Chapter 22
Ronan rubbed his eyes, the scent of hay thick around him, a horse stomping its feet as he stood up from the loft and stretched. There was a popping in his back as he reached for the ceiling, likely due to sleeping curled up in the hay.
“Good morning,” he said, going to each of the horses and scratching their cheeks.
Once he was done saying good morning to the goats and sheep as well, he turned the animals out into their pastures and pens, heading outside to the chicken coop.
He stepped into the pen, careful to shut the door behind him. He wasn’t going to have another episode of chasing the chickens around the yard. His body still ached from when he hit the ground yesterday in the name of catching one of them.
As he opened the door to the coop, the ones who escaped yesterday rushed straight to the pen door like they were going to try and get out again.
“Not today, you horrible little beasts,” he said before crouching down to pet their heads. The chickens leaned into him slightly before taking off running the other way like they had more business they needed to take care of.
Ronan got the feed from the bin just outside the pen, reaching over the fence to get to it, before dumping it out on the ground. The flock of chickens swarmed around the feed, pecking at the ground, giving him enough time to get out of the pen.
After he was done with them, he crossed the property to his own, heading to the house. Though he told Etta he would be there for breakfast, he wanted to check on Tobin and make sure nobody had been by the house. With Ambrose’s men in town, he couldn’t be too careful.
After all, there was already a man watching his property. Ronan had to assume that Ambrose’s men being in town and the man watching his property were connected.
His mind swirled with thoughts, memories of the past, of the way he had been trying to hunt the gang down and bring them to justice before everything went wrong. A lump formed in his throat at the thought of something going wrong here.
Nothing could happen to Cressida or Etta. He would make sure of that.
Letting out a deep breath, he ran his hand through his hair and approached the house, pushing the door open and stepping inside to find Tobin at the table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, a book in hand. Tobin closed the book and set it to the side, arching an eyebrow.
“You stayed in their barn?” he asked, reaching for the coffee.
“Yes. If there’s nothing I need to handle, I’m going to be heading back there shortly, too.
Etta was planning on making breakfast, and I wanted to be there to make sure Cressida wakes up.
The doctor is still out of town for another day, but if Cressida is still burning up, I’m going to ride for him. ”
Tobin nodded, wrapping his hands around the cup, drumming them on the sides.
“You know, there’ve been some interesting people in town asking some questions.
I was there yesterday, and one of them wanted to know who I worked for.
Not a question he had any business asking, mind you, since I was just walking down the street when he called me over. ”
Ronan’s brows pulled together, an uneasy feeling in his stomach. “He called you over just to ask that?”
“Well, first, he wanted to know where I had gotten such a fine horse. Said it was one like the lawmen use, since I had been riding yours at the time. I said it had been a gift from my wife, so I suggest you stick with that story if anyone approaches you about the horse.”
Ronan sighed and sank down into one of the chairs, taking off his hat and hanging it on the back. “There are some people looking for me. There are things that happened, and there are people who want revenge, and the less you know about it, the safer it is for you, honestly.”
“I figured as much. I’ve come across a lot of men like you in my travels.
Men who run. They’re always trying to outrun something, and it’s always going to come back to catch them in the end.
” Tobin got up and grabbed a piece of bread, buttering it and sitting back down.
“I knew a bit of what I was getting into when I asked to stay.”
“Most men wouldn’t be willing to put up with a problem that isn’t theirs to solve.”
Tobin shrugged. “Been through a lot in my lifetime. I made my own poor decisions at times, and I’m sure I’m going to keep making them as I get older, too. What right do I have to judge others for their mistakes?”
Ronan took out the broken pocket watch, turning it over in his hand. “This has something to do with everything that’s going on around me. I don’t know what.”
“Well, I’ll keep my eye out for anyone watching the property today, but you might want to figure out why they want that thing and quick. The sooner you know, the sooner you’ll know what to do about it.”
“I know.” Ronan tucked it back away, his mind turning to Evander once more.
As much thought as he had given the watch since Evander’s death, he still hadn’t been able to figure out why it was important.
