Jackson couldn’t explain why he was so restless. He’d had a good morning with Stuart. Not wanting to remain indoors, he’d taken the boy for a walk along the creek, strapping him into the quilted carrier Widow Jenkins had given him this week.
When she’d presented it to him, she had claimed that holding a child close to a man’s heart was better than letting him ride in the baby carriage. Jackson wasn’t convinced. Stuart appeared to like the buggy and frequently fell asleep while riding in it. But since the carrier had the advantage of letting Jackson travel over rougher terrain without jostling the baby and would be convenient when he took Stuart for rides on Blaze, he’d accepted the gift gratefully.
Though there wasn’t a lot of water in the creek at this time of the year, the burbling had seemed to soothe the boy. It should have soothed Jackson as well, but it didn’t. Talking to Thea when he’d brought Stuart back at noon was another thing that should have soothed him, but it didn’t, either. So here he was, wandering aimlessly along the streets of Cimarron Creek and feeling decidedly out of sorts.
The most logical reason for his uneasiness was that he’d made no progress in either catching the Gang or learning the identity of the woman who looked so much like Thea. None of Travis’s inquiries had turned up any leads about Stuart’s mother, and though he’d been reluctant to abandon the search, Travis had told Jackson there was nothing more he could do.
That bothered Jackson, but not as much as the fact that all he had were questions. Why hadn’t the Gang struck again since that night in February when Micah had been shot? Why had Daniel Michener been killed? And why couldn’t Jackson find the answers? The questions reverberated through his brain.
He and Leander had speculated that the lack of robberies since February was connected to Michener’s death. Since then, there’d been several Army payrolls transported through areas where an ambush would have been easy, but though Jackson had been there waiting to apprehend them, the Gang had not attempted a robbery. Why not? It seemed difficult to believe they’d simply grown tired of the chase.
Leander had agreed with Jackson’s hypothesis that if Michener was the brains behind the operation, the remaining three might not be able to plan and execute another heist. But if he was the brains, why had he been killed?
Though he had no proof, Jackson’s instincts told him that Michener’s death had not been a random robbery, particularly after Thea told him that the wagonload of supplies had not been touched. A thief might not have wanted to carry away bolts of fabric or a place setting of china, but the cargo could have included pieces of jewelry or even a watch like the one Michener had been carrying.
The fact that the thief had not searched the wagon made Jackson believe that Daniel Michener had been the target, and that led him back to the Gang. If, as he suspected, another member of the Gang had pulled the trigger that night, why? Was it related to the missing gold or simply an argument gone wrong? Had Michener been killed in a fit of anger, or was it a deliberate act of someone who wanted to take over as leader?
It was time to talk to Thea. She might not know anything about her husband’s criminal activities—and Jackson believed that was true—but she could tell him whether Michener had been crafty enough to plan a series of daring robberies.
Jackson glanced down the street, grinning when he saw her walking toward Main Street with Stuart in her arms. This could be the opportunity he sought.
“Is the carriage broken?” Jackson had never seen Thea take Stuart outside without it.
She shook her head. “No. We’re only going as far as the livery. A woman on one of the ranches sent a message that she needs to see me. It sounded too urgent to wait until tomorrow, so I’m taking Stuart with me. Aimee’s working today, and I didn’t want to bother Widow Jenkins.”
The opportunity had just gotten better. Though he could have offered to care for the boy this afternoon, Jackson wasn’t about to give up the chance to talk to Thea without interruptions. There was only one possible glitch. If the matchmakers heard he and Thea had left town together, they’d see it as proof that he was courting Thea.
He wasn’t. Of course he wasn’t. This was business, a chance to learn more about her husband. And, if there was some pleasure involved once they’d finished discussing Daniel Michener, well . . . a man couldn’t work all the time.
“Would you like some company? I could watch Stuart while you’re with your patient.”
Thea gave him one of those sweet smiles that somehow managed to make his pulse beat a bit faster. “Are you certain you don’t mind? I’d hate to take you away from whatever you were doing.”
What he’d been doing was walking aimlessly around town, thinking about the Gang and about her.
“I have nothing planned, and a ride in the country sounds good. Would you like me to drive?” Jackson asked as they approached the livery.
Thea shook her head again. “Thanks, but Maggie is used to me. She doesn’t like others to handle the reins.”
Jackson wondered why. The bay mare had seemed docile when he’d passed her in the livery, making him think she’d tolerate multiple drivers, but Thea obviously knew her horse better than anyone.
“In that case, I’ll come along for the ride.”
Within minutes, they were headed out of town, Thea with the reins wrapped around her hands, Jackson with the now wide-awake Stuart in his arms.
Thea turned toward Jackson, furrows forming between her eyes. “Are you sure you don’t mind my driving?”
“Why would I?” Though Andrew Henderson, the cousin Warner had hired to run the livery after his brother’s death, had looked askance at Thea’s not handing the reins to Jackson, it didn’t bother him. Admittedly, this was the first time a woman other than his mother had driven him anywhere, but there was a first time for everything.
Besides, not having to watch the road meant that he could spend more time observing Thea’s reactions when he asked her about her husband. Even if he didn’t question her, he’d have the undeniable pleasure of looking at a pretty woman. Who would complain about that?
Apparently, someone had. “My husband always had to be the one who drove.”
As they headed up a small hill, Thea shifted so that Jackson was once more treated to a view of her profile. She might not be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but she was the only one who stirred his senses, making him feel both protective and more than a little possessive. The second thought caused Jackson to swallow deeply. He had no right to feel possessive of Thea. He looked straight ahead, trying to calm his suddenly unsettled thoughts.
