The Texas Sheriff's Family Blessing (Testament Creek Book 2) Read online

  THE TEXAS SHERIFF'S FAMILY BLESSING

  Testament Creek series Book 2

  By

  MAYA STIRLING

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  © 2019 Maya Stirling

  Dear Reader,

  This is the second novel in a miniseries set in the Texas Hill Country town of Testament Creek in 1875.

  This is Grace's story.

  The series is about three Kansas City women who inherit an equal share in a ranch. Through the course of the novels all three of the women shows their unique strengths as they work together to build their new lives.

  And, of course, each of them finds love along the way.

  I hope you enjoy the series.

  MAYA

  Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

  Mark 9:37

  CHAPTER ONE

  September 1875

  TESTAMENT CREEK, TEXAS

  "Slow down, Tyler," Grace Murray called out to the sheriff of Testament Creek. The man for whom her love was growing day by day.

  Sheriff Tyler Smith didn't even turn his head to look back at her. He was speeding away from her on his dark, bay horse. The hooves of the horse's white-socked legs thundered on the hard earth as Tyler rode toward the top of the crested ridge.

  Grace had accepted his challenge to see who could get to the top first. But Tyler had raced off so quickly she hadn't been able to react. Now she could see how much winning the challenge meant to Tyler. He was fifty yards ahead of her. She smiled and shook her head. In the few months since she'd known Tyler, she'd learned how competitive he could be.

  Grace knew she had no chance of catching up with Tyler. She'd only learned to ride a horse properly during the summer just passed. Tyler, unlike Grace, was a native of Texas, and had been riding all his life.

  Slowing slightly, Grace gazed across the beautiful Texas Hill Country landscape. Rolling hills, green with occasional bare patches of ochre-colored earth. The beautiful, sumptuous greenery was like a delicate covering laid by careful hands across the hard Texas land. Distant, low-lying hills were forested and a river snaked its way southward. The cloudless sky shimmered, a bright azure blue that made her eyes narrow. Fields matched the sky as swathes of bluebonnet flowers graced the land with their beauty.

  It was September and the days were getting shorter. As she tried to encourage her pinto to keep up with Tyler, the cool and sweet afternoon air brushed against her skin.

  Grace dragged in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of nearby flowers. The aroma delighted her senses. She felt a familiar joy sweep through her body. This was her home, she told herself. It had been since she and her two companions, Prudence and Hope, had inherited the Circle T ranch. Like Grace, they were both from Kansas City. And, like Grace, they were still learning what it meant to live in Texas.

  Of course, one of the trio had made sure she would remain living in Texas. Prudence had married ranch foreman Cal Logan during the summer. They were both living in a cabin which Cal and some of the ranch hands had built on the land of the Circle T. Judging by Prudence's joyful demeanor, marriage had brought delight into her life.

  "Come on," Tyler called out from the top of the ridge. He'd reached the crest moments ago and was gazing down at Grace as she encouraged her mount, who she called Lily, to try and get up the hill.

  Finally she reached the crest of the ridge and reined up alongside Tyler. "You didn't give me a chance," she complained.

  Tyler smiled broadly. "Of course I did. You've been riding long enough now." He lifted a brow and shook his head. "I thought you'd at least make it a race."

  Grace knew he was teasing her. These days, Tyler didn't miss a chance to do that. She knew they were still getting to know one another. She and the handsome young sheriff were just good friends. Even if Hope and Prudence kept trying to convince Grace that the truth was something different.

  Grace puffed. "Just you wait until the next time," she told him. "Then I'll show you."

  "I look forward to that," Tyler laughed. He ran a hand through his dark hair and twisted his broad-shouldered body in the saddle. Gazing out across the wide valley he sighed. "I'm glad we came," he said. "It'll be the fall soon."

  Grace sighed quietly. "Its been quite a summer."

  Tyler turned and gazed at her. Grace felt a familiar warmth in her middle. Tyler's dark gaze could do that to her. "It sure has," he agreed. "Did you ever think you'd end up in Texas, owning and running a ranch?"

  Grace shook her head. "It's been like a dream. Never mind what happened with Largo. That was bad enough. Crazy, really."

  Tyler looked serious for a moment. He nodded. "Largo will be sitting in jail for years to come," Tyler reminded her.

  Grace nodded. Rafael Largo had been the owner of a neighboring ranch. When she and her two friends had taken possession of the ranch during the summer, Largo had done everything he could to make their lives difficult. He'd had his own reasons for wanting to claim the ranch. But everything had worked out in the end. They'd survived everything Largo had thrown at them. Largo had been arrested when he'd gone too far and threatened the lives of her, Prudence and Hope.

  "Hopefully we can move on. Now that justice has been served," Grace said.

  Tyler drew his horse closer to Grace. "You're all safe now," he murmured. Grace ran her eyes across Tyler's even features. The corner of his mouth creased with the hint of a smile. His dark gaze triggered a wave of heat that raced across her face.

  "Thanks to you," she said.

  "And a few other helpful folks. Like the judge and the marshal," he said.

