When kindred spirits uni.., p.8
When Kindred Spirits Unite, page 8
Now, she wished she had never set foot in the house. It was beautiful but there was something within those walls that worried her.
Nora gripped the reins to steer her horse off the property. Whether it was hers or that family’s, it didn’t particularly matter right then. She just wanted to get out of there.
What could have been a pleasant conversation had turned into an awkward tension with few words. She had known within their first few words that they couldn’t help her. Or, rather, they wouldn’t help her.
That said plenty about the men, but she knew it didn’t say everything. Theo had seemed nice enough and seemed to be quite calm. But he was handsome and that meant he was trouble. Then his uncle….
Something was wrong. She knew it. But what?
Nora blinked while she thought of that man. In a moment, she saw Racer’s face in her mind. The thought made her heart start to beat quicker than before. He couldn’t be trusted, just like his nephew couldn’t be trusted. She had a feeling that what the uncle knew was especially dangerous.
Shaking her head, Nora huffed and focused on the road ahead of them.
“Almost there. We are getting there,” she said.
This was clearly a dead end with Theo and his uncle, on this beautiful and mysterious land. They could go back to their lives and leave her alone while she figured out how to get the information she was looking for.
The frown stayed on her face when she started telling herself to stop thinking about all that had just happened. The short conversation had been a mess.
If Theo hadn’t brought her there, then she wouldn’t have had to deal with Racer. She didn’t like the look on his face or the way he talked. Nora couldn’t explain why this bothered her but, it did.
The older man was dangerous.
Nora had figured out that much. Racer couldn’t be trusted. And because he and Theo were family, she knew they had to be of the same shared mindset. They had their own secrets and ideas and lies that they had to be holding onto.
A sour taste settled on her tongue. Shaking her head, Nora directed her horse into town. There were still a few hours of sunlight, and she didn’t want to waste it.
She told herself that she would stay far away from those men as much as possible. They would only try to stop her from what she was trying to do. For all she knew, it was them that had hurt her and her family.
“Be careful,” she reminded herself.
This was a precarious situation that she had put herself in, trying to find out what happened to her family. It still made little sense how no one knew about the fire. This made Nora wonder if that had actually been real or not.
She didn’t like doubting herself.
Shaking her head, she made it back to the streets of Minerston. It was less active now in the late afternoon. Her eyes darted around in search of something she needed. Finally, she found it at the end of the street.
The clerk had mentioned the boarding house before. He had mentioned the crooked porch and nothing more, meaning it took her a while to locate it. Nora found it now and knew she needed a room for the evening.
Her adoptive mother had insisted on that sort of room. No sleeping out under the stars or in tents. Though Nora had been ready to sleep in trees or something like it, she accepted these suggestions grudgingly.
“One room, please,” she told the man at the front of the building. He gave her a key and pointed out the door for her to go to. It took her a minute to realize that they were done since the transaction had been so quick.
Once in her room, she collapsed on the bed. It was strange being in one again after all these years. She stretched and then yawned, trying to clear her mind. Nora closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Her ideas were stalled once more. She had to think of something to do. Something that would help her learn about her family and about their property. What was it that Theo had mentioned she needed? Some sort of paper. She would have to find one of those as well, to prove that her family owned that land, and it was hers now.
“If only I could get real answers. There had to be someone in town who knows everything about what has happened. But who? How?” Nora shook her head and threw her arms up in frustration.
Nothing seemed to make sense to her anymore.
She closed her eyes and tried to calm her beating heart. Her thoughts wandered while she tried to piece together everything she had learned from Theo to see if she could prove any of it about the truth. She was so tired of secrets.
Relaxing in her seat, Nora sighed and slowly began to drift off to sleep. The bed was too soft, but she was too tired to keep thinking this hard. She let herself relax and thought of her adoptive family. They all were in her dreams waving to her, making her wonder if she had done the right thing to come into town. It was much riskier here.
Nora faintly recalled how little she knew about the risks in her current situation. There were moments where it was all fine. But lately, she knew something more was happening all around her. The truth had to come to light one way or another.
She drifted off to sleep, knowing she had to work twice as hard the next day.
Chapter 12
Theo rose the next morning with determination to make sense of his life.
