“Jafford Teal’s gang.”
“The same ones who killed Maggie’s family.”
Rose nodded sadly.
Will thought for a second then said, “Mama told me to quit sending money. She made it sound like you had enough.”
“Don’t blame Mama. That was my idea, telling you that. Folks were having money stolen out of letters.”
“How have you been eating?”
“We’ve been selling Mama’s silver.”
Will frowned. “That silver is her prized possession. She got it from her mother.”
“It’s mostly gone now. Every now and then, we take some to town and barter for supplies. That’s what Maggie and I were doing when Pew kidnapped me.”
Will reached out and rubbed his sister’s shoulder. He was proud of her for holding up so well. Proud but not surprised. Rose had always been tough.
“So you know about the farm?” Rose asked.
He nodded. Losing the farm galled him. But there was nothing he could do about it now. “You been staying in the bunkhouse long?”
“A month and a half. Ever since that carpetbagger stole our farm. Before that, Maggie was staying with us.”
“It’s terrible, what happened to her family. They were good people.”
“It was awful. I’m so glad she was with us when it happened, or she would have died, too. But now that you’re home, everything will be okay.”
He smiled at her but wasn’t so sure himself. Yes, he would take care of them. But he couldn’t see a way to stay here and make things right. Everything was too broken, and there were too many bad folks running around.
“What would you think about moving someplace?” he asked. “Colorado, maybe.”
Rose shrugged. “Sounds good to me. But Mama won’t go. Says she can’t leave Pa’s bones. Or the babies’. Or Texas, either.”
“Yeah, I kind of reckoned she’d say something like that.”
“Maggie wouldn’t want to leave, either. You know her, always the optimist. She thinks things are gonna get better.”
“Maybe she’s right. But maybe she’s not.”
They were silent for a while. Coming to Pew’s gates, Will looked back to make sure no one was following.
They weren’t. Pew had apparently had enough.
For now, anyway.
But a rich man like Pew, he would never let this stand. Pew thought he was entitled to whatever he wanted, Rose included. And he would never forget Will marching in there and taking her from him, not to mention threatening him and twisting his ear.
All while wearing shabby homespun clothes.
That might not seem like an offense to most folks, but the Pews of the world, a man in raggedy, homemade clothes didn’t have the right to speak to Pew, let alone twist his ear halfway off.
So there would be trouble.
Oh well. Will was no stranger to trouble, and if someone came for him, whether it was Sheriff Rickert or a posse of hired thugs, he’d be ready for them.
“Speaking of Maggie,” Rose said with a sly smile as they turned onto the main road toward town, “hasn’t she gotten pretty?”
