A Temporary Family

by Sherri Shackelford

  Nolan’s suppressed fury sparked to life once more. She was frightened, but putting on a brave face. He didn’t know how anyone could think she was plain. She had thick lashes over her bluebell eyes, and an expressive sweep to her brows. Her wardrobe wasn’t inspired, but she was traveling, after all. Nothing unusual in that.

  Her gaze flicked between him and the mule skinner, and Nolan set his jaw, giving only a slight shake of his head. Relief flitted across her face. The girls had been directed to stay away from the house while the stagecoach came through town. They hadn’t blinked at the terse order. The girls appeared well conditioned to stay out from under foot. Another piece of information that led him to believe Tilly’s sister might not be as perfect as Tilly suspected.

  Aware that Snyder was ten feet away in the bedroom, listening to their every word, Nolan carefully considered his explanation. “Tilly will take care of your lunch today.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

  Nolan strategically dropped a pan during the driver’s reply. Snyder would assume they knew each other already. They’d practiced a few responses if the driver’s conversation turned personal. Since Rintoon often regaled Nolan with tales of his past exploits, their plan was to keep the mule skinner busy telling his tall tales.

  Nolan ladled himself a long draw of water, then swiped at his chin with his wrist. “Tilly has never heard the story about the time you wrestled that alligator in the everglades, Rintoon. She’d enjoy hearing every detail, wouldn’t you, Tilly?”

  “Every detail,” she replied weakly.

  “Don’t disappoint her,” Nolan continued, suppressing a grin. The story grew longer with each retelling. “Especially the part when your partner nearly got his leg bit off—”

  “Hold your tongue,” the mule skinner interrupted with a wide grin. “Don’t tell her all the best parts of the story afore I get to them.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Though he was reluctant to leave Tilly alone, Nolan had to search the stagecoach for the benefit of Dakota Red. He doubted the outlaws would follow his logic about the unlikelihood of a gold shipment on such a poorly guarded route.

  “I saw a loose spoke,” Nolan said. “I’ll tighten that for you.”

  “No need to work alone,” Rintoon said. “I’ll help when I finish here.”

  “It’s no bother. I’ve got extra time, and I know Tilly is looking forward to your story.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  Nolan shot Tilly and encouraging smile on his way outside. Charlie whistled softly. The outlaw had perched in a tree, and wasn’t bothering to conceal himself. Nolan slashed his hand across his throat, and Charlie sank back into the shadows. The outlaws’ plan of escaping unnoticed was forfeit if they gave themselves away before they stole the gold.

  Dark clouds had gathered, blotting out the sun. The wind blew in fits and starts, bending the tops of the cottonwood trees. The rumble of thunder drifted from the west. Nolan picked up his pace. They didn’t have much time before the storm broke loose.

  With Dakota Red hiding in the livery, Nolan made a point of searching every inch of the stagecoach. Much as he’d suspected, there was no sign of the gold. He gave a signal to Dakota Red, and made his way toward the relay station.

  Tugging his gauntleted gloves over his wrists, Rintoon met him halfway. As they passed behind the stagecoach, out of sight of Dakota Red and Charlie, Nolan slipped his hand in his pocket and palmed the note he’d written, then held out his hand. Rintoon gave his arm a quick pump and slapped Nolan on the opposite shoulder.

  The note flitted gently to the ground. Nolan froze. Though he’d written his plea in thinly veiled code, referencing bits of the stories Rintoon had told over the years, he didn’t want the outlaws finding the note before the driver.

  Rintoon stooped and retrieved the folded paper. “This yours?”

  “No, uh, you must have dropped it.”

  The driver stretched out the arm holding the paper and squinted. “Some of the mail musta gotten loose. It sure ain’t mine. I don’t read.”

  Nolan blanched. “You don’t read?”

  “Funny, ain’t it?” Rintoon grinned, revealing a gap where his eyetooth had once been. “I deliver thousands of letters each year, and I can barely read my own name.”

  He stuffed the folded piece of paper in his pocket.

