Tired Of Cleaning Up After Everyone
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“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Judd’s words were muffled as he spoke through his mustache.
Benji glanced over to Judd, who was sitting on the edge of his desk, leaning against it for support. His eyes had that look again; one that said they saw things other men didn’t see. The kind of thing that made Benji feel uncomfortable when he thought about it too long. It was also why he rarely asked Judd to help him with anything.
But there was no way around it today. He needed someone to watch the ranch while he took care of business in town and then went back to make sure all the outlaws stayed away from the place. They’d already killed two horses belonging to the ranchers whose land bordered theirs.
The last time Judd helped, he’d gotten so upset at what happened to the horses, he’d left early before Benji even got started. That wasn’t going to happen this time. He couldn’t leave his wife alone on her first night home since giving birth. Not after she’d gone into labor only hours ago.
He rubbed the side of his head where his headache had been throbbing most of the morning. “It will be fine,” he said quietly. “You’re right; I should have done something sooner but…”
“What?” Judd leaned forward, looking concerned.
Benji shook his head. No matter how many times he told himself not to let his mind wander down those paths, he still found himself wondering if there was another woman. Maybe some redheaded beauty like his sister-in-law.
Or maybe a pretty brunette from one of the nearby towns. But he knew better than anyone else that his thoughts were ridiculous. He loved Molly. And he would die before hurting her.
A few days ago he would never have imagined leaving their daughter behind with Judd for a whole day, much less an afternoon. But now that he knew his wife was safe at home, he could finally breathe easier knowing she wouldn’t have to go anywhere without him by her side.
Still, he wished Judd would stay out here longer. This wasn’t exactly a job he wanted anyone else to help him with. It was too dangerous. Even more so because of the baby. If Molly ever learned he hadn’t come home until late, she might never forgive him.
And it would take years off her life. She would worry herself sick. He knew it would break her heart to know he was in danger, just because of her.
He pushed up from the table and walked toward the door. “There won’t be any trouble tonight.”
“Yes, there will!” Judd stood quickly. “Someone has to protect your family! You can’t—”
“That’s enough, Judd,” Benji interrupted sternly. “No one wants to hear you badger me anymore.”
They stared each other down for a moment before Judd sighed loudly. “Fine, whatever,” he mumbled. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
Benji nodded slowly. “I will.” He hesitated for a split second, then added, “Thanks for watching over them for me.”
When Judd looked up, his eyes were pleading. Benji felt bad saying it, but he did need to get to town. He knew Judd hated to see him leave. He always tried to stop Benji whenever he went out. Sometimes he succeeded. Other times Benji simply ignored him and left anyway.
His brother was a nice guy. Too nice sometimes. Which was probably why he was single.
As Benji reached the front door, Judd stepped closer to block the exit. Benji stopped, surprised. “Why are you following me? Don’t you want to stay here and keep an eye on things?”
Judd shook his head. “No, I’m coming with you.”
For once, Benji agreed with Judd. There was no way he could trust the outlaws to do what they promised. He was taking every precaution possible to ensure nothing bad happened. He hoped he’d made the right decision.
“Come on, then,” Benji said. “Let’s get going.”
***
Molly had watched the ranch house for a while. From her vantage point atop the fence, she had a perfect view of the main road leading into town. At least it used to be perfect. Now it was full of dust, smoke, and people. All kinds of people. Most of which she didn’t recognize. A few seemed familiar though.
She watched as men rode in and out of the saloon across the street, carrying guns or bottles or both. One man rode into town wearing black leather boots, a wide-brimmed hat, and a gun strapped across his chest. His long hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and he wore a white shirt tucked into dark pants. The man seemed familiar but Molly couldn’t place him.
She also saw several women who worked at the local saloon, which had opened only recently. Some were dressed in jeans, while others wore dresses that came almost to their knees. Their hair was teased into elaborate styles. One woman, in particular, caught Molly’s attention. She wore a green dress and high-heeled shoes that made it look as if she was walking on top of the world.
