Chapter 7

"Maybe I should go over there tomorrow," Victoria said as soon as Jarrod told her that Nick would be staying at Catherine's for a few days. "Not that Nick isn't good company. Catherine could just use all the moral support she can get."

"Not a bad idea," Jarrod said as he poured himself some scotch. "She's a strong woman and she's tough to intimidate, but this business of men riding up to the house and then riding away before anyone can identify them is getting pretty old."

"I'll go with you, Mother," Audra said. "We can take her some of the sugar cookies Silas made today."

"Nick will dispose of them pretty fast," Jarrod said, sipping his scotch and coming over to stand at the fireplace.

"Nick is sweet to look out for her," Audra said.

"Nick and Catherine go way back," Victoria said with a smile. "He started leaving school early to go over to see her and Jack when he was only seven years old."

"Couldn't you keep him corralled?" Audra asked Jarrod.

Jarrod smiled. "Never tried. Once I figured out that's where he was going, Mother said to let him be, just make sure that's where he really was going."

"Jack and Catherine never had any children," Victoria said. "Letting Nick be their surrogate was good for them, and it tamed him a bit, too."

"I can't imagine what he'd be like if he hadn't been tamed," Audra said.

Jarrod laughed and was still laughing as Heath came in the door. He headed straight for the refreshment table and was pouring himself some whiskey as he said, "Mother, I'm going to get some dinner at the chuck wagon. We've had something spooking the herd and I want to be out there all night, so don't expect me for breakfast either."

"Do you need Nick to come back?" Jarrod asked.

"No, I'd rather not ask him," Heath said. "We just can't see what it is. Something comes in and runs off before we can even catch a look at what it is."

"Sounds like Catherine's place," Jarrod said.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Heath said. "You don't think there can be any connection, do you?"

"I don't see how," Jarrod said. "Why would Cambridge want to spook our herd? It doesn't get him anything as far as getting Catherine's land is concerned."

"Well, maybe tonight somebody will spot whatever it is that's after us."

"Have you lost anything?"

"No, not yet. I'd mainly just hate to see somebody get hurt chasing whatever it is in the dark."

Victoria exchanged looks with Jarrod. He understood what she wanted him to say. "You want me out there tonight, Heath?" he asked.

"Could use the extra hand," Heath said.

Jarrod downed the rest of his scotch and headed for the stairs, saying, "Let me get changed and I'll head out with you now."

"Watch yourselves out there, Heath," Victoria said.

"Don't worry, we will," Heath said and poured himself another quick shot.

XXXXXXXX

Nick sent both the North brothers out to the herd that night and stayed at Catherine's alone. After dinner and a few games of checkers, Nick settled himself down in the bunkhouse and quickly fell asleep.

He didn't know what time it was when he woke up hearing something outside. It sounded like a horse being ridden slowly, and he immediately thought Catherine was having unwelcome company. He got up very quietly, pulled on his boots, took his gun out of its holster and slipped out the door into the yard.

He didn't see anything, but he heard the sound of the horse again, off toward the barn. Suddenly, he saw someone on horseback throwing a torch into the barn. One man was all he saw. He raced toward the barn, taking two shots at the man.

Nick got a look at the man but he didn't hit either the man or the horse. They both came at him at a gallop, and Nick just wasn't able to make it out of the way in time. The man ran over him like he was just another bump in the road.

The man galloped away as the fire began to consume all the dry hay in the barn. The horses inside, Catherine's and Nick's, were screaming in fear. Catherine came running out of the house, and she immediately headed for the barn. Covering her mouth, she ran in and got the horses free. They ran off but stopped just beyond the house.

Catherine came running back out. The bottom of her skirt was on fire, but she was able to slap it out quickly. Then she ran to Nick, who was lying in the dirt, face down and still. "Nick! Nick!"

He didn't move. In the light from the barn fire, Catherine could see that there was blood on his face. Catherine, never a woman to panic, knew he needed help and she had to be the one to get it.

In her girlhood, she had often ridden horses bareback and without bridle. She hadn't done it in years, but now she had to. Carefully, slowly so as not to spook him, she made her way to where her horse stood nervously watching her.

"Easy, Poker," she kept repeating. "It's only me. Easy now."

Nick's horse was more skittish, but didn't run, and that kept Poker from taking off. Catherine grabbed hold of his mane and swung up onto his back. He whinnied and moved around uncomfortably, but she got him going in the right direction and ran him as fast as she could into town. Nick's horse followed along, and in about ten minutes, she got them both stopped in front of the doctor's house.

XXXXXXX

It was about an hour past sunup when Ciego came riding out where the herd was grazing, and he found Heath and Jarrod fairly quickly. Jarrod saw him coming first, and he said, "Heath – Ciego's here."

They both grew frightened. Ciego came up fast and pulled to a stop with them. "Senora Barkley sent me to get you. Senor Nick has been hurt at Senora Carmichael's place. He's at the doctor's in town. They want you to come."

Heath gave a yell to McCall to take over, and he and Jarrod took off for town right away. When they arrived at the doctor's office, they tethered their horses and hurried in, finding their mother and sister already there in the waiting room.

"What happened? How is he?" Jarrod asked fast.

"We're not sure," Victoria said, looking exhausted, and Jarrod took her into his arms.

Heath put his arms around Audra.

Victoria said, "Someone put a torch to Catherine's barn. Nick tried to stop him, but it looks like he was run down by the man. Catherine came for help. They brought Nick in about two hours ago and we got here an hour ago, but so far the doctor hasn't been able to tell us anything. Nick is unconscious and he isn't waking up."

By the time she was finished, she was in tears. Jarrod held her tighter. Heath said, "I'm gonna talk to the doc," and he went into the examining room.

Nick lay there on the table, but he did move – he bent his knee up and then laid his leg flat again. Heath closed the door behind him, and the doctor didn't chew him out for coming in. Instead, the doctor waved him over.

Nick looked up at him. His head was bandaged, and his face was bruised. He closed his eyes when he saw Heath.

"How's he doing?" Heath asked.

"Is Jarrod here? I gotta talk to him," Nick said, barely above a whisper.

Heath nodded, went back to the door, stuck his head out and called his older brother in. Jarrod came right in, and Heath said, "He's awake."

Jarrod went to Nick's side and was immediately relieved to see his brother looking up at him. "How do you feel, Nick?"

"Like a horse ran over me," Nick said, "which is what happened. Jarrod – " Nick reached a hand for him.

Jarrod took hold of it. "Right here."

"Jarrod, it was Andy Cambridge. I saw him in the light from the fire."

Jarrod began to feel his anger rising up inside of him. He looked up at the doctor, who said, "He's got a concussion and some nasty bruising here and there, but he'll be all right in time."

Jarrod nodded. "I'll send Mother and Audra in, Nick, and I'll go get a warrant to have Fred arrest Andy."

Nick closed his eyes again. "Look after Catherine, too, please. I don't know where she is."

Dr. Merar said, "I understand she's gone home. The sheriff took her back and left a deputy with her. Her house is all right. Thank heaven there was no wind – only the barn burned."

Nick sighed. "That's good."

The doctor shook him. "Stay awake now, Nick."

"I will," Nick said. "I want to be awake when Jarrod comes back to tell me Andy Cambridge is locked up."

"Soon as I can," Jarrod said. He looked at Heath and said, "I'll tell Mother and Audra to come in. You look after things here, all right?"

Heath nodded and said, "Go."