Swept Away (16 page)

“If we had a few more days,” Luke went on, “it might make the difference between saving her and just getting us all killed. I don’t want you all to pay with your lives for helping me. I’d go in tonight, right now, the four of us against them all, if I thought he was going to touch her again. No matter whether it meant I got the ranch back or not. I’d rather die trying than sit here while she’s being hurt.”

“There’s no way we can get through that canyon unnoticed,” Dare said.

“I think I can get past those sentries. There’s a game trail I know that might work. I’ll need to scout it out to be sure, but I’m willing to risk using it tonight.”

“Food’s ready. Is everyone eating?” Ruthy pulled a stack of plates off a shelf.

The men, even agitated as they were, all said yes with such enthusiasm it was as if they hadn’t eaten in days.

Or maybe they were building up their strength to fight a private war.

She divided a small mountain of bacon and fried potatoes between them, taking a smaller portion for herself, but still enough. She needed to keep her own strength up, because she was going to be part of this.

Dare joined Luke and Big John at the table. Vince took his plate and went back to the door.

After she poured them each a cup of coffee, she decided to make her intentions known. Talking to Luke before they’d come into Dare’s place tonight, she’d been upset at being pulled into the middle of a gunfight. No more.

Now she knew exactly what she wanted. Her goal was as clear as the Texas sky and as straight as a Comanche arrow. She sat beside Luke at the table straight across from Dare, with Vince standing behind Dare at the door and Big John sitting across from Luke. She waited until their mouths were full, which took no time at all.

“I’m going to be right in the middle of this fight or I’ll know the reason why.”

Dare choked on a chunk of potato. Vince spit coffee onto the floor. Big John’s Texas Ranger badge flickered and flashed until it matched the fire in his eyes.

Luke slammed down his fork with a sharp clatter. “I’ll give you a reason why—”

“I’m good with a rifle.” She cut him off. “If there were plenty of us and it was a fair fight, I’d stay out. But even if you wait for John, and a lot of Greer’s cowhands ride away, you’re still outnumbered and Greer’s got a well-defended home. It’ll be hard to flush him out. I won’t hide while you all risk your lives.”

“It’s no place for a woman.” Dare tapped his fork impatiently on his plate. Even sitting the man could not be still.

“I’ve been slapped too many times in my life to let another woman endure that, not if I can stop it. And I was harassed too often by that stinking pig Virgil to sit safely at home while a woman puts up with worse than happened to me.”

“Miss,” Big John Conroy said, sounding so wise and reasonable it was all Ruthy could do not to dump his cup of coffee over his head, “this is best left to—”

“I’m going to help. You can leave me here, locked up, unarmed, but I’ll get out. I’ll arm myself. I’ll find the fight. I’m good with a gun. I’m good in the woods. I can be of use to you. Tell them, Luke.”

Luke acted as if she were pouring hot coals down his throat when she asked him to side with her. “Tell ’em what? That this is a plan hatched by a half-wit?”

“Tell these men how I handled myself in those woods.” She turned to meet his eyes dead on. “If you won’t honestly admit I’m a sight better than you, then I’m saying, out loud, to every man here that you’re a liar.”

All four men froze at the insult, even Dare. In the West, to call a man a liar was to ask him to meet you at high noon. Land deals were struck on a handshake. Thousands
of dollars’ worth of cattle changed hands just on a man’s word that he’d pay what was owed. A man with the reputation of a liar was ruined. No one would do business with him. He had to leave the state and find a new home and hope his reputation didn’t follow him.

Ruthy knew that very well.

One by one, the men at the table turned to Luke.

“That true, kid?” Vince asked. “She’s better’n you? Cuz you’re all mighty good.”

“Will you admit it, Luke? It doesn’t matter if you do or not. I’m in this fight to stay.”

“She’s good. No denying it.” He glared at her, hornet mad to admit the truth. “I never saw her with a gun, but just like I ain’t a man to lie, neither is she a woman to do such. I reckon if she says she can hold her own with a fire iron, it’s the truth.”

So, Luke wasn’t a liar. He was a stubborn, bad-tempered mule hungry for revenge.

But not a liar.

Ruthy’s heart pounded as she waited for the men to decide whether to include her in their planning.

“Your family really hit you?” Luke asked quietly. The whole room fell silent.

“They weren’t my family. They just took me in when my folks died. But yes.”

“And Virgil . . .” Luke said his name in a way that made a chill race up and down Ruthy’s spine. “He’s the one you had to lock the door against by night and hide from by day?”

“I had no lock, but I had a chair I wedged under the door, and I slept with a butcher knife under my pillow.”

“And you say Virgil is dead?” From his tone, Luke
seemed to promise that if Virgil wasn’t dead, Luke might want to go have a long, hard talk with him.

“I saw his broken body floating down the flooded river. He’s dead.”

Luke nodded for far too long. “It seems you know better than any of us what that woman is going through.”

“I do. And before God, I will not sit in safety while she needs help. I want you to get your ranch back, Luke. But more than that, I want Flint Greer crushed, and I’d be proud to involve myself in the crushing.”

“That’s mighty bold talk for a pretty little frontier woman.” Vince had humor in his voice, but Ruthy wasn’t in the mood for it.

With a sigh, Luke looked between his friends, his eyes settling on Vince. “What do you think?”

This wasn’t the first time Ruthy noticed that in a group of strong men, they all seemed to look to Vince.

