Please God, don’t let her be hurt. Take care of her. Cade realized he was slumped over, leaning one hand against the wall. He straightened and turned back to the sheriff. “What do you have in mind?”
“We get some sleep. You ride out first thing in the morning and find them. Take whoever you want. I need to stay here and guard the prisoners. I’ll keep other men posted around the jail, in case this is all a ruse to break Doolin and his gang out.”
“I hadn’t even thought of that. I’m slipping.” Cade wiped his face with his hand. “Doesn’t seem like Doolin’s style.”
“No, but that may be why he’d think it would work. We wouldn’t expect it.”
“I’ll take Ty, Quint and Asa with me. Even if there are a few more, we should be able to handle them. There is too much of a risk of Jessie being hurt if we go charging in there with a large posse. And you need plenty of men here.” Cade glanced toward the door that blocked the jail cells from view. “The last thing I want is for Doolin to escape. Unless I’m around to shoot him when he does.”
He wasn’t a bloodthirsty man by nature. But, then, he’d never had the woman he loved threatened with murder. “We’d better go tell the children that we have an idea of their direction. We’ll check back here in the morning before we leave.”
“I’ll be here.” Proctor came around his desk and put one hand on Cade’s shoulder, the other on Quint’s. “You’ll find her. She’s a strong, intelligent woman. She’ll hold her own against them.”
Not if he hits her, thought Cade, his heart heavy. Or even threatens to. He sent another fervent prayer heavenward for God’s protection over her.
When they reached Nola’s house, Ty offered to take their horses to the livery stable. “I need to check by the store.”
“I’ll be along after I spend some time with Brad and Ellie. I expect Lydia has supper fixed for us. There is probably enough for you, too.”
“I’ll get something to eat at the store. Give the kids a hug for me.”
Cade nodded, walking slowly toward the front door. Quint and Asa were already there. Asa received a welcoming kiss from Lydia as the children wrapped themselves around Quint.
What if we don’t find her? The burning ache in Cade’s heart seared his soul. How could he live without her?
Chapter 25
Jessie watched Starr pull in another catfish from the creek. She supposed if someone saw them, they might think they were simply a couple on an outing. She sat in the shade of a mesquite while he fished, his shirtsleeves rolled up on his forearms, his hat sitting beside her on the grass in case she needed more protection from the sun. In West Texas, folks might not pay much attention to the fact that her companion wore two six-shooters.
Nor were they likely to notice that he kept one eye on her and one on the creek. Behind them some place, Ira stood guard, both over her and their camp. But she appreciated being out in the open and not locked in the dugout. The price of that freedom? A promise to cook for them.
“What do you think? One more?” He looked at her as he knelt beside the bucket of fish and removed the hook.
“It depends on how hungry you are.” They’d had cheese and crackers and shared a can of peaches when they arrived. Though she had been famished, she quickly discovered that with her nerves on edge, her stomach was, too. She ate enough to ease her hunger, but that was all she could manage.
He pondered the comment and threw the line back in the water. “Ira has a hollow leg, so I’d better try for one more.”
Right then, he didn’t seem like an outlaw, though she supposed they weren’t necessarily nasty all the time. He wasn’t notorious. She didn’t think she’d ever heard of him. “Is Starr you’re real name?”
“Yes.” He tugged on the line, frowning when it came up empty. He pulled it in and added another worm. “I have two older brothers, Hezekiah and Erasmus. I was luckier. My parents named me Ransom.”
Ransom Starr. “I’ve never heard of you.”
“That’s good.” He threw the line out into the water again and sat down on the bank.
“I thought gunslingers wanted a reputation.”
“You think that’s what I am?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You said you were specially hired for this job. Maybe you just go around kidnapping people.”
“It pays good.”
“How much? What am I worth?”
His expression softened. “I expect a price far above rubies.”
He knew scripture? That shattered another one of her ideas about him.
“But I’m getting five hundred for the job.”
