Brodie's Gamble (5 page)

“Aye, she admitted hitting him on the
back
of the head. Do you think she bludgeoned him, dragged him outside, and buried him?”

Removing his hat, Brodie ran a hand through his hair. It had taken both of them to carry the body into the doctor’s office so he could provide his opinion on the man’s death and check for other wounds. Brodie guessed the man had been a little under six feet tall and well over two hundred pounds. About five-foot-five and whisper thin, he’d be surprised if Maggie weighed more than a hundred twenty—much too small to carry Stoddard outside. Although he hadn’t studied the area as he should’ve, there was no indication Arnie had been dragged from the cabin.

“I don’t know and it’s not my job to decide. She’ll get a trial when the judge comes to town. The jury will determine her fate, not me.” As much as he believed what he said, he also knew another trip to the cabin was needed to discover what had been missed.

“When is the judge expected?”

“A few more weeks.” Sitting down, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I could take her to San Francisco for trial, but I’ve no one to keep watch on the town while I’m gone.” Strumming his fingers on the desk, he looked past Colin when the door opened.

“I heard you arrested a woman, Sheriff.” Jack strolled inside, shutting the door and taking a seat as if he were an actual deputy.

“Don’t you have work to do somewhere else, Jack?” Exhaustion forced Brodie’s patience to a thin line.

“Nope. Thought I’d help you out. You know, like watch the prisoner while you have supper.”

“A wonderful idea, lad.” Colin stood, ignoring Brodie’s fierce expression. “Sarah is expecting us for supper. It will be good for you to get out of here for a while.”

“He’s right, Sheriff.” Jack flashed him a smile.

Brodie sent each an exasperated glare. “You don’t go anywhere while I’m gone, Jack. Don’t go back to the cell to talk to her, and do not, under any circumstances, unlock the cell. I’ll bring her supper when I return. Do you understand?”

Jack almost danced with excited energy. “I sure do, Sheriff. I’ll stay right here at the desk until you get back. You can count on me.”

Slamming his hat down on his head, Brodie walked toward the door. “Don’t let me down, or this will be your first and last day sitting at that desk.”

Slapping Brodie on the back, Colin chuckled as they crossed the street. “So is this what you expected when you took the job?”

“Hell no. Drunks, an occasional theft or mischievous prank, saloon brawls, certainly cattle rustling. A woman murdering her husband never crossed my mind.”

“According to her, she wasn’t married to Stoddard, not legally anyway.” Colin sobered as he thought through what he knew. “A good lawyer could weave a tale of her being justified in getting away by any means necessary. Being kidnapped, held as a prisoner, and beaten wouldn’t sit well with people around here. Do you know of a good lawyer in Conviction? Someone who’s defended someone for murder and not just public drunkenness?”

“No. It appears I’d better start looking.” As the sheriff, he couldn’t do much to help her, other than gather all the evidence he could find and locate a decent lawyer. The rest would be up to her.

Brodie opened the door of the restaurant, seeing an anxious Sarah perched on the edge of her chair. A broad smile flashed across her face when she spotted them. “The lass is glad to have you back, Colin, although I don’t know why.” For the first time all day, he relaxed. The peaceful moment didn’t last long.

Waiting until they took their seats, Sarah speared Brodie with an icy glare.

“I hear you arrested that poor girl for killing the man who kidnapped and forced himself on her.”

“Can we let Brodie eat before rounding on him, lass? It’s not been a good day for him, either.” Colin leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek.

“Not a good day? Maggie King is sitting in a cell for doing what was right, and Brodie is sitting in a nice restaurant.” Sarah sucked in a breath, then let it out in a slow whoosh, sending Brodie a conciliatory look. “I know you must do your job, but I don’t have to like it.”

“Aye, you don’t have to like it, and neither do I. You and Colin were both there when she confessed. I’ve no choice now that we found a body.” He nodded when the server arrived with two whiskeys for Colin and him, and a switchel for Sarah.

Stirring her drink made of water, vinegar, honey, and ginger, she took a sip and smiled. “I would ride all the way to town just to get a glass of this.”

“Not drinking whiskey tonight, Sarah?” Brodie asked, nodding toward her glass. “I’ve never known you to pass up a whiskey when you’re off the ranch.”

Colin picked up Sarah’s hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles. She nodded at his unasked question.

“We have news.” Colin settled her hand in his lap, waiting for Brodie to respond.

Brodie’s hand stilled as he glanced between the two. “What news?”

“Sarah is with child.” Colin’s broad smile lit his face.

His eyes widening, Brodie stood, walked around the table, and leaned down to kiss Sarah on the cheek, then clasped Colin on the shoulder.

“It is not just news. It’s
magnificent
news. I’m certain the family is excited.”

Colin shook his head. “We came to town to see the doctor and make sure what Sarah thought was true. We’ve yet to tell the family.”

Sitting back down, Brodie picked up his glass for a toast. “Then I’m honored to be the first to know.” After being almost shunned for weeks by his family, Brodie couldn’t explain what it meant for him to be the first to learn they were having a baby. “To Sarah, Colin, and the wee bairn.”

Sarah blushed as she took a sip of her drink.

“The doctor told you not to drink whiskey?” Brodie asked, setting his glass down.

“Nae.” Sarah shook her head. “He said an occasional sherry or wine could be medicinal. The man was not so approving of whiskey. I don’t much like sherry or wine so…”

“You drink it when Kyla pours you a glass.”

“Aye, Brodie. To be polite. And don’t you be telling Kyla that or there’ll be hell to pay.” Sarah sent him a withering glare. She loved Colin’s mother and never wanted to hurt her feelings.

