Chapter Twenty-Six
Hope stood on the porch clutching her fourth cup of coffee to her chest. Her eyes burned from staring out into the morning light in the hopes of catching sight of Jackson. It had been hours since Jackson and Daniel had left, and Hope had been a nervous wreck.
Margaret had taken to furiously weeding her garden as soon as the sun was up, only stopping when Hope made a move towards the barn to fetch Sweetpea.
“You’re not riding out there, dear,” Margaret told her sternly.
“Why not?” Hope had complained like a petulant child.
“For a start, you’ll only give Jackson one more thing to worry about,” Margaret said. “You need to trust him to know what needs to be done.” She smiled and added, “I’m only so calm because I got used to all the worry when Jackson was a lawman.”
Hope nodded, knowing the truth of her words. She tried to endure her waiting by baking, but after two flopped batches of dough she knew she didn’t have the mind for it. Finally, Hope had decided that when Jackson and Daniel returned, they would need food, so she set about cooking breakfast.
Now as she stood waiting on the porch, the eggs and bacon long gone cold, Hope had the growing fear that she would never see Jackson again.
She pushed this thought away, reminding herself that Jackson had never failed to do what was right under pressure. When she finally caught sight of a shape on the horizon, Hope thought she was imagining things. But as the seconds slowly ticked by, she knew she was right.
A rider was heading her way. By the time Jackson rode up to the ranch house, Hope had water ready for the horses and the eggs and bacon were hot again.
“Oh, Jackson,” she said, barely able to contain herself as he practically fell off Horse and into her arms. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she gushed. “Daniel?”
“He stayed to help…” Jackson began, before his expression turned dark. “To help bury some of the slaughtered cattle.”
Hope touched her hand to her mouth, reading in Jackson’s expression the horrors that he had witnessed through the night. She wanted to comfort him as she had in the barn the day before, but she could see he was too restless to stop moving.
“I need to get to Sheriff Grady,” Jackson said.
Hope pulled one of his arms over her shoulder and tried to help him walk into the kitchen.
“First, you need some breakfast and a wash,” Hope informed him, struggling under his weight. “Then we can go into town together.”
Jackson tried to fight her, but he was too weak from exhaustion.
She managed to lead him to one of the couches in the lounge, where she immediately handed him his breakfast. By the time she returned with a hot cup of coffee, Jackson had gobbled up all his breakfast and was fast asleep.
Hope set his coffee down and curled up next to him, resting Jackson’s head on a pillow in her lap. Minutes later, she was asleep too.
***
“Fifteen cattle,” Jackson repeated, stabbing a finger against Sheriff Walter Grady’s desk. “Slaughtered! Not to mention the barn that was burned to the ground out of spite.”
“I heard you the first time, Jackson,” Grady said, his voice a tired drawl.
“And the contaminated water source on Simon’s ranch that cost him four of his cows!” Jackson continued.
Grady yawned and shook his head. “It’s the nature of ranching, Jackson. Isn’t it? Ranchers lose cows to all kinds of disasters, and always want someone other than themselves to blame.”
“Simon’s dogs were shot and dumped in the river that reaches the edge of his property,” Hope expanded, feeling the drumroll of her heart in her chest. She found Grady’s dismissive manner infuriating, even more so when he spoke down to Jackson.
“That hardly feels like an accident, Sheriff. Someone did that intentionally.”
“Even so,” Grady said, holding his hands out at his sides. “What can I do about it?”
“Ride out and at least investigate what’s happening right under your nose!” Jackson stated.
Hope could feel the tension in the room grow. Though Jackson spoke in a calm and controlled tone, she could tell he was upset by Grady’s lack of action.
“Watch it, Jackson,” he cautioned. “I won’t take no disrespect in my office.”
“Please, Sheriff,” Hope attempted to plead. “These men need your help. They need the law to be on their side.”
“The truth is, madam, the area is overrun with bandits and criminals,” Grady informed her.
He stretched back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head.
