Morgan tried whistling for Judge, but the wind in the trees drowned out all other sounds.
“Have you ever heard it like this before?” Jack asked, looking up at the trees.
“Never.”
“The women were right. It’s downright eerie,” Clay said.
Eerie was the perfect word for the strange spine-chilling sounds. Morgan had heard strange noises in the pines over the years, but nothing compared to what he was hearing tonight. “That’s why most people don’t want to come through here.”
“I can almost understand why people would steer clear, particularly if they aren’t right with their Maker,” Clay replied.
The men found no trace of Judge’s hoofprints, and they saw no sign of Joseph. After searching for over two hours, and seeing nothing that would lead them in a particular direction, Morgan suggested they head back to the ranch.
“We can stay out as long as we need to,” Clay said.
“Tomorrow is your wedding day, Clay. You need to get some rest,” Morgan said.
“I’ll be fine. Don’t turn back on my account.” Clay knew Morgan was worried about his horse, and he wanted to do what he could to help find him. He felt the same way about Moonrise, and if he had a lead on his horse, he would keep going until he found him.
“I don’t even know which way to go,” Morgan said.
“There’s no sense staying out here with nothing to go on.”
They rode back to the ranch, cared for their horses, and were walking from the stable, when Joseph came riding in.
“I’ve been looking,” Joseph said.
“We found no sign of him,” Morgan said.
“I have other men looking.”
Morgan figured Joseph meant he’d talked to some of the braves that sought refuge in the trees. “Get some rest. There’s nothing more we can do right now.”
* * *
Once in bed, Morgan stared out the window at the moon, trying to make sense out of Judge’s disappearance. Morgan knew the horse liked to roam, and the last year he’d jumped the fence fairly frequently, but he never failed to return to his paddock or stall. Morgan didn’t think it was a problem allowing Judge some freedom as long as he ran on the ranch. Morgan tried to think if Judge’s habits had changed over the last few days, but nothing came to mind. He didn’t think it was possible that someone Judge didn’t trust led him from his stall. Most people thought Judge was dangerous so they steered clear of him. Morgan didn’t try to dissuade them of that notion. He wondered how Judge would react if he ever saw Frank again. When sleep continued to elude him, Morgan crept downstairs and made some coffee.
It was just a few hours before dawn, but Morgan walked to the stable to saddle his horse. He wanted to find Judge before the day began. Clay would need to get to town and prepare for his Sunday morning service, and the wedding was planned afterward. It was going to be an exciting day for the family, but Morgan knew if he didn’t find Judge, he would have a difficult time celebrating. Slowly Morgan rode to the pines, using his lantern to search the earth for any sign of his beloved horse. He’d owned many horses, but he had a special bond with Judge. His large strong body belied his gentle heart. Morgan had often thought that Judge understood every word he said. There was a trust between them that Morgan had never found with another horse. The day he saw what Frank had done to that beautiful animal, he wanted to kill him. Morgan had never seen such horrific injuries on an animal in his life. Rage consumed him, and he went after Frank with a fury he didn’t know he possessed. No doubt he would have killed Frank if not for Murph and Joseph. Goodness knows he tried.
Morgan had stayed with Judge in his stall for days as he cared for him. He remembered how Judge would rest his head on his shoulder, conveying his trust in Morgan to do what was best for him. There was no way Morgan would have let him down, nor would he listen to his men who said Judge should be put out of his misery. Judge was scarred for life on the outside, and Morgan often wondered if he was forever traumatized on the inside. Thinking his horse was lonely, Morgan tried to spend as much time as he could with him. Once Morgan saw how Judge had taken to Rose, he knew he had the capacity to trust another person. At least he knew he could trust the people on the ranch. That’s why it didn’t make sense that Judge would leave the safety of the ranch. But then, Judge didn’t know Frank was roaming free.
The longer Morgan searched, the more discouraged he became. He decided he needed to get back to the ranch, but he fully intended to resume his search after the wedding. As he cleared the pine tree boundary on his ranch, Joseph was riding toward him, with Clay and Jack following.
