Ballad Beauty (18 page)

“Irishmen love their poetry,” Mo told her. “Sammy was no different. He felt an affinity with Mr. Poe, he said.”

So had she. She always related somehow to the sorrow and melancholy that ran through all of Poe’s poetry. It was poignant that she and her father shared this love though they were miles apart.

The last item in the box was folded, a hand-drawn map. Or at least half of one. She recognized the parchment paper and familiar black scrawl. Sam had entrusted her with the other half. She checked daily since she received it to be sure she still had it. She hadn’t understood its significance, as it seemed to be in some sort of code, but Sam wrote to her that it was very important she keep it safe and bring it with her when she met up with him in Texas.

Puzzled, she turned to Mo. “Did Sam give you any instructions in interpreting this? Or say anything about this at all?”

“No. It’s the first I’ve seen of it. When he arrived, he was beaten down. He was dying and knew it. He told me he’d just pulled a big job, the biggest he’d ever done, and that it was time he retired. He mentioned he’d hidden something before he came to me, then he collapsed. I nursed him for several days before he died.” Mo’s face puckered. “He did tell me that you were on yer way here and to give you the box. It was his last wish.”

Her sorrow ran deep. If only she could have left Boston earlier. If only she had found her way to Prairie Dell sooner.

“The letter!”

Mo flew across the tiny room and reached under the cot. She pulled out an envelope and handed it to Jenny.

“It’s not in his hand, I’m sorry to say. But he told me what to write, and I followed it to his very word. He knew he wouldn’t live to see you, but he wanted you to have this.”

Mo went to the door. “I’ll give you some time to read it.” She opened the door and walked outside, closing it quietly behind her.

Jenny braced herself and opened the letter.

CHAPTER 20

My dear sweetest Jenny,

How very sorry I am that you will be reading this and not be in my arms, my darling child. I am dying of the cancer inside my body. Mo knew the moment I walked through her door. You can’t pull any wool over her eyes, as you will soon learn.

If I had my life to live over again, I would change things, Jenny dearest. I would be a better husband to Suzannah, a better father to you, and simply a better man. But I can’t do that. I can hope to make some amends for the past, though.

Know that I loved you and your mother. I wasn’t a good enough man, but I did carry that love in my heart till the end. I left you safely in polite society, and though I have hungered for your presence every day we were apart, I have never regretted that decision. You have been well-educated there, and it seems to me your Dr. Randolph was a fine substitute for this sorry excuse of a parent.

I thought to assuage my lack of decency by giving much of what I took to the poor, the downtrodden, and needy. No more of that now, I’m afraid. When I finally took it in my head that I could selfishly no longer live without you, I decided to pull one last score that would be enough to live comfortably with you. I am smart—not book smart—but in my own way, and I proved successful beyond my wildest dreams with this final job.

Unfortunately, by the time I sent for you, I learned I was dying. I had felt poorly for some time, and then a physician confirmed my worst fears. It was too late to reach you by then, as you were already on your way to Texas, and I selfishly wanted to see you one last time. Now it looks as if I will be cheated out of even that.

Be good, Jenny, my love. Know I always loved you and your mother more than life itself. Say a quick prayer for old Sam McShan and please take care of Mo. Give her some of the money. Be happy. Find yourself a good man, one with honor and courage, and who will love and respect you all the days of your life.

You are a smart girl, Jenny. You’ll figure out the rhyme and reason of things. The secret is in the map. Learn from it, and guard it well. It is your key to security and all I can give now.

I love you, dear heart.

Your loving papa,

Samuel McShanahan

Mo stepped out into the bright day. It was cold and crisp, just as she liked it. The sleepy town of Prairie Dell was quiet, as usual. She looked up the street for Noah. No sight of him. She turned and looked beyond her shack and saw him under the shade of the only stick that could be called a tree for forty miles around. He leaned against it, his long legs sprawled in front of him, his hat pulled low.

She walked the thirty yards to him. Lord Almighty, she loved this boy. She’d never had children of her own, though she would have given her very soul for one. Noah Webster was the closest thing she had to kin now, next to her niece. Although it had been years since she’d seen him, he’d grown up exactly as she’d expected. They made a connection during the short time he spent with her in Prairie Dell long ago, one that she hoped would continue to her dying breath. It had till now, thanks to their many letters written over the years.

As she approached him, he pushed back his Stetson. She saw abject misery on his face. She had a pretty good idea why it was there.

