by Bobbi Smith
Trent walked over and dropped his bedroll and saddlebags on the bed.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Trent,” Mason said as he left them.
“You any good at poker?” Hank asked, sitting down at the table in the middle of the room where a few of the men were dealing out a new hand.
“I’ve been known to win a few hands in my time,” Trent answered, thinking a card game might be relaxing once he visited the bathhouse. After all those weeks on the trail, he was ready for a bath and a shave.
“We’d have been happier if you’d said you’d been known to lose a few hands.” The men laughed.
“Well, give me a few minutes, and I’ll see what I can do for you.”
He went to get cleaned up, then rejoined the other men in the bunkhouse. He was ready to enjoy himself for the first time in a long time.
Sykes sat on the side of his bunk, watching the poker game. They’d asked him to join in, and he’d thought about it, but had finally decided against it. He was barely in control of his hatred for Trent Marshall, and he didn’t want to do anything that might cause him to lose his temper and give himself away.
Sykes looked on as Trent made a fairly good-sized bet. He was struck by a disturbing thought—the money the hired gun was betting was blood money, money Trent had been paid for hunting down his son.
Rage suddenly filled him, and he knew he had to get out of the bunkhouse before he did something he would later regret. Getting up, he went outside. He was going to make sure Trent didn’t live long enough to spend all that money he’d earned.
“You were real lucky to catch up with that raiding party,” said Dennis, one of Jake’s ranch hands.
They’d been sitting around drinking for a while now. The men had told him how things had gone on the ranch while he was away, and he’d been telling them about the long days on the trail, tracking down the renegades.
“Yes, we were,” Jake agreed, taking another drink of his whiskey. “Thank God we got to them when we did.”
“It doesn’t matter when you got to them,” slurred Vic, another hand who’d worked on the ranch for less than a year. He grabbed the whiskey bottle and refilled his glass.
“What are you talking about?” Jake demanded tensely.
“I’m talking about them women—the Ryan girl and the two from that ranch. It would have been better for them if you hadn’t found them. They’d all be better off dead now.”
Jake grew ever more furious as he listened to the drunken man.
“Ain’t nobody gonna want them women after the renegades have been all over them,” he went on.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jake ground out.
“The hell I don’t,” Vic stupidly argued.
“Vic, shut up,” Mike commanded, not wanting any trouble.
“Why should I shut up?” Vic asked, glaring at Mike. “Everybody knows what they do to women captives. It ain’t no secret that they—”
Jake had heard enough. He threw his glass violently aside, shocking everyone, and stood up. In a rage, he grabbed Vic by the front of his shirt and jerked him bodily to his feet.
“What the hell are you doing?” The drunk was caught off guard by his boss’s actions. His own glass flew from his grip, and he stumbled, trying to stay on his feet as Jake dragged him toward the door.
“Get out of my house and off my ranch! You’re fired!”
“What?”
Jake threw Vic out of the house and facedown into the dirt. Vic landed heavily, but got up and tried to go after Jake. Jake was more than ready for him. He hit him square on the jaw, and Vic collapsed, unconscious, on the ground.
Slowly Jake turned to face the other men who’d hurried outside to watch. His voice was deadly serious as he ordered, “Get him out of my sight!”
Mike, Dennis, and several of the other hands ran to do what he’d ordered. They knew how furious Jake was, and they wanted to get Vic out of there before any more violence erupted.
Jake watched them haul him off, then told the other men, “Don’t ever let me hear any of you talking about Abbie Ryan that way. If I do, you’ll end up just like Vic.”
He said no more, but went back inside and closed the door behind him.
It had been a long day.
He had had enough.
When his rage finally subsided, Jake went into his bedroom and unlocked the chest where he kept his valuables. He took out the engagement ring that had been in his family for several generations. Tomorrow at the celebration, he was going to propose to Abbie. There was nothing he wanted more than to spend the rest of his life loving her and protecting her.
Jake finally managed to smile to himself at the thought of having Abbie with him always. He set the ring on the dresser so he would be sure to take it along tomorrow. Then he got ready for bed. As he stretched out on the wide comfort of his mattress for the first time in weeks, he hoped there wouldn’t be too many more nights when he would be bedding down alone. He wanted Abbie beside him.
Faith, Mason, and Abbie were getting ready to call it a night. They were exhausted, but they’d waited so long for this reunion, they didn’t want it to end.
“Tomorrow is going to be wonderful,” Faith said, thinking of all the fun they were going to have.
“I can’t wait to see everyone,” Abbie said. “They’ll be excited to see you, too,” Mason assured her. “Get a good night’s sleep, so you’ll be all rested up and ready.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Abbie and Faith agreed, looking forward to snuggling down in their own beds.
“Good night.”
They retired to their bedrooms.
Abbie curled up in her bed, tired but happy. For a long time she had believed she would never have her real life back, and now here she was at home, surrounded by the people she loved and who loved her. She offered up another prayer of thanks for all her blessings and then closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Faith changed into her nightgown, and, after washing up, she was ready to go to bed. She found it strange that she was feeling a little lost not having Trent around. Night after night while they’d been on the trail, they’d bedded down close together by the campfire, and now here she was in her room all alone.
