“Did you find the cattle?” Sarah asked Colin.
“No. We lost the tracks in the storm. I sent men ahead several miles, but they saw nothing. I don’t understand how they could have gotten so far without us catching them.” Taking off his hat, Colin swiped an arm across his forehead.
“Uncle Ewan said they had at least a twelve hour start. He and Uncle Ian rode into Conviction to let Sheriff Yost know about the rustlers.” She watched as a look of disgust appeared on Colin’s face.
“Ach. The man will do nothing.” The mention of Yost reminded him of seeing Sheriff Walker. “We crossed paths with Sheriff Walker last night.”
“Sheriff Walker of River City?” Slipping her arm through his, they walked up the porch steps.
“He and his deputies rode into our camp last night. I already told you we first saw him on our way to find you. That means he’s been away for almost four months. I’ve never known a sheriff to travel that far tracking outlaws. And four months? It’s a long time to be gone.”
“True, especially given his health.”
“Health?” Colin turned toward her, his brows creasing.
“Well, you met him. He’s older, overweight, and Ma used to say he had a little drinking problem.” Sarah started toward the kitchen, stopping when Colin reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Are you certain you’re talking about Sheriff Joe Walker?”
“Of course. I’ve met him often enough at church and when he’d come out to the house. Why?” Sarah cocked her head, her eyes flashing confusion.
“The man we met is younger, tall, slender, and appears to be as healthy as a horse.”
Sarah watched as he took a few steps away, as if trying to reconcile the man he met to the one she described. Cursing, he turned back toward her.
“I’m sorry, Sarah, but I’ve got to ride into town and send telegrams to the deputy in River City and Reverend Olford.”
“There’s not a chance I’m letting you out of my sight. I’m going with you.” Untying her apron, she hurried into the kitchen, letting Geneen know where she’d be. “When Kyla returns, please let her know where I’ve gone.” Voices from the entry indicated her mother-in-law had just gotten home. “Sounds as if she’s already here.”
“You’re riding out so soon?”
“I have to, Ma. It’s important I get confirmation about the man we met on the trail. It won’t take long, but don’t hold supper for us. We’ll eat in town.”
“Who’s going with you?” Kyla asked.
“I am.” Sarah slipped her arm around Colin’s waist. “You don’t think I’d let him go without me, do you?”
“I suppose not.” Kyla chuckled, watching Colin lean down to place a kiss on Sarah’s neck.
“Well, you’d best get going if you want to get the message off today.”
“Do you want to wait for a response?” The clerk read over the messages, collecting the money Colin set on the counter.
“You can find us at the hotel restaurant.”
“Fair enough. I’ll get these right off.”
Taking Sarah’s hand, he walked down the boardwalk toward the sheriff’s office. Stepping inside, he didn’t wait for Yost to look up.
“I need to see your wanted posters.”
Yost set aside his pen, looking up at Colin, then standing when he saw Sarah. “I understand congratulations are due, Mrs. MacLaren.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.”
“Now, why do you want to see the posters?” Yost asked.
Colin explained their two encounters with the man claiming to be Walker. “I believe they’re outlaws and may have been part of the group who stole our cattle.”
“Well, guess it wouldn’t hurt to let you look through them.” Opening a drawer, he pulled out a stack of papers, tossing them on the desk. “Here you go.”
Colin quickly went through them, shaking his head as he reviewed each one. He’d almost given up when one of the last posters presented a perfect image of Sheriff Walker. The name underneath was Lonnie Coffman. Holding it up, he handed it to Yost.
“This is who we saw.”
Yost’s eyes widened. “You’re certain?”
“I am. We saw him twice. When they rode out, they headed in the direction of Crocker.”
“You’re not thinking of going after them, are you?”
“I’m here to let you know what we saw. It means they’re still around and could be a continued threat to Conviction. What you decide to do is up to you.” He took Sarah’s hand. “Come on. I owe you supper.”
