Chapter 42Staten Kirkland
Chapter 42
The Boss
Staten Kirkland
T he murmur of voices buzzed in Staten’s ear like a gnat. He and the Double K’s ranch hands were gathered around the large dining room table in the bunkhouse, organizing a plan to rescue the two schoolteachers.
Dr. Lane and Mr. Parsons had been out in the untamed land of the ranch for over eighteen hours now, and although the storm had finally quieted, the chill in the air made the situation increasingly dangerous, even without the ever-present threat of rattlesnakes, hungry coyotes, and other wildlife.
Jake ran his finger over the large map draped over the scratched wood like a tablecloth, tracing the line of an old creek bed that cut through the west pasture. “This is the creek they’ve been following for the past few days. That Wade guy seemed pretty certain the cave he was looking for was in this area.”
One of the young bucks who’d joined the ranch for the winter season and stayed on spoke up. “But do you think they’d stay in that area if they’ve been searching it for several days and haven’t found nothing?”
Another round of buzzing vibrated in Staten’s ears. He pushed back from the table and started pacing. The adrenaline was rushing through his body and he needed to move. Staten felt his grampa’s eyes on him. He knew Gramps was counting on him to figure out how to save the teachers, but right now, Staten’s brain was drawing a blank.
With each passing minute, frustration grew in his gut. Keeping Dr. Lane safe had been his responsibility. He should have trained her more before letting her ride through the ranch without help. But he’d been too concerned with his own problems. He hadn’t even been the one to teach her most days. Lately, Staten had passed that duty off to Jake.
But Staten was the one in charge. Everyone was expecting him to make sure things turned out okay. And that held true in spades for Dr. Lane and Mr. Parsons.
J.R.’s raspy voice broke through the muddled conversations. “Look here, boys. We’ve got to make a decision and stick with it. All this yammering isn’t getting us nowhere, and it sure as hell isn’t helping those folks out there.”
He turned to his grandson with a look Staten knew well. The look that said Gramps already had the right answer but wanted Staten to solve it on his own.
J.R. lowered his voice. “Remember, son, you’ve got to work out the little problems before you can untangle a big mess.” He settled back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Then he said loud, for all to hear, “Now, Boss. What do we do? Where do we start?”
Staten froze for a moment as all eyes turned to him. He placed his hand on his grandpa’s shoulder, wishing some of the old man’s wisdom would pass through to him. His mind raced. In his experience, Dr. Lane was a straight shooter. She spoke her mind and did what she said she was going to do. According to Jake, she’d picked up riding pretty fast, so maybe that meant she’d climbed down off her horse on purpose. Maybe she’d found somewhere to escape the storm.
Staten stared at the map, searching along the terrain where Jake said the teachers had been traveling. If they’d gone to the northwest part of the pasture like the old foreman guessed, then maybe they’d found shelter among the boulders that outlined the rises that snaked through that part of the ranch. Staten glanced up at the clock above the bunkhouse door. Nearly dawn.
He looked around the table at the men he’d worked side by side with for the past several months. Staten may have been the first to rise and the last to quit every day, but each of his men had worked hard until the job was done.
“All right, guys. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Staten pointed to his trusty foreman. “Jake, you grab a couple of men, whoever you need, and go saddle up all the horses. Make sure each is fed and watered and ready to go before sunrise.”
Pointing to Duke and another group of cowboys not much older than Staten, he said, “You guys go fetch some blankets, then grab some biscuits and fill up some canteens with hot water and coffee. Make sure you have enough to share with Dr. Lane and Mr. Wade when we find them. We can expect them to be cold and hungry.”
Staten looked at the remaining ranch hands around the table. “The rest of you gas up the side-by-sides, and let’s get ready to go.”
The sound of scraping chairs was interrupted by Granny’s stern voice. “Now just hold on a minute.”
He turned to see Peggy Warner, Granny, and his beautiful Amalah standing in front of the door like guards protecting the exit. Each had a tray filled with cinnamon rolls, eggs, and bacon. And behind them, the Eagle Scout Dan Brigman held two steaming pots of coffee.
Each man stared with wide eyes, as if expecting an attack.
Granny moved closer. “You boys need to eat first.” She placed her tray on top of the map covering the table as if it was just a placemat. “And get some more coffee in you too. You’ve all been up for hours. You’ve got to keep your strength about you.”
Within minutes, the men were scarfing down food as if they were afraid it was the last meal they’d ever have. Staten watched as Duke pulled Peggy onto his lap and they shared a plate of bacon and eggs. Next to him, his granny was pouring J.R. a cup of coffee, quietly reminding her scowling husband that he would not be joining the search party.
Staten walked around to Dan, who’d settled at the table among the ranch hands and was eating his fill. He held his hand out to the scout. “Thanks for coming out here to help. We can really use it.”
“No problem,” the deputy-in-training said between bites. He puffed out his chest, letting the light from the small chandelier above them glint off of his Eagle Scout badge. “It’s all in the name of duty. You know, I’m going to be sheriff one day, and that means I’ve got to start protecting the folks of Crossroads now.”
Staten tipped his hat at the young man. “Well, thank you for your service.”
Dan nodded, then turned back to stuff a pile of eggs into his mouth.
Amalah moved up behind Staten as he dropped into his chair. Wrapping her arms around his neck, her breath tickled his ear as she whispered, “You not going to eat, Boss? I made those cinnamon rolls myself.”
Staten lifted one of her hands to his lips. “I will. I just want to make sure every man gets his fill first.”
She leaned past him and grabbed a cinnamon roll. “Well, I want to make sure my man gets his fill too. Who knows how long you’ll be out there.”
He took the roll from her and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
Amalah straightened, wiping her hands on the floral apron he guessed she’d borrowed from Granny. “Well, it’s a good thing I came back. Obviously you don’t eat enough. I don’t want you getting skinny on me.”
He smiled at the likelihood of that. In the months since he’d been back, he’d put on at least fifteen pounds of pure muscle. He flexed and she giggled.
Then she settled into his lap, laying her head on his shoulder. She placed one hand over the Double K brand on his shirt. “Be careful out there. I don’t want you getting hurt again.” Her finger traced the back of his head where he’d been stitched up after falling off his horse with Quinn.
He inhaled the scent of her. His favorite smell in the world. “I will, I promise. Don’t worry. As long as you promise to be here when I get back, I’ll always have something pulling me home.”
Amalah brought his head down and touched her lips to his. “I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered.
After finishing the meal, everyone headed to the door. The sun was just climbing over the horizon, painting the sky in oranges, golds, and pinks.
“Hey, Boss.” Jake pulled Staten aside. “One of the side-by-sides is missing. And the tracks seem to be heading toward the west pasture.”
“What?”
Maybe someone had decided to start the search while the cowboys were eating breakfast. Staten scanned the yard to see if any of their group had gone off alone. Everyone seemed to be accounted for.
Staten turned back to his foreman. “The other night, about four days or so ago, did you send anyone out to that pasture in the side-by-side?”
“No, sir.” The old cowboy shook his head for emphasis. “Most of us like riding. And I rarely send anyone out alone. Your orders, Boss.”
If none of the ranch hands took the side-by-side then that meant someone was trespassing on the Double K and stealing equipment. He had no clue who that could be or what he or she might want, but Staten hoped it had nothing to do with the teachers who were lost out in the wilderness.