It wasn’t something he had usually cared to worry about. He tried not to concern himself with things like that. Through the years, he had learned there was only so much that he could control in his life. He preferred to focus on the little he could manage. It made things easier for him.
But what could he manage in this strange situation?
Most of the time, he felt all right about not knowing certain things. But he couldn’t get Nora’s voice out of his mind. Her voice and her story clung to him like raindrops.
He dressed, shaved, and made his way down the hall into the kitchen. The housemaid must have been around there somewhere. Windows were thrown open to let in the fresh air and bright sunlight. Apples were on the table alongside fresh bread and cheese. His mouth watered.
This had to be the nicest job he’d had before.
Taking a seat, Theo picked up an apple and enjoyed the first bite. Juice spurted into his mouth. He chuckled to himself. It had been a while since he had enjoyed fresh fruit.
Yet he wasn’t a fool. He knew that the perks of this role might very well not be worth the job if there were extenuating problems. Nora wasn’t off his mind now, and part of him wondered if he would ever be able to concentrate on anything else. Considering what she had told him yesterday, he had to wonder just how his uncle had purchased this property.
Slow thumping steps soon sounded from the other side of the house. His uncle was on his way down. It would be at least two minutes before he arrived. Theo attempted to quietly munch on his apple while he thought over his options.
He could do nothing. Or he could make up a false truth to Nora. Or he could ask his uncle about the ranch.
Theo didn’t like any of his options but supposed that this wasn’t really up to him. He couldn’t just sit there while someone needed his help. Even without closing his eyes, he thought of how upset Nora had been.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her eyes.
She had been angry. If her story of losing this property had any basis, then she had that right. She had lost a lot. The sadness and the fear would only make her anger grow, the easiest defense for any person.
“Ah, good. You’re awake.”
Theo looked up and offered a short wave. “Good morning, uncle. How are you this fine day?”
With a grunt, Racer set his book down and then took his usual chair. “Fine. Is that what you call it? I didn’t sleep a wink. When I moved here, no one told me about the racket at night. Wind and animals and a creaking house. It’s almost enough to make me want to move back East. Almost.”
He opened his mouth and then shut it. His uncle wasn’t in a good mood. Theo shifted in his seat. Setting the apple down, he considered holding off on trying to talk to his uncle right then.
“I’m sorry. That’s not pleasant,” he said at last. He glanced over his uncle and then around the room. “You know, I think my parents thought about coming this way once. A long time ago, of course. Did you ever talk to them about it?”
Racer sniffed as he cut himself some bread and cheese. He narrowed his gaze, concentrating on his food. The man was so focused that Theo wasn’t sure he had been heard.
“Hmph. I doubt that would have ever happened even if they’d lived longer,” his uncle said brusquely. “Your mother married a man without fortune or skill. They never gave you a fair chance. But I suppose no one is perfect, hmm?”
Theo’s body tensed. He would have been ready to fight anyone who talked to his family in that manner. But what was he supposed to do when it was his own family talking that way? His indecision kept him still while his uncle rambled on.
The man told a spiraling tale about why he had never talked to his sister again. It included a few letters and her asking for money that he didn’t want to give. Most of this just sounded like excuses to Theo. Rambling excuses from a man who had never really cared about anything but himself.
He wished he was more bothered. But Racer hardly felt like family.
Theo didn’t know how he did it, staying calm. He ate slowly and looked around. Though he couldn’t meet the man’s gaze, he tried to learn what he could. When his uncle slowed down, he asked a few questions to gather more information.
“So, you just came out and found a plot of land to live on?” he asked.
Snorting, Racer picked up his newspaper. “That’s not how it works, young man. I did this through hard work. I came here. I worked hard. I made this mine. And I certainly didn’t do any of that by asking so many questions.”
It was by far the longest conversation they’d had yet.
Theo hesitated and stood. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to keep talking with his uncle after this talk. He wouldn’t mind if he never talked to the man again. At least three times during this conversation, he had thought about walking out the door and never coming back.
But having Nora on his mind kept him from doing that.
“Good talk,” Theo said. “I suppose that I should go out and see to the men now. Have yourself a good day, and I’ll be seeing you later.”
Racer harrumphed, not bothering to look his way. “Do. While you’re at it, have the cattle moved to the west field. The grass is getting too high, and it’s close to the water.”
