to potentially endanger anyone else. True, on that last case, no one had died. But Owen had gotten distracted, and because of it, a woman and her children nearly died. Though everything turned out all right in the end, he still couldn’t forget how easily things could have gone bad.
As Will dismounted, Owen walked over to greet him. “Go ahead and put your horse by the barn. There’s plenty of hay, and I’ll get some water for him.”
“Thanks,” Will said, sounding out of breath. He must have been riding hard. And from the horse’s sweaty flanks, Owen could tell that his initial instinct that this wasn’t a social call was correct.
“Lena is fixing some refreshments. Then you can be on your way.”
“You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”
“I figure I already know what you’ve got to say. When I turned in my badge, it was for good.”
Before Will could respond, Owen’s six-year-old twin daughters, Anna and Emma, came running out the door. “Uncle Will!”
“Pipsqueaks!” Will gathered the girls in his arms and gave them a big hug. Though Owen had no regrets in moving out to the ranch, sometimes he thought about how isolated they were out here. Living in Leadville, Owen’s children had the chance to socialize with a number of families, including Will’s. Though Will wasn’t their real uncle, their families were close enough that it felt like it at times. Leaving behind their social connections had been a small price to pay for his privacy. If he wasn’t living in town, no one could ask him to help on a case.
Maybe it sounded selfish, but Owen knew that if his fellow lawmen could just run down the street to ask for his help, keeping his badge hung up would be near impossible. Besides, he and Lena had grown up here. Lena hated the city, and they’d both agreed that they wanted the same kind of childhood for Owen’s daughters that they’d had.
Lena had given up so much for Owen, quitting her job as a teacher to move in with him and help take care of his daughters when his late wife left him nearly six years ago. It seemed only fair that Owen look toward Lena’s comfort. Lena had no intention of ever marrying, and after Owen’s disastrous marriage, he wasn’t too interested in finding a wife either. Which made being out here, several miles from town, perfect for both of them.
But as Owen watched Will laughing with his daughters, he couldn’t help but wonder if the best thing for him and Lena was not the best thing for his girls. Even though they had each other, the twins missed their friends in Leadville.
“Are you going to spend the night?” Emma asked.
“Why didn’t you bring Mary and Rosabelle?” Anna added. The girls loved spending time with Will’s wife, Mary, and doting on baby Rosabelle.
Will laughed and gave the girls another squeeze. “I’m afraid I’m here on business. I can’t stay long because I need to get back. But hopefully, you can come to town soon and stay with us.”
“Then you’d best come in and have some coffee, so you can be on your way.” Owen gave his friend a firm look. “Any business you have for me is no business I want. I told you, I’ve put that life behind me.”
“You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”
Will’s stubborn expression matched Owen’s. They’d been friends long enough that they could spend hours staring each other down in this manner. They’d done so often enough in the past, with each of them having their share of wins and losses. But this time, Owen wasn’t going to lose.
“Don’t need to. I won’t turn a friend away without refreshment, but you might as well get back on that horse and go home. Nothing you have to say is of interest to me.”
Lena stepped out of the farmhouse, wiping her hands on her apron. “Now, Owen, that’s no way to treat a friend. After all he’s done for us, you at least need to hear him out. Will, nice to see you again.”
Growing up, Owen used to tease Lena that being a schoolteacher was her destiny because of the way she always bossed everyone around. Even having quit her job, she was still good at giving orders. Lena was also his elder by a couple of years, which meant Owen got more than his share of Lena’s commands.
“Good to see you, too, Lena. Mary sends her regards. Even though this is a quick trip on business, there are some cookies in my saddlebags that she insisted I bring.”
“Cookies!” The girls spoke and jumped up and down in unison. “Please, Papa, may we go and get them?”
Owen sighed. Getting rid of Will wasn’t going to be so easy. Not that Owen wanted to get rid of his friend because entertaining guests was always a pleasurable endeavor. But business, that was another story.
“Let’s go get Will’s horse settled in the barn. Then we can get the cookies and bring them in the house. It’ll be a nice treat for all of us.”
His daughters didn’t need further encouragement. Laughing, they ran to the barn.
Owen looked at his friend. “I guess that settles that, then. Go tie up your horse, and I’ll get a bucket of water.”
Before Owen could head over to the water pump, Lena stopped him. “I don’t know why you’re being so prickly with him. You don’t even know what he wants.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s wearing his badge, which means it’s official business. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to drag me in on another case. I can’t do it anymore, Lena, I just can’t.”
His sister looked at him sympathetically. “I know it’s hard. Don’t you think he knows that, too? If anyone understands the difficulties you have with going back, it would be Will.”
“Then why is he here?” Owen shook his head as he looked at the ground. “All these years Will has been telling everyone that I’m the finest lawman he knows. But I’m not. Will has more faith in me than he should. He’s better off without me.”
The crunch of boots on gravel made Owen turn. “I stand by my assessment of your abilities. That’s why I’m here.”
Owen stared at his friend. “You’re wasting your time. Our friendship has blinded you to my faults.”
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”
Lena stepped in beside Owen. “That’s what I was just telling Owen.”
He’d been prepared to fight Will. But with Lena on Will’s side, it seemed almost impossible to consider doing battle.
“Fine. What do you want?”
Will shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels. His face squeezed tightly into an expression of a man bearing the worst kind of news. Owen had seen that expression on his friend’s face often enough, probably too often, that had Will opened with this expression, Owen wouldn’t have had to debate with himself. The words that were to come out of his mouth were irrelevant. No matter what they were, Owen would help his friend.
“James Booth has escaped from prison.”
The words were as shocking as if Will had pulled the gun out of his belt and shot Owen.
“How
