Page 35 of A Late-Blooming Rose
Leaning forward, Joshua rested his elbows on his legs in a comfortable position. “First of all, praise be to God that everyone in our posse is alive, and thewholeoutlaw gang was killed, except for the leader who’s been captured.
Delia unclasped her hands. “Were any of our people hurt?”
Joshua straightened and frowned. “Two men. Buck Skold, one of the Thompson ranch hands, took a bullet to his arm. Brian Bly, who lives at Three-Bend Lake, was shot in the leg. Both received medical attention and are resting comfortably at Seth and Trudy Flanigan’s house, although they are anxious to return home.”
The Flanigans? How did the posse end up there?But Andre didn’t want to interrupt Joshua to ask.
“Everyone except Buck and Brian and the two doctors returned to town today. Dr. Angus will remain at the Flanigans with the injured men for a few days and then drive them back to Sweetwater Springs. Dr. Rawlins will return here tomorrow for his family and escort them back to Morgan’s Crossing. Well, the day after that is Sunday. So perhaps everyone from Morgan’s Crossing will drive home on Monday.”
Delia let out a big breath. “Maggie Temogen will be ecstatic at the news that her husband’s safe. What relief she must be feeling! She was so worried about Sheriff Temogen. Bearing up like a trooper, of course. But I could tell how anxious she was.” She smiled at Andre. “Tomorrow, we’ll have to call upon her and the others from Morgan’s Crossing.”
“What do you know of the gang?” Andre asked.
“Frank McCurdy was the outlaws’ ringleader. He owns a spread out by the Flanigans. Growing up, I knew him somewhat from the times his family came to town for church, shopping, and other events. His parents were good people, but Frank was….” Joshua hesitated, apparently searching for the kind of negative descriptive word a man of God could use. “Unpleasant.”
Andre couldn’t recall the man. Eyebrows raised, he made eye contact with Delia.
She shook her head and shrugged.
“Sheriff Granger reported McCurdy left town about ten years ago, and no one knew he’d returned with a wife and three children, not even Seth and Trudy. His gang dug in, constructing a stockade around the ranch buildings. Somehow, they avoided discovery in the past year or so, even though they’ve done some stealing here and there. The place was practically a fort.”
Andre reached over to poke Joshua’s shoulder. “What about that unexpectedly good news? Something, you said, that will tickle my fancy?”
His son-in-law broke into a grin. “Goes to show how God can make unforeseen benefits come out of tragedy.” He paused for dramatic effect, meeting the gaze of each listener.
What benefits?
“You’ll never guess who’s getting married this afternoon in a small ceremony at the parsonage?” Still grinning, Joshua leaned back and apparently waited for their answers.
Delia looked at Andre, her eyes wide, and shook her head. “Certainly not Caleb Livingston and Maggie Baxter. Their wedding is already planned and will be quite an elaborate affair.”
Andre tried to think who else was courting or betrothed. “Can’t be Constance Taylor and Dr. Angus. You said the doctor’s still at the Flanigans’.” He shrugged, stumped by the question.
His son-in-law smirked. “Think of the posse members.”
Posse members?
Exhaling a sigh, Delia threw up her hands. “Joshua, stop teasing andtellus!”
Her husband’s eyes danced, and his grin widened. “Sheriff Granger and Deputy Red Wolf.”
Delia made a sound of shocked surprise, and then lifted a hand to cover her mouth.
Our lawwoman and our blacksmith!Andre felt a smile split his face. “Well, that’s certainly unexpected. But now that I think of those two together, I can see they’d make a good match. Not many men would respect their wife holding the sheriff’s position in this town.” He glanced at Rose and saw her eyebrows were pulled into a frown, obviously trying to follow the news of people she didn’t know. “Deputy Red Wolf is also the town’s blacksmith,” he explained. “He’s a Blackfoot Indian and is well respected.”
“Father tells me they are adopting a boy—the youngest son of Frank McCurdy. Walter McCurdy is a bit younger than Micah.” Joshua looked at his son. “Walter sure could use a friend who understands him. You know what it’s like to lose everything and end up in a new place among strangers.”
Delia slipped an arm around Micah’s shoulders.
Shaking his head, Joshua hesitated. “I think Walter’s case is even worse. His father is an evil man, who will soon hang, and his mother doesn’t love him and gave him away to strangers.”
Micah bounced on the sofa. “I can be Walter’s friend. Think he’d like to play with my slingshot?”
“I don’t know why not.”
“Don’t worry about Walter,” Micah said. “Sheriff Granger and Deputy Red Wolf will love him. He’ll have friends. Might take a while like it did with me, but he’ll be all right.”
Joshua’s eyes glistened with obvious pride. “When did you grow so wise?”
