18 

Cord slammed the letter down on his desk. Why, when it seems things can’t get any worse, he asked himself, does yet another calamity raise its ugly head?

He stared at the sheet of fine stationery with its embossed header of Stengel, Matthews, and Joslin, Attorneys-at-Law. It was dated the seventeenth of January, exactly one month ago. Considering the winter weather and slowed delivery up in the mountains, the letter had made it in reasonably good time.

The Denver legal firm claimed to represent the rancher from whom his father had purchased the second bull, after the first one’s untimely death. Not only the ill-fated bull that had soon upped and died but his replacement as well. Two bulls now that his father had failed to pay for. Two bulls about which his father had also failed to consult with his sons before buying.

Fleetingly, renewed anger at Edmund Wainwright surged through Cord. With an effort, he quashed it. Nothing was served blaming a dead man.

His father had always tried to do what he deemed best for the ranch. And improving the bloodlines of their herd was long overdue. If only his sire had been a better manager of his money . . .

As he refolded the letter and shoved it back into its envelope, Cord considered his options. So far, he’d managed to successfully hold off the bank on the first bull. He might also be able to buy a bit more time with the second animal, in attempting to draw things out by a back and forth correspondence. But that could just as easily irritate both the lawyers and their client to the point they might go through with their threatened lien on the ranch.

The odds of winning an agreement to spread out payments would be better served in a face-to-face meeting. A meeting that, of necessity, would entail his traveling to Denver as soon as possible.

Not that the middle of a Colorado winter, especially considering that the ongoing cattle rustling had yet to be resolved, was the best time to leave the ranch. But then, Cord thought as he pushed back his chair, rose, and headed off to find Nick and Sarah, when had anything lately gone his way? Well, gone his way at least when it came to the ranch, he added, his mood brightening as he left the study and caught sight of his beautiful young wife on her way to the kitchen.

In all the ways that really mattered, things had most definitely gone his way the day he’d first met Sarah.

“I could help, you know,” Sarah offered the next day as she watched Cord finish packing his satchel with the clothes he’d need in Denver.

Her husband glanced up, a quizzical expression on his face. “With my packing, you mean?”

“No.” From her perch on the side of the bed, she shook her head. “With helping pay back the money for the bulls. It’s not like I don’t bear some responsibility for your current financial situation, after all.”

“I don’t blame you, Sarah.” He managed a smile, then looked down and snapped his satchel shut. “You at least were willing to pay it back.”

She slid off the bed and walked over to stand before him. “I know, but I still feel badly about the robbery. And, right now with money so tight, I thought I could maybe take Ruth Ann at the Wildflower Café up on her offer to work there. Any and every bit of extra money can only help, at least until things settle down.”

Cord sighed, set aside his satchel, and took her by both arms. “First, it wouldn’t make sense to get a job in town unless you lived there. And I’m sure hoping that isn’t in your plans. Second, it wouldn’t instill a lot of confidence right now in any of our other creditors to see my wife working. And third, maybe I’m a bit too big and proud for my britches, but I really don’t like the idea of my wife having to take an outside job to help support the ranch.”

Sarah gazed up at him in frustration. Though she hated to admit it, for the most part, Cord was right. It’d be difficult and sometimes even impossible to make it to town during the winter. And they most certainly didn’t need any other creditors calling in their loans just now. But the part about him not wanting her to help out in trying to save the ranch . . .

“I won’t argue with you about the first two reasons,” she said, trying to choose her words carefully, “and for the time being, I’ll respect your pride. But I am now your wife. This ranch is my home, its people are now my family, and I’m not one to stand by and not pitch in when and where help is needed. So just take that under advisement, Mr. Cord Wainwright. If things get much worse, I mean.”

Tenderness flared in his dark eyes. Cord leaned down, kissed her, then pulled back.

“If things get much worse, not only will I be sending you out to tend tables at the Café,” he said with a grin, “but I’ll be getting Nick to hawk apples on the boardwalk and Danny to sing songs with his little tin cup held out for donations. But not just yet, okay? I’m not at the end of my rope just yet. I have a few more ideas up my sleeve.”

Relief filled her. Though it was quite apparent Cord had a proudly stubborn streak, she hadn’t had much opportunity to feel him out about it. It was good to know he could be made to see reason if need be.

“Okay. Just don’t leave me out. I deserve to know what’s going on and be valued for what I can contribute.”

He released her arms and paused to gently stroke her cheek. “Oh, you’re very much valued, sweetheart. Very, very much.

“Now”—he leaned down, picked up his satchel, and straightened—“the sooner I set out and get this unpleasant business settled in Denver, the sooner I can head home. So, if you don’t mind, Mrs. Wainwright . . .”

