Trail of Deceptions

Chapter Six

 Sam rode in from the pasture the second night after Cord left tired and dusty to see six strange horses tied up in front of the house. Instead of putting Goldie up herself, she handed his reins to Slim before she walked to the house wanting to know whom the horses belonged to and what they were doing here. Walking through the front door Sam found six well-armed men talking with her mother in the parlor.

They all got up as soon as she had came through the front door.

They all wore their guns low on their hips just as she did.

Julie quickly rose when she saw Sam taking her daughters hand telling her she wanted to talk with Sam outside on the front porch for a minute before she introduced the men to her. Sam gave her mother a puzzled look but let her mother lead her back outside to the porch.

"Samantha," Julie started once they were on the porch and before Sam was able to ask her any questions. "I send for an old friend of your father's and mine. His name is Jim Harrison. Jim and Bill worked together before your father started the ranch. Jim helps protect people when they are in trouble and when you received the warning I sent for him to come here and help protect you."

 Sam's mouth dropped open astounded at what her mother had done without informing her about it. "Mother I don't believe you did something like this without talking with me about it first! I don't want them here!" Sam said loudly as she paced on the porch.

"Sam, please keep your voice down they'll hear you," Julie told her.

"I don't really care Mother," Sam replied as she faced her mother.

"Samantha, please do this for me. I've lost your father I don't want anything happening to you too. Please, talk with Jim and keep an open mind about having them here for protection. Please do it for me and my peace of mind." 

Before they reentered the house Sam agreed to talk with them but nothing more.

She would listen to what Jim Harrison had to say and politely ask them to leave. This was her ranch and she could order them off if need be or have her men escort them if they didn't go at her request. Her mother would have to realize that Sam had her own life to live and Sam would do it without her interference. She was after all a grown woman capable of protecting herself.

 She walked back into the living room and looked the men over. There was something vaguely familiar about the man standing next to the older man. In a few seconds, it came to her where she'd seen him before as her heart raced and she almost stopped breathing. She wished the floor would open up and swallow her if he remembered where he'd seen her.

"Sam I would have known you anywhere with Bill's red hair and green eyes. Julie said you received a threating note after you put up a reward for Bill's killer. That's why she sent for me. If I had known about Bill, I would have come much sooner.

"I am able to tell by your face, young lady, you aren't happy about our being here," Jim Harrison told her in a conciliatory tone. Sam kept trying not to stare at the man standing next to him. She tried instead to concentrate on what Jim Harrison was telling her.

"Sam these are my men, Jake Morgan is my right hand and next to Jake we have Luke Wilson, Steve Nelson, Dusty Gordon and Nat Gregory," he told her pointing them out and each nodding to her as he called their names, all with large smiles on their faces.

All handsome men.

Jake Morgan gave her the same half-smile he did that night in Boston as he gazed at her as he looked her over from head to toe. She swallowed the lump in throat before looking back at Jim Harrison.