The Stafford Collection, Historical Western Romances (27 page)

Chapte
r
28

B
rock accompanied Sabrina to The Swan. It felt odd being back in Tulsey Town. The home she had known for so long seemed different to her…as if she was looking at it with new eyes. Or perhaps it was she who was different. She was very glad that Brock was beside her.

Dressed in her
new blouse and green skirt, the swoosh of the fabric as she walked seemed awfully loud to her. Perhaps that was why she was getting so much attention. Even with Brock holding her arm close to his side, she still received countless nods and head turns from the men in town.

She had never noticed before how many more men than women there were in town. She lifted her head and looked at each of their faces. She would find the killers if it was the last thing she did on this earth. Brock gave her arm a gentle tug as they reached the saloon. He opened the door and guided her inside, shutting it behind them.

It was early and Mac stood behind the bar, the only being in sight.  He was wiping down glasses, getting ready for the day. Recognizing Brock he nodded to him and gave her a curious once over.

“Mornin’ Brock…Ma’am.”

“Hi Mac,” Sabrina said, unable to hide her smile.

“Ma’am,” Mac repeated, as he looked at Brock for an introduction.

Sabrina came closer until only the bar was separating them. “Mac, it’s me, Will,” she said softly.

Mac stared at her face as her words sunk in. He dropped the glass and it shattered into tiny shards on the wooden floor.

“Will? You’re---you’re a girl?”  He placed his hands on the bar to steady himself. Brock grabbed his arm and helped him over to a table.

Mac sat down heavily, holding his chest. He barked out a laugh as thoughts flew through his mind. He was trying to recall if he had ever said anything inappropriate in Will’s company that should not have been uttered in the presence of a lady. His silence worried Sabrina and she laid a hand on his arm.

“Please say something. Say anything.”

“You can’t shock an old man like that. It ain’t right.” His gaze traveled to Brock. “When the heck did you find out?”

Redness crept up Brock’s neck as he thought of that first day. He knew exactly how Mac was feeling right now. Like a horse’s ass.

“The day of the train robbery.”

This surprised Mac, and he laughed aloud. “Well, I feel better now. If you were living with the boy...err girl and couldn’t tell, I don’t feel like such a fool.”

“You are not a fool. I’m sorry, Mac, I didn’t mean to hurt you or the
Swansons. I just needed a job and a place to stay.”

“Well, there are lots of jobs out there for women. You could …well there’s…never mind.” He broke off, blushing.

“Would Mr. Swanson have hired a girl?”

At the question Mac groaned and laid his head on the table.

“Are you okay?”  she asked in concern as he started to shake with laughter. Mac raised his head and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“The old coot knew it all along!”

“You mean Mr. Swanson? What do you mean, he knew? How could he have known?” Sabrina asked, perplexed.

“The wife probably; she’s a sharp lady. First time I met you, Jack spoke to me afterwards. He told me to look out for you, make sure no one bothered you and make sure you were fed.  I thought it was odd at the time. He had other boys helping him here and there and they didn’t need no special pamperin’. Now I know why.”

Brock groaned. “Jack Swanson suggested I get Will to help me with the jail.”

“After the fire I offered to take the boy in. Figured he could sleep in the supply room or something but Jack said you were gonna stay with Brock.”

Brock grasped her hand and squeezed. Looking over at him, a thought sprang to her mind. “My reward poster. I never saw it before you showed up. Where did you find it?”

Mac raised an eyebrow. “Reward? Are you wanted?”

Brock laughed. “Missing. I found it when I was going through McAllister’s desk. It was folded up and stuck under the corner of a drawer. I guess he was in on the scheme as well.”

“Well, it sure would have been nice if someone would have told me!” Mac grumbled.

Sabrina patted Mac’s arm reassuringly. She was dumbfounded; it seemed as if, instead of being the trickster, it was she who had been tricked. She was lucky to have friends that would care and do so much for her even when they knew she was lying the entire time. She took a deep breath, not sure how to proceed with the rest of the story.

“Mac, I’m afraid there’s more.  I could have gotten a job somewhere as a woman, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. I had people looking for me. So I needed to hide.”

Mac looked at her in concern. “So you don’t need to hide anymore?”

“No, I’m not hiding anymore.”

“You mean you’re safe now?”

“No, and that’s exactly what I’m counting on,” Sabrina said with a determined edge in her voice.

Mac turned to Brock. “Women always seem to confuse me. What is this she talking about?”

“Sabrina’s family was murdered. We have reason to believe that the men responsible may be nearby.”

Mac looked incredulous. “Then why the hell are you prancing about in a skirt for?”

“If they come after me, we can get them first---I hope.”

“We? You, me and Brock?”

“Brock’s gonna check with the other men who helped him
with the train robbery. And Stan, of course. If we bring in the army, they could run. I need to finish this.”

Mac looked at Brock. “This is crazy, I can’t believe you are going along with this.” He turned to Sabrina. “You have no idea what men like that are capable of.”

“Yes, believe me when I say I do. I am willing to risk my life. I will not make that choice for you or any of the others. It is your path to choose.”

Mac shook his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Finally he said, “None of us have any guarantees in this life. The land is hard. Life is hard. Tell me what the plan is.”

Brock left her to explain while he went to speak to Stan and the others. Mac looked more and more doubtful as she continued. When she finished he just sat there shaking his head.

“And Brock agreed to this foolish scheme?”

Sabrina nodded, holding her breath. If Mac didn’t agree, she didn’t have a second plan.  She didn’t know what she would do.

Mac sighed. “I can only guess how you wrangled Brock into agreeing to this nonsense. What the hell. I’m in.”

Sabrina hopped up and hugged him as he swatted her away, a pink tinge lining his checks.