Sarah stepped aside. “Yes, please do. Head back home just as soon as you can. It’s not like we’ve been married all that long, you know. And we still have a lot of ‘getting to know each other’ left to do.”

Her husband chuckled as he paused at their bedroom door. “You sure know what to say to motivate a man, don’t you, wife?”

“I suppose I do,” she said with a giggle. “But then, who wouldn’t when they’ve got such a good teacher?”

Ten days later, with a weary sigh, Sarah paused yet again in her dusting of the parlor and headed out into the foyer. Danny and Pedro, full of high spirits and pent-up energy after the past two days of frigid weather that had kept both man and beast inside, were at it again. The first time, she had broken up their racing pell-mell down the hall, which had rattled not only the floors but nearly the whole house as well.

This time, they were playing checkers in the library, which of itself was a benign enough game. Every time one boy apparently jumped the other’s piece, however, it was accompanied by shouts of victory and loud stomping of feet. Innocent and understandable noise which under most circumstances, considering their housebound situation, Sarah could’ve tolerated.

But Nick was having a bout of the severe leg and lower back pain he experienced from time to time, and she and Emma had only recently gotten him comfortable with a combination of massage and a dose of laudanum. He desperately needed sleep. The two boys, though, weren’t aiding that sleep in any shape, form, or fashion.

“Okay,” Sarah announced as she walked into the library. “Time for a break for some sugar cookies and milk.”

Her brother slammed down his checker piece and leaped to his feet. “Swell! Let’s go, Pedro.”

Sarah grabbed Danny as he raced by. “Hold on there, young man.” She managed a stern look. “Walk quietly. No running. How many times do I have to remind you that Nick’s trying to sleep?”

“Oh, I forgot. Sorry.”

She released him. “I know. Luckily, the sun’s starting to shine and the wind’s dying down. I’m thinking you two can head outside pretty soon. Just hang on a bit longer, will you?”

Pedro and Danny both nodded solemnly. “Yes, ma’am.”

They made their way to the kitchen with admirable decorum, save for Danny only once jabbing Pedro in the ribs, and the older boy returning the favor. It seemed, with her brother’s much more stable good health these days, all the vigor of a boy his age had returned with a vengeance. A two-edged sword, it was, but one she welcomed more times than not. With a roll of her eyes, Sarah started back to the parlor when she heard the bell tingle in Nick’s room.

“Great,” she muttered. “They managed to wake Nick anyway.”

She hurried down the hall and gently rapped at his door. “Nick?”

“C-come in.”

His reply, sounding almost like a moan, didn’t bode well. Sarah opened the door and walked in.

Nick lay on his bed near the window, his hands fisted knuckle white, clutching his blanket, his face contorted in pain. Concern swelled within. She rushed to his side.

“Has it started up again? The pain, I mean?”

“Y-yes,” he all but gasped out. “I tried to relax and th-think of other things, pray even, but n-nothing seemed to work for long.”

Sarah glanced at the nickel-plated alarm clock on the bedside table. They’d given Nick a dose of laudanum about two hours ago. Technically, it was a bit too soon to give him any more. Doc Saunders, however, had also instructed them that the usual dose could, if necessary, be doubled. Taking another look at Nick’s contorted, sweat-dampened features, Sarah decided this was one of those times.

She grabbed the laudanum sitting on the bedside table and poured a second dose into the spoon. After setting the bottle aside, she bent over him and slid a hand beneath his head to lift it.

“Here, take this.” Sarah offered him the reddish brown colored liquid. “Maybe this is just one of those times when you need a larger dose to help the pain.”

He took it almost eagerly, which was confirmation in itself that Nick was hurting badly. Most times, he was the last one to ask for something to ease his pain, and would only accept the smallest dose necessary. Her heart went out to him. He was always so strong, so brave in the face of his horrible, life-altering injury.

“Is there something I could do to help?” she asked as she laid the spoon back beside the laudanum. “Would you like me to read to you or rub your back and—”

A loud crash sounded somewhere in the house. Sarah jumped, bumping the bedside table. She reached out to right it as the bottle of laudanum teetered and fell. With a gasp, Sarah grabbed for the medicine and missed. The little container hit the hard plank floor and shattered.

“Oh no!” she wailed, gazing down as the remainder of the liquid opium drained onto the floor. “That was our last bottle. I’m so sorry, Nick!”

“It’s okay,” he replied, shooting her a wan, pain-wracked smile. “We can g-get more. Maybe you should go see what broke, though. Since it’s Emma’s d-day off, and Manuela’s sick . . .”

