Yellowstone Justice, page 1
YELLOWSTONE JUSTICE
YELLOWSTONE ROMANCE SERIES
PEGGY L HENDERSON
CONTENTS
Dear Reader
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
DEAR READER
You asked for it, and I listened!
So many of you have asked me for a book about Zach Osborne, one of Aimee and Daniel’s twins. Since Matthew got his story in Yellowstone Homecoming, you said Zach needed his own book, too.
Little has been known about him since Yellowstone Homecoming, except for his role in Yellowstone Awakening.
I hope you enjoy his HEA story.
* * *
~Peggy
INTRODUCTION
As the newest junior associate at a prestigious law firm in St. Louis, Zach Osborne is doing everything he can to impress his employer. Despite spending many hours pouring himself into a case that he deemed to be open-and-shut, he discovers that he missed key details that could have altered the outcome. Zach’s strong sense of responsibility and his dampened pride push him to make things right, even if it means butting heads with a willful woman who blames him for the verdict in the case.
Annamae Morrison has had plenty of tragedy in her life, but nothing has prepared her for the overwhelming grief she would feel in such a short time. The story she was told regarding the death of her father just doesn’t add up. The devastating news causes her to do things she would otherwise never consider. When a dandy lawyer shows up at her door, Annie makes the judgement that there isn’t anything good that can come in a tailored suit.
Striking out on her own into the wilderness to bring a killer to justice seems like it should be within her capabilities, but Annie soon realizes that having someone along with a common goal is helpful in many ways. Along the journey, she and Zach soon realize they’ve both misjudged one another. Even with a murderer on the loose, will they discover love, or will their pride and ambition get in the way?
CHAPTER 1
St. Louis, Missouri 1840
* * *
Loud and boisterous laughter came from the other side of the heavy oak door. As soon as it opened, the smoky, sweet scent of tobacco, wood, and leather filled the air.
Zach Osborne nodded and smiled in a silent gesture of thanks to the butler who’d opened the door for him then stepped into the large room. A dark floor-to-ceiling wooden bookcase filled the entire wall to his right, containing volumes of books that would put many libraries to shame. Massive leather chairs and a settee were arranged prominently in the room, along with a large wooden desk that matched all the other dark wood and trim. The paintings that hung on the walls had similarities to very expensive ones he’d seen in Boston. Surveying these details had only taken about a second or two, then his attention went to the occupants.
The laughter had stopped, and the four men present turned toward Zach and stared. One man smiled immediately and stepped away from the others, rushing to him and giving him a welcoming pat on the back. His graying hair and moustache were impeccably trimmed, and the tailored suit he wore fit him like a glove. Zach shifted uncomfortably in the scratchy trousers and mismatched, stiff coat he wore.
“There he is,” the man proclaimed, holding up a glass of brandy. “The man I’m eager for you all to meet. Gentlemen, I would like to introduce my young associate, Zach Osborne. He came with the highest recommendations from his former employer, my good friend Eli Lanstrom in Boston; and he certainly hasn’t disappointed since joining my law practice.”
Zach surveyed the men in the room. The one who’d greeted and announced him so warmly was his employer, Rufus Easton. He was a heavyset man with a lively voice and a quick smile but could easily instill fear in anyone who crossed him with one stern look of his dark eyes.
Zach hadn’t been bothered by the man’s stare. His father could outstare any man. Mr. Easton was good at his profession and an equally good mentor to Zach, also characteristics he shared with Zach’s father.
With his hand still on Zach’s arm, the man led him further into the room. The other men were all old enough to be Zach’s father or grandfather. They gathered around him to shake his hand and congratulate him. Zach accepted their welcome, smiling and nodding.
“Barely here six months and already presenting cases in front of a judge,” Rufus beamed. “This young man is going places, gents, mark my words.” He raised his brandy glass in a toast, then brought it to his lips.
“It’s not every day Rufus has such high praise for someone, especially his newest junior associate.” A thin man held his hand out for Zach to shake. His grip was weak, but he met Zach’s gaze. “Edward Hempstead,” he added, introducing himself. He laughed. “Rufus usually runs his new associates out of town within a few months of working for him. Scares them into leaving, so just the fact that you’ve been with him for six months says a lot about you.”
Zach returned the smile. “I’ve faced more dangerous adversaries than Mr. Easton.”
Edward Hempstead’s eyes widened, as did his smile. He nodded, staring appreciatively at Zach. “No wonder he thinks quite highly of you. He also rarely allows his new employees to preside over one of his cases in the courtroom, so you certainly must have done something to prove yourself to him.”
Rufus stepped up beside the taller but much thinner Edward Hempstead. “When was the last time I had the chance to hire a Harvard Law graduate, Edward? You know as well as I do that most of the young lawyers coming west and calling themselves lawyers are semi-literate, at best. With all the influx of settlers to the area, the Missouri bar will admit anyone these days with only the slightest notion of what the law contains.” Rufus huffed and wrinkled his nose as if he’d smelled something unpleasant.