The woman’s hair hung loosely around her shoulders and her makeup was flawless. Molly thought the woman was beautiful and wondered if she was married to the man in the fancy clothes. Then again, she could easily be a friend. She certainly seemed friendly enough.
After watching the two talk for a little while, the man turned and rode away. Molly smiled to herself when he passed through the saloon’s swinging doors. It was good to see someone smiling after all this time.
She heard horses galloping toward town from the direction of the corral, followed by a loud thud against the barn wall. Instantly alarmed, Molly dropped to the ground and ran toward the sound.
She found the three horses tied up outside the barn, all bleeding from deep gashes along their sides. As soon as they spotted her, they whinnied and stomped nervously. They weren’t happy about being tied up like that.
It took only seconds for Molly to realize something terrible must have happened to the horses. When she approached, she realized the wounds were much worse than she imagined. Each horse lay motionless and still bleeding from its injuries. And none of them were alive.
A bullet hole pierced each horse’s body, leaving a trail of blood behind. She recognized the rifle shot. That was the same caliber weapon that killed Tom.
One of the horses groaned softly.
Molly rushed to it and knelt beside it. It was lying on its side, its legs twisted underneath it. Its forelegs were broken and it moaned pitifully, trying to pull itself upright.
“Don’t worry,” Molly whispered. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll take care of you.” She stroked the animal’s neck gently until the pain eased. “There now, that’s better.” She glanced up and noticed the man standing nearby. He held a rifle aimed at the horses. “Who are these?”
He snorted, not answering her question. “What’s it to you?”
Molly rose to her feet. “These are my animals!” She pointed to one of the dead ones. “This is Old Joe. I raised him since he was just a foal.”
The man stared down at her for a moment before turning away. “I don’t give a damn whose animals they are. You can’t own property in town anymore. I’ve already warned you. If anything happens to those beasts, you’ll answer me.”
“Answer to you? Why should I listen to you? This land belonged to us long before you showed up. What gives you the right to tell anyone else where to go?”
The man glared at her. “That land belongs to me. My brother owns it. It’s mine now.”
Molly knew it wasn’t true. But even if it was, she wouldn’t let this man steal her home away from her. Not without a fight.
“You can’t do this! These aren’t yours! They belong to everyone living here!”
“Then you won’t mind when we kill your livestock too.”
Molly clenched her fists. “You’ll never make it out of town alive!”
The man laughed and turned to walk away. Molly stood there, stunned and unable to believe what she’d said. Killing cattle? Her voice echoed off the surrounding mountains and rumbled through the valley. She tried to stop herself but couldn’t. She didn’t want this man to get away with killing the rest of her horses.
But then she felt an intense jolt of fear shoot through her. What if he did murder her livestock? Would anyone know? Could she live knowing she hadn’t done everything she could to prevent it?
Just thinking about losing another horse brought tears to her eyes. The horses meant more to her than any other person in town. So many people in the valley depended on the horses for their livelihood. How would they feed themselves without them?
As quickly as the idea came to her, she acted upon it. Turning back to the wounded horse, she placed a hand over his wound. She closed her eyes and focused on healing the injury. With her fingers pressed together, she used the power of her mind to push the bullet fragments aside so that blood flow could resume naturally.
The horse shivered and sighed contentedly. Within minutes, the wound began to heal.
When Molly opened her eyes, the horse was looking at her expectantly. It wanted her attention.
She grinned at the animal and rubbed its nose with hers. “Yes, I’m listening. Now how about letting me untie you?”
For several moments, nothing happened. The injured horse remained still. Then suddenly, the ropes loosened and fell away.
Molly reached down and helped the horse to its feet. Once it was steady, she led it toward the barn. She had no intention of letting this man harm another of her animals.
After leading the horse inside, Molly looked around for the other two. She spotted the first one lying near the corral fence. She walked over and knelt beside the animal. A small rock dug into her knee and she cursed under her breath. “Damn! I need some help getting you loose.”
