The Badger City Gang [Bride Train 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (17 page)

“This is quite a list,” she said.

“Ma’am, we just spent five long months bringing our longhorns up from Texas,” drawled Rusty. He backed off the attitude at her glare, slumping into his usual lazy pose. “We’re tired, sore, and hungry. Can’t do nothin’ about the first two, so we need a mess of vittles to fill our bellies.”

“We gotta stock up since we don’t get to town much,” added Gideon.

“My husband can supply most of this. You have a wagon out back?”

“Yep, and thank you, ma’am,” said Gideon. “This is our first time in town.”

“Then welcome to Tanner’s Ford. Molly, give each of them a stick of peppermint candy.” After a brisk nod she swept past them to the back of the store.

“That’s mighty nice of the lady,” said Rusty. He elbowed Gideon out of the way and gave Molly his finest smile. “I get the first one ’cause I’m older.”

Molly reached into the bottom of the glass jar and brought out a broken piece of candy. She held it out to Rusty. Her face held the same touch of mischief that he usually displayed. He pouted, but gave her his palm. She solemnly placed the two-inch broken piece on it. He sighed as if his life was over.

Gideon shoved him with his shoulder. “Greedy gets what he deserves.” He took his full-length peppermint stick and nodded thanks. Then he broke it in three pieces. He put two in one pocket for Kate and Zach. He stuck the other in his shirt for the ride home. Rusty grunted his agreement. This way they’d each get a small piece of the treat.

They looked up when the bell over the door rang. An elegant but tiny lady marched in. She wore a fancy dress made of blue velvet and silver lace. Her hat added an extra four inches to her height, which brought her to Gideon’s middle shirt button. Maybe. She turned and ushered a drab, solemn-faced woman into the mercantile. The woman’s eyes widened when she saw them. She stopped so fast the older lady bumped into her.

“Grace, why did you stop?”

“She looks like she’s scared of us, ma’am,” said Rusty quietly. He pulled off his hat, held it over his heart, and bowed to Grace. “We mean you no harm, ma’am. We’re just in here buying supplies. We’ll get out of your way.”

“This is Grace’s first trip out,” explained the tiny woman as if he’d understand what she meant. She nudged, but the scared woman didn’t budge. She didn’t scream or cry, which was a blessing. Gideon hated to see womenfolk upset.

“We’ll go out the back way if you like,” said Rusty.

The beaten-down woman called Grace could be anywhere from twenty to fifty by the lines on her face. So could the lady who seemed to be a cross between a matron who sang in a church choir and a fancy woman who rented herself out by the night.

“Miss Lily!” Molly flushed. “I mean, Mrs. Thatcher. These are the men Mr. Chamberlain brought from Texas to work on the Running W.”

Grace raised her head and looked at Molly with wide eyes. She made a croaking cry and dropped to her knees. Because she clasped her hands before her and bent her head, Gideon figured she was praying about something. He backed away even farther just in case her madness was catching.

“Grace? Do you know Molly Sinclair?”

Mrs. Thatcher spoke like Gideon would to a wild-eyed horse likely to bolt. Grace looked up. She stared at Molly, tears running down her face. She nodded, and started humming some church-like song. Gideon didn’t recognize it, but Molly gasped and ran around the counter. She fell to her knees beside the crazy woman smiling through tears.

“It’s you! The woman who brought me food and everything!”

Grace nodded. She opened her mouth, but only garbled sounds came out.

“No wonder you wouldn’t talk to me. Someone cut out your tongue!” Molly gently touched Grace’s shoulder. “Miss Lily, this woman cared for me when I was locked in that room for months and months. I remember her humming that song!”

The fancy old lady gasped, slapped a hand against her heart, and swayed. Gideon quick-stepped around the kneeling women and caught her elbow before she could fall.

“You all right, ma’am?”

“I will be.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp and shot him a look that meant business. “Get Sheriff Barstow from the jail. Tell him what Molly just told me. Do it fast and don’t make a fuss. We have to catch the man who kidnapped her, and the beast may be here in town. Do you understand?”

He didn’t, but she had the look of a woman you wouldn’t want to cross.

“Yes, ma’am.” He turned to Rusty. “You’ll stay with the ladies?”

Rusty frowned in a “you have to ask?” motion. Gideon reached in his pocket and pulled out the piece of peppermint stick he would have given Zach. He held it out to Rusty and tilted his head. Rusty nodded his understanding. He hunkered down and held his palm out to Grace, making soothing sounds. For once his ability with the ladies would be a help.