“Does that include killing me?”
“No. That’s another five hundred. But like I told you earlier, you don’t have to worry about that.” He looked back at the fishing line just as it dipped under the water. Scrambling to his feet, he jerked the pole and pulled in another fish. He dropped it in the bucket and removed the hook, then slung the cane pole over his shoulder. “This should do it. You’re cleaning them, right?”
“Wrong.” She stood, dusting the grass off her skirt, then wondered why she bothered. “I cook. You clean.”
“Worth a try.” On the way back to the dugout, he stopped, blocking her way.
Jessie’s pulse picked up as he faced her, and she suddenly felt threatened again. She caught sight of Ira up the hill behind him. Would he come to her aide if the larger man tried something?
“You’re safe with me, Jessie.” His gaze held hers. “That’s why I took this job. To protect you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Cade is my friend. I haven’t seen him in a long time, but I still consider him a friend.”
“Then take me back to him, to my family.”
“I can’t. Not yet.” He shifted and glanced up at Ira, who watched them closely. “I can’t explain it now. Just trust me.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“You have to. Unless he’s cornered, Ira is harmless. But there is someone else involved who isn’t. He would put a bullet in your heart without batting an eye. Then he’d kill your family.”
She gasped, her heart constricting in her chest. “My children?” she whispered.
“He’s done it before.”
“Why is he free?”
“Because they can’t prove it.” He glanced at Ira again, who had taken a couple of steps toward them and halted. Starr set the bucket on the ground. “Ira’s getting suspicious of us talking so long. And he’s more afraid of the other guy than he is of me. I’m going to act like I’m trying to kiss you. You push me away and slap me.” His eyes crinkled with the hint of a smile. “But not too hard.”
Jessie barely had time to consider his words before he grabbed the back of her head and leaned toward her. She shoved against his chest, knocking his hand loose from her head, and slapped him across the cheek. Hard.
He winced as his head jerked to the side. Scowling at her, he rubbed his face.
Without a word, she stepped around him and stormed up the hill. If he got mad at her for hitting him so hard, so be it. He deserved it for terrifying her and her family and Cade. Sudden tears welled up in her eyes. Oh, Cade, I wish you were here.
The breeze rustled the leaves nearby. Though she knew it was only the wind, she heard his voice in her heart. Hold on, darlin’. I won’t let you down.
***
The next morning, Ty fastened his gun belt at his waist. “I have an idea where they might be.”
Cade looked up quickly and almost poured coffee on his hand instead of in the cup. “Where?”
“Buck Grime’s old dugout. It’s up in the hills near the Caprock. I found it one time when I was out camping. It’s well hidden and protected. A creek fed by spring from higher up runs nearby, so there is always water. A year or so ago, it still had a stove in it. And an outhouse.” He smiled. “All the comforts of home.”
Cade knew he was trying to lighten his mood. “Not even close. Can you find it again?”
>
Ty frowned thoughtfully. “It may take a few tries. I was wandering around the hills and came on it by chance. I didn’t approach it from the road, but I have a general idea of the area. As far as I know, it would be the best place up that way to hold up.”
“Then it’s worth a look.”
A brilliant orange and golden sunrise greeted them when they stepped out the door. Ty clamped his hand on his brother’s shoulder as they walked down the porch steps. “A good day for a treasure hunt.”
This time Cade smiled.
***
Even though Jessie had entertained a vague thought of trying to escape during the night, the howl of wolves and a scream of a mountain lion nearby quickly banished the idea. Nor did she have an opportunity, even if she’d had a plan. Starr and Ira took turns keeping watch, sitting in a chair at one end of the room. They nailed curtains of burlap bags over the two windows and kept a lantern on the table, turned low. It illuminated the room enough to alert them if she so much as wiggled. She dozed a little, irritated that both men seemed to sleep just fine when they weren’t on guard duty.
She cooked breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs, then took the dishes to the stream to wash them. Ira had offered to do it, but she wanted the chance to study the area once again.
