A Widowed Rancher Stopped for a Mother and Daughter in the Rain… She Said ‘Stay Back or I’ll Shoot
Chapter 13
Spring arrived.
The valley changed.
Fields became green.
The river rose.
Flowers appeared along the old road.
Sarah planted a small garden beside the kitchen.
Lucy followed her everywhere.
Thomas repaired the house.
He built a new porch.
He repaired the barn.
He bought another horse.
But one morning, a messenger arrived.
Mercer had escaped.
The news spread quickly.
Thomas immediately reached for his pistol.
Sarah stopped him.
“You’re not going after him alone.”
“He knows where we live.”
“So do I.”
Thomas looked at her.
She held her own pistol.
“I can shoot.”
“I know.”
“You taught me.”
“I regret that.”
“You shouldn’t.”
Thomas smiled.
But the danger was real.
Mercer had fled toward the mountains.
He still had allies.
And he knew the location of the stolen records.
Three nights later, someone tried to burn the barn.
Thomas woke to smoke.
He rushed outside.
The flames climbed the western wall.
Sarah was already carrying buckets.
Lucy stood on the porch.
Thomas shouted.
“Get inside!”
A shot came from the darkness.
Thomas ducked.
Sarah fired back.
A man ran toward the trees.
Thomas chased him.
Gideon—Thomas’s old ranch dog—followed.
The man disappeared into the woods.
Thomas found something in the grass.
A black leather glove.
Inside it was a small silver button.
Mercer’s coat.
Thomas returned to the house.
Sarah saw his face.
“He was here.”
“Yes.”
“What does he want?”
Thomas looked at the burned barn.
“You.”
“No.”
Thomas shook his head.
“He wants the ledger.”
Sarah frowned.
“We don’t have it.”
Thomas stared at her.
“Yes, we do.”
She understood.
The original ledger was hidden beneath the floor.
If Mercer knew that, he would return.
Thomas looked at Sarah.
“We need to move it.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere he would never search.”
Lucy appeared behind them.
“What about the old well?”
Thomas looked at her.
“The well?”
“Mama used to hide things there.”
Sarah went pale.
“Anna did.”
They ran.
At the bottom of the old stone well was a sealed compartment.
Inside was another bundle of letters.
And one final document.
A list of Mercer’s allies.
The last name belonged to the governor’s representative.
The corruption reached farther than they had imagined.
