The Iron Horseman (15 page)

How
did he know?

Cadence
stood there with an open mouth and scrunched eyes. Had he known all along? Did
her father know? There were too many questions swirling through her mind, but
for some reason, anger was the emotion that bubbled to the surface.

What
was she supposed to say?

“A
Pinkerton?” she scoffed.

“Don’t
play that game with me. I’ve known your father way too long. I think I’ve
earned more respect than for you to deny it.” He climbed up onto the horse and
lifted her enough that he could slide into the saddle with her on his lap. The
long leather case she carried knocked him in the chin.

“Sorry,”
she said, moving it back in front of her.

His
jaw pulsed and he raised an eyebrow, but did not speak.

“How
long have you known?” she asked quietly.

“Doesn’t
matter. What does matter is that we find out who would want you hurt. Would
anyone here recognize you as the law?”

“Who
would believe it?”

“I
did.” He nudged Apollo forward and they started back to town.

Cadence
thought back through the day at all of the stranger’s faces she had
encountered. None of them had seemed familiar, but there were few out there
somewhere who would recognize her as a Pinkerton. Her assignments had been
mostly in Chicago and farther east. She was good at her job. Mr. Pinkerton had
oft told her as such. And most situations she’d been able to assist with had
never required her to reveal her identity, but there had been an occasion or
two where it couldn’t have been helped.

Her
trunk. The thought of her luggage sunk a pit deep in her gut. If someone here
was indeed after her and knew that her trunk was among the other supplies
they’d collected, they might find more than what they bargained for—clothing
and her letters from Daniel weren’t the only things they’d find. The trunk was
full of weapons and enough money to turn any man’s head. Not to mention an
envelope full of property deeds to land across the line.

“I
don’t think so. Only a small handful of people have been privy to my status as detective.
My mother never knew and I don’t think my father even knows.”

Levi
lifted an eyebrow, but did not say a word.

“You
should tell him,” Levi whispered. “He would be proud of you.”

She
leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled against him.

I
hope so
.

When
they reached town, there were two men on horseback waiting outside the livery.
Levi helped Cadence as she slid down and then dismounted.

“You
have something for me?” Levi asked the men, handing the reins to the liveryman.
“Thanks.”

The
thinner of the men dismounted and handed a telegram to Levi, who quickly opened
the piece of paper and read the contents. He nodded and said something to the
man that Cadence couldn’t quite hear, but the men both headed into the livery.

“What
is it?” Cadence asked, curiosity claiming the better of her as she followed.

“Another
threat has been made against Thomas Durant and the railroad. And the Central
Pacific is gaining on us. The race just got serious.”

“Another
threat?”

“No
specifics, but we’ll need to keep an eye out. It looks like the CP plans on
making it to Promontory Summit in Utah by the seventh. Just in the nick of
time. The celebration is already scheduled for the eighth.”

“Wait,
May eighth?”

Levi
nodded, still glancing at the note as if rereading it. He was preoccupied with
something else in the notification.

“Why?
Does the meeting of the rails interest you?” Levi asked distantly.

“Maybe.”

She
had even less time than she’d expected. The train would get her to Bryan in a
day or two at the most and she hoped to be able to find her father within a
reasonably short time. Then, she could make it to end of track within the
week—if all went according to plan. That should give her plenty of time to stop
whatever shenanigans were being planned to destroy the ceremony and
celebration.

“I’ve
been summoned,” Levi said without looking at her. He folded the paper, but
crumpled it as he tucked it into his pocket, muttering something under his
breath. “As if I wouldn’t be there anyway, the man has the gall to summon me,” he
said to himself more than to her. “I’ll be heading there sooner than expected I
guess. With or without the train.”

“What
do you mean, without the train? There has to be a train. I need to get to Bryan
as quickly as possible. That train is coming. Right?”

“Right,”
Levi answered affirmatively. “Just not exactly sure when. With all the threats
against the line, we have to be careful until it is finished.” He tipped an
imaginary hat, then looked up at her, all playful expression gone from his
face. “What aren’t you telling me?” He eyed her speculatively.

“I
just really want to see my father.” And that was the truth.

He
must have believed her because Levi nodded and turned and walked toward the
mercantile.

