Tina Tracks a Trail Boss: A Historical Western Romance (Brides with Grit Book 8)

by Linda K. Hubalek

  Hopefully time and prayers would heal the problems that Sid Narker caused, because Leif was not going to give up Tina and her children. He loved them, and they were going to be together. If his sisters couldn’t stand them living nearby, Leif would find work elsewhere.

  “Where’s Sidney…buried?” Tina choked out her question.

  “He’s in the Clear Creek cemetery, northwest end. The grave isn’t marked, but it’s the newest mound out there, so you’ll see it,” Jacob offered.

  “Was anyone at his service? Or was he just dumped in a hole?” Tina sobbed.

  “Pastor Reagan spoke words at his grave site,” Jacob spoke again. “Me and our brother, Adam, he’s the marshal in town, were there when he was buried.”

  “No one else?”

  Noah sighed. “Just the grave digger.”

  “Um…could someone please take me and my children into town? I need to find a place for us to stay,” Tina meekly asked.

  “No, you’re staying with us, Tina,” Leif stated.

  “I can’t stay in the house where Sidney hurt Rania. Not now,” Tina barely whispered.

  Annalina came up to Tina and laid her hand on her shoulder. “You just nursed Oliver. How about you leave the children with me, and Leif can take you to the cemetery for a while? You need to grieve for your brother.”

  “Moder, if she wants to move to town, let her go,” Hilda interjected.

  Leif stared at his sister. How could she be so callous to Tina’s new grief?

  “That’s enough,” Leif steamed. “Dag could you hook up my wagon and team? I’m getting our things and moving my family elsewhere.”

  “No, Leif…” his moder started to protest, but Leif cut her off.

  “We’ll stop by the church to get married, then we’re going further west, or back to Texas, whatever Tina prefers.”

  “Leif, you just got back to your family. Don’t leave them now,” Tina pleaded.

  Leif leaned down to look into Tina’s weeping eyes. “You and the children are my family now. If they can’t accept you, then I don’t want to be around them.”

  “Leif, I’m sorry! I’m upset about what her brother did, but you don’t need to leave!” Hilda was crying now, too.

  “Do what your moder suggests, Leif. Take Tina to the cemetery. The children are fine with us,” Oskar suggested to his son.

  “You can borrow our buggy,” Dag pointed to the vehicle still parked a few feet behind them.

  “I can’t leave my children here!” Tina sobbed.

  “They don’t need to see you in grief again. They’ve had enough of that already,” Annalina said compassionately. “Go with Leif and spend some time alone together.”

  Leif gently pulled Oliver out of Tina’s arms and gave him to his mother. “Come on, let’s go to the cemetery.”

  He looked back at his sisters as he led Tina to Dagmar’s buggy. Leif loved them dearly, but his love and loyalty were with Tina now. Hopefully emotions would settle down, but if not…they would leave. Simple as that.

  ***

  Tina felt numb with shock, but mortified at the same time.

  To hear her brother was dead—killed and buried—months ago. In her own grief about Robert and surviving the train wreck, it didn’t dawn on her she hadn’t heard from Sidney in months. But then she was on the trail and he didn’t know where she was, so she didn’t think anything of it.

  And what her brother had done to Leif’s sisters…It was one thing to hear about Sidney and Rania from Annalina, but to find out what really happened and seeing the consequences…by staring at Rania’s round middle.

  How in the world was she ever going to get past this latest blow? If it wasn’t for her children…she’d dig a hole next to her brother, crawl in, and die from pain. Tina ran a hand over her head, realizing she’d left the homestead without her hat and reticule. No wonder Leif had handed her his handkerchief right away. She didn’t have her own along. Most of her tears were running unchecked down her cheeks, but she had to blow her nose now and then to breathe.

  “Just say it, Leif. I know you’re about to blow up by the way you’re handling the reins.” He’d been silent for two miles, not looking at her, probably too disgusted with her brother to tell her about his real thoughts.

