Miss McIsaac’s prickly reaction had been a fresh change and had actually snagged his attention. Not that he planned to do anything about it; he still had a dangerous job and no home to offer a woman.
Wyatt mentally scoffed at himself. Even if he were willing to think about going along with Mrs. Van Deusen’s schemes, he was quite sure her quarry had no intention of being caught. Besides, he had enough trouble on his hands trying to catch a bank robber and find the missing money.
“Howdy, miss, how’s the Boss man?” A familiar voice cut through Wyatt’s musings.
“Still unconscious. I came to pick up a few things and get an update on the ranch. Faither will want to know when he wakes up. Where’s Barnaby?” Miss McIsaac kept her voice brisk and businesslike, but Wyatt heard the underlying fear.
“He’s riding range with a couple of the boys, said he might be back for lunch.”
“This is the new marshal. He needs to ask Barnaby some questions. He seems to think the horse the bank robber rode was one of ours.” Miss McIsaac and Wyatt dismounted simultaneously. “Marshal Cameron, our top hand, Jonah Chacksfield.”
“There’s no need to introduce us, miss. I’ve known Captain Cameron since he was a lowly shavetail lieutenant fresh from the East.” Jonah snapped a sharp salute.
“At ease, Sergeant.” Wyatt put out his hand and grabbed the man’s burly paw in a hearty handshake. “It’s good to see you. What are you doing out of the army? You were one of the best sergeants I ever served with, figured you’d be in uniform until you got too old to climb into a saddle.”
The stocky barrel-chested ranch hand looked away momentarily. When he looked back, Wyatt thought he saw a sheen of wetness in the man’s eyes. “I just didn’t have the heart to reenlist after my Sally passed.”
Wyatt gripped the sergeant’s shoulder and cleared his throat against a sudden hoarseness. “I wondered why I quit getting letters from her. I assumed you’d been transferred, and they were getting lost.” He stopped and swallowed hard. “She was a quite a lady. I’ll miss her.”
Jonah was the first to break the silence that shrouded the little group, saying gruffly, “Now, sir, what’s this about one of our horses being used in the bank job?”
“Drop that ‘sir’ stuff, and call me Wyatt. When I questioned the banker this morning, he said the horse the thief used wore the McIsaac brand. None of the other witnesses I talked to mentioned that. Maybe they assumed Mr. McIsaac had ridden in on that horse and the thief stole it. However, since that wasn’t the case, I need to know if you’ve noticed any horses missing and where all the ranch hands were that day.”
“I told you before, none of our hands would be involved in anything criminal.” Miss McIsaac flared up again.
Jonah wrapped a beefy arm around Miss McIsaac’s shoulders and gently squeezed. “He’s just doing his job, Miss Meri. No need to get upset about it. You’ve got enough on your plate. Let me and Barnaby handle the captain and his questions. You go in and chat with Ms. Maggie. That housekeeper’s been frettin’ around here for days like a hen that’s lost her chicks.”
Wyatt waited for the inevitable argument, but her shoulders drooped as she exhaled noisily. “You’ll let me know if anything’s wrong, and send Barnaby to see me when he comes in.” It wasn’t a question.
“I will. Now go let Ms. Maggie fuss over you for a bit.” Jonah gently turned Miss McIsaac toward the house and gave her a gentle push. “Scat.”
Wyatt watched in amazement as Miss McIsaac meekly walked to the house and disappeared inside. “I’ve seen you wrangle raw, rowdy recruits and turn them into well-disciplined troops, but until today I never fully appreciated the extent of your skill.” Wyatt looked at Jonah with newfound respect. “How exactly did you manage that?”
Jonah’s hearty laugh thundered out. “She’s a handful, but
Wyatt mentally scoffed at himself. Even if he were willing to think about going along with Mrs. Van Deusen’s schemes, he was quite sure her quarry had no intention of being caught. Besides, he had enough trouble on his hands trying to catch a bank robber and find the missing money.
“Howdy, miss, how’s the Boss man?” A familiar voice cut through Wyatt’s musings.
“Still unconscious. I came to pick up a few things and get an update on the ranch. Faither will want to know when he wakes up. Where’s Barnaby?” Miss McIsaac kept her voice brisk and businesslike, but Wyatt heard the underlying fear.
“He’s riding range with a couple of the boys, said he might be back for lunch.”
“This is the new marshal. He needs to ask Barnaby some questions. He seems to think the horse the bank robber rode was one of ours.” Miss McIsaac and Wyatt dismounted simultaneously. “Marshal Cameron, our top hand, Jonah Chacksfield.”
“There’s no need to introduce us, miss. I’ve known Captain Cameron since he was a lowly shavetail lieutenant fresh from the East.” Jonah snapped a sharp salute.
“At ease, Sergeant.” Wyatt put out his hand and grabbed the man’s burly paw in a hearty handshake. “It’s good to see you. What are you doing out of the army? You were one of the best sergeants I ever served with, figured you’d be in uniform until you got too old to climb into a saddle.”
The stocky barrel-chested ranch hand looked away momentarily. When he looked back, Wyatt thought he saw a sheen of wetness in the man’s eyes. “I just didn’t have the heart to reenlist after my Sally passed.”
Wyatt gripped the sergeant’s shoulder and cleared his throat against a sudden hoarseness. “I wondered why I quit getting letters from her. I assumed you’d been transferred, and they were getting lost.” He stopped and swallowed hard. “She was a quite a lady. I’ll miss her.”
Jonah was the first to break the silence that shrouded the little group, saying gruffly, “Now, sir, what’s this about one of our horses being used in the bank job?”
“Drop that ‘sir’ stuff, and call me Wyatt. When I questioned the banker this morning, he said the horse the thief used wore the McIsaac brand. None of the other witnesses I talked to mentioned that. Maybe they assumed Mr. McIsaac had ridden in on that horse and the thief stole it. However, since that wasn’t the case, I need to know if you’ve noticed any horses missing and where all the ranch hands were that day.”
“I told you before, none of our hands would be involved in anything criminal.” Miss McIsaac flared up again.
Jonah wrapped a beefy arm around Miss McIsaac’s shoulders and gently squeezed. “He’s just doing his job, Miss Meri. No need to get upset about it. You’ve got enough on your plate. Let me and Barnaby handle the captain and his questions. You go in and chat with Ms. Maggie. That housekeeper’s been frettin’ around here for days like a hen that’s lost her chicks.”
Wyatt waited for the inevitable argument, but her shoulders drooped as she exhaled noisily. “You’ll let me know if anything’s wrong, and send Barnaby to see me when he comes in.” It wasn’t a question.
“I will. Now go let Ms. Maggie fuss over you for a bit.” Jonah gently turned Miss McIsaac toward the house and gave her a gentle push. “Scat.”
Wyatt watched in amazement as Miss McIsaac meekly walked to the house and disappeared inside. “I’ve seen you wrangle raw, rowdy recruits and turn them into well-disciplined troops, but until today I never fully appreciated the extent of your skill.” Wyatt looked at Jonah with newfound respect. “How exactly did you manage that?”
Jonah’s hearty laugh thundered out. “She’s a handful, but
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