His reminder of the cause for the ruined bottle of laudanum jerked Sarah’s thoughts back to two boys who were now in very big trouble. “I can well imagine who broke something, even if I’ve yet to find out what,” she ground out in irritation.

A weak smile tipped one corner of Nick’s mouth. “Well, don’t go too h-hard on the boys. Cord and I sure br-broke our fair share of things in our youth too.”

“Yes, boys will be boys,” she said, “but I’ve been after them all morning to calm down. I’m about ready to dump them both outside in the snow, I am.” She glanced down at the broken bottle. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with something to clean up the mess. Once I’ve again settled down some wild young men, of course.”

“I’ll be here. Got no place else to go today.”

She smiled at him tenderly. Already, the extra dose of medication was beginning to work, if the relaxation of the taut lines about Nick’s mouth were any indication. If she was lucky, she’d be able to get to Ashton and back in a couple of hours with a new prescription of laudanum from Doc Saunders. More than enough time, she hoped, before Nick might need another dose.

But to do so she’d need to hurry on her way, and very soon. Just as soon as, she thought in irritation, she got two messes cleaned up and two boys settled down once and for all.

An hour later, she and Danny set out for town. After careful consideration, Sarah decided it was better to divide and conquer than hope the two boys would settle down if left alone in the big ranch house. Plus, Pedro was old enough to keep an eye on Nick. If any problems arose, he was to fetch Emma from her little cabin that was the original ranch house and only a five minute walk away.

Sarah fervently hoped, however, that all would go smoothly while she and Danny were gone. That Nick would finally get some pain relief and rest. That Emma wouldn’t have to be disturbed on her one day off a week. And that she’d be fortunate enough to find Doc Saunders in his office so they wouldn’t have to wait until he returned from a house call.

The drive to Ashton was uneventful. They bundled up in thick bear robes, besides their usual winter garb, and Sarah took along a rifle for protection. The cold weather of late had, providentially, not brought additional snow, so the carriage with its covered top and sides provided decent protection from the wind. It was also, on the rutted, windswept dirt road, much easier to handle than the sleigh.

Doc was in his office, so the refill of additional bottles of laudanum went quickly. A quick stop at McPherson’s Mercantile to pick up a stick of penny candy for Danny and one for Pedro as well, a few minutes talking with Dougal, and they were once more headed back to the ranch. Driving along, Sarah reveled in the view of majestic peaks surrounding the long, wide valley. With heights craggy and imposing, and snow looking so very fresh and pristine, the mountains glinted like shining silver.

The air was crisp. The sense of power and purpose as she went along her important task filled her with joy. Nick needed her. Cord depended on her. And she felt so very capable and—

The carriage lurched violently, then swayed to one side at a precarious angle. As Sarah struggled to control the now panicky horses, from the corner of her eye she saw one of the carriage wheels bounce down a steep hill and out of sight. With great difficulty, Sarah finally pulled the spooked animals to a halt, set the hand brake, then looked to her brother sitting beside her.

“Are you all right?”

He grinned up at her. “Yep. I thought we were going to tip over.”

She’d thought the same thing but decided not to belabor the very real danger they had been in. “Well, let’s get down, shall we? You can hold the horses while I start looking for that wheel. At the rate it was going, it might take me quite a hike to retrieve it.”

Ever so carefully, they climbed from the now lopsided carriage. Luckily for the both of them, the two mares they’d hooked in the harness today were usually calm and gentle. Now that the carriage wasn’t going anywhere or likely to do anything else to frighten the animals, she felt quite safe leaving Danny to hold them. She did retrieve the rifle, however. The terrain she’d have to traverse in search of the wheel looked a bit rough and full of hills and ravines.

“You whistle if anyone or anything shows up, you hear?” she told her brother. “And if you have to, you can always climb back into the carriage for protection.”

“I’ll be okay.” Danny gestured in the direction the wheel had taken. “You’d better hurry. It’ll take us a while to put on the wheel. If we can.”

That was exactly her worry, Sarah thought as she nodded and set out, the rifle clasped firmly in her hand. She knew she’d find the wheel, sooner or later. Depending on what had caused it to come loose, however, might well determine if the wheel would be useable or not. She’d probably have to hold up the carriage and have Danny try to slide it back on its axle. If they even could.

If worst came to worst, they had the horses and could always unfasten them from the carriage and ride them home. There was no reason to fear they’d be trapped out here for the night. Things weren’t really that bad, she reassured herself as she trudged down a steep hillside and across a snow-filled gully. Things could’ve turned out far, far worse.

