Jodi Thomas - The Lone Texan

He raised an eyebrow. "How much equipment?"

"A wagonload. Teagen probably left a wagon and two teams of horses at the livery. I told him I'd like a buggy if possible for Bonnie and the luggage. She's never traveled by wagon across open country."

Roak frowned. "Sounds like a caravan. I’ll hire a few drivers."

"I can drive our wagon." Will straightened, obviously not missing a word.

Roak nodded. "Good. We can load most of the supplies for the trip on your wagon.” He smiled at the boy. "You'll be a big help on this trip. I can use another man along the trail.”

Sage started to the bedroom to dress, but Roak's words stopped her. "I'll meet you back here at sundown. Be ready."

She whirled. "Maybe we should get something straight, Drummond. You are not in charge of me or responsible for any of my belongings. I agree we should work together to leave as soon as possible and travel together for safety, but no one elected you the trail boss."

He nodded once. "Fair enough.” All the anger left his tone when he added in a low voice, "I'm surprised even one man got his rope around you, Sage."

She resented the comment. "Once and never again."

SAGE AND BONNIE WALKED WITH THE BOYS TO THEIR mother's grave for a prayer. They knew of no minister, but Bonnie had managed to find a few wildflowers for the boys to carry. The young Ranger, Daniel Torry, met them at the opening to the cemetery. He tied his horse at the gate and pulled a Bible out of his saddlebag.

"I know the words to read” Daniel whispered when they started across to the newly dug grave. "When I was half grown, I thought my calling would be to preach. I'm as much of a preacher as any of the others you'll find around here”

"That would be nice." Sage said, thinking that she'd heard them enough lately to know them by heart. The boys walked ahead with Bonnie toward the open grave. Daniel and Sage followed.

She thought of asking if Drummond was coming, but she knew the answer.

Daniel seemed to read her mind. "Roak can't make it. He's tied up at the docks. He-"

Sage saved Daniel from further lying. "He doesn't do funerals”

Daniel nodded. "That's about it. A lot of the men are that way. I guess they feel close enough to the grave in everyday living. They don't want to stand over one."

"And you?" she asked.

Daniel grinned. "I'm the son of a preacher, miss. A funeral or wedding didn't much matter to us kids. It meant we'd eat good that night” He straightened and stepped into place, looking every bit the preacher, except for the gun strapped to his hip.

Seven-year-old Will stood like a little soldier at the foot of his mother's grave, not allowing one tear to fall. Andy, at four, didn't understand. He asked when she would be coming back from heaven. When Sage explained that she was never coming back, he cried until Bonnie told him that their father went with her so she wouldn't be alone, and they left Will and him here so they'd both have company too. Andy stopped crying then, as if her words had made sense to him.

Sage gave the boys all the time they needed at the grave, but when they left, she knew they'd all have to hurry through the rest of the day doing everything on their list. Daniel left them at the gate. He swung up on his horse, tipped his hat to the ladies, and shoved the Bible back in his saddlebag next to a half-empty bottle of whiskey. "I'll be at the Ranger station if you need me, miss."

Sage glanced back to make sure the boys couldn't hear, then asked, "Doesn't what you do now, killing outlaws, conflict with the preaching? Shouldn't God be the judge?"

Daniel smiled. "Way I look at it. I'm just seeing that they can plead their case face-to-face” He winked at her.

Sage smiled. The others joined them.

She directed the boys toward the shops and noticed only Will looked back at the cemetery. He was old enough to remember all that had happened for the rest of his life. For Andy, she hoped it would only be something he was told about.

Hours later, loaded down with supplies and clothing for the journey, they returned to the hotel room to find Captain Harmon waiting for them.

Sage liked the man. Her brother Travis knew him well and trusted him. She smiled at him, thinking of years ago when she'd fallen for a young man with a badge. They'd both been young enough to promise forever, but he'd died before her eighteenth birthday. Now she couldn't help but wonder: if Michael Saddler had lived, would he look as weathered as the captain by now?

"Sage," Harmon said slowly, as if it were an endearment. "How are you, honey? I'm powerful sorry about you losing your husband”

She set her bags down and hugged him lightly. "I'm fine, Captain, and you don't look a day's worth of different than when I last saw you”

He grinned. "I see you learned to lie up there in the big city."

