Lawman from Nogales (9781101544747) by Ralph W. Cotton Page B

three years of her life, and those of her brother, Bram’s.
    Theirs was not the story of two orphans coming to the United States to escape poverty or servitude. Their father had died and left them enough of an inheritance to get them both to America—the land of freedom and opportunity, she had told Sam as she held the warm tin cup in both hands.
    â€œI offer no excuse for anything my brother and I have done,” she said.
    Sam only studied her face in the soft flicker of firelight.
    Her brother, Bram, had fallen in with the wrong crowd almost as soon as they had stepped off the ship in the New York Harbor. As for her, rather than try to stop her brother from pursuing a life of crime, she had allowed herself to be swept into it. Lured by fast money and fast living, she’d gone along for the ride. And now . . .
    â€œAnd now the ride is over,” she said at length with a sigh, staring into the low flickering flames. Tears welled and glistened in her eyes.
    The Ranger reached over with the coffeepot and refilled her nearly empty cup.
    â€œI—I feel as if I’ve misled you somehow, Ranger Burrack,” she said. “In spite of all your kindness, I feel I have let you down.”
    â€œDon’t feel that way,” Sam said. “You haven’t let me down.”
    That wasn’t quite true, he admitted to himself. He did feel disappointed. But he’d get over it, he reminded himself. “I would have done the same for anyone in your situation,” he said, which was true.
    â€œMy brother and I are wanted in Texas,” she said without looking up from the fire. “We took part in the robbing of a mine payroll with Luis and Teto Torres.”
    â€œOh?” Sam was a bit taken aback by what she said. He didn’t know what surprised him more, the fact that Erin had taken part in a robbery, or the fact that she had admitted to the act so openly. “What part did you play?”
    She didn’t answer; she couldn’t seem to look him in the face. He reached over and tipped her chin up gently.
    â€œDon’t tell me you shot somebody,” he said, wanting to lighten the gravity of what he could see was clearly bothering her.
    â€œNo, nothing like that,” she said, managing to face him now even as he withdrew his hand. “I didn’t even realize what had happened until it was over. I waited up the trail for them with fresh horses,” she said. “But I felt just as guilty as I would have had I shot someone.”
    Sam nodded and said, “Under Texas law, you are just as guilty.”
    She said hesitantly, “Are you—going to take me into custody?”
    â€œNo, ma’am,” Sam said, sounding more businesslike now than before. “I’m here for the Torres brothers. If Texas wants you, they’ll have to come settle up with you themselves.”
    â€œWill you have to mention to anyone that I’m here?” she asked.
    â€œOnly if someone asks,” Sam said. “But if you’re in Ireland, it doesn’t matter anyway. Does it?”
    â€œNo, I suppose it doesn’t,” she said quietly. She looked away and across the shadowy purple night, letting Sam know that she was finished talking about the robbery for the night. “Anyway, I only want to get home to Ireland and put this part of my life behind me.”
    Sam nodded. He suspected there was more she wanted to tell him, but it would wait until she was ready, he thought, leaning back on his blanket against his saddle, which rested on the ground. Above him a million stars shone all around, but they had lost some of their sparkle. Sam only watched the stars for a moment; then he closed his eyes and listened to the cry of a lonesome coyote somewhere across the rugged hills.

Chapter 8

    At the first sight of sunlight on the distant horizon, Erin awakened to the aroma of boiling coffee and sat up on her blanket. A few feet from her, the campfire