Reckoning on the Ranger’s Path (Preview)

Chapter One

Grover Parsons smiled to himself as he rode along the familiar dirt road that would lead him all the way to Henderson. He knew these roads like the back of his hand. Henderson was where he grew up and where most of his warmest memories were made.

It was about a five-hour ride on horseback from Nacogdoches, the town he now called home, but he didn’t mind. Grover loved seeing his family and made the trip often. This time around, it was a special occasion. His older brother, Jessie, was turning twenty-seven, and Grover was returning to the ranch for his birthday celebrations.

Grover and Jessie kept in touch as much as they could. With only two years separating them, they had grown up together and shared almost everything. There were some things they couldn’t share, though, and as they’d grown older, Grover had come to learn them the hard way.

The first thing that was Jessie’s and would never be Grover’s was the family ranch. Their father was still healthy and relatively active, but when it came time for him to retire, the ranch would go to Jessie since he was the oldest. Grover had known that for as long as he could remember. It hadn’t come as a surprise, and he had long since accepted it. Growing up, Grover had always admired his Uncle Steve, who had been a lawman. At the age of eight, he’d decided that he would not only become a lawman when he grew up, but that he would be a sheriff.

Grover’s determination and physical prowess had paid off—after only a couple of years, he had been promoted to sheriff of Nacogdoches. He held no jealousy toward Jessie for inheriting the ranch, but there was something his brother had that Grover envied him for.

That was the second thing they couldn’t share. Julia Fowler was only a year younger than Grover and, having lived on the same street all their lives, they had grown up together. The three of them, along with Julia’s younger sister Lillian, had had a lot of fun together. Grover had eventually come to realize that he liked Julia as much more than a friend—but so had Jessie.

Grover shook the thoughts from his head. Julia and Jessie were together, and they never had to know that he had any kind of romantic feeling for her. They were going to be happy together and he was going to be happy for them.

It was hot out even though it was still early in the year. Spring in Texas was like summer anywhere else. Grover had taken two days off from work to attend his brother’s birthday celebration, and during that time, his deputy would take care of the town. Nacogdoches was a relatively peaceful town, and Grover was certain the young man he had been training could handle things in his absence.

Grabbing his canteen, Grover drank deeply. The last thing he wanted was to get dehydrated. He was planning on having fun at Jessie’s party. Jessie had always been the more spontaneous one out of the two of them and had gotten them into a lot of trouble. Never anything horrible, but where Grover was serious, Jessie was a prankster. He was, however, clever, and he had a good head on his shoulders. He would run the ranch without fault and be a dedicated husband to Julia.

Grover always felt a sense of calm wash over him when he entered Henderson. It was a close-knit community. Everybody knew each other, and even those who preferred to stay to themselves were friendly enough. It felt like home, but it wasn’t his anymore. Nacogdoches had been his home for the last four years and although it didn’t have the same feel to it as Henderson, he had come to like it well enough.

The Parsons’ ranch was one of the biggest in town. Grover’s great grandfather had built it from the ground up and it had been in their family ever since. Next to it, on the right, was the Stewarts’ farm, and then there were a few houses, one of which belonged to the Fowlers.

As Grover made his way through the front gates of his family’s ranch, he could already see at least a dozen buggies and even more horses. His family had always been well-liked amongst the townsfolk, and it looked like most of them had shown up for Jessie’s birthday party.

Grover brought Thunder to a stop and tied the horse to one of the hitching posts at the front of the house, using a long rope to give his stallion enough space to graze and drink while he attended the party. Thunder had been good to him and in return, Grover treated his horse like family.

Once that was done, Grover retrieved a small satchel from his saddle bag, slipped it into the pocket of his jeans, and made his way around to the back where he knew he would find the festivities.

Music and laughter filled the air as Grover walked toward the barn that had been transformed into a celebration venue on many occasions. Outside, children ran around, chasing each other and playing with the dogs. Grover watched them for a moment. He couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever have any of his own. Being a father seemed like an important achievement to a lot of men, but Grover saw no point in having children just for the sake of having them. It was more important for him to find a woman he adored. Then he would consider starting a family.

“There you are,” a gruff voice said. “Been wondering when you were going to show up.”

Grover pulled his eyes away from the playing children and focused on the man approaching him.

“Good to see you, Pa.” He smiled, opening his arms and accepting his father’s greeting embrace. His family had always been affectionate, and a handshake wouldn’t cut it after they hadn’t seen each other for weeks.

His father stepped out of the hug and looked him up and down. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” Grover replied with a chuckle. “I might not have a wife, but I’ve been eating well.”

