Stained Snow by Fallon Brown Read Free Book Online

from Lander.” His gaze skipped around the room before coming back to the commander. “Is Mr. Jensen still here?”
    The commander shook his head and pulled out his pocket watch. “No, he left about thirty minutes ago. What is it?”
    “Bad news for him.” He handed over the paper.
    The commander scanned over it, his face paling. “Damn.” This wasn’t something a man should go riding blind into. He’d been so eager to leave and now there wasn’t much for him to return to.
    “Send a couple men out. See if they can catch up with him. The way he’s probably riding, it’s unlikely. Have them turn back if they don’t find him by midday. He should know, but it’s not up to us to track him all that way.”
    “Yes, sir.” The man snapped a salute then turned away.
    Commander Harkins picked up his fork again, but he suddenly had no appetite left for his eggs. He stood up and left the mess hall behind. “Poor bastard,” he muttered, looking off in the direction William had ridden.
    He should have let him go the night before.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    Barnes Ranch, Colorado
    May 12, 1887
     
    Maggie wiped her hands on her apron when hooves pounded in the yard. Her father would never ride like that, unless it was an emergency. He and the rest of the hands were still rounding up all their cattle. They’d gotten a later start this year, and winter had tried to come roaring back, but it finally left with a whimper. The men had needed to hold off the round-up until it thawed again.
    She stood in the doorway and watched the rider gallop into the yard. She didn’t recognize horse or man at first. He slowed, and she ran out into the yard. “Thomas,” she cried.
    He jumped down from the saddle in time to wrap an arm around her. Something didn’t feel right about Thomas being here, but she was too happy to see him to care much. She wrapped both arms around him, holding him close. “I didn’t think you were coming back yet. What are you doing here?”
    He brought his hands up to her face. “I had to see you. I can’t stay long.”
    She took a more careful look at him. “You look tired, Thomas. What’s the matter?”
    “I’ve been on the trail a couple days.”
    “You need some rest. Your horse does, too.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t have time to rest. I wanted to stop and see you before I rode on.”
    The hope she’d felt when she saw him fell now. He still wasn’t staying. She doubted she’d be able to change his mind this time either, but she could try. Her hand slipped into his. “Why don’t you at least come into the house? I can put something together for you to eat and turn your horse out into the corral. It will give both of you a chance to rest.”
    “I’ll turn him out.” Thomas stepped away from her. “You can get that food started.”
    She watched him lead the horse away then turned back to the house. She slid the bread she prepared over the fire then turned to what she still had left from breakfast. There was some bread going hard, the reason she made fresh this morning. The eggs were gone until she collected more. There were still some slices of bacon and some potatoes she’d fried up that morning. She threw it all onto a plate for him and poured a cup of the coffee that stayed heated over the fire. Still she fretted it wasn’t enough.
    Thomas walked in and sat right at the table, shoveling the food into his mouth. It was fine. She didn’t know why she worried so much. He obviously wasn’t worried about her impressing him. Why did she? She sat next to him instead of dwelling on that. “Are you going to tell me what happened, Thomas?”
    “Did,” he said around a mouthful of bread. “Been on the trail. Riding hard.”
    She’d been able to tell that from his horse. “Why are you riding so hard? What happened?”
    He reached over and took her hand in his. “I told you about the man who hates me.”
    “You said he took your family and your ranch from you.