Outlawed! Read online

  “Really?” Cooper said, glancing around the bar as he took a stool. “I hope you can keep up the pace.”

  Dude laughed and shook his head. “Hey, man, it lets me catch up on my cleaning.”

  Cooper nodded. “Not that you would go out to Kincaid’s even if you weren’t working.”

  The bartender put down the glass and dried his hands. “Is there a point to this?”

  “Look, I don’t blame you for not wanting to get involved, but all I’m asking for is a little help,” Cooper said. “There are things going on out on the Rockin’ L. I’m just trying to find out who’s behind them.”

  Dude washed a few more glasses in silence. Cooper figured he was wasting his time. He was an outsider and Dude acted scared.

  “I don’t know what you’re looking for, all right?” Dude said after a moment. “But the other night after you left, the sheriff was pretty happy with himself. Until the guy from the mining company came in.”

  “What guy from the mining company?” Cooper asked, his heart pounding a little faster.

  Dude shrugged. “Some guy who’s been around a few times. I overheard the sheriff arguing with him.”

  Cooper had a feeling Dude overheard a lot of conversations. “What were they arguing about?”

  He appeared hesitant and Cooper wondered if he wanted money. Cooper started to reach for his wallet, when Dude stopped him.

  “The sheriff pulled me over not long ago and read me the riot act. He thought I’d been drinking, but he was the one who was drunk. The guy’s a loser.”

  “Yeah, Kincaid does have a way with people.”

  Dude flipped the bar rag onto his shoulder and leaned on the bar. “I heard what happened out at his ranch today.” Bad news traveled fast. “I heard you almost got killed.”

  “I hate to think of it that way,” Cooper said. He hated to think of it at all, especially when he remembered that Delaney had witnessed the whole thing. He’d never wanted to hurt her like that. “What were they arguing about?”

  “The guy said that if Kincaid didn’t take care of his end, the whole deal would be off. Then he left and Kincaid was real upset. That’s when I decided to investigate the guy. I’d taken a check from him as a favor the day before but hadn’t paid much attention. The guy was from Burton Mining Company.”

  Cooper had heard of it, a large company that was remining areas of the country. They dredged gulches that hadn’t been mined for fifty years or more and chemically bleached the ore from the rocks. “Is there any mining going on around here now?”

  Dude shook his head. “But there’s been talk. That guy from the mining company—when he was in earlier in the week, he was asking me a lot of questions about the Rockin’ L and Delaney Lawson. He seemed to think her ranch was for sale.”

  ALL THE WAY down the road, Delaney argued with herself over the barred-shoe horse. Somehow Jared had tricked Buck into buying the horse to shift the suspicion from himself to Buck. It was the only thing that made sense. But Buck’s strange behavior the past few weeks made her have doubts she didn’t like having. She’d known Buck all her life. He couldn’t be responsible for her problems. He had no motive. If she sold the ranch or got killed, he’d be without a job. It wasn’t as if he had the money to buy her ranch himself. And anyway, he’d been talking about marrying Angel and moving into town.

  So why had he acted so strangely earlier? And why hadn’t he wanted to leave her alone by the corral? She told herself Buck was in some kind of trouble. And if that was trueShe knew what she had to do.

  As Delaney drove to the ranch house, she passed Cooper’s camp. His pickup was gone, but his horse trailer and Crazy Jack were still there. Her sudden relief brought tears to her eyes. In that instant, she realized he could have come back and cleared out before she got home. That would be the coward’s way, and he’d already admitted he was a runner at heart. She told herself that if he’d taken off without even a word, she would haye tracked him down. Tracked him down and what? she wondered. Tell him that she loved him? Fear made her heart ache. The last thing she wanted was to see Cooper get into his rig and drive off. But maybe in the long run it would be better for her heart, she tried to convince herself.