  Nolan’s stomach knotted. His clever plan wasn’t quite so clever after all. If someone else read the message, they’d have no idea of the deeper meaning.

  Only Rintoon could decipher the code. “Don’t let me keep you.”

  Matching the driver’s relaxed grin, Nolan circled around the stagecoach. If he delayed any longer, he’d only incite Dakota Red’s curiosity. His plan was dead in the water anyway. He’d have to regroup, and decide how to alert Bill when he came back through on the stagecoach returning to Virginia City.

  Rintoon took his seat once more, and gathered the reins in his gloved hand. “You all right, West? Seems like something is bothering you.”

  Hesitating, Nolan fought against the temptation. He could signal the man, but Dakota Red was an ever-present danger. Nolan risked Rintoon’s life, as well as the lives of Tilly and the girls. Rintoon was the oldest driver on the trail. They were outnumbered and outgunned. He’d take the chance on himself, but he couldn’t risk having the older man getting caught in the cross fire.

  “Not used to having company, is all,” Nolan said. “You know how it is.”

  “Can’t say that I do.” The stagecoach driver propped his elbows on his bent knees, the reins slack. “You oughta get outta here once in a while. It ain’t natural for a fellow to live all by his lonesome.”

  “I do all right.”

  “Suit yourself. But if you ever find yourself down around Omaha, I’ve got a spread on the outskirts of town. Come on by for a visit.”

  “Will do.”

  “I doubt you will. I’ve seen your kind before. Once a fellow stays away from folks too long, he can’t go back. Mark my words, if another fellow moves within a mile of you, you’ll pack and head farther west.” He gestured toward the relay station. “That little lady is real nice.”

  “She sure is.”

  “A lady like that needs to be near people. She needs to live near a town, where she can visit with other ladies. I’ve seen women go loco out here. The wind and the loneliness drives ’em crazy.”

  Nolan sobered. “She’s going to New York City. She wants to help the war widows and orphans.”

  “That’s good. A lady like that deserves more than what this sort of life can offer. I know. I’m speaking from experience.”

  “I understand what you’re saying. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  Rintoon gathered his reins. “I’m not worried.”

  Nolan glanced behind him. This was his last chance. “Don’t forget—”

  Except Rintoon had already released the brake and fixed his attention on the horizon. There was a schedule to keep, and a good driver never lost sight of the time. Mud splattered from beneath the wheels and the carriage rumbled by.

  Nolan’s stomach clenched. This chance was gone. He’d try again with the next driver. If they lived that long.

  At least for today, the worst of the danger had passed.

  “Mr. West,” a small, panicked voice called. “Mr. West, come quick. We need your help.”

  Nolan caught sight of Victoria dashing toward him, her braids flowing behind her.

  “What is it?” He searched her for signs of injury. “What’s happened? Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine. It’s Caroline. We can’t find her. She’s lost.”

  * * *

  Tilly paced before Elizabeth and Victoria. “How long has Caroline been missing?”

  “We were explo
ring the town.” Victoria wrung her hands. “We were staying away from the relay station, just like you asked.”

  Nolan flashed his palm. “With limits, of course. I don’t know which buildings are safe.”

  “No limits.” Victoria shrugged. “Aunt Tilly didn’t say anything about limits.”

  Tilly pinched the bridge of her nose. “Obviously we need to discuss a few rules for the next time you three explore the town. Right now, designating blame isn’t helping us find Caroline. When was the last time you saw her?”

  “I hungie.” Elizabeth pouted. “Boo-berries.”

  “No boo-berries.” Tilly pinched harder, she was losing her mind and adopting Elizabeth’s speech patterns in the process. “No blackberries until we find Caroline.”

  The toddler’s lower lip trembled.

  “Don’t worry.” Tilly patted Elizabeth’s head. Surely Caroline hadn’t gone far. There wasn’t much of the town, which meant there weren’t many places to get lost. “We’ll find her. She couldn’t have gone far.”

  Drawn by the commotion, Dakota Red sidled over. “What’s going on over here?”

