Stronger Than the Rest, Page 7

  Drew watched the light from the lantern she held play over her face. Over the months he’d known her, Drew had seen her scared, timid, determined, angry, resilient, and happy. But tonight he saw sadness. His gut told him he was the cause. Drew wanted to tell her how he felt, how important she was to him, but wasn’t ready to say the words, make a commitment, until he could walk. He reasoned that if he could stand, he could walk, then he could ride. Drew knew she’d wait for him. Wouldn’t she? Suddenly he wasn’t so sure. What if she was being courted? Certainly there were men in this town who were attracted to her.

  “Well, I guess it’s time to head in. Father needs some help with the accounts and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. Amanda used to do the books, but it’s been up to him since she left.” Tess walked behind Drew’s chair to help him back to the house. “I miss her.”

  “I’m sure you do, but I’m pleased for Will. He deserves some happiness after everything he went through, and Amanda’s his perfect match.”

  “Will you go back there soon? To Fire Mountain, I mean.”

  “Not as soon as I’d like, but yes, I’ll go back.”

  “You need any help, Miss Tess?” Jericho called out from the porch.

  “No, we’re doing fine, Mr. Jericho,” Drew answered for her. “Guess he’s anxious to put me through some more torture.” He tried for a light tone, but failed.

  “Does it hurt much?”

  Drew could hear the concern in Tess’s voice.

  “No, not really. In fact, I’d welcome pain, the more the better. Anything to tell me my legs are starting to react somehow. But it will happen.” He looked at Tess. “If I have any say in it at all, I will walk again, Tess.”

  ******

  It had been a quiet day. There was nothing to indicate that the menace that had plagued the Bierdan ranch the last couple of weeks was still lying in wait. The men circled the buildings each morning, then rode out in groups of two to four to check cattle and fences. Two men were posted each night as guards. There had been no sign of further danger.

  Eloise lowered herself into a chair in the kitchen. Some nights Jeff Burnham would join her to discuss ranch business, but tonight she was alone. She liked the solitude. It gave her a chance to think about her options, about her past.

  She laid her head back against the slatted wooden kitchen chair and closed her eyes. It had only been a few years, but Eloise was determined to never go back to the life in the East. The life Gordon Bierdan had rescued her from.

  She’d grown up in a home for children, with little education and fewer prospects, but she’d come to the attention of a wealthy woman who’d volunteered at the home. When she was sixteen, the woman had offered her a position in her home, cleaning and working with the children when the governess was not around. Eloise had jumped on the opportunity, and it had been everything and more. They’d let her sit in with the children’s tutor. She learned to dance, and was even allowed to take piano lessons—a thought that would have shocked many in Boston. As long as she was loyal and did her work, the family was willing to help her with what they could.

  Gordon had swept into her life five years later. He’d been a guest in her employer’s home. She’d been around him little during his brief stay, but when the time came for him to leave, he’d asked the family for her hand. It had been unexpected, but she’d said yes. It was hard to leave the family but an easy decision to leave Boston.

  The trip west had been an education, as had being Gordon’s wife. She was twenty years younger than her husband. At times he treated her more as a daughter than a wife, but he was always kind, generous, and made her feel cherished. She’d had no idea of the vengeful parts of him. Not until it was too late.

  Eloise was pulled from her memories by a loud crash in the front of the house, followed by a couple of smaller ones. She sprang from her chair and raced toward the sound of the noise. Glass was everywhere. A broken picture frame lay on the floor. She flew to the entry and grabbed her shotgun before shoving the door open. No one. She moved further onto the front porch, by the steps. She could just make out a rider heading away towards the east.

  Shouts erupted from the bunkhouse and several men ran towards the house, pistols drawn. Jeff was the first to arrive, a rifle in his hand.

  “Are you all right, Mrs. Bierdan? Did you see anything?” Jeff asked as he came to a stop beside her.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t see anyone specifically, just a man riding away toward the east.”

