Love Inspired Historical November 2014 (63 page)

Savannah's hand relaxed. She straightened her fingers.

Leah used those actions to move out of her grasp.

Chapter Fifteen

J
ake flinched inwardly when Leah's tear-filled eyes glared at him and Mr. Frontz before she headed up the stairs.

Unsure what he'd done, Jake turned to watch her go. Leah held her head high and her shoulders back. Would she break down and cry once she got to her room? He hoped not.

Mr. Frontz tightened the knot in the rope he'd tied Savannah's hands with. “Come on, Jake. Let's get Miss Watts and her brother to Julesburg. Jack Slade is probably still there. We'll let him deal with these two.” The older man's face looked haggard.

Jake followed Mr. Frontz and Savannah out the door. “Well, if you will help me get them to the horses, maybe Will would be willing to go with me to town. I'd feel better knowing you were here protecting Molly and the women.”

The older man didn't answer. He seemed to be considering Jake's words. Trying to sound casual, Jake added, “I know Will has been wanting to see a girl there and I have a Christmas gift for Leah that I'd like to pick up.”

“Then I guess I'll stay.” Mr. Frontz grinned across at Jake. “Besides, Will wasn't too happy to be kept out of the action. He'll regain a little of his dignity by taking these two in, and if that isn't reason enough I'm sure he'll be happy to get away from Agnes's fussing.” Mr. Frontz chuckled at the thought.

It dawned on Jake that Leah may have felt the same way as Will. They hadn't told her or the reverend that they suspected the Watts family of being up to no good or about the traps they'd set. Now he realized that it could have gotten Leah killed. He'd have to explain tomorrow that the only reason they had been excluded was because he and Mr. Frontz had been trying to protect them.

They arrived at the barn. Michael lay in the corner, hands and feet tied, mouth gagged. He was tied up tighter than a Sunday turkey. His eyes flashed to his sister's and hardened.

Mr. Frontz shoved Savannah to the ground and proceeded to tie her feet up. She kicked her legs at him.

Jake shoved the gun in her direction. “I wouldn't do that if I were you, miss. This gun might go off.” He knew he'd never shoot a woman, unless she was truly a threat. But Savannah's eyes widened in fear just as he'd hoped.

Once she was also tied up and gagged, Jake handed the gun to the older man. “I'll toss her on the horse.”

She wiggled and grunted but Mr. Frontz shoved the gun in her direction again. Savannah stopped moving and became dead weight.

“Thanks,” Jake said as he put her belly down across the saddle and began securing her onto the horse.

Once Savannah was in place and he was sure she wouldn't fall from the mustang, Jake went to get Michael. He looked down at the young man with derision. What caused a man to turn to a life of crime? Michael had already confessed that they had intended to steal the horses and he'd blamed his mother.

Will came running into the barn. “Aw, man, I missed it all.” He slapped his floppy brown hat against his leg.

Agnes followed with a sleeping Molly against her shoulder.

“What are you two doing here?” Mr. Frontz demanded.

Jake noted that the older man hid his true weariness behind a mask of toughness. Jake motioned for Will to join him. “You take his feet and I'll take his head.”

“I was worried,” Agnes admitted softly. Her eyes held her husband's.

Charles Frontz nodded. His face relaxed. A sigh tore from his body, proof that he couldn't stay angry with his wife. “Everyone is all right. Mrs. Watts escaped but these two didn't.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder indicating Savannah and Michael.

“What are we going to do about their mother?” Agnes whispered.

“We'll let Mr. Slade's men hunt for her. She's a horse thief now, so I'm sure a warrant will be issued for her arrest.” Mr. Frontz moved to his wife's side and placed an arm around her waist.

“And Leah?” Agnes's gaze searched the barn as if she expected her to be there.

Mr. Frontz tugged his wife close. “She's all right, too. I'll tell you all about it once we get to the house.”

Jake and Will slung Michael over a horse. Air whooshed from his lungs, giving Jake a small degree of satisfaction. He looked to his niece. She continued to sleep peacefully against Agnes. What was he going to do about her?

As if she'd read his mind, Agnes asked, “Jake, do you mind if this little lamb stays the night with us in our quarters?”