By
the time the last of the supplies finally arrived in town, Cadence wondered
just how long it would take for the railroad crew to make the necessary repairs
to the track. She didn’t plan on staying in River City any longer than she
needed to. Clive and his brutes had damaged a good chunk of the line, and by
their conversation earlier, she guessed their motives had been an attempt to
thwart the meeting of the rails.

Clive
had been looking for a trinket forged by the President. He hadn’t gotten it.
She reached into her pocket for the large golden spike she still carried. If
anyone knew what it was or its significance to the newly unified nation, she
could jeopardize the whole mission.

Suddenly,
she wished she’d brought the cylinder along with her, but hoped it would be
safer at the Gordon’s place. Cadence scanned the street looking for the wagon
that had carried her belongings into town. She had to get to that trunk before
anyone else.

Levi
emerged from the shop with a new hat shadowing his already dark features. For a
moment, Cadence entertained the idea of paying Mr. Redbourne to escort her by
horseback through Laramie and on to Bryan, but she was in no hurry to spend
days on end in a saddle. She was already sore from the few trips they had taken
back to the wreckage.

She
would never admit it to him, but she was drained. Every part of her lower body
seemed to burn sore with exhaustion. Her hands and face still stung with
scrapes and cuts. She looked around. This town offered no relief. A good hot
bath sounded like heaven. Cadence just wanted to be able to put her feet up on
a forward moving train and be on her way, but if it was going to take any
longer, she would have to find another way.

“Here
you are, Miss Walker,” a bearded farmer who had been driving the third wagon in
the train handed her the trunk. “Not a scratch,” he said with a wink.

“Thank
you,” she smiled genuinely as he placed the trunk at her feet.

Whew.

Levi
shook his head. “Your clothes? Really?”

“A
girl needs to look her best.”

His
eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head as he pulled a saddle from a
hitching post next to the jailhouse—construction in progress. This town was
just way too small for her liking.

“Stealing
saddles now?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“Nah.
The liveryman left it there for me while he gives Apollo a good brushing. I
need to take this out to the tanner. I noticed one of the straps is wearing
thin and I don’t want to end up falling on my backside, now do I?” He walked
toward a rather small tent with an unusually acidic smell coming from
inside—though she suspected that the man standing in the gated area around the
back was the tanner.

“Scamp,”
she called playfully after him.

Cadence
needed to get to Laramie. Annie would have coded instructions at the telegraph
office there and time was running out. The end of the railroad line entertained
Mr. Durant and several other very important men that would be making the
decisions that could make or break the railroad. Without so much as a telegraph
office, Cadence felt cut off from the world. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this
sort of life after all. Her father would be very disappointed if she told him
she’d changed her mind about considering a permanent move.

“Thank
you, sir. I’ll be back in a little while,” Levi said as he walked back around
to the front of the tanner’s tent.

Clank.
Smack. Bump. Giant lodge poles spilled out of the back of the now broken and
obviously overloaded wagon bed at the edge of the small town.

“Clear
way,” a man yelled, his hand cupped around his mouth. Several of the menfolk
scattered to avoid the rolling logs.

“Excuse
me,” Levi said as he turned and ran toward the chaos. Luckily, the ground they
were on was fairly level and the logs wouldn’t get too far. She figured they
should all look on the bright side of things. It had certainly been the easiest
way to unload the wood—despite the damage to the wagon. Any wainwright worth
his salt would be able to repair the broken box without much thought. That was,
if they had a wainwright in this tiny place.

“Yoohoo.
Miss Walker.” Mrs. Gordon waved her hands in an attempt to gain Cadence’s
attention. Three other women, all pristinely dressed in high-fashion crinoline
skirts, waddled hurriedly behind her.

“Mrs.
Gordon, it’s so nice to see you.”

“We
are having an evening tea at Matilda’s tonight and we thought you may want to
invite your mother and join us. We are very anxious to meet the Walker family,
you know.”

Cadence
tried to think back as to why Mrs. Gordon would believe that her mother would
be living in River City. Their engagement. She had to think fast.

