Bobbi Smith (27 page)

“Randi!” Hawk knew instantly what she was up to, and he gave chase.

Phantom had yet to be outrun by any horse, but as close as they were to the crowd hurrying forward to greet them, he couldn’t allow the stallion the freedom of full rein. Still, he stayed close behind Randi and Angel. He had no idea what Wade might try when Randi confronted him.

Excitement and joy filled Jack as he watched Randi racing toward them.

“Randi! Randi!” he shouted. He was eager to hug her. He was anxious to have her in his arms so he could really be sure this wasn’t a dream.

Rob and the other men cheered as she closed in, but when she kept on riding right on past them at top speed, they became confused.

Wade wasn’t confused, though. He’d been biding his time, trying to decide what action to take. When he saw the way Randi galloped right past her father and the ranch hands, Wade knew he was in trouble. He turned and started to run toward the stable.

Randi saw what he was doing and grew even more furious. She charged on until she’d closed the distance between them. She maneuvered Angel in front of Wade and cut off his escape route. Then she reined Angel in and held her gun straight on him.

“You going somewhere, Wade?” Randi demanded hotly.

Wade tried to run past her. He hoped to reach the stable so he could get his horse, but Randi was too fast for him. She urged Angel forward, blocking his path just as Hawk rode up beside her.

“It’s over, Wade,” Hawk dictated. He had his gun drawn, too.

“Like hell it is!” Wade swore. In a violent move, he made a grab for Randi. He wanted to pull her off Angel and use her as a shield.

But Randi was having none of it. She was ready for him. She swung out with her gun and hit Wade savagely on the temple. Wade didn’t have to worry about pulling her down. Randi launched herself at him and attacked him with all her might.

Hawk understood Randi’s fury, but he still knew she was no match for Wade. Hawk was there in an instant, grabbing Randi around the waist and hauling her off of Wade.

“Hold still, Randi!”

“No!” She kept struggling to be free.

Wade started to go for his gun, but Jack had come up with Rob and the other men.

“Don’t even think about it, Wade,” Jack ordered, his own gun aimed right at his foreman.

Wade froze as he realized there would be no escape.

Jack went on: “I know what you’ve been doing.”

“Know what? There’s nothing to know!” Wade protested.

“Liar!” Randi all but spat out the word at him as Hawk finally turned her loose.

“That’s right—if there’s nothing to know, why are you running?” Jack said tightly.

“I know you paid Fred to shoot Hawk and Pa! Fred told me all about it!” Randi told him.

“You’re crazy!” he countered.

“We know you paid Fred to shoot us. We know you’re behind all the trouble,” Hawk explained.

“That’s not true!” Wade asserted. “It wasn’t me!”

“Oh, yeah?” Jack sneered.

“Who are you going to believe? The breed? Or me?” Wade argued angrily.

“Who do you think?” Jack pinned him with a deadly glare. “You’ve got every reason to lie. You’re trying to save your sorry ass, but it’s too late. You’ve been lying to me for a long time, Wade. We know everything. Why, Hawk even saw you with Pete in town.”

“You what?” Wade looked quickly at Hawk.

“That’s right,” Hawk said with confidence. “I saw the two of you talking late one night out back behind the saloon.”

“That doesn’t prove anything!” Wade argued.

“Oh, yeah? Then why did you lie about going to visit Pat that night?” Jack demanded, cornering him.

Wade went pale at his words. “Pete’s the one responsible! Pete’s behind it all!”

“You can tell the sheriff that when he gets here, Wade,” Jack said grimly. He glanced around at Rob. “Rob! Get some rope and tie him up. Then take him over and lock him in the tack room. One of you boys ride to town for the sheriff! I think he’s going to be interested in hearing what Wade has to say.”

Rob took charge of Wade, while Jack turned to Randi.

At last—she was home. The moment of rejoicing and peace he’d been praying for had come. Once Wade had been hauled off, Jack opened his arms to his daughter. Randi handed her gun to Hawk and went straight into her father’s loving embrace.

“I love you, little girl,” Jack told her in a gruff, emotional voice. His joy overwhelmed him, and he began to weep. “It’s been hell around here without you.”

“I love you, too, Pa. If it hadn’t been for Hawk . . .” Randi was crying, too, as she looked over at Hawk and offered him a trembling smile.