Chapter Twenty-One
It took them several minutes to sit down at their table as several townsfolk stepped forward to congratulate them. Many had been at the wedding and chided him for disappearing with his bride so early. He laughed, taking Sarah by the elbow and escorting her to their table.
Ordering the night’s special, he held her hand, settling it on his thigh as they waited for their food. He could feel tremors passing through them.
“You’re shaking.” Lifting her hand, he placed a kiss on her knuckles.
“What will you do if you learn Coffman killed Sheriff Walker?” Her hand tightened in his, her brow creasing with worry. She saw his jaw clench and eyes narrow.
“Not much we can do. It’s up to the law to go after him.” He hadn’t told her of their plans to find Coffman and bring him to justice for the killing of his pa and Uncle Gillis. No one knew, except those who’d sat around the fire, deciding the fate of the outlaws. He didn’t intend to lie to her, telling himself this wasn’t a real lie. She simply didn’t know what the men had discussed.
“Here you are.” The server placed their plates in front of them, then walked away.
“So you don’t plan to go after him in Crocker?” Raising an eyebrow, she picked up her fork, taking a small bite of roast.
He chewed his meat, taking his time, figuring out how best to answer. Thankfully, he didn’t have to when he saw the clerk from the telegraph office come rushing toward them.
“These came for you, Mr. MacLaren.” Holding out the messages, he nodded at Sarah. “Sorry for the interruption, ma’am.”
“Here you are.” Colin reached into his pocket, handing the man a coin.
“Thanks. I’ll be in the office a little while longer if you want to send any other messages.”
Colin nodded as the clerk walked out.
“What do they say?” Sarah leaned toward him, noting his bleak expression.
Handing them to her, he sat back in his chair, his face a mask.
“Oh no.” She looked up at Colin. “Coffman killed the sheriff and his men?”
“Looks that way.” He pushed his plate away, taking out a few bills and setting them on the table. “I want to send another telegram to River City, then we’d better head back home. I need to speak with Quinn and the others about this.”
“Do you think Coffman and his men are the ones who stole the cattle?”
“Aye, I do.”
A light snow began to fall when Colin and Sarah were within a mile of the ranch. They’d taken their horses as he’d wanted to get to the telegraph office as fast as possible. Now he wished they’d taken the wagon.
Riding into the barn, he helped Sarah down. “I’ll take care of your horse. You go inside and get warm, and ask Blaine and Caleb to meet me in Quinn’s barn. I need to ride over there.” The houses were far enough apart for privacy yet close enough to ride between each in a few minutes.
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
“The information is too important to put off. We’ve run into Coffman and his gang twice, and I know they’re the ones who robbed the bank and killed Da. I’m certain they’re also the ones who stole our cattle. I’m not willing to take the chance they might ride back here to see what else they can take.” Placing his hands on Sarah’s shoulders, he turned her to him. “The man is dangerous and Crocker isn’t that far away. We need to figure out what we’ll do if they swoop back down on us. Now go ah
ead into the house. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Watching her leave, he felt a pang of guilt. What they planned had little to do with fortifying the ranch and everything to do with revenge. But no one could know that, except for those riding to Crocker to dispense justice.
Swinging by Brodie’s house, they rode to Quinn’s, meeting Blaine and Caleb as they entered the barn.
“I’ll let Quinn know we’re here,” Blaine offered, dashing toward the house, pulling his collar up to ward off the increasingly heavy snow.
“You know Heather will want to be involved.” Brodie moved further into the barn where the heat from the animals warmed the air.
“Aunt Audrey will never let her go,” Colin said as he and Caleb followed.
“That didn’t stop her from following us before,” Caleb grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning against a stall. His mouth drew into a thin line as Blaine returned, followed by Quinn and Heather. Someone would have to set Heather straight, but it sure wouldn’t be him.
“What have you learned?” Quinn asked, stopping next to Colin.
“Sheriff Walker isn’t who he says he is. My belief is he’s Lon Coffman.” Colin pulled out the telegrams and passed them around.
