Levi mounted his horse and rode out toward the Hudson spread, anger at Micah overtaking the grief that had gripped him only minutes ago. Levi clenched his teeth and spurred his horse to a full gallop. The faster he could get away from the past, the sooner he could get on with his future.
CHAPTER 20
MICAH SAT WITH his mother, his sisters, and Levi across the desk from Alexander Hightower in the lawyer’s new office. The mayor had spared no expense in setting up the attorney in fine surroundings. A large window gave a view of Main Street and the hotel across the street. Since the land office had moved into the courthouse, this building had sat vacant until Hightower arrived.
The lawyer shuffled some papers on his desk. “That was a lovely service yesterday, Mrs. Gordon. It paid great honor to your dear departed husband.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hightower. Reverend Weatherby offered a wonderful tribute for Joel. My family and I are most grateful for his encouraging words.”
Once again the lawyer shuffled the papers then settled on one document. “I have your husband’s last will and testament, and it all seems in order.” He glanced up at Micah then over to Levi.
Micah’s mind raced with the knowledge of what the contents would mean to each one seated around the desk. Did anyone besides Ma and he know how bad the financial situation really was before Pa died? From the expressions on their faces, they had no anxieties about what Mr. Hightower would reveal. Only Levi wore any signs of concern, but that could be because he knew what Pa had written.
The lawyer cleared his throat and gazed at each one of them for a moment. “Besides the ranch being left to his oldest son, Micah, there is little of any value except the contents of the home. The ranch is mortgaged to the maximum allowed.”
Ma bit her lip, but the girls gasped and turned their eyes to Micah. Levi shook his head. “I don’t believe it. The ranch was doing fine a few months ago.”
Micah stared at Levi and sensed the anger building in his brother. “I don’t think so. I’ve looked over the books very carefully, and we owe more than we’re taking in. That was why Pa came into town and was at the bank when it was robbed.”
“You’re lying. Pa would have told me if anything was wrong.” Levi slammed his fist on the desk and jumped to his feet. “He talked about how he was going to give each of us enough inheritance to—I still don’t believe it.”
Ma reached over and grasped Levi’s arm. “Mr. Hightower is right. The ranch has been in trouble for a while. Pa didn’t want any of you to know it, and the only reason I do is because I knew him so well.”
Mr. Hightower stood and placed the will back into a folder. “I’ve talked to the authorities and to Mr. Swenson. The bank money has not been recovered, but since the loan was granted and the papers signed, the bank will make good on it and give Micah the money he needs to finish the year before roundup.” He leaned on his desk and peered at Micah. “The one stipulation is that you pay it back as soon as you sell the cattle you have ready for market. Then the bank will extend the mortgage.”
Levi shoved his hat on his head and glared at Micah. “That’s going to be a mighty hard agreement for you to keep, brother. Good luck.” Then he stood and strode from the room.
The girls whispered among themselves, and Ma turned tear-filled eyes to Micah. “You have to talk to him and make him listen. He needs to understand that he must come back and help you.”
“I’ve tried, but he won’t even talk to me. Always heads in the opposite direction when I try to approach him. Even yesterday he made sure he was never close enough for me to say anything to him, and you stopped me from going after him.”
“Then you have to go out to the Hudson place and make him listen.” She glanced at Mr. Hightower then stood. “Thank you for letting us know what the bank will do. Come, girls, it’s time to go home.”
She sent one last plea to Micah as she left. “Go get your brother and work things out.”
By the time Micah reached the street, Levi’s dust filled the street. Micah clenched his jaw. He would not follow and beg Levi to come home. He may not believe Micah’s story about wanting to share the ranch anyway. He grabbed the reins of his horse and washed his hands of any more dealing with his brother. As far as he was concerned, Levi could stay at the Hudson ranch. He would find a way to make things work.
Even as he thought it, his heart told him different. Without Levi, there would be no one to help take care of the herds. Roy was a good foreman, but could he be depended on to do everything for the ranch that needed to be done in the days before the roundup and the drive to market?