She
smiled. “How wonderful for you to have invited us, but you see,” she looked
around, trying to think of anything that would get her out of this mess. “The
truth is, Mrs. Gordon, Mr. Redbourne and I are not getting married. Anymore,”
she added. She didn’t want the woman to think any less of Levi. “We agreed it
was for the best since he will be traveling so much with the railroad and my
father is waiting for me to join him at the ranch he’s building for me in
Bryan.”

“You
mean the Walkers will not be settling down here in our…fair city? I had just
assumed…” Mrs. Gordon’s face said it all. She was saddened at the news.

“So,
a young woman of your age is traveling out there alone?”

“Well,
not alone exactly.”

“With
a man?” The woman with a yellow feathered atrocity atop her head tsked. She
turned to the lady next to her. “Well, we certainly don’t need Walkers around
our children if they have such an obvious lack of mores. We should be glad
she’ll be moving on.” She raised her nose in the air, turned toward the framed
building that would become the church, and stomped away. Her friend with the
purpled azalea broach followed.

“She’s
the minister’s wife. Thinks she’s better than everybody else. Don’t pay her any
mind, dear.” Mrs. Gordon patted her on the hand. “I’ll be sad to see you go. We
were hoping to get a few youngsters around here. I hear that Laramie is full of
young people. River City won’t amount to much if it’s just us old fogeys to
make a go of it.”

“You
don’t give yourself enough credit, Mrs. Gordon. You’re as spry as they come.
Besides, you’ve got Mr. Cardon and Mr. Faulk over there. They are both young
strapping gentlemen.” Cadence thought about the young cowboys who had
unwittingly helped her retrieve her trunk from Levi’s quarters on the
overturned train car. In her opinion, they would both make quite suitable
matches for someone.

“Yes,
but I’m afraid there are no young ladies for them to court.” Mrs. Gordon looked
at her with wide, hopeful eyes. “Do you have any friends, Miss Walker, who
might be interested in coming to River City?”

“Isn’t
that part of Levi’s job? We should tell him this town needs more young women.
They seem to follow him like hogs at mealtime.” At least that’s what she’d
expect for a man that handsome

Mrs.
Gordon laughed and snorted, which caused her to laugh some more. “We’ll talk to
Mr. Redbourne. And, my dear, I wouldn’t be too sure about not marrying the man.
I’ve seen how he looks at you.”

Cadence
laughed too. She scanned the area where the logs had tumbled free and watched
as Levi helped lift one of the last timbers into place. Her mouth went dry when
he looked up at her, sweat glistening in the waning sun, and wiped his
forehead.

Suddenly,
she was feeling quite hungry. Was it suppertime?

Summoned?

Of
course he wanted to be at the meeting of the rails. It was the culmination of
all the blood, sweat, and tears that he and so many others had put into seeing
the nation whole. But to be summoned by the likes of Thomas Durant was no
honor.

Levi
picked up the barrel of foodstuffs he’d procured from the mercantile tent and
slid it all the way to the back corner of the wagon he’d purchased from the
preacher. The man’s wife’s eyes had grown large when she realized how much Levi
had been willing to pay. She’d muttered something about the Lord providing. He
made a mental note to ‘provide’ the good preacher with a new carriage when the
celebrations were complete.

The
minister had to be a saint to deal with such an ungodly woman. He’d had to
swallow his laughter when she’d walked into the soon-to-be church with what
looked like a ring of a dozen canaries strapped to the top of her head.

Levi
chuckled at the memory.

“What
are you doing out here, son?” Doc Gordon stood in the open doorway to the barn.

He
shoved a half-dozen quilts into the back, next to the barrel. He’d procured the
beautifully crafted blankets from a sweet little old widow living at the edge
of town. Her husband had just passed away since coming to River City and her
talents with a needle was the only thing that would now provide any income. He
hadn’t really needed six, but after seeing the poor circumstances she faced,
he’d decided to purchase all that she had completed.

“I’m
afraid my business takes me elsewhere over the next couple of weeks, but I’ll
be back. There is still a lot of work to be done to get this town ready for the
next winter.”

“Miss
Walker heading out with you?”

“I’m
sure her pa is anxious to see her, as you can imagine.”

Levi
picked up the trunk that Cadence had been so keen to retrieve from the wreckage
and tossed it in the back alongside his own luggage. One of the hinges broke
loose, spilling hues of pink, gold, and white lace through the slight crack in
the partially opened luggage.

