Colin's Quest by Shirleen Davies Page A

your actions better.”
    Wes whirled on Walt. “What do you mean?”
    Taking a few steps backward, Walt braced himself. “I heard a couple of the men talking about seeing you with her the night Fergus rode to Slade.”
    “Other than us having supper, they couldn’t have seen anything.” Wes crossed his arms, thinking back. He had gone into her room hours after eating, knowing his pa wouldn’t return for two days. No one could possibly have seen him.
    “You certain about that? From what I heard, they saw more than two people sharing a meal.”
    “They’re trying to stir up trouble. Who are they?” Wes demanded. He’d make certain they never spoke of it again.
    “It don’t matter. I already told ‘em you’d be furious hearing their lies and to keep their mouths shut. They got the message. I’m telling you, you’re playing a fool’s game.”
    Two years older than Wes, Rhoda had caught Fergus’s attention, snaring him into marriage. Fergus got a young wife, while she got access to his fortune—as well as his son, a fact Wes’s pa knew nothing about.
    “I’ll live my life the way I want with no interference from you. Fact is, she’s mine whenever I want her, and there’s nothing Pa can do about it.”
    “You sure about that?” Walt shot back. “Seems to me he can cut you off anytime he wants, leaving it all to her. He could also kill you. You better think long and hard about what you’re doing.” Turning his back to Wes, he pulled a cheroot from his pocket, lighting it as he walked away.
    Watching Walt leave, he thought of the warning, knowing his friend was right. His father had a temper matched by few men. He’d seen him give orders for men to hang, shot his fair share, and treated people with a brutality hard to comprehend. Wes knew if Fergus ever found out about the time spent with his young wife, he wouldn’t just cut him out of his will. Son or not, he’d kill him.
    Taking a wife, removing the lure of his stepma, had now become a priority. Wes had just one woman in mind and he’d find a way to win her hand, no matter her feelings for another man.

    “Take your seats, children.” Sarah stood at the front of the class, watching as boys and girls scrambled to their seats. Within minutes, they sat silent, their hands clasped on top of each desk, staring at her with wide eyes. Touching the brooch for luck, she offered a warm smile to her students. “I’m Miss MacGregor, and I’m your new teacher.”
    “Good morning, Miss MacGregor,” an older girl sitting near the back said, followed by a chorus of good mornings.
    “It will take some time to get to know your names, so we’ll start now. I’d like each of you to stand, tell me your name and the names of your parents, and how old you are.”
    The students were quick to do as she asked until one young boy at the back stood, his gaze focused on the desk in front of him. He didn’t speak a word, his face lifting, eyes wary and frightened.
    Sarah saw the boy’s distress and walked up to him, crouching low, speaking in a soft voice. “And what is your name?”
    “He’s new. He doesn’t have a name,” the child next to him said. “Doesn’t have parents, either.”
    Her heart clenched. She knew children like him existed, but her life on the ranch separated her from the realities of much of town life.
    “Is it true? You have no name?”
    Shaking his head, he fidgeted, and Sarah could see he fought the urge to run.
    “All right. Tell me what name you want to use and it will be so.”
    Big, round eyes lifted to hers. “Jamie.” He whispered it so low, she almost missed it.
    “Good.” She stood, looking at the rest of the students. “I’d like to introduce Jamie. Please say hello to him.”
    She kept an eye on him all day, through his time outside and while he studied. Not once did she see him around other children, nor did he try to join in their games. While outside, he’d sit alone on a stump, watching. When the others opened