Colin's Quest

by Shirleen Davies

  “We only have tonight and tomorrow to take him then.” Colin cursed their luck. They didn’t have time to wait for the perfect opportunity, and he refused to ride back home without the outlaw. “Tomorrow night it is.”

  “No, Colin. We have to get them tonight,” Quinn insisted. “Most of the men are riding to the saloon. Coffman and one other are staying behind. It will be our best chance to get him.”

  The sound of riders had them walking their horses as far off the trail as possible a minute before Coffman’s men passed them on their way to town. Waiting until they were certain there were no stragglers, Colin signaled everyone to follow him. He found a secluded spot a mile from the cabin to discuss their plans.

  “They’re both still awake, an almost empty bottle of whiskey sitting between them. Their gun belts are hanging on a wall across the room. If we all rushed in, it would be hard for either to reach them.” Quinn had just returned from checking on the two outlaws once more. “We should move now, before the other men return.”

  Colin nodded, glancing at his brother, cousins, and Caleb. “This is it, lads. Are you all ready?”

  “Let’s get the sonofabitches and take them to the Conviction jail,” Brodie ground out, echoing the sentiments of everyone around the small circle.

  “All right. Everyone get in place. Wait for my signal,” Colin said. “And, lads, take no unnecessary chances. We’ll all be going home—alive.”

  It didn’t take long for them to get into place. Positioning himself at the front door, Colin looked at Quinn on his right, then Brodie on his left. Each glanced behind the cabin, then nodded, indicating Blaine and Caleb were ready to come through the back door. Drawing his gun from its holster, he held up one, two, three fingers. With a hardy kick, the door burst open. Colin dashed in, followed by Quinn and Brodie, as Blaine and Caleb did the same at the back.

  “Get your hands up and don’t move. There’s nothing more we’d like than a reason to shoot each of you.” Colin braced himself for the slightest move from either man. That’s when he saw the smirk on the face of the one Quinn identified as Coffman. The next moment, his hand dropped, reaching under the table. A shot from behind Colin had Coffman cursing, holding up his now bleeding hand.

  “He told you to stay still. Guess you don’t listen too well.” Brodie’s gun still smoked.

  “Nice shot,” Colin said, never taking his gaze off the two men. “There are five guns trained on you. We don’t care if you reach Conviction alive or dead. If we had a choice, dead is best.”

  “We need to get them out of here before the others return.” Caleb held up a rope, moving behind Coffman. “Stand up and put your hands behind you.”

  “Don’t do it, Lon,” Deft snarled.

  “Shut up, Deft. We both know they’ll never get five miles outside of Crocker.” He looked up at Colin. “Do your best. Truth is, you’re all dead men.”

  “Go ahead, Blaine. Tie up the other one, then we’ll get them on their horses.”

  Brodie disappeared outside, bringing two horses from the stable. Securing Coffman and Deft on the saddles, they bound their feet to the stirrups, encircling each man’s waist before wrapping the rope around the saddle horns.

  “We’re ready, Colin.”

  “Good. Let’s get out of here.”

  Instead of taking the road toward town, they took a trail north toward Mindell. Several miles past Crocker, they veered west, then north, before riding southwest.

  “Where the hell are you taking us?” Coffman demanded when they came to a brief stop.

  “None of your business. Now, keep your mouth shut or we’ll gag you.” Colin pulled out his water canteen and took a swallow, offering none to Coffman or Deft. “Let’s go, lads.”

  Three hours later, after changing direction several times, they came to a stop and slid off their horses as the sun rose in the east.

  “We’ll rest here a couple hours.” Colin didn’t want to stop, but the horses needed a rest.

  “I’ll watch our backs,” Caleb offered.

  “I’ll keep you company.” Blaine slapped him on the back, glad to be so close to home with no sign of the rest of Coffman’s gang.

  “Hey, you can’t keep us on these saddles.” Coffman looked around, his eyes panicked as Colin and the others walked off after securing the horses.

  “Think we should give them water?” Quinn took a long draw from his canteen, handing it to Colin.

  “You gonna share yours?” Colin took a swallow, handing it back.