“Sonofabitch…” Quinn’s voice trailed off as he read each message, then passed them along. “We were within feet of being able to take care of the men who killed my da and yours, Colin.”
“They were right in front of us, twice,” Brodie grumbled, his face set.
“We know now, and there’s no reason we can’t go after them.” Caleb handed one of the telegrams back to Colin. “What do you want to do?”
“I’m repeating what we decided before, but no one outside of here can know what we plan—not our families, ranch hands, or the sheriff.” Colin looked at each person, his gaze stopping on Heather a second longer than the others. He or Quinn would have to speak with her, tell her she wouldn’t be going with them. If she argued, they’d have to tie her up and leave her in the barn loft for one of her younger brothers to find. He prayed it wouldn’t come to that. “We have a good idea Coffman is back in Crocker. He and his men rode that way when they left our camp. If we’re going to do this, I think it should be soon.”
“Agreed. It will take a few days to make sure we have all the work sorted out here. Truthfully, Colin, I think we’re going to have to tell our families something. They accepted our decision when we left to find the herd. They’ll be suspicious if we all ride out again now.” Brodie dragged fingers through his hair, then rubbed his forehead.
“Who do you suggest we tell?” Colin asked, knowing Brodie was right.
“I’ll have to tell Da. The work here is greater than ever. He’ll never let me go if he doesn’t have a good reason.”
Caleb stepped out from where he stood in the shadow of the loft. “We’ll tell them we’ve gotten a lead on who stole the cattle and have decided to go after them before the bad weather hits. It’s not a lie, just not the whole truth.”
“Aye. It’s a good idea, Caleb. What do you think, Colin?” Quinn asked, anxious to reach a decision.
“Agreed. We take a day to make sure the work is covered and ride out at sunrise the following morning. If we ride hard, we’ll reach the outside of Crocker by the end of the second day. Brodie and Blaine ride in, locate Coffman, ride back to our camp, then we make plans to go after him.”
“You make it sound simple, Colin, but we’re dealing with experienced gunmen. People who kill for a living. We may all be good with weapons, but we aren’t killers. We’re ranchers.” Blaine could always be counted on to be the devil’s advocate, and with good reason. His family’s enthusiasm would often outweigh their common sense.
“We won’t be reckless, Blaine. We’ll learn where Coffman holes up, keep watch on it, and take him when few of his men are around. If we’re fortunate, there’ll be no shooting.”
“Oh, there’ll be shooting,” Blaine stated. “The question is…will all of us make it back home alive?”
“I forbid it, Brodie. None of you should be riding to Crocker to take out your vengeance. Let the law know where Coffman is and they’ll arrest him.” Ewan stormed around his desk, face hard. “It’s too dangerous and it’s not your job. They could arrest you for murder.”
“We don’t plan to kill them, Da.” Brodie held his hands in front of him, palms out. “We’ll do our best to bring them back to Conviction for trial.”
“To watch them hang,” Quinn interjected. He knew they’d have problems with Ewan. Ian, who leaned against a wall, had said nothing so far, his features stoic.
“I can’t stop the rest of you, but I won’t allow Brodie to go off on some dunderhead quest for revenge. The odds none of you will get shot, or killed, aren’t good. We can’t afford to lose any of you.” Ewan looked at Colin and Quinn. “Have you told Kyla and Audrey?”
“Nae, and we don’t intend to. There’s no reason anyone except the two of you needs to know where we’ll be riding and why.” Colin held his ground. He had no intention of being dissuaded.
Ian pushed away from the wall, walking toward the desk, leaning his hip against it, glancing at the young men in front of him. “I want to make certain I understand. Your plan is for all of you to ride to Crocker, find Coffman—without raising suspicions in a town riddled with outlaws—ride to his hideout, capture him and any of his men who are there, then ride back with them in tow. Is that correct?”
Colin cleared his throat, speaking for all of them. “Aye, that about sums it up, Uncle Ian.”
