Page 10 of A Redemption Mountain Christmas (Redemption Mountain #27)

Julia rushed outside to stand under the cover of the boardwalk. Opening the telegram from her friend back east, her heart pounded, and her hands trembled with anticipation. She smoothed out the wrinkled paper, took a deep breath, and began to read.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she scanned the contents.

The telegram revealed Lucien’s ex-wife had passed away several years earlier, leaving their daughter to be raised by an aunt in Chicago.

Julia’s friend had learned the daughter worked as a nanny for a wealthy family and would attempt to discover her location.

Julia’s mind raced as she processed the news. She wondered if Lucien knew about his ex-wife’s death or his daughter living in Chicago. She debated whether to tell him or wait to hear back.

Folding the telegram, she tucked it into her apron pocket. She’d wait to hear back from her friend first to confirm the details. For now, she resolved to keep this knowledge to herself until the full truth came to light.

Julia crossed the street to sit on the bench outside the Dixie and gazed out at the majestic mountains to the west. The cool breeze ruffled her hair, doing little to calm her swirling thoughts.

She felt fortunate to have the job at the Dixie.

It was owned by Gabe Evans and Nick Barnett, the same as the Wild Rose.

Both employed female servers who were encouraged to talk to the customers and make them feel comfortable.

Unlike Finn’s or Ruby’s Grand Palace, neither offered anything beyond drink, cards, and conversation.

The sound of approaching hoofbeats stirred Julia from her thoughts. She stood, her heart pounding in her chest, recognizing the man who’d left her with money and an apology the previous year.

Booker Tillman rode down the center of the street, mud splattering his pant legs and boots. Spotting Julia, he reined his large, black gelding toward her, his gaze never leaving her face.

Dismounting stiffly, he stepped up on the boardwalk and stopped. Julia covered the distance between them, walking into her brother’s open arms.

Resting his chin on the top of her head, he looked at an older couple, bundled up against the chill, who stared at them as they walked past. Her arms wrapped around him as a tear rolled down one cheek.

Dropping his arms, he stepped back and swiped the tear from her face. “I tried to get here sooner, but the weather kept me in Bozeman longer than expected.”

“Is Lucien on his way back?” she asked.

“He should be about a week behind me.”

She nodded. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat. Do they have food in there?” He looked past her to the Dixie.

“No. We’ll go to the boardinghouse. Come on.” She slid her arm through his. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too. But I had to go.”

“I know. Is everything all right now?”

“Should be. Lucien took care of everything.”

Julia considered what he’d said, wondering if he was right, and if Lucien had been able to make the year-long nightmare go away.

Deputy Tucker Nolan slapped the reins, keeping the wagon moving through the icy mud on the road to the orphanage. The back was filled with the supplies Martha Santori had ordered from Stan Petermann, including two large sacks of flour and another of sugar.

He’d placed his rifle beside him and tucked his coat behind the holster holding his six-shooter.

His gaze scanned the road around him, looking for any sign of the Crow raiding party, though he doubted they’d come after a lone wagon.

Still, he breathed a sigh of relief when the orphanage came into view.

Slowing the horses to a stop near the steps, he jumped down, grabbing one of the flour sacks from under the protective tarp. He settled it over one shoulder. Before starting up the steps, he turned in a circle, spotting no one lurking in the nearby bushes.

The door opened as he lifted his hand to knock, a little girl holding it open for him. “I saw you come, Mr. Deputy.”

He chuckled. “Well, thank you. This bag is heavy.” It wasn’t, but he smiled when she giggled, then ran down the hall toward the kitchen.

“Afternoon, Mrs. Johnson.” Tucker set the sack down near the pantry. “I’ve brought the supplies from town for you.”

“Bless you, Deputy Nolan.” She wiped flour-dusted hands on her apron. “I’m grateful for the help.”

“Stan Petermann heard from Gabe about me coming this way and asked if I could bring everything. I told him I was happy to do it. How is the job going?”

“No complaints.” She made it sound as if it wasn’t important to her, though Tucker knew how much she’d wanted the work.

They turned when Martha Santori swept into the room, her skirts swishing. “Hello, Tucker. Thank you for delivering our order.” Her smile was warm, but Tucker detected a guardedness in her eyes.

“Not a problem.”

“Thank you again for suggesting Alice apply for the cook position. We are thrilled to have her with us.” Martha shot a look at her. “With more children arriving, we need all the help we can get.”

Tucker nodded, anxious for the conversation to end. His gaze kept darting outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rose, who was watching the children who played outside.

Martha noticed his distraction. “I can have the older boys unload the rest of the supplies if you’d like to speak with Rose.”

