Janie nodded, visibly shaken by this new thought. “You think he will try something,” she gravely replied.
“I’m not saying that he will,” Logan shook his head. “I’m merely suggesting that we make sure that he won’t have the chance to. He is not a careless man, but his ego rarely lets him take no for an answer.”
When the hour grew late, Logan retired to the bunkhouse, bidding the women a cheerful goodnight. Janie waited until Sara had closed her bedroom door behind her before putting out the fire in the fireplace. Taking her lamp with her, she too turned in for a peaceful night’s sleep.
Lying in bed, Sara’s thoughts drifted to Logan, as they had done so often lately. She knew that Levi was not the sort of man to have forgiven Tom’s debt, even under pressure. It was clear that Logan must have paid the sum on Tom’s behalf. With his ever-present need to protect, he had shouldered the burden even as he fought for Tom’s freedom. Though his loyalty was admirable, something about the secrecy of it all did not sit right on Sara’s stomach.
Janie deserved to know the truth about both Tom and Logan. However much they might want to deny it, the driving forces behind everyone’s actions had taken a significant impact on Janie’s life.
She was a forgiving woman, and the men closest to her should not have hesitated to request her mercy. Sara fiddled with the idea of telling Janie herself, but it was not her place to do so. She had given Tom her word. Besides, such news was sure to have an adverse effect coming from a third party.
Sara sighed and turned over in her bed. The best she could hope for was a revelation of the matter upon Tom’s return. After all, their agreement was struck long before Tom had been arrested. Perhaps his release would change things.
Chapter 12
The following morning, everyone enjoyed their breakfast with a much lighter air in the house. Merely knowing that Moran’s men would soon be on their way to the regional law office was cause for celebration. Logan ate quickly, keen to get on the trail early.
Charley and Carter sat on either side of their uncle, mesmerized by the shiny badge that now held a place on his shirt. Innocently, Charley reached over and ran his finger across it.
“Are you really a sheriff now, Uncle Logan?” the boy excitedly asked.
Logan smiled, pulling Charley onto his lap where he could get a better look at the badge. “I’m a deputy sheriff,” he confirmed.
“You mean like the ones who chase down the outlaws and throw them in jail?” Charley asked wide-eyed.
“Now where did you hear that?” Janie interrupted.
“From Mr. Peterson,” the boy admitted.
Janie sighed, shrugging at Logan. It was true that she could not hide such things from them forever.
“Yes, something like that,” Logan answered. He had always kept his choice of profession silent around the boys. He didn’t want to scare them, and he fancied preserving their innocence. But it was high time that they began learning that someone had to stand up for justice.
“Will you put bad guys in jail?” Carter asked, joining his brother in Logan’s lap.
Logan sighed, sensing Janie’s critical stare. “Only when I must in order to keep others safe,” he assured them. Glancing at his sister, he received her hesitant approval of his answer. “Now then, you boys need to finish your breakfast and I need to head into town.
Carter suddenly clung to Logan’s hand, and an expression of worry replaced his usual smile. “You don’t have to leave us to be a deputy, do you? I don’t want you to go away again.”
Logan stared at his nephew, and his heart broke anew. The thought that the boys might believe he had wished to leave them took his breath. “I’m not going anywhere,” he soothed. “This is my home, with you and Charley.”
“But you went away before,” Charley chimed in. “And Papa did too.”
Sara studied Logan and the pain in his eyes. A part of her wished to rush to him, yet she knew his past was none of her business. And the boys’ curiosity offered a pressing reason for him to come clean with Janie. Logan met Sara’s gaze with a silent plea for help.
“Come on now, you two. Your uncle and your papa both love you, there is no doubt of that,” she spoke up. “Wherever they might have to be, I know that they want to be home.”
Logan flashed her a smile, thankful for her intercession. Though a part of her wondered why she’d spared him the need to explain, the gratitude in his eyes overrode such thoughts.
“If you’ve both finished your food, why don’t you come out to the barn with me?” she invited, knowing that both Logan and Janie had work to do. “Let your uncle tend to his business, and you can show me how much the calf has grown. I bet Mr. Hodges will be returning it and its mother to the herd soon.”
“Okay!” the boys replied in unison, scrambling off Logan’s lap. They each took one of Sara’s hands and nearly dragged her out of the door.
Janie shot Logan a judgmental glance but quickly softened her look. “Now do you understand why I want you to remain here steadily? They are young and impressionable, and you mean the world to them.”
It took everything in him not to blurt out the real reason he had walked away. The pain of it all was becoming too much to bear, but the truth would hurt his sister and that was one thing he’d promised never to do. “I do understand, and I am here to stay,” he replied, swallowing hard. “I must get to town. Sheriff Graves is expecting me.”
