The Turn of a Wheel (Kansas Crossroads Book 17) Read online

  He finished his cake, handed his plate to one of the other waitresses who seemed to be assigned to that very thing, and ducked through the crowd until he was standing next to Wade. Once that conversation was completed, he handed Wade the telegram and shook his hand.

  “You’re the official owner of the Lazy Q,” he said. “Congratulations.”

  Wade read the telegram once, and then twice. “Thank you,” he said, blinking a few times as though he didn’t believe what he was seeing. “This is a real dream come true for me.”

  “I’m glad I was able to help. I know the property’s in good hands with you at the head.”

  Wade nodded. “I’ll do my best. I appreciate your help.”

  Alex didn’t point out the obvious—that they’d all benefitted from the arrangement. “Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be leaving tomorrow, but I’ll be right here until then.”

  “You’re leaving so soon? I’d thought . . .” Wade hesitated. “It’s not my place to say, but I thought you’d be eager to patch things up with your brother before you left.”

  “Maybe I should, but I don’t have the heart for it right now. I’ll be heading back this way in a few months, though, and I’ll give it some thought for that return trip.” It might take every one of those months to prepare him for it. His brother just wasn’t the man Alex wanted him to be, and that disappointment burned in his belly.

  Just then, they heard a commotion, and they turned to see Big Mike running toward them across the grass. “Wade!” he called out. “Wade, you’ve gotta come.”

  Wade shoved his telegram in his pocket and met Mike in the center of the lawn. “What’s going on? What’s the matter?”

  “Cattle rustlers. They’re making off with some of the steers in the north pasture.”

  “Where’s the marshal?”

  “Tenny’s getting him, but we’ve gotta go, Wade. I don’t think the marshal can ride as fast.”

  Wade looked around and spotted Margaret, who was standing with Mrs. Brody. “You stay here,” he called. “I’ll come back for you.” Then he turned back to Mike. “I have the wagon, not my saddle horse.”

  “You’ll take mine,” Mr. Brody said, pushing through the crowd. “Tom can saddle a horse faster than anyone I know.”

  “And I’m coming too,” Alex added.

  Wade cast him a curious look. “You are?”

  “I am. You need men.”

  Wade gave a sharp nod, and they all headed over to the stables.

  Tom was already saddling Mr. Brody’s horse, and Alex got to work on his—well, the one he’d rented from Jeb. Within minutes, they were riding out of the yard. Wade lifted a hand to Margaret, and Alex glanced around for Miss Barnes, hoping for some sign of approval, he supposed, but he didn’t see her.

  Once they were out on the road, they broke into a run, the horses’ hooves kicking up clouds of dirt. Alex didn’t know what chance they had of catching up to the rustlers—they were hours behind—but they had to try. No one should be allowed to get away with stealing another man’s livelihood.

  ***

  The crowd of well-wishers cheered Richard and Miranda on their way as they drove off in their decorated buggy, then dispersed a few at a time, many of them carrying in dishes or helping take down the tent before they left. Ruth and the other girls scrambled to serve the train passengers who arrived a few minutes later, and then, with an exhausted sigh, she went to find Margaret in the parlor as promised.

  Margaret didn’t look at all relaxed, even though the chaos had come to an end. She sat up straight in her chair, her hands clasped on her lap.

  “Are you all right?” Ruth asked her as she sat down nearby. “You got something to eat, didn’t you?”

  “I’m fine. I’m just so worried.” Margaret glanced toward the window. “They won’t be back for hours, if not days, and yet I keep expecting them to ride up any minute.”

  “I only heard there’d been some cattle stolen. Do you know how many?”

  “No. Mike didn’t give many details at all.” Margaret closed her eyes and inhaled, then opened them again. “The timing of this . . . The sale just went through today. Those are Wade’s cattle, not Mr. Barker’s, and it can’t be a coincidence that the rustlers targeted a ranch in the middle of a sale, can it? While things are in upheaval, and we’re all distracted? How many other ranches are out there that they could have targeted instead? It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “They’ll figure it out,” Ruth said. “Right now, I’m more worried about you than anything. I’ve never seen you so pale.”