Faith went over to her window and looked out toward the bunkhouse. Just knowing Trent was that close helped, but again she found herself wondering what the future held for them. Trent had told her he loved her, and she knew she loved him. She wondered if he would propose. She could think of nothing more wonderful than to spend the rest of her life with him. She just hoped he felt the same way about her.
Weary, Faith turned away from the window and went to bed. She sighed dreamily and closed her eyes, welcoming the sweet bliss of a good night’s sleep.
The bunkhouse was dark and quiet. All the men had called it a night and bedded down.
Trent was feeling good as he lay awake in his bunk, thinking over the events of the day. Abbie was safely back home, and he’d won a big pot in the poker game. He smiled in the darkness, knowing some days really were better than others.
Trent’s thoughts turned to Faith, and he realized how much he missed her just now. He had no doubt about his feelings for her. He loved her, and now that they were back at the ranch, the time had come for him to decide what he was going to do with the rest of his life. One thing was certain: Faith would have to be a part of it.
Across the bunkhouse in his own bed, Sykes pretended to be asleep, but in truth he was watching every move Trent Marshall made. He’d managed to bring his rage under control, but just barely. Soon, very soon, he would have his revenge. Soon, very soon, he was going to kill Trent Marshall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Larissa was excited as she rode out to the Lazy R with her parents and Dottie.
“I can’t believe everything turned out so well,” she said, eagerly anticipating seeing Abbie and spending the day with Mason.
“It’s a miracle, that’s for sure,” her moth
er, Eve, said.
“That Trent turned out to be a fine young man. I can’t wait to see him again,” Dottie added.
“It must have been so frightening for Abbie,” Larissa said sympathetically.
“I’m sure it was,” her father put in, “but today is a day for celebrating. I think it would be better if we were careful not to bring up anything about the time she was a captive. I’m sure Abbie wants to forget all about it as fast as she can.”
“That’s right,” Dottie said. “We’re just going to show her how much we love her today.”
“You don’t think anyone will say anything bad to her, do you, Papa?” Larissa asked.
“Let’s hope not. Abbie’s been through enough already.”
Faith and Abbie had gotten up early to help Rose prepare for the party. It was close to noon when they finally returned to their rooms to change clothes and freshen up. The guests would be arriving soon, and Abbie couldn’t wait to see everybody again.
Abbie donned the dress she’d chosen to wear, then went to stand before the small mirror on the wall to brush out her hair. As she stared at her mirror image, she saw the bruise on her cheek and was reminded of all the ugliness she’d just lived through. In that instant, all the frightening memories she’d been trying to put from her returned with a vengeance, threatening to overwhelm her.
“What’s wrong?”
The unexpected sound of her sister’s voice so close by startled Abbie, and she almost jumped. She turned quickly away from the mirror to find Faith standing in her bedroom doorway, watching her.
“Nothing,” Abbie replied quickly, embarrassed.
“Something’s wrong,” Faith insisted. She knew Abbie too well to believe her answer. The look of sadness on her face revealed far more than her words. “What is it? What’s bothering you?”
Abbie admitted nervously, “When I saw the bruise . . .”
Faith immediately understood the problem and went to hug her sister. “No one is going to pay any attention to the bruise. You’ll see.”
“If you say so.” Abbie was still uneasy.
“I do,” Faith said with certainty. “They’re just going to be real glad to see you. Come on. Let’s go have some fun. You need it.”
“You’re right. I do need to have some fun.” She drew a ragged breath and deliberately didn’t glance in the mirror again. “Let’s go. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
The Murray carriage was just pulling up as they went outside.
“Abbie!” Larissa, Eve, and Dottie cried out, thrilled to see her. They hurried to climb down once the carriage stopped and then went to hug her.
“We are so glad you’re home!” Larissa told her.
“So am I,” Abbie said, returning their hugs. “You’re the first ones here!”
“Good, that will give us more time together to visit before things get too crazy,” Larissa said.
Tables had been set up outside with an area cleared off just in case anyone wanted to dance later on. They all went to sit at one of the tables so they could talk.
It wasn’t long before they saw Jake riding in, and Abbie quickly got up to go greet him.
“It’s about time you got here,” Abbie said with a smile as she waited for him to dismount and tie up his horse. He was so tall and handsome, and she wanted to go straight to him and kiss him, but she controlled herself. It wasn’t easy.
“Been missing me, have you?” he asked with a grin as he faced her. His gaze quickly went over her, and he believed she looked more beautiful than ever—if that were possible. The green day gown she was wearing fit her perfectly, and she had left her hair unbound today, so it tumbled around her shoulders in a soft cascade of golden curls.
“You know I have,” she replied in a soft, enticing voice.
The temptation of her words almost overruled his sensibilities. He wanted to kiss her, but since it was broad daylight and there were other people around he held himself back.
“I’ve been missing you, too. You sure look pretty today.”
“Why, thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. “You look real handsome yourself.”