Ian glanced at Ewan. His situation was different. Sean, his oldest at eighteen, wasn’t a part of the group of older cousins. He belonged in the next oldest set of MacLarens. It wouldn’t be long before they’d insist on being included in these meetings.
“Like Ewan said, other than Brodie, we can’t stop you from going, although I agree it should be left to the sheriff.” He held up his hand when he saw Colin start to protest. “I understand you think Yost is incompetent, and I agree. But he’s all we have unless we can get federal lawmen involved, and that hasn’t happened so far.”
“Have you contacted them?” Quinn asked.
“They’ve refused to send anyone.” Ian shook his head in disgust.
“Da, I won’t be left behind. I’ve given my word and I plan to keep it.” Brodie’s jaw worked as he thought through what he could say to persuade his father to step back and let him go. “I’m twenty-two. By rights, you can’t stop me. More importantly, if it had been you or Uncle Ian who’d been killed, the others would ride with me to find your killers.”
“He’s right, Uncle Ewan. We’ve talked of this many times. Stealing our cattle and learning Coffman murdered the sheriff in River City just adds to the reasons we must go. Yost won’t do anything and there’s no law in Crocker. Unless we do something, he and his gang will continue to roam at will, stealing and murdering without conscience.” He cast a quick look at the others. “This is our land, our home. We must protect it from men like Coffman or he’ll see us as weak, unable to defend what’s ours. I, for one, won’t let that happen.”
“I don’t like it, Brodie. Taking the law into your own hands goes against everything we’ve taught you.” His color had returned to normal, but the set of Ewan’s jaw and cold tone of his voice conveyed his feelings. Letting his gaze move from his son to his nephews, he felt a surge of raw emotion at what fine men they’d turned out to be. He couldn’t imagine losing any one of them. “I cannot give my consent,” he said, holding up a hand when Brodie started to protest. “Nor will I stop you.”
Brodie began to step forward, but came to a halt at his father’s stern stare.
“If you weren’t of age, I’d lock you in the cellar until the others were long away. As it is, you are a man and have the right to make your own decisions, no matter how wrong I believe them to be.”
“I understand.” Brodie hated to cause his father more worry than he already had, but he refused to let the others ride t
o Crocker without him.
“Nae, lad, I don’t believe you do. But the decision is made and I see there’ll be no changing your mind. Now, tell Ian and me the details, leaving nothing out.”
Crocker, Nevada
“Taking the MacLaren cattle was a good decision, Lon.” Deft sat on a chair outside their cabin. Located a few miles above Crocker, no one besides the men who rode with Coffman had ever been there. Not because it couldn’t be found. No one seemed to have the nerve to confront him on his own land. “I say we ride in and take another hundred head before the weather turns bad.”
Tipping his chair back on two legs, Coffman considered what Deft said. It had been easy and they’d made about as much money as they had from most bank robberies, without the high risk.
“Doesn’t feel right. We’ll find another ranch. It’s too soon to hit the MacLarens again.”
“Do you have a place in mind?” Deft took a draw from his cheroot. Over the years, he’d learned to heed Lon’s instincts. His gut feelings had saved them from certain trouble on many occasions.
“A ranch south of MacLaren’s. I heard about it from a couple cowhands at the saloon last night. Seems a new man has taken it over. He has five or six men working with him. They stopped by his place looking for work, but he told them he wasn’t hiring anyone else for the winter.”
“South would be a longer ride to the cattle, but would take less time driving them to Smith.” Tossing the cheroot on the dirt, Deft laced his hands behind his head. “They give you the rancher’s name?”
“Nope. Didn’t ask.” Standing, Coffman walked to the edge of the wooden porch, staring up into the star-filled sky. “I’m going to send some men to verify what those cowhands said. I don’t want to ride there without knowing more about the size of the herd and the number of men he posts to watch them.”
“That’ll delay it at least a week. Right now, the weather’s clear.”
“Yep. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. We’re not riding in there blind. I’ll send the men out tomorrow, then I’m riding into Crocker. I want to send a telegram to our friend in Sacramento.”
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