He
closed his eyes.

Women.

“You
leaving at first light?”

“Yes,
sir.” Levi reached into his pocket, pulled out a folded leather packet, and
handed it to the doc.

“What’s
this?”

“It’s
the deed to a parcel of land on Main Street. I figured you’d want a place of
your own in town and that would make it easier on folks who need you.”

“Levi,
I can’t accept this.” Doc handed the documents back to him.

“Sorry,
Doc. It’s a done deal.” Levi shut the back of the buckboard. “This town needs
you.”

“But…”

“Now,
Doc, wasn’t it you who told me I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth?”

He
opened his mouth with the beginnings of a protest and then appeared to think
better of it. “So I did.” He hung his head. “Thank you, Levi.”

CRASH!

Both
men rushed out into the yard where Mrs. Gordon swatted at a big black dog with
her broom. It looked as if he’d knocked over a portion of the chicken coop. The
birds balked with excitement and feathers flew about the yard.

“Haaaarrrold,”
she squealed.

“Better
run. Seems the Mrs. isn’t taking too kindly to the new member of our family.”
He started for the house, then turned. “Sure you won’t wait for the train? One
usually comes round here every week.”

“Believe
me, Doc, I’d much rather take the train than travel cross-country in a wagon
with a woman packing pink and yellow frilly things.”

They
both laughed.

“Oh,
Levi, there’ve been a lot of raids around these parts for the past few weeks.
Mostly bandits and rustlers looking for an easy score. Best be careful if
you’re planning on traveling with just one wagon.”

“Noted.
We’ll be fine. We’ve got a couple of guns between us and I’ve seen firsthand
how good Miss Walker is with a revolver. But thanks for the warning. We’ll be
careful.”

Levi
wondered about Clive’s partner, the one who’d gotten away. It would be one
thing if the three of them had been working alone, but there had been something
in Clive’s words that led Levi to believe that they had only been part of a
bigger plan to bring down the railroad—especially in light of the newest
threats. If that was the case, he and Miss Walker would need to be extra
vigilant.

The
new sheriff of River City had arrived only a day or so before them and while
he’d helped transport the cargo from the train, Levi had yet to sit down with
and welcome the man to town. He figured he should probably acquaint him with
some of the unique problems that came with running a small town like River
City. In particular, he wanted to discuss the saddle Cadence was using when it
came loose. He didn’t know if they’d intentionally meant to hurt Cadence or
just to slow down the transport, but either way, someone in this town was
looking for trouble.

“What’s
this I hear that you are leaving tomorrow morning?” Cadence burst through the
doors in a huff. “Please tell me that you are taking me with you. I can’t wait
in this place for another week. I need to get going.”

“Don’t
you think it’s time that you tell me what it is exactly that you are doing? I’m
guessing the plan isn’t to meet up with Eamon in Bryan and learn how to run the
ranch.”

“Of
course I’m going to Bryan.”

“I
don’t buy it.”

Cadence
took a breath and when she spoke again her voice was as warm as honey on a
summer’s day. “Mr. Redbourne. Levi,” she corrected,” will you take me with you
to Laramie?”

He
didn’t answer.

“Please.”

With
a voice like that it was no wonder she had the attention of every man within
hearing distance. Compiled with her sultry dark hair, darker eyes, and curves
that befit the most tempting woman, she was downright dangerous. Not to mention
her wit and abilities with a gun.

Stop
it.

Cadence
took a step closer and Levi took a step back.

“Whoa,
woman. What are you doing?”

When
she caught a glimpse of her trunk in the back of the wagon, her smile fell.

“What
happened?” she asked, a hint of accusation lacing her tone.

“The
latch broke apart when I tossed it in.” There was no use making more of it than
it was.

She
stepped onto the foot rail at the front of the buckboard and climbed up and
then over the seat. After fiddling with the broken fastening to no avail, she
spun it and harrumphed.

Levi
handed her the rope he’d intended on using to secure the luggage.

“Thanks,”
Cadence said and made quick work of the task.

When
she was finished, she looped the remaining rope on her arm, stepped over a few
of the smaller crates on the wagon floor, and walked to the back edge. Levi
reached up to help. She stepped up onto the wood and he lifted her down.