He rose and greeted her with a tight hug. They stayed that way for a long moment before she pulled away.

“Let me look at you, boy.” She admired his tall, muscled frame, the cool, blue eyes, and unruly hair. “You’ve turned into quite a fine man, Noah. Fine indeed.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, Mo.” He smiled, and her heart melted at the beauty of it.

“So, are you a real lady-killer now, Noah?” she asked lightly.

He shrugged. “No more than the next lawman, I suppose.”

“I was sorry for your loss. I liked Pete.”

His face turned to granite. “Not much of a loss, if you ask me.”

She glared at him. “Well, I didn’t ask you now, did I? I was tellin’ you how bad I felt when I heard the news.”

“From Sam?”

“Yes, from Sammy.”

He shuffled a booted foot in the dirt. “I am sorry for your heartache, Mo. I know you and Sam have been tighter than doodlebugs since you were kids. Even though I never could condone his lifestyle, I was sorry for you when you told us about his passing.”

She sniffed, slightly mollified. “How long have you been in love with her?”

“What?” His eyes pierced hers. An angry flame burned in them. She was right. There had been trouble in paradise.

“You heard me, Mr. Texas Ranger. How long have you been sweet on my niece?”

“I am
not
sweet on your niece.”

“Deny it if you want, Noah Webster, but I have a lot of experience. I am stickin’ by my story. You love that girl.”

She turned and picked up her skirts and flounced off toward her cabin. Let him pout if he wanted. She would go comfort Jenny.

Noah caught up with her as she reached her hovel. He grabbed her elbow and twirled her around.

“I am not sweet on your niece!” he shouted.

She threw off his hand and placed her fists against her abundant waist. “I heard you the first time, Noah Webster. You didn’t have a lick o’ sense as a boy. I don’t know why I thought things woulda changed when you became a man.” She looked him up and down, gauging his temper. “I guess yer more like Pete than I thought.”

“You are so wrong, Miss High and Mighty Mo.” He took a calming breath and lowered his voice. “I only came here to bring in Sam and recover what he stole. No one else ever had the guts or gumption or smarts to do so. I left it alone as long as I could, but I couldn’t stay away from it any longer. When I heard Pete had cashed it in, I knew it was time to put an end to the long and infamous career of Famous Sam McShan.”

“At the expense of Jenny?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know!” he ground out. “Sam dropped off the face of the earth. She was the one link I had to find him. She was bound and determined to come to Prairie Dell. I couldn’t let her come all this way alone.”

Mo glared up at him. “So, you wanted to use my niece to trap her da?”

“It wasn’t like that.” Noah shook his head. “Jenny wouldn’t have made it two miles before trouble found her. You should hear her, Mo. Spouting off wisdom from some guidebook she read about life in the West. I figured I’d do the gentlemanly thing and get her here safely. Let her spend an hour with her daddy, then do my duty as a Ranger and take him in.”

“You used me!”

Jenny stood in the doorway, an avenging angel. Her eyes full of fire and brimstone, her mouth quivering ninety to nothing. She stalked over and slapped Noah hard. Mo entered her shack and closed the door.

“How dare you pretend to be some consumptive cowpoke that happened to be headed this way!”

His face stung where she struck him. “Boy, you pack a wallop,” he said lightly. He’d known this moment would come, had played it out in his mind a thousand times the last few days, but reality hurt more than he could have imagined.

“You took advantage of me!” Her voice rose louder with each word. “You exploited me!”

“Now, Jenny, don’t go airing your dirty laundry. Prairie Dell can’t take all this excitement at once.”

“Don’t ever, ever think you have the right to tell me what to do. You are a disgusting, low-down, sorry excuse for a man.”

He knew she was dealing with her grief and his betrayal in the only way she knew how. He decided to take whatever she tossed his way. It was the least he could do.

“Jenny, I—”

“No. Don’t. Nothing you can ever say to me will change anything between us. Do you understand? I don’t have to listen to you. You don’t own me.”

But she did own him, heart and soul. His insides cracked with every word she hurled at him. He’d never hurt so much in his entire life. He wanted to cry out that he loved her, that what had passed between them meant more to him than she’d ever know. That it didn’t matter about Sam or Pete.

But she was right. He was despicable. Bad to the bone. He didn’t deserve her. So he held his tongue.

