Chapter 11 - The Fire at Mercer Ranch
Hannah read the certificate twice.
Bride: Hannah Reed.
Groom: Cyrus Reed.
Her stomach turned.
“This is impossible.”
Crane nodded.
“It was filed yesterday.”
Jacob's expression became murderous.
“He forged it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Daniel examined the document.
“To control her property.”
A legal marriage would be impossible for obvious reasons if Cyrus's relationship as uncle were proven.
But Hannah's birth records had vanished.
Without them, Cyrus intended to claim “Reed” was coincidence and that Hannah had voluntarily married him before leaving.
“It won't stand,” Nathan said.
“It doesn't have to,” Daniel answered. “It only needs to delay Hannah's legal marriage and freeze the land.”
Cyrus wanted time.
Time to destroy the remaining evidence.
They secured the ranch.
That night, Hannah woke smelling smoke.
Fire.
The barn was burning again.
Then the porch.
“Jacob!”
Everyone ran.
Flames climbed the house.
The children escaped.
Elizabeth escaped.
Daniel and Nathan escaped.
Hannah counted.
“Ruth?”
Silence.
“Ruth!”
She ran upstairs.
Jacob followed.
They found Ruth beneath her bed.
Smoke filled the room.
Jacob carried her.
The staircase collapsed.
They were trapped.
Hannah smashed the window.
Nathan stood below.
“Jump!”
Jacob lowered Ruth.
Nathan caught her.
Hannah went next.
Then Jacob.
The roof collapsed seconds later.
They watched the Mercer house burn.
Years of Jacob's life vanished.
Mary's belongings.
The children's rooms.
Everything.
Jacob stood silently.
Hannah took his hand.
“We're alive.”
He nodded.
But she understood.
Sometimes survival still hurt.
At dawn they found tracks.
Cyrus.
He had burned the ranch.
Samuel stared at the ruins.
“I hate him.”
Hannah knelt.
“So do I.”
“Is that bad?”
“No.”
Samuel looked surprised.
“You don't have to lie about what you feel. You only have to decide what you do with it.”
He leaned against her.
For the first time, he whispered:
“Ma would've liked you.”
Hannah cried then.
Not loudly.
Jacob saw.
He turned away to give her privacy.
That made her love him more.
They moved temporarily into the bunkhouse.
Neighbors arrived.
Then more.
People Hannah barely knew brought lumber, blankets, food.
By afternoon twenty men were rebuilding fencing.
Women brought clothing for the children.
One elderly rancher approached Jacob.
“Heard what Reed did.”
Jacob nodded.
“We'll rebuild.”
The man shook his head.
“No. We will.”
By sunset the yard was filled with neighbors.
Cyrus had spent years making people afraid.
Now fear was changing sides.
The next morning, a woman arrived.
Her name was Abigail Turner.
She had been number thirty-four in Thomas Bell's ledger.
Then another came.
Number forty-one.
Then another.
Women Cyrus had sold, coerced or defrauded.
They were ready to testify.
Hannah realized the ledger wasn't simply evidence.
It was a map of survivors.
By June, Cyrus could no longer hide.
But he could still hurt them.
Nathan found his camp.
Jacob wanted to join the posse.
Hannah stopped him.
“Our wedding is tomorrow.”
“Exactly.”
“If you chase Cyrus tonight, he's still choosing what happens to us.”
Jacob stared at her.
“So what do you suggest?”
“We get married.”
His mouth almost smiled.
“In the burned house?”
“In the yard.”
“With no roof?”
“I've had enough roofs people could lock me beneath.”
So the wedding continued.
The next afternoon, neighbors gathered among the half-built walls.
Hannah wore a simple green dress.
Ruth placed wildflowers in her hair.
Samuel stood beside Jacob.
Reverend Crane opened his Bible.
Then hoofbeats sounded.
Every man reached for a weapon.
A rider approached.
Not Cyrus.
The sheriff.
He dismounted.
“I need Hannah Reed.”
Jacob stepped forward.
Hannah touched his arm.
“My choice.”
She approached.
The sheriff removed his hat.
“We found Cyrus.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In the old mine.”
Hannah frowned.
“We searched it.”
“He wasn't hiding.”
“What was he doing?”
The sheriff looked disturbed.
“Digging.”
“For what?”
“A body.”
Hannah's skin prickled.
“Whose?”
The sheriff held out a pocket watch.
Daniel saw it.
His face turned white.
“No.”
Hannah looked at him.
“What?”
Daniel took the watch.
“My brother's.”
Hannah stared.
“You had a brother?”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“One.”
“What was his name?”
Before he could answer, Elizabeth dropped her bouquet.
She whispered:
“Jacob.”
May you like
Everyone turned toward Jacob Mercer.
And nobody understood why...
