Chapter 11

11

"Brand?" Nell Nolte, justice of the peace of Pine Valley, Wyoming, waved a telegraph at her husband. He rode into town with her most days, then came in again to escort her home.

They'd just reached town on a warm Monday morning, and there'd been a telegraph waiting for her. Going by its address, it looked as if they'd sent this same telegraph to every justice of the peace in the territory in a desperate search for someone to come lend a hand.

School wasn't in session and so their ten-year-old daughter, Michaela, had stayed home. Brand would ride straight back and barely be gone half an hour most days. But today he had a few errands to see to, which was a good thing. Nell caught him before he headed home.

Brand was just stepping out of the general store with a gunnysack of cornmeal in one arm and his little tyke son in the other. "What is it?"

"I want to go to Cheyenne. I'm running low on fabric, and I—"

"Sure, sounds like fun," Brand was quick to reply.

Nell blinked a few times. She realized she was always rushing to explain herself to Brand—a bad habit left over from her days with her first husband, who had to be wheedled into doing anything.

She gathered her thoughts and continued. "The telegraph has been sent all around the territory, looking for a justice of the peace. They had trouble with the judge and the justice of the peace in Cheyenne and are shorthanded. It's a good chance for us to go to Cheyenne and do some shopping."

"What case do they need help with?" Brand asked.

"Doesn't say." She looked down at the extremely short telegraph as if some further explanation might appear. Which of course it did not. "I don't care honestly." She grinned at her handsome husband. "The idea of having such a good reason to go to Cheyenne just seems providential. I have to let them know right away. They'll take the first judge who contacts them. We'd have to ride on horseback to the nearest station and catch the train. But we can get to Cheyenne fast—if a train comes through in a timely manner, of course."

Brand nodded. "Let's go right now and see if you can make it in time." They hurried toward the telegraph office.

"This has happened before," said Nell, "and I think they have a hard time getting anyone to travel. I suspect I won't have any trouble getting there in time."

Once at the office, she sent the wire and then got a reply almost as soon as the telegraph quit clicking on her end. She read it quick. "They say I've got the job and to get there as soon as possible."

"Does it say how long they want you for?"

Nell shook her head. "Most trials take a day, maybe two, so we shouldn't be gone long."

Both of their older girls were now married and to brothers. The three families shared work all the time when help was needed. Leland and Samantha and their two little ones might move out to the Nolte homestead while Nell and Brand were away. All three homesteads were within a short distance of each other.

"Head home and start getting ready," Nell said. "Michaela should come with you. She'll like visiting Cheyenne, and she can help me pick out fabric. I'll pack my robe and gavel and a change of clothes. I just finished making a new dress. Tell Michaela to pack her Sunday-best blue dress and her pink gingham. And some clothes for Buck, too. I'll tell Mariah what's going on. I should be ready by the time you and Michaela get back to town."

Since it was before the noon meal, her friend Mariah Roberts would be over helping Clint in the kitchen, so it would be easy to pop in there with the news of her travel plans. Nell grinned to think of how fast a body could race across the country since the train had gone through. Though it was a long horseback ride to the nearest train station, it was nothing like coming all the way here from Missouri in a covered wagon.

"I'll be back in an hour, and we can hit the trail." Brand jogged toward the horse he'd just rode in on, swung up into the saddle, and galloped out of town.

Nell had just recently realized a second baby was on the way, but she hadn't told anyone yet. Brand tended to get nervous, as he'd lost his first wife when Michaela was born. Now she was glad she'd waited and didn't have to listen to any fretting about whether she should go for a long ride through wild country.

As she rushed to the diner, she wondered what case was so important they couldn't just leave whoever they'd arrested in jail until the judge was available. She hoped it was something interesting. More than that, she hoped it wasn't anything too nasty. She'd never had to sentence anyone to hang.

Once the Deadeye Gang had been cleared out, they'd found their little part of the world to be a law-abiding place.

With a silent prayer asking God to give her wisdom in her judgments, she entered the diner. The place was quiet now that the breakfast crowd had mostly finished. A few stragglers lingered over their cups of coffee.

Nell hurried into the steamy kitchen, struck by the aroma of whatever delicious breakfast Clint had cooked up.

Mariah was herding her son and had her daughter in her arms while still managing to help clean up the kitchen.

"I've got a special request to see to a case in Cheyenne. Brand and I are riding for the train as soon as he gets back to town. He's going to bring Michaela if she wants to go." Very rarely did any of them do such a thing as travel. Nell half expected Mariah to ask to come along. Instead, she seemed content to listen to Nell telling her about it.

"And you don't know what case you'll be hearing?" Mariah asked.

"No, but it sounds important, or they wouldn't be sending wires searching for a justice of the peace. I suspect it will be an interesting case."

Mariah smirked. "You just want to go shopping in a bigger town, admit it."

"Just good timing. Do you have anything you need? You could make a list."

Mariah looked at Clint. He smiled. "Nothing for me. My garden is producing. My animals are thriving. I can't think of anything in the world I need that isn't right here in this kitchen." He went to Mariah and slid an arm around her waist and hugged her briefly. Then he dashed back to the stove to block their youngest from playing with the nice red-hot coals.

Mariah said, "Well, you can get me some bright blue wool fabric. I want a new dress for winter."

Nell almost jumped up and down with glee. She so enjoyed sewing pretty dresses. "Oh, Mariah, that color will look beautiful on you! If you think of anything else you want, let me know."

"Most things can be ordered through the general store, so we have no great needs." Mariah scooped up Buck as he tore past her. She kissed him noisily on the neck while he giggled and squirmed. "Have a good time in Cheyenne."

Nell hoped to find a wide selection of fabrics, and she hoped this wasn't a case that would cause her any misgivings.