Partners in Justice and Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Read online

  Partners in Justice and Love

  A WESTERN ROMANCE NOVEL

  LORELEI BROGAN

  Copyright © 2019 by Lorelei Brogan

  All Rights Reserved.

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  Table of Contents

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  Partners in Justice and Love

  Introduction

  Sara Bailey has never faltered in her responsibilities to her family. Her life in Baltimore has always been a quiet one until she suddenly discover that her brother has found himself arrested. Sara has no other option than to travel immediately to Kansas so as to attend his trial. After witnessing him being sentenced to a 5-year prison-time for a crime he could never commit, she decides it’s her duty to take action. To her surprise, she is not the only one to rush in, willing to do anything to help him… Will the handsome former Bounty Hunter, who offers to join her mission, eventually lead them to the solution they desperately crave?

  Logan Payne, has spent most of his teenage years trying to protect his sister and mother from his abusive father. As an adult man, he has promised to stay away from trouble and leave his life as a Bounty Hunter behind. But when his brother-in-law is trapped in a controversial trial, he has no other choice but to jump in and help him gain his freedom back. Sara, the prisoner’s beautiful sister, will be his valuable partner to this plan. When emotions he had never experienced before start rising to the surface, will he manage to straighten things out and capture her heart, just like she captivated his?

  While Sara and Logan’s hearts are growing closer, misunderstood motives and a well kept secret are about to leave the heroes in a state of confusion and pain. Can they really prove Sara’s brother’s innocence? Or will the crime spree take a dangerous turn for the worse?

  Chapter 1

  Sara Bailey brushed her strawberry blonde hair out of her face as she walked down North Street on the outskirts of Baltimore. A breeze blew, pressing her skirt against her legs and offering a brief moment of relief from the sweltering heat. She nodded a cordial greeting to Mr. Jenkins, as he and his wife passed on the street. The Peterman and North Clothing Factory loomed up ahead, casting its shadow over the smaller businesses on the road. Sara took one more deep breath of fresh air before stepping inside.

  Though being a seamstress had never been Sara’s idea of a perfect position, such factories kept Baltimore ticking and it had undoubtedly kept her family’s head above water. She greeted her shift manager before taking her seat at her station.

  The air of the factory was thick with the fine dust that floated from the fabric. It shone in every beam of sunlight coming through the large windows high overhead. Lack of ventilation always seemed to be a problem in these large buildings, but one got used to such conditions with time.

  At just twenty-four years old, Sara knew her job well. She pushed up her sleeves and put her experienced hands to work as she had done for the last ten years. After her father had fallen gravely ill and ultimately been laid off, Sara quickly found herself shouldering the weight of the family’s finances.

  Her brother had played his part in helping, of course, but the timing had played a cruel role. Just a few months after their father’s illness had set in, Tom had been called off to war. Still, through it all Sara had proven herself dependable, bearing the burden gracefully.

  She set to work on the piles of material that were stacked all around her. Each piece was laid flat before having measurements marked out on it. Then, within a few moments, she had each section of the item in question cut to size and ready to be sewn. It was painfully repetitive, but it provided steady pay.

  That evening, Sara pushed through the front door of her home with a spring in her step. Having received her weekly pay meant that she could go to the market in the morning, which was sure to please her mother. Their supplies always dwindled near the end of the week, even with just the two of them to care for.

  Her brother Tom had returned home after the war, but only briefly. It was not long before he had met a lovely young woman from Baltimore, marrying her and moving away. With their father already gone, that had left Sara to care for their mother and the house. That was now four years prior, and Sara had settled into the role that she foresaw as being hers for years to come.

  “Mother?” she called out, surprised to find her mother’s favorite chair vacant. She continued searching through the sitting room and kitchen. “Hello there,” she smiled as she approached her mother at the dining room table, but her cheery nature soon fell solemn. The woman’s pained gaze stopped Sara in her tracks.

  “What is wrong, Mother?” she asked, quickly dropping into the chair next to her. “Are you feeling poorly?”

  “No, take a look.” She handed Sara the telegram she had been holding. “It is from Janie. Tom is in trouble.”

  “What sort of trouble?” She quickly read over the message from her sister-in-law. “He has been arrested!”

  “Yes,” she nodded, “she says he was arrested for assault, of all things. That does not sound like my son. Something seems wrong with it all. Janie is asking for your presence at Tom’s trial. You know she will need help if he is not acquitted. Do you think you can afford to go?”