  The sun had burned down to streaks of pinks and oranges against the mountains by the time she’d changed her clothes, putting on a dark shirt and jeans, tying her hair back in a ponytail. Instead of her usual western hat, she pulled on a dark old western hat of her father’s. As she studied her image in the mirror, she couldn’t help but think about what Marguerite had told her about her father. The anger she’d felt had lost a lot of its potency. If only he hadn’t left the ranch to Ty, she thought. If he actually had, she reminded herself. Having the will proven a forgery was her only hope.

  She glanced at her watch, then outside at the sky. It would be dusk before long. Delaney went out to saddle her horse, figuring it was going to be a long night, wondering where in the hell Cooper was.

  THE FRONT DOOR of the York Bar slammed open with a bang and Buck stomped in, an obvious black mood hanging around him like a storm cloud. Cooper groaned.

  Buck was the last person he wanted to see right now. He figured the ranch manager had heard he was an ex-con and had come looking for a fight. With Delaney mad enough at Buck for hiring a rodeo cowboy, she’d be real unhappy that

  Buck had hired an ex-con. And poor Buck wouldn’t be able to tell her the truth, that he hadn’t hired anyone. So the way Cooper figured it, Buck would want to take out his frustration on Cooper. And Cooper just wasn’t in the mood.

  Buck strode up to the bar. He didn’t even act as if he noticed Cooper. “Have you seen Angel?” he demanded of Dude.

  “Angel?” Dude frowned.

  Cooper wondered why Dude was pulling Buck’s chain. It didn’t seem like a good idea right now.

  “Blond. About this high.” Buck held his hand out at his shoulder. “I’ve been in here with her a few times.”

  “Oh, Angel. The writer.” Dude smiled. “She was in earlier. Had a couple of drinks, then got a phone call from some guy and left.”

  That was definitely not what Buck had wanted to hear. He glared at Dude for a moment. Cooper got the distinct impression he was deciding whether to pull Dude over the bar and pound him. Then Buck slammed a barstool out of his way and stomped back out, banging the door the same way he’d come in.

  “Whew!” Cooper said, relieved Buck hadn’t gotten into it with him.

  He saw that Dude had picked up a baseball bat from behind the bar. He now put it back and smiled. “That cowboy is spoiling for a fight. He’ll be back and meaner than ever when he finds out what’s going on.” He laughed at Cooper’s puzzled expression. “Woman problem. It seems his Angel is keeping company with another man. You sure I can’t get you a beer? It’s on the house today.”

  Cooper declined the offer. “Any idea who the other guy is?”

  Dude shook his head. “Voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Wasn’t a great connection.”

  Cooper thanked Dude for his help.

  “Just get Kincaid if he’s the one,” he said. “I don’t trust that guy.”

  The feeling was mutual.

  DELANEY SETTLED IN the draw above Buck’s place, hiding among the ponderosas and rocks. She knew it was foolish. Buck might not be back until the wee hours of morning. And even then, he might do nothing more than go to bed for the night. Cooper galloped across her thoughts, making her groan. She couldn’t help but wonder where he was and what he was doing. Maybe he was waiting for the cloak of darkness to sneak back so he could retrieve his gear. If that was his plan, she thought she would enjoy staking out his place more than Buck’s. It would be worth it just to see the surprise on his face when she stepped out of the darkness and caught him.

  For a moment, she wondered if he could leave that easily. She remembered their lovemaking under the pines, the stars overhead, the night breeze caressing their bodies. He’d held her so tenderly, she thought she’d seen love in
his eyes as he’d bent to kiss her, his body warm and strong against hers—

  She fanned herself with her hat and chased Cooper from her thoughts. Leaning back against a smooth rock, she stared up at the sky. The evening was warm. A gentle breeze stirred the pine boughs over her head. Night threatened to the east like a dark summer storm. It was summer evenings like this that made people do crazy things like fall in love, Delaney thought. Because for the life of her, she couldn’t keep Cooper out of her thoughts, not the way he kissed her, not the way he held her, not the way he made love to her. Or the way he’d saved her life, the way he tried to protect her from herself, she thought with a smile, or the way he’d tried to tell her the truth about him.

  Sitting up, she tried to concentrate on the corral below her. This was stupid. Surely she could have come up with a better plan if her mind wasn’t so cluttered with unwanted thoughts of rodeo cowboys.