The wheel, though, had apparently possessed enough momentum to cover a surprising amount of ground. Sarah was soon out of sight of the road and carriage and trekking up a small hill then down into another ravine that was so steeply inclined she soon realized it had served as a natural course for the wheel to careen down. Twenty minutes later, she caught sight of the errant carriage wheel lying on its side in the middle of the very long and now narrow ravine.

She trudged up to it and groaned in dismay. Not only had two of the spokes apparently broken in the wheel’s bouncing, furious flight, but now, on closer inspection, she found the hub had cracked through, which was what had caused the wheel to loosen and fall off. There was nothing to be done now but leave the disabled carriage on the road and ride the horses home. Some of the hands could return tomorrow to repair the wheel or bring a good one in its place.

Sarah looked up. Already, the sun was veering toward the west. It would be dusk in another few hours. She didn’t care to still be out on the road in the dark. Briefly, she considered trying to drag the wheel back to the carriage, then decided it would just slow her down. Better to return tomorrow with the hands to show them its location.

As she began her trudge back, the wind whipped up. On the chill breeze, Sarah thought she caught the sound of bawling cattle. She halted, listening intently. Then, as the wind died, the sound disappeared.

She shook her head. “Must be starting to hear things.”

As she resumed her trek, however, the bawling came again. She whirled around, trying to make out where the sounds were coming from. There weren’t any ranches nearby. Indeed, another half mile or so, and they’d arrive at the outskirts of Castle Mountain land. There was no reason to be hearing cattle out here. No reason, unless . . .

Unless someone had cattle hidden in one of the dry ravines common in this area. And the only reason to hide cattle was if you’d stolen them.

Excitement vibrating through her, Sarah headed in the direction she’d heard the cattle bawling. They couldn’t be very far away. She’d just take a quick peek around, if it seemed like there was enough cover to hide in. She wouldn’t do anything foolish. She couldn’t afford to, not with Danny still awaiting her on the road.

She climbed to a tree-covered hill, then down the other side, before she began to notice tracks in the snow. Cattle tracks and also those of unshod horses. Could they possibly be the same unshod horses used to rustle their cattle? But those tracks had led up into the mountains far west of here.

“They could’ve always backtracked,” she said aloud, trying to talk through the dilemma, “once they’d made sure their trail was gone. And who’d think to look this close to the road? It wouldn’t make sense.”

The sounds of the cattle were louder now. Sarah paused, scanning the area for sign of any possible lookouts. When she saw none, she trudged across the next ravine and up another hill. As she neared the top, this time she crouched low and carefully peered down the other side.

There, in yet another ravine, about thirty head of cattle milled about in a makeshift pen. Though it looked as if no one was about, signs of a gutted campfire and a pine-bough-covered lean-to gave ample evidence that people had been here. She sucked in a breath. Even from this distance, she could make out the distinctive Castle Mountain brand.

Scuttling back down the hill until there was no chance she could be seen from the ravine below, Sarah stood and made her way to the road as fast as the snow drifts would allow. All the while, her mind raced with possible actions she could take.

In the end, she decided to return to the ranch with Danny. After informing Nick of what she’d found, Sarah would next round up Spence and several hands and lead them back to the hidden Wainwright cattle. Even if they didn’t catch up with any of the rustlers today, a sizeable amount of their stolen cattle would be safely back home. Besides, there was always the chance they might find evidence around the campsite of who the perpetrators were.

“Am I glad to see you,” her brother exclaimed when she finally rejoined him on the road. “I was afraid a bear had eaten you.”

She gave a derisive snort. “Well, if there’d been bears you would’ve at least heard me fire the rifle before the beast ate me.”

With no time to waste, Sarah leaned the rifle against the carriage and began unfastening the harnesses from the carriage poles. Eventually, after lifting up Danny onto one horse, she was able to mount the other. She briefly considered retrieving the rifle, then thought better of it. It was going to be awkward enough riding bareback and keeping her brother on his horse without trying to hold onto a rifle in the bargain. She could just get it when she returned with the men.

They made it back to the ranch in good time. After helping Danny down, she followed him into the house. It felt wonderful to be inside where it was so nice and warm, Sarah thought as she pulled off her hat, coat, and mittens.

“Want something warm to drink?” she asked as she guided her brother down the hall to the kitchen. “How about hot cocoa?”

“That sounds great,” Danny replied, smacking his lips.

To her surprise, Emma was in the kitchen. “Oh, good, you’re back safe and sound. I was beginning to worry about you two.”

“The carriage lost a wheel, so we rode the horses back.” Sarah glanced around. “Where’s Pedro? And why are you here on your day off?”

“Pedro’s in the barn milking the cow. And I happened to look out my window as you drove by. Figured something was up. So I moseyed on over.”