  “Yes, I will manage it,” she nodded as her usual sense of responsibility kicked in. “I would not think of leaving them to face this alone.”

  “You haven't got much time then. Janie said his trial is in three weeks,” her mother pointed out.

  “I will make the necessary arrangements with the factory in the morning. If I pack quickly, I may be able to catch a train tomorrow. Will you be alright without me here?” Sara studied her mother, already tense at the thought of leaving her.

  “I will be fine until you return. Tom needs you,” she nodded.

  “Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins could check in on you while I am away.” With her mother’s approval, Sara spent the night packing anything she thought she could need. Though she had never been as far west as Kansas, she felt as though she had experienced it. When Tom and Janie settled on a ranch there, four years ago, Janie had made sure to describe every detail of it in her letters. The wide-open plains and small settlements across the prairie sounded so foreign compared to life in the city.

  Janie had spoken of snakes aplenty, along with coyotes and wildcats. Sara eyed her belongings, feeling dreadfully unprepared for such a place. But funds were tight, so she knew she must make do with what she had. Aside from her sturdiest boots, Sara packed as many of her dresses as she could reasonably manage. She had no way of knowing how long she might need to stay.

  The following morning, Sara kissed her mother, promising to write as soon as she had any news of the situation. Her mother offered to drive her to the station, but Sara knew how much she hated the crowds of downtown Baltimore. Instead, Sara decided to send for a coach to pick her up.

  Once her trun
k was loaded, Sara stopped in at Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins’ house on the way to the train station. Having explained her dilemma, Sara breathed a bit easier knowing that they would be looking after her mother in her absence. She climbed back into the coach, asking the driver to continue on to the factory.

  Sara asked the driver to wait for a short moment while she made the necessary arrangements. She feared the possibility of losing her position altogether, should she not be able to make a hasty return. Still, Sara reminded herself that she could not leave Janie and her sons to face Tom’s trial alone. Speaking to her shift manager, they managed to work out an agreement.

  Finally, Sara pushed her way through the crowded train station, making her way to the ticket counter. All the while, the urgency of Janie’s telegram weighed heavily on her mind. The large open windows of the building did little to ward off the stifling August heat, causing a trickle of sweat to drip down her neck. People chatting around the congested station further blurred her thoughts as she paid the necessary fare.

  Sara found a seat near one of the windows, allowing her a view of the platform. A gentle breeze blew her hair off of her face, cooling her and offering her a bit of hope in an otherwise bleak situation. Though a few years of hardship can definitely change a person, Tom was not a violent man. Even when Tom had gone off to war, it had been under compulsion. The thought that he would be standing before a judge on charges of assault baffled her. Something about the whole scenario did not sit right.

  Soon enough a train roared into the station, letting out a hiss as the steam was released. Sara collected her things and began her journey to Kansas. Her journey would last seven days, if nothing delayed them. Sara disliked having to let a situation be when there was much that needed to be done. She settled into her berth in hopes of making up for the sleep she had lost the night before.

  Other passengers made their way down the small walking path between the berths, which were stacked three on top of each other. At least this car was reserved for female passengers, with curtains to offer a bit of privacy. Eventually, the train jolted as the locomotive roared back to life and the cars caught tension against each other. Sara pulled her blanket over her head as the train rumbled out of Baltimore.

  Later that evening, as sleep eluded her, Sara anxiously paced from car to car while the train swayed on the tracks. Her thoughts spun with the pictures she had dreamt up of what Tom’s ranch might be like. His wife, Janie, had quickly befriended Sara following their wedding and had kept in better touch than even Tom had. She wrote to Sara regularly, telling of the hardships and adventures of life on the frontier.

  Sara was relieved to hear an attendant pass through her car, announcing that it was mealtime. She made her way through the three passenger cars that separated her berth from the dining car. With no assigned seating, she was thankful to find an empty table near the windows. She had far too much on her mind to carry a conversation at the moment, and no desire to explain her reasons for traveling. As her plate was placed before her, the hunger pangs finally caught her up. A rushed breakfast that morning and a skipped lunch were causing her to feel lightheaded. She decided that a decent meal and a good night’s sleep would cast a better outlook on the day ahead.