His father returned his smile. “Well, you do look healthy enough.”

Grover placed his arm around his father’s wide shoulders. The man was reaching retiring age, but he was still fit as a fiddle. The only signs of age that were creeping in were the strands of gray in his otherwise dark hair and the wrinkles around his eyes. “Talking about food.” Grover led his father into the barn. “I’m sure Mom made some of her famous fruitcake.”

The barn was decorated cheerfully, just like Grover knew it would be. There were flowers everywhere, bright tablecloths, lanterns, and enough food to feed a whole village. In the corner, a band was playing, and all around him people were talking and laughing. He recognized all of them but one stood out. Standing off to the side, talking to his mother, was Julia. She looked even more beautiful than usual, and Grover’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest at the sight of her.

“There’s your mother.” Grover’s father pointed toward the two women. “She’s been so excited to see you.”

Grover followed his father over to them. He was happy to see his mother too, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Julia. She was dressed in a light blue dress that showed off her voluptuous figure, and her blonde hair, although tied up, was a shade lighter than the last time he had seen her. During the summer, she spent hours outside tending to the garden, which allowed the sun to bleach her hair. The lighter her hair became, the brighter her blue eyes shone. It almost hurt to look at her.

“Ma,” Grover greeted, pulling his eyes away from the woman who had captured his heart.

“Oh, my sweet boy.” His mother’s face lit up. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Grover wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her tightly. She was a short and chubby woman with the warmest smile. “It’s good to see you, too.”

His mother held onto him for a while before taking a step back, but Grover didn’t mind. She gave the best hugs.

“Julia, how have you been?” Grover greeted as he turned to face her.

“Well, thank you,” she replied with a voice that sounded more melodic to his ears than the music that was playing. “How about you? It feels like forever since last we spoke.”

It sure did, and that was his fault. He’d been going out of his way to avoid her whenever he came to visit. Seeing her with Jessie wasn’t easy.

“I’ve been busy.” It wasn’t a complete lie, just not the reason they hadn’t been in contact as much as they used to be. “I’ve promoted one of our lawmen to deputy and got in a few new recruits.”

Julia took a step closer to him. She had always been interested in his career. “Oh, that sounds interesting. I’d like to hear about it.”

Grover wanted nothing more than to lead her aside and tell her all about his life, but instead, he did the opposite.

“Maybe later,” he said with a smile. “I still have a lot of people to greet, and I haven’t even seen my big brother.”

“Of course,” Julia agreed. Grover could swear he heard a hint of disappointment in her voice, but it was probably wishful thinking on his part. “We’ll talk some more later. I’d love to tell you about the new kids in my class.”

Grover nodded and made an escape. There was a big table off to the side, so that was where he went first. He poured himself a drink, took a big sip, and searched the barn for Jessie. He found him talking to Julia’s parents. The Fowlers were good people, but they had always liked Jessie more than him.

As Grover approached, Jessie noticed him and quickly excused himself before rushing over. The two of them were alike in many ways. They had the same dark hair and were similar in height. Jessie was lean and had their mother’s green eyes, opposed to Grover’s more muscular build and dark eyes.

“Little brother!” Jessie exclaimed as he threw his arms around Grover in a bear hug.

Grover was younger but not little by any means. He didn’t mind the sentiment, though. Jessie had always called him that and probably always would.

“Big brother,” Grover said with a chuckle, returning the hug. It was always nice to see him. They were as close as two people could be. Grover knew for a fact that Jessie told him absolutely everything, and as far as Jessie was concerned, Grover did too. That was why Grover could never tell Jessie about his feelings for Julia.

If it was a new development, he could simply say he was waiting for the right time, but it had been years. Grover had planned on telling Jessie and asking him for advice, but before he could do so, Jessie had confessed his own feelings for Julia. After that, Grover simply couldn’t tell his brother.

At first, he’d tried to convince himself that it wasn’t a big deal, that Jessie would soon find somebody he liked more. Jessie had been infatuated with many girls before, and Grover had thought he would wait for Jessie’s infatuation to blow over and then he would be free to make his move, but that never happened. Instead, Jessie had shared his feelings with Julia, who had seemed all too happy about the development.

Irritated with himself, Grover did his best to push his jealousy aside. He was there to celebrate Jessie’s birthday, not wallow in his own misery.

“How about we get some drinks and catch up?” Jessie asked as he stepped out of the hug and wrapped an arm around Grover’s shoulder.

