The Lone Texan

CHAPTER 44

SAGE STEPPED INTO HER BOOTS JUST BEFORE HER brother Travis rode into their small campsite by the water.

He lowered himself slowly as he always did, nursing an old injury. The big man was dressed today like he had when he'd been a Ranger, in buckskin. He walked right past her and offered his hand to Drum.

"Roak." Travis said in his voice that could outshout an entire courtroom. "Grandfather tells me you are married to my sister."

Drum took his hand. "I'm probably the most married man you'll ever meet.”

Travis laughed. "See that you remember that”

Drum shook his head. "Don't start threatening me. Travis.”

"I don't have to. I know my sister. I'm guessing she'd make herself a widow again before she'd put up with her man running around on her."

"I'm right here.” Sage commented, but neither of them looked her direction.

"I'm sorry I took so long to come in from Austin, but Will hired me to do some legal work."

"Will?" Sage and Drum said at once.

Travis pointed at the coffeepot, and everyone knew the talking wouldn't start again until he had a cup in his hand. She filled the pot with water and coffee, while Drum built up the fire. While the water boiled, she braided her hair and looked very proper by the time Drum passed her a cup.

Travis took a drink and began. "Will's father told him to always keep the family Bible with him, no matter what, and if trouble came to give it to a judge worth trusting. I guess he figured I was close enough, so he put it in my care. Since then, I've been piecing together facts and guesses, and this is what I've come up with."

Sage held her breath. She knew she'd still be in danger, but maybe Travis had found a way to make the boys safe so they wouldn't worry about raiders returning to murder them.

Travis leaned in close. "The boys' father has a bit of royal blood in him. Seems he was sixth in line to the throne of some small European country. When he was about five, his father died under questionable circumstances. His mother watched her oldest boy take the throne and die within the year. Her next son took over, but she had three other sons who were still children. She sent them to live in Virginia for safety. Everything was fine for years. The second boy king married and had children, so everyone forgot about the royals growing up in Virginia as they moved farther and farther away from being in line for the throne.”

"This sounds like some kind of fairy tale," Sage said.

"It gets better' Travis added, "or worse. The three boys must have grown up as Americans and probably had no reason to want to go back to an aging country in turmoil. That was fine with everyone until the king, their older brother, died in a fire.”

"Here's where I start guessing. It seems one of the three American brothers was killed soon after his brother died in the fire. Another, the oldest of the three, left for parts unknown more than ten years ago. He's thought to be dead. The third, and youngest, was Will and Andy's father. He must have feared being killed, or he wouldn't have kept moving west.”

"How can you know this?" Sage asked.

"Will's father kept a record along with the family tree of births and deaths. He also kept correspondence with a few family friends who helped him from time to time. One apparently bought the ranch for them. Too bad he didn't pick a safer place.”

"A letter their father started but hadn't finished was tucked into the fold. In it he worries for the dead king's children and for his own. He said he felt there was a traitor among the American friends he trusted.”

Sage looked up and saw Will standing quietly just behind Travis. "Will.” she whispered.

He stepped forward like a little soldier. "I'm not going back to my father's country. Never. My father never wanted to have anything to do with them, and neither do I."

Travis put his arm around the boy. "You don't have to," he said. "I don't know who those men were at the bridge last week trying to take you, but I went all the way to the governor. I've applied to have Drummond here named your and Andy's legal guardian, if you have no objection.^-

Will fought back tears. "That would be all right with me and Andy."

"When you're an adult," Drum said, "if you want, I'll go with you back to where your father is from."

"No. I'll never ask. Andy and me belong here” He leaned his arm on Drum's shoulder. "Mr. Roak will protect us."

"You bet he will.” Travis smiled. "Now you're married, you might as well have a family.”

Drum smiled at Will. "Go get your brother. If we're going to be a family, we might as well start by having breakfast together."

As soon as the boy was far enough away that he couldn't hear them, Drum turned on Travis. "I'm not so sure I like you planning my life for me.”

"Would you turn them away?"

"No," Drum admitted, "but my wife only likes me a few hours a night. What makes you think we'd be a good home for them?"

Travis stood and tossed the coffee. "You're a good man, Roak, and you know what it's like not to have anyone in the world to turn to. They'll be grown and out of the house before Sage and you have enough kids to fill the dinner table.”

He stared at the cup. "And by the way, you sure didn't marry my sister for her cooking skills. That's the worst coffee I've had in years."

Sage had heard enough. She turned to Travis. "I agree with Drum. Stop planning our life for us. What if the carriages and the hired guns come back?"

"They won't. They stayed around town looking for you for a few days, then headed south. I've got two men following them. My trackers sent two messages, saying they're still heading toward the coast.”

"But they might return, and Drum can't promise he'll always be near," Sage said, thinking of what his next assignment might be. "He's a Ranger. You remember what that was like. You were away two years once."

Travis gave up. "All right. You win. I'll take them back to Austin with me.”

"No," Drum said. "They are safer here. If they're my responsibility. I'll make the plans. For the time being, we'll keep them with us at Whispering Mountain, but not in Teagen's house. I'd be more comfortable in the barn. Anytime they leave the ranch, Daniel or I will be riding guard.”

"You can have our place. Rainey's ready to get home to Austin, and I've got work piling up” He thought about it a minute and added, "Come spring, you and Sage might want to build your own place. I checked on that investment you made with that drunken sailor.”

Sage felt lost again. "What investment? You loaned money to a drunk?"

Drum shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. I had money in the bank I wasn't using, so I signed papers so he could draw on it as needed” Before Sage could question, he asked Travis, "Is there enough money in my account to buy a house in town?"

Travis smiled. "There's enough to buy half the town.” Sage sat down on the blankets and gave up. Too much information, too fast.

Travis kept talking. "Mind my asking why you loaned a man you met in a saloon your savings?"

"I didn't need it." Drum shrugged. "And I saw the dream in his eyes”

Travis nodded as if Drum made sense and walked back toward camp. "See you back at the ranch," he said without turning around.

An hour later, the boys waved good-bye to Sage and Drum as they headed back to the ranch with Travis. They'd made friends in the camp. Will missed little. If trouble came, he knew he could get back to the ranch.

Drum had insisted he and Sage ride into town and spend a night or two at the hotel. He claimed he wasn't ready to face the entire McMurray clan just yet, and Sage needed to check on the clinic.

She had a feeling what he really wanted was a night with her in a real bed. In all the times she'd slept in his arms, they'd never once been in bed.