  That night, Sara laid in her berth with her mind drifting between anxiety and excitement. She dreaded the situation that awaited her. Janie was sure to be stressed beyond her limits, and she would be unable to see Tom before the trial. Still, she had often dreamt of visiting Kansas, or any place west of Baltimore. Her sense of responsibility toward her mother had always prevented such a journey, and she would never wish for her mother to be left alone, but that had not stopped her from yearning for it.

  Seven long days later, the small town of Oakmede, Kansas, stretched before Sara’s eyes. She crowded near a window, taking in the breathtaking sights around her. The rolling hills of grain that covered the landscape outside of the town gave a clue that Sara had entered cattle country. The wide-open sky seemed to push on forever, unhindered by the buildings of any city. An attendant soon collected both her and her trunk, escorting her to the door. Once the train had stopped completely, he placed a step beneath the door and gave her a hand to the ground.

  As Sara stepped off of the train, she steeled herself for Janie’s sake. However worried Sara might be about her brother, the outcome of his trial would have a far greater impact on Janie and their sons. She forced a smile and approached the familiar young woman on the far side of the platform. Her long blonde hair was tied back, as Sara had always known her to wear it, but the exhaustion in her eyes was new.

  “Hello!” Sara greeted, hugging her sister-in-law. Janie gave her a weary look but quickly composed herself.

  “Hello, Sara. I am glad to see you again, though I wish it were under different circumstances.” Janie stepped back and presented her sons. “I have told you so much about Charley and Carter in my letters. It is about time you got to meet them.”

  Sara stooped down so she could face the boys at eye level. Their sandy hair and button noses quickly took Sara back to her childhood. They were the spitting image of their father. The boys fell into a hug without hesitation. Janie had still been expecting Charley when she and Tom had ventured to Kansas, and Carter had not come around for another eighteen months after that.

  “It is so nice to meet you,” Sara said, pulling away and taking a good look at them both.

  “Aunt Sara is going to be staying with us for a few weeks,” Janie explained, ushering the boys toward the wagon. Charley reached up and took Sara by the hand, deciding that any relative with that sweet of a smile must be a friend. Sara gave it a little squeeze and smiled down at him once more. She quickly enlisted the help of a steward in hauling her trunk up into the bed of Janie’s wagon. All piling in, the four of them set off for the ranch.

  “So, catch me up on things,” Sara said, looking out ahead of the wagon. The vast plains stretched as far as the eye could see. Little clusters of trees dotted the horizon, clearly marking the locations of ranch houses and paths. Sara felt that this was the sort of place she would like if the situation with Tom had been different.

  Janie glanced down at the boys, cluing Sara into the fact that they did not know the truth of the matter. Sara gave her a subtle nod, understanding that the subject should wait. Their carefree giggles from the bed of the wagon tugged at Sara’s heart. The idea of Tom being kept from his boys was saddening. He had always been a family man, caring for his boys and providing the best life for them that he could manage.

  “The ranch has become our home; there is no doubt of that. Sometimes Baltimore seems like such a distant memory for me. I think you would do well out here, however different it may be,” Janie explained. “Until late last year, we were tending a herd of about one hundred cattle. Unfortunately, the blizzard in January hit us hard. We were preparing for a drive to the railroad in the spring, but we lost nearly a third of the profitable herd.”

  “I am sorry to hear that. But I would assume that Tom has hired hands with enough experience to handle such things.”

  “Yes, the hands have certainly proven themselves. There are only the two men that I wrote about in my letters. We could not afford to keep more than that. But their know-how is what has kept us afloat. The strain of it all has worn on Tom, though. He wears the stress of it in his face. We had such dreams of establishing ourselves and raising our boys with freedom from the injustices that still linger in the eastern cities from the war. But they have not come as easily as we had imagined they would.”

  Sara said that she understood, and they continued down the bumpy trail outside Oakmede. Upon arriving at the outskirts of Tom and Janie’s land, they rode alongside a fenced property until the house came into view.

  The fence line carried on into the distance, meeting a tree line much further down the path. Janie pulled the wagon through the front gate, riding into the yard. It was a beautiful little place, sensibly laid out with the barn and corral set opposite the house. A sma
ll bunkhouse stood a distance away from the barn, where a man emerged from to greet them.

  “That is the foreman, Bert Hodges,” Janie explained, stopping the horses in front of the man.

  “How do you do, ma’am?” Hodges greeted, tipping his hat to the women. He helped them out of the wagon before tending to the horses. Janie urged the boys into the house, following behind with Sara.