The Outrider (Redbourne Series #5 - Will's Story) (18 page)

Smart.

“Can I get you kids anything else?”

It had been a long time since someone had called
him a kid. Will shook his head. “Thank you.” Then, just as the woman turned to
leave he thought better of it. “On second thought, would you mind bagging up a couple
of muffins and some pie?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back.”

It didn’t take long before they had some boxes to
take with them.

As they walked outside, Caspar jumped up and
happily followed them back toward the livery. Will pretended not to notice, but
Albert had shoved a handful of crisp bacon into his pocket and now the
coonhound would reap the benefits.

“The ladies are all loaded and we are ready to
go.” Ellis looked down at the boy. “I see you’ve still got yourself a friend,
Redbourne.”

“Albert,” he said, “this is Mr. Glenn.”

“Pleased to meet ya,” Albert said extending his
hand. “Officially.”

Ellis looked from the boy to Will and back again before
shaking his hand. There was a little rivet that formed on the man’s forehead
and his brows scrunched together as if not knowing what else to say.

The time had come. Will had to decide what to do.

“Albert,” he said, dropping down onto his
haunches, “I’m going to take you over to the sheriff’s office. He’s going to
help us find you a place to live.”

“Why can’t I live with you?” he asked innocently.

“I don’t live here, Albert. We’re just passing
through. The stage is headed for Colorado.”

“Colorado sounds nice. Who’s he?”

Will chuckled. “Colorado is a place a little west
and north from here.”

“Doesn’t God live up north?”

How did he answer a question like that?

“God lives in Heaven, little man. I’m afraid we
can’t get there on the stage, or train, or even walking, but He is always in
our hearts. Just like your ma and pa and Willie. They live in your heart too.”

Will could see the wheels turning in the boy’s
head.

“I see,” Albert said, dropping his head to look
at his chest. He climbed up into the chair in front of the work table, his legs
dangling, his elbows resting on his knees, his chin in his hands.

He sat there quiet for a few minutes, then he sat
up tall and poked Will in the chest.

“How’d you get so big and strong?” he asked
simply.

The question caught Will off guard, but he
thought about it for a moment before answering.

“Work.” And being a Redbourne didn’t hurt.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of small.
I’m going to need to make some room or it’s going to get really crowded in here.”
Albert pointed to his chest.

The sentiment pulled at Will’s heartstrings. He
wrapped an arm around the kid and pulled him in tight.

“I bet you already have more room than most,
kid.” He ruffled Albert’s hair.

Caspar barked happily, then nudged into the boy,
licking his face.

Albert giggled.

“Excuse me, Mr. Glenn, but how long before we leave?”
Elizabeth stepped down off the stage, avoiding Will’s eyes. “We are already
three quarters of an hour behind schedule.”

Will was sure that last part was for his benefit.

“We’re just making one little stop and then we’ll
be on our way, Mrs. Jessup.”

Will’s jaw flexed.

Elizabeth nodded and turned back, climbing into
the coach.

“She’s still mad at you, you know,” Albert said
matter-of-factly.

“I know.”

“Ma said the hardest part about fighting is
saying you’re sorry, but it’s always worth it in the end.”

“Your ma was a pretty smart lady, Albert.” Will
clapped him on the shoulder. “Can you stay put for a just a few minutes?” he
asked the boy. “I have to stop in at the telegraph office and then we’ll head
over to see the sheriff.”

Albert nodded, but Will had seen that look
before. The kid was a runner.

“Paulie,” he called to his partner, “can you
watch Albert until I return?”

“Sure thing, Will.”

The telegraph office was only a few doors down
the boardwalk. Try as he might, the idea of leaving Albert in this little town
all alone did not sit well with Will and he wondered if there was anyone
looking after the boy since his parents and brother had passed. If so, were
they abusive or cruel and that is why he’d run away from them, or were they
good folks and Albert just hadn’t given them a chance? Either way, he couldn’t
leave Plain City until he knew the youngster had a home and would be taken care
of properly.

Mrs. Day, the mercantile owner in Stone Creek, had
been working to unite orphaned children with couples from the valley who’d been
unable to have children of their own. Will knew that there were plenty of
families in his home town who would be able to provide a loving home for the boy.
A quick telegram home explaining the situation would assure that his mother
would be on the next stage to collect Albert and sort out the situation. She
was good at that.

“Thank you, sir,” he told the telegrapher with a
nod as he passed the man a small piece of paper with his scribbled note for
this mother.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, he returned
to the livery. He walked over to Indy and untied him from the hitching post.

“Thanks, Paulie,” he said to the man sitting in a
staring competition with the young boy.

“Paulie can wiggle his ears without moving his
face, Will. You should see,” he said without blinking.

“Maybe later, Albert. We need to get going, and I
need to talk to you. Come here.”

The youngster quickly broke his stare and joined
him. Will lifted the boy up into the saddle and then climbed up behind him.

“You know, you should be in school, Albert,” he
said as they rode to the edge of town and around the corner toward the
jailhouse.

“I don’t have much need for schoolin’. Besides, I
already know how to add. Two plus two is four. And I can spell. Albert. A.L.B.E.R.T.
See?”

“That’s very good. Did your mama teach you that?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, I know a place where there are lots of
other boys your age and I think you’d really like it there?”

“Where?” he asked brightly.

“It’s a place called Stone Creek and it’s not too
far from here.”

“Will you be there?”