The hill she and Starr had walked over served as the bank along that portion of the creek. When Ira brought the buggy horse to the house, he had ridden it down the stream. There were three horses at the dugout, including Starr’s big black stallion that he had evidently left there earlier. She didn’t intend to go near that one, but if she could get away from him and Ira, she might be able to ride one of the others out of there. She hadn’t ridden bareback since she was a child, but it wasn’t an ability a person forgot.
During the early morning hours, she conceived a plan that might work. If it did, she’d have to thank Quint for sharing his story about the outlaw’s cooking disasters.
“Mrs. Monroe, can I carry those back for you?” asked Ira.
“Yes, thank you. How kind of you to offer.” Jessie stacked the plates and silverware in the fry pan and handed it to him. The cups were still in the dugout in case they wanted more coffee during the morning. “You seem like such a nice man, Ira. How did you get mixed up in such sorry business?”
“I’m not quite sure, ma’am. I was working for Doolin as his horse wrangler at the ranch. One day he told me to go with Rawlins to a line camp and take care of the horses. That night Rawlins and the other men rode out. I thought they were going to town, but since I was broke ’til pay day, I didn’t ask to go along. Next thing I knew, they were riding in with fifteen head of cattle that weren’t wearin’ Doolin’s brand. They put them in the pen, and Rawlins told me that I belonged to an outlaw gang. My job was to take care of the horses. If I didn’t want to do that, Doolin had ordered him to shoot me right then and there.”
“You didn’t have any choice then.” Jessie felt sorry for the man. “But you do now. If you’ll help me get away from here, from Starr, we’ll go to the sheriff. If you explain what happened, surely they wouldn’t send you to prison. Doolin and Rawlins are in jail now. They can’t hurt you.”
He slowed his steps, glancing toward the house where Starr leaned against the dugout, cleaning his nails with his knife. Jessie was positive he watched every move they made. “But his partner can,” Ira said.
“Who is his partner?”
“I don’t think I’d better tell you. Sometimes I think he’s worse than Doolin. He knows things, too, like how my ma is all crippled up and can’t walk good, and that I send money to her in Fort Worth every month. He said she’d pay if I didn’t help kidnap you. And he wasn’t talking about money. I feel real bad about this whole thing, ma’am, but I don’t rightly know what to do about it. My mama’s the only kin I have.” He sighed heavily. “It’ll break her heart when she finds out what I’ve done. Will your brother testify against Doolin, with you being gone and all?”
“No, I don’t think he will. My children and I are the only family he has. Just like you, he’ll protect us, no matter the cost to him. Don’t worry about it, Ira. It will all work out.”
“I sure hope so, ma’am.” He went on ahead of her and set the dishes inside. When he came back out, he carried a rifle. “I think I’ll go keep a lookout on the other side of the hill.”
Starr nodded and straightened, stepping away from the house. “Come back in about a couple of hours, and we’ll switch places.”
Jessie went past him into the house, mulling over what Ira said, putting it together with what Starr had told her. She needed something to occupy her hands while her mind sorted things out. Cooking was always her first choice, and glancing around the room, the only one. She wasn’t about to try to clean up years of neglect. Rummaging through the foodstuffs the men brought with them, she rounded up with the ingredients for biscuits. She was already mixing everything together when Starr came into the house.
“What did you learn from Ira?” He poured himself a cup of coffee, peeked over her shoulder to see what she was doing, then sat down, stretching his legs out in front of him.
“That he was tricked into working with the rustlers. He was Doolin’s horse wrangler at the ranch. Doolin sent him out with Rawlins to take care of some horses and the next thing he knew, he was an outlaw.”
“Figured it was something like that.” He sipped the coffee, watching as she dumped the biscuit dough out on a floured plate and began to lightly knead it. “So that’s the secret to good biscuits?”
