Sam's Legacy Read online

  Books by Shirleen Davies

  Historical Western Romance Series

  MacLarens of Fire Mountain

  Tougher than the Rest, Book One

  Faster than the Rest, Book Two

  Harder than the Rest, Book Three

  Stronger than the Rest, Book Four

  Deadlier than the Rest, Book Five

  Wilder than the Rest, Book Six

  Redemption Mountain

  Redemption’s Edge, Book One

  Wildfire Creek, Book Two

  Sunrise Ridge, Book Three

  Dixie Moon, Book Four

  Survivor Pass, Book Five

  Promise Trail, Book Six

  Deep River, Book Seven

  Courage Canyon, Book Eight, Releasing 2017

  MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

  Colin’s Quest, Book One,

  Brodie’s Gamble, Book Two

  Quinn’s Honor, Book Three

  Sam’s Legacy, Book Four

  Contemporary Romance Series

  MacLarens of Fire Mountain

  Second Summer, Book One

  Hard Landing, Book Two

  One More Day, Book Three

  All Your Nights, Book Four

  Always Love You, Book Five

  Hearts Don’t Lie, Book Six

  No Getting Over You, Book Seven

  ‘Til the Sun Comes Up, Book Eight

  Foolish Heart, Book Nine, Releasing 2017

  Peregrine Bay

  Reclaiming Love, Book One

  Our Kind of Love, Book Two

  Burnt River

  Shane’s Burden, Book One by Peggy Henderson

  Thorn’s Journey, Book Two by Shirleen Davies

  The best way to stay in touch is to subscribe to my newsletter. Go to www.shirleendavies.com and subscribe in the box at the top of the right column that asks for your email. You’ll be notified of new books before they are released, have chances to win great prizes, and receive other subscriber-only specials.

  Sam’s Legacy

  MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

  Historical Western Romance Series

  SHIRLEEN DAVIES

  Book Four in the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

  Historical Western Romance Series

  Copyright © 2017 by Shirleen Davies

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  For permission requests, contact the publisher.

  Avalanche Ranch Press, LLC

  PO Box 12618

  Prescott, AZ 86304

  Sam’s Legacy is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is wholly coincidental.

  Book conversions by Joseph Murray at

  3rdplanetpublishing.com

  Cover design by Kim Killion, The Killion Group

  ISBN: 978-1-941786-45-1

  I care about quality, so if you find something in error, please contact me via email at

  [email protected]

  Description

  Sam’s Legacy, Book Four, MacLarens of Boundary Mountain Historical Western Romance Series

  Samuel Covington, ex-Pinkerton agent and deputy in the frontier town of Conviction, has come a long way from his upbringing in Baltimore. His job, and a particular woman, occupy his time and thoughts. His future is assured—until a message from home tears it all apart.

  Jinny MacLaren loves the ranch, her family, and one particular deputy. Even though Sam’s never said the words, she’s certain of his feelings, envisioning a future as his wife—until the day he announces he’s leaving without a promise to return.

  His future no longer belongs to him. Sam never anticipated the news awaiting him, or the consequences of a past he’d left far behind.

  Shoving painful thoughts of Sam aside, Jinny focuses on a life without him, allowing a friendship to grow with someone else. He’s handsome, smart, and caring, yet in Jinny’s heart, he’ll never be Sam.

  As both face an uncertain future without the other, neither anticipates the dangers stalking them.

  Protecting what’s his is Sam’s calling. Reclaiming what he left behind may prove to be the biggest challenge of his life.

  Sam’s Legacy, book four in the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain historical western Romance Series, is a stand-alone, full-length novel with an HEA and no cliffhanger.

  Visit my website for a list of characters for each series.

  http://www.shirleendavies.com/character-list.html

  Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to my husband, Richard, for always being by my side during this wonderful adventure. Your support, insights, and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

  As always, many thanks to my editor, Kim Young, proofreader, Alicia Carmical, Joseph Murray who is superb at formatting my books for print and electronic versions, and my cover designer, Kim Killion.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Books by Shirleen Davies

  Sam’s Legacy

  Chapter One

  Conviction, California

  Spring, 1865

  Sheriff Brodie MacLaren walked around the newly built structure, bending to inspect the drop sections in the platform. It had been designed to hang three people simultaneously. Straightening, his somber expression didn’t change as he joined his deputy, Sam Covington, and Stein Tharaldson, the man in charge of building the gallows.

  “What else do you need to do, Stein?” Brodie looked up at the sky, the morning sun beginning to wash the town in light. By noon, they’d be dismantling the structure, hoping to never use it again.

  “My work is done, Brodie.” He set his tools aside. “I’ve tested it with bags of sand and rocks. It will do the job. You’ll need two men to knock out the supports, and I’d suggest all your deputies be present.”