  “I’m all right. I’m told this is somewhat common for the first few months.”

  Ruth sat up straighter. “Margaret! Are you . . .?”

  Margaret smiled, her face lighting up even though her concern was still evident. “My first husband and I never had any children, even though he and his mistress were expecting, and I thought I wasn’t able to conceive. I guess this proves me wrong.”

  Ruth shook her head at the irony of it. “Well, you and Wade will be wonderful parents. I have no doubt.”

  “Neither do I. It’s just dangerous out there, riding after those cattle thieves. What if they decide to shoot? Wade can defend himself, but if he’s caught by surprise . . .”

  Ruth took Margaret’s hand. “Let’s not focus on that. Why are we having a clandestine meeting in the parlor—was it to tell me about the baby?”

  Margaret nodded. “Yes. I actually wanted to tell you before, but I didn’t want to detract from Mr. Barker’s job offer.”

  “About that.” Ruth exhaled. “I was certainly caught off guard.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I just wanted you to have the choice.”

  “I made it very easily and soundly. Another thing happened, though—something else that surprised me. Mrs. Norton, Richard’s aunt, asked me to move to Kansas City and be her cook.”

  Margaret tilted her head. “My goodness. You’ve certainly had an eventful couple of days, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, I have, and my brain is spinning. I’ve wanted a change for a while, but certainly not with Jeb Barker. Kansas City, on the other hand . . . Think of all the possibilities. She says she holds nice luncheons on a regular basis—I’d love to create menus for things like that. I do get a little tired of making stew and corn bread all the time.”

  “I do understand,” Margaret replied. She’d been employed at the Brody long enough to understand everything Ruth was saying. “We’d certainly miss you around here.”

  “And I’d miss all of you, but that would be true no matter where I went. The only way not to miss you would be to stay here, and that doesn’t feel right either. I’ve got to do something to ease this restlessness in my chest or I’ll go crazy.”

  “It sounds like Kansas City is your answer, then,” Margaret replied.

  “It might be, but Mrs. Norton is giving me a little time to think about it. She’s been looking for a cook for a month—I suppose she can afford to give me a few days.”

  “Especially when it’s such a big decision.” Margaret looked thoughtful. “You wouldn’t be interested in coming back out to the Lazy Q, would you?”

  Ruth shook her head. “No, definitely not. Wade’s an entirely different sort of man from Mr. Barker and I know he’d run things differently, but I have too many memories there. I confess, though, that I miss everyone. I love it when they stop in to see me when they’re in town.”

  “They miss you, too. Your name comes up frequently—and it’s all good,” she hastened to add. Then she paused. “Have you and Alex spoken since he checked in at the hotel?”

  “Hardly at all—just enough to declare a truce. I was surprised to see him here, actually. I thought he’d be staying at the ranch right up until he left town.”

  “And I’m surprised he didn’t speak with you as soon as he arrived. Maybe he’d rather you not know.”

  Ruth’s curiosity was piqued. “Well, now you have to tell me. It’s not
fair to hint and then go quiet.”

  Margaret seemed to consider that, then said, lowering her voice, “He left the ranch because he was angry with Jeb about what happened to you. He confronted him in his office, and when Jeb didn’t deny anything, Alex packed up.”

  “He did?” Ruth blinked. “I thought maybe he wanted to spend a day in town before he left.”

  “No, he couldn’t stand being under his brother’s roof any longer.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “The cook we have—who I would replace in a heartbeat if I had the right replacement—was coming in to check on the menu. He overheard the whole thing from the hallway, and told me last night. And maybe I conjectured a little bit while I was at it.”

  Ruth chuckled. “A little bit, or a whole lot?”

  Margaret shrugged. “Probably only a little bit. At any rate, Alex Barker isn’t anything like his brother, and I hope you’ll mend fences with him before he leaves. I like him quite a bit, and I think he deserves your good opinion too.”