“That sounds like a great plan,” Grover agreed. He needed to let loose and have some fun.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly, and Grover did in fact have a good time. Of course, he avoided Julia as much as possible without coming across as rude and danced with her younger sister, Lillian, instead. Jessie had once asked Grover how he felt about Lillian, but he’d quickly put a stop to that idea. Lillian was and had always been a good friend, but he had no romantic feelings for her.

Once most of the guests had gone home, Grover made his way to his old bedroom. It still looked the same as it did before he left. His parents and Jessie always insisted that he had a home there if he ever decided to return. But they knew as well as he did that he never would.

From outside, Grover heard voices, and since he wasn’t all that tired, he walked to the window and peeked out from his room on the second floor. Down below, he saw two figures walking side by side, holding hands. Julia’s light hair glistened under the moonlight and Jessie’s laughter echoed on the wind. They looked happy.

Chapter Two

Grover woke to the sound of birds chirping and the smell of pancakes and bacon. It was still dark, so he lit the lantern that stood on the bedside table, got dressed, and headed downstairs. His father sat at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, and his mother was busy at the coal stove.

“You’re up early,” his mother stated as she turned to look at him. “You could have slept in.”

“Oh no,” Grover replied, sitting down next to his father. “I have to get back home. I can’t leave Deputy Morris alone for too long.”

“I’m sure they can manage a couple days without you.” His father took a sip of his coffee. “It feels like we don’t get to see you at all anymore.”

Grover felt bad for not coming to visit as often as he used to, but what with being sheriff and training the new men, he just didn’t have as much free time as before.

“Once things settle down back home, you’ll see more of me,” he told them, although he wasn’t sure if they would. He loved Jessie more than anybody in the world, but seeing his brother with the woman he loved was proving more difficult than he’d ever anticipated. Maybe if he found somebody back home to court, things would be easier and they could all visit more often.

“Here you go.” Grover’s mother placed two plates on the table, one in front of him and one in front of his father. “I’ll warm Jessie’s when he wakes up.”

“No need,” a voice said from the doorway, and Grover turned to see his brother. “My head hurts but I can’t sleep in when my little brother is here.”

Grover smiled and shook his head. “Had one too many whiskies?”

“More like four,” Jessie replied with a chuckle as he slouched down in the chair next to Grover. “But it’s not every day I get to celebrate my birthday.”

“True.” Grover laughed at his brother but was thankful that he had stopped at two drinks. There were few things more horrible than a hangover.

Their mother placed two more plates stacked with pancakes, bacon, and fruit on the table and took her seat next to their father. It was nice to have breakfast with his family.

Sometimes, Grover missed the way things were before he moved away, but he didn’t regret his decision. He liked being sheriff of Nacogdoches and had made a good life for himself. He might not have gotten the girl, but his work kept him busy, and he was proud to do his part in keeping the people of Texas safe.

After breakfast, Grover helped his mother clear the table before announcing that it was time for him to go. He quickly said his goodbyes and headed out to Thunder.

Jessie fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as he walked next to him.

“What’s going on?” Grover asked, turning to his brother. “You only fidget like that when you’re nervous.”

Jessie let out a laugh before tucking his hands in his pockets. “I guess I am nervous.”

Grover tilted his head to the side. “Why?” he asked with a raised brow.

“I’m going to ask Julia to marry me.”

The world around Grover came to a stand-still as his brother’s words sank in.

“Grover?”

Jessie’s voice broke through Grover’s momentary lapse of pretense. “That’s great,” Grover replied with a fake smile. “I’m happy for you.”

“So you think she’ll say yes?” Jessie asked.

Grover had no doubt that she would. “I sure do, and I’d love to hear about it when I come visit again, but I’ve really got to get going.”

“Of course.” Jessie removed his hands from his pockets and gave Grover a hug. “I just wanted you to be the first to know.”

***

Grover tried hard to calm himself down as he rode back home, but all he could think about was Jessie and Julia. He loved them both and hated himself for the jealousy he felt. To distract himself, Grover made his way to his office as soon as he got back home.

The locals greeted him happily as he made his way down the main road, and he greeted each of them in return. The secret to being a good sheriff and keeping the peace was to know everybody who lived in town. Grover knew some better than others, but the fact that he cared enough to know them made the them feel more comfortable.

Deputy Morris was sitting on the rocking chair on the front porch but got up as soon as he saw Grover. “How was your trip?”

“Good,” Grover replied, bringing Thunder to a stop. He didn’t want to talk about it, so he changed the subject. “How’s things around here?”