“They get all excited when spring starts and terrorize the valley. They slaughter a few cows, burn a few buildings, and then they move on, Jackson. We’ve been through one of these waves before back in your day, if I remember correctly. ”
Hope could not believe Grady was being so calm about it all. An entire family had nearly been murdered, not to mention all the animals that had already died at Victor’s hands. Even having survived, a family’s livelihood was nearly ruined, and Grady thought it was simply a group of passing bandits.
“The ranch attacks back then were not a wave of bandits,” Jackson stated boldly. “That was Victor Langford’s doing, and it was because no one stood up to him that he was able to buy up so much land in the valley.”
“Victor Langford is a respected landowner,” Grady reminded him. “He’s a contributing member of this community.”
“Contributing member,” Hope repeated under her breath, feeling she knew why Grady was so reluctant to go after him. “And don’t contributing members still need to be held accountable for their actions, Sheriff?”
Grady threw back his head and laughed, his oily grey hair sweeping against his collar. Hope thought even the brass star pinned to his chest seemed dull and tarnished.
“You’re a little fiery for a young woman,” Grady observed. “I can see why Jackson likes you.”
Jackson stood up, his chair scraping against the wooden floorboards. He glared at Grady, and Hope secretly wanted Jackson to pop one on Grady’s big nose, but she knew Jackson was far too controlled for that.
“Is there really nothing you’ll do?” Jackson asked, and Hope could hear the defeat in his voice.
Grady shook his head. “I’ll send out another man to patrol the area. Other than that, bring me some actual proof and we can go from there.”
Hope was ready to fight, but Jackson stood up and nodded at the sheriff before escorting her out to the street.
“I can’t believe him!” she complained. “He’s supposed to be a lawman. He’s supposed to uphold justice!”
“He’s in Victor’s pocket,” Jackson explained. “I had a feeling, but this confirmed it for me.”
“What will we do now?” Hope asked, feeling the sinking dread return.
There was no way they could stand up to Victor on their own, not when he was capable of taking down an entire ranch in one night.
She shuddered with fear, worrying not only for the Hale ranch, but for the very lives of the people she had grown to love.
Her parents had been taken from her because of sickness, but to have her new family taken from her because of the power of one man was too much to stomach.
“I want to learn to shoot,” Hope grumbled as Jackson helped her up into the wagon.
“Oh no,” Jackson said with a grim laugh. “Victor wouldn’t stand a chance if you knew how to shoot.”
***
Margaret had cooked them a large roast chicken dinner, but Hope didn’t have much of an appetite. After a long night of worrying, and a tiring trip into Virginia City only to be rejected by the sheriff, she was still fuming.
“There, there,” Margaret soothed while dishing up Daniel another piece of chicken. “Men like Victor Langford always get what’s coming to them.”
“How do you know it’s Victor Langford?” Daniel asked, waving a chicken leg around as he spoke. “From what I’ve heard, he’s a respectable landowner. A little greedy, perhaps, but does that make him a criminal?”
Hope glared at her brother, resenting the insensitivity in his every word.
“Jackson has a history with Victor,” Hope reminded him. “He knows who he’s dealing with.”
“I, of all people,” Daniel said, placing a hand on his chest, “can tell you that people do change. I’ve heard there are a lot of bandits in the area. Couldn’t it be them?”
Hope and Jackson shared a long look while Daniel dished himself up another helping of potatoes.
“And since when are you on Victor’s side?” Hope asked.
“I’m not on anyone’s side,” Daniel said with a tired sigh. “I’m just pointing out that if Victor isn’t to blame for the attacks, and you and Jackson rally everyone against him, it might be dangerous.”
“For who?” Hope asked, convinced she was not hearing her brother correctly.
“I just mean Victor might turn on you,” Daniel explained.
Hope shook her head at him. Jackson tried to mutter some calming words to her, but she didn’t want to hear them.
“So, what are you suggesting we do?” Hope demanded.
Jackson cleared his throat, and Margaret set her fork down.