“You know Ma wouldn’t care if you told her. Maybe it’s time you confess about the sherry.” Colin leaned back as the server set down their meals of sliced beef, roasted potatoes, beans, and biscuits.

“Aye. The best time would be when you tell everyone about the baby,” Brodie suggested, cutting into his roast. “Catch her at a good time.”

They ate in silence, enjoying the meal and each other’s company. After the waiter delivered dessert and filled their coffee cups, Brodie’s face grew serious. He leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“Maggie will need a lawyer and I’ve no idea what to tell her.”

“Surely there is someone in town who can take her case.” Colin sipped his coffee, glancing over the rim at his wife, a warm sensation growing deep in his belly. He wanted to finish supper, then take her upstairs and into their bed.

“There are three I know about. The best one is August Fielder.”

“Aye. Everyone knows Fielder is the best, but I’ve heard he’s so busy with his other businesses he never practices anymore.”

“I’ve heard the same. There is one who moved here from back east a year ago. He’s older and spends most of his time playing cards and drinking at Buckie’s. The other hung up a shingle, but no one knows anything about him, except he’s from Louisiana.” Brodie rubbed his chin, studying the liquid in his cup. It wasn’t his place to track down a good lawyer. His job was to hold her for trial, nothing more.

“You don’t sound comfortable with either.” Sarah sat back, folding her arms over her stomach.

“I don’t have to be comfortable. Mrs. Stoddard does.”

“Why do you insist on calling her by the name of the man who hurt her when she’s made it clear they weren’t married? The least you could do is call her Maggie King, as she’s asked.” Sarah still felt raw about the young woman being jailed, even though she understood Brodie’s reasons.

“Agreed, lass. I’ll do my best to remember.” He’d made it a point to call her Mrs. Stoddard. Doing so helped him keep his distance and perspective. Neither Sarah nor Colin knew about or would understand the attraction he felt for Maggie, the strong need he had to protect and take care of her. A need that could get him in trouble if he acted on it. It would take all his willpower to douse his growing desire and stay away from her until the judge came to town.

“I’ll send inquiries to San Francisco and Sacramento. Maybe a lawyer there would be willing to travel here and defend her, although I doubt she has money to pay.” Colin drained his coffee and set the cup aside.

“Nae, don’t waste your time. The lass has no money and few, if any, friends. I can ask around about a lawyer. Surely there are others besides the two I know about. I’ll also send a telegram to Denver. She may have family looking for her.” Brodie pushed his chair back and reached into his pocket.

Colin held up his hand. “I’m paying for supper tonight. You need to get back to the jail and make sure your new deputy is doing his job.”

“You don’t need to tell me, and he isn’t a deputy—yet. As I said, it may be his first and last chance at being in charge of a prisoner.”

MacLaren’s Circle M Ranch

“Come on, Bram. Brace up the end so I can secure it.” Quinn groaned under the weight of the large log. One of his younger brothers, Bram, worked alongside him, as did Brodie’s younger brother, Fletcher. The addition to one of their barns was long overdue. “That’s it, lad.”

“I thought you said this part would only take a couple hours.” At eighteen, Fletcher stood almost as tall as the oldest MacLaren cousins, including Brodie.

“You complaining already? Wait until we get to the hard part.” A year older than Fletcher, Bram flashed him a smile as he stepped away, slapping his hands on his pants.

“And where are Cam and Sean? Shouldn’t they be helping?” Fletcher referred to his other cousins, Camden and Sean.

“Stop your whining, Fletch. You know both are with the herd. They’ll be here when they can.” Quinn looked at what they’d accomplished, shooting a satisfied grin at Blaine.

Brodie, Colin, Quinn, and Blaine had grown up practically joined at the hips. Camden, Bram, Fletcher, and Sean were similar, seldom separated, and now of age to take on more responsibilities.

“We may have this finished before Colin and Sarah return.” Blaine scooped water from a nearby pale, poured it over his head, then shook his hair. The cold October air should’ve made him shiver. Instead, he felt refreshed.

“Ach.” Quinn stepped away, too late to miss being sprayed with water. “Watch what you’re doing.” Shoving Blaine’s shoulder, he laughed. Sobering, he remembered all the good times he’d shared with the oldest cousins. He missed Brodie, and with Colin married, he didn’t have much free time.

“Well, look there.” Blaine pointed to the trail from town. “Looks like Colin and Sarah.”

“Aye, it’s them.” Quinn tugged his hat lower on his forehead and turned toward the others. “All right, lads. Let’s finish this last part then get back to the other chores.”

“I wonder if he spoke to Brodie.” Of all of them, Blaine understood his cousin’s need to fulfill his dream of being a lawman. He might not have gone searching for work as a sheriff or marshal, or even a Texas Ranger, but he’d accepted the job when offered, disappointing his parents and surprising many in the family.

“Appears we’ll be finding out.” Quinn set down the tool he’d been holding, straightening when the wagon came to a stop. “Welcome back.”

Colin acknowledged the greeting then jumped down, reaching up to help Sarah. Setting her on the ground, he turned to survey the log addition, walking around to study what they’d accomplished since they’d left.

“Looks good, lads. When will you finish?”

“Two more days if we can get the laddies here to work harder.” Quinn shot a glance at Bram and Fletcher.

“Aye, if we can get Cam and Sean to stop what they’re doing long enough to do some real work,” Bram joked, noticing something in Sarah’s expression he hadn’t seen before. “What is it, lass? Are you feeling all right?”