This man’s hair fell to below his shoulders, appearing not to have been washed in weeks. Although he gripped the saddle horn with both hands, she could see them shake slightly. In her heart, she knew this wasn’t one of Trask’s men.
“Seems when you got to the fork in the trail from Big Pine, you rode north instead of south to Splendor. That’s where you’ll find him.” Ellis kept his rifle ready at his side, nodding toward town.
The man looked over his shoulder, then glanced back at Ellis and Joe, his shoulders slumping even more than when he rode up. Rosemary couldn’t let him ride off without at least offering him some water. Taking a chance, she hurried to the front door, throwing it open and walking to the steps.
“Miss Rosemary, you shouldn’t be out here,” Joe said, waving his arm for her to go inside.
Biting her lip, she ignored him to look directly at the man. “Can we help you?”
Relief flooded the man’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his dry throat.
“Wait here.” She rushed back inside, filling a cup with water before returning. Holding it up to him, she watched him lick his parched lips, one trembling hand reaching out to take the cup. Gulping down several swallows, he wiped an arm across his mouth.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
The pain in his voice almost broke her heart. “What’s your name, sir?”
“Wyatt…Wyatt Jackson. I’m looking for Cash Coulter. Do you know him?”
The slight southern accent reminded her somewhat of Cash and his good friend, Beau. “Everyone around here knows Cash. He’s a deputy in town.”
“We already told him that, Miss Rosemary. It’s time he rode on out to find him.”
Handing back the cup with a shaky hand, Wyatt nodded. “They’re right, ma’am. I need to move on.”
Crossing her arms, she glared at Ellis and Joe before looking at Wyatt. “Not before you’ve had something to eat, Mr. Jackson. You get off your horse and rest on the porch a spell. I’ll go in to see what we have left from dinner.”
“Miss Rosemary…” Joe’s voice trailed off when she shot him a withering glare. Shaking his head, he looked at Wyatt. “Might as well do what Miss Rosemary says. She’ll not let you leave here before you’ve eaten and met the others.”
Sliding off his horse, grabbing the back of the saddle for balance, Wyatt let out a ragged breath. “Others.”
Ellis chuckled. “Miss Rachel, Miss Ginny, and Miss Lydia. By the time you’ve eaten and answered their questions, you’ll be more than ready to get out of here.”
Chapter Nine
The women sat around the table, children playing in the living room, as Wyatt hunkered over his meal, eating every bite. Rachel watched his movements, believing he had been close to starvation before Rosemary offered him food. She’d seen the look many times as a nurse for the Union Army.
“It might be best if you slowed down some, Mr. Jackson. We have plenty and you can eat as much as you want, but I’m concerned your stomach might not be ready for it.”
He glanced up. Even with his beard, Rosemary could see his cheeks redden. “Rachel was a nurse during the war, Mr. Jackson. It’s probably best if you take her advice.”
Pushing the empty plate away, he leaned back in his chair, looking at Rachel. “I’m certain you are right, Mrs. Pelletier. It all tastes so good.”
Rachel smiled. “Like I said, there’s plenty more.” She had Ellis send a man to town for Cash. It would be best for everyone to confirm Wyatt’s story, know for certain the man posed no threat.
Trying to stand, he winced before dropping back into the chair. A painful chuckle escaped his lips. “Guess I’m a little weaker than I thought.”
Ginny studied him, not finding it difficult at all to believe he was Cash’s friend. “No need to get up, Mr. Jackson. Sit a while and tell us how you know Cash.”
“And what brings you this way,” Rachel added.
“It’s a long story, and not too interesting.”
“Ha. That’s what everyone new to Splendor says.” Ginny’s gaze moved to Rachel, then Rosemary. “There are some amazing stories told by the people who’ve come here.”
His face brightened a little. “I’ll bet there are, ma’am.”
“My guess is you fought with Cash during the war. Am I right, Mr. Jackson?” Rachel asked.
A weary expression crossed his face. “No offense, ma’am, since you served the North, but I’m an ex-Confederate soldier. That’s how Cash and I met. He was my commanding officer.”