  He just as well rip the bandage off the scab because she was sure he hated her now, too. At least he’d agree their marriage was now off so she wouldn’t protest when he said it out loud.

  “I’m mad at myself, not you, Tina. I failed as Rania’s big brother. I should have seen the predicament Rania was in and stopped it before it got too far.”

  “Don’t be hard on yourself. You’d recently lost Britta and your baby. You shouldn’t have had to worry about what a hired hand did, because he shouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

  Now she was so mad at her brother she couldn’t say his name. Why did he do it? Why did he need to hurt another person? And he lied in his letter saying he was courting a special woman. He was stalking her instead!

  He should have taken the train to her when she wrote of her loss, instead of suggesting she travel to him. Why did he pull her in the middle of his mess? And the worst part is she’d never know the answers, because he was dead. Just like her husband, never knowing for sure if Robert had been seeing another woman.

  “Ugh! Sidney, why?” Tina cried out in anger and grief, causing Leif and the horses to jump. Leif changed the reins to one hand so he could wrap the other around her shoulders.

  “I’m sorry, Tina. I’m afraid you’ll never know.”

  It was easy to find his grave in the cemetery. It was in the corner, unmarked as Jacob had described it. Leif stopped the team on the cemetery lane closest to the grave and set the buggy brake. He helped Tina down from the buggy and they slowly walked hand in hand to the grave site.

  How could her brother be buried here? Nothing proved it. No stone, no wooden marker with his name on it…

  “Are you all right by yourself for a bit? I’ll go find Pastor Reagan for you.”

  “Why bother him, Leif?”

  “He can answer your questions, and say a prayer for you, maybe? Would that help?”

  All she could do was nod as the tears started streaming down her face again.

  ***

  Leif knew Tina was overwhelmed, but he worried since she was adamant that she and the children had to move to town. And when he talked about their marriage plans, she shook her head, indicating the marriage was off. He knew she needed time, but he hated the thought of being separated from Tina or the kids for more than a few hours.

  Then it dawned on Tina she was destitute and without any funds, because Sid wasn’t available to help her with expenses as she had planned. Leif checked at the bank, but Sid didn’t have an account there. Next he went to the jail house. Marshal Wilerson said there was a little money in Sid’s saddle bag when he died, so it was used for his coffin. The horse he was using was stolen, so it went back to its rightful owner instead of being sold.

  Lyle Elison, the new lawyer in town, and the brother of Dagmar’s wife, Cora, had lived on the Bar E Ranch the same time as when Sid worked there—until Sid was fired. Lyle didn’t know where he went after that, to track down any more belongings or money, besides the cave which his family had already mentioned.

  If it wasn’t for her children still at the ranch house, Leif wasn’t sure if he could have gotten her back in the buggy. She would have laid down on Sid’s grave and cried until exhaustion finished her off.

  And it hurt that Tina pushed Leif away instead of letting him hold her, but he understood the pain she was in right now. She needed time, and the hugs from her children.

  Leif was glad to see only Dag and Cora with his parents when they entered the house. He needed time away from his sisters as much as Tina did.

  “Where’d you go, Momma?” Robby asked worriedly after they walked in the door.

  Tina sat wearily down on a kitchen chair before Emma climbed on her lap. It still hu
rt Tina’s back to lift Emma so she sat when possible.

  “Uh…to the town of Clear Creek to look for a house for us to live in, Robby.”

  “Why? Farmor said we’re gonna live here.”

  Tina kept her face diverted from Robby so he couldn’t see she had been crying, but Emma caught on.

  “Why you cry, Momma?”

  That brought Robby running to climb onto Tina’s lap, too. Leif tried to divert the boy, but Tina shook her head and managed to get Robby on her lap beside Emma.

  “I’m sorry to upset you but sometimes grownups need to cry, just like when you fall and hurt your knee. It’s been a sad day for me, but it’s better now that I’m back with you two.” Tina took a deep breath and gave them both a hug.

  “We’ll go home now that the buggy is back. Hope things went okay for you in town?” Dagmar asked, not wanting to say too much in front of the children.