“That’s what my mother said. It’s her recipe.” She paused, looking up at him, still not quite certain she should trust him. “Ira said Doolin has a partner. Is it the man you were talking about yesterday?”
He nodded. “Henry Wyman.”
Jessie stared at him. “Doolin’s assistant? That meek little man?”
“He’s anything but meek. I suspect he’s the brains behind this whole operation.” He stood and walked to the doorway, casually looking around outside. He came back to the table, standing across from her. “I’m a detective, Jessie. I’ve been looking for Wyman for over six months. We believe he killed a family in Denver, shot them all, even the children. He’d had some business dealings with the father that evidently didn’t go the way he expected. The last day he was seen in the city was the day they died. Like I said, there’s no proof he did it. But a lot of things point to him. I was hired by the man’s brother to find him in the hope that we can catch him in another crime, something that would send him to jail for a very long time.”
Jessie turned the biscuit dough one last time before pinching off a lump and rolling it into a biscuit. She would have preferred a nicely floured board and biscuit cutter, but this would have to do. She flattened it slightly and laid it in the greased frying pan. “Wyman hired you to kidnap me?”
“Yes.”
“But how did you get involved with him?”
He smiled slowly and sat back down. “Providence, I think. I only arrived in town day before yesterday. I’d heard he was here, working in Doolin’s office. I followed him to one of the saloons on the edge of town. I’m good at what I do, and maybe he got a little careless. I sat a couple of tables away with a bottle and a blond.” He wrinkled his nose. “She’s homely as a horse and stank, but her company kept him from paying any attention to me.
“He was talking a little louder than he realized, which makes me think he’s getting desperate. If he was merely worried about Doolin implicating him, he would have left town. I suspect he hasn’t gotten all his money yet. He wanted Ira and a man named Hobson to kidnap you. I learned from Ira that Hobson was the other rustler who wasn’t captured at the camp the day before. Hobson didn’t want any part of it. He just up and walked out on Wyman, hightailed it out of town. But Ira was afraid of what would happen to his mother if he didn’t go along with it. I was weighing the options of speaking up when Ira mentioned Cade’s name. It didn’t take much to sort out that you two were about to get h
itched. So that made up my mind.”
“How did you get Wyman to hire you?”
“Told him I’d overheard the conversation and offered my services.”
“Just like that? And he hired you?”
“Pretty much. I mentioned a few shady characters that he knew, and a few he didn’t, so it wouldn’t seem so obvious. Reckon he took me for a gunslinger or something, too. Knew Ira couldn’t handle it on his own.”
“Why didn’t you go to the sheriff with the information instead of actually kidnapping me?”
“That was my original intention. But it was four in the morning, and from then on, Wyman watched us every minute. Insisted on playing cards. I was afraid that if I left, he’d hire one of the hooligans in the saloon to take my place. They were a rough bunch. He stayed close by, right up until Ira left the house.”
“Wyman was there?”
“Next door. Those folks were out of town, and he hid in their grape arbor, watching everything that happened. There wasn’t a chance to tell anybody anything. I didn’t dare not follow through and bring you here. Actually, until the trial starts, this is probably the safest place for you. I don’t think he will show his face around here.
“But if Cade is still as good as he used to be, he’ll pick up the signs I left him.” He pulled his watch from his vest pocket. “If he left at daylight, I expect he’ll show up early this afternoon.”
“Signs. The handkerchief and piece of my dress.”
He grinned. “I thought you noticed those.”
“But what else?”
“That quick turn off the road wasn’t really for my enjoyment. The tracks should catch his eye. Especially since we dug up some grass.”
“Any other clues along the way?”
“No. From there on out, he’ll have to rely on instinct and luck.” He walked over to where he’d hung his coat on a nail and pulled a small mirror from the pocket. “Or the old sunlight on the mirror signal from our Texas Ranger days.”
Jessie shook her head in bemusement. “You worked with him.”
McKinnon's Bride (Willow Grove, Texas Series Book 1) Page 22