by Robin Deeter
Rob’s eyes rounded and he tipped up his tan cowboy hat a little. “You advertised for a mail order bride? I didn’t know you were lookin’ to get married. What’s wrong with the girls around here?”
“None of them would marry a Comanche and I need a woman who can run the ranch,” Cy said, enjoying Rob’s surprised reaction.
“A woman to run the ranch? Now I’ve heard it all,” Rob said, shaking his head a little.
“That’s right. I can’t afford a ranch foreman, so I figure that I’ll save a bunch of money if I marry one,” Cy said. “There’s gotta be a woman out there who knows her way around cattle and ranching.”
Rob let out a snort, which quickly turned into a full belly laugh. Wiping away tears of mirth, he said, “You never did think like other people, and I can see that you still don’t. That’s the strangest way of getting a ranch foreman I’ve ever heard. What if she’s ugly? You still gonna marry her?”
Cy had thought about that, but it was a business arrangement, so he didn’t attach dreams of finding a great love match to the situation. He’d had that once and that dream had gone up in flames.
“Yep. I don’t care what she looks like as long as she can run a ranch. I was clear in my letter that this was just business. If we’re attracted to each other, that’d be great, but if not …” He gave a shrug of indifference. “So what did you tell Mr. Tandy?”
“The truth. I told him that you’re a pain in my backside because you won’t come work for me. I told him you’re a top notch investigator and a good man.”
“Thanks for the recommendation. Much appreciate it,” Cy said. “Well, I got a barn to fix.”
Rob ignored his dismissal. “Don’t you want to know about the investigation?”
“Nope.”
Cy hammered a nail home, but Rob didn’t leave. Eyeing the sheriff, Cy knew that he wasn’t getting rid of him until he asked.
“Fine! How’s the investigation going?”
“We solved it. Turns out that the woman was cheating on her husband. He got drunk one night and, well, you saw what happened. Ellie sweet-talked one of his buddies into spilling the beans,” Rob said.
Cy grinned. “Way to go, Ellie.”
“Yeah. I’m proud of her. The story was in the paper,” Rob said.
“I don’t read the newspaper anymore. Too much bad news in it,” Cy said.
“Mmm hmm. Well, if you had read it, you’d also know the other reason I’m here.”
Cy’s shoulders sagged and he groaned in dismay. “I don’t want to know.”
“Someone robbed the Stratton Bank late yesterday,” Rob said.
Shock zinged up Cy’s spine. “That’s our bank.”
Rob’s gaze turned kind. “Yeah, I know. You better get in there to get whatever money you can for now before there’s a run on it.”
Cy swore and pounded his fist against the board he’d just hammered into place. “I don’t believe this! How much did they take?”
“Fifty thousand.”
More cussing followed Rob’s response. He waited until Cy quieted. “I know a way you can make some pretty good money.”
Cy narrowed his eyes at Rob, who wore a smug expression. Anger churned in his gut at the thought of becoming an investigator again. He didn’t think it was too much to ask to be able to live a quiet life as a rancher, but apparently Fate had other ideas—and a nasty sense of humor.
Thinking about the amount of money Rob had offered him before, Cy saw a way to get his hands on enough funds to keep them afloat since their slightly inferior cattle hadn’t brought a high price. But if he accepted the position, he’d be stuck in a life that would constantly remind him of a past that tormented him. If he didn’t take the job, they’d starve and lose the farm. Cy was trapped, and his wily old friend and mentor knew it.
Cy’s face hardened. “Up the pay ten percent and I’ll take the job. But I’m not gonna put up with crap from Brock or anyone else. I investigate the way I see fit and the dogs work with me. I don’t want to be a special investigator, though. Detective will do just fine.”
Rob kept his elation from his expression, nodding as calmly as if they’d been discussing the weather. “All right. Done.”
Cy’s scowl deepened as frustration constricted his chest. “I’ll be along.”
This time when Cy went back to work, Rob left, knowing it was best to leave Cy be if he didn’t want him to change his mind.
