Noah (13 page)

“We found him on our way out this morning to
look for the both of you.” Levi motioned to the body wrapped in a sheet and
strung over the back of Virg’s horse. “His mount must’ve thrown him. He’s got a
large gash in the back of his head.”

It all seemed like one long nightmare and Kate
just wanted it to be over.

Noah recounted what had happened with Dell in
the cabin, while cuddling a still sleeping Flash in the underside of the wool
blanket wrapped around him.

“Who’s the other one?” he asked, pointing with
his nose at the other body strung over the back of Eamon’s horse. “He our
shooter?”

Levi lifted back the sheet and a white boater
hat fell to the ground.

Gregory Stiles.

“We’re not sure how he was involved, but
there’s no question he’s the one who shot you,” Levi said grimly.

Kate opened the blanket and pulled out the
papers she’d snatched from the table before they’d left the cabin, handing them
to Eamon.

“Maybe these will help.”

The Pinkerton scanned several pieces of the
parchment and then looked up at Kate. “Where did you get these?”

“They were in the cabin. I almost burned them.”

“Good thing you didn’t. Do you know what you
have found here?” he asked, handing them to Noah.

Flash jumped down out of Noah’s arms and
scampered across the snow, dashing from one location to another until he ran up
the stairs and perched himself on the cleared porch railing, watching the
goings on.

“Looks like you found a furry little friend,”
Levi nudged Noah.

“He’s quite a survivor,” Noah said as he
glanced to the paper’s Kate had found. “I imagine he’ll keep vermin out of the
house.”

Kate looked back at Eamon. “Something told me
they were important, but I didn’t get a chance to look at them.”

“They are detailed plans, outlining several
heists, rustling jobs, and…”

“The murder of your father,” Noah said quietly
as he turned the next page, reading intently.

She stared at him, his words not registering
properly with her.

“I’m sorry? What about my father’s murder?”

Noah looked up at her.

“It was Stiles, Kate. He’s the one who killed
your father. It looks like he, Dell, and Clifford Thomas were all working
together.”

Kate shook her head. It couldn’t be. Dell would
have never allowed anyone to…to…

“You must be mistaken. Marshal Long killed my
father,” she insisted. “For White Willow. Just like he killed so many others
for their ranches.” She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more,
herself or the others.

“The correspondence is all right here. Gregory
Stiles was no businessman from back East. He’s a cattle rustler and a thief. Been
living up in that cabin a yours in the east pasture since your father died,
waiting, scheming to get this land.”

“But, why? Why did he want this land so badly?
It’s mostly just open range farmland and mountains.” She loved her land, but
would gladly have given it all up to have her father back.

“I’m sorry, Kate,” Levi said, putting an arm
around her shoulders.

All the pain, the anger, the sorrow came
flooding back in one giant wave of emotion, and she turned into him, not
wanting Noah or the others to see her cry. She wanted Mr. Deardon, no,
needed
him to believe she was strong.

“There’s some sort of chart here that diagrams
all of White Willow Ranch, in its entirety. Look at this.”

Kate waited a moment, sure her eyes would be
red and puffy. She sniffled, then, reluctantly, she pushed herself away from
Levi to stand next to Noah and see what he was talking about.

He handed her a handkerchief and she wiped her
eyes.

“If this schematic is correct, it looks like
this land—especially the mountain areas are a wealth of natural commodities.”

“No wonder they wanted it,” Levi said, looking
over Noah’s shoulder.

“Besides,” Eamon chimed in, “the ranch was a
good front for the stolen cattle. No one would have questioned the beef from a
well-respected rancher.”

“Excuse me, Miss Callahan,” Virg stepped up,
hat in his hand. “I apologize for interruptin’ ma’am, but there’s something I
think you need to see.”

They followed the hired hand out to the barn.
Several pathways had already been cleared between the buildings and Kate
noticed a few large mounds of snow, nearly as tall as haystacks, in the pasture
where a large section had been shoveled away from the ground. The towering open
barn at the far edge of the biggest corral had also been cleared and a couple
hundred head of cattle grazed on the hay someone had spread there.

“Virg?” she asked before he opened the
oversized barn doors. “Did you do all that?” She pointed at the fields.

“I helped,” he said as he swung the doors wide
open.

Amidst the animals on either side, there in the
middle of the barn lay Cal, his hands and feet tied together like a new calf
going in for branding, his mouth bound with a cloth gag.

“Virg, why is Cal tied up?” Kate asked as she
rushed forward to help the hand.

When she reached him, there was a piece of
paper attached to his ropes that read in large, black letters, “RUSTLER.”

Kate ripped the tag from him and turned it to
show the others. She stepped back as the man struggled, shaking his head
wildly, and attempting to speak. She reached down and untied the gag from
behind his head.

“He’s crazy, Miss Callahan. Don’t believe a
word he says.”

“Who, Virg?” she asked, her brows crumpled.

“No, the new fella. Everett.”

She looked back at Virg and the others. She
hadn’t hired anyone new since before her father died. The only extra sets of
hands they’d had on the ranch were…

No.
Couldn’t be.

“Everett?” she asked. “
Mason
Everett?”

“I don’t know,” Cal spat, emphasizing each
word. “He came into the bunkhouse last night, just as the storm was starting,
and took charge like he owned the place. Now, will you get me out of these
things?”