Gideon stepped out the door, stopping on the boardwalk to look around. Since he was new to town, he should check in with the sheriff and say howdy after dropping off his list of supplies. He hitched up his pants and sauntered to the jail as if he had nothing more on his mind than a relaxing game of checkers with the lawman. He opened the door and stepped in, turning his back to close it snug behind him. He faced the room and stopped. Seven large men stared back, one of them dark enough to be an Indian. All of them kept their hands loose, ready to draw. Gideon slowly spread his fingers and lifted his hands away from his body.

“Whoa there, gentlemen,” he said calmly. “A tiny fireball named Mrs. Thatcher sent me from the mercantile to find the sheriff. He here?”

A man with a large moustache pushed his way through the others. Gideon caught the glint of a star pinned to his vest.

“I’m Sheriff Barstow. What’s this about?”

Gideon met the sheriff’s hard stare. “The lady told me not to make a fuss. I’ll tell you my business, but she said she can’t trust anyone else. I don’t know these other gents.”

“We dinna know ye either.”

Few men topped him, but the Scot was not only taller, he was massive. All he wore was a kilt, boots, shirt, and hat. Red curls sprouted from almost everywhere that wasn’t covered by cloth. Gideon recognized the cut of the man, the accent, and the tartan from Texas. He gave a mental curse.

“You must be a MacDougal,” said Gideon. He kept his voice neutral, though everything he’d seen and heard about them made him want to make a fist.

The Scot raised a bushy eyebrow. “Aye, that I am. Gillis MacDougal of the MD Connected. That’s my brother, Ross.” He pointed to the dark man. “And ye are?”

“Gideon McInnes of the Running W. Zach’s my brother. Rusty, our cousin, is with the ladies at the mercantile.”

“Ah, one of the lads from Texas.” Gillis nodded as if that explained something. “Did ye know any MacDougals in Texas, laddie?”

He crossed his massive arms and glared just like Finan, but he didn’t have the same vicious look in his eye. Gideon set his feet, ready to fight for his life, just in case the man didn’t like his answer.

“Yep, but nothing good,” he said. “The only decent men on the Bar MD were a pair of brothers and their cowgirl sister. I heard of another brother, a cripple, who was sent back East to his mother’s people.” Gillis hadn’t yet jumped him, so he added more information. “We worked on the Garcia ranch next door for the last few years.”

“Damn, no wonder Zach looks familiar,” muttered one of the bigger men in the back. “I’m Ranger Elliott. You’re talking about me, my brother Patrick, and sister Jessie.”

Gideon peered closer. A few faces did seem familiar. He relaxed a bit, realizing they weren’t likely to jump him just for fun, like Fin and Hugh MacDougal would.

“And I’m no cripple, I’m a lawyer.” A less muscular version of the first man elbowed his way to the front. “I’m Ben, Ranger’s twin brother, and that’s our oldest brother, Trace,” he said, pointing to the second man with a moustache. Gideon nodded to them.

“Ranger, were they disrespectful of Jessie?” The tall, muscular blond spoke with a strong English accent. His words were deceptively soft, but Gideon caught the warning head-on.

“That’s Sin, of the Double Diamond,” said Ben, pointing to the blond. “Ace married Jessie, but Sin’s the only one who can keep her in line. He’s a new father without much sleep so his temper’s short.”

Zach was supposed to borrow Jessie’s work pants for Kate, but he hadn’t got around to it yet. Gideon figured Zach didn’t want to explain why. From what he remembered of that feisty girl in Texas, she’d get along with Kate. He raised an eyebrow.

“She still have that big black mare?”

“Yep. Nightwind and her colt are doing fine,” said Sin, still eyeing Gideon as if he wasn’t sure about trusting him.

“She finally let a stallion near her?”

Sin nodded. His smile was a warning. “She chose my
Friesian, Emperor.
”

Gideon took his measure of Sin. He could see Jessie accepting the big man as her partner. She’d made her opinion clear that she wasn’t interested in any Texans. Fin Junior kept trying to prove otherwise. He stopped after she made a honey path from a fire ant nest right into his pants, which he’d left unbuttoned after taking a leak and passing out. Just thinking about it made Gideon want to cross his legs.

“You can speak in front of these men. They’re ranchers,” explained the sheriff. “It’s the townsmen we’ve got to watch out for. Some of them are slipperier than a greased piglet.”