  Tilly and Nolan exchanged a glance. The outlaws were bound to figure out something was wrong sooner rather than later.

  “We’ve lost one of the girls,” Tilly said. “Have you seen her?”

  “Which one?”

  “The one that isn’t either of these two.” Tilly rubbed her eyes with her knuckles. “Who did you think?”

  The outlaw scowled. “Don’t get lippy with me, missy. I ain’t seen her.”

  His derisive tone only intensified her annoyance. She was tired, hungry and sick of being afraid all the time. “Then I suggest you gather your men and help us look.”

  Nolan touched her sleeve, and she was immediately contrite. If she didn’t control her emotions, she’d get them all killed.

  The outlaw rested his hand on his gun belt. “You better find her quick. Me and the boys are fixing to eat.”

  “I, ah, I can’t prepare lunch until she’s found.”

  Tilly needed to appease the men, not antagonize them. When this was all said and done and they were caught, and surely they’d be caught, she hoped they’d have to spend years in a jail cell.

  “That ain’t how this works, lady.” Dakota Red clicked his tongue. “You find the kid, or give up the search and fix supper. I’m not a nursemaid. I didn’t lose her, you did.”

  Wonderful. Even the outlaws were critiquing her guardianship. She might as well leave for New York the minute she was free. There was no way Eleanor was ever going to let her see the girls again.

  Tilly lifted her nose. “There’s no need to point fingers.”

  “Caroline can’t have gone far.” Though still light out, Nolan lit the lantern he’d retrieved from the relay station. “If the three of you were exploring the town when she got lost, that’s where we’ll start. Tilly, Elizabeth and Victoria can search the buildings on the north side of the street, I’ll search the south side of the street. Holler if you find something.”

  Tilly gave a curt nod. His calm, efficient attitude kept her focused. There was no point in panicking. They’d find Caroline. At least Eleanor wasn’t here to voice her disappointment. She’d immediately bring up the dog Tilly had lost when she was ten after leaving the gate open. That was the last dog the Hargreaves family had owned.

  This was far graver than losing the family dog. Tilly flinched. She’d lost her niece.

  She motioned for Victoria. “The sooner we start, the sooner we’ll find Caroline.”

  “Don’t worry,” Nolan said. “We’ll find your niece. She probably doesn’t even know she’s lost.”

  His kindness had her eyes burning. “Thank you.”

  If he knew her history with family pets, he might not be as optimistic.

  Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Nolan’s leg. He gently extracted himself and took her pudgy hand. “I’ll take Elizabeth, and you take Victoria.”

  “Isbeth go with No-wan.”

  The toddler had taken a shine to the stagecoach man. Though Tilly couldn’t help her twinge of jealousy, Elizabeth’s preference wasn’t entirely unexpected. He had provided a nearly endless supply of blackberries.

  Before Tilly turned away, Nolan cupped the back of her head and pressed a quick kiss against her temple. “She’ll be fine.”

  The gesture was so quick, she might have imagined it. Aware that Victoria and Elizabeth were staring curiously at her, she cleared her throat and crossed the street. The heels of her boots sank in the soft soil, and she caught the sound of rushing water. Had the Niobrara ever flooded? They’d crossed a couple miles upstream, and she’d kept her eyes shut tight during the whole journey.

  The ferryman kept grumbling that he’d never seen the river this high. The trip had taken the combined efforts of the ferryman, the driver and the outrider to control the float against the rushing tide.

  The town hadn’t been around long enough to show signs of past breaches in the natural levies between here and the river. The Missouri River near Omaha had flooded often enough, and the result was devastating. At least there were no watermarks on the abandoned buildings—a good sign.

  She shook off the disquieting thought. They’d had enough misfortune already.

  Since the mother raccoon was still nesting, she decided to check the hotel first. She’d seen Caroline sneaking scraps out of the kitchen, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out where she was taking them.

