“Not your fault.”
Brock smiled a bit. “I was thinking it may be safer for travel if you wore..um Will’s clothes. “
Sabrina frowned a bit. “You think there may be trouble? We were safe enough on the way here.”
“On the way here, there were four of us. Now, bandits would consider their odds better. Your safety is foremost in my mind.”
Sabrina took her last bite of chicken and chewed thoughtfully. Brock was no fool. He was not Sheriff for nothing. If it was safer for her, it was safer for him. And his safety was her utmost concern.
“Whatever’s best.”
Finishing their meal they climbed into bed and rested. Tomorrow would come soon enough.
They slept soundly, but Brock cursed upon waking. It was raining. Sabrina patted him on his back as she dressed again in her pants. She headed out to relieve herself. Returning, she found Brock staring out the window at the cloudy sky.
The clouds were dark and heavy and blanketed the sky. A soft drizzle fell. The weather matched Brock’s mood. Bleak. She placed her hand on his shoulder as he turned and kissed her.
“We need to go.”
He nodded silently and they headed out to the stables. Back in boy mode, Sabrina insisted on saddling Justice by herself. She buttoned her coat tightly to ward off the cold rain and set off, with Brock following behind her.
The horses didn’t like the rain either and all were pleased when it slacked off and then stopped completely around noon. The sun fought its way out of the clouds but the damage was already done. Instead of packed earth they were traveling through wet, soppy mud.
The mud sucked down the horses’ hoofs and tired them out faster than usual. They were all weary by the time they stopped for supper. Sabrina spent a long time cleaning the mud and small rocks from the horses’ hooves and rubbing their coats dry while Brock tried his best to start a fire with damp wood. Due to his skill and perseverance, he finally had a small flame going. He fed it leaves, one at a time, as he held them close trying to steam out the dampness. He slowly added some small sticks and then, finally, larger pieces. The fire hissed at the wet wood and Sabrina sat down close to Brock for warmth.
She leaned her cold nose against his warm neck and he turned, kissing her temple. After they ate he wrapped a blanket around them and they slept sitting up, leaning against a tree.
Their spirits were brighter the following day. The sun rose and they sat watching the most spectacular sunrise that Sabrina had ever seen. As the sky turned from red to purple to blue, Sabrina watched, feeling renewed. Standing up and mounting the horses, they headed out.
When they arrived at home two days later, Sabrina was tired and sore. Brock shooed her off to the house to rest but she stubbornly refused as she struggled to lift Justice’s saddle. Brock, seeing her plight, came over and took it from her wobbling arms, laying it over the side of the stall. He fed and watered the horses and rubbed down Troy. He helped Sabrina with Justice and then steered her to the house. Sabrina fell asleep instantly.
Brock removed her boots and covered her up. Then he returned to carry their bags in from the barn. Finished with his task, he lay down next to her and slept.
When she awakened, she felt Brock’s strong arms around her and she smiled sleepily. Looking around the room she noticed it was now dark outside. She had no idea of the time but she needed to go to the loo and reluctantly slipped from the warmth and tended to her needs. When she climbed back over Brock, he grunted slightly as she settled back into her spot and closing her eyes she slept ‘til dawn.
The next time she awoke, the sun was already in the sky. She yawned and stretched, still reluctant to leave the warm bed. She did not see Brock but could hear something bubbling on the stove. It smelled wonderful.
Rising, she stiffly made her way over to the pot to look in. Taking a spoon, she dipped in and tasted it. Her stomach growled for more.
“Ah! Cinderella’s awake,” Brock said, grinning as he came in through the door. His hair was wet where he had bathed in the creek and the curls clung damply to his face.
“You bathed?”
“Sorry, I was gonna wait for you but I smelled like a mule.”
Sabrina frowned at that. She looked down at the dusty trail clothes she still wore and sniffed herself. Ugh. Brock noticed and pulled her into his arms, kissing her cheek as he chuckled at her.