“Why,
Mr. Redbourne, you are such a gentleman.” She stepped away from him and tossed
the rope onto a nail on the side of the barn. “Thank you,” she looked back at
the trunk, “for not trying to leave me here.”

She
was a little spitfire to be certain. Levi wasn’t sure whether he wanted to strangle
her or to kiss her, but he’d now have a few days to decide.

The
ground rumbled in low tones. Levi opened his eyes with a jolt. Only one thing
made that sound. He sat up and reached for his gun. Wild horses ran along the
stream only a few yards from the area where they’d made camp.

“Cadence,”
he whispered, though he wasn’t sure why. “Cadence,” he called a little louder
this time.

She
peeked out of the rounded covering he’d built over the back of the buckboard.

Levi
pointed at the horses and Cadence disappeared inside the wagon. She emerged a
moment later, dressed and holding a rifle.

“Where
did they come from?” she asked as soon as she got within hearing distance. She
sidled up next to him as he crouched behind a boulder that protruded from the
ground. They had chosen this place for camp because it had provided some cover
with the trees and rock formations.

“They’re
abundant out here, but most are impossible to tame. I doubt they even realize
we’re here.”

“What
are they doing?” she asked, her eyes revealing her curiosity.

“Running.”
He couldn’t help himself.

She
smacked him on the arm with the back of her hand.

Apollo
snorted and Levi glanced over to where the horses had been tethered for the
night. The brown Quarter Horse that he’d purchased from the liveryman neighed
loudly and pawed at the ground. Levi was surprised to see that he remained
steady amongst the thunderous chaos. He would be a good wrangling horse. Tag
would like him.

It
didn’t take long before the wild horses had changed direction and headed toward
the hills away from them.

Cadence
leaned against the boulder and slid down onto her rump. “I don’t know how
people do this for a living.”

“What?”
Levi asked with scrunched brows.

“Ranching.”

“This
isn’t ranching. At Redbourne Ranch, we get a lot of people bringing us horses
to tame—some wild, some just young. Other horses we breed to combine the best
traits for different needs or tasks. Not every horse is meant for heavy
lifting, or running long distances, or even everyday riding. The goal is to
have horses that can stand up to unusual situations. This,” he pointed to the
distant horses, their hooves pounding against the ground in methodic rhythm,
“is what wranglers are for.”

“Your
brother, Taggert, is a wrangler, isn’t he?”

Levi
was surprised she would have picked up on that.

“That’s
something Tag loves to do, but our mama isn’t so excited about the idea.” Levi
thought about the last time Tag had come home with a broken rib after being
knocked off his horse. He’d tried to explain that he’d just been grateful he’d
been able to get back up before the mustangs had trampled him, but that hadn’t
helped his plight much.

“I
can see why. Those horses are powerful.”

“You’re
not kidding.” Levi walked over to the wagon and climbed into the back. He’d
cleared a place for Cadence to sleep, but the area was still cramped. He smiled
at the crumpled quilts that had gotten some use during the night and quickly
had to change the direction of his thoughts.

The
food barrel was at the back of the wagon. He wanted to make up some food before
getting back on the road. By his estimation, Laramie would only be another day
or two. They could stay at his cousin Noah’s place for the night and then head
out for Bryan. At this pace, he had every reason to believe he could make it to
Promontory Summit with plenty of time to spare.

When
he returned to their little camp, Cadence already had a fire going. She
continued to impress him. For someone who certainly didn’t like small towns or
the country, she sure seemed to know her way around. He’d thought being a lady
Pinkerton was all about gleaning secrets from high-society women about their
husbands’ undertakings, but he was learning that there was more to Cadence than
being a spy.

He
placed the metal supports over the fire and topped it with an iron skillet full
of salted meat and fresh cracked eggs the Gordon’s had given them. Once they
had a good breakfast in their bellies, they could get back on the road and be
on their way.

Snap!

Levi
froze.

“What’s
wrong?” Cadence asked, her gun already drawn.

“Shhhhh.”
He placed a hand over Cadence’s mouth.

Snap!
Another branch to his left. It was not far off. The smell of food must have
brought an animal there. He glanced around and squinted into the sparse trees
to see if he could locate the coyote. Nothing.