Nothing went right for the next couple of hours.
Mrs. Newsom’s new shoes were the wrong size. It didn’t matter that they were the size she always ordered or that she had worn them three times before deciding the company had made them too small. She demanded a refund, which Ty gave her. The customer was always right—even when they weren’t.
Mr. MacCorkle, the male version of the town busybody, came by to complain about his neighbor’s cat. “Caterwauled all night long. Didn’t sleep a wink. Not a wink. We need a law against cats. Disturb the peace, that’s all they’re good for.”
He was followed a short time later by Mrs. Jordan, who complained about Mr. MacCorkle’s dog barking all night. “I barely slept for all the racket.”
“He was probably barking at your cat,” murmured Ty, trying to keep from yawning. He hadn’t slept much, either, but it had nothing to do with barking dogs or yowling cats. “Be a good neighbor, Mrs. Jordan, and keep your cat inside at night. Ask Mr. MacCorkle to do the same with Rover.”
“His dog’s name is Wilbur. The beast. And my Petunia shouldn’t have to stay in at night. Cats are nocturnal animals.”
“Then let her knock things off your dressing table. If she’s roaming around outside at night, the coyotes are liable to get her. I know you don’t want that.”
“Coyotes in town? Whoever heard of such a thing?”
“Spotted one just a few nights ago.” Ty didn’t bother to tell her that the critter was on the very edge of town, not in her neighborhood. That didn’t mean it couldn’t wander closer to civilization. She left the store grumbling, but Ty figured she’d be back, at least to shop. He might not get her vote for mayor, though.
Then the produce shipment arrived from Dallas, complete with a box of smashed oranges. The carton of expensive French chocolates was squashed, too.
Ty decided then and there that he needed a change of scenery. Grabbing his hat, he headed for the front door. “Hold down the fort, Ed. I’m going out to the ranch. If anybody else comes by to complain, tell them they’ll have to talk to me tomorrow.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Ed, the unflappable, kept stacking apples neatly in a pile.
Ty went to the livery, the one with McKinnon Brothers painted across the front. After greeting Joe Smith, who ran the place, he saddled his horse. Joe stopped cleaning out stalls and came over to talk.
“Where you headed, Mr. McKinnon?”
“Out to the ranch. Did the stage leave on time this morning?”
“Yes, sir. Right on schedule. Had three passengers, too. Pete Eden and his boy, and a perfume drummer out to make the ladies of San Angelo smell purty.”
“He stopped by the store yesterday. Some of it wasn’t bad.” Ty mounted the horse. “See you this afternoon.”
“Give my best to your brother.”
“Will do. I expect you’ll see him later today, too.” Ty leaned forward and patted the horse on the neck. “Ready for a good ride, Dusty?” The animal answered him with a toss of his head and a few prancing steps. “Easy boy. We have to walk through town, then I’ll let you go.
“Joe, if anybody comes in, tell them they have to keep the horses to a walk across the bridge. We passed an ordinance last night. They’ll get fined if they go faster. Nichols’s brother is a bridge engineer, and he said we’d eventually shake it apart if we keep going over it too fast.”
“I’ll tell them.”
“It’ll be in this week’s paper, and we’ll put some notices up. Some signs by the bridge, too.”
Ty was glad nobody stopped him on the way out of town. He looked for Camille, but didn’t see her. Would have stopped for her, he thought wistfully. Once he was clear of town, he gradually let Dusty build up to a smooth canter. As they covered the miles, he felt the tension unwind. He relaxed, riding easily and comfortably, enjoying the scenery.
His mind drifted and wandered all over the place. Thoughts of Amanda brought both sweetness and pain. How she’d loved this country. She’d been so proud of Willow Grove, even though it was mostly made up of tents and a few stores when she went to Glory. He was so thankful he’d built her that house right away. She’d been the first woman in town to have a real house.