“Judge is in the paddock,” Joseph said.
“What? How? Did you find him?” Morgan asked.
“We were in the stable saddling our horses, and when we came out, there he was in the paddock.” Before Morgan asked, Joseph said, “He has no injuries.”
“Morgan, I’m glad he came back. I’ll be leaving for town, so I’ll see you later at church,” Clay said.
The relief Morgan felt over Judge returning unharmed was written on his face when he smiled wide. “We’ll be on time with your bride.” Morgan rode to the paddock, and Judge was standing there looking at him. Morgan dismounted and walked inside the paddock. “Where have you been?” The horse came to him and hung his head over his shoulder as he usually did in greeting. Morgan stood there gently stroking his neck for a long time. Before he led him to the stable, he checked him over, and as Joseph said, there was not a scratch on him.
Morgan walked into the kitchen and Jack handed him a cup of coffee. The women were getting ready for the big day, but Jack’s children were at the table and full of questions.
“Where is your Christmas tree, Uncle Morgan?” Jane asked.
“Rose and I were waiting for you to help us decorate,” Morgan answered.
“We can do it tonight since Ma and Pa said we are staying here, so Aunt Emma can stay at our house for her wedding night,” David said.
“I think that sounds perfect,” Morgan said.
Claire climbed in her father’s lap. “Can I help?”
Jack kissed the top of her head. “Of course.”
“It’s going to be a fun day. We get to see a wedding today. We’ve never been to a wedding,” Jane said.
“One day I’ll be attending your wedding,” Jack said, leaning over to give Jane a kiss on her cheek.
“It’ll be a lucky man who snags one of you two beautiful girls,” Morgan said. He stood and excused himself to get dressed for church.
“I’m never getting married,” David said.
Jack laughed.
“What’s so funny?” David asked.
“Morgan and I said the same thing, son,” Jack said. “But one day you’ll change your mind quick enough when the right young lady comes along.”
* * *
Carlo and Andre arrived at the church just as the service was about to begin. Clay ushered them to the first pew to sit with the family. As he walked back to the door to greet the arriving parishioners, he was surprised to see Harper Ellis dismounting in front of the church.
Clay greeted him warmly. “Harper, I’m so glad you came.”
“Clay, it’s good to see you. I figured it couldn’t hurt to make peace with my Maker before it’s too late.”
“Harper, as I told you, it’s never too late to seek God.” Clay wasn’t going to push Harper, but he fully intended to ask the congregation to pray for him today. “Have you heard I’m getting married today after the service?”
“No, I didn’t know. Congratulations. Who is the lucky bride?”
Clay told him about Emma and their plans to buy a ranch. “I’ve already wired Jonas and asked him to join me out here. We are going to buy a small ranch.”
“What did Jonas say?”
“He said he’s excited to see the West.” Clay wasn’t certain Jonas would ever leave Kansas, and he was thrilled when he’d received his telegram agreeing to come to Colorado.
“It will be good to see him again,” Harper said. Sheriff Trent and Marshal Holt rode up to the church, and after Clay greeted them, it was time for the service to begin.
* * *
Before Clay ended with his prayer, he introduced Carlo and Andre to the congregation. He started to introduce Harper, but he saw Harper’s slight shake of his head. Instead, Clay said a friend of his was joining them for services this morning, and he asked them to pray for his healing. He finished with his prayer, and reminded everyone they were welcome to stay for the wedding, and the reception following at Morgan’s ranch.
Granny, Rose, Addie, and Emma left the church by the back door to go to Clay’s home so Emma could change into her wedding dress. The gown had been designed in Paris for one of her performances. The white silk and lace dress made the perfect wedding gown.
“Emma, you are beautiful,” Granny said.
“For the first time, I really feel beautiful.” It was almost impossible for Emma to believe how her life had changed in the short time since she’d arrived in Whispering Pines. Her plans hadn’t included marriage, but now that she’d found Clay, she couldn’t imagine a life without him. She prayed she could bring him the happiness he’d found in his first marriage.
