He Warned Her He Came With Four Children — The Cowgirl Said, “Good This Ranch Needs a Family”
Chapter 7
They left after sunset.
Mary watched from the porch.
Thomas had given her strict instructions.
“Stay inside.”
She nodded.
But after they left, she whispered to Samuel:
“We should follow them.”
Samuel shook his head.
“Father said no.”
Mary sighed.
“You’re becoming too obedient.”
Meanwhile, Clara and Thomas reached the abandoned church.
The building stood beneath a hill covered in oak trees.
The moonlight came through broken windows.
Inside, they found the old floor.
Thomas inserted the key.
A wooden box opened.
Inside were documents.
Receipts.
Letters.
And a ledger.
Clara turned the pages.
Every stolen acre was listed.
Every bribe.
Every payment.
Every death.
Then she found a final page.
It named the sheriff.
And someone else.
Clara’s face went pale.
“What?”
She handed the page to Thomas.
His expression hardened.
“Your father?”
Clara stared.
Her father’s name was there.
Beside it was a payment.
Thomas looked at her.
“Clara…”
She stepped back.
“My father worked with Whitfield?”
“It appears so.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“He hated men like him.”
Thomas touched her arm.
“We don’t know the whole story.”
Before Clara could answer, the church door opened.
Whitfield stood there.
Behind him were six armed men.
He smiled.
“You found it.”
Thomas raised his pistol.
Whitfield laughed.
“You still think a pistol changes anything?”
Clara stepped forward.
“You killed my father.”
Whitfield’s smile vanished.
“No.”
He looked at the ledger.
“Your father tried to stop me.”
Clara froze.
“He gave me the names of everyone involved,” Whitfield continued.
“Then he died before he could finish.”
Thomas looked at the papers.
“What are you saying?”
Whitfield smiled.
“I’m saying your dead wives, fathers, brothers, and neighbors were never the real secret.”
He looked at Clara.
“Your father was.”