“Eat first,” he insisted as he read her mind. He scooped out the hot stew onto two plates and handed her one. They both ate hungrily. When she was done, Sabrina headed to the stream to bathe. She banned Brock from the area and he pouted. Ignoring him, she turned to her baggage. She hesitated as she debated on the overalls or the green skirt. Making a decision, she wrapped up the bundle of clean clothes in a towel and set off on her way.
She moved to squat by the cold water and quickly lathered her body. She was pleased to notice no her ‘curse’ had ended for now. Her teeth chattered as she moved to stand in the stream and wash her hair and rinse. Shaking from the cold, she climbed onto the bank and dried herself, dressing quickly. Towel drying her hair, she made her way back to the warmth of the cabin.
Brock stopped when he saw her. She was wearing her new green skirt and beige blouse. He wanted to rip it off and devour her, but he had much to do today. Later, he thought with a smile.
“Feel better?”
“Much.”
“I have to go into town and deliver the letters that Thomas gave me and check back in. Do you want to come with me?”
Sabrina hesitated, looking down at her new clothing. She was not mentally prepared for facing the town yet.
“I think I’ll pass for now.”
“Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll go with you.”
She nodded gratefully and walked him to the barn. She watched as he saddled Troy and rode out. Justice snorted and she walked over to the horse.
“Sorry, boy, we’re staying here.” Since she was exhausted the night before, she gave him a full exam and brush down. Once done, she led him to the door and released him into the corral. She then thoroughly cleaned her saddle and tack.
Heading back to the house she set about unpacking their bags from the trip. She frowned, glancing at the pile of dirty clothes from the trip home. Wash time.
Two hours later, she hung the now clean clothes on a line, and stared at the needy garden. The small patch she had cleared earlier was barely discernible in the mess.
“It ain’t gonna hoe itself,” she murmured as she began the arduous task.
Brock’s first stop was to meet with Dr. Reynold. He figured it was his duty to inform him why his son did not return. Not finding him at his office, he rode Troy over to his home on the edge of the town. Walking up to the large house, he took a breath before knocking briskly on the door. It was soon opened by Sally. Her face lit up when she saw him.
“Why Brock! Did you come to visit me?” she batted her eyes coyly.
“I came to speak with your father. About Thomas.”
“Thomas?” she asked. “Where is he?” She sidestepped and peered behind Brock.
“He is quite well. Is your father in?”
She turned abruptly to yell up the staircase. “Father, the Sheriff is here.”
Returning to Brock, she motioned for him to be seated in the sitting room. Brock took his hat off and eyed the rather small settee as he stepped into the room. He chose a chair to sit in, ignoring Sally’s dismayed expression.
Harvey Reynold hurried down the staircase and Brock stood up to shake his hand as he walked over.
“Dr. Reynold.”
“Call me Harvey,” he stated, motioning Brock to sit and shooing Sally out of the room. She left in a pout and pretended to stomp upstairs.
“How is your father?”
“He is doing well. I have no doubt that Thomas saved his life.”
“Yes, Thomas is very talented. He is not with you?”
A silence settled over the room
“Well, no
. He decided to stay longer and care for my father. He sent a letter explaining his absence.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the slightly wrinkled envelopes. He handed both to Harvey.
He accepted them with a frown. Opening the one addressed to him, he pulled out the letter, unfolded the paper and read it quickly. Brock sat quietly, trying to gauge his reaction. The man sighed, refolding the paper and replacing it in the envelope.
“ ’Tis always a woman.’ To tell you the truth I am a bit relieved. He spent way too much time with that stable boy, if you know what I mean.” He whispered the last part, and Brock couldn’t prevent a smile.
“I’m sure Sally will be disappointed,” Reynold said. “One less to boss around. Sounds like we’re practically family. If you need anything, feel free to come to me.”
“Likewise…” Brock said, standing up and shaking his hand.