  “Nope.”

  “Neither am I. We’ll be at the river soon. They can drink their fill there. By tonight, we’ll be a short day’s ride to the ranch and the jail in Conviction.”

  Circle M Ranch

  “What will we do if they find him, Coral? I don’t want him taking us again.” Pearl clasped her hands in her lap, rocking back and forth, worry etched on her young face.

  “Don’t fret so, Pearl. They mean to take Coffman to jail, not bring him here.” Coral couldn’t allow herself to think of him by any other name.

  “But if they do and he sees us, he’ll take us away,” Pearl pleaded.

  Coral wrapped an arm around her youngest sister, trying to console her. “According to Mrs. MacLaren, they went to arrest him. He’ll be tied up like the turkeys Ma used to make. You remember that, don’t you, Pearl?”

  “I remember.”

  “Well, he’ll be just like that. I promise. He’ll never be able to hurt us again.”

  “Not ever, Coral?”

  “I give you my word. No matter what else, he’ll never lay a hand on us ever again.” Coral tightened her embrace once more before letting go. “Now, let’s go help Heather and Geneen in the barn.”

  Pearl ran ahead, dashing past Heather’s horse tied to the post outside and into the barn toward the two women.

  “Can’t it wait until tomorrow, Heather? It’s been a full day and my backside’s sore.” Geneen rubbed it as if to emphasize the pain at being in the saddle several days straight.

  “I’d at least like to meet them.” Heather had heard about their newest neighbor. The last few weeks she’d done her best to change some of her ways. Blaine’s honesty about her actions affected her enough to make her think hard about the way she treated others. She’d decided to start with Geneen, who’d made no secret about her desire to count Heather as a friend.

  “You go ahead. I’ll ride out in a few days, pay my respects.”

  “All right. Tell Aunt Kyla and Ma I’ll be along for supper.” Heather walked past Pearl, ruffling her hair before mounting her horse and riding south.

  “Where’s Heather going?” Coral had stayed back, thinking about her conversation with Pearl, trying to figure out what she could do to protect them from Coffman. Truth was, she’d thought of little else since the men left over a week ago. A part of her wanted to do as she’d dreamed night after night for as long as she could remember. Another part hoped to never see her kin again.

  “She decided this afternoon was a good time to meet our new neighbors. I guess a foreman’s been running the ranch south of here for a while. Now the owner’s shown up and decided to stay.”

  “We should all go meet them.” Pearl looked up at Coral and Geneen, hoping to take the pony she’d been allowed to ride.

  “Why don’t you, Coral, Opal, and I ride out there in a few days? We’ll bake a pie and take it to them. They’d like that, don’t you think?” Geneen put a hand to the small of her back, trying to ease the pain. She thought her soreness from riding in the saddle every day would have disappeared by now.

  Pearl watched Geneen’s motions, her face growing somber. “Ma used to rub gooey stuff on Pa’s back when he worked too hard.”

  “You remember that?” Coral looked at her sister, astonished.

  “I remember lots of stuff, Coral.”

  “Well, I’m headed into the house for a warm bath before helping Kyla with supper. Maybe the men will be back by nightfall.” At least Geneen hoped
they would. The mood around the ranch had deteriorated each day, worry turning to despair with each sunset.

  “Smart decision, Colin. Coffman’s men are probably still waiting for us on the trail near Thumb Butte.” When they spoke of it, Quinn hadn’t thought the idea of taking an extra day to ride home a good idea. He had a whole other opinion of it now that they were almost at their ranch. “We’ll be home for supper.”

  “We’ll feed them, head to town, and hand them over to the sheriff.” Colin pulled his collar up to ward off the chill. Fall had given way to early winter. It wouldn’t be long before the first heavy snow fell. “I’ll be glad to get them behind bars.”

  “I’ll be glad when they hang.” Quinn reined Warrior to a stop on a high peak overlooking their ranch. “Now isn’t that a fine sight?”

  Reining up next to him, Colin spotted the ranch house, wondering if Sarah would still be there, waiting for him. “That it is, lad. A real fine sight.” Taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw Blaine, Brodie, and Caleb still at the back, keeping watch on Coffman and Deft.

