Blessing (Widows Of Wildcat Ridge Book 2) Read online

  The doctor applied salve to some of the wounds. When Colin moaned, the physician gave him laudanum. He corked the bottle and set it on the washstand beside the salve container.

  “No point trying to bandage him. He’d look like a mummy. Man’s likely bleeding inside. His pee will have blood in it, so be prepared. If you can get anything down him, make sure he drinks as much water as he will. Broth will help temporarily.” He snapped shut his medical bag.

  “Temporarily? You gonna tell me how often to use the salve and laudanum?”

  “I have to prepare you, son, you’re fighting a losing battle. Keep him as comfortable as you can until he passes. If he survives a month it’ll be a miracle. I’ll be back in a couple of days.”

  Thad stood beside the grave of the man who had been like a father to him. He wasn’t ashamed of the tears he shed. Colin Ross had turned him from an angry eighteen-year-old into a responsible man of twenty-six. Thad was surprised to learn Colin had left him a cash bequest.

  Colin Jr was the estate executor. Colin’s younger son, the man’s wife, and Colin’s daughter squabbled over dividing up the furniture and things that had been their mother’s. Even during the graveside service, his children were quibbling over who got what.

  After the funeral, Colin Jr. took Thad aside. “We appreciate the care you gave Pa. The doctor said you sat with him most of the time after he was hurt.”

  Thad wanted to snap at the man and ask him why none of the family who were so keen on acquiring their father’s possessions had come to stay with him. He longed to lecture them for not visiting their father for the past two years. Ask why didn’t they even write him letters?

  Instead, he said, “I tried to make sure he was comfortable. Bart and Pick took turns when I needed relieving. We all thought a lot of Colin. He was a fine man, one of the best I’ve ever met.”

  Colin Jr brushed an imaginary speck from his lapel. “You’re welcome to stay on as foreman. We’re selling the ranch but whoever buys it might want you to work for them.”

  “Thanks, but I’m going after those horses. I promised Colin I’d find them and the men who beat him and see they’re punished.”

  The other man shook his head. “After all this time? You’ll never be able to track those horses or locate the men who stole them. The marshal said there was no way.”

  “I will find those horses. When I do, I’ll make sure the men who killed your father see justice. You can count on it.”

  Chapter Three

  On Sunday, the weather was glorious. Buster and her employees returned from church at Wildcat Ridge. Marnie and Lucy had packed a picnic lunch to eat before returning home.

  Dub carried inside part of the picnic supplies from the wagon then leaned against the parlor doorjamb. “Mighty fine dinner, ladies.”

  Mac set a box of tin plates, cups, and eating utensils on the table. “Don’t believe I could eat another bite—unless you have some of that peach cobbler left.”

  Marnie removed her bonnet. “I might have saved back a couple of cobblers for supper but you’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”

  The young man grabbed the cook by the waist, twirled her around, and kissed her cheek. “Will you marry me, Marnie Keith?”

  She pretended to be affronted but the twinkle in her brown eyes gave her away. “Get on with you, Sean MacPhearson, before I box your ears.” Marnie always called him Sean instead of by his nickname of Mac.

  Buster joined Dub and Lucy in laughing. The men had hurried through their chores this morning before heading for town and now had the rest of the day free. Normally on a ranch, everyone worked every day. Her dad, William Odell, had made a most-of-Sunday-off rule which she continued.

  Except for herself, of course. She drifted toward what had been her father’s study until his death just over a month ago. When she reached the doorway, she found papers littering the floor. She hurried into the room where everything was topsy-turvy.

  She slowly turned to assess the damage and shouted, “Dub? Dub, come quickly.”

  Apparently he recognized the alarm in her voice because he raced in but stopped short. “What sorry sidewinder did this?”

  “And why? Straightening this mess will take hours and hours, maybe days.” She picked up papers and ledgers and laid them on the desk before gathering more.

  Marnie came to the door. “Oh my word, who’d do such a terrible thing? Likely one of the new people in town. Too many drifters up to no good if you ask me. I’ll go check upstairs.”

