Stained Snow

by Brown, Fallon

  His face paled. Married? He hadn’t even thought of marrying again since he lost Anna. Not being able to touch Maggie anymore terrified him almost as much. But, George was right. This wasn’t a path they should start down. Especially when he didn’t plan to stay.

  “I’ll leave her alone, sir. You have my word.”

  George sighed, but it didn’t sound relieved. “I don’t want to break you two apart. I’m asking you not to sully her any more.”

  “I understand.” He bit out the words, feeling like they tore out of his throat. “I’ll be riding out soon anyway. I should have weeks ago.”

  George shook his head as he turned back to the house. “That wasn’t the choice I wanted you to make.”

  William stepped down off the porch. He still had chores to do. He kicked at the ground as he walked. It wasn’t the choice he’d wanted to make either, but it was the right one. He was sure of that. He wouldn’t be able to keep his promise to George if he stayed much longer.

  #

  Lay, Colorado

  April 2, 1888

  Thomas rode away from town. It had been a good move to spend the winter to the south. There had been plenty of jobs to keep him busy. He hadn’t had to succumb to hiring on at a ranch. That was work he could barely stand. Hiring out his gun was much more palatable to him. So was holding up wagons a few miles from town. Far enough they couldn’t race back to town for help. Not far enough they had their guard up too much. He’d only killed one person in his time as a bandit over the last months.

  He couldn’t say the same as a hired gun. He was paid for that, so it didn’t count.

  He hadn’t seen one sign William followed him again. Maybe he had killed him with those bullets. He hadn’t wanted to return to Maggie before he was sure he wouldn’t be followed. And there had been the snow. It had been a rough winter even down to the south. Not as rough as up here from what he’d heard in town. That didn’t matter now. He was on his way back to Maggie.

  He had missed her.

  Of course, there had been plenty of women in the towns he frequented that he could buy a night of pleasure and companionship from. Maggie had always given it to him for free. Maybe that’s why he kept coming back to her.

  Thomas slowed his horse as he passed through the copse of trees above the ranch. He reined the horse in and looked down at the scene below him. It was quiet. He remembered it always being busier. The other men must not be back yet. There was still a bit of snow here. They wouldn’t have driven the cows back in from the breaks yet. After the Spring round-up, it would get busy. He’d have to make sure he was gone before that. George tried to nudge him into working when he’d been there before. He’d always found ways to slip out of it.

  He’d get a taste of Maggie and be on his way again.

  He urged the horse down the hill then pulled up again before he broke through the trees. Someone in the yard caught his attention. It wasn’t George. The older man had a particular way of walking. It wasn’t like this. He opened his saddlebag and drew out his field glass. He steadied his horse then brought the glass to his eye, sweeping it across the span of the ranch. George stood on the porch. His hands gripped the railing as he looked out into the yard. Thomas swung the glass around, trying to see what the old man stared at. His teeth clenched when it came into focus.

  After so many months away, he should have been thrilled about seeing Maggie. Instead, rage boiled through him. She wasn’t standing there alone.

  William wasn’t dead.

  His brother had his hands on Maggie’s shoulders, their faces a breath apart. She wasn’t pushing him away or trying to get out of his embrace.

  Thomas’s hand tightened around the telescope as he watched. Maggie leaned closer and touched her lips to his. With a growl, he tossed the glass to the ground then jumped out of the saddle. He barely even heard the crunch as his boot slammed down on it. He whipped his rifle from the scabbard and moved forward to a bunch of rocks in front of him. He used one as a rest for the rifle barrel as he sighted in on the ranch below him. He’d had a lot of practice over the months with this when certain targets wouldn’t agree to face him.

  It would only take one shot to get rid of his brother for good.

  Chapter 20

  Barnes Ranch

  April 2, 1888

  William should have stepped away when Maggie came to him. He’d already told her the promise he’d made to her father. She hadn’t been happy about it. Her tears nearly ripped his heart out. It was the right decision. Even though he still couldn’t bring himself to ride out.

  In the morning.

  That’s why he hadn’t pushed her away. Why he said he’d wanted to take a walk with her. He wanted to tell her first. He couldn’t put it off any longer. After he tracked Thomas down and made sure he paid for his crimes, he could return. He’d marry Maggie if she wanted him. After that, he didn’t really know. He was almost afraid to even plan that far ahead.

  When she pressed her lips to his, a walk was the last thing on his mind. If George hadn’t been standing on the porch watching them, he may have pulled her away to do more than kiss. He couldn’t risk it. He’d kept his hands to himself for more than two days. He wanted to touch her so bad, but he wouldn’t go back on his word. Still, a kiss was innocent enough.

  He broke away after a moment but kept his hands on her shoulders. “We need to talk, Maggie.” He cast a glance over her shoulder at her father. “Will you walk with me?”

  A nervous look fluttered through her eyes, then she nodded, and he reached down to take her hand. They turned away and walked toward the corner of the barn. “What’s going on, Will?”

  His stomach twisted into knots. He didn’t want to leave her, but it had to be done. The fact Thomas remained out there ate away at him. He couldn’t rest easy until this was over. He cleared his throat but didn’t look over at her.

