Justin gritted his teeth and tightened his legs against the stallion’s sides. The big horse hadn’t started breathing heavily yet and seemed anxious to move. He’d not hold him in this time. The rocks and brush flew past as the horse lengthened his magnificent stride and settled into a steady run. Justin leaned forward over his neck and ran a hand under the length of his mane. “Come on, boy, you’re racing for Toby and Alex. Keep it up; we’ll be there soon.” Seconds turned into minutes and Justin trained his thoughts on the coming confrontation, continuing to pray for protection.
Lights glinted through the heavy trees and he reined Durango back to a walk then drew to a halt when he neared the edge of cover.
A pressing desire to launch himself through Foster’s front door drove him forward. He reached the final row of mixed pine and cedar and stopped, breathing deep. What would he accomplish if he kicked in the door? Judging from what Frank had overheard Davis saying, his boss was ruthless and not above putting a bullet in his enemy’s back. Justin didn’t lack confidence in his ability to face a man with a gun, but the odds of coming out unscathed in the dark—and against several armed men—weren’t good.
No. Better grit his teeth and wait for backup. No sense in getting killed and leaving Toby an orphan. Or worse yet, leaving Toby at the mercy of the murderous thief who claimed to be his father. He’d expect Foster to have a guard posted outside the trees. He swung off his mount and looped the reins around a low-hanging branch back in the shadows.
Silence settled in a deep hush over Justin’s hiding place, igniting his memories. All these years he’d built a wall around his heart because Molly had betrayed him. He’d judged all women alike and determined he’d not trust any. Alexia had broken through his rigid barrier. Her forthright personality had drawn him from the first, as had her beauty, but he’d learned from experience that those could be false. Her work ethic rivaled that of most hardworking men, and her love for her family equaled any he’d known. But the crowning point came when he saw her surrender to the Lord and her affection for his son. The patience and kindness woven through her actions drew him like a bee to a newly opened flower.
Her voice, her smile, her intelligence—all the things he’d come to appreciate over the past few weeks—had woven themselves into the fabric of his being, fostering an intense love and a deep longing. Losing her wasn’t an option.
Nor was losing Toby. A fierce protectiveness lashed at him, and he nearly bolted out of the trees to rush the cabin. He couldn’t lose his son. He sat back down with a groan, knowing he had to wait for help. Memories of Toby as a baby flew through his mind—his first smile, his first steps, the first time the little tyke said “Papa.” Toby had made up for all the love he’d wanted and hadn’t received from Molly.
If Sheriff Ramsey didn’t arrive in the next few minutes, he’d go in alone. Frustration at the delay pushed him to his feet.
Soft hoofbeats sounded behind him, and Justin spun around to face them.
“Phillips? That you?” Sheriff Ramsey’s voice whispered a few yards away.
Justin heaved a sigh of relief. He kept his voice low and walked away from the light. “Yeah. Get off and tie your horse. We’re close to the house.”
“I left Frank at the jail to watch over Davis. Don’t want him gettin’ away. Had a time corralin’ him, or I’d a’been here sooner.”
“Good. Wasn’t sure but what he’d give you the slip. You get any information?”
Ramsey looped his reins around a broken stump and tied a slipknot, giving it one final pull. “Sure did. Told him he could avoid hangin’ by spillin’ his guts. Faced with turning in his boss or stretching his neck, he chose the former. He admitted to cutting Alex’s fence at Foster’s orders and helpin’ to steal her horses. Said Foster helped with the first theft then backtracked and met Alex out on the range to throw suspicion off himself. Carter Foster’s our man, all right. Goes by several names, one of them Dick Sanders.”
Justin nodded and tipped his hat back on his head. “That’s what Christy told me. I’ve wondered about Davis ever since I met him.” He scratched his chin and looked the sheriff in the eye. “Think I know why he seemed so familiar to me.”
“You meet him sometime?”
“For a while after Toby was born, a stranger hung around town. Seemed to be watching our house, but I never could be sure. Now that I think about it, it was Davis. Must’a been spying on Molly and me for Foster. Any idea what Foster’s angle might be, grabbing Toby?”