  “Clint, Jay, Stan, mount up. See if you can catch up with him,” Jeff ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” the men responded. Clint took an extra moment to glance at Mrs. Bierdan, hesitated a moment, then joined the other two.

  Jeff turned to the two who’d been posted as guards. “What the hell happened?”

  “I didn’t see anything, Boss. I was making a turn around the barn when I heard the crash,” one of the men responded.

  Jeff glared at the second man. “And you?”

  He was young, maybe sixteen. His fear that he’d failed was transmitted to Jeff by his wide eyes and shaking hands. “Sorry, Boss. I…”

  “Did you see or hear anything?” Jeff asked, his voice low, unhurried, but firm.

  “No, Boss, nothing.” The young man hung his head, dejected at his incompetence.

  Jeff closed his eyes and shook his head. It’d do no good to chastise the kid. The foreman could see the boy was already doing enough of that himself.

  “Come on, Mrs. Bierdan, let’s check inside. Maybe we can find something that will help us figure out who did this.”

  Jeff walked behind her into the house, looking for anything that would help them determine the identity of the rider. He set his rifle aside and followed Eloise into the front room. It was a mess. Broken glass lay everywhere. It wasn’t just a small rock the rider had thrown into the room but a long piece of lumber and several pieces of what appeared to be discarded horseshoes. Jeff bent down to pick up the wood and turned it over.

  “You’d better see this, Mrs. Bierdan.”

  She stood by her foreman and read the words burned into the lumber.

  Get out or we’ll be back for you.

  Eloise gasped and took a step back. Her heart raced as she mentally absorbed the meaning. It was a clear threat, directed at her.

  “Must be the men who threatened Clint and Jay. Don’t know of anyone else who’d do something like this. Unless it’s that man you met with from Denver. MacLaren?”

  “No, I’m certain this isn’t the way he operates. He’s a businessman, not a thug.” Eloise responded. She’d spent enough time with the Taylor’s over the past weeks to learn a great deal about the MacLaren family. This didn’t fit with what she’d learned.

  “As soon as the men return I’ll send a couple of them to town to get Sheriff Alts. He needs to know what’s happened,” Jeff said. He’d go along with her judgment on MacLaren, for now, but he wasn’t willing to take a chance on Eloise’s life by ruling anyone out. “Don’t move anything until he’s had a chance to look around.”

  Chapter Eight

  Frank Alts looked around at the damage and re-read the note burned into the wood. He knew in his gut who was most likely behind the attacks, the vandalism, but he needed proof.

  “You see anything at all, Mrs. Bierdan?” Frank asked.

  “No. I was in the kitchen when I heard the crash. By the time I got outside whoever did it was riding out. It was too dark and he was too far away for me to see anything more.” But she sure wished she had.

  “Jeff, you or your men see anything?”

  “Nothing. We were in the bunkhouse. Mrs. Bierdan was outside by the time we made it to the house.”

  “You both think it could be one of the same men who attacked Clint and Jay?”

  “That’d be our guess, Sheriff.” Eloise replied.

  “Unless it’s that MacLaren fellow who came here earlier today.” Eloise’s head swung up to Jeff’s at his comment.

 
; Frank appeared to consider the possibility for a moment before replying. “Doesn’t sound like anything MacLaren would do, Jeff. I know the MacLaren men, worked with Jamie MacLaren in the Marshal Service. This isn’t their style.” He knew for a fact it wasn’t Drew, or Louis Dunnigan, but remained quiet about his connection to the Denver businessman.

  “We’re looking for the men Clint and Jay described. They’ll turn up somewhere, sometime. No one can stay invisible for long. Mrs. Bierdan, I want you to be especially vigilant. Don’t go anywhere alone and make sure you’re armed. You do know how to handle a rifle or handgun, right?”

  Eloise gave him a scathing look. “Of course I can handle a gun, Sheriff. That was one of the first things Gordon taught me when we married.” The thought of her dead husband caused a dull ache in the area of her heart, not because of her love for him, but because of the damage he’d caused. “But I understand what you’re saying and won’t intentionally make myself a target.”