  That’s when she heard the pickup coming up the road. Of course her first thought was Cooper. He was finally headed home to face the music. Then she realized it wasn’t Cooper at all but Buck. And he was alone, she noticed, as he pulled into his yard. He slammed the pickup door. The sound echoed up the draw. She expected him to head for the trailer. To her surprise, he headed for the corral, and instead of saddling his own horse, he saddled the barred-shoe horse.

  With an aching heart, Delaney mounted her mare and followed at a discreet distance as Buck rode up into the foothills. It took her a moment to realize where he was headed. Johnson Gulch.

  DAYLIGHT STILL HUNG over the treetops, but deep in the pines and rocks of the gulch, dusk settled in as Delaney followed Buck up the creek toward the lake. It didn’t surprise her that he was taking a longer route that kept him hidden in the trees and rocky outcroppings. Her heart argued Buck’s innocence, but her mind was busy compiling a list of suspicious facts that made him look guilty right now.

  She wasn’t far from the lake when she realized she’d lost Buck. Dismounting, she studied the ground, knowing it would soon be too dark in the pines to track him. That’s when she heard the sound—not in front of her—but behind her. Quickly she pulled her horse in back of a large boulder and stood listening. A single rider. Coming cautiously up the mountainside. Tracking her. Could Buck have circled around? She pulled her rifle from its scabbard and crouched beside the rock nearest her trail to wait.

  A few minutes later, she heard the horse approaching slowly. She waited until horse and rider came alongside her before she lunged out of her hiding place and jerked the surprised rider from the horse. The rider hit the ground with a fffft. She pointed her rifle at the slumped form and heard a familiar oath.

  “McLeod?” she whispered angrily. “What are you doing here?”

  He looked up, grimacing either out of pain or at the sight of her. She wasn’t sure which. “Tracking you. What are you doing here?”

  “I was following Buck until I heard you behind me.”

  “Buck?” He was surprised. “He’s the one riding the barred-shoe horse?”

  She nodded and lowered the rifle. “He says he bought the horse for Angel a few days ago—from Jared.”

  Cooper let out a low whistle but didn’t say anything, and she was grateful. She didn’t want to have to argue Buck’s innocence. She really wasn’t up to it.

  “I’ve lost his trail,” she admitted none too happily.

  Cooper shoved back his hat and grinned at her. “He doubled back on you about a quarter mile ago.”

  She glared at him. “Did one of your criminal friends in jail teach you to track?” she demanded, trying to keep her voice down.

  He winced as her remark hit right on target. “Actually, my father taught me.” He got to his feet, meeting her direct gaze with one of his own. “You want to discuss my crime spree now, or do you want to find Buck and the barred-shoe horse?”

  She glowered at him for a moment, then conceded. “Let’s find Buck.” She shoved her rifle back into its scabbard. “Then you and I are going to have a little talk, McLeod.”

  He tipped his hat to her. “You’re the boss.”

  At least for the moment, she thought with a curse. She couldn’t believe she was out there with a convicted felon. An ex-con.

  As they rode, she studied Cooper’s broad back, trying to convince herself he was dangerous. Dangerous to her heart—that was easy to believe. But to her ranch? To her livelihood? She refused to accept that, arguing he couldn’t be trying to take her ranch because of the way he looked at her. The way he held her. The regret in his voice earlier at the rodeo, when he’d seen how much he’d upset her by his riding Hell’s Fire. And the look on his face last night when he’d charged into her bedroom. She groaned, realizing she was just as besotted as Buck!

  COOPER HURRIEDLY drew up Crazy Jack and swung around in the saddle at the sound of Delaney’s pained groan. “Are you all right?” he whispered.

  She nodded and seemed surprised that he appeared worried about her. Didn’t she realize her safety was all that mattered to him right now?

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “It could be dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?” She laughed. “Believe me I just realized a few moments ago how dangerous it is.”

  He gave her a sideways look, thinking she was acting a little strangely. “So what do you want to do?”