Janie nodded and watched as he collected his hat and headed for the barn. Once inside, Logan stopped for a minute, watching the boys energetically explain all that they knew about the calf. Logan smiled as Sara attentively took in their wisdom.
The calf soon moved close enough to the stall door for the boys to reach through and touch it. With them distracted, Logan motioned for Sara to join him across the barn.
“Thank you for sparing me from their scrutiny,” he said, saddling his steed. “I don’t want to lead them to ask more questions about Tom than Janie wishes to answer.”
“I understand,” she nodded, watching his experienced hands quickly check the fittings of the saddle. “How long should it be before we hear news of Tom’s situation? I’m assuming that he will not be given transportation home.”
“I am expecting to receive word of his court appearance in a few days. Since Sheriff Graves is still technically involved with the trial, I will need to go and pick Tom up. As soon as I know anything, I’ll let you know.”
Sara thanked him and bid him goodbye for the day. The boys soon called her back to the object of their fascination.
Logan hurried his trip into town, knowing that there was a long ride ahead of him and the men. Arriving at the sheriff’s office, he found Sheriff Graves just providing the men with their breakfast.
“Good morning, Logan,” he greeted. “They’ll be ready to set off in a few minutes.”
“Good morning. That’s fine, the men will need a decent meal before we set out. It will take us at least until lunch to get there.” Logan poured himself a cup of coffee while he waited on the men. Within the hour, he escorted them across to the saloon so they could saddle their horses. They were soon on the trail toward Tom’s freedom.
Logan kept a close watch over Warren and Williams as they rode along. He genuinely disliked escorting two men by himself. It was not his nature to stack the odds against himself. If it had been appropriate for Mr. Hodges to accompany him he would have eagerly requested his presence, but this was a job for a lawman.
Besides, Hodges was needed to keep the ranch secure in Logan’s absence. It was times like this when Logan missed riding the trails with Eli accompanying him. Nonetheless, to his surprise, the men traveled with him peacefully. They trotted along willingly, confirming in Logan’s mind that they’d acted against Tom under compulsion from Moran.
Warren took notice of Logan’s hand, which was ever-present on his thigh near his gun. His steed was well-trained, enabling him to easily guide it with one hand on the reins while the other hand
sat at the ready. “If your eager trigger hand is on our account, there is no need for it,” Warren finally spoke up. “We’re not looking for any trouble.”
“I appreciate your cooperation,” Logan nodded, but still refused to move his hand from its position. “If you are so willing to free Tom Bailey, why did you work to put him in prison in the first place?”
“It makes no difference to us. Why should it?” Williams asked.
“I don’t know, that’s a great question,” Logan replied, eyeing the men. “If you’re indifferent to the matter, then why did you take such a risk to get him arrested?”
“We just follow orders,” Warren reminded. “Mr. Moran doesn’t confide much in us. If he wants something done, he calls us in, and we get paid for ensuring he gets his way. That’s all there is to it.”
“I see,” Logan replied, ducking under a low-hanging branch. The trees overhanging the path gave some much-enjoyed shade from the sun’s heat. “And what happens when Moran doesn’t get his way?” he pushed a bit further.
“As I said, we make sure that doesn’t happen,” Warren remarked.
“He wanted Tom Bailey in prison for some reason. And he is not happy he is going to be released. It seems to me that you’re playing a dangerous game.”
“Perhaps,” Williams spoke up. “But in Oakmede, everyone plays the game, whether they want to or not. Levi makes sure of that. In times past, it was far less dangerous to play the game from Moran’s side. You’re no stranger to the consequences of those who’ve played against him and lost.”
Logan couldn’t deny that. “Then what will come of the two of you once Mr. Bailey is back in Moran’s way?”
The men glanced at each other, sharing the same dreadful expression. “We’ll be moving along on our way before we have the chance to find that out,” Williams answered.
“You’re going to let him run you out of your homes all because his plan failed?” Logan asked, studying the men a bit more closely.
“We’re going to move on willingly before he has the chance to do anything more drastic.”
Logan shook his head, again reassured that he’d done the right thing by stepping into the deputy’s position. It was high time that Moran’s reign of terror in Oakmede was brought to an end. He spurred his horse onward, hoping to reach Pine Ridge before midday.
By the time the three men rode into Pine Ridge, a dark sky had rolled in behind them. Logan had hoped to be able to stop in and inform Tom of their progress, but the potential for being caught out in the inclement weather was increasing. He and Warren and Williams rode directly to the courthouse, tying their horses at the watering trough.