“Thank you. That will be very helpful,” he answered, tying Michael to the horse.

Agnes had yet another question. “What are you going to do with those two?” She frowned.

“We're taking them to Julesburg. We should be back before Ike rides out in the morning.” Jake turned to look at Mr. Frontz, remembering that his young friend Ike had been hurt. “Do you think he'll be able to ride tomorrow?”

“What's wrong with Ike?” Will asked, a look of concern covering his face.

“Mrs. Watts snuck up on him. Took a nasty blow to the head,” Jake answered.

Agnes gasped. “Where is he?”

Mr. Frontz patted her back. “The reverend is seeing to him at the house.”

“Then I need to get in there.” Agnes pulled out of her husband's embrace and started to leave the barn.

“Agnes.” Mr. Frontz's strong voice pulled her to a stop. “Hold up, woman.” Sure she wasn't leaving, he turned back to Jake. “You two be careful. I want you back here before nine in the morning. Understood?”

Both Jake and Will answered, “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” The older man rejoined his wife.

Will's young voice called after him. “Sir, if Ike can't make his run in the morning, I'll be happy to do it for him.”

“We'll see,” Mr. Frontz answered. “Agnes, let me have the child. If I know you, you're in a big hurry to go check on your boy.” With that, he gently pulled Molly away from Agnes and settled her against his own shoulder.

Molly continued sleeping. She curled an arm around his neck. As soon as Agnes was sure her ward was in good hands, she marched from the barn at a fast pace. Mr. Frontz patted Molly's back and ambled behind his wife.

Jake walked to his horse's stall and pulled him out. “That was nice of you to offer to take Ike's run tomorrow, Will.” He proceeded to saddle the gelding.

Will saddled his horse, also. “Ike would do it for me.” There was worry in the young man's voice.

It was true. In just a few months, the pony express riders, Will, Cole and Ike, had formed a brotherly bond. There were several other riders that came through the South Platte home station but none of them were as close as those three.

Jake and Will rode in silence and at a fast pace to Julesburg. Jake's thoughts were on Leah and what had almost happened to her tonight. His heart had leaped in his chest when he'd seen her held like that, with a gun pressed into her side. For the first time in a long time, Jake realized he'd allowed a woman to come close to breaking down the wall around his heart. How was he going to keep her out? They were to be married on Christmas Eve. Would she hurt him the way Sally and John had?

He glanced across at Will. The lad had a smile on his face a mile long. It didn't take a genius to know he was thinking about the girl in Julesburg who had stolen his heart. The young man trusted too easily.

Off-key music was their welcome into Julesburg. A piano played, men shouted and shady characters hid in the shadows. Jake tugged on Michael's horse's reins and trotted farther into town with his prisoners. Will followed.

An old building at the end of town was their destination. Jake simply wanted to get the Wattses in jail and find a place to sleep. He knew he'd stay at the Julesburg home station with the other pony express riders. He might be making his bed on the floor, but at least it was a fairly safe place to spend the night.

The town of Julesburg really had no law but it did have one man, Jack Slade. Jake knew he stayed in the old building at the edge of town. He led the way and tied up their horses in front of the building. Making sure to stomp his boots on the wooden porch, Jake climbed the short steps and banged on the door.

“You better have a good reason for waking me up,” a deep voice called.

“Mr. Slade, it's Jake Bridges.”

The door opened and Slade stood with his shirt and boots off. His hair was disheveled and he smelled of whisky. “What do you want, Jake?”

“I have a couple of horse thieves here. Thought you might know what to do with them,” he answered.

Jack pushed past him and jerked first Savannah's head up by the hair and then did the same to Michael. He spit in the dirt. “They tried to steal express mounts?” He directed his question to Jake.

“Sure did.”

Slade grunted. “Take them out back and shoot them.”

Jake grinned. “No, sir.”

“You disobeying an order, boy?” Slade swaggered toward him.

Jake didn't want a fight but he also had no intention of killing the Watts siblings. “Yep.”

Slade's booming laughter filled the night air. “I figured you would.” He walked toward Jake and passed him.

