Read Online Seth (Prairie Grooms, Book Three) by Kit Morgan - Free Book Online Page A

Constance to a post. The dead rattler was found near the house, right where Ryder said it would be. After studying everything, Seth came to a very unsettling conclusion. These men had definitely been trying to kill his brother. Question was, why? And if that was the case, why didn’t they just shoot him?
    He left the barn, went back to the house, and mounted his horse. He then followed the tracks that led away from the farm, in the direction of the tree line at the base of the mountain. If the outlaws were in those hills, it was going to be difficult to find them. There were a lot of things that could hinder his progress, time being one of them. The picnic was in four days, and he wasn’t sure he could accomplish everything he wanted to in that short amount of time.
    Seth turned his horse and stared in the direction of Clear Creek. Perhaps he should have told Eloise of his plan, but all she would’ve done is worry about him. He’d gotten up early that morning and left in search of clues. He didn’t even tell Ryder where he was going. He just went.
    He rode across the prairie, following the outlaw gang’s tracks, and puzzled as to why they took the drifter, Cutty, with them. He’d gone over it for days, ever since he found out what had happened. Unfortunately, he kept coming to the same conclusion: Cutty had to have been in on it. But again, why? Ryder had been nothing but kind to Cutty, so why try to kill him; unless of course it was to steal Ryder’s stallion, Othello. But that didn’t make sense either. Cutty would have had plenty of opportunities to do that himself, what with all the times he’d been left alone with the animal while Ryder went to town for supplies. So if the outlaws were there to steal Othello, then why didn’t they chase after the horse when it got away? Unless… they didn’t know he was gone.
    It didn’t take long before Seth reached the tree line, and followed the tracks until they disappeared into the brush. He dismounted and knelt on the ground to get a better look. There were still six or seven riders, one horse carrying two. Cutty was probably one of them.
    “What did you do, you old coot? Why steal a man’s horse, then let him go to save him?”
    Seth took off his hat, and ran a hand through his hair. Then it hit him.
    If Cutty cut Othello loose in order to save Ryder, then that meant his brother wasn’t the target. “Oh, my Lord,” he said to himself. “First Penelope, and then Constance, which means… Eloise!” He quickly mounted, turned his horse, and spurred him into a gallop. He had to get back to town and quick. For all he knew, those lowdown varmints were after his future bride at this very moment! And even if they weren’t, one thing was for sure. Cutty had to be behind it.
     
    * * *
     
    “I don’t believe you,” Ryder said. He looked up at his older brother from the bed. “Are you sure Cutty had something to do with this?”
    “ I know you don’t want to believe it, but who else could it be?” asked Seth.
    “ Just don’t seem right. The Cutty I know would never do somethin’ so awful.”
    “ Well, little brother, people aren’t always what they seem.”
    Ryder shook his head. “H e always helped me out whenever I needed it. Anything I wanted … well, almost anything. Besides that, he’s a good worker. I just can’t believe it.”
    “ Whether you believe it or not, brother, the question is, what are we going to do?” Seth asked.
    “But you’re talkin’ about my friend here, you’re tellin’ me he tried to murder …”
    “Look,” Seth said, cutting him off. “Whether you believe it or not, everything points to him. Now, what can we do about it?”
    “Do about it? I saw them outlaws take him against his will. They tied Cutty up, put him on a horse, and then rode off with him!”
    “T hat may be so, but …”
    “ Look, I’ve heard enough. I don’t want to listen to anymore of this! I don’t believe you!”
    “Ryder, I’m your brother;