.
“Best guess, not more than ano
ther ten or twelve men. Of course, it depends on how good they are. We will need more wranglers, unless we spend the money for horses already broke. Right now, Bull and Joe are the best we have. Once they’re healed, Tat and Johnny are as good, maybe better, so that will give us four.”
“You forgot yourself,” Dax said, remembering how Luke had been the main person in Savannah to train their green horses.
Luke smiled, although he didn’t take the bait. “I’m fine letting others handle the task.” He pursed his lips as his brows furrowed. “Truth is, I’d like to get Bull off breaking horses and let the three younger men take over.”
“Bull’s a natural leader and not afraid to take on new responsibilities.”
“I believe he’ll be key to the success of the ranch as we grow.” Luke grabbed a map. “I’ve outlined the property boundaries. This is where we meet up with Tolbert’s land.” He pointed to a section east of their ranch house. “And down here is our common border with the Frey brothers, Frank and Hiram. After Tolbert and us, the Freys own the largest ranch in the area.”
Luke pushed from his chair and walked around the desk to stand next to Dax. “I’m still hoping you’ll stay, at least a year.”
Dax glanced at his brother, noticing the lines around his eyes, a few premature streaks of silver in his auburn hair. He’d always seen Luke as young, carefree, and ready for any adventure. What he’d failed to notice was how the war, their duties as Texas Rangers, and the responsibilities of the ranch had mellowed and matured him beyond his years. He’d handled everything Dax had thrown at him since the war ended, never complaining and always performing well above what would be expected of other men.
In that instant, Dax knew he couldn’t leave Luke to handle the task of building the ranch alone. No matter how conflicted he felt about staying in Splendor or returning to Texas, his brother needed him. He pulled his gaze away from Luke and trained it outside again, watching as Joe groomed his horse in the rays of the evening sun.
Redemption's Edge: Book 1, Redemption Mountain Historical Western Romance Page 25