“Why not cooperate with the man and see what he wants?” Daniel suggested with a shrug.
“He wants my land, Daniel,” Jackson replied mildly while glancing at Hope.
“Other ranchers have sold off pieces of their land,” Daniel pointed out. “It wouldn’t have to be all of it.”
Hope couldn’t believe her brother. She clenched her fist and set it down on the table loudly. Margaret started quietly collecting dirty dishes while Jackson swallowed down the remainder of his food.
“Their cowardice is what’s enabled Victor to become more powerful!” Hope stated, feeling the emotion in her voice.
She could tell by Jackson’s discomfort that things were getting heated, but she wanted Daniel to understand what they were fighting for.
“Isn’t it easier to just give him what he wants? Then he’ll leave you alone,” Daniel reasoned, his mouth tight and his hand clenched around his fork.
Hope couldn’t bear to hear another word. She shot up out of her chair and walked away from the table, beginning to pace. She had thought her brother was changing under the steady guidance of Jackson and Margaret, but his foolish thinking proved he was still the same old Daniel.
“Why fight if you don’t have to?” Daniel asked.
Jackson cleared his throat again, his eyes darting from Hope to Daniel as he said, “The truth is, Daniel, we all have to fight this.”
“He’s right, dear,” Margaret said gently, a sympathetic smile on her face as she turned to look at Daniel. “Victor threatens the very values of our community. If he’s not stopped, he’ll change our whole way of life as we know it.”
Hope appreciated their calm words, but she knew they wouldn’t penetrate her brother’s thick skull. She loved Daniel, but in that moment, she was reminded why she had fled Dodge City.
Daniel opened his mouth to argue, and Hope rounded on him.
“Don’t!” she ordered. “Don’t you dare defend Victor Langford under this roof. You’re once again choosing the easy road instead of doing what’s right!”
“The easy road, Hope,” Daniel said with a humorless chuckle. “I’m only suggesting-”
Hope turned her back on him. She couldn’t bear to look at him.
“There’s a reason why life is so hard for you, Daniel,” she continued, aware that Margaret was next to her, wringing her dishtowel in her hands.
“You have nothing you care about enough to fight for, so you’re always the victim.
You let everyone walk all over you, and guess what? You’re still not happy!”
“Hope,” Jackson said, and she could hear the concern in his voice.
“I fought for you, Hope!” Daniel shouted back at her, his face a mask twisted with anger and hurt. “I did everything I could to care for you, but it was never enough. I know I’m a failure!” His voice cracked, losing strength. “But you don’t have to keep reminding me!”
Hope turned, her heart aching at his words, but Daniel marched past her, his fists clenched at his sides. Feeling the full impact of their fight, Hope was filled with both guilt and embarrassment, and she bit down hard on her lip, refusing to cry when she’d been the one to cause the upset.
Jackson stood up but seemed at a loss for words, so Margaret ushered him out of the kitchen.
“Hope, darling, come and sit down,” Margaret said, setting some water on the stove.
“I’m so sorry, Margaret,” she said, unable to keep back the tears. “I said all those awful things and made it uncomfortable for everyone-”
“Hush now, child,” Margaret soothed, the corners of her eyes wrinkling as she smiled. “Every family has its quarrels.”
Hope wiped her tears and shook her head. “But he’s trying so hard.”
“That doesn’t mean you should go easy on him,” Margaret said with a twinkle in her eye. “You were trying to help him understand.”
It felt good to have someone on her side. For years she’d fought with Daniel, and had always born the guilt afterwards. Margaret was helping her learn to be more balanced.
“You're bringing us together, Hope,” Margaret continued, reaching over and patting her hand. “You're making one family out of two, and that's no small thing. We need each other. Don't you forget that.”
Hope’s heart swelled at Margaret’s kind words, and as Margaret stood up to make the tea, Hope followed her and gave her a hug. As Margaret held her, Hope couldn’t help but feel the small hole in her heart that had been there since she’d lost her ma as a young girl slowly close.