Micah glanced across at the bank. Might as well settle that score now. He led his horse across the street and tethered it to the railing at the bank boardwalk. Camilla had been at the funeral service but had left before the burial. Her pale face told the story of her injuries and how much the effort to be at the church had cost her. He had to admire her for that, even if, as he suspected, she’d done it simply to make an appearance and remind others of what happened to her.
He stepped into the bank, now reopened after the robbery. He spotted Mr. Swenson and strode in his direction. “Good day, Mr. Swenson. Thank you for coming to Pa’s funeral, and let Camilla know how much we all appreciated her being there. I know it could not have been easy for her, with her injuries.”
The banker stood and shook Micah’s hand. “We wanted to support you and the family, but it did tire out Camilla. I urged her not to come in to the bank today, so she’s home resting. Our housekeeper will take good care of her.” He sat down and indicated the chair across from him.
Micah sat and rolled the brim of his hat with his hands. “Have you heard any more about the robbers?”
“Sheriff just left here. Seems they may have made their way to Barksdale. He’s going over there now to check it out. Maybe we’ll get our money back yet.” He reached into his middle drawer and pulled out a slip of paper. “Here’s a bank draft for what we agreed to with your father. The bank is prepared to cover the amount so you can prepare your herd for market.”
Micah held the draft and stared at the amount. How would they ever be able to pay back that much and take care of the other expenses? He’d have to go over the books even more thoroughly now. “Thank you, Mr. Swenson. I didn’t really expect this.”
“Your father was an honest man and always took care of his obligations. We feel sure that you will carry on your father’s integrity.” He extended his hand toward Micah.
“We’ll do our best.” He shook Mr. Swenson’s hand with a firm grip to hide the trembling and uncertainty not only in his heart but also in every fiber of his being. It was one thing to run the ranch, but another thing entirely to keep Pa’s reputation intact.
“I’m sure you will.”
The confidence in the banker’s voice carried Micah out to his horse and rang in his soul all the way home. He glanced toward the heavens. “Well, God, You’ve done it again. This is a fine mess I’m in, and all You’ve done is complicate it even more. Why did You have to let Pa die? If You cared about our family at all, You would have spared his life. I don’t know why anybody would put any trust into You.” The questions he’d asked before still had no answers.
The Gordon family didn’t need any more problems, but trying to live a life he didn’t want might be the biggest one of all.
Hannah stood on the wraparound front porch of the infirmary and leaned against the railing. Levi left a cloud of dust behind as he thundered away from town. From what she’d heard, he was in town for the reading of the will. That must not have gone well.
She turned her attention toward town and left the porch to walk that way, using a trip to the general store as an excuse to find out what had happened. Not that she was nosy, but concern for Micah and his new responsibilities grew in her heart. She had to find out.
When she turned onto Main Street, she spotted Micah leaving the bank. He mounted his horse and rode toward Hannah, leaving his family behind. She waited at
the corner for him to pass her. Hannah winced at the thin line that closed his mouth. When she lifted a hand in greeting, he nodded but didn’t look at her. The firm set of his shoulders and that grim expression meant Levi had hurt him again. Her gaze followed him until he disappeared down the road out to his ranch.
Her heart grew heavy with the grief Micah must feel. He’d lost his father, and his brother appeared to have abandoned his family. Margaret stood by the carriage speaking to her mother and sisters. A moment later she stepped back and turned in Hannah’s direction.
She waited for Hannah to reach her. “Hannah, I’m so glad to see you.” She glanced at her mother. “You all go on home. James will bring me later. I want to talk with Hannah.”
Mrs. Gordon nodded. “Good afternoon, Hannah. Tell your sister I appreciated the family coming to the services yesterday.”
“I most certainly will. We all wanted to be there to show our support to your family during this time of loss.”
“Thank you.” She clicked her tongue and snapped the reins. “We’ll see you at the ranch, Margaret. Will you be in time for supper?”