“Quiet,” Morris replied. “There was a scuffle at the saloon last night, but I sorted it out real quick.”

“What happened?” Drunk men got into fights all the time. It wasn’t a big deal, but it was something to keep his mind off of his own problems.

“Carl and Burt had a little too much to drink, nothing unusual.”

Grover tilted his head to the side. “Fighting about the border of their properties again?”

“The age-old debate,” Morris confirmed with a chuckle. “They slept it off in one of the cells and I sent them on their way this morning.”

“Anything else?”

“Not a thing. We did our patrols and kept the office open like you asked.”

“Thanks, Morris. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”
A big smile formed on Deputy Morris’s face. “You sure, boss?”

“Yes, go on home and have dinner with your family. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

Grover busied himself by going to check on Carl and Burt, who he found having a whiskey together on Burt’s front porch. The two were good friends but got into it every once in a while. There were a few other troublemakers in town, too, but nobody that Grover would consider a serious problem. Once he had spoken to the two men, he stayed at the office much later than needed.

That was how the next couple of days went. Grover took care of the people and did his best not to think about Jessie and Julia. Things were going relatively well, except for the jealousy that kept on creeping in, until late one afternoon.

“There’s a messenger here to see you,” Morris said, peeking into Grover’s office.

“I’ll be right out.” Grover closed the book he was making notes in and headed into the reception area.

“Are you Sheriff Grover Parsons?” the messenger asked.

“I am,” Grover replied, wondering who would have sent a messenger. It must be something important if they’d chosen to send a messenger instead of writing. Maybe one of the neighboring towns had a problem they needed help with.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” the messenger said, lowering his eyes. “Your brother, Jessie Parsons, has sadly passed away. He was shot during a bank robbery.”

Grover’s blood went cold. “You must be mistaken.”

“No, sir,” the messenger replied. “The sheriff of Henderson and your parents sent me. They wanted you to know as soon as possible. It happened this morning.”

Grover reached out and steadied himself against the reception desk. His legs felt weak underneath him as his heart raced in his chest.

“Is there anything you would like me to tell them, sir?”

Grover tried to speak but no words came out. Slowly he lowered himself to the ground.

“Grover,” Morris said, crouching down beside him.

Grover looked up at his deputy and then to the messenger. “Tell them I’ll be there soon.”

The messenger nodded his head and promptly left the building.

Chapter Three

Grover sat like that on the floor for a long time. His mind reeled and his stomach spun as he fought the bile that rose in his throat. He had seen Jessie only a few short days ago, and now his brother was dead. It didn’t seem real.

“Grover, let me help you up,” Morris said, holding out a hand to him.

He couldn’t just sit there, so he reached up for the extended hand.

“I have to go.” Grover’s mouth felt dry and his body shaky. “Will you be all right here without me?”

Morris nodded. “Yes, we’ve got this. You take as long as you need.”

“Thanks, Morris,” Grover replied, his voice catching in his throat. “I’ll just be on my way, then.”

Nothing felt real as Grover made his way home, packed his bag, and headed to Henderson. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around what was happening. The idea that his brother was gone was mind-boggling, and on top of that, the guilt was killing him. Grover had spent the last couple of days feeling sorry for himself in a fit of jealousy, and although Jessie would never know, he felt horrible about it.

The hours it took to reach his family’s ranch felt like a lifetime, and by the time he reached it, the sun had set. He could see the lights on in the kitchen and living room as he approached. His family wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night. Outside, only a few feet from the front door, stood a buggy he knew well. It belonged to the Fowlers. Jessie’s death must have broken Julia’s heart into a million pieces.

The front door opened before he could even knock. His father stood there, looking like he had been through war. His usually neat hair was disheveled, his shirt was untucked on one side, and his dark eyes were rimmed with red. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out.

Grover didn’t need him to say anything, though. The look on his face was more than enough. Without saying anything, Grover embraced his father, and for a minute they simply stood like that.

“Grover,” came his mother’s voice and he stepped out of the hug with his father, only to hug his mother.

“I’m here, Ma,” he said, knowing that no words would help her aching heart.

“Come on in, I’ll make you some coffee.” His mother looked almost worse than his father, but she was still taking care of them.

Grover and his father followed her into the living and sat down on the davenport. Across from them, on a single-seater couch, sat Julia, holding on to one of Jessie’s coats.

Not long after Grover arrived, his mother walked Julia to Jessie’s bedroom. She had asked if she could sleep there for the night and, given the circumstances, Grover’s parents had agreed. Once she had turned in, Grover’s father explained to him what they knew about Jessie’s death.