  “And what would he do with it? It’s not likely that we’ll see each other again, especially if I take this job in Kansas City.”

  “He’d know he left things as best as he could. That means a lot, you know.”

  Ruth shook her head, not sure how to reply. “We did already call a truce. I thought it would be easier if we were civil to each other while he’s staying here.”

  “Calling a truce isn’t the same as mending fences. Truces are usually temporary and superficial. They don’t really fix things.”

  “But they’re easier.” At Margaret’s questioning look, Ruth went on. “All right, I’ll talk to him. I don’t know what good it will do or what you’re thinking we’ll accomplish, but I’ll make the effort.”

  “Thank you. I’ve never been able to bear the idea of people going their separate ways with bad blood between them.”

  “I wouldn’t say that we have bad blood between us—just that we didn’t get along right off.” Ruth thought it was odd that Margaret was being so persistent about this, but if a quick conversation could put her friend’s mind at ease, that was simple.

  “I’m glad it wasn’t anything worse than that.” Margaret gave her a smile. “I do have another worry, though. It seems I’ve been abandoned here, and I’m not sure you have a room for me. You have people staying here for the wedding and so forth, don’t you?”

  “Not many—I’m sure we have a room.” Ruth paused. “It would be more fun, though, if you stayed upstairs with us. Like old times.”

  Margaret grinned. “Oh, I like that idea even better. Being surrounded by men all the time makes me appreciate the company of women like never before.”

  They took some clean linens from the cupboard and climbed the stairs to the attic, then worked together to make Miranda’s bed up fresh for Margaret to borrow. Ruth felt a pang that Miranda was no longer there, but at least for this first night, another friend had come to soothe a little bit of that sting.

  Chapter Five

  The sun had set, and purple streaks across the sky didn’t do much to light up the ground. Wade motioned for the riders to halt, and they all pulled up alongside him.

  “I can’t make out their tracks anymore,” he said. “We’d best call it a night or we’re going to lose them altogether.”

  “Agreed,” Big Mike said, and the other men nodded.

  Alex took off his hat and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. He hadn’t dressed for a day of riding, and his suit felt stuck to his back. Still, he didn’t regret coming—he had to see how this played out.

  When he’d arrived back at the Lazy Q with Wade and Mike that afternoon, Old Sully told them that a hundred head of cattle had been cut out and were being driven north by four men—two of whom he’d recognized as Smith and Kale, men from the ranch that Jeb was taking with him to the new place. Jeb was nowhere to be seen, and the whole thing felt more than a little suspicious to Alex. If those two men weren’t working for Jeb, if they were going off on their own without his backing, how did they intend to maintain those cows? Did they have a place to put them, a way to keep them hidden? No, he suspected that his brother was trying to pad his own pockets as he was heading out the door.

  Six men from the Q had lit out after them as soon as they were spotted. When Wade’s group got there, they’d paused just long enough to grab fresh horses and water, and then they were on their way too. Alex guessed that the first six were about eight hours ahead of them. Seemed unlikely that they’d ever catch up, but they were bringing the law with them in the form of Deputy Parker Monroe, and they’d each been made temporary deputies for this ride only. Who knew what they’d be facing up ahead.

  The men slid off their horses, and Mike and Tenny scouted around until they had enough wood for a passable fire. Gallagher had ridden all afternoon with a couple of rabbits tied to his saddlebags, and now he got to work readying them for a roasting spit. Alex shook his head, smiling. These men were prepared even at a moment’s notice. It was quite inspirational, really.

  Each of the packs had a blanket tied to it, and after the rustic meal had been eaten, the men spread out their bedrolls and prepared to get some rest. Alex lay down and tried to get comfortable, but he wasn’t used to sleeping outdoors, and the ground felt harder than it really had any right to. He knew he’d be a black-and-blue mess come morning, but as he reminded himself, he’d volunteered for this adventure, so he shouldn’t complain.