“I’m not sure, but I will ask James if he’d like to come out and have supper with us.”
After the carriage rolled away, Margaret grasped Hannah’s arm. “Are you in a hurry to go anywhere? I’d like to have a bit of tea and a chance to talk.”
“I’m in no hurry at all. The infirmary has been slow today. Doctor Whiteman can manage without me for a while if anything does happen.” Nothing else loomed more important than giving Margaret Gordon an opportunity share her feelings. Hannah liked Micah’s sister and looked forward to getting to know her better. Besides, she was curious as to what Margaret might have to say.
Hannah inclined her head toward the building across the street and up the block. “Let’s go to the hotel. It’s quiet there, and they have wonderful tea.”
Margaret walked in silence beside Hannah, not revealing anything about the reason for wanting this visit. Speculation filled Hannah’s thoughts as they strolled toward the hotel. Did Margaret want her to intervene in the feud between her brothers? But what could Hannah do?
Once inside the hotel and in the dining room, the serving girl took their order for tea and shortcake. After the girl left, Margaret breathed deeply and leaned forward with her hands on the table.
“I wanted to talk to you because I didn’t want to burden Ma with my worries, and I needed some advice. Our family is at an impasse. As you have seen, Levi hasn’t been happy with Micah’s return to town, and even with Pa’s passing he refuses to come home. With him gone from the ranch, I’m worried about how Micah will handle everything, especially since Camilla Swenson has apparently lost interest in him.”
Pain for the humiliation Micah must feel to be rejected not only by his brother but also by the girl he courted stabbed Hannah’s heart. “I don’t know him well, but from what I’ve observed, Micah seems strong. He’ll recover from Camilla’s rejection, and he’ll do a good job with the ranch.”
“If only that could be so. I wish Pa hadn’t been taken from us so soon. He was the backbone of the ranch, and I didn’t know until today that we had any financial . . . oh, dear. You don’t want to hear all this.”
Although rumors had floated around about the bank robbers taking money Mr. Gordon had received as a loan, Hannah had no idea there had been any money problems, and there had been no reason for her to know. It wasn’t any of her business.
Hannah reached across the table for Margaret’s hands. They were ice cold to the touch and trembled as Hannah grasped them. “I’m so sorry about your father and the rift between your brothers, but you have to be strong for your ma and help her through this. The best thing we can do for Micah and Levi is to pray for them to resolve their differences.”
“You’re right, but those two boys are so stubborn. They’re worse than Pa ever was. Micah’s not going to beg Levi to come home, and Levi isn’t going to come home and beg for forgiveness when he’ll have to take orders from Micah. God has to do something with them, but I don’t know what.”
“Our Lord will figure it out, but in the meantime, you might try talking with Ellie. From what I’ve heard, she and Levi are courting. Maybe Ellie can have a little persuasive power to ease his attitude and get him to see the big picture.”
The serving girl set their tea and cakes in from of them then disappeared. Hannah released Margaret’s hands and sniffed the aroma filling the air, letting the peppermint scent fill her senses. “Tea always makes me feel better, and if it has peppermint, that’s even better.”
“Yes, it does help.” Margaret sipped a bit then set her cup on its saucer and wrapped her hands around it. “I think you’re right. Ellie may be our best way to get Levi to soften his attitude. When we leave here, I’ll go to Ellie’s and speak with her. Perhaps she’ll have some ideas as to how to reach that pigheaded brother of mine.”
Hannah picked up a tea cake. “That sounds like a very good idea to me.”
She sighed. “Then there’s Micah. He never really cared about ranching—that’s why he went away in the first place. And now he’s stuck doing all the work himself, without Levi’s help. I worry if things get bad enough, he’ll just up and leave again, and then where will we be?”
Margaret leaned forward again and this time grabbed Hannah’s hand. “I know just the thing for Micah. He needs to have someone to care about him like Levi does. It makes such a difference to have someone who cares and gives you support. I think you’re the perfect person to do it.”