  Frank’s eyes narrowed on the pretty widow. She had spunk, he’d give her that, but did she have the common sense to keep herself out of harm’s way or kill a man if he came at her? He’d have to wait and see.

  “I better get going.”

  “I’ll walk out with you, Sheriff,” Jeff said and followed Frank outside.

  “Keep an eye on her, Jeff. She’s determined that no one’s going to take the ranch from her, no matter the consequences, and that kind of thinking can get her killed.”

  “Understood. I’ll split up the boys so one group is always available to keep watch on her and the ranch. Wish she could afford more men, but I know she’s at her limit. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks.” Jeff turned his gaze from the sheriff to check out their surroundings. There were enough trees around the property to provide cover to anyone who wanted to lie in wait. He only had ten men, including himself, and that just wasn’t enough for what they were up against. He hoped his decision to stay put and support Mrs. Bierdan wasn’t a bad one. Jeff had no intention of dying in this southwest Colorado town.

  ******

  “Tess? I wonder if you’d like to go outside for a bit?” Drew’s voice was hesitant, hopeful. He’d spent the last hour with Jericho, and even though he was tired, he wanted to see her, spend time with her. Hell, he wanted to just be around her. Their short time in the barn just wasn’t enough.

  “I’d like that.” Tess set down the book she’d been reading and grabbed a shawl. She stepped back to let Drew precede her onto the front porch and closed the door. Her hands began to shake, from nerves or the cold she wasn’t sure, but either way, she grabbed the ends of the shawl to wrap around her so Drew wouldn’t notice. Tess walked over to the swing and Drew maneuvered his chair next to her.

  “We haven’t had much time together.” Drew said.

  “No, we haven’t.” Tess was rocking the swing with a slight motion. It was enough to help hide her nervousness at being alone with Drew. She’d felt this way in the barn, but the mare had been a distraction. Tess had no distractions now.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet and the clear night sky. “Are your sessions with Mr. Jericho going all right? Does it help?”

  “If nothing else, the liniment and massage relaxes me. I can’t say for certain they help, but doubt that they’re causing any more damage.” He tilted his head up to gaze at the stars. “I missed you, Tess.”

  “You did?” Her surprise wasn’t fake. She hadn’t believed he’d thought about her at all since leaving Cold Creek for Denver.

  “You thought I wouldn’t?” Drew turned to look at her.

  “Well, I know you’ve had to focus on other things. I didn’t think you’d have time for much else. Except perhaps your fiancée.”

  “Ah, I see.” And he did. He’d left the ranch after the shooting when Louis Dunnigan and his daughter, Patricia, had arrived. She’d identified herself to everyone as Drew’s fiancée, and Tess had believed it.

  “She was never my fiancée. I never courted her, Tess. I cleared that up with Patricia before I left Denver.”

  Tess let that roll around in her head. Is he trying to tell me something or just making conversation? “Are you courting someone else?”

  He chuckled. “No, I’m not courting anyone. Are you being courted?”

  “Me?” she squeaked out. She knew her family would find the question humorous, not because they saw her as unattractive, but because of her total disinterest in meeting someone, making friends outside of the family. “Of course not. Who’d be interested in someone like me when there are so many beautiful women with more to offer?” There, the words were out, and she meant them. Let him know that she didn’t expect that any man, especially someone like Drew MacLaren, would find her attractive or interesting enough to court. She sank lower into the swing and continued to rock.

  The disbelief Drew felt at Tess’s words grew until he wished he could stand, draw her to him, and tell her how wrong she was. How could she think of herself as unattractive or uninteresting? She was a beautiful woman with a kind heart and quick mind. Her radiant smile and uninhibited laugh brought joy to those around her.

  “Tess, look at me.” Drew’s soft voice broke the silence. Her head turned in small increments toward him until their eyes met and held.

  “You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I have ever known. There is so much about you that I admire.” His words were soft, but the intense look in his eyes told her that they were from his heart. “I find it hard to believe that no one is courting you. There must be a great many fools in Cold Creek if no one recognizes the jewel right in front of them.”