He let her rage on for a few minutes. She was all red in the face as she spewed her venom. He knew it would soon be over, and she’d be spent. He wanted to walk away, but he savored the last looks he had of her. It would carry him through the rough times that lay ahead.

Finally, he couldn’t help it. Her words wounded him more than he thought possible. He wanted to strike out at her, hurt her as she did him.

“You know,” he drawled, “Sam’s biggest crime wasn’t stealing all that money. His biggest crime was abandoning you.”

Noah knew he’d cut her to the quick. Her face crumpled. Her shoulders sagged. Hot tears poured from her eyes and ran down her cheeks, dropping onto her bodice.

“I can’t wait to get back East. Where people treat each other with decency and respect.”

“Then go, why don’t you?”

“I’ll be happy to, Mr. Webster.” She hollered one last remark at him. “Just go to hell, Noah Webster. Straight to hell, why don’t you?”

He stopped and looked back at her. “I’m already there.”

CHAPTER 21

Jenny stalked into Mo’s dilapidated shack. She wanted to collapse on the lone cot and cry herself into oblivion. Not only had she lost her father, but she’d lost the man she’d given her heart to. His betrayal stung deeper and sharper than the snake’s fangs that had bitten him.

“Jenny?”

She whirled and saw Mo standing there. Her aunt held her arms open. She ran into them and latched onto Mo as if the older woman were a life preserver and she a drowning sailor. Jenny bawled like a lost, blind foal looking for his mother. Her sobs lasted so long that by the time they ceased, her legs wobbled. Mo had to lead her to a chair and push her into the seat.

“Do you love him?”

Jenny turned her face up. She knew it was still wet with tears and full of woe. She didn’t trust herself to speak, so she shook her head furiously. She hugged her arms tightly about her.

Mo took the chair opposite her and placed a rough, warm hand on her knee. “Did you?”

“I thought I did. And I thought he felt the same, Mo.” Jenny squeezed her aunt’s hand. “He never said it in so many words, but . . .”

“I know, honey. That’s just how men are. They let their actions do the talkin’. They’re not very good with the words.”

Jenny wanted to weep again at the sympathy she saw written across Mo’s face. She wouldn’t, though. She had to remember that Noah Webster wasn’t worth another tear.

“Noah was a good boy, Jenny. I think he’s grown into a fine man.”

“An unscrupulous, unprincipled man. Isn’t that what you mean?”

“Ah, Jenny, my dear. He was just doin’ his job as a Ranger, and his task was to bring Sammy in. No one’s been successful before. In fact, no one has ever come close, if’n I can believe Sammy. Noah had a personal history with Sammy, honey. One that goes a long way back.”

Jenny frowned at that unexpected information. “What do you mean?”

“I met Noah when he was a boy. Must’ve been at least twelve, thirteen years ago. His daddy and Sammy came here to Prairie Dell, on the run from the law. They had Noah in tow with them.”

“Noah . . . was a criminal?”

Mo sighed. “Not exactly. His daddy was Pistol Pete Webber. Sammy’s partner. Sammy took a shine to Noah. Thought him smart and all. Talked Pete into takin’ him along on one of their jobs.

“Well, the two men robbed a bank, and Noah was to stand lookout and hold the getaway horses. The town’s sheriff got shot in the middle of it, and it turned into a real fine mess. Noah got left behind in the escape. He almost didn’t catch up with them, with a posse of angry men right on his heels. By the time they reached me, the boy had been scared pee-less. He vowed he’d never indulge in a life of crime.”

Mo’s words finally sank in. “Sam’s partner was
Noah’s father
?”

“Yes. Pete Webber was a career criminal, same as Sammy. Nice lookin’ fella, quick with a gun and a joke. Moved his family around lots and was gone for long periods of time. Noah’s ma did all the raisin’ of her children. Pete had very little to do with how well they all turned out.”

“Where is Pete now? Did he come to Prairie Dell with Sam?”

Mo looked startled. “No, I guess you wouldn’t know. Noah’s hurtin’ too, sweetie. His daddy done got killed durin’ this last big score he and Sammy pulled. Sammy told me all about it. They’d gotten away clean, though they lost a couple of men before they cleared the town, when one of their own gang shot Pete point-blank.”

“Oh, no!”

“Oh, yes, and your da shot that man. Sammy allus was too nice for his own good, though, and not the best of shots. He wounded Riley. Not too bad, just enough to slow him down. To be honest, Sammy was scared he’d show up here, ‘cause he’d been here once before, years ago. He’s a slimy snake, that Riley Withers.”