  The empty restaurant was oddly ghoulish. A drinking glass and an empty bottle, both covered in a layer of dust, had been inexplicably abandoned on the floor. A smoky mirror set in an elaborately carved frame hung over an empty space that might have once held a buffet. Round tables and overturned chairs were scattered throughout the space.

  The empty room gave her the same icy chill as the rest of the hotel—as though all the residents had simply vanished. Surely there was some sort of organized effort in closing down a business? Yet the town exodus appeared haphazard and chaotic. Leaving everything behind was a far messier business than she’d imagined.

  Victoria wrote her name in the dust covering a tabletop, then giggled. “This place would make Mama crazy. She dusts twice a week.”

  “She and Mr. West would get along like a house on fire.”

  Tilly peered into the kitchen. The raccoon remained safely ensconced in the stove. Fish bones carpeted the floor near the opening. The raccoon was obviously supplementing her diet from the nearby river. At the scuttle of claws against iron, she and Victoria scooted through the door that led to the barbershop. This building had been gutted. Save for the sign out front, there was no indication that the bay had ever housed a barbershop.

  Stepping outside once more, she considered the next storefront. The sign read Pyrite Trading Company. She pushed open the door and grimaced.

  “You had better wait here, Victoria,” Tilly said. “This building doesn’t look safe.”

  In the last building on the row, a tree had fallen through the roof. Months of water and snow damage had left the inside a shambles. Light showed through the enormous holes in the roof, and debris littered the rotted floorboards.

  “Caroline,” Tilly called. “Are you in here, Caroline?”

  She hesitated on the threshold. There was too much debris to see clearly. What if Caroline had fallen behind one of the overturned shelves? Or worse.

  Tilly tugged her lower lip between her teeth and carefully tested a floorboard with her toe. The wood creaked and groaned, but held firm. Feeling more confident, she stepped into the dimly lit space. Overturned, empty shelving blocked her path.

  “Caroline!” she called. “Say something if you’re in here, Caroline.”

  A thump sounded, and Tilly jumped. Her heart pounding, she skirted around a pile of overgrown
brush inside and peered deeper into the dimly lit interior of the building.

  She took a few more cautious steps, assessing the floorboards with her toe before planting her weight. “Is that you?”

  Something fluttered, and she sucked in a sharp, frightened breath. The next instant the floor gave way beneath her feet.

  Chapter Seven

  Tilly’s stomach dropped and her body plummeted. Feathers beat against her face, and a bird cawed. She shrieked and flailed her arms, catching herself on the jagged floorboards. With her shoulders and arms clutching the edge of the break, her legs dangled beneath her. As Tilly clawed for purchase, the frightened bird escaped through a hole in the roof.

  Victoria peered through the open door. “Are you all right, Aunt Tilly?”

  “Fetch Mr. West,” Tilly shouted. “Quickly.”

  She strained her head, seeking a better glimpse of the gaping hole beneath her. If she lost her grip, how far did she have to fall? Her fingers slipped, and she focused on holding herself aloft. She’d rather not find out the hard way.

  Screeching and cawing, the displaced bird danced along the edge of the hole in the roof above her.

  Tilly grimaced. “I’m the one who should be angry. If you hadn’t made a bunch of noise, I never would have investigated this part of the building. This is all your fault, really.”

  The bird quieted, pecking its beak a few times before flying away.

  Moments later, Nolan appeared in the doorway, a dark shape against the sunlight streaming through the open door.

  “Don’t come any closer,” Tilly ordered. “The floor won’t hold us both.”

  Nolan paused. “Hang on.”

  “That was my plan.”

  Victoria appeared behind him. “Will Tilly be all right? What about Caroline?”

  “Elizabeth, stay back,” Nolan ordered. “Victoria, will you fetch me another lantern from the livery? We’ll finish searching for Caroline after we help your aunt Tilly.”

  Tilly moved her hands for a better grip. Though her instincts urged her to flail her legs, she found if she kept still, her arms weren’t quite as strained. Nolan stretched out on the floor and crawled deeper into the building. The rotted boards groaned beneath his weight.