“Of course,” Theo replied.
He went to the side door where his hat hung on a peg. Picking it up, he made his way out the door at last. The sun was shining overhead. He squinted for a second before setting his hat on. It was well worn, and the edges were fraying badly, but it was a good hat, and he wasn’t ready to let go of it.
With the day still early, it appeared that most of the men were still in the bunkhouse. They worked rotating shifts, so there were always at least a few of them hanging around there. He spotted two by the barn and another two out in the fields. Slowing down, Theo counted again. There were supposed to be always at least four men out in the pastures.
Maybe they were sleeping in or hiding in the fields. He wasn’t sure.
Though he was planning to go check on the small dam they were building, Theo decided to first go see the men and make sure that they knew where to move the cattle today. He tapped his knuckles on the door once and then walked in. There was little privacy on a ranch, and he had been told this would be acceptable.
“Morning, men,” Theo started and stopped.
Chatter had been going on in the bunkhouse as well, which abruptly stopped with his arrival. It wasn’t hard for him to figure out why. All the men were awake and settled in various spots in the large space. Every one of them was dressed, cleanly shaved, and sitting there oiling their guns.
It caught Theo off guard.
“Planning on some hunting?” he asked when no one spoke up. The uncomfortable tension between them had been building much too high for his taste. “I’m not missing any plans for the day, am I?”
There were a few more guns lying around untouched. At least two for every man. His eyes wandered around, wondering if it really was that dangerous living out here. While he always had a gun on him, he didn’t think this many firearms were necessary. But he supposed that he still had a lot to learn about living out here.
He lifted his gaze to the men, finding them exchanging meaningful glances.
“Well?” Theo asked with a shrug when no one spoke up. He tried to keep his voice calm and light to show that he wasn’t a threat.
A man had every right to his guns, whether they were many or few. The trick was making sure someone knew what they were doing and how to do it. He knew the horror stories of shootouts and duels in the streets. He would have been a fool to come here without having some idea about what to expect.
For some reason, however, he just hadn’t expected this.
It was Lance who spoke up from the back of the room. He was one of the younger men, a cousin to three of them, and always with a sly smile on his face. Though Theo assumed that was Lance’s natural smile, he suddenly felt rather uncertain about it.
“Plans? Nah, boss. We’re just here keeping our hands at the ready. You never know what kind of trouble might come our way. Or, say, what we might find while we’re out,” he added with a particular look in his eyes.
Yet Theo wasn’t sure what that meant.
Most of the men offered him smiles, whether they were thin-lipped or smirks. Warily looking around the room, Theo felt as though he was missing the punch line in a very particular joke that everyone else already knew. It made him grow uneasy with a knot in his stomach.
The only other way he could think of to interpret Lance’s words was that the young man meant they liked to go out looking for trouble.
But they wouldn’t. Would they?
He waited for someone to clarify, but no one seemed interested. He had never felt like such an outsider as he did in that moment. The discomfort within him only grew, especially when he heard someone let out a low chuckle. He looked but couldn’t tell exactly who had done that.
Working his jaw, he thought quickly.
It was best that he pretended this didn’t matter. Not right now, anyway. The men clearly didn’t trust him, and he had to accept that it would take time. Everyone knew each other and no one knew about him.
“Well,” Theo said as he picked his words carefully, “just make sure you aren’t in here forever. It’s a beautiful day. And besides, we have work to do. We’re moving the cattle into the west field today.”
The men exchanged looks once more and shrugged. He supposed that was all he would be able to get out of them.
Turning around, Theo left the bunkhouse to make his way to the barn. He saddled his horse and headed out into the fields. It gave him time to think about the awkwardness between him and the men only a few minutes ago. He supposed it would come and go until he knew everyone better.
A frown made its way onto his face by the time he reached the small dam.
He couldn’t stop his brain from going through ways on how else he could have handled that bunkhouse situation. It just didn’t make sense to him the way those men had responded to him.
All everyone else did around there, Theo decided, was to confuse him. He was used to dealing with men who liked to use hideous language to get what they wanted.
He shook his head and rolled his sleeves up once he was out of the saddle. Wanting those men out of his mind, immediately Nora was there to distract him. He thought of the pretty young lady and wondered where she was.