“I just hope Clay can talk once he gets a look at you,” Addie said.
* * *
The pastor from Denver arrived thirty minutes after Clay’s service ended. Carlo and Andre were walking the bride down the aisle, so it was their responsibility to fetch her.
Morgan and Jack stood near the altar with Clay, trying to calm his nerves. The men laughed each time Clay tugged at his tie.
“You aren’t nervous, are you, Clay?” Morgan asked.
“Just a bit,” Clay admitted.
“You don’t want to leave by the back door, do you?” Jack asked.
“No.” That wasn’t even a thought in Clay’s mind. He wanted to marry Emma, but there had been times he was tempted to worry something might happen to her. But he’d made a decision not to live in fear; he chose to live in faith. His feelings for Emma had developed quickly, and though he’d fought the notion of marrying again, thankfully he’d come to terms with the past. He looked forward to a long and happy life with her.
Finally Granny appeared at the door of the small church. Morgan and Jack took their seats in the first pew and Clay moved to the center of the altar. Granny, Rose, and Addie took their seats, and all eyes turned to the door, awaiting Clay’s bride.
Emma entered the church, her arms linked with Carlo’s and Andre’s. Murmurs could be heard from the women in the congregation when they saw how beautiful Emma looked in her exquisite gown.
Clay couldn’t stop smiling as he watched Emma walk down the aisle. He thought she was the most stunning bride he’d ever seen. When their eyes locked, they were the only two people in the room.
* * *
After the wedding almost everyone in town arrived at Morgan’s ranch for the reception. Granny, Rose, and Addie had baked several cakes to serve a large crowd, and they weren’t disappointed. It looked as though all of Whispering Pines were in attendance. Carlo and Andre entertained the guests, which allowed Clay and Emma to have a few brief moments to themselves.
“I haven’t seen Joseph. You know how much he loves cake,” Granny said to Morgan.
Morgan had already noticed Joseph’s absence. “I was just getting ready to go look for him.” Morgan caught Murph’s eye, and inclined his head to the door.
Murph made his way to the door, and said, “What’s up?”
“Have you seen Joseph?”
Murph looked over the crowd. “I hadn’t realized he wasn’t here. I’ll go look for him.”
“I’ll go. Have some more cake, and keep an eye on things.” Morgan walked to the stable and Judge wasn’t in his stall, so he checked all of the stalls. Not finding Judge in any stall, Morgan knew the horse was missing again. He saddled his horse and walked from the stable when Joseph came riding in.
“You need to come with me,” Joseph said.
Morgan could tell by his tone that something was wrong. “Is it Judge?”
Joseph looked puzzled, and his eyes slid to the paddock. “Where did he go? He was there earlier.”
Morgan was relieved that Joseph wasn’t going to give him bad news about Judge. “I don’t know. I was going to look for him. What’s going on?”
“I found Frank Langtry,” Joseph replied.
Joseph didn’t have to say Frank was dead; Morgan read it on his face. Mounting his horse, Morgan followed Joseph through the trees.
Morgan noticed there was little wind today, and there was a peacefulness in the pines that was absent last night.
Leading the way through the trees, Joseph rode to the area where the Langtry girls played as children. It was also the place where Morgan and Rose were married. Morgan dismounted and walked to Frank’s body with Joseph right beside him. Morgan could hardly believe what he was seeing. Frank’s mangled body was a gruesome sight. It was difficult to tell if Frank had been attacked or trampled by an animal.
“No gunshot,” Joseph said.
Morgan looked at Joseph, and said, “Do you think Judge did this?”
“No.”
Morgan wished he had the same confidence, but where was Judge?
“Are you thinking a bear?”
Joseph shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Morgan examined Frank’s body again. It certainly looked like he’d been attacked by an animal. He glanced at Joseph and said, “It has to be an animal.”
“I have seen men like this before in the trees,” Joseph said.
