A Horsewoman for Harlan by Barbara Goss (the top 100 crime novels of all time TXT) 📕

Elise had only a few more horses to train before the auction, which was just six weeks away, and she worked from sunup to sundown. She loved the work, so it wasn’t a hardship for her.  Elise wondered what she’d do once all the horses had been trained.  She supposed that as long as they kept breeding, there would always be horses old enough to train.

Each day she gazed up whenever a horse came up the lane, hoping it might be Harlan.  She had to admit that she missed him.  As angry as he’d been since the theft, she had always known that he would be there to resolve their problem at any time, but he’d already been gone for two weeks—what if something happened to him?  She could no longer deny that she felt more for him than she cared to admit, and she wasn’t the only one who missed him—Millie ran up to the main road several times a day to check for sight of him.

What if T.J. shot and killed Harlan?

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest.  It would be all because of her, and she’d never see Harlan again.  The thought brought tears to her eyes.

It had been three weeks since Harlan had gone.  She knew it would take the train only two or three days to get to Lawrence, and they would have to ride back, but should it take that long?  Everyone at the ranch seemed worried, but no one said a word for Millie’s sake.  Clay told her it would take a long time to ride back.  Pedro told her they’d have to stop often to rest the horses.  Given that, she supposed he’d be home in another week at the most.

When Harlan, the sheriff, and the deputies got off the train in Lawrence, Kansas, they found out that Jay Fox’s ranch was too far from town to walk, so they rented horses from the livery.  They arrived at Jay’s ranch around noon, and Jay came out to meet them.

“Harlan, my friend.  Welcome,” Jay said.

After Harlan had introduced Sheriff Conn and his men, he asked, “What’s going on with the horses?”

Jay scratched his head. “Well, I was able to stall them for three days, but I finally had to buy the horses or they’d have gone elsewhere, and we’d have lost them.”

“So, you have my horses?”

“Yep.  Safe and sound.  The two men left as soon as I paid them, and they wanted top dollar.  The one man knew exactly what they were worth.”

Harlan grimaced.  “Because I’d told him when giving him the tour of my ranch.”

“What?” Jay asked.

“It’s a long story. We’ll talk later.  I didn’t think to bring enough money to buy them back, but if you write me an I.O.U., when you come to the auction, you’ll have that much in credit to spend.  Will that work for you?”

Jay held out his hand, and Harlan shook it.

“Remember that pinto you liked so much last year?  She’s old enough and saddle-trained.  I’m saving her for you.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Jay said.  “Come inside—Dawn has made deer stew and biscuits.”

The ride home was torturous.  They had to stop every ten or so miles to let the horses rest.  The worst of it was that they still hadn’t captured T.J. and his friend.  Harlan hoped they’d gone east, and they’d never cross paths again.

T.J. and Troy took a roundabout way back to Russell through the woods so as not to be seen.  They pulled their hats down low so they could walk into the saloon as inconspicuously as possible and stood at the far side of the bar.  They ordered drinks, and no one seemed to recognize them, and they didn’t know anyone there, so they started conversations with some of the locals and found out that the sheriff and his posse were out of town.  One old man who’d had too much to drink was the most talkative.

“What would take a sheriff and his men out of town—bank robbery?” T.J. asked.

“Nah,” the old toothless man said.  “Something to do with a horse theft.”

“Whose horses were stolen?”

“I don’t know,” the old man said.  “Some horse breeder.”

“I suppose the owner of the horses went with the sheriff, then?”

“Well, I did see a stranger with them when they got on the stage with their luggage.”

“They took luggage?  They must be planning on a long trip.”

The old man shrugged and nearly fell over in the process.

T.J. caught him.  “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.  Why the interest in our sheriff?”

T.J. was quick to answer:  “He’s a cousin of mine, and I’ve come a long way to see him.”

The old man hiccupped.  “His wife told my wife he’d be gone a few weeks.”

“I guess I can wait.  How's the hotel?”

“It’s a fleabag.  Why aren’t you staying with the sheriff’s wife?”

“I don’t think that would look good.”

“S'pose you’re right.”

“Barkeeper, give this man another of whatever he’s drinking.”  T.J. slapped a few coins on the bar and left.

“Troy,” T.J. said, “you go and claim your woman.  I’m going to sneak around and try to find mine.  Don’t go back to the ranch, though.  You have enough money to buy a house.”

“So, this is where we part?” Troy asked.

“I think it’s best.”  The two men shook hands, and each of them rode off in opposite directions.

T.J. rode as close as he could to the Tanner ranch.  He wasn’t in the market for more horses—he wanted the horsewoman.  He was put off by the openness of the house—there were no trees or bushes nearby in which to hide.  The closest woods faced the back stables.  He needed to see the front corral where Elise trained horses.

He waited until the young lad had locked up