“Then you’ll have to give him a message for me. But first, tell me about you and the kids. I heard that you were working as Cade’s housekeeper—and that you’re a widow. What happened?” he asked gently.
“The mayor caught Neil in bed with his wife. Shot him on the spot.”
Quint groaned softly, hugging her again. “Sis, I’m sorry. I should have done something about him years ago. Or convinced you to leave him.”
“You tried.” She pulled away and looked up at him. “Cade said you suspected Neil was running around. But you never said anything to me.”
“I wasn’t positive. Just heard lots of rumors. I didn’t want to hurt you if it wasn’t true. Reckon I should have said something anyway. Or beat him to a pulp for good measure.”
“That wouldn’t have helped. And I would have had to listen to him moan and groan for who knows how long. Let’s go over to my house and visit a while.”
“Better not. I can’t let the kids know I’m here. Ellie would spill the beans for sure. Are they doin’ all right?”
“They are now. It was real hard on Brad, though. Not that he misses his father. But there was so much talk. Ellie doesn’t know what really happened. I told her he was killed in an accident.” Jessie sat down on the porch, resting her feet on the top step. Quint joined her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. She was itching to find out what he was up to, but she knew he would tell her in his own good time.
“I don’t suppose the sheriff did anything about the murder?”
“Of course not. He was more concerned about his own hide than his cousin. The mayor said Neil shot first, and the sheriff backed him up. I didn’t try to fight them on it.”
“It wouldn’t have done any good. Not in that town.” He pulled off his hat and laid it beside him. “And I don’t suppose you wanted to wait around for me. Who helped you come out here?”
“Nobody.”
He stared at her and clenched his jaw.
Poor Quint, she thought, hiding a smile. He can’t even yell at me.
“You came by yourself?” he asked hoarsely.
“Brad and Ellie were with me.”
“Jessie...”
She thought for a minute he might lose control and yell anyway. “I didn’t have any money to pay anyone. And I wouldn’t have known who to ask or trust.”
“Valentine made it?”
“All the way,” Jessie said proudly. “We couldn’t go very far at a time. Whenever I could, I let her rest every couple of days. You probably won’t recognize her. Cade’s been fattening her up. She follows him around like a puppy.” She laid her hand on his forearm. “But what are you doing here at this time of night? Where have you been?”
“We’ll get to that in a minute. How’s he treating you?”
Jessie sighed at his stubbornness. “Good.”
“How good?” he asked in a protective-big-brother tone.
“He’s paying me more than he should and spoiling the kids rotten. They adore him. It took Brad a while to warm up to him, but Cade’s teaching him how to ride and rope. He reads to us every evening after dinner.”
“I heard he’s interested in you.” He hesitated. “Real interested.”
Judging from the edge in his voice, Quint had heard some of the kind of talk Jessie had been worried about—speculation that she was more than Cade’s housekeeper.
“He is. But he hasn’t made any improper demands.” She smiled slightly. “He even promised Brad that he wouldn’t. He says he wants to marry me.”
“Do you want to marry him?”
“Sometimes I do.” She glanced at her brother and shrugged. “This week, most of the time. I sure miss him.”
“You haven’t known him very long.”
“No, but I know him better than I did Neil when we got married, and he courted me for six months.” She sighed. “At least I thought that’s what he was doing. I’ve often wondered if he married me simply because he couldn’t seduce me.”
“Cade’s not anything like Neil.”
“No, he’s not. He’s a fine, decent, and honorable man.” And he lights a fire in me I didn’t know existed, she thought.
“He’d be a good provider, and you wouldn’t ever have to worry about him running around on you.” Quint looked at her and grinned. “As we say out here in the wild West, he’s a good man to ride the rivers with.”
“A man you can trust.”
He nodded. “With my life.”
“Then why did you get mad and punch him? Make him fire you?”
Quint shifted, glancing at her warily.