  All Leif could do was shrug his shoulders. “I’ll walk you out to your buggy.”

  “So what happened?” Dagmar asked as soon as they were off the porch and walking toward the buggy.

  “Pastor gave a short service at the grave site to give Tina some closure, but I’m not sure it helped. I think it reminded her of her husband’s death.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “Shot while teaching school. Angry parent accused Robert of visiting his wife.”

  “Oh my word. Tina’s had too much, all in a short period of time.” Cora shook her head in dismay.

  “Checked in with the marshal, lawyer and bank. Sid had no money left anywhere for Tina to claim, so she’s penniless, adding to the embarrassment of her brother’s crime.”

  “But she has you, to take care of her and the kids,” Dagmar argued, not seeing Tina’s point.

  “Women have pride just like you men do, Dagmar. Plus Hilda’s outburst must have surprised and hurt Tina to her core. She’ll need time to think about this and put it behind her,” Cora reminded her husband.

  “Now she wants to move to town. Says she can’t marry me because of what Sid did to Rania.”

  “Again, the woman needs time. Plus, how much sleep has she gotten the last two months on the trail, while taking care of an infant and two small children? With a bad back?”

  “Moder and Fader helped so much with the children. Took their roles of ‘grandparents’ very seriously.”

  “Good practice for them since the Hamner family will be multiplying soon,” Dag chuckled. “It was fun watching Fader talk to Robby while you were in town.”

  “It was a good cattle drive, having Tina and the kids along, but I’m ready to settle down in one place now.”

  Dagmar crossed his arms and widened his stance. “I know I originally offered you work at the Bar E when you moved up here, but I’m taking it back,” he seriously said.

  Dagmar lifted his arms in surrender, preparing for Leif to take a swing at him.

  “Why? Don’t need help there now? Or don’t want my new family living there, too?”

  “You need to talk it out with our parents, but Moder and Fader want to move to the Bar E, and let you and Tina live here. Before, when I suggested you living and working at the Bar E, you were single. Now you have a family and need more space than they do.”

  “I don’t know if Tina will want to live in this house, considering what happened in the living room here. Besides, what would our parents do on the Bar E?”

  “Reuben Shepard, the man who took care of the bunkhouse, and drove the chuck wagon when we did small cattle drives? He recently married and moved into Clear Creek. Opened a saddle shop.

  “We need someone to take his place, and it would be the perfect job for our folks. There’s a separate area in the bunkhouse for them to live in. They can take care of the hands, occasionally go on drives when we sell cattle to other ranches, and be close by to help Cora with our dozen kids she plans to have.”

  Leif looked down at Cora, expecting her to whack Dag with his remark about raising twelve kids, but she looked onboard with the plan.

  “That would be ideal for us…a house for our family, pasture and corrals to raise livestock…but I’m not sure Tina—or I—want to live between Hilda and Rania now…” Leif put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

  “Leif!” Cora looked exasperated at him. “The poor woman has been through so much, then hit with the death of her brother! Give her time to grieve, and recuperate from her time on the drive. Today was just the last straw on the heavy load she’s been carrying.”

  “But Hilda and Rania…”

  “Your sisters will come around and accept Tina and the children once they get to know each other.”

  “But…”

  “Give her time, Leif.”

  Leif looked from Cora’s stubborn face to Dag’s grinning one behind her.

  “Cora’s right, Leif, so don’t argue. It’ll all work out.”

  Chapter 11

  Tina slowly woke, enjoying the soft warm bed, the quiet of the morning—before the pain of her brother’s death crept into her mind again. At least it wasn’t as raw as it had been four days ago when they arrived here.

  It certainly wasn’t the happy new life Tina had anticipated when arriving to this homestead. Tina so looked forward to having all her pain in the past, a new life with Leif, but then her brother’s past surfaced to knock her down again.

  Time. Everyone assured her she needed time—to grieve, to heal, to rest, to get used to her new life in Kansas.