"I learned lots up there," she said with a laugh, "but it's good to be back."

Sage introduced the captain to Bonnie and the boys. Will and Andy paid their respects then vanished to go wash up.

The nurse seemed nervous as she always did around men who weren't wounded or ill. She excused herself, saying she had to go down and order food for the boys before they started gnawing on the furniture.

Sage waited until the nurse's footsteps died away. She knew the captain wasn't here on a social call. She didn't have to wait long.

Harmon glanced at the washroom door and said in a low voice, "I need to talk to Will and Andy alone before you take them to safety. They might know something that could help us catch whoever ordered their parents killed. Do you think I could have some time now?"

"Of course” She picked up her doctor bag. "Bonnie and I have to say good-bye to someone, and I'd just as soon the boys not go with us. Then I need to stop by the alchemist counter and refill a few of my bottles. Would thirty minutes be enough time? I think I can be finished by then”

Harmon nodded. "If you're not back in half an hour, I'll take them over to the Ranger station and keep them there until you pick them up”

She didn't have to tell him not to let them out of his sight. He'd seen their mother. He knew as much as she did the danger they were in. She'd also noticed several times during the day that a man with the look of a Ranger was close, watching over them. Roak and the captain would probably deny it, but Sage bet there hadn't been a minute that the boys were without a guard today. Even Daniel at the cemetery was probably acting under orders.

Sage met Bonnie halfway down the stairs.

"We in for the night?" Bonnie asked. "I got a meal coming up directly.”

"One more thing on my list. I have to say that good-bye to Barret's brother. but I could go-"

"Don't even think it," Bonnie answered. "I'm going with you. Knowing Shelley Lander, he's living in a snake den. We'll be in and out and back home before sunset. In fact, I suggest that as soon as we catch sight of the man, we both wave and yell our farewells from a distance”

"I'll settle on five minutes.” Sage hurried down the stairs. This was the one errand she didn't want to do, but she owed it to Barret. She'd wrapped her husband's pocket watch in one of his handkerchiefs to give to Shelley. One memory of his brother.

They followed the directions given by the clerk: third boardwalk off the first dock, a green building with Chinese lanterns hanging from each corner.

From the distance of the shoreline the place looked festive. Sage shook the sand out of her shoe and told herself this wouldn't be so bad. Few were on the dock at this time of day. The workers had gone home to their supper, and the gamblers hadn't come out to play yet.

From twenty feet. the building looked neglected, and the boards rattled beneath her step. The lanterns were in shreds, the paint peeling. Someone inside with no skill was banging on a piano. The music pulsed through the late-afternoon air in jerky rhythm. Nothing about the place welcomed them.

Bonnie moved closer as they walked an uneven little bridge to the green house built on stilts. At high tide people used boats to dock on one side. The wind whipped in from the gulf, battering the building, which seemed to squeak and rattle in protest. The tide was rolling in with each wave, and the dock swayed from the force of the water.

Sage noticed a small boat bucking the waves toward the side dock. There were six men inside, all dressed with more the look of wranglers than sailors. All wore guns strapped around their waists, and several rifles poked out of the boat. Maybe they were guards delivering liquor or men from the bank picking up money. She could believe liquor coming in under guard more than that much money going out. Shelley didn't seem flush enough to have to send his deposits in.

"The doorman said it's a gaining house, and we'd better be out of here long before dark” Bonnie shortened her steps as if to slow their progress.

"No problem. I'm beginning to think your idea of sending him a letter was a good plan."

They reached the porch and knocked twice before the door opened. A thick man little more than Sage's height, with his sleeves rolled up well past his elbows, answered. He looked puzzled then frowned at them as if they were two jellyfish that had flopped in on a wave.

Sage straightened, wishing she'd thought to pull her gun from the folds of her petticoat and put it in her purse. "We'd like to see Mr. Shelley Lander, please”

The man stood as if he'd replaced the door. "State your business, and I'll see if he's in”

"I'm Sage McMurray, and my business is private”

He raised a bushy eyebrow. "Well, I'm Tony, and no one gets to the boss-"