Page 535 of Conveniently Wed
“Up at piney pasture. Found quite a bit of damaged fence.” He didn’t look any happier than Franklin felt about that development.
“Thanks. I’ll find him.”
He mounted Major and headed toward the highest pasture he owned. Before he arrived, the air had thinned enough that he felt almost dizzy. He must be getting soft from staying at the lower part of the ranch so long. At least, it didn’t seem to bother the cattle. Maybe it wasn’t just the thin air that caused him to feel different.
Across the pasture, Thomas and a couple of other hands worked on the barbwire fence for the upper boundary of the ranch. On the other side of the fence, the peaks poked through rocky outcrops and scrubby trees. If the cattle thieves tore down the fence here, they had a hard time controlling the cows they stole. No wonder his men couldn’t find the trail.
He headed around the herd to get to where they were working.
Thomas met him far enough away from the other men that they could talk without being heard. “How can I help you, Franklin?”
He dismounted. “I’ve come up with a plan of action.”
The older foreman nodded. “All right.”
“We have to protect the homestead area of the ranch. I want to use a few of our best hands to do that. They’re familiar with the layout, who should be coming to the ranch house, and who’s up to no good.”
“How many?”
“I tried to think how few we could get by with, maybe two or three.” He walked closer to Thomas. “But I don’t want to take a chance with my wife and my son. So it’ll take six or eight to make me feel comfortable.”
He wondered if he would ever feel safe until they caught the man or men who were cattle rustlers and the arsonist. Any of them could be the murderer. His family was far too valuable for him to take any chances with their safety. “I’ll work with Rusty. He knows the men almost as well as you do. He can help me choose. We can scope out the best places for each to cover.”
“Sure gonna make us shorthanded.”
He expected his foreman to say that. “I know. So here’s what we’re going to do. You know which hands like to sign on for cattle drives and are the most dependable. Pick eight of them and offer them a job. They can cover for the ones we take back to the homestead.”
“You want me ta do it?” Thomas scratched his head. “Thought you did all the hirin’ and firin’.”
“Usually.” He stared out across the mountains wondering where the varmints could be hiding. Lots of wilderness area out there. “But I want to take the eight hands back to the ranch and get them started. And I’ll keep the others working while you’re gone. Don’t want to be away from the ranch overnight.”
Thomas settled his Stetson on his head. “Could take me more ’n one night.”
“I realize that. Take all the time you need. We have to have the best men for the job.” He mounted Major and looked down at Thomas. “Tell them we’re hiring them from now through the drive.”
“Sure thing...Boss.” A smile split the foreman’s face before he turned toward where the horses were ground tied under some shade trees.
Maybe Franklin should just let the men call him what they wanted. He was tired of trying to change them. He had more important things to keep up with now.
While he headed out to check on the other ranch hands and work things out with Rusty, he hoped the criminals stayed away from his home...and his family. Hopefully, they weren’t aware that he and his men had discovered what they’d done.
After they finished cleaning house and preparing supper, Lorinda agreed to let Mrs. Oleson have grandmother time with little Michael. She sat on the porch swing enjoying the evening breeze and the happy sounds coming from the parlor. Now that he’d started cooing and laughing, he exercised his voice most of the time.
She pushed the swing with one foot while she gazed out into the changing colors of early evening. The sun slowly sank behind the distant peaks, leaving vibrant streaks of color across the sky, painting the few clouds various shades. She found it odd to see a pale lavender cloud beside a pink or orange one. Finally, her life contained all the color she wanted. No longer was it drab and uninteresting as her early years had been.
God, I know this life is a blessing, even though it’s not what I long for.
Several cowboys rode across the paddock spread behind the barn. Her heart lifted when she identified the silhouette of her husband. He’d been gone all day, and she missed his presence at lunch.
Earlier in the day, his foreman had returned. He’d gone to the bunkhouse and packed his saddlebags. Then he came to the house to ask if they had any fixin’s for sandwiches. Mrs. Oleson had prepared a fairly large burlap bag of food for him to take wherever he was going. He didn’t say. Lorinda wondered where, but of course, she didn’t ask. So many things that happened on the ranch were outside her knowledge, and she didn’t want to be too nosy.
She didn’t remember Franklin ever riding with so many ranch hands. Surely, something unusual was going on. If only she knew what it was. Maybe she and Mrs. Oleson would find out when he came to the house. At least, she hoped so.
The hired hands stopped near the bunkhouse, but Franklin continued on. He dismounted outside the gate to the picket fence and dropped the reins on the ground before coming up the flagstone path to the porch. Why did he do that? Wouldn’t the horse wander off? So many things she knew nothing about. If she was going to be a good wife for him, she’d need to learn.
Franklin’s boot thumped on the first step. “Are you enjoying the outdoors?” He stopped when he reached the porch.
“Yes. I’m taking a break after cleaning house.” She smiled up at him.
