An Outlaw's Silence (manxman)(second story in The Crane Gang series)

Chapter One

***Chapter One***

Wyatt took a long slow drink from his canteen before dropping it back into his saddlebag and patting his roan mare's neck. It was hot. He glanced over at Craig but it was clear the man was distracted. He'd been distracted quite a bit lately—something about a woman in a nearby town.

Wyatt snapped his fingers to get the other man's attention. 'You okay?' he mouthed when Craig glanced his way.

Craig nodded, a smile curving his lips. "Just fine. Getting ready to call it a night though. I'd like to spend some time in town tonight."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. Of course Craig would. He spent all his time in town lately. Wyatt tried not to let it bother him. It wasn't as if Craig was ignoring him. He always tried to get Wyatt to come along but Wyatt hated towns.

Sure, Gill had taught him to fight back but that didn't mean Wyatt liked to fight. And every trip into town led to whispers about the dumb colored man who couldn't talk. He hated crowds. Hated not quite belonging the way everyone else seemed to.

Wyatt waved him away and Craig clicked his tongue. "You oughta come into town tonight, Wyatt. There's a few new girls and you might just find one you like."

Wyatt shook his head at the invitation. Craig sighed. "Alright then. I guess I oughta know better than to ask." The disappointment was plain to see in Craig's green eyes. Wyatt simply picked at a tear in his trousers. He and his best friend seemed to be drifting farther and farther apart lately. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Wyatt."

Wyatt watched his friend ride away and fought off the waves of loneliness. He was accustomed to the feeling so it wasn't too hard. Wyatt had always been more of an outsider even among his family. Craig had always had Willie to take into town and have fun with. Now that Willie was gone, Craig had gotten a bit more distant.

Jeb and Gill were busy with Preston and starting up their ranch and Pete was busy taking care of a rather moody and very pregnant Jane. And Maria had moved into town and set up an office where she tended to the sick.

Wyatt wouldn't complain. He loved his family and they were the only people in the world to have ever given a damn about him outside of his parents and they had died when he'd been too young to remember much about them.

The sun was sinking low in the west. Wyatt figured he had time to patrol one more line of fence and then he'd start the ride back toward Jeb's.

Jeb and Gill had told him he didn't need to worry about keeping an eye out for danger. They told him the worry was all in his head. Wyatt didn't care. He'd been out repairing fences and he'd patrol one more line before he called it quits for the night. No one was going to sneak up on or cause harm to those he cared about. He'd already lost two family members and he didn't want to lose more.

Crickets began to chirp as frogs filled the evening with their calls. While a part of Wyatt ached with loneliness, there was yet another part that loved this solitude and quiet. No one trying to talk to him—no one struggling to understand what he was trying to tell them in return.

The line of fence revealed no dangers and Wyatt was preparing to turn his horse and begin the long journey home when a sound caught his attention.

A sneeze.

Wyatt's back stiffened. That had very definitely been a man sneezing. No one should be out here.

He slid from his mare's back and crouched down as he went to the top of the small rise beside him and took in the sight of a man crouched beside the small stream that ran there.