  Colin refused to let himself believe Sarah had left. In his mind, he pictured her running onto the porch to greet him, the same as she’d done every day since he’d brought her home. Then they’d go inside and talk of their day, deciding where to ride each evening. His heart told him there were still many more of those days. He took a deep breath, hoping his heart held the truth.

  “Did you hear that?” Sarah’s head shot up.

  “What, lass?”

  “Outside, Kyla. I thought I heard horses.” Standing, she dashed to the front window, pulling back the curtains, letting out a shriek. “They’re home!”

  Geneen and the others came up beside her, looking out. “Who do they have with them?”

  “Must be the men they went after,” Sarah answered, hearing a gasp from behind her. Turning, she saw Coral race up the stairs, Opal and Pearl right behind her. “I wonder where they’re going.”

  Geneen leaned toward her. “Remember, it’s their father the men went after. I’ll bet they’re hiding.”

  “We’ll make sure that man never gets near them again,” Kyla interjected. “Come on. Let’s greet the men.”

  Colin kept his gaze trained on the front porch as Kyla, Audrey, and Geneen came outside, followed by his younger siblings. The one person he didn’t see was the one he needed most. When the hope began to fade, he saw the front door open. A moment later, Sarah stepped outside, her bright smile making up for all the worry he’d felt since leaving.

  Jumping off Chieftain, he ran up the steps, gathering her into his arms, swinging her around. “Sarah, lass, you stayed,” he whispered in her ear, placing kisses along her neck.

  “Of course I stayed. Now put me down.” Sarah laughed as her eyes glazed with unshed tears. She hugged him tighter as he set her feet on the ground. “Who are those men, Colin?”

  His expression changed in an instant as his anger returned. He focused on the men tied to their saddles. “Lon Coffman and one of his men. We’ll be taking them on into town this afternoon.”

  “They’re the men who killed your da.”

  “Yes, they are.” He looked over at his ma, who stood rooted in place. In all his years, he’d never seen hate cross her face—until today.

  “Colin, we’ll need to secure them in the barn until we’re ready to leave.” Quinn had followed him up the steps, giving Audrey a hug, telling her who the men were. Her expression matched that of Kyla’s.

  “I’ll come with you.” Dropping his arm from around Sarah’s waist, he’d taken a few steps toward the prisoners when he heard a loud gasp from behind him. Turning, he saw Coral step outside, a rifle settled against her shoulder, pointed at Lon Coffman.

  “Coral, no!” he yelled, a moment before a shot rang through the air and Coffman slumped in the saddle.

  Dropping the rifle, she moved forward, her arms heavy, legs wooden as she walked down the steps, stopping a few feet from his horse. Staring up at his lifeless figure still tied to the saddle, her face showed no remorse.

  “I told you I’d kill you one day.”

  For several long minutes, Coral stood without moving. Brodie walked up, gently turning her toward the house while Colin led Coffman’s horse to the barn. They placed his body in the wagon, wasting no time taking it and Deft to Sheriff Yost, then returning to the ranch.

  Kyla and Audrey took Coral to her room, waiting with her until she fell asleep. It took over an hour before anyone could coax anything out of Opal or Pearl. As they began to talk, the words tumbled out, creating a story none of the adults could imagine. When they’d told them all they knew, Sarah and Geneen took them upstairs, tucking them into bed.

  “I’m so glad you boys brought the girls to live here.” Kyla wiped a tear from her cheek, thinking of the cruelty of Lon Coffman.

  Sarah sat next to Colin, holding his hand. “Who would’ve thought anyone could be so cold and brutal?”

  “What should we do?” Kyla looked at Colin, her face ashen.

  “Tell Yost the truth. Lon Coffman was their da’s brother. He showed up at their place with Deft, worked for their da a while, then Coffman tried to force himself on the girls’ ma. At least that’s what I believe Opal and Pearl were trying to tell us.”

  “Sounded like it to me, Colin,” Sarah said, the others nodding.