“No offense taken. My husband, Dax, served the Confederacy, as did his brother, Luke. He’s Ginny’s husband. Our foreman, Bull, Lydia’s husband, served the North. You’ll find our town is filled with men and women who were on both sides of the war. We aren’t here to judge you, Mr. Jackson, just to learn a little bit more about what brought you to Splendor.”
Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck, formulating a reply, when the front door burst open. Cash rushed inside, stopping abruptly at the sight of his friend.
“My God. It is you, Jackson. You look like hell.”
Wyatt nodded. “Yes, sir, I do. But my belly is full for the first time in weeks.”
Rachel stood, indicating for Lydia and Ginny to do the same. “Rosemary, would you mind getting Cash something to drink? It’s time we settled the younger children in bed for their naps.”
“Of course.” She looked at Cash. “Coffee, whiskey, water…
“Coffee, if you don’t mind, Rosemary.”
Nodding, she turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll just be a minute.”
Grabbing a chair, Cash swung it around, straddling it to rest his arms on the back. “Tell me what happened.”
“If the weather holds, we should make it to the ranch before the sun sets.” Tat reined to his left, guiding a few horses back to the herd.
Billy grinned at him from a few yards away, shouting over the sound of pounding hooves on the trail. “In time for me to have supper with Margaret.”
Tat moved back alongside him. They’d taken positions at the back. Riding drag was the worst place to be on a cattle drive, but not bad when moving a relatively small number of horses.
“She usually eats with Selina at Bull and Lydia’s house. Both girls help take care of Joshua. Bull sure does love that little kid.” Tat grinned, thinking about the look of affection on Bull’s face whenever he held his son.
“What about the other boys?”
“Sam, Ben, Jimmy, and Teddy eat and stay in the bunkhouse most nights. They like being around the men. Isn’t Sam about a year younger than you?” Again, Tat moved to his left, steering the same horses back into the group, muttering under his breath about stubborn animals.
“What about Rosemary?”
Tat looked at him, his brows furrowing. “What about her?”
“Travis said she’s staying at the ranch because of Trask. Is someone watching out for her?”
Tat looked toward the front of the herd where Dirk had taken up a position on the right. “The boss watches after her most of the time.”
Billy couldn’t hide his surprise. “Dirk? I thought they hated each other.”
Rubbing his chin, Tat worked to suppress a grin. “From what I’ve seen, they seem to be getting along real well. ‘Course I don’t know how long that’ll last.”
Chuckling, Billy shook his head. “I’d bet not long after Trask is found and sent back to prison. Can’t imagine those two keeping the peace much longer than that.”
Tat wasn’t so certain. He’d seen the look on Dirk’s face when Rosemary didn’t know he was watching. They appeared to be getting along just fine.
Taking two more bends in the trail, they came to a rise, seeing the ranch sprawled out below them. “Won’t be long now.” Billy adjusted his hat lower on his head, picking up the pace to bring in the stragglers.
Dirk and Travis guided the herd to a pasture behind the barn, separate from where the men kept their horses. Waiting until the
animals were inside, Dirk jumped down from his horse, closing the gate behind them.
“Good job, boys. Time to clean up and relax.”
Grabbing his horse’s reins, he opted to walk around the barn to the front rather than take his horse through the corral to the back doors. Getting close, he glanced at the house, seeing Rosemary sitting in a chair on the porch, a man he didn’t recognize next to her. He didn’t return her wave as he continued into the barn, making short work of removing the saddle and letting his horse into the back pasture for water and feed.
Frowning, he stomped out of the barn, taking slow, measured steps to the house. All the time, his gaze assessed the man next to her. As he took the steps, the front door opened.
Cash held out his hand. “Good evening, Dirk. I heard you were meeting with Travis.”
Gripping Cash’s hand in his, he nodded, glancing again at Rosemary and the stranger. “We made a decision to bring the horses for the army contract over here. Otherwise, I would’ve been back hours ago.” He took a few steps closer to Rosemary, not liking the way the man leaned close to talk to her. “It’ll shorten the trip to where we’ll meet the men who will move them on to the fort.”