Inside, the men took the necessary steps to retract their statements against Tom. Once the matter at hand was completed, Logan felt he could finally relax. The possibility of the men acting against him to avoid repercussions from Moran seemed to have passed.
The clerk behind the main counter made the appropriate notations on Tom’s file and provided Logan with a retrial date one week away. Satisfied that all was turning in his favor, Logan walked back outside with the two men.
“Thank you for doing the right thing,” he said, holding out a hand. “I know that Moran was behind your actions in the first place.”
The men each shook his hand, finding themselves on the right side of the law for the first time in years. “Will those statements take care of the situation?” Warren asked.
“Yes, that should be everything needed. Why?” Logan nodded.
“Because as long as everything is settled, we’d prefer not to return to Oakmede. Whatever comes of Moran, it’s time we moved on to better things.”
Logan shrugged. “Your role in this trial is complete, so as far as I’m concerned, you’re free to do as you please.”
“Thank you, deputy,” Williams said, tipping the brim of his hat. “In that case, good luck to you. You and Sheriff Graves have your work cut out for you.”
Logan tipped his hat, thanking the men and knowing precisely what they meant. As Warren and Williams set off to the east, Logan eyed the western sky. It had grown eerily dark and had an ominous yellow hue.
A part of him considered taking a room in the inn and waiting out the storm, but his concern for Sara, Janie, and the boys overrode all other thoughts. Feeling he mustn’t waste any time, he decided to skip any hope of a meal and hurried out of town.
He spurred at his horse, urging it to pick up their pace. Soon the wind began to howl through the trees and rain started pelting his face and chest. Logan pulled his hat down a bit tighter, ducking into the wind. Lightning cracked across the sky, illuminating the otherwise darkened path. Though it was still only around two o’clock, it seemed as though the sun had already set.
Realizing that his horse couldn’t fight the wind for much longer, Logan relented. He pulled on the reins, leading the horse off the path and out of the open, tucking himself away into a wooded area. He urged his animal deeper under the cover of the trees, finally happening upon a stone retaining wall. Though much of it appeared to have crumbled long ago, enough remained to provide some shelter. There he stopped, waiting out the wind and the rain, listening to the howling that carried across the plain.
By the time the storm let up, Logan had lost an hour of daylight and faced a treacherous ride home. Heavy rainfall had pooled over much of the trail, and the wheat fields that spanned the landscape were far too thick to ride through.
He saddled back up, urging his horse back onto the path. A gallop was out of the question, and his hopes of making it home before nightfall were quickly diminishing. Settling into a slow trot, Logan guided his horse along the muddy trail.
By the time Logan neared Oakmede, evidence of a tornado had come into view. Many of the small establishments in town had pieces of their roofs missing, but most of the damage appeared to be minor. Logan rode on through town with a renewed urgency to reach the ranch. He pushed onward, arriving home in the light of the fading sunset.
Logan’s heart raced as he scanned the yard. The house appeared to be intact, with only minor damage, but the roof of the barn had been blown clean off. Several trees in the side yards had split or been uprooted altogether. He rode directly to the veranda, tying his horse to the rail and rushing inside.
“Is everyone alright?” He asked urgently, finding everyone huddled in the sitting room.
“Logan! Oh, thank goodness!” Janie exclaimed, rising to greet him. “We’ve been worried sick.”
“Is everyone alright?” he repeated.
Janie nodded. “Yes, we are fine. The storm left quite a mark on the barn though.”
“That can be repaired,” he soothed. Meeting Sara’s gaze, Logan’s heart began to pound once more. He’d never expected a woman he’d known for such a short time to come to mean so much to him. Yet his relief over her well-being was overwhelming. “Where are the boys?”
“Their fear and excitement over the events of the afternoon finally caught up with them. They fell asleep early.” Janie urged Logan to go and sit at the table. She started toward the counter to retrieve a bowl for soup, but Sara encouraged her to sit down with her brother. “Did things go alright today?” Janie asked.
Logan nodded, gratefully accepting a bowl of soup from Sara. “Yes, I must admit that it surprised me when Moran’s men held true to their word. They retracted their statements against Tom and went on their way. Tom should be a free man very soon.”
Chapter 13
The next morning Logan was up with the sunrise, surveying the damage to the barn with Hodges and Peterson. Funds were still tight, but the horses needed protection. In whatever way they might manage to scrape together the funds, the repairs could not wait. By the time Sara and Janie had breakfast on the table, the men had worked out an estimate of the materials they would need. Logan then joined Janie and Sara in the kitchen.
Partners in Justice and Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 14