Sally had been eavesdropping from behind the door. “What? Thomas isn’t returning?”
Her father held out the letter addressed to her so she could read it. Angrily, she ripped it up and her father grabbed her arm, embarrassed by her display.
“You behave yourself in front of company! I apologize,” Harvey said.
“Not needed. I trust she’ll get used to the idea eventually,” he said, meeting Harvey’s eyes. They both nodded in understanding and he could hear the shouting behind him as he left.
He had a much happier welcome at the jail. Paperwork was strewn over the desk and his deputy practically hugged him. Not too much had happened in Tulsey while he was gone but the neighboring town was not as lucky.
He went on to tell how a family of six was slaughtered in a ranch house outside of Keystone.
“I rode out there as soon as I heard of it,” he said softly. “Saw the bodies.” He took a deep breath. “They weren’t just killed. Looked like the work of the devil. The wife and daughters were defiled. The youngest was only six.”
Brock sat down heavily in his chair. Coldness crept into his soul. This was not right, this was pure evil.
“The father was home?”
“Hung from a tree and shot. Looked like they used him for target practice. Women were stabbed. By the time I arrived, the army was called in. Not much for me to do. No witnesses.” He shrugged. “I still see them when I close my eyes.”
The similarities between this and the attack on Sabrina’s family were too much alike to be coincidence. Thinking of Sabrina at home by herself, his heart lurched.
“Did they come up with anything?”
“Scout said there might have been four or five based upon the different horse hooves. It had rained so the earth was soft. Have you ever heard of such craziness?”
“Yes, yes I have,” he muttered, standing up. “I’ll ride out tomorrow and see if they’ve found any other evidence.”
Stan said some other things but Brock was not hearing him. All he could think of was the fact that Sabrina was home alone.
“I’ve got to go.”
“What? You just got here.” Stan said, exasperated. He whacked his hat down on the desk as Brock quickly departed.
Chapter 26
Sabrina heard the horse thundering down the trail to their house. Standing up, she heard her joints groan as she went to wipe her hands on her pants. Realizing she was wearing her new skirt, she stopped and clapped her hands together as she tried to disperse most of the dirt. Deja’vu, she thought, peeking around the corner of the house to see who was racing a horse to their property.
She quickly recognized Brock and went to meet him. He jumped off Troy even before the horse had stopped and ran to her. He grabbed her and dragged her toward the house, pulling her close to him in relief.
Sabrina, pushing against his rock hard chest, squirmed away. “What on earth? Are you crazy? You shouldn’t drive a horse like that all the way from town. What’s the matter with …”
Brock covered his mouth with hers, cutting her off. As he kissed her she forgot what she was angry about. He pulled her closer and just held her, kissing the top of her head. Laying her head on his chest, she listened to his thumping heart. What the hell scared him so bad?
“You okay?” she asked worriedly. He laughed.
“I’m just fine. I was worried about you.” He led her over to the table to sit.
“There was an attack while we were gone. A family was murdered outside of Keystone.”
“Oh, my God.”
“I was worried about you being by yourself so I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you be worried about me?”
“The mother and her four daughters were raped and stabbed. The father was hung,” he said softly, holding her hands tightly as her eyes widened.
“You think it was the same gang?”
“I don’t know what to think. Either way, I am just very concerned with your safety.” He hesitated. “I think you should become Will again.”
Sabrina hung her head, deep in thought. Brock rubbed her hands with his thumbs, trying to soothe her as he waited for her response. A second later, her head popped up, her determined green eyes boring into his.
“No.”
“But…”
She held her hand up, silencing him.
“I am not going to let them win. I am not hiding and I am not running. I refuse to let them take anything else from me ever again.”
“But you…”
“No!” she said firmly.
“Okay, but we should leave here, and we can leave together. We can go back to my parents or I can take you home to Montgomery.”
Sabrina flinched a bit at the word ‘Montgomery.’ She did not know if she would ever go back there. She did not know if she ever could.
