The McEllis Boys

Chapter One

Chapter One

Wyoming

June 1875

"Cav, bring them cattle 'round this way." Cavanaugh McEllis responded to the order by quickly riding around the unruly herd and cracking his whip. He called out, getting the beasts' attention to start them moving in the right direction.

"Get around there now." he urged. As the cattle fell into step with the rest of the herd, Cav pulled up on the paint's reins and dug around in his pocket until he found the cigarette he knew he had stuffed in there this morning. Smoking was prohibited at the bunkhouse of the Biggley ranch and so he had to take the opportunity to light up out here while he could.

"You know if Lara Biggley caught you doin' that you'd be in a heap of trouble and get one hell of a lecture." LeRoy warned with a snicker as he rode up beside him. The group of five men were moving the cattle to the south pasture for grazing and the June sun was hot as it beat down on their sweaty backs.

Cav just shrugged and lit the rolled tobacco and paper anyway.

"Lara wouldn't lecture him." Hal countered as he rode past them to get around the other side of the meandering cattle. "She's in love with our boy Cav."

"I ain't interested in Lara." Cav grumbled, rubbing his hand over the leather chaps on his aching left thigh.

"Or any other woman for that matter." LeRoy countered with a laugh. Cav just shrugged and continued to smoke as he squinted into the sunlight. These men didn't know his past. They only knew that he had come to the Biggely ranch three years ago and was a hard worker with a limp who didn't talk about himself.

They didn't know about the three graves he had left behind him or the bullet that had caused the lameness in his left leg.

"Rider coming in fast." LeRoy stated, pointing over the plains. Cav's hand immediately went to the .45 Colt on his hip but he relaxed when he realized it was Ben Biggely. The bosses thirteen year old son.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" LeRoy asked with a grin as Ben pulled his horse to a stop, panting from the fast pace he must have maintained while riding out here.

"Got a letter for you, Cavanaugh. It just showed up and it says it's urgent. I knew you wouldn't be back to the bunkhouse til tomorrow and..."

"You read it?" Cav asked with a frown as he jerked the opened envelope from Ben's hand.

"No, Lara did." Ben replied. Cav cursed. Damn that seventeen year old girl and her foolish obsession with him. Cav pulled the letter from the envelope and scanned it quickly.

A lump lodged in his throat and his heart seemed to cease beating. He mumbled a quick, 'I gotta go' and thundered away from the shocked men as if the hounds of hell themselves were nipping at his heels.

***

Dodge City Kansas

June 1875

Jamison McEllis awoke to the feel of lips on his bare shoulder. He moaned as he looked over his shoulder and saw Hallie smiling coyly at him, her red hair falling across her pale, freckled shoulders.

"Good morning, Marshall." she purred. Jamison rolled quickly and pulled her into his arms. Hallie's green eyes slipped closed as he placed a soft kiss to her lips and then she groaned as he pulled away and rose from the bed.

Jamison could feel her eyes on him as he hunted for his clothes and slipped them on. He sat on the edge of the bed to pull on his boots and Hallie's arms slipped around his neck.