  "It got you promoted to being sheriff," Grace reminded Tyler.

  Tyler tilted his head. Grace knew he was modest by nature. "I'm still working on justifying the judge's faith in me."

  "I think you're doing a pretty good job," she told him firmly. He'd been busy these last few months. Although the little town of Testament Creek wasn't exactly a hive of criminal activity, Tyler still had his hands full dealing with troublemakers of various kinds. Even a godly town like Testament Creek had its problems, from time to time.

  Grace peered across the valley. She could see the border fence of the ranch. The line of fence ran across the top of the hill. Beyond that there was a forested area. The train line ran through a cutting in the forest.

  She glanced at Tyler. "I'll race you again," she said eagerly.

  Tyler's dark eyes brightened immediately. But, before he had a chance to say another word, she kicked her heels into the side of her horse. Her pinto lurched forward and started down the hill. Grace laughed when she heard Tyler's voice raised high with objection.

  This time, she was the one with the head start, she told herself as her horse thundered across the flat, grass-covered floor of the valley. Grace knew Tyler would be racing after her, but she didn't look back.

  The wind swept through her loose blonde hair. She gripped the reins tightly and leaned forward. The pinto was galloping now. Grace felt the steady, rhythmic movement of the animal beneath her. A few weeks ago, riding this fast would have been unthinkable. But
Prudence's husband, Cal, had been a fine instructor. He'd encouraged her to build on her skills gradually. His priority had been her safety, he'd told her repeatedly.

  The pinto's hooves beat noisily on the earth. Grace was halfway across the valley floor when she finally gave in to the temptation to glance back. She laughed when she saw that Tyler was closing fast. Digging her heels into the pinto's side, she leaned forward as the animal picked up speed.

  She reached the other side of the valley and started up the steep slope. The pinto slowed. But the animal was strong. Cal had picked the pinto out for Grace. It had been a good choice. The horse was even-tempered and strong.

  She was yards away from the summit of the hillside when she heard the pounding of Tyler's horse close behind. Determined to win this race, Grace strained forward, willing the horse to make it to the top.

  Then, with one final push, the pinto reached the summit of the hill. Grace's delighted shriek echoed out across the valley. She turned and watched as Tyler rode to the top, barely a few yards behind her.

  "Beat you!" Grace declared, slightly out of breath.

  Tyler reined up and halted alongside her. He smiled at Grace. "Looks like we're even," he announced.

  Grace felt a joyous sense of aliveness. Every time she came out for rides on the ranch with Tyler, she enjoyed herself more and more. She and Tyler had forged a strong bond together. A friendship. Even as she told herself that, Grace knew that she and Tyler were more than just friends. But, right now, she didn't want to think about where that might lead.

  She saw Tyler's brows narrow as he peered past her shoulder. He was looking down into the tree covering on the other side of the Circle T border fence. "That's odd," he said thoughtfully.

  "What is it?" Grace asked. She heard a loud blast of what sounded like steam from a train. Turning her head, she followed Tyler's gaze and saw a startling sight through the thin covering of trees. A train had halted on the tracks down below. There were people wandering alongside the five carriages of the stationary train. Some people were leaning their heads out of the windows of the carriages.

  "Something's wrong," Tyler said sharply.

  She heard cries of alarm from some of the people wandering along the trackside. She saw a man jump down from the engine tender. He turned and shouted something back at another man who remained standing on the edge of the tender's steps. Grace couldn't hear their words, but they looked like they were arguing about something.

  "Maybe the train's broken down," Grace suggested.

  Tyler shook his head. "No. There's something else going on." He dismounted. "I'm going to have a look."

  "I'll come with you," Grace said and got down off her horse.

  Tyler's brows furrowed. For a moment, he looked like he was about to object. Grace peered at Tyler, waiting for him to speak. They'd had moments like this before. But recently Tyler had admitted to Grace that he figured she liked to have her way in things. He seemed to have accepted that Grace was strong-willed. Grace knew that there were times when that came across as being stubborn, but she was glad Tyler understood it was a part of her nature.

  Tyler sighed and then nodded, "Okay. But stay close to me, right?"

  Grace nodded.

  Tyler tied the horses to the fence wire and then helped Grace through. They both made their way down through the trees.

  "This is the train from the coast," Tyler told Grace as they made their way down the steep hillside. "It's heading for Austin. I wonder why it had to stop."

  Grace slipped and cried out, thinking she was about to take a tumble. She reached out a hand to grasp a nearby tree but Tyler seized her hand and held it tight. Grace met Tyler's concerned gaze and forced herself to smile. Tyler's touch had triggered a wave of sensation in her body. Just like those previous times during the last couple of months when he'd touched her accidentally. Like at the coffee shop; or at the town social they'd attended in August.

  Tyler held onto her hand and started to lead Grace down the slope. They wound their way through the cluster of trees until they reached the train line.

  This close, Grace could see the chaos. The men and women wandering up and down alongside the train looked shocked. The women's eyes were wide with fear; the men's brows furrowed with what looked like indignation. Glancing up at the nearby carriage she saw worried looks on the faces of the people peering out at her.