  Dub righted an overturned chair. “That safe was supposed to be impossible to crack.” Disgust laced his voice, “Look at it, standing with the door wide open like it’s laughing at us.”

  “Maybe Marnie’s right. Everyone around here knows we don’t keep a lot of cash on hand so this had to be the work of a newcomer. There wasn’t more than a few dollars left after paying the hands Saturday morning.”

  Buster examined the safe’s contents that hadn’t been tossed onto the floor. “The cash is still here. What else could the polecat have wanted?”

  Dub set a stack of papers on the desk. “I say we pick up everything and divide it into piles. Maybe then you can tell if something’s missing.”

  Buster rubbed her arms. “Knowing someone came in and did this makes my skin crawl. Don’t you see, Dub, it means someone’s been watching and knows our routine?”

  She sniffed. “Whoever the polecat was he smoked a cigar.”

  Dub paused and inhaled. “Yeah, I smell it, too, but doesn’t tell me who was here.”

  Marnie came to the door. “Nothing touched except in your father’s room. Oh, I’m so sorry to tell you, Blessing, but it looks like this one.”

  Buster’s hand fluttered to her throat. “Papa’s room? That makes me so angry. If I get my hands on the culprit responsible, I’ll skin his hide and nail it to the barn.”

  How dare someone make rubbish of her beloved father’s possessions? She hadn’t yet been able to get rid of anything of his. Not that she was keeping his room as a shrine but she couldn’t bring herself to intrude by going through his personal belongings.

  Marnie shook her head. “That’s no way for a young lady to talk, Blessing Odell, and especially not on the Sabbath.”

  “You know Papa always said if it’s wrong on Sunday then it’s wrong the other six days of the week.”

  Her housekeeper pointed a forefinger at her. “Exactly, so watch how you talk, Blessing.”

  She wished Marnie would call her Buster like everyone except her friend Priscilla did. Right now, she had more important worries to consider. What had the culprit wanted—and did he find it?

  Buster was still out of sorts the next day when she heard hoofbeats enter the yard. Soon, she heard her father’s friend, Silas Hansen, greet Marnie. His tread echoed down the hall and he entered the office.

  “Hello, Buster. Looks like you had a tornado come through.” He was a handsome man several years younger than her father had been. Silas had bought a smaller ranch near theirs about a year ago.

  She continued sorting papers. “Some lowdown, sorry sidewinder came in and ransacked the place while we were at church yesterday. Straightening out all these papers will probably take a week.”

  “Aw, too bad that happened. Reckon that’s the sort of thing you can expect now that folks know there’s a woman’s in charge instead of a man. Likely your ranch hands will be deserting you soon. Cowboys believe it’s bad luck to work for a woman.”

  “I disagree. For your information, our hands are loyal. They’re all staying except the one Dub fired for sleeping on the job. That man was lazy and that had nothing to do with me being a woman.”

  She glanced up. “What brings you here today?” Silas had been Papa’s friend so she forced herself to be polite in spite of what he’d just said.

  His jovial manner when she faced this mess didn’t agree with her. “Stopped by to see if you need my help. Even better, came to make you an offer for the ranch. I could take it off
your hands and you could retire to town and live in luxury, even go to Salt Lake City or Denver.”

  She met his gaze and frowned. “I’ll stay right where I am, Silas, and continue to operate the Rafter O Ranch.”

  He shook his head sorrowfully. “I think you’re making a mistake, little lady. The ranch will only decrease in value. Look at what happened with the horse sale to the Army. Now you’re stuck with more stock than you can feed.”

  She returned to sorting papers. “I’ve made arrangements for those horses, as you’ll see if you ride into town. Everything is right on schedule.”

  “Yeah, I heard about the sale. Also heard you’re splitting the profits with the ladies in Wildcat Ridge. Surely that can’t be true?”

  She met his brown-eyed gaze. “It is for a fact. They need cash but Papa left me with enough to last me the rest of my days as long as I’m careful.”

