Love on the Range (Brothers in Arms #3)(28)

And then they rode into the ranch yard, and there was no more time to talk.



“No one’s gonna believe Wyatt rode off, mad at everyone, and took a job being a cowpoke at another ranch.” Cheyenne dragged her gloves off her hands and slapped her leg with them. She glared at Kevin, wondering who came up with this stupid plan.

Kevin had ridden to the cabin Cheyenne and Falcon had moved to. They had come outside, hearing a rider approach. Then Kevin had told her of Wyatt and Molly. “It’s too late to stop him. Wyatt is gone. He’s hoping Hawkins is too badly in need of help to ask many questions. And he says you oughta come on home until he gets back. You’re who should be running the ranch. I sure enough can’t do it.”

Win sat on her horse beside Kevin. Cheyenne was struck by the way these two were always together. Of course, she was most always with Falcon, too. But that was different.

She turned to look at Falcon. “We’ve got the cabin ready to be lived in. I like it here.”

He smiled that rugged smile. His hazel eyes sparked humor and more. “Let’s go keep your brother’s ranch running until he comes home, then we’ll get back over here. I like it here, too.” Falcon turned to face Kevin. “And Hobart is staying at the house now?”

“Yep. And Win and I were told to move into the big house, but if you’re coming back, we’ll stay where we are.” He turned to his wife and smiled.

She smiled back. “We’ve gotten settled in there.”

Cheyenne was bothered by that private smile. Win and Kevin had gotten the better of the deal, having the ramrod’s house to themselves.

It didn’t matter if it bothered her or not. She had no choice but to go back. Someone had to run the ranch.

“While we’re there”—Cheyenne slapped her gloves into the palm of her hand—“we can talk to Hobart about what’s involved in hiring a Pinkerton to find out the details about your ma’s date of death. Or how she thinks we need to proceed. We don’t dare talk to anyone local, not while Wyatt and Molly are at Hawkins’s place. He might get wind of it and be suspicious of Wyatt’s reasons for leaving.” She frowned. “I’m sorry I act like I’m overly interested in the date. Losing your ma had to be a terrible thing. I was an adult when my ma died, and it was so sad, so shocking.”

Falcon shrugged. “Maybe Hobart could slip out in the night like she slipped in. Ride off a piece, to Casper or farther if we think that’s needed, and send a letter or a wire from there to get things started.”

“We’ll pack up and come along in a bit.” Cheyenne half turned, watching Kevin and Win, waiting.

“We’ll ride back with you,” Kevin said. “We can help if you’ve got supplies to bring along.”

“Nope, not necessary. You go on.” Cheyenne decided Kevin was hopeless, so she looked at Win, wondering if her friend could possibly figure out that Cheyenne wanted another hour in her own home. Another chance to be alone with her husband before they gave up their privacy for a while.

Win blushed faintly. “We’ll see you at the ranch.”

“No, I don’t mind waiting,” Kevin-the-clueless said.

Falcon rolled his eyes.

“Kevin,” Win said sharply, drawing his attention.

“What?”

“Let’s go.” She turned her horse and rode off. As she’d obviously expected, Kevin came along, never willing to be separated from her.

Falcon laughed softly, probably afraid Kevin would come back and ask what was so funny.

He took her hand and dragged her toward the cabin. “We don’t have a single thing that needs to be packed. We even left clothes back at the RHR.”

“Just come along quietly, and nobody gets hurt.”

He laughed and moved faster toward the house.





Thirteen




Hawkins needed help badly. Wyatt saw that immediately when he led his horse into the barn.

Two men leaned against hay bales. Drinking coffee. While horses stood in dirty straw and cows outside mooed as if hoping for food.

Wyatt couldn’t find a clean stall in the whole, huge barn. And the wood was weathered. It looked like, even before so many of his men had been taken away, no one had bothered maintaining it.

“Who’s the foreman?”

“There ain’t one.” The man closest, chewing on a piece of straw, didn’t straighten away from where he slouched. Didn’t introduce himself. He sure enough didn’t have the grace to apologize for the state of things in the barn. “Zeke Bell ran the place until two weeks ago. He stuck it out after all the hands were dragged off. But when Hawkins couldn’t find more men and wouldn’t come out and work, Zeke got fed up and asked for his time.”

“And why did you stay?”

One of the loafers shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t care if the place runs or not. The boss stays to the house. No one gives me orders. Might as well stay around. Ain’t nothing hard about it.”

If Wyatt was in charge, the hardest thing might be his fist in this cocky layabout’s face. “Are there other men around?”

“A few. Five men besides us, all of ’em riding out to check the herd. But they’re grumbling.”

Wyatt thought grumbling beat leaning and decided he was going to aim for the foreman job. His first act would be to get these two to clean out this barn, and if they didn’t work fast, they’d be heading down the trail.