Chapter 4
That same day in Beckham, Elizabeth heard boots on the hardwood floor of their foyer after Bernard had let in their caller. She looked up from her work as Leigh Hawthorne strode purposefully into her office and slapped a letter down on Elizabeth’s desk.
“I’ll take him,” Leigh said. “That’s my reply. I’ll leave first thing on Monday.”
Bernard had followed Leigh into the office, a look of consternation on his face. He would’ve preferred to have announced Leigh, but Leigh defied social convention at every turn. She wasn’t known for her good manners, either.
Elizabeth blinked a couple of times. “Oh, I see. You’re talking about Mr. Decker?”
“That’s right,” Leigh said. “I’m ready to get out from under my father-in-law’s thumb and go do what I was born to do.”
When she’d received Cy’s letter, Elizabeth had thought of Leigh immediately. The widow had a fiery personality and extensive experience in running a large cattle farm. Elizabeth was aware of Leigh’s contentious relationship with her father-in-law, and she’d felt that Cy’s offer might be to Leigh’s liking.
“Are you sure that it doesn’t bother you that he’s part Comanche?” Elizabeth asked.
Leigh shrugged. “What do I care? Indians haven’t ever done anything to me.” She grinned. “Besides, some of those Indian fellas are pretty good lookin’. Not that I’m looking for that, but it can’t hurt if your man’s nice to look at.”
It always amazed Elizabeth how Leigh could be serious one moment and then joke around the next. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Bernard, who stood in the office doorway. “No, it certainly doesn’t hurt.”
Leigh tossed a smile back at Bernard, who rolled his eyes and left.
“I guess I chased him away,” Leigh said, her green eyes shining.
Elizabeth chuckled. “I guess so. Here’s the check Mr. Decker sent to cover your travel costs.”
Leigh took it, folded it, and stuck it in her bib overalls pocket.
“Congratulations, Leigh. Please let me know when you arrive and how things go,” Elizabeth said.
Leigh brushed a strand of her honey-brown hair out of her eyes. “Sure thing.” She held out a hand to Elizabeth. “Thanks for everything.”
Wincing a little at Leigh’s firm grip, Elizabeth smiled. “You’re welcome. Good luck.”
Leigh released her hand, nodded, and went on her way.
* * *
Back in Chance City, Cy walked into the sheriff’s department with his three adult dogs in tow. Looking around the large space, Cy felt like he’d been thrust into prison for a crime he didn’t commit. That trapped feeling washed over him and his lungs refused to expand for a moment. Then Ellie rose from her desk, coming to greet him, and he was able to breathe again.
“Hi, Cy. Glad to have you aboard,” she said, holding out a hand to him.
Ellie’s enthusiasm and good nature coaxed a smile from Cy. “Hi, Ellie. It’s good to see you, but I’m not happy to be here.”
“That’s okay. You will be.” She gave him a wink. “The boss is out at the moment, but he said that I’m supposed to show you around.”
Brock came out of a small kitchen at the back of the room. “If he’s half as smart as Rob thinks he is, I think he can find his way around, Ellie.”
Cy didn’t react to Brock’s brusque tone. Instead, he whistled to his dogs and headed for the kitchen. Ellie followed him.
“Where are you going?” she asked. “You’re not leaving, are you? Don’t worry about Brock. He’ll get used to h
aving you around.”
Cy’s lips twitched in amusement. She reminded him of an energetic Jack Russell terrier, eager to make friends and please her master. “I’m not worried about him. I’m just heading to my new office.”
Ellie’s brows drew down as she followed him through the kitchen and out the back door that led to a fenced in area. “Your office? There’s no office out here.”
Cy gave the dogs a hand signal that gave them permission to roam. They trotted away, sniffing as they went. A shed sat off to the right side of the building. Cy headed for it and opened the door. A couple of shovels and rakes leaned against one wall while a few barrels lined the left wall. The floor needed swept and the cobwebs in the corners at the ceiling had to be cleared away, but those things were easily remedied.
