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Authors: Dorothy Garlock
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and Mrs. Lenning won’t mind me staying for a while.”
“I ain’t heard of Buck gettin’ married. Might of. He ain’t been to town for quite a spell.” Cletus cleared his throat. “Miss, I ain’t got no business stickin’ my bill in, but”—he lowered his voice and glanced toward the door—“they ain’t goin’ to want you goin’ out there. They’ll want ya to sign and get outta town . . . fast.”
“Who’ll want me to . . . get out of town?” Kristin had a puzzled look on her face.
“Forsythe and his bunch. Bet they was in a snit when you showed up.”
“Will they try to stop me from going to the Larkspur?”
“I ain’t swearin’ they would. I ain’t swearin’ they wouldn’t.” Bernie snorted in disgust. “Cletus, you know as well as I do that they’ll . . . do whatever it takes to get Larkspur. Look what they’ve done so far. Why do you think that hired killer hangs around?”
Kristin looked from brother to sister. They both had reddish brown hair and soft brown eyes, but that was where the resemblance ended. Bernie was stocky, with broad shoulders and chest. Bonnie was soft and slim with hair curlier than her brother’s.
“You’ll scare her, Bernie,” Bonnie chided gently. She stood and wrapped her hands in her apron.
“Somebody’d better scare her, Sis. If I was you, Miss Anderson, I’d either take the piddling amount Forsythe will pay for Larkspur and catch the next train out, or I’d hightail it out there and hole up with Buck Lenning.”
“I’m not selling, and I’m not leaving. I’ve nothing to go back to.”
“They’ll see to it that you sign the papers. It’s what they did when they got the Samuels’ place. Took the woman out to near the Sioux camp. She thought it was where the ranch was. The Sioux run them off their hunting grounds just like they always do. Woman didn’t know that. As soon as they got back to town, she signed the papers and caught the eastbound train. I’m not sure how they got Silas Midland’s land, but when he left, he was walking with a cane.”
“My cousin told me not to sign anything until at least two lawyers have looked at it.”
“You’ll sign if your arm is twisted up behind your back, or they got your finger in a vise.”
“They’d . . . do that?”
“Or turn his hired thugs on you.”
“I’m meeting with Mr. Lee this morning. I’ll tell him straight out that I’m not selling—”
“Don’t do that!” Cletus spoke quickly. “Oh, ’scuse me, miss. I ain’t got no cause to be givin’ advice.”
“Oh, please. I’ll appreciate any advice I can get.”
“I’d stall ’em along. Tell ’em you’ll think about it. Meantime me’n Bernie’ll try to figure out a way to get ya out to Larkspur without them knowin’. I’m thinkin’ you’d be better off with Buck.”
“You’ll help me? Oh, thank you. Thank you. I must go. I’m so glad I ran into you. I didn’t quite trust that Mr. Lee. I felt he didn’t want me to like it here.”
“Yes, you’d better go. Here come the railroaders for their breakfast. Don’t forget . . . not a word about what we’ve said.” Bonnie glanced at her brother.
“Don’t worry. We only passed the time of day.”
“I’ve got me a idey,” Cletus said. “Go to Mrs. Gaffney’s and rent a room—anyone can tell you where she’s at. Get your stuff out of the hotel this afternoon. If we can arrange anything, I’ll get word to Mrs. Gaffney. Now you’d better get. They know I sit here for a spell after breakfast.”
“I . . . don’t know how to thank you. I’ll do my best to see that they never find out what you’ve told me.”
Kristin walked slowly back toward the hotel. She could not fully comprehend all she had learned the past hour. The good Lord must be watching over her and had brought her together with these folks who would help her at risk to themselves. They had taken a chance on her. She must not let them down.
Oh, Gustaf, I wish you were
“I ain’t heard of Buck gettin’ married. Might of. He ain’t been to town for quite a spell.” Cletus cleared his throat. “Miss, I ain’t got no business stickin’ my bill in, but”—he lowered his voice and glanced toward the door—“they ain’t goin’ to want you goin’ out there. They’ll want ya to sign and get outta town . . . fast.”
“Who’ll want me to . . . get out of town?” Kristin had a puzzled look on her face.
“Forsythe and his bunch. Bet they was in a snit when you showed up.”
“Will they try to stop me from going to the Larkspur?”
“I ain’t swearin’ they would. I ain’t swearin’ they wouldn’t.” Bernie snorted in disgust. “Cletus, you know as well as I do that they’ll . . . do whatever it takes to get Larkspur. Look what they’ve done so far. Why do you think that hired killer hangs around?”
Kristin looked from brother to sister. They both had reddish brown hair and soft brown eyes, but that was where the resemblance ended. Bernie was stocky, with broad shoulders and chest. Bonnie was soft and slim with hair curlier than her brother’s.
“You’ll scare her, Bernie,” Bonnie chided gently. She stood and wrapped her hands in her apron.
“Somebody’d better scare her, Sis. If I was you, Miss Anderson, I’d either take the piddling amount Forsythe will pay for Larkspur and catch the next train out, or I’d hightail it out there and hole up with Buck Lenning.”
“I’m not selling, and I’m not leaving. I’ve nothing to go back to.”
“They’ll see to it that you sign the papers. It’s what they did when they got the Samuels’ place. Took the woman out to near the Sioux camp. She thought it was where the ranch was. The Sioux run them off their hunting grounds just like they always do. Woman didn’t know that. As soon as they got back to town, she signed the papers and caught the eastbound train. I’m not sure how they got Silas Midland’s land, but when he left, he was walking with a cane.”
“My cousin told me not to sign anything until at least two lawyers have looked at it.”
“You’ll sign if your arm is twisted up behind your back, or they got your finger in a vise.”
“They’d . . . do that?”
“Or turn his hired thugs on you.”
“I’m meeting with Mr. Lee this morning. I’ll tell him straight out that I’m not selling—”
“Don’t do that!” Cletus spoke quickly. “Oh, ’scuse me, miss. I ain’t got no cause to be givin’ advice.”
“Oh, please. I’ll appreciate any advice I can get.”
“I’d stall ’em along. Tell ’em you’ll think about it. Meantime me’n Bernie’ll try to figure out a way to get ya out to Larkspur without them knowin’. I’m thinkin’ you’d be better off with Buck.”
“You’ll help me? Oh, thank you. Thank you. I must go. I’m so glad I ran into you. I didn’t quite trust that Mr. Lee. I felt he didn’t want me to like it here.”
“Yes, you’d better go. Here come the railroaders for their breakfast. Don’t forget . . . not a word about what we’ve said.” Bonnie glanced at her brother.
“Don’t worry. We only passed the time of day.”
“I’ve got me a idey,” Cletus said. “Go to Mrs. Gaffney’s and rent a room—anyone can tell you where she’s at. Get your stuff out of the hotel this afternoon. If we can arrange anything, I’ll get word to Mrs. Gaffney. Now you’d better get. They know I sit here for a spell after breakfast.”
“I . . . don’t know how to thank you. I’ll do my best to see that they never find out what you’ve told me.”
Kristin walked slowly back toward the hotel. She could not fully comprehend all she had learned the past hour. The good Lord must be watching over her and had brought her together with these folks who would help her at risk to themselves. They had taken a chance on her. She must not let them down.
Oh, Gustaf, I wish you were
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