“Guess I did some things right, sweetheart. But you did more for me than I did for you,” he said out loud. Despite all his faults, she’d loved him fiercely. She had tamed the man who craved adventure and danger. The man who sometimes drank too much and fought at the least provocation. She’d taught him that patience and tact achieved better results than flying off the handle. You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. She’d said it so sweetly, with so much conviction that he knew she had to be right. Yet she also understood that some circumstances required a show of force and a steady gun hand.
But her greatest gift had been leading him to Jesus. He hated to think what would have happened to him when she’d died if he hadn’t had the Lord’s comfort. He doubted that he’d still be around. Not that he would ever commit suicide, but he could imagine recklessly going into a gun battle and not coming out of it.
He saw some cattle up ahead and took a little detour to check the brand. Sure enough, they belonged to the McKinnon Ranch. Looked in good shape, too, for the time of year. There were a couple of others from a nearby ranch mixed in, but that happened often since few ranchers in the area had put up barbed wire yet.
He and Cade had fenced in a big pasture near headquarters for the horses and another for their prized Hereford bull, but otherwise they took advantage of the open range like most everyone else. But times were changing. They had been buying as many sections of land in their territory as they could, and they leased others. He figured by next spring they would start enclosing the ranch.
In Tom Green County, ranchers had been fencing their land for a couple of years, as much as twenty thousand acres in some cases. Some up in the Panhandle were doing likewise. It was the only way to improve herds with Durhams and Herefords.
But it caused plenty of problems with the ranchers who were advocates of free range. Ever since those first strings of barbed wire went up, fence cutting had led to great frustration and violence. The state legislature was working on a law to put a stop to it by making fence-cutting a felony. He hoped it worked. There were two sides to the issue. Some ranchers fenced in public land or land that belonged to someone else. That wasn’t right, either.
He thought about Camille and wondered if anyone had bent her ear yet about fencing versus free grass. So far, Hill had kept a neutral position, but other newspapers across the state had taken sides and loved to editorialize about it. The Fort Worth Gazette, one of the most popular out-of-town papers, was staunchly free grass, though they did not support fence cutting.
As he rode into ranch headquarters, he spotted Cade at the corrals. He slowed Dusty to a walk as they approached his brother. One of the cowboys was attempting to ride a bucking bronc inside the pen. He didn’t stay in the saddle very long.
Cade walked over to meet him. “You’re just in time to show ’em how it’s done.”
“Not me.” Ty dismounted, leading Dusty to the water trough. “I’m smarter than that these days.”
Cade chuckled and looked back at the corral. Two men had roped the untamed horse and were holding it steady while the younger man gingerly approached it. “You and me, both. He’s had enough for today, boys. Let Cyclone loose in the pasture for a while.”
“Looks like you named him right. You think anybody will ever ride him?”
“I’m beginning to wonder. Nobody around here has managed it. What brings you out today?”
“Cranky customers and griping citizens.” Ty loosened his tie. “I’m not in the mood to listen to complaints about barking dogs and howling cats.”
“Tough job being mayor. Come on up to the house. I’m not working hard today, so I can head into town early.”
“Let me take Dusty in to where he can visit with his friends.”
Cade gave instructions to a couple of
the men while Ty unsaddled his horse then opened a gate and led Dusty into a corral containing two other horses. The animals greeted each other as if they were catching up on all the news.
When they started toward the house, Cade rested his hand on Ty’s shoulder. “So what really brings you out here?”
“I needed some country peace.” Ty soaked up the scenery while they walked. “Sometimes I envy you living and working out here.”
“Sell the businesses or turn them over to somebody else. You know I’d like having you around all the time. I miss you.”
“You have a family now. I don’t want to barge in. It’s one thing to spend the night occasionally, but y’all would get sick and tired of me if I moved in.”
“Then build another house. I’m serious. If you want to move out here and help run the ranch, it won’t bother me a bit.”
“Until I start ordering you around.”
“You know you can’t boss me. I’m the oldest.”