“Not just yet,” Kate replied, daring a glance
at Noah.

He watched her with a raised brow.

“You know this Everett fella?” Noah asked as
she returned to them.

How could she explain Mr. Everett to Noah? The
letters? His intentions? She
had
told him about the man, but now that he
was here, she didn’t know what to say.

“No one wanted to work for a woman!” Cal called
out, pulling Kate from her thoughts. “But
I
stayed, didn’t I?”

Noah strode into the barn and dropped down onto
his haunches. “Why does this Everett character think you’re a rustler, Cal?”

“I ain’t never stole nothin’.”

“Cal?” Noah’s voice held a warning.

The hired hand dropped his head. “I didn’t
steal from anyone, I swear, but I didn’t stop it from happening either. Dell
paid me to keep my mouth shut. So I did. When I saw his cattle roaming with the
others this morning, I just tried to round them up, is all. I don’t know how he
knew. I swear.”

“Where is this Everett now?” Noah asked.

“Still shoveling snow out of the pastures, I’d
reckon. He’s hell-bent on making sure those cows don’t freeze to death. Now,
please. I told you what you wanted. Let me go.”

“We’ll let the sheriff deal with you,” Noah
said, standing up.

Cal whimpered. “Please.” His plea was no more
than a whisper.

Kate closed the gap between them as quickly as
she could, her foot still not allowing much pressure. “Mr. Deardon,” she
started, then put her hand on his arm and looked up at him. “Noah, we both know
that Nate and his Vigilance Committee are out to make examples out of anyone
they can. We need to let him go,” she whispered the last sentence. “Please.”

Noah ground his teeth together, she could see
his jaw pulsating, but he nodded his agreement. She reached down, lifting the
hem of Noah’s trousers and retrieved the knife from the sheath in the top of
his boot.

He sucked in a loud breath.

She smiled at his reaction to the touch of her
fingertips as they grazed the skin of his calf.

“You can stay on here through the winter if
you’d like,” she spoke as she knelt down next to Cal.

In that moment, she realized that the actions
of just one man could have prevented her father’s death, if he’d just had the
courage or the integrity to report Dell’s wrongdoing. She took a deep breath
and closed her eyes, looking inside of herself for the courage to do what was
right.

“I forgive you, Cal,” she said quietly, opening
her eyes and slicing through the ropes like butter. “But if you want to stay on
here, you’ll have to prove yourself.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And, Cal…”

“Yes, ma’am?” he said, sitting up and rubbing
his wrists.

“I can only employ people I trust.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Cal pushed himself to his feet
and stretched, then he strode toward Noah, Levi, and Eamon, his head bowed, but
he stopped just before leaving and turned back to her. “Thank you, Miss
Callahan. I won’t let you down.”

Kate watched as he left the barn, feeling at
peace with her decision. She spotted Virg standing behind Levi, twisting the
hat in his hands.

“Virg.” She waved him to her. “Is everything
all right?”

“It will be,” he answered, unable to meet her
gaze. “You are a good woman, Miss Callahan, and I just wanted you to know that
I am more proud today to work for you than ever before.”

“Thank you, Virg,” she responded, her hand
reaching out and resting on his shoulder. “You know, there is a foreman
position that just opened up. I don’t suppose you’d be interested?”

She glanced back at Noah with a twinge of guilt
that she hadn’t consulted her soon-to-be husband before offering Virg the job.
He simply raised a brow and came to stand next to her.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” the hired hand said,
his face donning a smile as he reached out to shake her hand, then Noah’s. He
shoved the hat on his head. “Better not stand here jawing. There’s still a lot
of work that needs to be done.” He hurried out of the barn, leaving just Levi,
Eamon, her, and Noah.

“Will there ever be a time when those words
aren’t true?” she breathed the question, ending in a sigh and they all laughed.

“I’m sorry about your dad, Kate,” Noah said,
slipping his hand around hers and squeezing.

She leaned into him, enjoying how well she fit
below his arm.

“Me too.”

“Well, we’ve got a train to catch tonight,”
Levi stated with a clap of his hands. “That is, if they’ve been able to clear
the snow and attach the plow to the cowcatcher.”

“We’ll miss you around here,” Kate said,
stepping forward and putting her arms around Levi. “What time is the train
supposed to leave?” she asked as she released him.

“Six o’clock. I hate to leave you all with
everything that just happened, but I’m afraid my responsibilities lie
elsewhere.”

“I heard you were looking for me.”

All heads turned to look to where the voice had
come from. A tall, dark-haired man with ice-blue eyes and a muscular physique
stepped into the doorway, sticking his shovel into the ground.

“I’m Mason Everett.”

Oh, my!

“Everett.” Noah’s head bobbed up and down as he
did a quick sizing up of the man. “Ahhh, the mysterious new cowpoke. I
understand we have you to thank for securing the cattle last night and helping
to clear out much of the snow this morning.” He extended his hand. “I’m Noah.
Deardon.”

“Deardon?” Mr. Everett asked with a little tilt
of his head. “You’re not any relation to Lucas Deardon from Montana?”

“He’s my little brother.” Noah nodded proudly.
“You know Lucas?”