Tucker flushed. “No, I’ll get them. I’m just watching out for trouble.”

“Do you believe the raiding party could come here?” Martha asked.

“You can never be too careful, though I doubt they’d come here. I’d better get the rest of the supplies inside before more snow falls.”

When finished unloading the sacks and boxes, Tucker stepped out the back door. Leaning against a post, he watched a few children run around while others threw snowballs.

Rose’s laughter floated on the breeze as she spoke to a group of younger children. Their faces were flushed from play. As she led the group toward the back porch, she spotted Tucker waiting at the top of the steps.

“All right, children, inside with you,” she said, herding them up the steps, a grin lit up her face.

A few kids said hello to Tucker while others paid him no mind as they scampered past him into the house. Rose lingered behind, tucking back a strand of hair.

“Afternoon, Rose,” he said, touching the brim of his hat.

“Tucker,” Rose greeted him. An awkward silence followed, both of them suddenly tongue-tied.

He cleared his throat. “I, uh, meant to ask if you heard about the wagon train?”

Rose’s eyes widened. “Yes, Martha told me. I heard one man was killed.”

“Doc McCord said he was elderly, and his heart gave out,” Tucker told her. “The wagon master identified the attackers as Crow raiders. They took supplies.”

Rose shivered. “How awful. We’ll have to be extra vigilant with the children.”

Tucker nodded. “The sheriff has everyone on alert and increased the night patrols.”

“Well, we sure appreciate what you’re doing.” She wanted to say more, but the words lodged in her throat. With a nervous smile, she turned and walked inside.

Tucker watched Rose disappear into the orphanage, his heart swelling. He’d been sweet on her for a while but hadn’t worked up the courage to say anything.

With a sigh, he turned and headed for the wagon. Before climbing onto the bench, he paused, looking back at the home sheltering over a dozen young souls. If the Crow were on the warpath, those kids would be sitting ducks.

Tucker debated whether he should ride out and scout around or go directly to Sheriff Evans. His gut told him they needed to shore up defenses before the Crow could strike again.

He settled onto the wagon bench, slapped the reins, and turned toward town. Sheriff Evans would know what to do.

As he made his way along the muddy road, Tucker hoped the sheriff had a plan, including the orphanage. There were few other people Tucker wanted to protect more than Rose and those defenseless children.

By the time he returned the wagon to Noah’s livery, Tucker’s jaw was set. Striding to the jail, he stepped inside. Gabe looked up from his desk, setting down his coffee cup.

“Afternoon, Tucker. Back from the orphanage?”

Tucker nodded, unsure of how to broach the sensitive subject. “Yes, sir.”

“Kind of you to help out. Did you see any sign of the raiders?”

“Nothing. Doesn’t mean they weren’t out there, watching.

” Tucker sucked in a breath. “While I was there, I got to thinking. With the Crow attacking the Pelletier ranch and the wagon train, those children could be in danger. I know it’s remote.

They seem to be going after places where they’d find a large store of foodstuffs. ”

Gabe’s face darkened. “I’ve been pondering the same thing. We need to tighten security out there, maybe get some men stationed out there. The problem is, there aren’t many men to spare.”

Tucker sighed with relief. “What do you want me to do?”

Before Gabe could respond, Bernie Griggs rushed inside, waving a telegram in the air. He sucked in a lungful of air, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Got an important message for you, Sheriff.” He handed it to Gabe, who read it, then handed the telegram to Tucker.

Reading it, he nodded. “Sterling says the raiding party is hitting ranches northeast of Big Pine.” Tucker looked at Gabe. “That’s over a hundred miles from here. This means they’re moving away from us. We might not need any men at the orphanage.”

“Do you want to send a reply to Sheriff Sterling?” Bernie asked Gabe.

Gabe thought for a moment. “Not right now. Thanks, Bernie.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff.”

Watching him go, he looked up at Tucker. “For now, we’re going to see if they’re spotted around here. It may be they’ve given up on Splendor and will continue moving northeast.”

“Maybe.” But Tucker wasn’t so sure. “Do you mind if I ride to the orphanage every day to make sure the children and women are all right?”

“I think it’s a good idea. Stagger the times to go and take Jonas with you.”

“All right.”

“The Crow attack on the wagon train has a lot of people spooked.”

Tucker gave a slow nod. “Everyone’s ready for Christmas. It’s hard to get into the spirit when you’re worried about possible danger.”

“The people of Splendor are resilient. They’re going to move forward regardless of the threat of more raids.” Gabe stood, walking around his desk to look out the front window. “I do believe this is going to end up being our best Christmas yet.”