Page 11 of Cade’s Quest (The McIntyres #1)

Chapter Eight

I t turned out Cade really needed the two extra days to recuperate that he wouldn’t have gotten had he ridden back to Clarendon.

Lying around and dozing through those two days had worked wonders.

He felt energized. Or maybe it was the thought of finding Jess that brought this renewal of body and spirit.

After a hearty breakfast on the second day, he and Summer talked about a plan.

“I’m going to ride ahead of Dan and the posse.” Cade glanced up at his sister as she refilled his cup with coffee. “I want to get the lay of the land so I’m going to ride out in just a little bit.”

He didn’t tell her that instead of finding a place to hide until it was over, he intended to slip into the posse, hopefully at the back where he wouldn’t be noticed.

Summer sighed. “I sure wish I could go with you, but the doctor needs me this morning.”

“I know. Some things can’t be helped, Sis.” Actually, he was relieved that she couldn’t accompany him. There could be lots of shooting and blood loss and while her nursing skills could come in handy, he wouldn’t put her in that kind of danger.

“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you get to talk to our brother? I can’t think of anything better. Just to hear how he’s doing would be really nice.” She took up his plate and carried it to the dishpan. “I pray this talk of him being part of the gang is just a rumor.”

“Me too. But there’s a little part of me that believes it’s true. I don’t know if I can watch Dan arrest him.”

“I can see that because I feel the same way.”

“If you talk to Dan, please don’t tell him my plan. He’ll only stop me.”

She turned and dried her hands. “I’ll keep your secret.

” Summer took a seat at the table, worry lining her face.

“This is really dangerous. The gang could kill you or you could get caught in a crossfire.” She bit her lip.

“Cade, the sheriff returned late last night so he’ll lead the posse, not Dan. ”

“What is he like? The sheriff I mean.”

“A total opposite. Luther Jones is a bit cold and it takes him a while to warm up to anyone but I’ve never heard him be cruel.

Maybe a little harsh though. A while back, his wife up and left him and took their son back east. She mentioned in confidence that she simply couldn’t live with him another day.

He never hit her, but he yelled a lot. Even Dan says he’s intimidated by the man. ”

The picture forming in Cade’s head was not pretty. It was even more crucial now that he be there to call a warning if Jess did happen to show up.

“He sounds hard to get along with.”

“According to some but he’s never been anything but civil to me. He’s just a little different and he likes order.”

Civil was a strange word to use and it didn’t imply friendly.

“I guess I’d best be on my toes around him then.” Cade finished his coffee. “Don’t worry, Sis. I plan to stay as quiet as the dead and if bullets start flying, I’ll duck. I promise.”

She rose and pushed her chair in. “I lost you once. I don’t want to lose you twice.”

He stood and kissed her cheek. “You’re still a worrywart but I love you for caring.”

“Okay, I need to go to work. We’ll talk later.” She put on a hat and got her things.

The door had no more than shut behind her than Cade hurried to the stables for Buck.

Not a cloud dotted the sky. Good. Cade set out across the countryside toward the junction that was marked on the map. His mind raced with all the possibility of things that could go wrong.

Please let me find Jess. Let him be here. And let us have a conversation.

The prayer on his lips, Cade urged Buck into a gallop, anxious to see this junction and where best to slide into the posse. He settled into the saddle and tried to calm his worries.

The only thing that was important was finding his family and putting it back together.

The pain in his shoulder for the last two days was gone and his vision was clear, for which he was grateful. No one could do much if they were burdened by pain.

At last, he reached the junction where two roads converged.

He reined Buck to a halt and glanced around.

Everything was quiet. A check of his watch showed nine-thirty in the morning.

He scouted around and was dismayed to find the ground flat.

Pretty wildflowers and cacti provided a saving grace to the boring landscape and his heart sank.

There was no place to wait for either the posse to show up or the Dakota gang.

Not even any bushes to block him from view.

The familiar scent of Texas sage reached his nose, and he took a moment to admire the purple blooms on a few barrel cacti. Prickly pear blooms had long disappeared. How he loved this land and the multi-faceted vistas.

Eyes were watching him and he fidgeted. The gang or Jess? He couldn’t hazard a guess.

A sudden gust of wind brought a large tumbleweed down from a rise. Buck tried to bolt and it took a firm hand on the reins to hold the horse steady. “Whoa, boy. Easy.”

Buck grumbled and did a nervous dance, sidestepping and snorting.