“Not sure, but Davis claims Foster’s after the gold Ben found. Figured he’d marry Alex to get it. Guess when she turned him down, he decided to force her hand by takin’ your boy.”
“Does Davis know if his story about being Toby’s father is true?”
The sheriff wagged his head and frowned. “He didn’t know for sure but says Foster bragged about Molly a couple of years ago. Says Foster spent a night in Molly’s room at the saloon, ’bout the right time of year to be Toby’s pa—so I’m guessin’ it could be.”
Justin drew a deep breath and let it out with a grunt. “Doesn’t matter. He’s my son. Molly gave him my last name and left him in my care.”
“I agree. The law’ll see it that way, too. Far as I’m concerned, this is a case of kidnappin’, pure and simple.”
“What now?”
Ramsey slipped his rifle out of its sheath. “We call Foster out and see if he’ll give up the boy. Where’s Alex?”
“She promised Christy she’d wait for help. I figured she headed back toward town when no one showed up. You see her?”
“No. You don’t think she came here alone?”
Justin felt a trickle of fear run down his spine, and his heart rate sped up. “If so, where is she now?” He shook his head. “I haven’t searched the area, but surely she’d have seen me along the trail, assuming she didn’t get this close to the house.”
Ramsey swung his rifle under his arm and jerked his head toward the dim lights glinting through the trees. “Come on, let’s find out.”
Justin loosened the gun he’d slipped behind his belt and nodded. “I’m right beside you.”
Chapter Thirty-four
Justin stopped on the edge of the timber and waited for the sheriff’s next move. He didn’t want to believe that Alexia might have stumbled into a trap. The girl had too much courage at times. He could only pray it hadn’t landed her in a dangerous situation.
No sounds emanated from the cabin—no cries from Toby or raucous laughter from ranch hands that might be typical on a normal night.
The sheriff leaned his rifle butt on the ground and straightened. “Sure wish we had some light, but I don’t want to strike a match. No help for it. Guess we’d best let ’em know we’re here.” He drew a deep breath and let loose with a bellow. “Ho, the house. This is Sheriff Ramsey. You in there, Foster?”
The light winked out and nothing moved, but the rising moon cast a glow over the front of the house.
The sheriff hollered a second time. “Step on out the door and show yourself.”
The hinges on the front door squealed as it swung open and a tall figure stepped out. He reached back inside and drew out a shorter figure. Justin caught his breath. Alex stood straight and tall, her chin lifted and arms by her sides.
“I’m here, Sheriff. What do you mean by coming here this late at night?”
“You got Justin Phillips’s boy in there.” He leaned forward and peered at the house. “That you, Alex?”
“It’s me, Sheriff.”
“You all right? Is Toby inside?”
Carter’s voice cut across her first word and his hand grasped her arm. “She’s fine and so’s my son. Alexia has agreed to marry me and care for the boy. You’ve no call to worry. Everything is under control.”
Justin took a step forward. “Toby is my son, Foster. Bring him out. Now.”
“He’s asleep. You can come say your good-byes tomorrow.”
“Like—” He bit his tongue and stopped.
Forgive me, Lord, and help me, please. “Alex? Did you agree to marry this man?”
Carter put his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. “You have my word that she did, Phillips. Now get off my property.” He took a step backward and drew Alex with him, reaching for the door.
Justin started forward, but Sheriff Ramsey laid a restraining hand on his arm. “Wait.” The sheriff raised his voice. “Carter. Talk to me. Tell me what you want, and let me try to help.”
“I want the lot of you off my ranch. Go back to town and don’t come back. Me, Alexia, and my kid are riding out of here and heading to Auburn. We’ll get married there.”
“Tell me why you want the boy, Foster. I don’t believe Alex wants to marry you, but even if she does, why take Toby away from the only pa he’s ever known?”