  “Coffman shot his brother when he tried to stop him, then turned his gun on the girls’ ma.” Colin stared at the roaring fire in the living room.

  “And the girls witnessed all of it.” Sarah bowed her head, closing her eyes.

  “According to Opal, he and Deft rode off with the girls, keeping them prisoners ever since, threatening them if they ever said a word to anyone about the killings. I can see why they ran.” Colin scrubbed a hand down his face. “We’ll have to speak with Coral before we say a word to anyone outside the family.”

  “I hope to God he didn’t do anything else to them.” Geneen stood, heading toward the stairs.

  “Well, that’s one sorry sonofabitch Yost won’t have to waste jail space on,” Colin murmured before taking Sarah’s hand to lead her upstairs.

  Three weeks later, everybody except Coral had moved on, letting Deft rot in jail as he awaited the arrival of the circuit judge. At first, Yost had hinted at charges being brought against her. His comments had been received with a great deal of contempt, as well as a groundswell of support for firing him in favor of someone who’d work harder to protect the citizens of Conviction.

  Even with the MacLarens and the majority of townsfolk accepting her actions, Coral couldn’t seem to move on. Each night, she’d thrash about, then awaken covered in perspiration, pushing those away who tried to help. Instead of receding as the days and weeks passed, her nightmares increased.

  Coral refused to confide in anyone, tucking into herself as if holding all her emotions inside would solve the guilt she felt at taking a man’s life—no matter how justified.

  Pearl had been the one person to help the adults understand some of Coral’s fear, believing her sister felt certain the MacLarens would send them away after what she’d done. No amount of assurances to the contrary could calm their fears, especially Coral’s.

  “I have a thought,” Blaine offered one afternoon while the men were riding fences. “Why don’t we adopt them? Maybe that will ease their minds and rid Coral of her nightmares.”

  “I think it’s a great idea, Blaine.” Quinn rode next to him, wondering why no one had thought of it before.

  “Have you ever known a family to adopt someone? I sure don’t know what needs to be done.” Colin liked the idea, too, and believed his ma and their uncles would approve.

  “Do you think it’s what the girls want? No matter how much they hated their uncle, it’s still their family name.” Brodie had no idea what would need to be done, but as long as the girls wanted it, he’d make it happen.

  “Yes!” Opal’s and Pearl’s voices melded together when Colin and Sarah took
them aside later that week and explained what the MacLarens proposed. Coral’s face brightened for a moment at the news before slipping behind the mask she preferred to hide behind.

  “What do you think, Coral? It isn’t hard to do. We simply sign documents with our attorney stating you’re taking the name MacLaren and relinquishing the name Coffman. We’d make you, Opal, and Pearl full members of the family, but only if it’s what you want.” Kyla sat next to her, reaching out a hand to touch Coral’s arm. In truth, there wasn’t any formal requirement for adopting them in California, but the uncles wanted to make it all official so no one could later claim they weren’t legally MacLarens. It seemed the best course for everyone.

  Coral caught her bottom lip between her teeth, glancing at her sisters, who nodded at her hesitancy.

  “I want to be a MacLaren, Coral. Don’t you?” Pearl stood before her oldest sister, her gaze solemn, her voice almost a whisper.

  Looking up, Coral’s mouth curved into a rare smile. “Yes, Pearl. I think I’d like that.”

  “All right everyone,” Uncle Ewan interrupted the different conversations around the table, getting their attention. “We’re here for our regular Sunday supper, except today we welcome three new MacLarens into the family. Coral, Opal, and Pearl are now officially part of our clan.” He held up his glass, tilting it toward the girls. “Welcome, lassies. We’re pleased to have you.”

  Following a few minutes of cheers and hugs, they settled into their normal Sunday banter, talking of chores for the following week until Ian mentioned the sudden resignation of Sheriff Yost.

  “Ewan and I attended a meeting of the town leaders a few days ago. They made the decision to remove Yost and look for a new sheriff. I think it may have been the first decision having everyone’s approval.”

  “What was Yost’s reaction?” Colin asked, glad for the decision to rid the town of his incompetence.