“There you are. It wouldn’t work. I’d probably be bored in a week.” They walked up the porch steps, with Ty leading the way into the house. “I don’t want to give up the businesses—or being mayor. I just needed a break today.” He hung his hat on the hat rack by the back door. “Mostly I came out to see if I could persuade Quint to take the marshal’s job. The city council finally upped the salary to eighty dollars a month.”
“Can’t have him.” Cade hung his hat up and walked over to the dry sink. “Want some water?”
Ty nodded. “Don’t you think that’s up to him? That’s twice what he’s making here.”
“But it’s twenty dollars less than what he’s going to make as deputy sheriff.”
Ty sat down on the sofa. “Ransom said he talked to him yesterday. Quint’s agreed to do it?”
“Yep.” Cade handed him a glass of water, then sat down across from him. “The county commissioners had already settled on paying him a hundred a month if he took the job. He wanted to sleep on it. Gave me his answer this morning. He’s at the bunkhouse packing his belongings right now.”
“He’s the best man for the job. It will suit him better than marshal. Even if he was at the top of our list, I can’t really see him going around and telling people to pay their taxes or clean up their outhouses. I know he wouldn’t shoot a dog if it doesn’t have a license. I wish the city council had never passed that ordinance.”
“How many licenses have you paid for now?”
“Ten.” Ty rubbed his forehead. “Molly Peterson’s dog had four pups a couple of weeks ago. Cute as can be, too. She couldn’t shell out four dollars for licenses.” He took a long drink, thinking about the elderly woman. “Seein’ how happy she is with those puppies is worth every cent.” Especially since the pups and their mama were the only companionship she had. I don’t want to grow old alone.
“I’m glad you’re looking out for her.”
“I don’t do much. Her neighbors are mighty good to her. They take care of her.”
“So how’s Camille?”
“Industrious. She’s now part owner of the Gazette. Talked to Hill Monday morning and by Monday afternoon she had collected most of the delinquent accounts.”
Cade laughed. “Hill’s no fool. He took one look at that lady and figured his prayers were answered.”
“She’s moving in with Nola today.”
“That will be good for both of them.”
“Yes, it will.”
“And make it easy for you to go courtin’ if you’re so inclined.”
“I already thought of that.” Ty shrugged. “I’m supposed to have dinner with them tonight.”
“That doesn’t count. You have dinner there every Wednesday night.”
“But I don’t sit on the porch swing with an enchanting lady every Wednesday night.”
“I take that to mean you don’t sit on the porch swing. Nola would have your hide if you didn’t say she was enchanting.”
Ty laughed and set down his empty glass. “She’d scold me from here to Sunday. I can hear her now—”
“Us sitting there in her parlor, a couple of green cowboys who didn’t know the first thing about charming the ladies, young or old,” said Cade with a nostalgic smile.
Ty sat up very straight, folding his hands in his lap and spoke in a falsetto voice, “A gentleman always makes a lady think she’s the belle of the ball, whether she’s young or ancient or so ugly she’d scare a drunk man sober.”
“I thought I was goin’ to bust out laughing when she said that.”
“Me, too. But she was so sincere, I couldn’t. Later when I realized how scarce womenfolk were in ranching country, I saw the wisdom of it.”
“Not to mention that she wanted us to learn to be kind,” said Cade.
“It was a while before that lesson took.”
“Kindness is the last thing on a man’s mind when he’s busy chasing desperados, even the female kind.”
“Like Sagebrush Rose.” Ty absently touched the six-inch scar on his side left by the woman’s knife.
“You learned the hard way that time. Can’t trust saloon women. It doesn’t matter whether they work there or own the place. I never met one who didn’t lie through her teeth whenever it suited her.”
Uneasiness tickled the back of Ty’s neck. Was that what Cade would think of Camille if he ever found out about her past? “That’s a little harsh. Rose was rougher than most.”
“That kind of life hardens them, more than men I think. But you’re right. Rose was worse than usual. Most gals don’t shoot a man in the back.”