Hannah almost choked on her tea cake. She grabbed her cup of tea and gulped the hot liquid. It burned for a moment, but it helped the cake go down. She swallowed hard then cleared her throat. “Me! Micah hardly speaks to me. He was nice to me at the party, but that’s because he’s a gentleman and he had to be polite to the guest of honor.”
“I don’t think so. Camilla is too sophisticated for him and doesn’t care one whit about other people. You’re down-to-earth, smart, and care about people, and that’s what Micah needs.”
Hannah winced at the comparison to Camilla, but then realized Margaret’s description was meant as a compliment. “I’m not sure about that, but if you think it’ll help, I’ll try to visit with him and maybe get him to share his feelings.” She’d like nothing better than to have a relationship with Micah, but doing so would take a lot more than simply wanting it.
CHAPTER 21
MICAH RODE BACK to the ranch ahead of the others. Another hot, dry, August day had him covered in dust from chasing strays and moving the herd to better grasses that had dwindled to almost nothing. The Circle G wasn’t the only ranch suffering from the drought.
The words to curse the God who had put him into this position threatened to spill from his mouth, but he restrained them once again. He had to keep some semblance of respect, or the men would leave. They had no loyalty to Micah, only to the ranch and the memory of his father. How long he’d be able to put up with the heat, the dust, and the smells of a herd he didn’t know, but no end appeared to be in sight.
Since his father’s funeral two weeks ago, they’d already lost several head to the dry heat, and if he didn’t do something about it, more would be lost, and that meant fewer steers to drive to market. So far he had no clue as to how to save the rest of the herd. Roy had offered a few suggestions, but none were feasible at this point. More feed and a better source of water took money, and that was as scarce as the rain.
Levi would know what to do, just like Pa would have, but his brother had no interest in seeing that Micah succeeded. Not that Micah blamed him. He’d be madder than the devil in a snowstorm if he had been in Levi’s boots. But it would take a snowstorm in August before Micah would go begging his brother to come home.
At the stables, Micah dismounted and unsaddled his horse. After making sure Smokey had enough water and feed, Micah headed for the house. Time to clean up and cool off. He looked forward to washing away the dirt and grime clin
ging to his sweat-drenched body.
When he entered the parlor, Rose swept her hand through the air and wrinkled her nose. “Phewy, you smell worse than a polecat.”
He grinned and put out his arms as though to hug her, but she darted out of his reach and stood behind the sofa. “Oh, no, you don’t. I don’t plan to smell like the back end of a cow. Supper will be ready soon, so you’d better get cleaned up, or you’ll be eating alone.” With that she scampered behind him and into the kitchen.
A chuckle followed her exit, and Micah headed for the room Ma set aside for washing up. He made a turn at the stairway and decided to get his clean clothes and leave the stinky ones down here for Ma to wash later. Then he’d get the water needed for a bath.
The lilt of Ma’s voice singing as she prepared supper followed him up the stairs to his room. Ma had lost her husband, but she still sang of God’s love. No matter what chore she had to do, her mouth always filled with either singing or humming one of the gospel hymns from church. Her faith held this family together in these days without Pa, but Micah wasn’t anywhere near ready to turn everything over to God. Too much work had to be done and decisions to be made to wait on an answer from someone who didn’t care anyway.
A good soaking in the hot water Ma had prepared soothed the aches from being in the saddle for so many hours. It also gave him time to think, but no matter from which angle he looked at his problem, no solution presented itself. He still had the loan to repay, a herd of cattle to take to market, and a family to take care of.
After donning his clean clothes, Micah pulled the plug in the galvanized tub Pa had rigged up to drain through an attached pipe to the outside and into Ma’s garden. He believed nothing should be wasted, and now with the water situation, it was an even better idea. With the exception of days like this one, baths were usually a once or maybe twice a week luxury in the summer. So far the well had held steady, but he’d make certain they took more care with conserving water.
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