Carter emitted a sharp laugh that ended in a snarl. “Molly belonged to me before she married him. I used to visit Molly at the saloon in Auburn whenever I’d travel there. She was different from most dance hall girls. Carried herself with pride. I actually thought twice about marrying her.” He shrugged. “Then Phillips came along and stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. He owned that place on the edge of Auburn. I saw how he’d look at Molly whenever he saw her. She was mine, not his. She didn’t love him, not even when he married her. Then he tried to lure Alexia away from me, just like he did Molly. But he won’t get her—or Toby.”
Justin gripped the sheriff’s arm and spoke close to his ear. “No way is Alex there on her own hook. And I’m not leaving here without my boy. Foster won’t turn him over without a fight.”
The sheriff shifted the rifle to the crook of his arm and directed his voice toward the pair on the porch. “Davis gave you up, Carter. I could see you hang for horse thievin’, but I’ll ask the judge to go easy on you if you turn Alex and Toby loose. Don’t add to your crimes by keepin’ them here against their will.”
Foster uttered an oath and jerked open the door then reached back and dragged Alex forward.
Justin noticed for the first time that she was clad in her customary pants, with riding boots on her small feet. One foot lifted in the air and came down—hard—on Carter’s instep. The man let out a yelp and leaned sideways. Alex shoved and started to run, but Carter’s arm snaked out and grabbed a handful of her hair.
“Get back here, you….” He yanked hard, and again she fell to her knees in front of his legs. “That’ll be about all.” His hand reached inside his vest and the light of the moon reflected off cold steel. The muzzle of a pistol pressed against her temple. “No more games!” he yelled to the men in the brush. “Get off my ranch before I pull the trigger.”
Justin pulled his gun and lunged forward, but Sheriff Ramsey lay hold of his shoulder and dragged him back. “Hold it, son,” he hissed. “Give me a minute.” He raised his voice. “You don’t want to do this, Carter. It’ll get you hung.”
“I’d rather be shot or hung than go to jail. No one is taking my freedom from me. I swear I’ll kill her and the boy if you don’t back off.”
The sheriff drew Justin into the edge of the trees and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I think he means it.”
Justin nodded, raised his gun, and leveled it. “I’m not letting him hurt either of them.”
Ramsey raised his rifle and stared down the barrel. “And I’m not letting your boy grow up knowing that his pa shot the man who claimed to have fathered him. Put your gun up, son.”
Justin’s gun wavered, then dropped. “But I can’t let him—”
“You leave it to me.” The sheriff swung toward the cabin and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Carter, don’t do something stupid. Drop the gun and let them go. I’ll recommend the judge go easy on you if you do.”
The muzzle of Foster’s gun didn’t move but seemed to press harder against Alex’s temple. “I don’t think so. She’s mine, and so is the gold her old man found on his place. He found it on my boundary line. I tried to talk him into mining it together, but he was set on having it all for himself. For her future, he said. Ha. I fixed him. Now her future and the gold belong to me.” He wrapped his fingers around Alex’s hair and gave a yank, tilting her head. “You’ll marry me if you want the boy to stay alive.”
Alex yelped and in the light of the moon, Justin saw her face blanch. “Carter?” Her voice came out in a loud, husky whisper that barely reached the woods but then gained in strength. “You can have the gold. I’ll give you the rights to it if you’ll let me and Toby go.”
“Not likely. You’d turn on me, same as everyone does. I don’t trust you any more than that stupid Grey woman.”
“What does Christy have to do with this?”
“She turned on me, and you’d be no different. No. You’ll marry me in Auburn then sign the mining rights over.” He gripped Alex’s arm and drew her to her feet then yanked her back to the front door. For a second, he released his grip and shifted the gun, fumbling behind him for the doorknob.
Suddenly, Alex fell flat on the ground and rolled, and the sheriff’s gun roared out a blast. Carter Foster dropped to the ground like a felled tree, face down in the dirt, and lay unmoving.
Justin and Sheriff Ramsey ran across the wide clearing toward the house, guns extended, keeping an eye on Carter’s body. They slid to a stop next to him and waited.