“How’s Nick?” Sarah dug the two bottles of laudanum from her pocket. “Guess Pedro told you about us needing more medicine?”

The older woman nodded. “Yes, he did. And Nick’s finally asleep. Has been for a good hour or so, but it was touch-and-go for a while.”

“Oh, then I guess it’s best I don’t bother him. He was so exhausted from the pain . . .”

Emma cocked her head. “And exactly what were you planning on bothering him about?”

Excitement tightened Sarah’s voice. “I found some of our cattle. Some of the stolen ones, I mean. They’re hidden in a ravine near where our carriage broke down.” She paused. “I promised Danny some hot cocoa to warm him. It’s pretty chilly outside. Could you make him some while I go find Spence?”

“Whoa, hold on there!” Emma said, grabbing her arm as Sarah turned to leave. “And exactly what do you plan to do? About those stolen cattle, and with Spence?”

“What else?” Sarah glanced over her shoulder at the housekeeper. “I’ve got to lead him and some of the hands to where the cattle are. I’m the only one who can, after all.” She laughed, suddenly overjoyed. “Just think, Emma. I’ve finally got an opportunity to do something really important for Cord and the ranch. Something to finally make up for all the trouble I’ve caused!”

“So, you’re certain this is where you first heard the cattle?” Spencer Womack asked an hour later as he reined in his mount and looked to Sarah. “Seems a mighty strange spot to try to hide stolen cattle. Don’t you think so, boys?”

Stan Bevins and Roy Taylor grinned and nodded. “Sure seems so to us, boss,” Roy, the older and more scruffy of the pair, replied.

She decided to ignore their shared smirks and patronizing manner. They’d eat their words, she told herself grimly, just as soon as they reached the top of the next hill. Not that she cared, really, what any of them thought.

Spence she’d never cared much for, though Cord and Nick seemed to think he was a good enough worker. The other two hands had been recent hires, former prospectors who’d never struck it rich or even found enough to make a living until they’d been taken on two months ago at Spence’s recommendation. She supposed, though, not everyone would be pleased just because she was now Cord’s wife. It was certainly evident Spence wasn’t impressed. And his attitude was likely rubbing off on some of the hands as well.

“I couldn’t agree more that it’s a mighty strange spot to hide cattle,” she said, meeting the foreman’s skeptical gaze with a steady one of her own. “But I know what I saw. So why don’t we just head on out again? The cattle are penned just over the next hill.”

The going was steep and slippery, but they finally made it to the top of the hill. For a long moment, the three men were silent. Then Roy, the more loquacious of the two hands, sighed, rubbed his jaw, and looked to Spence.

“What do you want to do now, boss? Now that she knows where the cattle are?”

“Oh, I’m not too worried about her knowing,” the foreman replied as he leaned over and quickly pulled Sarah’s rifle free of its scabbard. He then cocked it and pointed it at her. “She’s a Caldwell, after all. It won’t be hard to pin the stolen cattle on her.”

Her gaze riveted on the rifle barrel now aimed at her, Sarah struggled to make sense of the sudden turn of events. Could it be? Had Spence been involved with the cattle rustling all this time? But, if so, why?

“So, what are you going to do, Womack?” she asked, forcing the words past a dry throat even as she willed her mind to clear and find some way out of this rapidly worsening mess. “Shoot me and pin the blame on me and my family? The blame that has been yours all along?”

He chuckled, the sound so malicious it sent a premonitory shiver down Sarah’s spine. “Well, maybe in the beginning it was all my doing. By myself, though, I didn’t dare take too many cattle. But once the real ringleader took over . . .”

“Yeah, I know,” she said with a sharp laugh. “My father’s been in charge of everything for a while now, hasn’t he?”

“No, not at all.” Ever so slowly, he gave a shake of his head. “He’s just been a scapegoat to pin it all on, and divert attention from the real culprit. It’s always been someone else. Someone a whole lot smarter and with just as much to gain, if for an entirely different reason. Someone who I’ve finally decided isn’t worth any more of my time and effort.”

His gaze darkened, turning flinty and hard. “Seems she’s been leading me on all the while, and never meant to marry me. Seems all she’s ever wanted was revenge against Cord and, even more especially, revenge against you.”

As Sarah stared at him, the implications of Spence’s words took on a form, person, and finally a scene outside the Wildflower Café. A scene of Spence and Allis, arguing, then her slapping him and stomping off. She couldn’t help a small gasp.

“Allis? You’re talking about Allis Findley, aren’t you?”

Anger sparked in his eyes. “You really aren’t all that surprised, are you? After all, when has Allis ever thought of anyone but herself?”