  Tyler released her hand. "I better go talk with the engineer. See what happened."

  Grace nodded. "I'll speak to some of these folks."

  Tyler nodded and headed along the trackside toward the engine which emitted a huge gush of steam. As she made her way alongside the train, Grace gazed up at the faces pressed against the carriage window.

  Two caught her attention. A boy and a girl, both blonde-haired and blue-eyed, watched Grace as she walked slowly along the sloping embankment. Grace held their gaze for a long moment, struck by the intensity in the children's eyes. They looked at Grace with a pleading expression. Grace guessed the children were no older than five or six years of age. Grace smiled at them tentatively. Abruptly, the children leaped away from the window and were lost to view. Grace considered the possibility that the children had been made uneasy by the puzzled way she'd looked at them.

  Grace went to a nearby couple. Both were in their fifties and elegantly dressed. "What happened?" she asked the pale-faced woman.

  The woman lifted a hand to the side of her face. "The train has been robbed."

  "Robbed!" Grace exclaimed. Now she understood the fear she could see on people's faces.

  The woman nodded. "A gang blocked the tracks. They took everything they could get their hands on. Even took a young woman with them."

  Grace was shocked. An abduction and a robbery. She turned and saw Tyler begin talking with one of the train's engineers. She'd come out on this fine Saturday afternoon believing she and Tyler could share a pleasant time together.

  Instead, it looked like she'd run right into a whole heap of trouble.

  CHAPTER TWO

  "There were six of them," the engineer whose name was Gabe explained to Tyler. He pointed along the tracks toward where a large tree trunk had been laid across the rails. "They blocked us, so we had to stop. Then they came down from the trees. All on horseback and firing guns."

  "They knew what they were doing," Tyler admitted in a heavy voice. "Did you see their faces?"

  Gabe wiped his forehead with a white cloth and shook his head. Tyler saw Gabe glancing at the silver star Tyler had pinned to his plaid shirt. "No, sheriff. They covered their faces with bandannas."

  "They went through the train yelling and screaming," another voice declared. "Scared the living daylights out of the women and children. I can tell you." Tyler glanced up at the cab. The other driver, just as portly and muscled-bound as Gabe, was standing there.

  Tyler glanced down the length of the train. He saw Grace looking back at him. She was standing next to an older couple. Even from here he could see the concern on Grace's features. Grace was experienced in the law. She understood what had happened here. And she knew what Tyler would have to do.

  "They robbed the passengers?" Tyler asked.

  Gabe nodded. "Took what they could get. I heard some folks saying they lost jewels and money. Then they rode off." Gabe pointed. "They went south, back down the track."

  "They took that woman," the other man announced. "The pretty lady."

  Tyler squinted. For a moment, he wasn't sure he'd heard the man right. "Woman?"

  Gabe grunted. "I heard one of the passengers say that one of the gang took a liking to the young woman. She was with two young children, too." Gabe scowled in obvious disgust. "They just took her. She was screaming and shouting. Even started begging for them to leave her behind. For the children. But those critters wanted her, and nothing was going to stop them." Gabe exchanged a weary look with the other engineer. "What's the world coming to, Lou, when a woman can't even travel on our trains?"

  Lou sighed he
avily. "You need to get her back, sheriff," he said.

  Tyler's jaw tightened as he thought about the woman being abducted. "Don't you worry. I'll get her back," he said in a low voice.

  "Are we gonna clear that tree off the track?" Lou asked Gabe.

  Gabe peered at the log. It was huge and heavy looking. "We'll need some extra hands."

  "I'll gather some of the men from the train. Then I'll give you some help." Tyler grinned at Gabe. "You need to be getting on your way."

  "We sure appreciate you being here, sheriff," Lou said.

  Tyler frowned. "I just wish I'd have gotten here a while sooner. Maybe I could have stopped them."

  "You figuring on putting together a posse?" Lou asked.

  Tyler nodded. "I'll do that when I get back to town. If the gang headed south west I might be able to pick up their trail. There's a man back in town who's good at that." He sighed. "We'll do our best to get them."

  Tyler headed down the trackside. Up ahead, he saw Grace lifting herself up onto the steps of one of the carriages. She went inside and was lost to sight. He wondered what had prompted her to go inside. There must be some pretty unhappy folks inside that carriage, Tyler told himself.

  Tyler questioned a few of the people standing trackside. They were all visibly shaken by the ordeal. They confirmed what Tyler had learned from the two engineers. There was an outlaw band around the Hill Country. Tyler knew he'd have to do something to put a stop to their activities. There was no way he was going to allow the trains to be held up. This was a busy line, leading all the way down to the coast.

  Tyler finished his questioning and decided to go find Grace. He went inside the carriage and halted at the doorway. There were ten rows of wooden seats in the carriage. A few people had taken their seats again. One or two looked up at Tyler. There was curiosity in their eyes, especially when they saw his badge. Maybe they were wondering how the sheriff had made it to the train so soon after the raid, Tyler reflected.