Edward Hempstead laughed. “You might be right, Rufus. A young man wanting to practice law on the frontier need only convince a judge that he has some knowledge of law, no matter how vague.” He rolled his eyes.
Rufus grunted. “While I believe that actually having court experience is good training for a young professional, it’s no longer like the old days when a student was required to study law for several years under the supervision of a judge or competent lawyer before he was granted admission to the bar. The rules have become too lax.” He took another sip of his brandy, draining the glass.
“Norbert Smith,” one of the other men introduced himself. Like the other men in the room, he was dressed impeccably. He wore spectacles and puffed on a cigar. The fourth man was John Taylor. These three, along with Rufus Easton, were clearly the wealthiest and most prominent lawyers in St. Louis. Mr. Easton had told Zach when he’d invited him to his home for the evening that he wanted to introduce him to his friends, but Zach hadn’t expected to face these renowned men. He was, after all, only an inexperienced junior associate.
“Tell us about your background, Mr. Osborne,” Norbert Smith asked before he took another long drag on his cigar, making the ash at the end glow orange.
Zach straightened. He should be intimidated in this kind of company, but as he’d said, he’d had much more dangerous encounters in his life. He’d always made it a point to show an air of confidence around his professors at school and when he’d applied for his first position in Boston.
Papa had always said to show confidence in all things, even when confidence was lacking. Showing weakness or fear would give an opponent the edge. Of course, Papa’s teachings were about survival in the wilderness, but there were a lot of similarities between staring down an adversary in the mountains and facing powerful men in a courtroom or challenging his professors in the classroom.
Zach had not been hired solely on the recommendation of Mr. Lanstrom, his former employer in Boston. Clearly, his show of self-assuredness had impressed Mr. Easton.
“Well, as Mr. Easton has said, I graduated from Harvard Law,” Zach answered Norbert Smith’s question. “I wasn’t top of my class, but I could hold my own.”
“What made you decide to leave a prestigious law firm in Boston to come to the wild frontier?” Norbert Smith laughed. “You could have had a lucrative career back east. This is not the place for the faint-hearted.”
Mr. Easton chortled. “Hush, Norbert. Don’t tell the boy to go back east. He just arrived here, and I don’t want to lose him. In any case, does Zach strike you as being faint-hearted?”
Norbert Smith shook his head. “No, certainly not.”
Mr. Easton turned to Zach and said with a wide smile, “Besides, I don’t think he’ll scare off so easily. Tell these fine gentlemen where you’re originally from, Zach. That’s the reason I gave you the case you recently argued in front of Judge Milton.”
“I grew up in the wilderness, much further west of here,” Zach explained. He’d rather fight with a mountain lion than talk about himself in front of these men, but he had no choice. He was here to further his career as a lawyer, and that required a certain amount of arrogance. “St. Louis is quite tame in comparison, I can assure you,” Zach added. “Boston was a great experience for me, but I’m not cut out for living back east. St. Louis brings me a bit closer to home.”
Truth be told, he’d been rather homesick for the wild mountains where he’d been raised, but there were no opportunities for practicing law in the Yellowstone country. The only law that existed there was the law of the mountains, and disputes were settled quickly and often violently between the mountain men without lengthy litigation.
All four men looked with interest at him, even Rufus Easton, although he already knew some of Zach’s background.
“He was raised among the savages where few white men dare venture,” Mr. Easton announced with pride in his voice, as if he’d been eager to reveal this part of Zach’s former life.
The statement that Zach had lived among “savages” clearly brought the kind of reaction from his associates for which Mr. Easton had been hoping. The men stared with even more interest. Zach pressed his teeth together to stop himself from contradicting his employer’s choice of words describing the people with whom he’d grown up. People he considered family. It wouldn’t be a wise move to embarrass Mr. Easton by refuting him or arguing in front of his renowned friends.
Edward Hempstead’s eyes swept over Zach’s clothing. “Well, he looks quite civilized, although you ought to pay him better, Rufus, so he can afford some decent clothes.” Edward Hempstead laughed, and the others joined in. “A lawyer in the courtroom needs to appear sharp in mind as well as sharp in dress. It makes for a better impression with the judge and jury.”
Zach shifted weight. Papa had always taught him to stand up for himself and look men squarely in the eye, but facing these wealthy men was a much different experience than what he’d been taught in the wilderness. His future as a lawyer in St. Louis depended on making a good impression, which included looking and acting professional. Apparently, clothes played a big part.
Well-made suits were expensive, and he would much rather wear his usual wardrobe of homespun shirts and buckskin britches than a scratchy suit. In Boston, he’d shed his former clothes - as well as his long hair - out of necessity to fit in, and he’d purchased a couple of inexpensive suits. The coat of one had sustained a large tear in the sleeve months ago which he hadn’t been able to mend, and the trousers of the other pair was stained from coffee he’d spilled while in the tiny room above the law office that Rufus Easton rented to him. He was left with a mismatched set of trousers and coat for this meeting.