Bells buzzed in Jenny’s head. “Withers?” No, it couldn’t be. She sat forward and took Mo’s hands in hers. “Describe this man, Mo.”

Mo’s eyes almost disappeared as she squinted at her. “What’s wrong?”

“A Mr. Withers introduced himself to me on the train from Boston to Texas. Something about him bothered me.”

“Well, Riley’s probly mid-thirties now. An oily type, if’n you know what I mean. Wears his hair all slicked back. It’s dark, and he has a dark mustache. Coldest, meanest eyes I’ve seen this side o’ the ocean.”

Jenny shivered. “It was Withers. I’m sure of it. Why would he follow me?”

“Sammy had all the loot. Somehow Riley Withers learned about you. He allus was snoopin’ around. I guess he figured you could lead him to Sammy and the money.”

“He did disembark at the same train stop I did. He even boarded the same stagecoach to Apple Blossom. But he didn’t get off there. I haven’t seen him since then.”

“Riley is a clever one. If you didn’t see him, it’s because he didn’t want to be seen. He probly shadowed you yer entire time here.”

She gasped. “The note! I’ll bet it was from Noah.”

Mo narrowed her eyes. “What the tarnation are you talkin’ ‘bout?”

“When I was at the hotel in Apple Blossom, someone pushed a note under my door. It contained a single sentence—
Watch the man following you
. I thought someone was warning me about Noah because he was everywhere I turned.”

“As sharp as that boy is, he musta seen Riley trailin’ you.”

She nodded. “I’m sure you’re right. It sounds like something Noah would do. And all along I thought I had to be wary of him.” She paused. “But I still have good reason now to be suspicious of him. He lied to me, Mo. I could never trust him. He’s a blackguard, just like his father was. And it’s his father who got mine—”

“Don’t go there, Jenny. Sammy allus made his own choices, honey. Noah was doin’ his job. He protected you from Riley Withers, and he brought you safely to me. I’m grateful to him for that.”

Mo hugged her, and a warm rush of love poured from Jenny to her aunt. They hadn’t known each other twenty-four hours, yet Jenny already thought of Mo as family.

“We’ll need to be on the lookout for Mr. Riley Withers. We’d best warn Noah, too. I think he needs to know how serious that scoundrel is. If’n he followed you from Boston clear to Texas, it wouldn’t be anythin’ for him to show up here in Prairie Dell.”

“I’ll let you tell Mr. Webster, Mo. I have no intention of ever speaking to him again. Besides, I have more important things to attend to now. I’ve got a riddle to solve.”

Noah mounted Star, ready to ride back to Texas. He didn’t want to waste another moment in this godforsaken place. He was mad at himself. At Jenny. At Pete for getting killed. And at Sam for dying on him. He was mad at the world. He was even mad at Mo. Just by looking at her, he could tell that she’d take Jenny’s side on anything. Blood did run thicker than water.

Sassy whinnied as he pulled on Star’s reins. Star tossed his head back in his companion’s direction and answered her. Then he snorted. Loud. Noah didn’t like the sound of that snort.

“What do you want me to do, Star? I can’t take her horse. She’ll need to leave here, whether it’s in one day or one year. She’s burning to get back to civilization in her precious Boston. I can’t let her walk there.”

Star snorted again in reply.

“Hell and damnation.” He threw his hat onto the ground. With clenched teeth, he leaped off his horse and looked Star in the eye.

“Why I’m talking to you, I haven’t the foggiest notion. It’s not like you understand the situation. You’re just a fool horse.”

Star turned his face away. Noah grabbed the reins and pulled them so Star faced him again.

“You’re all taking her side is the problem.” He reached down and picked up his worn Stetson and placed it back on his head. “And I guess my job here’s not through. I’ve got to calm down and think rationally like the Ranger I am.”

He went back to plop under the tree he’d been cozied up to when Mo first came to visit with him. He planted his back firmly against its skinny trunk and crossed his ankles in front of him. He wished the world would go away.

Uppermost in his mind was guilt. Part of it was from Pete’s death. He should have brought Pete in years ago. If he’d done so, at least Pete wouldn’t have been killed in a bank robbery.