Jake motioned for Will to stay put. He noticed the boy had lost the grin that had stretched his lips the whole trip. Taking a deep breath, Jake followed the superintendent, Slade, into the building.

“Well, since you won't shoot them, bring them in,” Jack ordered from the army cot he'd fallen onto. He waved his arm toward the far corner of the room and said, “Put them over there.”

Jake turned and saw that Will was already down and untying Savannah. He moved to Michael and did the same. Together they carried their captives inside, first Savannah and then Michael.

Tears streamed down Savannah's face. Somewhere along the trail she'd lost her mean attitude. Had she just realized that stealing horses was a hanging offence? Michael scooted closer to his sister as if to offer comfort.

Deep snores filled the room along with the scent of stale whiskey. Slade had passed out on the cot.

“Now what?” Will asked.

Jake looked to Slade. “We leave them.”

“Do you think he'll remember why they're here in the morning?”

Once more he thought about the price for stealing horses. Slade wasn't known for his mercy toward horse thieves. For a moment, Jake felt pity for the Watts siblings. But he couldn't have them loose stealing from innocent people or the pony express. He sighed. “I'll leave him a note.”

Will nodded.

Jake went to the small desk that sat against the wall. He found a wanted poster and turned it over. Next he moved to the stove and pulled out a piece of cold coal. Flipping the paper over Jake wrote,
Horse thieves from the South Platte station.
He noticed a nail in the wall above Michael's head. Walking over, he stuck the paper on it so that Slade would be sure to see it in the morning.

“Can we go now?” Will asked impatiently.

Tiredness pulled at Jake's shoulder. “Yep, let's put the horses in the corral by the pony express station and then hit the hay.”

Will looked disappointed. Jake slapped him on the back as they headed out the door. “Get up early enough in the morning and you can see that gal of yours before we head home.”

“I'd like to see her tonight,” Will grumbled under his breath.

Jake nodded. “You are a grown man, Will. I can't tell you what to do but I can remind you that you've volunteered for Ike's run tomorrow. Besides, I don't think her Papa would appreciate you knocking on their door at this time of night.”

As expected, Will's shoulders came up. His duty and common sense overruled his desire to see the girl. “You're right. I'll need a good night's sleep to make that run. Ike said the Indians are getting braver. I'll need to be alert to ride through the canyon.”

Being a pony express rider wasn't for the faint of heart. Jake and Will entered the station. They went straight to the riders' room and bedded down. One other young man was there, and his soft snores told them he was already sound asleep.

Jake lay in his blanket for several long minutes. Was Leah sleeping? Trembling in her room with fear? Or so angry at being left out of their plan that she couldn't sleep?

* * *

Leah hadn't been able to sleep. She was angry. Not just at Jake, but at everyone, with the exception of Molly. They had all known what they planned to do about the Watts family but they hadn't told her. Didn't they realize that not knowing would be more dangerous than knowing? Surely they knew she'd come out of her room at the first sign of trouble. Maybe they didn't care about her as much as she cared about them. What had she been thinking? That maybe they were becoming her family? That they cared about her? She'd allowed those thoughts and questions to plague her all night until they had festered into an ugly sore on her heart.

When she got downstairs, Molly and Agnes were already in the kitchen and Agnes was making breakfast for the men. “After last night, I thought you might sleep in this morning,” Agnes said by way of greeting.

Leah didn't have an answer. Her head hurt from the thinking and the hair pulling of the night before. “Do you have any headache powder?” she asked, walking into the room.

Molly stopped playing with her doll and searched Leah's face. “Are you sick?” she asked, laying her baby down and coming across the room to give Leah a hug. Worry etched the child's face.

She hugged the little girl back. Would Molly always be frightened when someone had a headache or a sniffle? “No, I'm not sick. I just have a headache this morning,” Leah assured the child.

“Look in the cupboard where I keep the spices,” Agnes answered.

Picking up a mug, Leah poured herself a cup of coffee and found the medicine. After taking it, she looked about the kitchen.

Automatically she set about doing her part to get breakfast on the table. She placed the plates and poured coffee for the men. As soon as she'd done all she could to help Agnes, Leah excused herself and stepped out onto the front porch with the intention of sitting quietly and letting the headache powder work.