Mr. Easton nodded. “I might just have to buy him a new suit. It’s the least I can do after his win in the courtroom that made my law practice stand out in this city. I knew immediately that he was the right man for the case, given his background.”
Zach held up his hand to decline as Mr. Easton held a glass of brandy out to him. “None for me, thanks.”
Mr. Easton nodded without a word. He held the glass to his own lips instead.
“You grew up in the wilderness and went to Harvard Law school?” Norbert Smith cocked his head, studying Zach as if he were appraising an expensive horse. “How did you decide you wanted to be a lawyer? As far as I know, there is no law west of the Mississippi.” He scoffed. “In fact, there isn’t much of anything there.”
Zach’s jaw tensed slightly. He didn’t need to give these men a dissertation about his past or his life choices, but he was in the presence of his employer, and quietly reminded himself once again that he needed to make a good impression. Norbert Smith couldn’t be more wrong. The west was full of incredible sights few eastern men had laid eyes on, but Zach didn’t need to divulge such information.
“My brother Matthew decided he wanted to become a doctor,” he said instead. “Our mother is a healer, and she encouraged him to go to school so he’d hold a certificate to practice medicine, even though she could have taught him better than any Harvard medical professor.” Zach paused. While he’d learned a lot about healing herbs from Mama, he’d always been more interested in history than medicine. The day he’d decided to become a lawyer was as clear in his mind as if it had happened yesterday.
“Years ago, a friend was wrongfully accused of murder right here in St. Louis and sentenced to hang,” he continued. “My brother and I, along with several acquaintances, were allowed to visit him in jail. I was adamant about finding a way to clear his name when Todd Baronette told me I’d make a fine lawyer.” He smiled. “Todd was scheduled to hang the following morning, yet he was encouraging me to pursue a worthwhile career. That was the day I decided I wanted to make a difference for people. So, I enrolled in school at the same time as my brother.”
“Remarkable,” Norbert Smith said, rubbing his bearded chin with his fingers. “And your brother? Is he also in St. Louis?”
Zach shook his head. “Matthew has a medical practice in Boston. He and his wife decided to stay in the east.”
Rufus Easton grinned. “Did you leave behind a lady when you left Boston? You could always send for her, since it sounds as if you plan to remain in St. Louis.”
Zach tensed. When he’d left Boston, he’d also left behind Bethany Milner. Shortly after starting law school, he’d been sure she was the woman he was going to marry. After graduating, he’d courted her with the intention of asking her to become his wife, but things hadn’t turned out the way he’d planned.
“There was someone,” he said quietly. “But it turned out we weren’t right for each other. When the opportunity arose for me to come to St. Louis, we decided to go our separate ways.”
There was no need to go into detail that Bethany had refused to agree to move to St. Louis. The more they’d gotten to know each other, the more she’d become dismayed with Zach’s past. She preferred a man who’d been raised in the city and didn’t constantly talk about life in the wilderness or the adventures his brothers and sister had experienced growing up. When he’d asked her to come west to meet his family, she’d been mortified.
“Well, there’s always a reason why matters of the heart don’t work out, isn’t there?” Edward Hempstead said with a sigh. “I’m sure you’ll eventually meet a nice young lady here in St. Louis.”
“Or perhaps he prefers a heathen woman,” Mr. Easton said, laughing.
Zach pressed his lips together. As much as he respected and admired his employer as being one of the most prestigious lawyers in St. Louis, the man had a way of tearing others down. Perhaps he didn’t realize he was doing it, and it was simply his way. He was known for being a ruthless lawyer, and being ruthless had gotten him to the position he was in now. He had one of the most successful law offices in St. Louis. In fact, it was probably one of the most successful in much of Missouri and the surrounding territories.
“So, tell us about the case you won,” Edward Hempstead said quickly, clearly realizing Rufus Easton had been out of line with his comment, and he wanted to change to subject.
Zach shrugged. “It had to do with ownership of a fur company, the North Missouri Company. The two partners involved had a disagreement about the future of the company and where to go for better trapping. They got into a fight, resulting in the death of one of the men. I argued that the death was self-defense, and sole ownership of the company was turned over to the surviving partner.”
Rufus Easton slapped Zach on the back. “The company is worth a lot of money, and the case brought us a tidy little sum in legal fees.” He laughed.
Zach glanced at the large clock on the wall. Time seemed to drag on. After spending several more hours in the company of his employer and his guests, answering questions about life in the wilderness, law school, and other mundane subjects, he held back a yawn. The clock chimed ten times.
“I’d best be going,” he said. “I have an early morning going through papers for Mr. Easton.”
Rufus Easton nodded. “That’s my boy. Up and at ‘em at first light.”
After excusing himself from the lavish home, Zach walked the dark streets heading back to his room on the second floor of the law firm’s building. It was late, and the streets were mostly quiet. Every now and then, the clopping of hooves echoed off the buildings as a carriage drove down the street. Voices could be heard talking in hushed tones, but things weren’t nearly as loud as during the day.