“We’d need a lot more lawmen if they did.” Ty decided it was past time to change the subject. His brother knew him too well. If he wasn’t careful, Cade would sense Ty’s discomfort and want to know the reason for it. “Do you have any food around here?”
“Some cheese and crackers.” Cade glanced at the mantel clock. “It is about time for some chow. There’s some canned stuff in the cupboard.”
“Let’s see what we can rustle up. I’m starving.” That was stretching it a bit, but food was always a good distraction. Ty took his glass to the kitchen table, then walked over to the cabinet where Jessie kept her canned goods. “Want some stewed tomatoes?”
“Suits me. You could make a ham sandwich if you want one.”
Ty shook his head as he rummaged through a drawer for the can opener. “Cheese and crackers are fine. Got anything for dessert?”
“There’s some peach cobbler in the pie safe.”
“That alone is worth the trip out here.” Ty carried a couple of plates, bowls and spoons over to the table. He opened the tomatoes and divided them into the bowls while Cade sliced some cheese. “We should finish it off since Jessie probably has something else for you to bring back. I talked to her for a few minutes last night after the council meeting. She was sitting out on the front porch when I got home.”
Cade set the cheese and tin of crackers on the table. “Was she all right?”
“Lonesome. Otherwise she was fine.” Ty sat down, watching Cade pour them some more water.
“I hate being out here and her in town. But there’s no help for it. Brad has to go to school.”
“Maybe I should run the ranch and you take over the store and livery. I could live out here, and you could stay in town.” Ty knew it would never happen. Cade’s eyes glazed over if he stayed in the store more than a couple of hours.
“Don’t tempt me. I’d probably bankrupt us in a month.”
“And go loco.”
“I’m going loco without her here. But I’ll ride it out. It’s not quite so bad as long as I get to town every couple of days to see them. Besides, if I moved to town, you’d expect me to play mayor, too.”
“The thought alone would scare fleas off a dog.”
While they ate, they chatted about the ranch and discussed the latest news article about the wrangling legislature. They talked about the new courthouse and possible men for the position of marshal.
&nb
sp; Ty considered once again how fortunate he was to get along so well with his brother. Not all men were on good terms with their kin. Since Cade was the only kin he had, he was mighty thankful that they loved and respected each other.
Boot steps and the jingle of spurs announced Quintin’s arrival at the back screen door before he even knocked. When he came in, Ty stood and shook his hand. “I hear you’re our new deputy sheriff.”
“Ransom and Cade finally talked me into it.”
“At least this way, you won’t have to hook up with any rustlers. Everybody will know you’re the law. You need a place to stay? I’ve got a spare bedroom.”
“I wouldn’t mind bunking there until the end of the week. Ransom said Mrs. Franklin has a room coming open on Friday. He’s already arranged for me to have it.”
“You’re lucky. I hear the food there is the best in town. I came out here to ask you to be town marshal, but I’m glad you’re taking the other job. That’s where we need you.”
“I wish I had as much confidence in me as y’all do.”
“You’ll do fine. Ransom will teach you anything you haven’t figured out on your own. Are you ready to go?” asked Ty. “I need to head back to town.”
“He has to get back in time to go courtin’.” Cade winked at his brother-in-law.
“It’s that serious?” Quint looked at Ty in surprise.
“Maybe. We’ll see. I’ve only known her six days.”
“Sometimes you don’t even need that long. I fell for Jessie the minute I laid eyes on her,” said Cade.
“You always were the impulsive one.” Ty took his hat from the peg and eased it on his head.
“I just know my own mind. And my heart.”
That was the trouble. Ty wasn’t sure he still had a heart. How could he when it had been shattered into a thousand pieces?
Chapter Thirteen
When Ty and Quint got to town, they dropped by the house for a few minutes so Quint could leave his belongings. Then the new deputy headed for the sheriff’s office while Ty went to the store. He worked on the accounts for a while and filled out an order to send off the next day. A little before five, he decided to try once more to talk to Red Mulhany.
Twice Blessed Page 12