She’d seen that look before and knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
“I needed to make it look like we had a fallin’ out. You remember John Shepherd?”
“Yes. You worked for him for a while right after you left home.”
“Rustlers hit his herd a while back. John had been out on the range for a few days, checking his cattle, and tried to stop them. Years ago he probably could have done it, but he’s an old man now. Doesn’t see as good as he used to, or move as fast. They almost killed him.”
“Shot him?”
“No. They roped him and dragged him. Broke several ribs, his leg and knocked him unconscious. He had a bump on the back of his head the size of a goose egg. He was unconscious for over a week, and the doctor didn’t know if he would make it or not.”
When he turned toward her, and Jessie saw the determination in his expression, she knew he was trying somehow to right the wrong done to his old friend. “What are you doing about it?” she asked, her heart pounding.
“I joined up with the rustlers.”
“Quint! You could go to prison!”
“No, the sheriff knows what I’m doing. He agreed it’s the only way to capture them. Somebody has to stop them. Word got around quick enough about my fight with Cade, so even when I pretended to look for a job at a couple of ranches, no one would hire me. Didn’t want a troublemaker.
“I hung around town for about a week. One night at the Diamond Saloon, one of the rustlers struck up a conversation. Asked me if I wanted a job. I had an idea who he was, but I couldn’t be sure until he took me to meet the number two man. They didn’t take me to their main camp. A couple of the men stayed with me away from their hideout and watched me like a hawk. Said I had to prove myself.” He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
“You stole some cattle?” she whispered.
He nodded. “The first time, we took twenty head from a big ranch in the northern part of the county. A couple of nights ago we took five more from John Shepherd.” His voice was thick with anger and disgust.
“Oh, Quint.” Jessie caught his hand, holding it tight.
“His operation is real small now. The last couple of years, he mostly ran it by himself. They knew he was still laid up and wouldn’t be out lookin’ for them.”
“So no one was guarding the herd.”
“It’s open range. You can’t guard a herd unless you’ve rounded them all up. Then you need a whole crew to keep watch and hold the cattle together.”
“You did what the outlaws wanted. Do you know where their camp is now?”
“Yes. They took me there after we stole John’s cattle. Tell Cade to let the sheriff know it’s in a box canyon east of the headwaters of Mustang Creek.”
“Why don’t you just go tell the sheriff? You found the camp. He can arrest them now.”
“Not yet. I don’t know who is running the operation. I think it’s somebody from town, but I’m not sure. I got a glimpse of him last night at their hideout but wasn’t close enough to recognize him. He was wearing a suit, though, so he’s either a rancher or a businessman of some kind. I asked one of the men who he was, but he just called him the boss. I didn’t think I’d better pry too much or they’d get suspicious. I don’t think any of them would cross him, either. The guy I talked to seemed real afraid of him.”
“How did you get away from them tonight?”
“A couple of them were going to visit one of the parlor houses. They’re careful about riding into town one or two at a time so no one will realize they’re all together.” He grinned at her. “I told them I was going to see a lady friend at another place.”
“I don’t suppose you could tell them you were coming to see me.”
“No. Some of the men were in town last weekend and heard you were working out here. They saw you with Cade.” He rubbed the back of his neck and rotated his shoulders. “They knew about our fight and that he’d fired me, so I let them think I didn’t care that you were here. Said I didn’t want to see you. That if you were involved with Cade, then you deserved each other.” He chuckled softly. “I meant it, but not the way they thought.”
Quintin picked up his hat. “I’d better get going. Tell Cade to pass on the information to the sheriff.”
“That the hideout is in a box canyon east of the head of Mustang Creek. Do they have the cattle there, too?”
“They’re holding about thirty head there right now. They’ve sold the others somehow, but I don’t know who the buyer is. Tell Cade that as soon as I know who their leader is, I’ll signal him. I couldn’t get away before this to leave him the sign and meet like we’d planned.”