He had been at the bank to make a deposit when an armed man came storming in. The bandit had demanded that the clerks give him all the money they had and then went around collecting the money as well as valuable possessions from the people who had been caught inside.

Mrs. Rosenbloom, an elderly woman who they all knew and loved, had refused to hand over the ring her husband had given her years before, and the bandit had gotten violent with her. Jessie had stepped in to protect her, and for his bravery, he had taken two bullets. He had bled out before help had arrived, and the bandit had taken off with all the money and valuables.

“Did nobody try to stop him?” Grover asked, frustrated.

“He was shooting off rounds in all directions to clear an escape path,” his father replied with a sigh. “It all happened within a matter of minutes. By the time Sheriff Monroe got there, he was already gone.”

Grover wasn’t happy with his father’s explanation. The sheriff and the people of Henderson should have done more. He refrained from speaking his mind, though. His parents were already upset, and he didn’t want to make things worse. He would speak to Sheriff Monroe himself to find out what they were doing to catch the son of a bitch who killed his brother.

***

The whole town showed up for Jessie’s funeral, including Sheriff Monroe. Grover didn’t want to cause a scene, so he decided to speak to him later.

Everybody wanted to tell him how sorry they were, and out of respect, he listened to their words and thanked them. It was nice to know that people cared, but none of it helped to relieve him from the pain he felt.

Unable to take it any longer, Grover excused himself from the crowd and headed to one of the outside rooms he had seen Julia disappear into. The room had previously been used as staff quarters but had been vacant for a while. Peeking inside, he saw Julia sitting on the ground, crying and sniffling.

A part of him urged him to turn around and leave, but he couldn’t do it. Instead, he softly knocked on the door to let her know he was there and stepped inside.

“Grover,” she whispered as she wiped at her eyes.

“Mind if I join you?”

Julia shook her head. “Not at all.”

Grover sat next to her, keeping a reasonable space between them. “How are you holding up?”

“Not so good,” Julia replied with a sad smile. “Did you know he proposed to me?”

“I knew he wanted to,” Grover replied. “He told me the day after his birthday party.”

Julia held out her hand so Grover could see the ring on her finger. It was beautiful, just like her.

“He was always the better one of us,” Grover told her. “This shouldn’t have happened to him.”

“No, it shouldn’t have,” Julia agreed. “But don’t sell yourself short.”

Grover smiled at her attempt to make him feel better. “He would have been a great husband and father, just like he was a great brother.”

“He told me he wanted six kids,” Julia said with a sad giggle. “Can you believe that?”

“Six, huh?” That was a lot of kids. “What about you?”

“I was still trying to convince him that two or three were more than enough. Spending most of my days teaching young children at school, I know how difficult it is to take care of one, never mind six.”

Grover spent the next half-hour sitting in the outside room with Julia, talking about Jessie. They laughed and they cried, the way old friends could comfortably do with each other.

After a while, it was time for him to go. The funeral was over, and it was time he had a talk with Sheriff Monroe. Knowing what had happened to Jessie wasn’t good enough. He wanted details. His parents were still talking to some of their friends who had stayed behind, and Julia had gone home with her parents. Nobody noticed when he left.

“I was waiting for you,” Sheriff Monroe said as Grover entered his office.

“You were?”

“Of course. I knew you’d come to talk to me,” Monroe replied. “Have a seat.”

Grover didn’t feel like pleasantries but sat down nonetheless. He was more likely to get the information he needed if he behaved himself. He had no intention of beating around the bush, though.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“The man who shot and killed your brother is Lee Rollins.” Monroe handed him a wanted poster. “He’s wanted for numerous bank robberies and the murder of two other men.”

Grover looked at the picture in his hand. He’d never seen the man before, but he hated him with a passion. “What have you done to find him?”

“I’ve been in contact with the sheriffs of all our neighboring towns. They know what happened and assured me they will help in our pursuit to catch him.”

“So you’re going after him?”

“I’m not. I have to take care of my town, but we’ve got people all overlooking for him. He can’t run forever. At some point, he’ll have to stop at a town for supplies. We’ll catch him.”

Grover knew how it worked since he was a sheriff himself. Every now and then, he’d receive messages from neighboring towns reporting crimes that had been committed. Along with the message, he would receive a picture of the outlaw who had done the crime. The picture would go on the wanted wall and he would inform his men of what had happened. They would be extra vigilant and keep an eye out for the criminal, or sometimes a gang. They hardly ever saw them, and Grover had always been thankful for that fact.