  As he rolled over, hoping to ease the aches and pains in his body, he opened his eyes a slit and noticed that Wade was still seated by the fire. Rather than continuing the impossible task of trying to get comfortable, Alex pulled his boots back on and stood up, joining Wade as he stared into the glowing embers.

  “Can’t sleep?”

  Wade shook his head. “A little too riled up, so I volunteered for first watch.”

  It hadn’t occurred to Alex that they’d need to post guards, but of course they would—they were on the trail of criminals who might double back. He felt sheepish for not putting that together before, and once again, he was reminded how very little he knew about this way of life. “Do you think my brother’s behind it?”

  Wade poked the embers with a stick and didn’t answer for a long minute. “Sully didn’t mention seeing him,” he said at last.

  “That doesn’t mean he didn’t arrange it. I’m sorry, Wade. I can’t help but feel responsible.”

  Wade turned and looked at him. “Responsible? How?”

  Alex shrugged. “If I hadn’t come knocking with this offer . . .”

  Wade chuckled, sounding wry. “That’s going back in time an awfully long ways, Alex. Unless you’re confessing that you had a hand in this, you can’t blame yourself for what those cattle thieves chose to do. I’m glad you came along when you did—without this new deal for your brother, I doubt I could have ever afforded my own place. We’ll get this all worked out—you’ll see.”

  “You sound pretty sure of that.”

  Wade tossed his stick into the fire. “Things out here are pretty simple. If you take something that’s not yours, you’ll be punished for it, pure and simple. There aren’t a lot of politics or hoops to jump through. No fancy speeches or deliberating. I’ll get my cattle back, the thieves will get what’s coming to them, and we’ll get back to our lives as normal.”

  “And if you can’t get the cattle back?”

  “Oh, we will. There’s nothing out this way for miles, and they’re moving slower than we are because they have to drive the animals. We’ll catch up.”

  Alex hadn’t thought about the animals slowing down the pace of the escape. Again, his naivety was showing. “And if they’re armed?”

  “So are we.” Wade patted the pistol that rested on his hip. “Thing is, I know Smith and Kale. They aren’t in this for anything but the money, and their loyalties can be bought and sold. They don’t have the motivation to push this through once the law’s involved—they’ll turn themselv
es in and testify against their ringleader to get a lighter sentence. I don’t know about the other men, but that’s at least two who won’t have the guts to go all out. And with Monroe on our side, we’re operating in the name of the law.” He reached over and clapped Alex on the shoulder. “It’s good of you to be so concerned, but I have no doubt this will go our way.”

  “And my brother?”

  Again, Wade was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “We’ll figure out his involvement and go from there. I’m not eager to land him in jail, Alex. I don’t agree with him a lot of the time and I don’t like the way he makes and breaks pledges to suit him, but I’ve worked for him for a while now, and I don’t like the idea of this being his outcome.”

  “You’re not angry?”

  “Oh, I’m angry, but I don’t see the need to go directing it at someone in particular until I know for sure they’re the ones who deserve it.” Wade nodded toward Alex’s bedroll. “Get some sleep. I want to be on the trail as early as possible so we can catch up with our men.”

  Alex lay back down and stared up into the black expanse of the sky. With no ceiling or walls separating him from it, he almost felt as though he could float up and into the atmosphere, and it was an unsettling feeling. He preferred the safety of being indoors, of knowing his boundaries. Maybe he was too citified for his own good.

  ***

  When the waitresses got up the next morning, Margaret asked if she could borrow a dark dress so she could help out with the meal services that day.

  “You’re a guest,” Ruth told her. “You don’t have to help.”

  “I want to help. If I sit around doing nothing all day, I’ll be thinking about Wade and the other men out there somewhere, and I’ll just fret,” Margaret explained. “Please let me stay busy.”

  “Well, if you really want to, I suppose we could let you help with the laundry,” Emma said with a chuckle, handing Margaret one of her dresses.

  Margaret thanked her and put it on, and the girls who were on the first shift headed downstairs to prepare.