  Silas’ face turned mottled red and his smile appeared forced. “Lucky for you and the women in town. Still, I meant my offer. Your father was a good friend and he’d want me to help make sure you receive the best life possible. Hope you’ll come to your senses and accept.”

  “Not a chance of me selling the Rafter O. Since you were Papa’s friend, I’m surprised you’d offer. Surely you know he counted on me continuing to run the ranch after he’d gone—even if we thought that would be years from now.”

  “Sure hated his passing. A great loss to the community.”

  “And to me but I’m moving ahead, Silas. This ranch is his legacy to me and I’ll never sell.”

  He beat his hat against his leg. “Well, you know where to find me if you change your mind. I’ll let you get on with your straightening.”

  “Goodbye, Silas. Perhaps you’ll see yourself out.”

  When the man had gone, she sat considering what he’d said. She figured he’d love to get his hands on the Rafter O Ranch. What rancher in his right mind wouldn’t love to acquire the largest spread in the area?

  Papa had trained her to run the ranch even if she didn’t have Dub to help her. She knew the schedules and how to accomplish each task. The fact she didn’t participate in each one—like castrating and breeding—didn’t mean she couldn’t. Durned if she wouldn’t show all the naysayers she could run a ranch with the best of them.

  Chapter Four

  After weeks, Thad King had tracked the four horses stolen from Colin Ross to a ranch near this small mining town of Wildcat Ridge. Colin used special horse shoes that Thad could identify anywhere. The blacksmith had imbedded a CR on the shoes.

  Colin had been beaten too badly to regain consciousness for more than a few minutes at a time. Even then he had sometimes been delirious.

  In one of his few lucid moments, he confided, “Seen the leader somewhere… Can’t think right… wanted me to sign bill of sale.”

  Dying had taken him almost two months.

  Just as he’d promised, Thad fully intended to catch the culprits and make sure they were brought to justice.

  Today the sun sent its rays to warm him but the temperature was pleasant. Not a cloud was in sight but everything was green and healthy, including the distant hills and mountains. In spite of the sun, patches of snow had remained in shady corners when he rode over the nearby mountains.

  As he rode into town, the road was a muddy mess. Handbills advertised a horse auction/sale sponsored by the Rafter O Ranch in a little over three weeks. He stopped to read details on one of the posters and came to a conclusion.

  Would Colin’s horses be offered in that sale? Only one way to discover the answer. He rode up and down the streets looking over the town then reined in at the Tweedie’s Mercantile, one of the more respectable appearing businesses.

  An older man behind the counter nodded a greeting. When a young woman started his way, the man called, “Never mind, Nedra. I’ll take care of this customer.” He looked at Thad. “What can I do for you, young man?”

  Thad touched two fingers to the brim of his hat in greeting. “I’m Thaddeus King, hoping for directions to the ranch supplying the horses for the sale.”

  “George Tweedie at your service. You buying or drifting?”

  “Neither right now. Looking for a job.”

  The storekeeper gave him instructions to find the Rafter O Ranch. “Largest ranch in the area, and likely they’ll need men because of the upcoming sale. Now, when you get there, ask for Buster Odell, the owner, or Dub Reilly, who’s the foreman.”

  “Thank you. Suppose I’ll see you around if I get hired.”

  He rode slowly along the town’s muddy street. Calling it a street was generous. A scenic creek ran beside the town, full almost to the banks with snow runoff. Several women appeared to be shopping but stopped to stare at him. Others were sweeping their porch or tidying their garden and stopped what they were doing to observe him. Only one person on the street was a man.

  Many businesses were boarded up yet others appeared to be busy. Several houses were well-kept while others looked empty. He’d heard about the mine disaster that had killed so many miners and townspeople. With the Gold King mine closed, he wondered if the town could survive.

  If he didn’t get hired on at the Rafter O Ranch, he supposed he’d have to come back to town and look into a place to stay. The Ridge Hotel appeared open and a decent place but was too deserted to be sure. Since the auction was to be in Wildcat Ridge, his being in town could work. Operating from the Rafter O Ranch would suit him best. Then, he could check all the horses, not just those for sale.