  “I’ll be riding out in the morning.”

  She gasped and tore her hand away from his. He finally looked over at her and the hurt in her eyes. “Maggie.”

  She shook her head. “You brought me out here to tell me that? Why didn’t you just leave then?”

  He reached out for her again. “I don’t want to go. I have to finish this with my brother, though. I can’t live with myself if he remains free. I can’t start a life with anyone else either.”

  Something bloomed in her eyes. “You want to start a life with me?”

  He took her hands. “I don’t have anything to return to back in Lander. My family’s gone, my ranch is gone. The land’s the only thing, and Patrick can take care of that. My heart’s here with you, Maggie.”

  She pressed up on her toes and lifted her face toward him. “Then, stay here with me.” She brushed her lips over his.

  His hands tightened on hers, and he pulled her closer. He couldn’t stay, but he would take this with him. Her lips parted for him, and he shifted, taking the kiss deeper. His hands had moved up her arms when the first shot rang out. Fire ripped across the edge of his shoulder then he took Maggie down to the ground. He used his arms to cushion her fall, but stunned pain still came into her eyes. It took the breath out of him, but when another bullet kicked up dirt and snow in his face, he pulled her up, still guarding her with his body. “Get in the barn.” He pushed her ahead of him.

  “Who is it?” Her voice came out sounding a little breathless.

  “I don’t know. Stay in here.” He pulled the door closed between them. He started for the wood pile where he left his rifle before Maggie had come out to him. Another shot splintered wood in his face. He brushed his arm over it but didn’t have time to do more about it. He grabbed up the rifle and turned back toward the yard. His breath came fast and his shoulder burned. He forgot about that when the next shot slammed him back against the wood pile. He dropped to his knees, almost losing his grip on the rifle. George ran across the yard, but he waved him back.

  He breathed through the pain and crawled back toward the barn. If he could get behin
d it, he might be able to figure out where the shots came from. He knew the answer to who. All of the shots had been focused on him. Even when George had been in plain view.

  His brother had found him.

  He leaned his back against the barn when he reached it, and tried to draw in a deep breath. Blood ran down his arm, but he didn’t think the wound went deep. He ran his hand down his side where the other bullet hit, and his fingers came away from his hip smeared with blood. He looked down and saw the deep gouge.

  He’d live. His belt and trousers stopped much of the damage. Now, he had to get to Thomas and stop him.

  He drew in a breath before getting to his feet and starting around the barn. As soon as he rounded the corner, another shot sounded. He saw the flash from a distance and jerked back behind the barn. More wood hit his face. Well, he knew where he was now. Will took a moment to form a plan as he looked around. A trail led up the hill behind the barn. If he got up there, he might be able to get behind Thomas. Another deep breath, and he took off in a run.

  Another shot sounded, but he had already headed up the trail, never in a straight line. He paused behind a large rock, trying to catch his breath. He winced at the pain in his hip, but he couldn’t let it stop him. If George or Maggie were hurt by his brother, he would never forgive himself. He should have left weeks ago. He could have stopped all of this.

  He started around the boulder, taking it slower now. He kept the ranch in sight as he worked his way around to where he’d seen the muzzle flash. There were no more shots. Suddenly he stopped and looked around. At least half a dozen shells lay around a set of boulders. He moved over to study them and the scrapes he found on top of one of the rocks. He imagined Thomas kneeling here, taking careful shots at him. He cursed and turned away. He wasn’t here now.

  He turned away and started back down to the ranch. By the time he reached the yard, he’d fallen at least three times and couldn’t walk without a limp. George and Maggie stood out in front of the barn. “What are you doing out here?” he asked Maggie, walking right toward her. “I told you to stay in the barn.”

  “The shots stopped,” she said. “Pa came for me. We figured it was safe.”

  “What if that’s what he was waiting for?” He didn’t mean to yell at her, but his heart pounded so fast he thought it would burst from his chest. He couldn’t fight the pain and the panic at the same time.

  “Will, it’s fine.”

  “No, it’s not,” he said, grabbing for her. He pulled her against him, the closeness soothing something in him.

  She murmured to him, words he couldn’t quite understand. She jerked back suddenly and looked down at him. “You’re hurt, Will. Come up to the house.”

  He shook his head. “He wasn’t up there. I have to go after him.”

  George put a hand on his shoulder. “You need to take care of yourself first, Will. Those wounds aren’t bad, but they’ll get that way if you don’t care for them.”

  George was right, but he needed to get after Thomas. “Fine. Then, I’m leaving.”

  He let Maggie lead him up to the house. She sat him down at the table while she went to boil some water and gather some supplies. While she did that, George turned to him. “Do you know who it was?” His hand shook as he reached up to scratch at his cheek.

  “He only seemed interested in shooting at me. Pretty sure it was my brother.” He looked up at George again. “His name’s Thomas Jensen.”

  Maggie gasped, and he turned to her as all the color drained from her face. He swung his gaze back to George. His face was set and cold. “You’ve heard of him?”

  George’s gaze swept past him to Maggie. “We know him.” His gaze came back to William. “He stayed here for several weeks last year. In fact, it’s been nearly a year since he rode off. Why would he be back?”