Jessie’s heart froze. Cade had known all along what Quint was doing but pretended he didn’t. The man she’d considered honest and trustworthy had lied to her.
She prayed that she’d misunderstood Quint. “Cade knows about all this?” she asked quietly, trying hard to keep her voice steady.
Quint glanced at her and cleared his throat. “Yes, but he didn’t like it, not one bit.”
“Well, he did a fine job of stopping you from being an idiot.”
“He tried to talk me out of it.” He paused, facing his sister. “This is something I have to do, Jessie. John saved my hide more times than I can count. He took a green, scared kid and made a man out of me. I owe him.”
“You don’t owe him your life.” She fought back tears of fear and anger. “If the rustlers find out what you’re doing, they’ll shoot you without a second thought. And if they don’t, some rancher is liable to kill you. I admire what you’re trying to do, Quint. But it’s too dangerous. There has to be some other way.”
“There isn’t. The sheriff is good at his job, Jessie, but the rustlers are always one step ahead of him. Someone in town is tipping them off. Cade and Ty are the only other people he trusts.” Quint stood and put on his hat. “We’ll get this taken care of soon.”
Jessie rose, barely resisting the urge to double up her fists and pound on him as she had done when they were little. Or maybe hogtie him and lock him in the house until he got some sense. Instead, she gave him a fierce hug. “Please be careful.”
“Always am.”
She all but snorted. “And I can rope a cow with my eyes shut.”
“I didn’t know you could rope one with your eyes open.” When she glared at him, he just grinned. “Hold off on gettin’ hitched. I want to be at the wedding.”
Pain and anger washed through her. “There won’t be a wedding. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Give him a chance, Jess.”
“He had his chance. Lying is never right.” She brushed past her brother, going around to pick up her shotgun. “I don’t want anything to do with a man I can’t trust.”
Chapter 13
Cade arrived home mid-afternoon on Friday. He slowed Mischief as they approached the house to keep from sending a cloud of dust through the open windows. Smiling in anticipation, he watched to see if Jessie and the kids came out to meet him. Ellie would probably squeal and throw herself into his arms for a big bear hug. Brad would grin and maybe sidle up to him for at least a one-armed hug.
Then he’d pull Jessie into an embrace for his welcome home kiss. He’d have to be careful and control himself in front of the children. Later, when they were alone, he’d show her how much he missed her. Unfortunately, even then, he would have to keep a tight rein on his desire.
The yard between his house and Jessie’s came into view, revealing her old wagon sitting close to her back porch. Though Valentine was nowhere in sight, the wagon held at least half of their things. “What the...?”
He stopped Mischief near the wagon and dismounted, letting the reins trail along the ground. He barely noticed, and didn’t care, when the horse turned and moseyed toward the barn. Storming up the steps, Cade came to an abrupt halt when Ellie ran out to meet him. Instead of a squeal of delight, her little face was a picture of unhappiness. Big tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her lips quivered, and a sob broke from her throat. He dropped to one knee and gathered her in his arms.
Lifting her gently, he stood, cradling her against his chest. “Shh, honey, don’t cry.” She tightened her arms around his neck, and for a minute, he could barely breathe. Tugging gently at one tiny arm, he eased the pressure on his windpipe. “What’s wrong? Why are you leaving?”
She shook her head and tried to burrow closer. “I dunno,” she mumbled.
Brad stepped out the back door, his face filled with sadness, his eyes with disappointment. “You lied to Mama.”
His heart pounding, Cade glanced behind the boy at Jessie, who stood in the kitchen. He dragged his gaze away and looked back at Brad. If they knew about Quint, he had either accomplished his job or been hurt. Or maybe killed. Fear settled in a cold lump in his belly. “What about?”
“She won’t say.” Anger flashed in the boy’s eyes. “But you hurt her, and you promised you wouldn’t.”