Jack held her close for a moment; then, regaining some of his composure, he turned to Hawk and held out his hand. “How can I ever thank you?”

“I’m just glad she’s home safe,” Hawk answered, shaking his hand.

“Let’s go inside.” Then Jack turned to Rob and directed, “Keep a guard on Wade until the sheriff gets here.”

“I’ll do that, boss,” Rob answered. “I’ll watch him myself.”

“Good.” Jack fixed Wade with one last censoring glare. “I trusted you, and I believed in you, but not anymore. You’re a fool, Wade—a damned fool.”

With that, Jack turned his back on the man who had been his foreman and his friend, and walked off with Randi.

Hawk followed them.

As they approached the house, Wilda and the other hands crowded around to welcome Randi back. It took a while, but they finally made their way indoors.

Once they’d gone inside and into the study, Jack couldn’t help himself. He hugged Randi again.

“Now tell me everything,” Jack told Hawk. “When Bruiser showed up here last night, I didn’t know what to think. We were just about to ride out and start searching for you again by following Bruiser’s trail when you rode in. Rob, Wade, and some of the hands tried to track you right after the ambush, but a storm washed out your trail.”

“That’s why we didn’t run into anyone on the way back,” Randi said.

“Yes. The storm was a bad one, according to Rob. So ever since they got back, I’ve just been sitting here with nothing to do but wait and hope Hawk could find you and bring you back.”

“And he did,” she finished for him.

“Yes, he did.” Jack was smiling. “Now, speaking of Bruiser . . . If you had to turn him loose and go on after Randi on foot, where did you find that stallion? He’s a beauty.”

Randi didn’t wait for Hawk to answer. She told her father, “He’s the phantom stallion. Hawk caught him.”

Jack looked at Hawk in surprise. “You caught the phantom?”

“I’d been on foot for a while when I found him.”

“You found him and you rode him,” Jack said in astonishment.

“Without Phantom, I would never have gotten to Randi in time.”

Jack had already thought Hawk a good man, and now his respect for him grew even more. “I have to agree with the legend, Hawk. You’ve proven yourself to be the finest warrior.”

“He is. I know,” Randi agreed, all the love she felt for Hawk shining in her eyes. “Pa, there is something else.”

“What?”

“Something that happened while we were away . . .”

“What?” She sounded so serious that Jack was suddenly on edge. He had no idea what she was talking about.

Randi gave Hawk a slight smile as she faced her father. “Hawk and I fell in love, Pa. We want to get married.”

Jack was completely taken aback by Randi’s revelation. There had been a time not too long before when he would have opposed such a union. But not now. Now he knew exactly what kind of man Hawk was, and he admired and respected him.

“That’s wonderful!” Jack told them.

Randi had been holding her breath in anticipation of her father’s response. She’d prayed for the best, but was prepared to deal with the worst. At his words she gave a smile of relief.

“You approve?” she asked in delight, just needing to hear him say it again.

“You couldn’t have picked a better man, Randi.”

Randi looked over at Hawk, and she was positively glowing. Hawk was gazing back at her with the same intensity.

Jack stifled a grin as he looked at his future son-in-law. He began seriously, “Hawk, there is one thing.”

Hawk faced him, ready to do whatever was necessary to make Randi his wife. “What?”

“I know by riding the phantom stallion you proved you were the finest warrior, but are you sure you’re up to being married to my daughter?” By the time he finished, he was chuckling.

Hawk was smiling, too, as he answered, “There will never be a dull moment; that’s for sure.”

“Oh, you two!” Randi laughed at them both and got up to kiss her father on the cheek. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle both of you.”

“Somehow I think you’ll find a way,” Jack told her. “You always do.”

“Pa, you said Bruiser is here?” Randi asked.

Hawk wondered why she had suddenly changed the subject. Then he saw the impish twinkle in her eye and knew she was up to something.

“Yes, he’s out in the stable. Why?”

“Well, Hawk told me that in the village where he grew up the groom has to give the bride’s father a gift as a bride-price, and usually that gift is a horse.”

Jack knew where she was going now, and he told her, “I’ve got news for you, little girl. With all the trouble you get into, I should probably be the one giving Hawk a horse for wanting to marry you.”