Cash watched, not missing the foreman’s protective stance. “Dirk, this is Wyatt Jackson. He served with me during the war. Wyatt, Dirk Masters. You’ve already met Bull. Dirk is the other foreman.”
Standing on wobbly legs, Wyatt held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Dirk’s frown remained fixed as he studied the man, his gaze flickering to Rosemary before he accepted the outstretched hand. “What brings you to the ranch?”
Wyatt opened his mouth to speak when Cash interrupted. “He helped me with a problem a friend of ours had a while back. I told him if he ever had an itch to travel farther west to stop by Splendor.”
Looked more as if Wyatt had fallen on some very hard times, but Dirk kept his thoughts to himself. “Do you have experience working on a ranch?”
His eyes flashed for an instant before he shook his head. “After the war, I worked on my brother-in-law’s farm. He had some cattle and horses, but nothing compared to Redemption’s Edge.”
Dirk watched Rosemary. She hadn’t taken her gaze off Wyatt for more than a few seconds, which bothered him more than a little.
“If you’re interested, we’re looking for a couple more men. There’d be a lot to learn, but the bunkhouse is clean and the food plentiful.”
Wyatt’s jaw worked as he considered the offer. No one but Cash knew the danger that could be following him. He needed the work, could use a warm place to stay and solid food, but putting these people at risk didn’t appeal to him.
Rosemary stood, eyeing Wyatt. “It’s a good offer. You need a few more days for your body to recover from the long journey.”
“I appreciate the offer, Dirk. I’m going to town with Cash to meet his wife. Can I think on it a couple days?” Wincing at the sudden cramping in his stomach, he grabbed the back of the chair to steady himself, Rosemary reaching out to grip his arm.
“Are you all right?” The concern in her eyes wasn’t lost on Dirk.
“I’m fine. Probably ate too much.” Bending at the waist, he flinched, tightening his grip on the chair.
Stepping next to him, Cash prepared to grab his friend’s arm, backing away when Wyatt shook his head.
Cash knew Dirk was cautious and somewhat mistrustful, taking his time to assess people and their motives. “I’d like to show him around Splendor, have one of the doctors check him over. He’ll be staying with me and Allie for a few days.”
Dirk felt his chest tighten. All his instincts told him Wyatt was on the run, either from the law or something else. He preferred to have him close by, judge his interest in Rosemary, and do his best to learn what secrets the man hid.
Clearing his throat, Dirk looked at Wyatt. “If you decide you want the job, come back and talk to me or Bull.” He said nothing more before heading toward the bunkhouse.
“I thought I heard Dirk out here.” Dax stepped outside, looking around, his gaze landing on Dirk’s retreating back. He and Luke had met Wyatt briefly when they’d returned to the ranch before sequestering themselves in the study to go over the new contracts. “Rachel mentioned you’ll be heading into town with Cash.”
Doing his best to straighten, Wyatt nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“No need for formalities. I’d appreciate it if you called me Dax.”
Cash shifted his stance, an indication he was ready to leave. “We’d best get going, Wyatt. I don’t want Allie wondering where I’ve ridden off to.”
Rosemary’s gaze narrowed on Wyatt. “Are you certain you’re all right to ride?”
He controlled the next stab of pain with sheer determination. “Yes, ma’am. I made it this far.” Moving toward the edge of the porch, he looked back at Rosemary and Dax. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Dax held out his hand, careful not to tighten his grip too hard when Wyatt took it. “You’re welcome back here anytime.”
Lifting his hand to touch the brim of his hat, Wyatt nodded at Rosemary. “Ma’am.”
Standing on the edge of the porch, her hand wrapped around a post, she watched as they rode off. She had so many questions whirling in her mind about Wyatt. Something had happened to cause him to ride miles in search of Cash, and she knew it had nothing to do with passing through Splendor on his journey west. He seemed so lost, alone, and unsure of his future, much the same as she did.