Oblivious to his inner turmoil, Thea continued her story. “Daniel didn’t mind if I drove when I was alone, but when we went anywhere together, he insisted on being the driver. Maggie wasn’t happy about that. She’s used to a lighter touch.”
Jackson nodded slowly, filing away that insight into the man Thea had married. While it might not mean anything, Michener’s need to be in charge dovetailed with the supposition that he’d been the leader of the Gang. The heavy touch on the reins could mean anything or nothing at all. Jackson hoped it did not mean that Daniel Michener had been an abusive spouse.
He had no reason to believe that had been the case, but he could not dismiss the possibility, given the man’s violent history. A man who thought nothing of killing innocent travelers might not have shied away from using his fists on his wife if she displeased him.
“Did your husband mind that you continued to work after you were married?” Jackson knew that many men did, wanting to be the breadwinner in their families, and that sometimes frustration led to anger.
Thea appeared surprised by the question, her brown eyes widening ever so slightly. “Daniel worried about having enough money to buy a house and everything our baby would need, so he was happy to have my earnings.”
Another insight, but one that contradicted what Jackson thought he knew. With all the successful robberies the Gang had conducted, money should not have been a problem. Even split four ways, it was a small fortune.
That was another part of the puzzle that had surrounded the Gang of Four for the past two years. Why did they continue to rob coaches and trains when they had enough money to retire from crime and live comfortably? The only theories he and Leander had developed were that either the Gang craved the excitement of outwitting the law or they’d developed a taste for expensive items. Jackson wouldn’t pursue either possibility now. Instead, he’d turn the conversation to Thea herself, then gradually return to her husband.
“What made you decide to become a midwife?”
The smile that lit her face told Jackson this was a much happier subject than her late husband. “It started when I was a little girl. I idolized my brother-in-law, Clay. You need to understand that he was more than my sister’s husband; he was like a father to me.”
When Jackson nodded, silently urging her to continue, she did. “Clay was also a doctor, and sometimes he’d let me tag along while he visited patients. I thought the way he made people healthy again was wonderful and decided right then that I was going to be a doctor too.”
Thea’s smile widened, and she reached over to touch Stuart’s fist as he tried to push it into his mouth. “Being a doctor was my dream until Priscilla, the town’s midwife, took me with her one day. It was supposed to be a routine checkup. The baby wasn’t due for another month, but by the time we arrived, the mother was in the final stages of labor.”
Stuart giggled and batted at Thea’s hand, making her smile again, although the subject was a serious one. “It was a difficult delivery, and Priscilla needed help. Unfortunately for Priscilla but fortunately for me, I was the only one there. Seeing what she did opened a whole new world for me, and when I held that newborn baby in my arms, I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life.”
The flush on Thea’s cheeks told Jackson as clearly as her words how much she enjoyed her profession and how much satisfaction it gave her.
“Why did you leave Ladreville? It sounds as though you had a good life there.”
“It was a good life,” Thea admitted, “until Daniel and Aaron died. After that, I knew I needed a change.”
Jackson nodded, more because he’d learned Thea’s son’s name than because he understood her experience.
Her voice was firm as she said, “The advertisement for a midwife in Cimarron Creek felt like a sign from God.”
Jackson wished he’d been given a sign. Ever since Micah had been killed, he’d felt like a rudderless boat, floating aimlessly.
“It must be nice to be able to bring life into the world. I see too much death.”
Thea turned again, her smile fading when she saw his scowl. “But you’re saving others’ lives by bringing criminals to justice.”
As two birds flitted by, Maggie’s ears twitched, signaling the mare’s disapproval. Jackson couldn’t blame her. He didn’t like animals coming too close any more than he did the direction the conversation had taken.
“That’s what I used to believe. Now I’m not so certain. If it weren’t for me, my brother would still be alive.”
Thea’s gasp told Jackson his last sentence had shocked her. It had shocked him too. He certainly hadn’t meant to say that. Not even Leander knew how much he blamed himself.
“You didn’t kill Micah.”
Jackson knew Thea was trying to comfort him. It wouldn’t work. “Maybe not directly, but if I hadn’t gone home that day, he would not have tried to be a hero. He’d still be alive.”
Thea shook her head. “You don’t know that for a fact. He might have tried to tangle with a javelina. He might have hit his head falling off a horse. Life is fragile. Believe me, Jackson, I know that. You’re not to blame for what happened to your brother.”
Her voice was fierce, as if she were using it to erect a protective shield around him. Though the idea that Thea wanted to protect him was oddly comforting, she was wrong.
“If I hadn’t been a Ranger, none of that would have happened.”
This time Thea did not try to contradict him. “Why did you join the Rangers?”
Turnabout was fair. He’d asked her about her profession; she had a right to ask him about his.
“I wanted to do something very different from my other brothers. I think I told you that Quincy and Jefferson are twins. They’re five years older than me, which meant that they were old enough to consider me a pest, not a playmate.” Jackson closed his eyes, remembering how they’d refused to let him join their games.
“I grew up resenting them and decided that whatever they did, I’d do something else. I liked ranching as much as they did, but when they bought the ranches on either side of our parents’ spread, I knew that wouldn’t be the life for me. When I heard about the Rangers, it sounded like something I could do. I always was a good shot. Now I’m not sure it was the right decision.”
It was the first time Jackson had voiced those doubts, but for some reason it felt right to tell Thea.
“Are you thinking about leaving the Rangers?” She sounded both shocked and concerned, as if she cared enough to worry about whether or not he was making a hasty decision.
Jackson wished he could give her a definite answer, particularly since it might reassure her, but he had to be honest.
“I don’t know.”