She was grateful that The Swan was not too busy that evening. More than a few curious glances came her way as she entered the saloon and a few more as she sat down at the piano. She smiled, seeing that Mac had moved it closer to the bar and the
rear exit. He had even set up a bowl on top of the piano to collect tips. Mac insisted it would look strange if she did not. 

Doubts flew through her mind as she placed her fingers on the keys. It had been a long time since she had played and memories paraded through her mind of her lost family as she gently caressed the keys.

Taking a deep breath, she began to play. There was a sour note or two at first and she cringed a bit. Part of it was due to the damaged keys; part was lack of practice. She took another breath and began again. She chose a simple tune, one she had learned early on when she first began playing. One she could play in her sleep. She was quite pleased when she finished it with no further mishaps. As the music settled into silence, Sabrina realized that the few patrons inside were not paying a whole lot of attention to her. Yes, she had received a couple glances but she needed these few to tell the many so that word would spread.

She sat up a little straighter, squared her chin and decided to share some culture with these rough townspeople. She launched into Chopin’s
Grande Valse Brillante
[2]
. It was difficult to play by memory and she wondered if there were any music books in town. She’d have to check tomorrow. She looked up as she finished the tune to find Mac staring at her in shock as he over poured a drink at the bar. The patron hadn’t noticed, since he, too, was staring at her. In fact, everyone was gazing at her. Feeling a bit self-conscious, but persevering, she changed to Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 5
[3]
.

This was one of her father’s favorites. Although he did not play the piano, he had a great love for music and moisture clouded her vision as she played, losing herself in its depth. She did not notice as the saloon quietly filled with more people. Mac and the bar maids scurried to serve the quiet crowd that was gathering.

Finishing the piece, she sat stoically, trying to come to grips with her emotions. She jumped as a hand touched her shoulder.  Looking up at an elderly gentleman with a toothless grin, she forced a relieved smile as she greeted him.

“Do you know When Johnny comes Marching home?
[4]
?”

She did and she played that and most of the other requests, embellishing them with her own flourishes. Brock came in unannounced and frowned a bit at all the men staring
eye struck at Sabrina. As he sat and listened to her play he thought it was no wonder she was being stalked. Looking around the room, he didn’t doubt she could have many more ‘stalkers’ after tonight. Swallowing down his drink, his eyes met Mac’s in a silent understanding as he left in the pretense of making his rounds.

And so the days passed, each one much like the rest. Brock insisted on escorting her to and from the saloon. He said it would be suspicious if he did not. She reluctantly agreed.  The mercantile did have several song books, so she used her tip money to purchase them. She went to work with him in the mornings and practiced during the day. Word had spread and the Swan was packed every night. Mac and Brock even began to notice strangers from out of town.

Resting at home one evening with Brock, she lay cuddled in his arms after their
romantic interlude. She felt Brock’s body tense as he grabbed her, motioning for her to climb into the loft. Sabrina did so without objection. She lay still, trying to listen for what Brock had apparently heard. She then heard the horse hoofs outside and the whine of a horse. There was a knock on the door and Brock cursed a bit as he struggled into his pants and moved to the door motioning Sabrina to stay still. She lay nervously, in sudden awareness that she was naked and wrapped only in a blanket. Not good.

“I know you’re in there!” Chase’s voice boomed, with a hint of humor.

Brock swung open the door and quickly instructed Chase to hide his horse in the woods and to return through the back entrance. Returning to Sabrina he handed her some clothing and she did not need to be told to dress quickly.

Brock nodded at her, unable to hide his relief at having another gun. As he let Chase in the back entrance, he pulled him into a bear hug. Chase pushed him away, eyeing him strangely, and Sabrina smiled, happy to see Chase and to see Brock smile again. He had not smiled since all of this began.

“Is your father all right?” Sabrina asked, as she stepped up to hug him. The smile disappeared from Brock’s face. He had been so happy to see Chase, he did not stop to think of the reason for his visit.

“Father is fine. I…thought you may need help. What’s going on here?” he asked, noticing they were still in the dark and whispering.

“What do you mean you thought we needed help? How did you know?” Sabrina asked.

Chase turned his head toward Brock as he spoke softly. “Some don’t believe in the old ways, but I think I received a sign. I was hunting in the woods when an eagle swooped low three times, crying out its call. So here I am. What exactly are we hiding from?”

Brock and Sabrina quickly filled him in on the situation. The brothers discussed the part Chase could play in Sabrina’s protection. 

Chase grinned. “I will protect you with my life,” he vowed, kissing her hand and then kissing up her arm until she pulled away, giggling. Brock scowled.

“Still not married, huh?” he asked, as Brock grabbed him, shoving him up against the wall. Sabrina separated them, chastising them both. Chase chuckled as he headed back to the woods to keep watch. Brock and Sabrina returned to bed, both a bit more hopeful.

It rained the next day. However, the gloomy weather did not dampen Sabrina’s spirits. Although Brock was not a big believer in signs, Sabrina was. Her mood was buoyed as she wondered if
Providence had sent them this extra assistance. That night when she played the piano, she did not have to fake her happiness. 

A shadow loomed over her and she glimpsed a large bill drop into the bowl. She looked up at the man standing above her, but did not readily recognize Major Benjamin Strider without his army uniform. But when she saw his blue eyes, it clicked.

“Word does get around,” he remarked. “I’ll bet half the territory has heard about you by now. Can you play I Have Lov'd Thee, Dearly Lov'd Thee
[5]
?” He winked at her as he moved off to sit at the bar. Sabrina was not familiar with the song but it was in one of her new music books. Blushing just a bit, she turned to the page and began playing.