Cade’s chest tightened with pain. “No, son,” he said softly, “I promised I’d try not to hurt her. Sometimes, there isn’t any way to avoid it.”
“Telling me the truth would have taken care of it,” Jessie said stiffly, stopping in the doorway. “Brad, go fetch Valentine. And take Ellie with you.”
Ellie raised her head and frowned at Jessie. “I wanna stay with Cade.”
“Do what your mother tells you, honey,” Cade said softly. “Go with Brad down to the barn.” He leaned down, setting her feet on the porch. When she tried to hang onto him, he shook his head. “Don’t, Ellie. Go with your brother. Jessie and I need to talk.”
She reluctantly loosened her grip and stepped back, sticking out her bottom lip. Brad put his hand on her shoulder and maneuvered her down the steps and toward the barn.
Cade straightened, pinning Jessie with his gaze. “What’s this all about?”
“Quint came to see you last night.”
“Is he all right?”
“Oh, he’s fine, except for being an outlaw and a cattle rustler. He may get his head shot off any second. Or lynched by some angry rancher.” She moved toward him, spitting fire. “But that’s old news to you.”
Cade shoved his hat back and rubbed his hand over his face. “I wanted to tell you about it. But I was afraid it would make you worry.”
“That’s another lie, Cade McKinnon.” She poked him in the chest with her index finger. “I never expected you to be so good at it.”
“But it’s the truth.”
“You don’t think I’ve worried since I got here? About Quint, about providing for my family, about us?”
“Well, yes. But I’ve tried to reassure you as much as I could by giving you a job. You would have fretted more if you’d known what he was doing.”
“Maybe.” She spun around, going back into the house. He followed. “But you had no right to keep it from me.”
“I was trying to protect you. And Quint. Only the sheriff, Ty, and I knew what he was doing. It was safer to keep it that way.”
She stopped, staring at him incredulously. “You thought I might tell someone and put him in danger?”
He cringed inwardly. Coming from her, it sounded like a lame excuse. “I know you wouldn’t do anything intentionally to put him in danger, but you might accidentally let something slip. Or the kids might have overheard something and told someone.�
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She rolled her eyes.
He had a flash of inspiration. “Since you didn’t know, if someone asked about him, you didn’t have to lie. You could honestly tell them you didn’t know where he was, that maybe he’d gone to East Texas to see you. It made it easier for you, too, all those times you asked other folks in town if they’d seen him.”
Crossing her arms, she studied him, her expression shuttered. Cade didn’t like that. He usually could read her emotions and most of the time had a good idea of what was going through her head.
“Let me get this straight,” she said. “You only wanted to keep me from worrying too much and to keep me from having to lie about what he was doing.”
Cade crossed his arms, too, standing with his legs widespread and firmly planted in a show of strength. “That’s right. If one of the rustlers had questioned you about Quint, he might have picked up on a lie. I doubt you’d be very good at it.”
“Unlike you.”
“I didn’t like lying to you, Jessie. Despite what you think, it doesn’t come easy for me. I’d planned to tell you about Quint after I heard from him and knew what the situation was.” He took off his hat and tossed it on the table, rubbing the back of his neck. “You were so worn out when you arrived, I decided not to say anything. I figured the best thing I could do for you and him was to keep you safe, to look after you.”
She lifted one eyebrow.
“I was sure I’d probably talk to him within a few days, and once he learned you were here, he’d forget about his cockeyed plan to join up with the rustlers. But as weeks passed with no word from him, I got more worried about him and grew more uneasy about keeping it from you. I’d made up my mind to tell you this week, even if I hadn’t heard from him, but I had to go to Fort Concho. I didn’t want to dump it on you and leave. I was going to tell you tonight.” He reached out to touch her, but she stepped away.
“That’s convenient. You can try to justify it all day, Cade, but it still comes down to the fact that you deceived me.” She moved around to the other side of the table, gripping the back of a chair. “And you manipulated me into staying here.”
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