Logan’s revelation of his suspicions lingered in Sara’s mind. Even she had suspected the very same thing. But what could be done about it? Moran would not get his claws into Janie, there was no doubt of that. Logan would protect her as quickly as Sara was prepared to. But what of Tom? Had Moran managed to drive a wedge into their family?
Chapter 7
That night, Sara retired to her room but sat up for a long while. The events of the week weighed heavily on her heart, and Logan’s sudden appearance seemed to be tied into it all. Janie had always described him as a man who put his own needs last, telling of his constant protection over her as a young girl. Sara knew that Janie’s anger with him had to be a result of the raw emotions that lingered in the house, as he appeared to care very genuinely for his family.
Logan’s suggestion of Tom’s innocence was all Sara needed to convince her that she had been right all along. But the question of how to prove it was daunting. If even the sheriff would not be on their side, getting an official verdict overturned was not likely. In any case, it was sure to take the cooperation of both Janie and Logan, and Janie’s temper was still raging.
Sara sighed and climbed into bed, putting out the flame in her little bedside lamp. Whatever the morning might bring, she knew she would have to convince her sister-in-law to cooperate with Logan. Having been associated with the law himself, he would play a key role in their efforts. After all, Tom’s freedom was Janie’s wish as much as anyone’s.
Sara turned over in bed and pulled her blanket up to her chin. The thought that Tom was wasting away in a jail cell bothered her. Her thoughts floated between the present and the past, drifting to their childhood together. Dreams of Christmas Days passed, and celebrations of old danced in her memory as sleep eluded her.
Memories of Tom’s protective hand over her gave her a new appreciation for Logan’s position in Janie’s life. And even though it had been Sara who had gone out and found a way to support the family in Tom’s absence, he did not want to be away from his family and had provided many things for her over the years.
Sara sighed and struggled to clear her mind, grasping at the fading hope of sleep. She stood and glanced out the window, just catching sight of Logan in the bunkhouse. He, too, was standing watch over a sleepless night. Sara wondered what thoughts were robbing him of the rest he should be getting. She stepped away from the window as her movement caught Logan’s attention. Not wanting him to think she was watching him, she sat in the rocking chair next to the closet. At long last, her rocking allowed her to drift off to sleep.
By the time Sara startled herself awake, the first light of dawn was stretching across the sky. It had been a short slumber, but better than nothing. Less than fond of the idea of lingering in her room any longer, Sara went into the kitchen and started a fire in the oven. Before long, she had water heating for coffee.
A bark at the boys’ bedroom door made her jump in the otherwise quiet house. She quickly opened the door a few inches and let the little ball of fur squeeze through. His playful bounds at her toes brought a smile to her face.
“At least someone is rested this morning,” she whispered, leaning down and scooping the animal into her arms. The dog licked at her face as she put him outside to tend to his business. By the time she let him back into the house Charley had appeared in the bedroom doorway, looking for his missing companion.
“I did not expect you to be up so early,” Sara smiled. “Are you hungry?”
Charley nodded and was soon joined by a sleepy-eyed Carter.
“Right. Two bowls of oatmeal coming up.” She poured some of the hot water over her coffee beans before using the rest of it to make oatmeal. Seeing Logan moving around outside the front window, Sara went and opened the door.
“Good morning, would you care for some coffee?”
“Yes, please, thank you, ma’am,” he said, with a glimmer creeping into his tired eyes. He clearly had not gotten any more sleep than Sara had.
Sara invited him to the table before pouring a cup of piping hot coffee for him. She then turned her attention to starting a decent breakfast for the adults. By the time Sara had pancakes sizzling in the pan, Janie had appeared out of her bedroom.
“Thank you for tending to the boys,” Janie said, pouring some coffee for herself. “Do you need help with anything?”
“No, thank you. I can handle it. You go and enjoy your coffee,” Sara replied.
Janie smiled, but her expression soon grew cold as Logan stepped into the kitchen. Janie turned away from him, pushing through into the other room without a word. Logan watched after her with a slight grimace, knowing how stubborn she could be. Seeing the inevitable fight that was looming in the dining room, Sara sent the boys to play with their puppy. Something had to give, and she knew it would have to happen soon.
“I did not mean to interrupt your conversation. I only wanted some more coffee,” Logan sighed.
“It is perfectly alright. I believe Janie will come around in time,” Sara replied, refilling his cup. “Breakfast is ready, anyway.”
“Perhaps, but how long will it take?” he asked, shaking his head. “Thank you for the food, ma’am.”