Cy’s critical glance moved around the shed interior, and he decided that there would be enough room for a desk, small camping stove, and a bookcase or two. It suited his needs perfectly.
Ellie looked between him and the shed. “What are you going to do?”
“Clean it up. It’s my new office,” Cy replied. “Where are the cleaning supplies?”
He turned around and ran right into Ellie because she was standing so close. “Sorry,” he said, steadying her.
“That’s all right,” she said. “Did Rob say you could do that? I mean, I thought you’d be in there with us.”
Again she followed Cy much like a dog as he went back inside. “No, but I don’t think he’ll care. I don’t really care if he does. I don’t want to spend my days sitting in here being glared at by Brock. Besides, I think better when I’m alone.”
Brock sat at his desk, going over some sort of paperwork. Cy practically felt the animosity rolling off the deputy. Ignoring Brock, Cy said, “Show me where the cleaning stuff is please, Ellie.”
“It’s right here in this closet,” she said, opening the door.
“Thanks.”
He grabbed what he needed and headed outdoors.
When Ellie would have followed, he said, “Ellie, I can handle this. Go on back to work. I don’t want you to get in trouble because you let something go to help me.”
Ellie responded to his kind smile with one of her own. “Okay, but if you need anything, just let me know.”
“Will do.”
When she’d gone, Cy went to work. The sweeping and cleaning helped settle his nerves a little. Once he was done with that, he’d get down to work on the bank robbery. He’d do his preliminary interviews with the bank employees and see whatever evidence Brock had found when he’d done his own sweep.
He sighed, not looking forward to interacting with Brock. He saw a lot of arguments between them in the future. It was his main reason for claiming the shed for his office. The less time he and Brock had to spend together, the better. He had no fear of the deputy, he just didn’t want the hassle of dealing with Brock’s attitude. It would distract him while he worked on investigations.
Finished, he stood back to survey his handiwork. The place was plain, but he didn’t care. It was clean. Now he had to see about a stove and the other things he needed. He’d just closed the shed door when Rob came outside. The dogs ran to greet him and he pet them.
“Ellie said you’re gonna use that as an office,” he said, picking up Pudge, who gave him sloppy kisses.
Cy arched an eyebrow. “That’s right. Got a problem with that?”
Rob hid his amusement over his challenging tone. “Not a one. Pick up what you need for it, and the department will reimburse you.”
“Okay. I’m gonna talk to Brock about the robbery and then go do interviews,” Cy said.
Rob hated the tension between the two men, and he hated that he’d had to pressure Cy into taking the job, but he felt it would be better for all concerned. Chance City could use someone like Cy and the younger man would be happier doing what God had made him for: solving crimes.
“I told all of my staff they better cooperate with you or else,” Rob said. “Brock might not be real nice, but he’ll behave. You do the same, understand?”
“Yeah.” Cy nodded curtly. “I’ll get started.”
“Okay. Keep me updated,” Rob said as they went inside.
The dogs trailed after them, following Cy as he walked over to Brock’s desk and sat down in the chair by it. At a hand signal from Cy, the dogs sat down. Pudge pawed Brock’s leg and whined as he gazed at Cy.
“What’s he want?” Brock asked.
Cy smiled. “Up on your lap. Is it okay?”
Brock grinned. “Yeah.”
“Go ahead,” Cy said in Comanche.
Pudge nimbly jumped onto Brock’s lap, panting happily as Brock scratched his ears and fussed over him. Slink, who lived up to his name, crept over to Brock and worked his head under one of Brock’s arms. Brock was happy to oblige, petting the Greyhound, too. Burt was occupied with Ellie for the moment.
“So what did you find out about the robbery so far?” Cy asked after a few moments.
Brock reached around Pudge and picked up a tablet, which he handed to Cy. “They said that they couldn’t be sure if it was an inside job or not. I talked to all of the employees and they seemed on the up and up, but I’m not a big time investigator like you, so I might have missed something.”
Brock’s sarcasm set Cy’s teeth on edge. “Ok. You’re a good judge of character except where I’m concerned, and I’m sure you were thorough.”