Without waiting for a reply, she picked up the rocks and tossed them at the ropes holding the horse’s legs apart. As soon as the rope gave way, she freed the second horse. When both were free, she went outside to see what damage the shooting might have caused.
The first horse lay sprawled on top of the ground, its head facing her. Blood dripped steadily onto the grass. The second horse was lying next to the fallen one, its legs tied by its hindquarters. Both animals were clearly dead.
“Oh, God.” Tears streamed down Molly’s face. “They’re gone.”
She knelt down beside the first horse. “I’m sorry, Old Joe. I’m so very sorry.” She laid her hand against the animal’s neck. “It’s all my fault. I should never have let myself fall asleep. I should—”
Before she could finish saying goodbye, Molly heard voices coming from across the yard. Two men approached and stopped a short distance from her. One wore a black hat and carried a shotgun while the other held a rifle.
“Well?” asked the man in the hat. “Who shot our cattle?”
“Me,” answered Molly.
His eyebrows rose slightly. He pointed the gun at her chest. “How do you figure it’s your fault?”
“My father taught me how to ride horses. I’m a good rider. That’s why I was able to get close enough to the herd to save the first one. Without me, he might be dead right now.”
A smile played on the man’s lips. “Your father must have been a great teacher because you sure got lucky.”
He glanced at the other man. “This is John Adams, who just bought this place.”
Molly nodded. “John, meet Mrs. Covington. You’ve probably heard of her.”
Adams smiled. “We’ve met before. We’re neighbors.”
“Neighbors?”
“Yeah. Just like you and I are neighbors.”
“And I don’t recall inviting you into my home!”
Adams raised his hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to come in. But when we saw these horses being shot, I knew it had to be someone from here.”
Molly took a deep breath. This time, she wasn’t going to cry. She wasn’t going to show him anything but coldness and indifference. And maybe anger too.
Adams turned to John. “Didn’t you hear the shots yourself?”
John shrugged. “No. Didn’t think much about it until we found these bodies.”
Both men moved closer to the dead horses. They stared at them for several minutes. Finally, Adams said, “Looks like a damn good job to me.”
“What do you mean?” Molly demanded. “That looks terrible to me. What kind of man shoots an animal like that?”
Neither man spoke for a few seconds. Then Adams replied, “You know how it is, Ma’am. Men hunt. Sometimes they shoot deer or elk, sometimes rabbits.”
“But not horses. Never. Not even if the animal attacked them. Horses are protected by law. So how did these two die? Was there something wrong with their hooves or legs?”
“Nope,” answered Adams. “These boys died easy.”
“Easy? Easy?” Molly repeated incredulously. “How can anyone kill a horse without using a gun? These animals aren’t dangerous.”
“Not anymore, ma’am. Animals that live in captivity become accustomed to human contact. That means they lose their natural fear of people.”
“Then why would any sane person ever want to own such animals?”
Adams shook his head. “Sometimes things happen.”
Molly frowned. “Things happen, huh?”
“Yes. Things happen.” Adams stepped forward and put his hand on Molly’s shoulder. “Now, please forgive us. We came out here looking for the shooter. It appears as though we’ll be leaving empty-handed.”
When Molly failed to respond to his touch, Adams removed his hand. “Maybe later, after you cool off. Now, excuse us. I need to take care of those horses.”
After watching the men walk away, Molly stood silently for a long minute. Only then did she go back inside the house. After putting on her bonnet and gloves, she hurried toward the front door. Before entering, she looked around the yard.
Nothing seemed to be missing. No signs of vandalism marred the landscape. There was no blood anywhere. Even the animals looked fine. In fact, they almost seemed peaceful, like they were sleeping.
As soon as she entered the house, Molly realized her mistake. She’d forgotten to lock the front door behind her. The moment she walked through the entranceway, she saw both men standing near the fireplace. Both appeared calm and relaxed. Neither man made eye contact with her.
“Good morning, Molly,” said John. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
“Thank you, Mr. Adams.”
The two men exchanged glances. “I understand you used to work for the railroad?”
“Yes, sir. For over twenty years. Why do you ask?”