Gideon took one more look around the jail. All seven men looked tough enough to kill with their bare hands. That was fine, since he could do the same.

“First, I was told to keep things quiet, so don’t go rushing out.” He looked at each man until they nodded agreement. “I was in the mercantile with my cousin, Rusty, when Mrs. Thatcher and a broken-down woman named Grace came in. Grace looked at Molly, the girl behind the counter, and got all upset. She started humming and Molly rushed over saying she recognized the song.” He held up his hand to stop the loud questions bombarding him. “Molly said it must have been Grace who brought her food when she was locked in some room for months. That mean anything to you gents?”

“It was Rivers!”

Gideon automatically stepped back as the men erupted. Gillis and Trace grabbed the Indian, barely holding him back. Sin stood like a statue, every muscle tight. Gideon kept his hands ready to pull his gun. He’d been right about that look in Molly’s eyes. He didn’t know the girl, but he was ready to draw and quarter the bastard who’d hurt her. He’d even supply the four horses to tear him limb from limb.

“Hold it,” roared Gillis, fighting to keep Ross from escaping. “We dinna want his spies hearing of this, or he’ll get away.”

Ross suddenly stopped struggling. Though his chest heaved, he held his hands out, still. He gave a crisp nod. After a moment they let him go. Gideon kept a close eye just in case. Though the rest were obviously dangerous when riled, this man looked like he’d take pleasure in spending days torturing someone who hurt those he cared about. Molly must be on his list of family. Gideon wouldn’t want to surprise him in a dark alley.

“Tut tut, gentlemen. Time’s wasting and we need a plan.” Sin’s drawling British accent didn’t match his rough clothes or deadly expression. “If we ride in with guns blazing, Rivers will hide behind his gunslingers and sneak away like the coward he is. We need to create a diversion.”

“What’s this about?” asked Gideon, looking around the room for answers. “Whatever it is, count me in.”

“I’ve lived in Tanner’s Ford over twenty-five years,” growled Trace. “Molly’s like my daughter. What business is this of yours?”

Gideon wasn’t sure if he should tell them about working on his family’s mining claim in Alder Gulch a few years back. If they found out about Uncle Peyton, they might think all McInnes men were cut from the same cloth. That would brand him as a blackguard before he could prove otherwise. But if he hid it that could backfire even worse. He decided to keep information to the essentials.

“Me, Rusty, and Zach have an agreement with Walt Chamberlain to buy the Running W, over time,” said Gideon. “We aim to stay here and raise a family. If we can help, we will.” He caught the eyes of each man. “If someone hurt that girl Molly, even if I didn’t give a damn about this town, I’d be backing you up.”

Ross’s hands flashed. Gideon automatically grabbed leather. He had his gun out and ready before some of the other men had moved. A second later he faced six guns, two handfuls of knives, and a scowling Scot. Outnumbered, he raised his hands shoulder high, his gun hanging from his trigger finger.

“You’ll do,” said Ross with a nod. His knives were gone as quickly as they’d appeared.

“This your first trip to town?” asked Trace. He and the others holstered their weapons. After Gideon realized he wasn’t spurting blood from a dozen holes, he nodded and did the same.

“If we don’t know you, then neither does Rivers or his men,” said Sin thoughtfully. “We need someone to get near the ranch to keep him occupied while we move in.”

“I just got back from Bannack City,” said Ben. “Word is the mayor wants a few hands quick with a gun to take the J Bar C’s longhorns back.” He cleared his throat. “I also heard Rivers is looking for some young, untouched, feminine companionship. If he’s the one who hurt Molly, he hasn’t changed his tune.”

“If we had a gal like that, we could catch his eye,” mused Ross.

“The only young women around here are Bridie and Meggie, and they ain’t leaving the Rocking E until that bastard’s dead or long gone from these parts,” declared Trace. His voice sounded like a crow, all rough and broken. Ross shrugged his agreement.

Gideon didn’t mention Kate. He’d check with Zach to see if he wanted anyone to know about her. Though she wasn’t untouched anymore—thank God—she was tiny enough to look much younger. He bet she could act the terrified virgin if she wanted to. But for now, he’d go with the sure thing.

“Me and Rusty could hire on with him. When the posse arrives, we’d be shooting at them instead of you,” said Gideon.

“How fast is this Rusty?” asked the sheriff.

Gideon winced. “Hate to say it, but he beats me two times out of three. Four out of five if he’s had a couple shots of whiskey.”