But he stayed put. After looking everything over, Cade decided to go back down the trail a little ways where the road cut through some rolling hills.

There would be a place for him there to wait.

He prayed Sheriff Luther Jones wouldn’t catch sight of him or there would be hell to pay.

He didn’t relish going to jail and having all his plans be for naught.

A few minutes later, Cade pulled up behind a thick curtain of mesquite and cedar. He didn’t have to wait long before a group of riders, about half a dozen, came into view. He recognized Dan. They went past but a few minutes later, returned.

“Everyone, stay with your mount and get out of sight,” ordered the one wearing a badge. Luther Jones.

Cade stared at the hardness in the sheriff’s face. Jones was probably early forties and six feet with meaty arms and a thick waist. Cade hoped he would never have to fight him.

When Dan came his direction, he shrank farther into his shield.

They were still close enough to see the junction and Cade noticed the dirt cloud rising from galloping horses coming at a good clip.

“All right, men, here they come.” Sheriff Jones hunched behind his protection still seated on his horse. Time clicked by and finally, Jones signaled to ride, hard and fast. “Don’t let ’em get away.”

Everyone burst out behind him. Cade got in the saddle and slipped into the tail end of the posse.

All of a sudden, the approaching riders must’ve sensed danger. They spun around and headed back where they came from. The sheriff and his men raced toward them, firing a blistering volley of shots.

One minute Cade was riding with them and the next he’d become separated, finding himself alone. His gaze swept the riders they were chasing. A woman’s dress billowed out in the wind.

A woman?

What would she be doing with the Dakota Gang? Neither George nor his sons had mentioned a woman. Strange. But maybe they didn’t know about her. Cade had gotten the impression that no one trusted them.

A man once told him blabbermouths didn’t have many friends and that was true.

Sheriff Jones set a searing pace, and Cade continued to fall back keeping his gun holstered. Curiosity drew his gaze to a ridge just ahead where a rider pulled to a stop. He wasn’t close enough to make out any features, but he could tell the horseman was tall in the saddle.

The posse mounted a hard chase of the main group which allowed Cade to focus on this single rider. He was probably twenty-five yards away when the man lifted an arm and waved.

Cade’s heart raced as he waved back.

Jess? He swallowed hard. Was that his brother?

Before he could get closer, the rider turned and disappeared on the other side of the ridge. Biting back bitter disappointment, he pulled up.

Suddenly, Sheriff Jones was beside him. “What on earth are you doing? Who are you? I didn’t select you for my posse.”

A slow turn in the saddle let Cade gather himself. “I had a run-in with the three prisoners in your jail, sir. I wanted to ride along in hopes of catching the gang.”

“Without permission?” Jones glared.

Thank goodness the brim of Cade’s hat hid his eyes. He kept his voice even. “I didn’t have time, sir. You were away until late last night. I’ve become well-acquainted with Dan and I didn’t think there would be a problem. I just wanted to see justice done.”

Dan rode up just then. “Sheriff, I can vouch for Cade. I just haven’t had a chance to fill you in about the three men in the jail. They attacked Cade here and almost killed him.”

“I see. Thank you, Deputy.” Jones swung back to Cade. “It looked like you were waving to that one on the ridge.” The statement was accusatory at best.

“Blocking the sun from my eyes, sir. I could barely make that rider out for the sun’s glare.” Cade nodded his thanks to Dan for sticking up for him.

“Are you sure about that?” A sharp edge colored Jones’s question. “Why is your gun holstered? You gonna catch them with your hand?”

“Sir, I was biding my time. And I didn’t want to interfere with the posse’s glory.”

Jones didn’t smile and Cade didn’t know if the man bought his story or not. Without more, Jones turned to collect his men.

Cade didn’t wait but took off toward town on his own, his thoughts in a jumble.

If that was Jess on the ridge, he knew Cade was there.

And the only way he could’ve known was if he’d been to Eagle Flat and saw him.

Or it was reasonable that Jess could’ve sent one of his friends.

Maybe they were checking on George and his boys to find out if they were singing like a canary.

Somehow, it gave him a warm glow to think that Jess might be watching over him and Summer.

But why hadn’t he tried to talk to them? It would be easy enough to slip into town under cover of night and come to Summer’s house without being seen.

A thought hit him. Maybe Jess was in danger and didn’t want to bring it to them. That made sense even if little else did. He thought about his dream.

“I’m only pretending to be an outlaw,” Jess had said.

But why would his brother do that?

For every question that formed in Cade’s mind, there were a dozen more.