Alex pushed to a sitting position and stared then covered her mouth with her hand. “Is he…?”
The sheriff nudged the body with the toe of his boot and picked up the gun that had fallen out of Carter’s grasp. He leaned over and gripped the man’s shirt then rolled him onto his back. “Best you go inside, Alex. This ain’t nothin’ for a lady to see.”
Justin took three long strides to Alex’s side and helped her to stand. He shoved his pistol into his belt and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close. Her shoulders started to shake, and muffled sobs came from the vicinity of his heart. “Shh. It’s okay now, Alex. You’re safe. What about Toby? Where is he?”
Her voice choked, but she forced the words out. “He’s asleep in the house. He’s safe.”
His sigh of relief came out close to a groan. “Thank God.” He tipped up her chin and looked into her wet eyes. “Are you hurt?”
Her hands crept around his waist and tightened on the back of his shirt. “I’m fine. I was so scared.” The words spilled out between her sobs. “I’m sorry I came ahead and didn’t wait for you.”
“It’s over now.” He tipped her head back and brushed the hair away from her face. A slow tear wended its way down her cheek, and he used his thumb to gently wipe it away. “You scared me half to death. When I saw that gun to your head…” He shuddered and choked. “I thought I’d lost you for sure.”
One hand cupped her cheek and the other tightened around her shoulders. “I couldn’t have stood it if he’d hurt you.” He ran the back of his hand down her face, wanting to soothe her fears and drink in the feel of her soft skin.
Alex raised a tearstained face in the moonlight, her wide eyes meeting his and her soft lips parting. Her hands moved from his back and crept up to his neck, slipping behind his head.
Justin stared into the upturned face, barely able to believe the love he saw shining from her eyes. Slowly he dipped his head toward the trembling lips and softly kissed them before raising his head. He could hear his heart hammering in his chest and felt the answering beat of hers. Placing gentle hands on her shoulders, he drew back a half step. “We’d best go get Toby,” he whispered.
The sound of a throat being cleared a few feet away preceded the sheriff’s voice. “I think that’d be a right good idea,” he rasped. “Not that I have anythin’ against kissin’—I do it regular with my Sarah—but this might not be the best time.”
Justin jerked up straight and dropped a hand to his belt. “Foster’s men. Why didn’t I think of that? Alex, are they inside the house?”
She shook her head and took a short step away. “No. They cleared out when Carter came back with Toby. All but o
ne that was standing guard in the trees. He took me to Carter when I rode up and put my horse in the barn. When the sheriff called out to the house, I saw him slip out the back door. Carter was peering out the front and I don’t think he noticed him leave.”
Sheriff Ramsey gazed at the house and nodded. “Looks like we’ll have some cleanup work to do. No tellin’ how many of Carter’s men were in on this deal, but we’ll see who we can round up and bring them to trial.”
Justin settled his arm back around Alex’s shoulders and drew her close. “Let’s go get Toby and take him home.”
Alex put her arm across his chest and hugged him. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever get another chance to see you or care for Toby. I’m so thankful God gave me one last chance.” She gave another squeeze then slipped her hand through his arm. “I’m ready to go home.”
Chapter Thirty-five
Alex sat in a wingback chair in her office with her chin resting on her hands, her eyes locked on Uncle Joe’s somber ones.
“There’s something I hope you’ll tell me.”
“Uh-huh.” He took a step and sank into the adjoining chair. “You want to know if the sheriff learned any more about your father’s death.”
“Yes.” She clasped her hands in her lap. “I’m almost afraid to hear, but I need to know the truth.”
He stroked his gray mustache and nodded. “Only right. Davis said Carter shot at your pa that day on his way to town. Didn’t hit him, but it spooked his horse and threw him. The fall must’a triggered his heart givin’ out. Carter came back later and found the gold your pa tried to hide.”
Alex dropped her head and bit her lip then raised steady eyes to Joe’s. “But why would Carter want to kill Papa?”
Love Finds You in Last Chance, California Page 26