Page 1 of Claimed by the Lawman

Chapter 1

“THE CATTLE MOSEYED right onto my land. Possession’s nine-tenths of the law.”

“They’re my cattle, Bane. I don’t plan to leave here today without my beef,” Johnny Posey said as the handful of his hands standing behind him lifted their shotguns just a smidgeon. His son Rogue took a step outside of the circle. The temperature seemed to increase by at least ten degrees. The wind whistled across the field as if carrying a daunting message of history when cowboys took care of problems with brawn…and sometimes a bullet.

“What the hell’s going on here, boys?” Kace pushed his way through the bulk of the cowboys and stood between Johnny and Bane. He could practically feel the heat rolling off the two fifty-something, stubborn neighbors. “Please tell me this is not another one of those crazy disputes. I have better things to do, fellows.”

“The cattle are on my land, Sheriff.” Bane pushed out his chest. His crew of five men were standing in a semi-circle, whiskered jaws tight, shotguns in hand as they blocked their boss’ property and the Black Angus that had no idea they were the cause of a lot of trouble.

This could have gotten out of hand rather quickly with each side packing heat and being so trigger-happy, but Kace couldn’t let the men believe that they had control—guns or no guns.

“The cattle don’t have a GPS, Bane. They don’t know the difference between your land and mine.” Johnny exhaled loudly. His agitation showed in his beady eyes.

“That’s why there’s a thing called fencing. To keep them in.” Bane laughed and looked back at his foreman who gave a thumb’s up approval.

“There was a barbed wire fence up here a week ago,” Rogue interjected. Once upon a time he was a hot-head, but since he’d aged and matured some, he was spending less time with a bottle and more time on the ranch. “Know anything about its sudden removal, Bane?”

“Good question. What happened to the fence?” Kace asked. Having only been sheriff for a year, he’d already been called out five times to break up arguments between the neighbors. He and Johnny went way back, but it was important to keep things unbiased.

Bane’s ranch was about the size of Rhode Island after he’d been buying up neighboring property right and left. He’d been putting the pressure on Johnny to sell so he could expand even more, but Johnny refused, even though he’d been offered seven figures, double what it was worth. Kace had a feeling things were going to get worse before they got better. Greediness for land in the untouched Wyoming mountains made men act like children—and criminals. Coming to the small, quiet town of Bohannan, Kace had no idea that he’d have to babysit the neighbors to keep them from killing one another.

“Now, Sheriff. What makes you think I’d know anything about some barbed wire fence?” Bane smugly adjusted his collar. He had the arrogance of a man who always got his way. “Posey here thinks he can prove these are his cattle, but my boys and I looked and didn’t see one brand.”

“Johnny, is your cattle tagged?” Kace asked, looking at the man in question.

The man’s agitated expression answered the question.

“Everyone needs to clear out,” Kace ordered.

He gritted his teeth at Bane’s satisfied grin.

“Those are my cattle, son,” Johnny said through pinched lips.

Kace resituated his Stetson. “I believe they are, Johnny, but this is a civil matter. There’s nothing I can do without proof. Why the hell didn’t you tag them?”

“We’re a little short of hands right now.”

“Big mistake.”

“And we’re just going to let that bastard steal cattle?”

“I’m not letting him do anything. Now everyone move on or I’m going to take you all in for disturbing the peace!” My peace.

Bane’s men laughed and muttered under their breath as they gathered back into their trucks, some onto the saddled horses to corral the cattle.

The Posey hands reluctantly climbed back into their trucks.

Johnny looked like he could chew through nails.

Kace shifted in his dusty boots, feeling a stab of guilt, but he had to follow the law and his hands were tied. Johnny was a good, hardworking man who didn’t need all the added stress in his life.

The trucks kicked up dust and dirt as they spun their tires and Kace and Johnny stood aside, watching the Bane hands round up the beef.

“This ain’t fair, you know,” Johnny mumbled and spit onto the ground. “Back in the day men got shot for less.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. You and Bane are acting like fools and this is going to escalate.”

“The man’s a thief.”

---