“I think since she plans to come anyway, we might as well find out where she’ll be the most use.” Then Vince looked straight at her. “But we’re trying to protect a woman in danger already. If we save her but get you hurt, we haven’t done one bit of good. Tell me you understand that, Miss Ruthy. Promise me you’ll listen to us and take the precautions we ask. We’re all tough men who’ve been to war and back. Tough as you are, you’re barely more than a girl. If you won’t think to your own safety, then think about the terrible scar it’d leave on our souls to let you be harmed if we fail to protect you.”

Ruthy gave a firm nod of agreement. “I’ll let you make it safe for me. You have my word I’ll listen to your instructions and follow them.” Then she added, “Who knows? I might have a few instructions for the lot of you before I’m done.”

Big John frowned, clearly not happy about Ruthy’s help, but done arguing. “That’s settled then. We wait now until we can take Bullard out of the picture. Then we make our move to get rid of the sheriff. You keep working on the hired men, Luke. Thin the herd. Take your little scout with you so we can learn the extent of her skills in the woods.”

“You’re talking about days, John.” Dare started pacing again. “Glynna Greer might not have days.”

“How big a chance is there that Bullard won’t show up here in the next couple of days with that loco wife of his?” Luke asked.

“Almost none.” Dare’s voice was so dry, Ruthy thought she heard a cactus bristle scraping his throat.

“Then when he shows up, we make our move. Do you want us to jump him?” Big John went back to eating.

“That won’t be necessary.” Dare picked up his fork.

“You’ll have your hands pretty full,” Luke said, going back to eating with less enthusiasm than before. “You think you can handle him and his screaming woman?”

“Bullard has taken to bringing a bottle along with him to these doctor visits. He drinks while he waits. He left a half-full bottle last time, and I’ve already got it laced with laudanum. He’ll be asleep before he’s been here an hour. He’ll be groggy before he passes out, and I’ll be able to get him out of the office. Then you can get him out of here, John. Hide him somewhere until you get those transport orders to Sheriff Porter and he hits the trail. Then you take Bullard and go. We’ll wait as long as we can. But if I get word Mrs. Greer is in danger, we’re riding in and taking her out of there, and I don’t care how many men I have to face.”

John nodded. “He brings whiskey to visit the doctor?”

“Yep.” Dare took a long sip of coffee. “You haven’t met Lana Bullard. I’m almost ready to make Simon split the bottle with me, and I don’t even drink.”

There was a long silence and then the men broke into laughter. It almost seemed as if they needed to laugh to break the terrible tension.

But Ruthy couldn’t find a laugh anywhere.

C
HAPTER 11

It had been nearly a week since he’d met up with Dodger the first time, and for the first time some of Luke’s tension eased. “How many men are left?”

Dodger sat down and leaned back against a rock. He could ride past those sentries easy enough. He had to do it every day to check the herd, and afterward he’d wind around a mesa out of their sight and meet Luke and Ruthy. “We’re past roundup, so the hands were thinning out anyway. Greer hires on a lot of drifters in the spring, then later they move on. I’d say he’s down around ten hands right now. Half of those are hired guns, loafers who take turns standing sentry and do little else. Five of us, along with Greer and Bullard, do all the work—ride Greer’s range that goes on for miles. I’ve been spreading the word about Mrs. Greer’s injuries and how she got ’em. I thought the men might just take the fight to Greer himself when I told them everything, but I convinced them to hold off by telling them about Greer stealing land and how we’re trying to get him arrested, which would keep him away from Mrs. Greer forever. I expect more men to head out before long. If they don’t, they’ll side with me if I brace Greer.”

Rosie pulled cookies out of the folded cloth she’d
brought along. Luke took one—with plans to have a few more. But as he munched, he wondered why the woman didn’t start tidying up the rocky ground. She could
not
relax. She’d baked cookies last night after they’d gotten home. Long past time for her to have been ready to quit for the night. They’d been out on the trail all day every day from before sunrise to after dark.

“And Mrs. Greer is all right?” Rosie asked.

“I’ve got one of the men assigned to take eggs, milk, and vegetables into the kitchen. She ain’t been outside at all for near on to two months, since before the doctor was out the first time. My man got a glimpse of her, though. She was staying out of sight for the last week, but he saw her in the kitchen yesterday. She’s healing. He’s gotten the little girl to tell how things are going. But Greer’s guards keep track of how long a man stays inside. So my man can’t learn much. We’re all working double shifts because so many of Greer’s men are hired guns. The long hours keep us away from the house.”

Rosie held the plate of cookies out to Dodger.

He took a handful as he talked. “Greer seems upset about losing the men, and if he gets upset enough, he might take it out on her. We’re watching, Miss MacNeil. I promise you we are. I’m prepared to go in there and stop him myself if there’s more trouble. The little girl’s window faces the bunkhouse. My man gave her a bright piece of blue glass and told her to hang it in the window if there’s trouble. We’ll come a-runnin’. I’m hoping you’re ready to face Greer before we need to do that. If your plan works and he goes, she’ll be safe.”

“They’re married.” Luke ate another cookie. “If I can’t make an arrest stick, Greer will think his wife should stay with him wherever he moves on to.”

“Yep, they’re married, and Greer’s mighty possessive of his missus. But you’re gonna make the arrest stick, unless he runs. If he runs, he’s gonna have to leave her behind. And if he stays, he’s gonna be locked up for life.”

“Either way, she’s safe,” Rosie said with a grimly satisfied nod.

“I want to show you where the sentries are.” Dodger finished his last cookie.

Luke stood and gave Rosie a hand up. “These men are loyal to Greer, so be mighty careful of them, Rosie.”

“My name is not Rosie.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I don’t think I can stop calling you that.”

“Let’s go do some scouting.” Dodger led the way.

Luke regretted Dodger’s company. He’d’ve rather spent time alone with Rosie.