“Not for a while, but my family lives there.”

“Why aren’t you with your family?”

Albert was full of questions. Will loved seeing
the boy’s curiosity and wonder and hoped they would be able to find somewhere
very special for him back home.

“I have a job to do. I made a commitment to the
stagecoach company that I would make sure this stage makes it to its
destination safely. Do you know what a commitment is, Albert?”

“Is that like a promise?”

“Sure is. And do you know why it’s important to
always keep your commitments?”

Albert raised his hand to his chin and pondered
the question.

“So people will trust ya?” he asked, both
eyebrows raised as he turned around, looking up at Will and anticipating his
response.

“That’s right. Now, I need a commitment from you,
Albert.”

The boy turned to look forward so Will could no
longer see his face.

“I need you to promise me that you will be good
and stay put. I can’t be worried whether or not you’re getting a square meal or
that you might not have someplace to sleep while I’m on this job keeping the
others safe. Can you do that for me, Albert?”

The young boy twisted his head to one side and
then the other.

“Albert,” Will coaxed.

“Okay. But where will I be staying and who’s
going to make sure my meal is square?”

Will laughed.

“You’ll stay with the sheriff in this town until
someone from my family can make it up here to collect you.”

“Does that mean I’m going to be your…your
brother?”

“How about we just say we are brothers in spirit
for now?”

“Okay,” Albert’s shoulders rose and fell in a
shrug.

When they reached the sheriff’s office, Will
climbed down off the horse, leaving Albert sitting in the saddle. “Wait right
here for a minute, okay Albert?” he said as he hung Indy’s reins over the
hitching post there.

The boy nodded.

The sheriff sat leaned back in his chair, his
feet crossed on his desk, and his hat resting peacefully over his face.

Will cleared his throat.

“Is someone dead?” the sheriff asked dryly.

“Yes, as a matter fact they are,” Will responded
with the same sarcasm. “Three outlaws. Out in the ravine.”

The lawman took the hat from his face, returned
the chair legs to the floor, and looked up at him. “What can I do for you, Mr.
Redbourne?” he asked, folding his hands in front of him on the desk.

“I met a young boy last night who claims he has
no folks looking after him. I can’t very well take him with us on the stage,
but I want to see to it that he is provided for and kept safe while I’m gone. I
was hoping I could leave him here with you until someone from Stone Creek can
come to collect him.”

“This boy, is he about yay big,” he held up his
hand about Albert’s height, “light straggly hair, and a real fast talker?”

Will laughed. “Sounds like him all right. You
know him?”

“I think you’re talking about Albert Henshaw?”

“You know Albert?” Will asked, his forehead
crinkling into ruts.

“This would be the third time this month the boy
has run away.”

“He has a family?”

“Well, I don’t know that I’d call them family
exactly.” The sheriff scratched his chin with the back knuckles of his hand. “The
Bartlett’s took him in last year and have him helping out on their farm.”

Will sat down in the seat opposite the sheriff,
irked with himself for not asking more questions and blindly trusting what
Albert had told him.

“So, what was he doing out behind the livery in
the middle of the night? Do the Bartlett’s not know or care where he is?” Now,
Will was beginning to get angry—though he reminded himself that it would be
easy to not realize the boy had been missing until morning. Still, it was
getting on in the day. How could these people not be worried sick that a
seven-year-old boy was missing?

“I’m sure he just snuck out again and they haven’t
noticed he’s gone yet.”

“Haven’t noti—” Will stood up, his hat in hand.
“I need to meet these people, sheriff.”

“I thought the stage was leaving this morning.”

“We are.” He needed to talk to Albert.

“It might take some time to get out to their
farm.” The sheriff pushed himself away from the desk and placed his hat on his
head.

Will nodded. They were already a day behind
thanks to those ruffians in the ravine, a couple more hours couldn’t hurt. When
they walked outside, Albert and Indy had disappeared. Will shook his head. How
could he have been so…so…naïve? Something was obviously wrong to make the boy
so wary of going back to the Bartlett’s. Will glanced down the street and saw nothing.
He made one loud whistle, followed by two short whistles, then waited.

It wasn’t long before Indy moseyed around the
corner at a leisurely pace with Albert still in the saddle. Thank heaven his
brother, Tag, had trained Indy well.

“No, boy,” Albert was saying as he pulled on the
reins, “this way.” When the kid looked up and caught glimpse of Will, his eyes
grew wide and his lip started to quiver.

What on earth had the Bartlett’s done to this
child that he would respond with actual fear?

Will took a deep breath.

In
. He counted to four.
Out
. He counted
again.

“Where you going, Albert?” he asked casually.

“I don’t know.”

Not back to this again.

“Come here,” Will said. “I’d like to have a talk
with you, man to man.”

Once Indy was within range, Will took ahold of
his reins, wrapped them around the hitching post, and reached up for the boy.

“I’m not going back there. I’m not!” Albert said
stubbornly, folding his arms in front of his chest, his mouth scrunched into a
pout and his brows firmly knit together. “And you can’t make me. Nobody can,”
he said, his eyes narrowed as he looked up at the sheriff defiantly.

“Don’t you think Mrs. Bartlett will be awfully
worried that you didn’t come home last night?”

“No. But, she’ll be real mad that I didn’t milk
the stupid cow. She’ll have to get Richie or one of the other boys to do it.”

Will knelt down next to him.

“Now, I’m sure that’s not true, Albert.”