“Well, if you don’t think it was a bear, what do you think it was?”
“Some things we can’t explain,” Joseph replied evasively.
Morgan wondered if Joseph really did think Judge could have killed Frank but hesitated to tell him. On the heels of that thought, Morgan knew Joseph would never tell him a lie. “You really don’t think Judge did this, do you?”
“No.”
Morgan had asked the same question twice, and twice he received the same answer. “If you go get the buckboard, I’ll keep looking for Judge.”
Before Joseph rode away, Morgan said, “Don’t tell anyone about Frank. I’ll let everyone celebrate today and tell them in the morning. If anyone wants to know why you are taking the buckboard, tell them I’m looking for a Christmas tree. Bring an ax with you.” Morgan didn’t want to ruin their day by telling them about Frank. Even though he knew they wouldn’t be surprised by Frank’s demise, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t take the news hard. Frank had been on a path of self-destruction for a long time, and everyone tried to warn him to no avail. But family was family, and Frank’s family would grieve his passing.
Morgan figured Frank’s horse might also be in the pines somewhere. He searched for any hoofprints around Frank’s body, but he found nothing. No prints of any kind, man or animal. While he waited on Joseph, Morgan searched the surrounding area. Seeing nothing, he was making his way back to Frank’s body when he spotted the perfect Christmas tree. At least this night would bring some joy watching the children decorate the tree.
* * *
Morgan and Joseph returned to the ranch with Frank’s body, and drove the buckboard into the barn without stopping. Morgan pulled the tree from the buckboard and hoisted it over his shoulder. “Joseph, come on in the house and get some cake. We’ll take care of Frank after the party ends.”
Together they walked to the house and Morgan placed the tree on the back porch. As soon as he walked in, the children converged on him.
“As soon as the guests leave, you can start on the tree.” Morgan saw Rose walking his way, and he figured she’d ask him about leaving the party.
“I see you found Joseph,” Rose said.
“We decided to get the tree while we were out, so the children could decorate it tonight.” Morgan had never lied to Rose, but he thought right now it was best to only tell her
a portion of the truth.
Rose eyed him suspiciously. “What are you not telling me?”
Thankfully Claire interrupted, and asked Rose if they could pop some corn later and string it for the Christmas tree.
Rose turned her attention on Claire. “Of course we will. That will be a lot of fun.”
Morgan took that opportunity to speak to Jack, Sheriff Trent, and Marshal Holt. Once he told them about Frank, Jack agreed that they should wait to tell the women.
“I don’t think we should tell Clay until we tell the women, so he can enjoy his wedding night,” Morgan said.
“They’ll be leaving soon for the farm, so there’s no sense in telling them tonight,” Jack said.
“It’s too bad that this happened right before Christmas,” Sheriff Trent said.
“There was never going to be a good time.” Morgan walked to the door and grabbed his coat. “Joseph and I are going back out to look for Judge.”
“You’re thinking your horse did that to Frank?” Marshal Holt asked.
Morgan stood there a minute with his hand on the doorknob before he responded. “I don’t want to think so, but something happened to Frank out there, and he didn’t get shot.”
“I’ll take care of building a coffin,” Jack said.
“Thanks, Jack.”
“We’ll go with you, Morgan,” Marshal Holt said.
* * *
The time came when Emma had to say good-bye to her two friends. Both she and Clay had tried to talk Carlo and Andre into staying for Christmas, but they had already booked passage on the next stage for San Francisco.
With tears in her eyes, Emma hugged both men. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“No tears on your wedding day. What will the groom think?” Carlo teased, trying to mask his own emotions.
Clay shook hands with the men. “Come for a visit when you can.”
“Make certain she is practicing, and so she will be ready when we come to Denver again,” Carlo told Clay.
“I will.”
After the good-byes, Emma and Clay left for the farm. Emma was both nervous and excited to spend time alone with her new husband. She’d never given much thought to a wedding night, but she knew she would remember this night forever.
Christmas in Whispering Pines Page 25