“Please, call me Sara,” she urged, collecting plates for everyone and leading the way back to the table.
Janie scooted her chair to an angle where she would not have to face Logan, clearly still angry. Logan gave Sara an annoyed glance before cutting into his pancake. Sara knew that she must do something if they were going to have any hope of freeing Tom from his sentence. She carefully pondered where to begin. As Janie sipped on her coffee, Sara spoke up.
“Alright, I think it is high time that we cleared the air. I understand that you are angry, Janie. And the reasons behind that are probably none of my business. But Tom’s future depends on this family. No one else is going to put any work into freeing him. You and I have both stated that we believe he is innocent. Does he not deserve our best efforts to prove that?”
“Of course he does. I know that he is your brother, but he is also my husband!” Janie snapped, deflating a bit once she realized she was taking her anger out on Sara.
“Then we have work to do,” Sara continued. “I have to admit that I believe Logan was onto something when he spoke of Levi last night. The thought that Moran has eyes for you had already crossed my mind long before Logan arrived here. Very little of what has gone on makes sense to me, but that seems to be the only reasonable explanation for Tom to be in prison right now.”
Logan glanced at Janie, who still had her back to him. “Please, do not think for a moment that Levi is above such a stunt. If he has Sheriff Graves on his side, he has done something to put him there. He is far more crooked than the folks of Oakmede realize.”
Janie refused to address Logan but turned her attention back to Sara’s statement. “Sara, if you had these suspicions before, why did you not tell me?”
“At the time I had no real grounds for my thoughts on the matter, and you were under far too much stress already. It did not seem like the right thing to add to your burden then. But if someone who knows Moran better than I do has come to the same conclusion, then I am tempted to believe there is something to it.”
Janie rubbed her face, trying to decide what to believe. The mere thought of Levi being drawn toward her made her sick to her stomach. Could she really be the reason why Tom was taken from their family? What kind of sick man would do such a thing?
“I need some air,” Janie sighed, leaving the table and her breakfast behind.
Sara groaned and slumped back in her chair. Logan studied her, feeling her concern for her brother as vigorously as if he were his own. If only he could tell Janie and Sara the whole story, there would be no doubt left in their minds.
Outside, Janie walked along the path that led to the edge of their pasture. Hodges and Peterson were already out with the herd for the day, and she could barely see them off in the distance. Not particularly wanting to speak to anyone at the moment
, she veered off of the path, circling wide around where the herd roamed.
As she walked, Janie’s thoughts drifted back to Baltimore and the days before the war. Life had been so much worse, and yet simpler at the same time. Her father’s harsh hand had left a permanent impression on her young heart. But Logan had always been nearby, ensuring that he did not lay a hand on her or their mother. Logan had stepped in, on so many occasions, taking the fall for things that were not his fault…even for events that were no one’s fault.
She remembered one time when their father had driven Logan away from their home for several days, refusing to allow him back in because he thought it was Logan who had spilled ink over the paperwork on his desk. Janie knew she was the one who had done it, though it was undoubtedly an accident. Logan would not hear of her taking the blame, however, knowing that a lashing was sure to follow. He had always insisted on protecting her, whether she felt she deserved his kindnesses or not.
Janie’s entire world had come crashing down around her the day Logan went off to war. Everything stable and steady in her life had gone out the door with him. And the life she was left with had been no life at all. Janie stepped over the rock retaining wall that made up one side of their property line. She walked alongside it, feeling the warm breeze gently blowing her hair away from her face.
In Logan’s absence, their mother’s health had begun to fail her. Janie believed that Mother’s illness had set in as her body’s way of seeking escape from her cruel husband. For three long years, the women suffered in his household without Logan’s intervention.
Janie had forced a hopeful tone into her letters to her brother, knowing how worried he would be about her if he knew the truth. Just when everything started to feel hopeless, the day came when her father had passed away. Under any other circumstances, it should have been a day of mourning, but the hatred she had felt toward him was of his own creation. Instead, she had felt relief that she would never have to fear his hand again.
She sent word of their father’s death to Logan, hoping that it would reach him. She had not seen her brother in four long years, and her only contact with him had been a few sporadic letters sent during short breaks in the fighting. She mailed her letter to his last known location, praying it would reach him.
Even then, from hundreds of miles away, he had offered her comfort as only he could. Truth be told, she would never have made it this far in her life, had it not been for the man now sitting at her dining room table. Regardless of how many disagreements they may have had over the years, they needed each other, and that was the simple truth of it.
