Stained Snow (4 page)

He hated that it was true, and he couldn’t find a good enough argument against it. He sighed. “Let me take Anna and David home.” Or at least out to Patrick’s. He trusted his stepfather to take care of them. William’s foreman could take care of the ranch for the few days he’d be gone “I’ll be back in the morning.”

#

William stood in front of the door while Anna pinned the badge to his shirt. The weight of it already pulled down on him. He was a rancher, not a lawman. The sheriff rarely called on him if it wasn’t necessary. He still wished the sheriff had found someone else to do this. His two regular deputies were already out of town and the other men who had been on the posse had other responsibilities as well. It wasn’t only him.

Anna ran her hand down his chest once she had the badge safely fastened on. “I don’t want to leave you,” he murmured.

She lifted her face to his. “I don’t want you to go.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Anna. I should have told him no.”

She shook her head then laid it on his chest. “No. He needs to go back, and Carl knows you’ll get him there. Hurry back to us, Will.”

He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before brushing his lips over hers. “That I will do.”

He turned to where David pulled on a boot. Something slithered through his chest and caught in his throat. “What are you doing, David?” He feared he already knew the answer.

“I’m going with you, Pa,” the boy said without looking up.

“No.” The one word was harsher than he’d meant it, but he said it again, softer but just as firm. “No, David. You’re staying here with your ma.”

“You said I could go to the fort with you sometime.” His voice quivered.

He had meant in a few more years and when he helped Patrick drive some horses there. “Not this time, David. We’re not taking horses to them. The man I’m taking is dangerous. I don’t want him anywhere near you.” William squatted down so he was eye level with his son and moisture gathered in the boy’s eyes. “I’ll only be gone a few days, but I need you to take care of things while I’m gone. Can you do that for me?”

The boy nodded. William glanced up to Anna smiling at him. She didn’t need anyone to take care of her. Certainly not a five-year-old boy. It would give him a good reason for staying behind, and a certain sense of responsibility.

He stood back up and gave Anna one last kiss. He squeezed David’s shoulder before turning and walking out to the horse he had already saddled. He swung onto the horse’s back, the leather creaking beneath him. As he turned the horse’s head away from the house, he turned his head to look back once. His wife and son stood together, watching him leave. He had to steel himself against wheeling the horse around and staying with them.

But, he had made a promise.

He kicked his horse into a lope, not wanting to waste any more time. The sun had barely begun to rise as he left the ranch, but by the time he reached town, everyone had started their day. He headed straight for the sheriff’s office. Relief filled Carl’s eyes when he stepped inside.

“I hoped you would be coming in,” Carl said.

William thought that was relief filling the sheriff’s eyes and voice. “I said I would be, didn’t I? I had to make sure Patrick could keep an eye on them.”

“I know you don’t want to leave your family. If either of my deputies were here, I’d have them do it, or go myself. I can’t leave the town unprotected.”

William understood even if he didn’t want to. “Let me get going, so I can get back to them.”

The sheriff nodded. “I’ll get the prisoner. Al should have his horse ready to go.”

William didn’t say anything as he waited for the sheriff to bring the man out. He wanted to get this done with. “Hand him over to the commander when you get there. They’ll take it from there.”

“Really you don’t have to do this,” the prisoner insisted. “Say I escaped. I got away from you. Tell them I died. Don’t take me back there, please.”

Carl reached over and smacked the back of his head. “I told you last night you won’t get out of this. You shouldn’t have deserted your post, killed that man, or tried to steal from this town. Now, you’re going back to face the music.”

“They’re going to kill me.”

“Should’ve thought of that before.” William tugged on the short chain between his shackles.

Once William had the prisoner on his horse, he took a length of rope and secured the shackle chain to the horn of the saddle. He would still be able to hold on but couldn’t use his hands for anything else. He tied a longer rope to the animal’s bridle and held onto it as he mounted his own horse. He didn’t say a word but glanced back once he was in the saddle.

The sheriff nodded at him. “Take care, William. I’ll see you in a few days.”

For the first few miles, the prisoner kept wheedling for his freedom. When William had enough, he pulled his horse to a stop and jumped from his saddle, pulling his gun as he headed for the other man. The prisoner’s eyes widened, and his face paled. William didn’t even pull the hammer back, flipping it around to hold it by the barrel instead.

“Shut your mouth. If I hear another word from you other than a request to relieve yourself, I will put a dent in your head and tie you over that saddle. They only said to get you there alive. No other conditions were mentioned. Do you understand?” Not that he’d see it through. He wouldn’t have usually even made the threat, but the rope of his patience stretched incredibly tight right now and was about to snap.

The prisoner’s throat moved when he swallowed, obviously believing the threat. He nodded, and William returned to his horse. If the start was any indication, it would be a long few days.

Chapter 5

Lander, Wyoming Territory

May 9, 1887

Thomas Jensen pulled his horse to a stop on a hill overlooking the Flying B Ranch. His face tightened with a sneer as he watched the activity below him through his field glass. His stepfather always cared more about this place than he did any of them. He had been the only one to see it. How he’d made him work like a slave for no payment as a boy. He’d taken care of that. His kid brother had been only too willing to take on even Thomas’ own load of the work. He’d made his escape from this place. Twice.

He turned his horse and headed back down the hill, and toward the next ranch, where his brother had set up a life with his little family.