They moved off together to talk for a while, just wanting to enjoy each other’s company.
Dottie spotted Trent with Faith up near the main house and decided to go chat with them.
“I do have good taste in dance partners, don’t I, Faith?” Dottie said with an impish grin as she joined them. Her opinion of Trent hadn’t changed from that first night. He was a very handsome man.
“Yes, you do,” Faith agreed. “Trent, you remember Dottie, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes.” Trent smiled down at her, recalling how she’d cornered him the night of the dance in town. At the time he hadn’t been sure what to think, but now he was glad. If it hadn’t been for Dottie’s daring invitation, he might not have met Faith. “It’s good to see you again.”
“If we get any music going tonight, I expect a dance with you, young man,” she told him in a stern tone that was betrayed by the twinkle in her eyes.
“It’d be my pleasure. I’ll be more than happy to oblige.”
“Good.” She turned to Faith, her mood becoming more serious. “It’s wonderful that Abbie’s home. We were all so worried about her.”
“I’m glad everything worked out the way it did.”
“What are you planning to do next, Trent? Are you going to stay around Coyote Canyon?”
“I don’t know. It depends on my next job.”
Trent’s words tore at Faith, but she quickly masked her feelings. She tried not to let on that she desperately wanted to throw her arms around him and never let him go. Somehow, some way, she had to find a way to convince him to stay.
“Do you have anything lined up yet?” Dottie asked.
“Not yet.”
Dottie was always perceptive, and she’d seen the look of pain that shone in Faith’s eyes for an instant. Watching the two young people together, she had a feeling there was more than just a simple friendship developing between them, and she hoped she was right. She felt Trent and Faith would make a wonderful couple.
“Well, stay around until you do. We like having you here. Isn’t that right, Faith?”
“That’s right, Dottie.”
More people arrived from town.
Even Sheriff Fike came. He wanted to congratulate Trent on a job well-done. He sought Trent out, and they moved off away from the crowd, so they could talk privately.
“Did you hear what happened in town while you were gone?” the lawman asked Trent.
“No.” Trent was surprised by his question. He hadn’t heard any talk at the ranch.
“Cal Harris died.”
The grim news surprised Trent, and he quickly asked, “How did it happen?”
“That’s what’s so strange. A call went out that there was a fire down at his office late one night, and then we found him there, dead in the ruins. I thought the fire looked suspicious, but I couldn’t prove anything. There was no way to figure out exactly what happened because of all the damage.”
“There were no witnesses?”
“There were a few who saw people on the streets, but as late and as dark as it was at the time, they couldn’t be certain of anyone’s identity.”
“Did Harris have any known enemies?”
“None that I’d heard of. I’ve been asking around, but no one seems to have any idea why someone would have wanted him dead.”
Trent was puzzled, too. It might have been a robbery gone wrong, but there was no way they could know for sure. If Harris had been murdered, the murderer had wanted to make sure he would never be caught. “If you find out anything new, let me know.”
“I’ll do that.”
The music started up then, provided by several ranch hands who played banjos and guitars.
Trent saw a number of couples get up and start dancing, and he knew better than to wait to seek out Dottie. If he didn’t go after her, she would come after him.
/> “I’ll see you later,” he told the lawman. “There’s a lady waiting for me.”
He headed over to the table where Dottie was sitting with her friends from town.
“I believe this is our dance,” he told her.
She laughed in delight as she put her hand in his and let him draw her up to join the other couples.
“I never pass up the chance to dance with a good-looking man,” she said flirtatiously.
“And I never pass up the chance to dance with a pretty lady.”
Dottie was in heaven as Trent squired her around to the music. She’d always known that being a bit brazen paid off, and it sure had tonight. She was dancing with the handsomest man at the party.
Larissa and Mason were sitting at the table with her parents, just enjoying the moment.
“It’s over. It’s finally over,” Mason said, still finding it hard to believe that everything had worked out the way it had.
Larissa reached over and took his hand. He was almost fully recovered, and she knew that was a blessing in itself. “Since we are here to celebrate, aren’t you going to ask me to dance?”
His gaze met hers, and right then there was nothing he wanted more than to have her in his arms. “I think I can do that. Would you like to dance?”
“I’d love to.”
He escorted her out among the other couples and took her in his arms. The moment was magical for them as they began to dance. Larissa just relaxed and enjoyed the thrill of being held so close to him. She closed her eyes and followed his lead, treasuring every moment of this special time.
Sykes finished the work he had to do and then joined the party. His plan was to stay as close to Trent Marshall as he could without being obvious. He wanted to listen in on his conversations and find out about his plans. He was more than ready to make his move, but he had to find a time when he wouldn’t be implicated in the shooting. He found a place at a table near where Trent was sitting with Faith, and he settled in.
“Sheriff Fike was right when he said Trent was a great tracker,” Faith was telling the others at their table. “I rode out on the first day with Jake and some of the men, and we did our best to follow the trail, but we weren’t good enough. We lost it and had to give up and come back home.” She looked over at Trent. “I don’t know what we would have done without him.”