Janie stopped near the creek that ran along the back of their property. She took a seat on a rock and dipped her fingers into the water, rubbing its refreshment over her face. No matter how much Logan’s suggestion of Moran’s intentions had angered her, there was no denying that he had her best interests at heart. And regardless of how hurtful his actions had been, she knew she must welcome him back for Charley and Carter’s sake. Knowing what she must do, Janie lingered there for a short while longer, preparing to swallow her pride and return to the people who were trying to care for her. She took a deep breath, gazing up into the bright blue sky. As the breeze dropped, the sun’s warmth embraced her.
She let her shoulders slump, gently tipping her head and allowing the stress to be relieved out of her neck. Janie had been so focused on the boys and the ranch and everything else around her lately that she had not stopped for long enough to see the strain on her own body. Allowing herself a moment to relax, she stood up and steadied herself, starting back toward the house.
Meanwhile, Sara and Logan still sat at the table, discussing what they knew of the situation. Sure, Moran was likely to blame and had some sort of underhanded involvement in the whole ordeal, but that knowledge alone would not be enough to accomplish anything. They needed proof of an incident that neither of them had witnessed. Levi Moran was careful when it came to his crimes. He covered what he could, and he silenced the accounts of anything that he could not hide.
“I believe that the only way we are going to make any progress will be to talk to Tom. He will know what direction to point us in,” Logan suggested. “It is not going to be enough to convince Sheriff Graves of anything. He testified against Tom. It will be the circuit judge that will have to overturn his verdict.”
“Supposing that we can manage to gather the necessary evidence, how do we get in touch with the circuit judge?” Sara asked, sipping on her coffee.
“Eventually he would make his rounds on his own schedule, but that would be months from now, and I do not want this to take that long. Once we manage to secure some sort of evidence, I can find out where the judge is presiding at, and we can carry our case to him personally. But there is much to be done first.”
“Since Sheriff Graves was involved in the trial, he would not be left in charge of holding Tom would he?”
“No,” Logan shook his head. “He is being held in the regional prison. If we can only get Janie to agree to our plan, it would not be difficult to arrange a meeting. But I do not want to push through with anything until we have her blessing. I know it involves all of us, but I would hate to push her even further away.”
“I understand,” Sara nodded. “You know her better than I do. Do you think she will be reasonable about it?”
“Janie is usually a very level-headed woman. It is the subject at hand that has her so unbridled. I think she will come around with time, but I fear how long it might take.” Logan sat back, motioning for Sara to drop the subject as Charley and Carter opened the back door. They came rushing into the house with their puppy in tow.
“Have you gotten hot out there?” Sara laughed, noting the redness in their faces. “I know just the thing to help that.”
Logan nodded to her, taking the boys, one on each knee, to wait for Sara to return. She soon came back from the kitchen, presenting them with two glasses of lemonade.
“So, how long do I have to wait before I can see you riding this horse you told me about?” Logan asked, grinning as Charley’s face lit up.
“I can show you as soon as Mr. Hodges allows me to!” he beamed.
“I am truly impressed at the way you have helped your mother while I have been away. You are growing up before my very eyes!” Logan praised.
“I am too!” Carter insisted.
“Yes, of course you are too!” Logan grinned at him. “You are taking such good care of your puppy. I know how proud your mother is of you for that.”
“And Papa?” Carter asked.
Logan glanced up at Sara with a twinge of sorrow in his eyes. “Yes, your papa is very proud of you. He always has been. I hope you know how much he loves you.”
“I cannot wait for him to come back! He has never had to go away before, but Mama said that he could not help it this time,” Charley innocently explained.
“He wants to be back home with you more than anything in the world. And I am going to make sure that he gets back as soon as possible,” Logan promised.
Sara could easily read the new wave of determination that swept over Logan’s expression. She had no doubt that he would do anything in the world for these boys, which pressed her curiosity about his disappearance that much farther. Sara could not help but wonder if he had not been forced into the situation himself. But she knew it was not her place to ask. All she could hope for was that the next step toward exonerating Tom would shed light on all areas of this new world that was growing more dear to her each day.
Janie began the walk back toward the house, searching for the words to speak with Logan. Though she knew he would receive her with grace, she knew she must still apologize. As Janie neared the house, Sara came out to greet her.
“I am sorry for upsetting you,” Sara said, approaching her between the barn and the veranda. “I know that you don’t want to believe Moran’s intentions have anything to do with you, but if we’re right, it would mean that Tom is innocent. I hope you know that
I only want the very best for Tom, and for you as well.”
Partners in Justice and Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 8