“I am not running. If they are in the area then I will hunt them down like the dogs they are. They will pay. I will not be at peace until they’re dead.”
Brock sighed. “You are the most obstinate, stubborn person I have ever known. I can’t leave you at home alone. The army is tracking them, and we might be able to give them more information. I was going to ride out tomorrow to look for them. I guess I’ll have to bring you along.”
Sabrina wrapped her arms around his neck. Overcome with a confused mix of emotions, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. He guided her to the bed and he soothed her with caresses, then with their love making. Neither of them knowing what the future held.
Morning did not come soon enough for Sabrina. She had slept very little. Every time she closed her eyes, events replayed through her mind and she was tormented by Lydia’s screams. The few times she did drift off, she writhed and turned in anguish and Brock was forced to wake her. He knew that she was right. She had to have closure. He would make sure she got it.
Sabrina’s stomach churned and she refused any breakfast. Brock grabbed some cornbread left over from supper and headed out to saddle the horses. They worked in silence, each dealing with their own demons.
Mounting the horses, they headed out toward Keystone. He was hoping the army was still there; he didn’t want to ride all the way to the fort. He had packed the ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ poster of Ted Roberts and would see if they knew about the other murders.
Brock looked over at Sabrina. There were dark smudges under her eyes from lack of sleep but she gave him a wistful smile. He was glad she had at least worn her cowboy hat and riding skirt. Perhaps from afar she could pass for a male. However, up close she was stunning. Her hair was just touching her shoulders now and framed her face perfectly. He was really regretting not buying the plain gunnysack dress the clerk had suggested so long ago.
They stopped for a quick lunch of beef jerky and beans. Sabrina was in a hopeful mood. For the first time in a long time, instead of life controlling her, she was controlling her life, and it felt good. She nudged the worried looking Brock and winked at him when he looked up. He touched her cheek and said they’d better remount. They would be there soon. He surprised Sabrina as he bent over and
grabbed Justice’s harness. He then leaned over and kissed her.
“Stay close to me.”
“Why? It’s the army, right?”
Brock snorted and headed off. A little while later, they arrived at an encampment outside of town. The camp was comprised of numerous lean-to’s and tents. Several uniformed men were milling around. All of the men stopped and watched them as they rode in.
Will would have hung his head and avoided any eye contact, but Sabrina unabashedly let her gaze rake over each face to see if she recognized any of them. It was a slim chance that any of the soldiers had been involved with her families’ murder but she did not want to take any chances. She was going to look under every rock until she found the bastards.
Brock stopped at the edge of the encampment and dismounted, Sabrina followed suit. She climbed down by herself much to the dismay of the small crowd of admirers that had gathered. She gave them a small smile and moved to stand next to Brock.
She was not too familiar with army protocol. A tall lanky man came forward to ask their business. Brock introduced himself and they were led to the large tent in the center of the encampment. Tying the horses outside, the tall man went inside and reappeared a second later. He held the flap open wide for Brock and Sabrina to enter.
It was a large tent. Even so, Brock had to duck his head a bit and stay to the center, while Sabrina had no problem standing upright. A man sat behind a desk and was having a discussion with two other men. All three looked up when they entered. Their eyes appraised Sabrina with interest; then they turned to Brock.
Brock stepped forward nodding to all of them but speaking to the officer in charge. “Major, I’m Brock Stafford, Sheriff of Tulsey. I understand you’re investigating some murders.”
Sabrina watched them all carefully. Even though Brock was the one speaking, they were stealing curious glances at her. She stared back at them boldly until they looked at their shoes.
“Major Benjamin Strider,” the man said introducing himself in a rather bored way not bothering to stand. Sabrina thought that he seemed rather rude. “Sheriff, yes, as you can imagine we are very busy. Is there something I can do for you?”
The Stafford Collection, Historical Western Romances Page 22