  Annalina insisted they stay here on their new homestead, instead of trying to find a place for them in town. And Annalina was right, this was just a house where something had happened, through no fault of the structure, or herself.

  She could hear the children laughing in the kitchen. Annalina had taken over the care of Robby and Emma while she grieved and finally caught up on her sleep. She’d stayed in the bedroom until almost noon, Oliver her only companion. Actually it was good to just concentrate on nursing and changing his diapers.

  A brief knock on the door, and giggling children meant her breakfast had arrived.

  “Please come in,” Tina called just as the children burst in the room and jumped in the bed beside her.

  “Good morning, Momma! We got a surprise for you!” Robby exclaimed while Emma climbed into Tina’s lap as she struggled to sit up in bed.

  “What’s my surprise? Waffles with whipped cream?”

  “No! It’s not food!”

  “Hmm. A fancy new hat with pink ribbons?”

  “No!”

  “Well, I give up then. What’s my surprise?” She watched as Annalina winked and nodded to Robby.

  “We’re going on a drive after breakfast to see my new aunts’ dogs and cats!”

  “You are?” Tina looked at Annalina for confirmation.

  “We are, Tina. It’s time you get out to get some fresh air, and to get to know the family.”

  “Who’s included in the ‘we’?” Leif had made himself scarce, only coming in to meals, after they got back from the cemetery the other day.

  “You, me and the children.”

  Tina took a deep breath. Even though she had initially pushed Leif away in her grief, she still wanted to marry him, and the first step back to that, was to get to know his family better, especially the women who would become her sisters-in-law.

  Cora was most like herself, and she could see they would easily become best friends. Rania was reserved, but had come to terms with Sidney’s attack. They would bond over their children, if nothing else.

  Then there was Hilda. The spirited twin felt bad she hadn’t protected her sister, just like Leif felt. Well, Tina would just have to make the first move to prove to Hilda she wasn’t like her brother, and that she wouldn’t hurt Leif.

  “I think that’s a fine surprise, Robby. I’d like to get to know your new aunts, too.”

  “So what’s your plan for today?” Tina asked Annalina as they left the homestead and headed east. She had lived with the
older woman for two months, so knew she was up to something. Annalina had hitched the team to the wagon herself, and left a note for Oskar and Leif saying the men could make their own lunch because she and Tina were going “visiting” and wouldn’t be home until afternoon.

  The mid-September air was cool this morning, but would warm up to be a nice day. Tina sat on the bench seat with Annalina, and the children sat on the wagon bed, on a pile of blankets. It actually felt good to feel the movement of the wagon and the sun on her face.

  “Thought we’d stop at Rania’s home first since it’s only a mile from here, then head the other direction for Hilda’s homestead. Hopefully Rania will come with us to smooth the way with Hilda. I hate to say this about my daughter, but Hilda’s always been high strung, just like the horses she likes to race.”

  “Well, since you said it first, I believe you,” Tina agreed, “but I hope Hilda and I become good friends eventually.”

  “You will. Hilda’s nature has always been to talk and act before thinking it out first. Rania’s her balance, and it was thrown off balance when…Rania didn’t confide in Hilda after the attack.”

  She and Annalina had talked about what happened between Sidney and Rania and both had come to terms with it. Unfortunately, Tina hadn’t had the chance to do the same with Leif yet since he’d been avoiding her.

  “Look at the big dog!” Robby pointed toward the barn area, where a huge white Pyrenees guard dog, sitting inside a pen with a few sheep.

  “Hello the house, Rania!” Annalina called out as she crawled out of the wagon, after she’d parked by the front door.

  “Hello! You out for a drive?” Rania came out onto the porch, shading her eyes as she looked over who sat in the wagon.

  “We’re here to see your dog!” Robby said, trying to scramble over the side of the wagon by himself.

  “Well, King would love to meet you, too!” Rania said as she helped Robby down to the ground. “Let’s walk over together so you don’t frighten the sheep he’s guarding.”