  Tess was so stunned by Drew’s words that she found herself unable to respond. She stared at him as tears welled in her eyes. She swiped at them before breaking contact and looking down into her lap. When she looked up, Drew saw the most magnificent smile he’d ever seen. He wasn’t sure, but thought his heart may have missed a few beats in that moment.

  He reached over and placed his hand on Tess’s. She turned hers to fit into his large palm. Neither said a word, just enjoyed the night with its brilliant white stars.

  ******

  Ira shoved both hands in his pockets and paced back and forth in the large office. Luther’s latest attempts to scare Widow Bierdan and her men into leaving had failed. She was no more interested in selling than she had been two months ago. Luther was a brute but, in Ira’s opinion, he hadn’t exerted the right kind of pressure. They needed to go after her directly. With MacLaren already in Cold Creek, Walsh had no option but to change plans.

  He penned a quick message to the one man he was confident could make things happen, Sabastian Drago. He’d kept him out of this part of the business, preferring for Drago to concentrate on other matters. Ira felt certain that Langdon and Bierdan saw Luther as a threat. Walsh knew the man was a mere nuisance compared to the fear Drago would inflict.

  Ira poked his head out of his office and called for one of his men to take the message to the telegraph office. He didn’t like doing it this way—preferred a more subtle approach—but he wanted that ranchland. In the process, he wanted to rid Cold Creek of its most recent arrival. Ira’s thinking was like many—MacLaren was only half a man anyway.

  ******

  Eloise walked down the dirt-covered boardwalk and stopped to look at the new merchandise in the window of the mercantile. A yellow calico caught her eye. When her husband was alive she would have gone right in and bought the dress. Now? She had to satisfy herself with looking.

  “Hello, Mrs. Bierdan.” The deep, masculine voice came from behind her. She looked up to see the man’s reflection in the window. An odd feeling passed through her as she studied the sheriff before turning to greet him.

  “Good morning, Sheriff Alts. I was just on my way to see you.” Eloise always thought him a handsome man, but for some reason, his solid frame and broad shoulders had her heart beating today. It was a new feeling—something she’d never felt with her husband.
She had the oddest urge to walk forward and touch him, place a hand on his shirt-clad chest. Eloise was embarrassed at the path her thoughts took, and her face must have transmitted her inner turmoil.

  “Are you all right, Mrs. Bierdan? Do you need to sit down?” Frank asked.

  “Ah, no, Sheriff. I’m fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment.”

  “Have you had dinner?”

  Eloise shook her head.

  “Good. I was just heading to the restaurant. I’d be honored if you’d join me.” Frank hadn’t realized how much he wanted to share a meal with the attractive widow, but the pull he’d felt toward her intensified with each meeting.

  “I’d like that, Sheriff,” Eloise replied and took the arm he offered.

  The restaurant was close, just three doors down. Eloise felt fortunate to have a table by the window. It would give her something to look at other than the gentleman escorting her. He wasn’t handsome like the dandies who’d frequented her employer’s home in Boston. His face was rugged, weather-beaten, and his nose was just off center, as if he’d injured it. Intriguing was the word she’d use for him.

  “The beef stew for both of us,” Frank told the waitress and looked at Eloise for approval. “So what brought you to town to see me?”

  “You said the MacLarens are well-known to you. You trust them?”

  “I do.”

  “You’re sure Drew MacLaren wouldn’t harm someone? Absolutely sure?”

  “I’d stake my life on it. I trust him and his brothers.” Frank sipped his coffee and considered what she was really trying to ask him. “Why don’t you come right out and tell me why you wanted to meet today.”

  “There’s another man, from Denver, who’s expressed an interest in my land. I’ve put him off, but under the circumstances I believe I need to at least discuss my options. I don’t want to sell, but if I do, I want the best price for the land.”

  “And the motivation of the person who might purchase your land. Do you care at all about that?” Frank asked, concerned about where this conversation might be going.