The closest he got was figuring out that it looked like it had been tampered with before it was broken, but since then, he hadn’t been able to find any other markings that would indicate what had been done to it.
Ronan sighed and got up. “Is there anything I need to do while I’m here?”
“No. You’re good to go. I’ve got the fences all fixed, and I’m going to work on framing up a chicken coop today. How many chickens were you going to want?”
“At least a dozen, but I want room to expand the flock as well.” Ronan glanced outside at the barn, where the roof had finally been fixed. “You got the barn done yesterday?”
“It’s as good as new out there. Should be able to house four horses comfortably, and then when you’re ready, we can work on building out a bigger barn.
Since the bones of that one are mostly good, I was thinking we could expand on it.
Cut out the one wall and put an opening there that leads into the other half of the barn. ”
“Sounds like a good plan to me. I’d like a herd of horses, too. I think we could do some good breeding in this area, if you’re interested in that, of course. If you ever want to go on and live a life away from this ranch, I wouldn’t try to convince you to stay.”
Tobin finished his bread and stood, dusting his hands off on his pants. “I didn’t think you would, but this place seems as good as any. I speak to my late wife sometimes, and though she can’t respond, it feels like she approves of the life I could build here.”
“Well, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you want to.” Ronan got his hat and plopped it on his head, making his way to the door. “Have a good day. I should be back this evening. And thank you for all that you’re doing around here.”
“You’re giving me a place to stay. Least I can do is earn my keep.”
“Well, once we start turning a profit with horse and cow breeding, I’m going to be paying you a good wage,” Ronan said as they walked to the door together.
“Once the business with the people watching us is settled, I’m going to be purchasing the other two plots of land on the other side of us.
Should give us more than enough room to build a sizeable ranch. ”
“Big plans. Best to get the trouble with those men settled first, though. Wouldn’t want it to start seeping more into your life here.”
“It’s going to be settled one way or another.”
Tobin eyed him for a moment with that knowing glint that always set Ronan a little on edge. “You know, whatever is going on with you could be settled easier.”
“It could be.” Ronan bit the inside of his cheek, guilt clawing at him. “But in all honesty, I don’t know what they want. All I know is that my friend left me with a burden to bear.”
“Doesn’t seem like that makes him the best of friends then.” Tobin tucked his hands into his pockets, rocking on his heels. “Doesn’t seem to me like a good friend would leave you with men trying to hunt you down and posing a risk to the life you care about.”
Ronan stared off into the distance, wondering how long it was going to be until there was another man lingering at the edge of the property.
“It’s going to be settled,” Ronan said again, gravel in his voice.
Tobin said nothing, just shook his head with a pitying look in his eyes.
Ronan turned and tucked his hands in his pockets, leaving Tobin behind and going back to the Lockridge property.
What he didn’t tell Tobin was the way he planned on settling it. There was no way he was going to stay and follow through on plans to expand the ranch. No, not when Ambrose and his men were likely lurking around. Not when Conrad was tied to it somehow.
He took a moment at the edge of their yard to take a deep breath and blow it out, steadying his nerves. Cressida should be up by now, and if she wasn’t, he needed to be prepared to be the one to jump in and take charge.
And then, when she was healed, when she could get up and move around easily, he would leave.
It would be better that way. He wouldn’t be able to bring trouble to their door. He would know that the few people left he cared about in the world wouldn’t have criminals coming to their door and knocking on it.
While he knew it was the right thing to do, there was still a part of him that wished he could stay, that dared to dream that he could have more for himself than a life spent on the run.
With one more breath, he started toward the house, following the path he was starting to wear in the grass. He knocked on the door before stepping inside, the smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee thick in the air.
He took off his boots and hung his hat, turning the corner into the kitchen and stopping in his tracks to see Cressida sitting at the table and picking at her breakfast.
She looked up with a warm smile that sent his heart stuttering in his chest, but also had a bit of fear spiking in the back of his mind at the same time.
This was what was at risk if Ambrose and his men came after Ronan.