  Following the storekeeper’s instructions, he rode through the gates of the Rafter O Ranch. Using the sun’s position as a gauge, he figured the time was about half past eleven. Fat cattle grazed on the range.

  When he saw a herd of horses in a wood-fenced paddock, he stopped. Two cowboys worked with the horses and didn’t appear to notice him. There were way too many animals grazing and they’d soon strip the grass. No wonder they were holding a sale.

  He scanned his surroundings to see if ranch hands elsewhere watched his approach. Thad wished he could ride through the herd and check for Colin’s brand. The handbills said a hundred horses would be sold. He wondered how a rancher came to have that many surplus animals.

  From his periphery, a rider caught his attention. At first glance he thought he watched a teen-aged boy because the person rode astride. Focusing on the rider left no doubt he viewed a female. He couldn’t tell her age but she rode as if born to the saddle, blond braid swinging.

  With a couple of dogs, she pushed cattle through a gate and into a different pasture. He was pleased to see this cattle portion of pasture was surrounded by five strands of the new barbed wire. That was one more thing to simplify his goal because any stock on this ranch was owned by the Rafter O Ranch. If he found the horses, this Buster Odell couldn’t claim they’d drifted in on their own.

  By this time, he expected all the ranch hands to be on the range. He spotted two far in the distance who appeared to be checking fence. Surely there were more out of sight.

  Thad continued on the trail toward the headquarters. He heard a rider behind him and pivoted on the saddle to check. The woman he’d watched rode toward him, rifle drawn and dogs racing beside her.

  Thad raised his hands. “Whoa, I’m peaceful.”

  She reined her horse with one hand while keeping the rifle pointed at him and he admired her ability to do so. “State your business.”

  “I saw the posters about the horse sale and thought you might be hiring. Asked directions from George Tweedie at the mercantile. I’ve come to talk to Buster Odell or Dub Reilly.”

  “Mister, you’re talking to Buster Odell.” She gave him a visual going over so thorough he figured she knew the condition of his back teeth. “You look too well-heeled to be a drifting cowboy. What ranch experience have you had?”

  She was a beautiful woman in spite of the way she was dressed. Why would she tolerate being called Buster? Now she was close, her blue eyes with thick, dark lashes m
esmerized him. She looped the reins around the pommel and pushed her hat from her head, leaving it dangling by the chin strap.

  Her flawless skin was too tanned to be fashionable but created a longing in him to caress her cheek and learn if skin could be as soft as hers appeared. Sunlight caught in her thick blond hair that was even prettier than he’d first suspected. He’d better get hold of himself and mask his thoughts or she’d shoot him for sure.

  He flexed his shoulders. “My arms are getting mighty tired. Can I lower my hands before I tell you?”

  She motioned with her gun barrel. “All right but don’t make any sudden moves or I’ll shoot. Now talk.”

  He laid his hands in plain sight on his thighs. “I worked eight years for Colin Ross the other side of Lizard Hill. Started with his ranch when I was eighteen and worked up to being his foreman.”

  “Why would you leave a job as foreman, especially this time of year? You get fired for some reason?”

  He shook his head, sorrow warring with anger over his friend’s demise. “Ross died. His heirs were busy stripping the ranch before they sold it. I couldn’t stomach standing by while those vultures argued over divvying up what he’d worked hard for so I cleared out.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You drifted by several ranches before you reached this one—you look for a job at one of them and get rejected?”

  Thad figured a woman in a man’s business had a reason to be suspicious but her attitude annoyed him. “I’ve saved most of my wages so I’m not starving. Thought I’d see some of the country. When I hit town those sale handbills caught my interest. I like working with horses.”

  As if she’d made a snap decision, she quickly slid the rifle into the saddle scabbard and set her hat on her head. “All right, follow me. You can put your gear in the bunkhouse. Pay is thirty a month on the fifteenth.”

  He followed her to a headquarters that appeared straight out of a how-to guide for ranchers. One barn appeared to be for hay while a second one clearly was built to hold animals. A pigsty held noisy swine while chickens pecked on the ground of a large hen enclosure.