“What do you think of him?”
Rosemary had been so lost in her thoughts, she’d forgotten Dax stood next to her. Wrapping her arms around her waist, the corners of her mouth tipped up into a wry grin. “Besides my feeling there’s more to his story than discovering Splendor?”
Dax chuckled. “Yes. Besides that.”
Worrying her lower lip, she stared at Wyatt’s back as he and Cash disappeared down the trail. “He’s hurting. Not so much physically. He’s gone too long without sufficient water and food, but he isn’t injured.”
“I’ve seen it many times in the faces of people who were in the heart of the war. It’s as if they saw too much death and destruction in too short a time to accept it. I remember Cash mentioning him over a year ago when he returned to Splendor after helping a friend in Arkansas. Wyatt had gotten himself mixed up with a gang raiding local farmers. I don’t remember details, other than Cash encouraging him to get out.” Dax crossed his arms, noticing Dirk leaving the bunkhouse. “I’m certain there’s more to learn about Mr. Jackson. Excuse me, Rosemary. I need to talk to Dirk about the horses for the army contract.”
She wanted to speak with Dirk, too. They hadn’t been alone since he kissed her in the barn the night before when he’d made it clear the action had been a mistake.
Knowing she shouldn’t let it happen again, Rosemary still couldn’t push how she felt from her mind. He’d made it clear to everyone he preferred spending his time alone, but that wasn’t what she’d experienced when he held her in his arms. His touch was both desperate and gentle, not at all what she expected. She touched her face, feeling it flush, realizing she wanted more than the one kiss.
Her heart tripped over itself as she watched him speaking with Dax. When he glanced at her, his face clouded over before he looked away. She sensed the same pain in him she’d seen in Wyatt’s eyes, wondering again about Dirk’s past. Maybe he had lost someone dear to him during the war. Many people had lost wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, and parents. Few walked away unscathed from the brutal assaults both sides made on the other. She had her own story. It had less to do with the war and more to do with the necessity to eke out a living on a farm incapable of producing enough food for her family.
Holding a hand over her chest, she squared her shoulders and turned back toward the house. She still had to take supper to the men in the bunkhouse, set the table, and help Rachel and Ginny serve the evening meal. When they were done eating, she vowed to get Dirk alone, ask some of the questio
ns that preyed on her mind.
Just the thought had her gut clenching. Touching a hand to her forehead, she let out an unsteady breath, seeking to relieve her anxiety. If the past were any indication, he’d ignore her questions and excuse himself. All she wanted was a chance to ask.
Dirk wiped his arm across his mouth, leaning back on the bench. He’d chosen to take his meal in the bunkhouse with the men rather than eat inside the house.
When he’d stopped to let Rachel know, Rosemary had been standing a few feet away. Seeing her shoulders slump, her eyes dim, almost had him changing his mind.
Avoiding her hadn’t been easy. After their kiss, he’d wanted nothing more than to stay close to her, not let her out of his sight. The decision to ride with Tat and Mal to see Travis had been spontaneous, a way for him to create distance. He’d regretted the impulse the instant he entered the barn. The ride to and from the old Frey place had been long and tedious, his mind consumed with thoughts of Rosemary.
Standing, he picked up his plate and cup, washing and drying them before grabbing his hat.
“Where you off to, Boss?” The broad smile on Tat’s face, knowing look in his eyes, almost had Dirk shoving past him. The man seemed to understand far too much.
“Not that it’s your business, but I need to speak with Bull.” He looked at the others, waiting for comments, but they’d already lowered their faces.
The door closed behind him as he took unhurried steps to Bull’s house. Seeing no lights, he shifted his direction to the main house, hoping they’d be finished with supper and he could get Bull alone. Opening the door, he stilled at Ginny’s voice.
“Even though it turned out all right, I still don’t think it was right for you to just walk outside when Ellis and Joe were sending Wyatt away.”
Dirk’s back stiffened at her words. Taking another step inside, he kept himself hidden in the entry.
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