Fire lit in Brock’s blue eyes, but Rob came out of his office, preventing him from responding. Burt trotted after the sheriff, trying to sniff his pant legs. Rob tried to shoo him away, but Burt was insistent.
Cy smiled. “He smells Tubby on you.”
Rob smiled at the mention of his fat little mutt. “Yeah, she’s in heat again. I’ve been keeping her penned up, though. We don’t need any more puppies.”
“Ah. No wonder Burt’s all over you,” Cy said. He snapped his fingers, and Burt instantly stopped his bad behavior.
Rob said, “I wish I could get Tubby to behave like that.”
“You can,” Cy said. “It just takes patience and consistency.” Giving Ellie a wink, he said, “It works on women, too.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “Maybe on other women, but not me. You ever snap at me like that and I’ll punch you right in the kisser.”
“Duly noted,” Cy said.
He fell silent as he read Brock’s report, committing it to memory, before giving the tablet back to Brock. Getting up, he said, “I’ll be back after a bit. Is it okay to leave Burt and Slink here?”
Brock said, “Sure. The only thing good about you working here is that you’ll bring them.”
Rob’s lips thinned in disapproval, but Cy ignored the jab. He told the two bigger dogs to stay, but called Pudge, who hopped down from Brock’s lap and followed Cy out the door.
* * *
The night before she was to leave, Leigh walked through the barn, patting the horses and saying goodbye to them. Anxiety gnawed at her, but she felt that her decision to head west to marry Cy was a wise one. She’d liked his no-nonsense letter.
The cut-and-dried situation suited her perfectly after she’d dealt with so much drama over the past three years since her husband, Walt, had passed away. Pete, her father-in-law, got as much work out of her as possible without giving her any credit for the job she’d done in keeping the farm going.
She’d only stayed out of stubbornness and because there was nothing else at which she was skilled besides farm work. Sure she could do housework, but it wasn’t where her talents laid. Herding, milking, and fixing fences were just a few of the ranching tasks she enjoyed. Everything she did was one more step towards improving their business.
“And now, the old buzzard is gonna find out just how much work I do around here,” she said to her horse, Cutter, a chestnut stallion.
The horse bumped his head against her and she stroked his neck. She’d ride him into town in the morning and load him on the train. There was no way she
was leaving behind her prized Quarter horse, whom she’d paid for with her own money.
“I can’t believe you’re really leavin’.”
Leigh turned to face, Stan Finch, their foreman with a sad smile. “I’m sorry it’s gotta be this way, Stan.”
Coming over to her, Stan said, “Me, too. Pete’s the stupidest jackass I’ve ever seen for the way he’s treated you and for lettin’ you get away.”
Leigh looked into the middle-aged man’s dark eyes. “Thanks. It’s gonna be hard, but this is a good chance to start fresh.”
“But marryin’ some stranger?”
“Mr. Tandy investigated him thoroughly. After he talked to the sheriff in Chance City, he didn’t see any reason to go out there since the fella works for him now. If Bernard says he’s a good man, then I believe him.”
Stan nodded. He, too, had a healthy respect for Bernard’s investigative skills. “I know. I can’t help worrying, though.”
Leigh fought the lump in her throat. Her folks lived in South Carolina, and she hadn’t seen them for several years. Stan had been like a father to her, trying to protect her from Pete as much as possible. Of course, Leigh didn’t need much protecting, but Stan couldn’t fight the instinct to deflect Pete’s anger away from her.
“I appreciate it. I’ll be all right.”
Stan smiled a little. “Feel like playing some cards? Last time I’ll be able to beat you.”
Tears stung Leigh’s eyes because she knew that she’d never see Stan again. “We’ll see about that,” she said, her voice a little thick with restrained emotion. “Let’s go.”
A few hours later, she left Stan’s bunkhouse where she, Stan, and a couple of the other farm hands had played poker. She was relieved that the house was dark because it meant that Pete was in bed. Therefore, she wouldn’t have to see him. She also planned to leave the ranch before he was up.