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Bo looked at Josh, then at Shad. He must have decided Tilda was secure because he stepped forward, hesitating briefly as though trying to figure out where to grab hold, then caught both of Maddie’s arms and pulled them off Josh as he dragged her away.

Bo was again standing guard with his back to Tilda while Maddie kicked up a ruckus while he held her around the waist, her arms pinned to her sides.

“Maddie Cabril, you hush up right this minute and settle down! Josh isn’t hurting your brother, despite what Ben did to me.” Tilda turned to Ben, who was up against the wall, the front of his shirt in Josh’s grasp. “Did you really think you could kidnap me and not get into trouble?”

The whole room fell silent.

Ben glared at her. “I did not kidnap you. I was taking you home. I was scared to death you’d hurt yourself when you threw yourself out of the train.

I tried to come back to get you and saw a bunch of armed men coming fast. I had no idea what they had in mind, but I recognized at least one of them from the ranch. ”

“Shut up.” Josh gave him a hard shake. “None of that is true. You drugged her.”

“I did not.”

Instantly, Carl’s expression changed from indignation to one of shock. “You drugged her, Ben?”

“I just said I didn’t.”

“But you did,” Tilda insisted. “And you hauled me unconscious into town.”

Ben shook his head furiously. “You said you were ready to go home.”

“I assure you, I said no such thing. And when I started to wake up, you drugged me again.”

“You wanted to meet Father and Maddie.”

Tilda swiped an arm at his lies. “When I came around on the moving train, you locked me in a bedroom.”

“I put you in a bedroom. I did not lock you in.”

“I heard the lock click, although I wouldn’t have tried to escape out that door anyway. You were right there, and you wouldn’t have let me leave.”

“But you said you wanted the life you could have in New York, a life with your real family.”

“You’re a liar, and a poor one at that. Cornered in that room, I knew every second I waited, jumping would be more dangerous as the train picked up speed. So I smashed the window and jumped out.”

“I had no idea you thought I’d kidnapped you. I’ll talk to the sheriff. I welcome the chance to clear this up.”

“We’ll clear it up by seeing that you’re locked up in jail,” said Josh. “You don’t put your hands on a woman in this state and expect to walk around a free man.”

Sheriff Stockwood stormed up the steps. “What’s going on here, Josh?”

However important a man, Carl was from New York City. This was Josh’s town, and the sheriff had heard the whole story on the day it happened. He’d been trying to find Ben to arrest him for days.

Ben raised his hands. Josh had never let up his hold. Now he released Ben with a hard shove.

“Let’s go, Sheriff.” Ben straightened his coat, his eyes glinting with determination.

“He’s the one who vandalized the telegraph wires,” Josh said. “If he was so sure he’d done nothing wrong, then why did he do that?”

“Father,” Ben said, turning to Carl, “get me a lawyer. You know the governor, don’t you? Ask him for the name of someone who can get a little respect in this town.”

“I’m right behind you, Ben.”

“You lied to us, Carl. You knew we were looking for Ben. You knew he was wanted.”

“He wasn’t with me yesterday when I was talking to you. He showed up late last night. He told me he got off the train, unloaded his horse, and rode back to town.”

Ben nodded. “Once I saw that gunmen weren’t chasing me, I hoped you’d all calmed down and I could find Tilda, make sure she was all right.”

“I only knew he was coming when he knocked on my door in the middle of the night. I didn’t lie to you,” Carl said. He began to exit the room, following his son. Then he halted to glare at Bo. “Let her go.”

Bo opened his arms wide and let Maddie leave the room.

Josh said, “Bo, send someone out to the ranch. I don’t want either of you to leave Tilda’s side.

I want reinforcements, and let’s get Michelle involved.

Carl claims to know the governor, and I know Michelle does.

She called the former governor ‘Uncle Newt,’ so maybe she knows Governor Pacheco, too.

She shouldn’t be riding anywhere in her condition, but she could send a wire.

” Josh snapped his fingers. “What about the Westbrooks? They live in Sacramento—we’ll ask them about it.

Mayhew is gone, but maybe Cord will come to town to help us get some justice.

In the meantime, let’s go make sure the sheriff doesn’t fall for Ben’s pack of lies. ”

“T-thank you, Josh,” Tilda said.

He leaned down and kissed her soundly, then held her arm as they made their way down the stairs. Which was a good thing because her knees were still shaky, mostly from fear. But add in a little shakiness from that wonderful kiss.

* * * *

“I’ve got it!” Ellie waved a slip of paper. It was dated over thirty years ago.

Brody was at her side instantly, Mayhew Westbrook only a pace behind.

Brody scanned it quickly. “I recognize Grandpa’s signature.”

“Let’s go find where this is on the map.” Ellie carried it to the land agent, who pointed to a large map on the wall.

Very casually, Mayhew asked, “Did the other men who were searching the files search for the claim location?” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. We can just ask them when we see them.”

“They didn’t,” the land agent replied. “I’m not sure why they wanted to find the claim if they weren’t going to look it up on the map.

I didn’t pay it much mind at the time, them not studying the map.

Your friends behaved rudely, that’s why I remember them.

Of course, I don’t get many folks in here.

Cornerstone is becoming a ghost town, I’m afraid.

When the train didn’t even come near us, I figured that would finish off the quiet little town. ”

Ellie nodded encouragement and just in general did a fine job of pretending to care about anything the man said that wasn’t about the claim and Loyal Kelton, as the searcher was almost certainly him and his partner, Sonny Dykes.

Mayhew might be a wealthy, cranky old man, but he was smart at how he handled people. Ellie should be taking notes.

“But I’d’ve remembered them anyway because they whispered as if they were hiding something.

Then one of them yelled. I thought he must’ve found what he wanted, but it was loud enough it got my attention.

One of them, the one not dressed so fancy, glanced back at me in a way that told me he regretted the outburst. I wondered then if they were up to something, maybe thinking they’d steal the land claim.

But I saw them put it back where it belonged and shut the drawer.

The fancy-dressed one thanked me, tipped his hat real gentlemanly, and they left.

Mighty odd, though, that they wanted the land claim but didn’t check it on the map.

I suppose if they wrote down the particulars, there are other maps around to look at. ”

“We’d like to study your map, sir,” Mayhew said, “and we’d appreciate your help in finding exactly where this claim is.

We’re fortunate to have found someone so knowledgeable about land claims. I’m sure you don’t get thanked enough for the service you provide.

” Mayhew reached out to shake the man’s hand, and Ellie saw a coin slip from Mayhew’s hand to the land agent’s.

The agent fisted the coin and smiled. He gestured to the wall map, took the claim and compared the two, and before long they’d found just what they were looking for.

Ellie fought the urge to shout with excitement and run for her horse.

Brody shook the agent’s hand. Mayhew patted the man on the shoulder. And Ellie, as part of her new life of holding Loyal Kelton in absolute contempt, thanked the agent and gave him her best smile, resisting the urge to invite him to Thanksgiving dinner before walking sedately to her horse.