“Oh, Pa.”

Again they all laughed together.

Jack sighed deeply when they stopped laughing. “Thank God you’re here.”

“I know,” she agreed.

“Are you all right?” Hawk noticed that Jack suddenly looked pale and exhausted.

“It’s been a long morning already,” he admitted.

“How’s your wound?”

“It still hurts, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’m still weak, too.”

“And you were planning to ride out and look for me?” Randi was shocked.

“I’d waited as long as I could. When Bruiser came back . . . well, I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit here anymore. I had to go and try to find you.” Jack met her gaze. “You’re the most important thing in the world to me, Randi.”

She went to hug him again.

“I’m going to go up to my room to get cleaned up a bit,” she finally told them. “How much time do you think we have until the sheriff shows up?”

“I hope he gets here by noon,” Jack answered. “We have to go after Pete today. The faster we act, the better chance we have of catching him off guard.”

“All right. I’ll be ready to ride whenever you are.”

“Wait a minute, young lady,” Jack said sharply. “You’re not riding there with us. I want you to stay right here, where I know you’ll be safe.”

“Pa, after what I’ve been through, there is no way I’m staying behind. I’m going to be right there with you and Hawk when the sheriff takes Pete in.”

“But I want you safe,” he repeated.

“There’s no safer place in the world for me than with you and Hawk.”

Jack was exasperated, but he knew that arguing with Randi when she was in this kind of mood was pointless. “Go get cleaned up.”

“I’ll be back,” she said as she left them alone.

“Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” Jack asked Hawk, smiling wryly.

“Yes, and I’m looking forward to it.”

The two men looked at each other with respect.

“Good,” Jack said, pleased to hear it.

Hawk left him then, so Jack could rest until the sheriff arrived. Going out to the bunkhouse, he washed up and changed his clothes, then went to the stable to keep Rob company while they waited for the lawman to arrive.

Sheriff Johnson had been in his office when the ranch hand from the Lazy S had shown up to tell him what had happened. He called together a group of men to make the trip out to the ranch with him. From the sound of things, he was going to need a posse to go after Pete Turner right away.

Hawk and Rob saw the lawman and his posse coming. They were waiting for them when they drew up in front of the house. Jack and Randi quickly came outside to speak with them. They told the lawman all that had happened.

“I’m glad you’re back safe, Randi,” Sheriff Johnson said.

“Thanks, Sheriff.”

“I’ll need to talk to Wade myself,” Sheriff Johnson insisted.

“We’ve got him locked up out in the stable,” Hawk told him.

Hawk, Randi, and Jack went with the sheriff to confront Wade. They unlocked the tack room door and remained standing in the open doorway as Sheriff Johnson went in.

“I hear you’re in deep trouble, Wade,” the sheriff began. “You might as well tell me everything now. It’ll go easier on you in the long run.”

Wade looked at the lawman skeptically. He knew how the law treated rustlers in these parts, but he figured it was worth a try. He had nothing to lose; that was for sure. “Pete Walker came to me a while back and offered me real good money to help him with some rustling.”

“And you said yes?” Sheriff Johnson was amazed by his stupidity.

“It was a lot of money, and it was easy enough to pull off. The way he set it up, I was never really involved in the actual rustling. I was just his middleman. The same way with the shootings—I just delivered Pete’s money to Fred Carter, but I didn’t have anything to do with the ambush. Fred’s the one who did it all. Fred’s the one who shot Jack and Hawk.”

Jack was filled with anger as he listened to Wade.

“God help you,” Jack muttered.

“God’s got nothing to do with this,” Wade responded defensively.

“You’re right about that,” Jack countered.

“Why is Pete so determined to cause trouble for the Lazy S?” Sheriff Johnson asked.

“Pete hates Jack. He always has. He figured he could never beat him any other way, so he decided to rustle some of his stock and try to run him out of business.”

“And run Pat Walker out of business, too,” Jack added in disgust.

“So?” Wade was indifferent.

“I thought you cared about Pat,” Jack said.

“Hell, no. The widow never meant anything to me. I was just using her, is all.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Jack snarled. He turned and walked away, not stopping until he was out of earshot.

“Me, too,” Sheriff Johnson agreed.