  Maggie shook her head. “He came back once. When you were away at the round up. Something seemed wrong. He said someone would be coming after him, they were trying to hurt him. He couldn’t stay long.” Her gaze came up to William. “He had scratches here,” she said, pointing to her chest. “He was missing his belt. He called me Anna.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “Will, I didn’t know. You said your last name was Bailey.”

  William couldn’t even think straight. His brother had been here before. Had been with Maggie. “Bailey’s my stepfather’s last name.” It was the only thing he could latch onto. “I didn’t know if you’d be friendly to him. I’d already run into enough of his friends.”

  “I was never friendly with that man,” George growled.

  Maggie finally came to him. “He scared me when he was here the last time. He said you had taken everything from him. That you kept going after him.”

  William shook his head. “I wanted to live my life. He took that away from me.”

  “I’m so sorry, Will.” She dropped to the floor in front of him. “I had no idea.”

  His fingers trembled, but he reached out and touched them to her cheek. He hissed as George set a wet cloth over his shoulder.

  “Gotta get these cleaned, son, or he might achieve killing you this time.”

  Maggie let out a sob, but William nodded. “I need to find him. I can’t let him get away this time.”

  “Of course you do. Let’s get you fixed up first.”

  #

  William rode back into the yard as dark gathered. He’d gone back to where he’d found the shells and followed his brother’s trail from there. He’d lost it at the river. It had been headed back for town until then. He’d briefly considered riding in and seeing if anybody had seen him. The last thing he wanted was to be shot yet again today. He didn’t want to leave George and Maggie on the ranch alone for too long either.

  That was a pretty stupid thought. They’d been there alone much of the time long before he came along. They could have just as easily been killed today even with him there.

  Because of him.

  It only made it clearer he needed to be riding on. He’d brought this trouble on to them. He’d take it with him when he left.

  Maggie stepped out onto the porch as he rode up to the house. He wanted to make sure they were all right before he took care of his horse. He had only put one foot on the step when someone else stepped out behind her. It wasn’t George. Not Thomas either, he realized after a moment of panic before his face came into the light. Adam.

  “What are you doing here?” His voice sounded rough with still fading panic.

  Now George did step out onto the porch. “He rode in shortly after you left, Will. He didn’t see anyone out on the trail.”

  The muscles in William’s arms and back went rigid. Adam hadn’t seen anybody. Because there hadn’t been anyone else out there? William didn’t want to believe it. Adam and him had become something close to friends when they’d worked together. He didn’t want to think Adam could have done this. “Where were you earlier?”

  “I left the camp after lunch. If I had left earlier, maybe this wouldn’t have even happened.”

  “We didn’t know it was happening until the first shot.”

  “Then, maybe we would have been able to take him down before he got away. I take it you didn’t find him.”

  William shook his head. “I should have left earlier.”

  “You needed those wounds looked at first, Will,” George said.

  William’s gaze swung to him. “I didn’t mean today.” He forced himself to ignore Maggie’s pained cry and kept his eyes on George.

  “If it was Thomas, he shot at me. If I had already left, he wouldn’t have shot up your place. None of this would have happened.”

  He shot a look at Adam. He still wasn’t sure he could trust him. No sign the other man tried to shoot him. If he had come from the line shack, that was the wrong direction. The trail he’d been following never swung back this way.

  He had to trust him if he had to leave George and Maggie here alone. He didn’t see any other choice. “Can I speak with you?” he asked Adam.

/>   “Not if you think I’m responsible for this.”

  “I never said that,” William said through gritted teeth.

  “You didn’t have to.”

  “Please, Adam.” The other man’s shoulders relaxed and he stepped around Maggie, following William off the porch. “I don’t think you did this,” he said when they reached the corner of the house. He wasn’t sure he hadn’t either, but that wasn’t the point. “I need to ride out in the morning. It’s too late now, or I’d do it tonight.”

  “Do you think that’s the best thing?”

  William shook his head. “It’s the right thing. I have to find him and stop this before anyone else is hurt.”

  “I can do that. What about your wounds? George said you were shot again.”

  “They’re nothing. Just scratches.” Which pained him, but he’d deal with it. “You can’t do this. It has to be me.”

  “Why does it have to be you, Will? Because you have to be the big hero?”

  “Because he’s my brother, damn it,” he shouted.

  Adam took a step back. “He’s…your brother?”

  “I didn’t even know he’d been around here until today.”

  “Your brother?” Adam glanced back toward Maggie.

  “I know what he was to her. He used her, like he uses everybody. I’m not going to let him hurt her again.” He glanced away. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

  “That’s what you’ll do when you ride away.”

  William brought his gaze back up to Adam. “I guess it will be good you’re here to pick up the pieces.” He didn’t take time to process the shock running over Adam’s face. “I have to go. I want you to watch out for them. I hope to return, but if I don’t-”

  Adam held up a hand to stop him before he finished. “Don’t say that. You’ll come back. Maggie watched out the window and cried until you rode back in here. I don’t know what happened between you two while I was gone, but she cares for you. If you don’t come back for her, you’d better hope you’re dead. Or I will track you down.”