  “I’m surprised the judge sentenced all three to death. At most, I thought he’d send them off to San Quentin.” Sam thought of the prisoners. None were older than twenty when they rode into town, poured glass after glass of whiskey down their throats, then rode out as rowdy drunks, shooting wildly into the air. There’d been one casualty. Bob Belford, a local rancher, had been strolling down the boardwalk with his wife, collapsing when a bullet ripped through him.

  “A death is a death, Sam, whether an accident or not. At least, that’s what I tell myself when I start believing the sentence is too harsh.” Brodie swallowed the bile in his throat.

  The jury had been made up of Belford’s neighbors and friends, people who’d already convicted the three before the trial started. People who had rallied around his widow, doing what they could to help. Doc Vickery’s t
estimony that Belford was dying of cancer and didn’t have more than a couple months left didn’t sway the men who’d found them guilty. The fate of the three cowboys had been sealed when the judge, known for doling out harsh sentences, slammed the gavel down a final time before leaving town.

  “I can’t argue with you, Brodie.”

  Sam Covington had come to Conviction on an assignment through his employer, the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Through a series of events, he’d left Pinkerton, taking a job as a deputy for six months. After almost a year, Sam still wore the badge.

  “Sorry, Sheriff. I overslept.” Jack Perkins, another deputy, hurried up beside them, looking as if he’d just crawled out of bed.

  Brodie looked behind him toward the hotel. “Have you seen Nate?”

  “No sir, Sheriff. Not since last night. Want me to go back to the Gold Dust and roust him?”

  “I’ll go.” Sam didn’t wait for Brodie to comment before his long strides took him toward the hotel and up to Nate’s room. “Nate?” When his first knock went unanswered, he pounded harder. “Nate. Are you in there?” He could hear deep grumbling before what sounded like a body hitting the floor. A moment later, the door drew open, a bleary-eyed Nate staring at him.

  Rubbing his red-rimmed eyes, he coughed, clearing his throat. “What time is it?”

  Sam walked past him and into the room, looking around. “Time for you to toss water on your face and get down to the street.” Turning toward Nate, he studied him, not liking what he saw. “What’s going on with you?”

  His brows furrowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Sam gestured around the room. “Look at this place. It’s a mess, and so are you.” Crossing his arms, he glared at Nate, his impatience with his fellow deputy obvious.

  Raking a hand through his hair, Nate shook his head. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be down.”

  Sam didn’t like the way Nate ignored his question, but they didn’t have time to argue about it now. “Tonight, we’re going for a drink, and you will tell me what’s going on.”

  Nate cringed. He had no intention of sharing his private pain with anyone, especially Sam or Brodie, men he respected. They wouldn’t understand, and he didn’t know how to change the path he’d chosen.

  Splashing water on his face, he grabbed a towel, glancing at himself in the mirror. He almost didn’t recognize the man staring back at him. Over a few short months, he’d changed from someone of purpose, showing little weakness, to a man obsessed with relieving the excruciating pain from the amputation of his left arm below the elbow.

  Tossing down the towel in disgust, he struggled to dress, strapping on his gunbelt before heading outside. The grumbling of his stomach almost had him pausing outside the restaurant, but coffee and breakfast would have to wait. He’d already held up the others long enough. Shoving his hand into his pocket, he crossed the street, strolling up to the menacing structure.

  “Stein did a good job.”

  Brodie turned at Nate’s voice, his gaze narrowing at the man’s puffy face and red eyes. Chastising himself for not having a conversation with him months ago, he nodded, vowing to sit down with him after the hanging.

  “Aye, he did.”

  Sam stepped next to Nate. “What do you want us to do, Brodie?”

  “I’m not expecting trouble, but we’ve never had a hanging before. No telling how many of our good people will come out to watch.”

  “You think they really want to watch something so gruesome, Sheriff?” Jack let out a disgusted breath. “I sure wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t my job.”

  “I witnessed a hanging on my way through Denver. More than half the town showed up.” Nate glanced over his shoulder, noticing a few people already standing on the boardwalk, gawking at the gallows. “More than a few lost their breakfast.”

  “I’ve never seen a hanging, and I’m not looking forward to this one. Colin has spread the word to keep the MacLarens at Circle M today.” Someone from Brodie’s family rode to town several times a week for supplies, to check for mail, or send a telegram.

  At the mention of the MacLarens, Sam’s thoughts turned to Jinny, Brodie’s younger sister. The vivacious blonde-haired young woman had intrigued him from the first moment they met. Not beautiful in the way of the society women he knew back east, but beautiful in her own way. Her deep blue eyes always seemed to dance with mischief. Her fair skin, with a smattering of freckles, gave her a wholesome appearance he’d call pretty or cute, although he expected she wouldn’t like either description. Sam knew she considered herself a grown woman, and at almost twenty, as much as he wanted to deny it, she was right.