“Because we’re going to hire you again.”
She froze. A sick feeling filled her stomach. “Excuse me?”
“Mr. Adams has hired you to train our new ranch manager. You’ll also act as a sort of counselor for him while he gets settled.”
“Counselor?”
“Just like you once did for me.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning you helped me adjust to life on the frontier. Now I’m doing the same thing for Tom. He’ll have plenty of help—from your husband, the blacksmith, and others. But he will still need someone to talk to.”
“Talk to? About what?”
“About all sorts of things. About family matters. Marriage problems. Maybe some personal issues.”
“Personal issues?” Molly repeated.
“Of course,” replied Adams. “Don’t you know anything?”
Molly opened her mouth to say something else, but nothing came out. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. When she finally spoke, she asked, “So what exactly does this ranch manager have to do besides manage the property?”
“Well, mostly oversee the cattle. Of course, we’ll expect him to handle other business affairs as well. Like paying the bills. Making sure everyone receives proper wages.”
“And what will I be paid for this?”
Adams grinned. “We’ve already discussed that.”
Her jaw dropped. “Why am I so surprised?”
He smiled. “It doesn’t matter anyway. Your salary will cover everything. All the expenses, including food, clothing, lodging, medical expenses, entertainment, transportation, and everything else. We don’t mind spending money when it comes to making sure this place runs smoothly.”
“Except for the food bill,” added John. “I get a free meal every day from Mrs. Sullivan. And since you’ll be living here too, you’ll receive one free dinner each night.”
“Where will I sleep?”
“In the barn.”
“Barn? Don’t tell me you mean the stables.”
“That’s right, ma’am. As far as we’re concerned, that’s where you belong.”
“I’m not a stable girl!”
“No, you’re a lady of leisure. Someone who needs time to relax and reflect.”
“Reflect on what?”
John laughed. “On all the things that happened yesterday. What better way to start than by taking a ride on the range?”
“A ride on the range? I haven’t been riding a horse in months. If I’m going to do it now, I might as well go back to California. Or maybe to New York City. At least there, I can enjoy the company of gentlemen.”
Neither man responded.
“You’re joking, right?”
They remained silent.
“This is ridiculous! Ridiculous!”
Adams chuckled. “You certainly have a knack for getting yourself into trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, let’s leave before we embarrass ourselves any further.”
Reluctantly, Molly followed them outside. Once there, she took off her bonnet and gloves. “What are you waiting for? Let’s saddle up.”
For another five minutes, she watched as both men saddled their own mounts. Then she mounted her horse.
Once the three riders left the ranch house, Molly tried to control the nervousness fluttering through her gut. It wasn’t easy. Her hands shook uncontrollably. One minute she thought about leaving, but then she remembered how much she hated riding alone. So instead of heading toward the corral, she rode toward the open gate.
“Hey! Wait for us,” shouted Adams.
Molly didn’t bother responding. She just kept on walking until she reached the edge of the fence line.
“Wait!”
She stopped and turned around. The horses were still saddling theirs. They looked at her with obvious annoyance. Molly knew they expected her to wait. Instead, she pulled out the reins and started walking away.
Both men stared after her. “You really think that would work?” asked Adams.
“How should I know? I’m not a detective anymore.”
“But you were once.”
“Yes, and I failed miserably.”
The two men exchanged glances. “Is this going to cause more problems down the road?” asked Adams.
“Maybe.”
“Then why are we even bothering with this?”
“Because Mr. Adams wants me to train his new ranch manager.”
“Does he realize how difficult that could be?”
“If he did, I wouldn’t be helping him.”
“Not if he knows how dangerous it is,” said John.
“Very true,” agreed Adams. “Which is precisely why I want you to help us out.”
“Help you? Why?”
“Because you’re an expert at handling people.”
“Oh, goody,” muttered Molly.
“Now come on. Let’s take a short ride together. You can explain all the details later.”
When Adams swung onto his mount, Molly quickly climbed up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at her and winked. “Don’t worry. No one will find us.”
The End