  “Do?” She stared at him. “What can I do now?” she asked, sounding as though she were on her way to the gallows but had to keep up a brave front.

  “You sure you’re all right?”He studied her for a moment, deciding she was acting more than a little strangely. Women. He’d never understand this one if he lived to be a thousand.

  They circled back until Cooper found Buck’s trail again. The ranch manager had dropped down into the gulch through a narrow opening in the rocks. They followed down below the band of rocks that ran the length of the gulch like a wall. Buck’s trail stayed high above the creek bottom, winding through pines and rocks as if he hadn’t wanted to be seen.

  Suddenly a high-pitched whine filled the air. The horses danced nervously. A short distance farther, Cooper spotted the lights in Johnson Gulch Lake. He motioned to Delaney. Dismounting, he crept to the edge of the rocks to stare at the sight below him.

  “I’ll be damned,” Cooper whispered as Delaney joined him. “There’re Digger’s space aliens, just as he said.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Delaney stared at the two creatures under the surface of the water. Illuminated by underwater lights, they seemed to be attached by hoses to a round craft that resembled a flying saucer. The saucer floated on the surface, its engine whining in the growing darkness. The whole thing looked much like the picture Digger had drawn.

  “What is it?” she asked, knowing it wasn’t from outer space, but equally sure it didn’t belong there.

  “A high-tech dredge for mining.”

  She looked over at him. “Mining?”

  “It works like a giant vacuum cleaner,” he said, the whine of the engine camouflaging their voices. Cooper pointed at the two divers. They swam beneath the water, rolling over boulders, then scouring the bedrock with a hose that was attached to the round floating dredge. “They’re panning for gold, just using a little more advanced equipment than Digger.”

  The whine came from the motor on the floating dredge, where water and gravel spewed from the hose into what appeared to be a wire trap. “Later they’ll sift through the gravel in the trap to get any color out.”

  “’Color’?” Delaney said, staring at the contraption. Cooper started to explain what color was. She made a face at him. “I know.” The device was sucking up gold from the nooks and crannies in the rock that the old-timers like her grandfather had missed.

  It wasn’t that different from the dredging technique placer miners had used in the 1800s when their huge floating house dredges chomped through the nearby gulches to drag millions of ounces of gold from the creek bottoms. She knew all about that. She’d just never seen a
small dredge like this one. And she was sure neither had Digger. The question was, what was it doing on her land?

  That’s when she spotted the barred-shoe horse some distance away in the trees. “There’s Buck’s new horse,” she said, pointing at the poor old nag.

  “Buck must be one of the divers,” Cooper said. “The other one brings the gear. Buck meets him here on horseback.”

  Delaney nodded, finding it hard to conceive of Buck stealing from the Rockin’ L under the cover of darkness. If she hadn’t seen Buck ride that horse up here, she wouldn’t believe it.

  “Gold can make a man do stupid, dangerous, even illegal things,” Cooper said, trailing her same thoughts.

  “Gold. Or a woman,” Delaney said, thinking of Angel.

  “Yeah,” Cooper agreed, looking over at her. “Or a woman.”

  She met his gaze and saw something that kicked her heart into gear. Love. She saw it as clearly as she’d seen the sun rise that morning. And she felt it at heart level. She warned herself that she wasn’t seeing anything clearly, since she’d been bitten by that same bug herself.

  “Boss, I think we should ride back to the ranch and report this to the sheriff,” Cooper said. “Or someone.”

  Delaney stared down at the two divers. “I wonder who the other diver is.” One diver moved the rocks while the other ran the vacuum system. Delaney thought of all the questions Angel had asked about mining and gold in the area, and wondered if Buck and Angel had been in cahoots from the beginning. It would explain a lot. “It has to be Angel.”

  Cooper frowned. “I don’t know. When I saw Buck at the York Bar, he was looking for her. And making a big production of it. I suppose it could have been a cover.”

  “Are you thinking what I am?” Delaney asked. “That this little moonlighting venture is why someone has been taking potshots at us, dropping rocks on us? All for what little gold they could vacuum out of my creek bed?”