  Not long ago, her closest friend, Emma Pearce, married Quinn MacLaren, Jinny’s cousin. Seeing her at the wedding, Sam had found it impossible not to stare or think about what a future with her in his life would be like. There were two problems with the dream. First, her brother was his boss. Courting her would add complications to her life and his. Second, he’d already tried love and failed. He wasn’t anxious to repeat the mistake.

  “Sam, I’d like you and Nate to find a few men who’d be willing to stand under the scaffolding. They’ll be responsible for knocking out the two supports.”

  “We can do it, Brodie.”

  “Nae, Sam. I want you and Nate to keep watch on the crowd, make sure there aren’t any wee ones running loose who might see it. At the trial, none of the boys spoke of kin or what brought them to Conviction, so it’s doubtful we’ll be faced with grieving widows or mothers.”

  “Where do you want us?”

  “You’ll be on the main street up near my house, Nate. Sam, I want you at the other end, toward the river. Jack, you’ll be helping me bring the prisoners from the jail and up the platform. Their hands will already be bound. When we get them in place, I’ll put hoods over each of their heads. No sense having the crowd watch that part.”

  Sam’s gaze wandered up and down the structure, a shiver running through him. “Who’s releasing the drop sections?”

  “I’m the sheriff, so it’s up to me.” The dread in his voice told them how much he didn’t look forward to this part of the job. Executing cold-blooded killers was one thing. Hanging three young men who’d made a horrendous mistake was something else, an action Brodie would remember for the rest of his life. “For now, get yourselves some coffee, then meet me at the jail.”

  Sam turned to Nate. “Let’s go to the Gold Dust. I’ll buy breakfast.”

  Walking alongside his friend, Nate knew it wouldn’t be a simple meal. His fellow deputy would ask questions, try to figure out what had happened over the last few months. How could he explain it to Sam when he didn’t understand the way his body betrayed him? After such a long time, he thought the pain would’ve receded. Instead, it had intensified to the point he could hardly sleep and didn’t care about food, his work, or much else.

  Taking a seat across from Sam, Nate took off his hat, placing it on the seat next to him. They ordered breakfast and coffee, then sat in silence until Sam spoke.

  “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

  Nate scrubbed a hand down his face, not meeting Sam’s intense stare. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Let me rephrase it. You look like you’ve been dragged by a spooked horse. You’ve lost weight, your eyes are bloodshot, and you forget simple stuff, like your work.” Leaning forward, Sam rested his arms on the table. “You want to try again?”

  The place where Nate’s left hand should’ve been throbbed. If he didn’t get it taken care of soon, he’d be no good to anybody. Neither alcohol nor laudanum, which used to deaden the pain, worked. He’d found just one remedy, and it wasn’t found in Doc Vickery’s clinic.

  Thanking the server as she placed their food down, he dug in, feigning interest in the eggs and bacon. Picking up his cup, he took a swallow, still avoiding Sam’s questioning gaze.

  “Brodie isn’t going to be able to dismiss what’s happening to you for much longer. He�
�s already mentioned his concern, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s the next one to ask questions.”

  Nate stopped chewing, set down his fork, and sat back. “I’ve been doing my job.”

  “Sure, if one of us makes sure you’re out of bed. Do you have any idea how many times Jack, Brodie, or I have had to almost break into your room to make sure you were all right?” Seeing the blank expression on Nate’s face, he let out a sigh. “Six or seven times…at least. Before whatever is going on started, we never worried about you showing up on time, with a full stomach, ready to do your job. Now…” Sam shook his head, glancing out the window to see Brodie emerge from the jail. Shifting his attention back to Nate, he pushed away his plate. “I’d like to help if you’ll let me.”

  Nate considered confiding in Sam, seeking help from a man he trusted. The sound of Brodie’s voice stopped him.

  “It’s time. The crowd is growing, more people riding in. Jack is in the jail with the prisoners, as is Reverend Andrews.”

  Sam’s eyes widened as he stood. “The reverend, huh?”

  “The lads asked for him.” Brodie shook his head. “Nothing about this feels right to me. I know they killed Bob and we’re doing our job. Still, it doesn’t sit right. Nothing to do now but get it over with.”

  All three sets of eyes scanned the street as they stepped out of the Gold Dust and onto the boardwalk.

  Sam’s face stilled when his gaze settled on a group of riders, Colin and Quinn in the lead. “I thought you told your family to stay away.”

  Brodie’s head whipped in the direction Sam stared. Cursing under his breath, he moved toward the group, Sam right beside him. “Nate, stay at this end of town,” he called over his shoulder as they made their way through the already crowded boardwalk. Reaching his family, Brodie and Sam stood in the street, blocking their progress. “What are you doing here?” His cousins didn’t miss his stern expression and hard voice.

  Colin sighed, glancing over his shoulder at several members of the MacLaren family, including Jinny. “They were determined to come, with or without Quinn and me.”

  Sam moved past the men, heading straight for Jinny. Gripping the reins of her horse, he glared up at her. “You shouldn’t be here. This isn’t a party, and certainly not a place for ladies.”