It’s what he should have had, not his brother. William stole it all from him. With the anger riding with him, Thomas kicked his horse into a gallop, covering the short distance in even less time. He didn’t know why his brother started his own ranch. The two were practically still one. “Still being protected by stepdaddy,” he muttered.

Thomas had a father, he didn’t need another one. He’d never needed a little brother, either more of a pain than anything. He’d gotten both of those within a few years of each other. He would have been happy if it had been him and his Ma, and his father, if he had come home from the war. That wasn’t the way it was. He was determined to get back as close to that as he could. Starting with taking back what should have been his in the first place.

His brother’s house came in sight now. He’d been staying with the Barnes’ in Colorado, but he rode up here every couple weeks. It was a good ride between but worth it to keep his brother on edge.

He figured it had been fate to come across those two men on his last trip up here. They hadn’t expected him either, and it had been easy enough to take their coin purses and billfolds after slitting their throats. He’d only been a couple miles from his brother’s ranch. A quick trip to dump them off then wait for him to find them. He’d seen the distress on William’s face. For the next two days, he’d remembered it simply for the pleasure of that.

It wasn’t enough for him anymore. The time had come for Thomas to get back everything he deserved. Time to make William realize what it meant to lose everything.

He rode up to the porch before swinging down from the saddle. Anna must have heard his approach because she stepped right out onto the porch. She seemed surprised to see him there and wrapped her light shawl tighter around her shoulders. “What are you doing here, Thomas? You’re not welcome. William is not here.”

That nearly threw him. Only for a moment. He’d pictured leaving his brother bleeding on the ground while he rode away with his wife. He had to adjust that image now. “I know,” he lied. “That’s why I am.”

Fear leapt into her eyes, and it fired something up inside of him. He stepped forward, and she rewarded him by taking a step back. He liked the fear in her eyes. Liked to think about what he could make her do because of it.

“I told you over six years ago I never wanted to see you again,” she told him with her back braced against the side of the house. “When you didn’t show up, even for our wedding, I thought you respected that.”

“Why would I respect anything you tell me because of him? He’s not worth even an ounce of my respect.”

“Be careful how you speak about my husband,” she said, her chin coming up and eyes flaring.

He couldn’t wait to snuff out that fire. “Be careful how you speak to me,” he told her. “You should have been mine. All of this should have been mine. He stole it out from under me.”

“He stole nothing. I never wanted you. You never really wanted me, but only to hurt him.” She took a step toward him. “That’s still all you want. Get off my porch. Get off our land.”

“I will do no such thing. You’re coming with me. It’s time I had what I should have all this time. You’ll be mine now.”

“Just because you take something from someone else doesn't make it yours.”

“Get away from my ma.” A little voice cried from behind him.

Thomas kept hold of Anna’s arm but turned to the little boy now standing on the porch with them. In his plans, he’d forgotten about his nephew. “Mind your own business, boy. This is none of yours.”

“Yes, it is. That’s my ma. Pa said I’m man of the house while he’s gone. Let go of her.”

He did let go of her, but only to round on the boy. He grabbed the front of his shirt in his fist. Something small and wooden fell from the boy’s hand. A toy of some kind. “I told you to mind your own business, boy. If you don’t want to get hurt, you’d better get out of my way.”

“No, I won’t. I won’t let you hurt my ma.”

Thomas threw the boy away from him and David fell down the two steps, landing on his back on the hard ground. Thomas turned back to Anna. “If you don’t come with me, it’s your son who will pay for it. Now, come.”

“No,” she said pulling back from him. As David stirred on the ground, she yelled, “Get out of here, David. Go.”

The boy staggered to his feet and shook his head, as if confused. He took a step toward them. Anna yelled at him again, and this time he did as she asked. Too late, though. Thomas lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. David fell to the ground, red spreading across the back of his shirt. Anna screamed and started forward, but Thomas wrapped an arm around her.

“Nothing keeping you here now.”

Her body shook, and she clawed at him, but he clamped her arms to her sides with one of his and carried her down the porch. He walked past the boy bleeding on the ground without a second look. Anna screamed until he covered her mouth and nose with his other hand, When she went still in his arms, he released her, but she still didn’t move. He felt her breathing, so he threw her onto the saddle, tying her legs and arms to the stirrups before he stepped away. He had a few things to take care of before they went on their way.

Chapter 6

Fort McKinney, Wyoming Territory

May 9, 1887

William was glad to see the gate opening for them as they approached the fort, ready to be done with this prisoner. The sky was darkening, even though it wasn’t that late yet. From the clouds building, a storm must be coming.

The prisoner had tried to escape a few more times until William had finally seen through on his promise to tie him over the saddle. It added about half a day to their time on the trail.

He rode through the gates where a uniformed man waited for him. He didn’t care for the smirk on the man’s face. “Give you some trouble, did he?” He gestured to a couple men, and they came forward to take the man’s horse from William. The commander turned back to him. “Thank you for getting him here.” He stopped, and his eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re Patrick Bailey’s boy, aren’t you?”

William didn’t know why those words always gave a slight twist to his insides. Patrick considered him a son, and William thought of him as his father. It still felt like a betrayal to a man William had never known. “Yes, I am.”

“He hasn’t brought any horses up this way this year.”

“No, sir. He hasn’t culled out the best for you yet.”

The commander nodded. “I hope all is well.”

“It is. Now, I guess I’d better be starting back.”

“Why don’t you stay? We’ll feed you since you’ve gone to the trouble of bringing him back here. His sentence will be handed down in the morning. You should stay for it.”