Even though Noah had no respect for his daddy, he couldn’t help but feel some love for the man. After all, they were kin. Pete gave him and Mark and Elizabeth life. Even if that was all the good in him, it was still something. His brother and sister were two of the best people he knew. They made this world a better place. They brought joy to his and his mama’s lives.

The rest of the lingering guilt belonged to what he’d done to Jenny. He’d hurt her, and he had no way to right that wrong. Oh, sure, she thought if they got married, it would solve everything. He didn’t think so. He had enough of Pete’s wanderlust in him. He didn’t think he could ever settle down in one place, much less be true to one woman from now through eternity. Besides, everyone knew that a Ranger made a poor husband. He wouldn’t be willing to take the kind of chances it took to do his job correctly if he knew Jenny waited at home for him.

God, he’d never want to
leave
home if she were there. He could feel his hand skim the satin smoothness of her alabaster skin, smell the subtle scent of lavender that clung to her, taste the sweetness that was all her own. If he left Jenny to chase outlaws and Comanche, his mind would be nothing but mush. Thought of her would spill out every minute of every day.

No, it was no good. It could never be.

But, oh, how his heart wished it could. He wished he were more citified and educated. A better match for her. All he could do was bring about her ruin. He refused to do that.

He pushed Jenny McShanahan from every nook and cranny in his head. He had to be logical. He had a lot to accomplish.

First, he would check out Mo’s story. Not that he didn’t believe her. She’d turned into one of the best friends he’d ever hard—but he would have to speak to witnesses for his report. He would ask who’d seen Sam in Prairie Dell, both alive and dead. He’d have to cite where Famous Sam McShan was buried. The authorities were always interested in those kinds of details.

Then there was the money. Actually, the Treasury bonds. Sam had gotten some cash, but the real haul lay in what he’d taken from the government. If Sam had made it to Prairie Dell, he would bet his last nickel that the bonds had, too. He hoped Sam shared with Mo where they were hidden.

Finally, he had to find out why that sly stranger had been following Jenny. He hadn’t seen the piece of pond scum since Apple Blossom, but his common sense told him the man was out there somewhere. Maybe not in Prairie Dell yet, but he would be soon. Was he part of Sam’s gang? Noah was curious about this piece of the puzzle.

He liked a neat, orderly world, with everything in its place. Trouble was, the world rarely cooperated. That’s why he liked Rangering over anything else he’d tried. Pete moved the family to Texas when Noah was fifteen. It was right after the war, and Sam and Pete wanted to make some fast cash during Reconstruction. They’d tried to involve him again in a few of their schemes, but Noah flatly refused.

He had to—because in spite of everything—the glamour of what they did appealed to him on some level. He knew it was wrong. He still saw that girl holding her dead daddy and crying—but a tiny part of him wanted the excitement that came with the crime. He had a bad side that was itching to come out. He had to guard against it ever happening again. He had to protect Jenny from it, too.

He made good money as a ranch hand instead of joining his daddy and Sam. Noah hired out in the first cattle drives after the war. Texas had been cut off from the Confederate cattle markets during the conflict, so afterward the herds ballooned. With five million longhorns roaming the range and the postwar burst of railroad construction that would get those cattle to Chicago slaughterhouses from the plains, he’d been in the right place at the right time. It was honest work for honest money, but he’d tired of it after several long drives. Abilene, Wichita, Dodge City. They all began to look the same after a time. He’d enjoyed his flings in the saloons and dance halls and gambling palaces and always proved popular with the ladies, but he wearied of that empty, unsatisfying life.

And the more Pete stole and the more famous he and Sam became, the more Noah was embarrassed by their exploits. It had attracted him to the lifestyle of the independent Rangers. He joined them at twenty-one and hadn’t looked back. Till now. He’d been a crack shot and though his mama constantly worried about him, he felt in some way Rangering helped atone for Pete and Sam’s many sins.

The Rangers had become like family. When he was a boy, Pete would show up after months of being absent and they’d have to move, no questions asked. It made it hard to make friends, much less keep them. He never really had friends, other than his brother and sister, until he joined the Rangers. Many of them were loners like him. They bonded with few words, their actions and pride in a job well done being the glue that cemented their friendships.

He owed it to his fellow Rangers to solve this case and bring closure to the life and times of the Robin Hood of the West.

Noah stood and dusted off his black wool pants. He had questions to ask and notes to take. And he promised himself he wouldn’t think about Jenny McShanahan even once.

Well, maybe once. He hated to break a promise. Even if it was to himself.