Prologue

Cheyenne, Wyoming

April 1868

The saloon doors swung wildly as Effie May tossed out patron after patron in rapid succession.

“Out, out! Everyone out!” she cried, using all her strength to shove the most roostered ones. She didn’t care if any of them fell in the dirt—they were all booze-loving hound dogs—she just needed them to be on their way. “Lady having a baby here!”

That got most of them skedaddling.

Once the last was gone, Effie burst out into the street herself, chased by the mournful screams of her stepmother.

She needed the doctor quickly. Anna-Sue was in awful pain, that much was clear. The baby was coming earlier than it should, and it hadn’t been an easy pregnancy at all.

Effie whipped her head from left to right, scanning the dark street. Of course, her blasted father wasn’t anywhere in sight. He’d left the saloon the moment Anna-Sue’s water broke, dodging any sort of responsibility as usual and leaving his second wife and daughter to go through this alone.

And, of course, few people were milling about town in the middle of the night.

But Effie spotted the shadow of a stable boy peering curiously around the corner of a building at the commotion.

“Go fetch the doctor!” she commanded. “There’s some coin in it for you!”

The boy dashed off down the street.

“And the midwife!” Effie called after him.

Turning around, she stomped her kid boots back into the saloon, her ruffled skirt and petticoat swishing about her knees. For some reason, her notorious father thought these ridiculous, somewhat revealing outfits were a good draw to his shady business establishment. Truth was, he seemed to be right, based on all the ogling she received each night. At least no one dared touch her for fear of incurring the wrath of the leader of the Iron Spur Outlaws.

Morris May, the very same man who would have Effie’s hide if she ruined her getup while trying to deliver his baby, was not to be trifled with. Everyone in the whole territory of Wyoming knew that.

Rushing back behind the bar, Effie grabbed an apron from a hook, looped it over her complex hairdo, and fumbled with the strings in the back. Anna-Sue, propped up on a hard, wooden chair, twisted and moaned with pain. She was only five years older than Effie, which made her feel like an older sister. It was hard to watch her suffer.

“Help is on the way,” Effie told her stepmother. She almost added, “I hope,” but didn’t want to upset the woman any further.

Instead, she fetched a bucket with cool water and a rag, strode the length of the saloon, and began wiping Anna-Sue’s brow. She tried to remain calm and optimistic, but already, she could tell Anna-Sue wasn’t doing very well.

Her light brown hair was slick with sweat, her face was a pallid gray, and her neck was strained so hard from the agony that Effie was afraid her tendons were going to tear in two. She pulled out the goofy red feather pin in Anna-Sue’s bun so it would stop drooping in her face.

Curse her father for making Anna-Sue work at the saloon in her condition!

Yet he had proven time and again that he didn’t much care for the pain he put women in. He’d even killed Effie’s mother out of rage when she had tried to escape from him. It was a wonder kind-hearted Anna-Sue had married him at all.

And now she was suffering for it.

Gripping the edge of the table with one hand and grasping Effie’s wrist with the other, Anna-Sue contorted her body as another contraction ran through her. The sound—half scream, half hiss—coming from her mouth set Effie’s teeth grating.

“Okay,” she said in what she hoped was a soothing voice. “It’s okay. It’ll all be over soon, Anna-Sue.” Effie could only pray she was speaking the truth.

Hardened by life with her outlaw father, she wasn’t used to being soft and gentle. She’d had far more occasions where she’d had to put her toughness on display to survive dangerous situations. It had only been these last four years since Morris had married Anna-Sue that she’d come to know any semblance of feminine grace and nurturing love. With some luck, she could bring those experiences to her new baby sibling, though she was over twenty years old herself.

Anna-Sue began sliding off the chair, and Effie realized she wanted to lie on the floor.

“Hold on,” she said, carefully pulling her arm out of Anna-Sue’s grip. She darted to the back room and grabbed a canvas tarp, all the colorful feather boas the girls used for dancing numbers, and as many rags as she could quickly find. Just as she made her way back out to the dining hall, the midwife came through the door.

“Thank goodness!” Effie breathed in relief.

Together, she and the midwife created a makeshift bed out of canvas and boas for Anna-Sue to lie on. Then, they eased her down to the floor amidst another set of contractions.

They were coming quicker now, and the midwife confirmed it wouldn’t be long.

But Anna-Sue looked completely depleted of energy already. Her cries sounded strangled, as if she didn’t have enough in her now to even scream for some release.

Effie worried as she stood by, ready to help in any way she could but otherwise not wanting to get in the way. The midwife was giving instructions to her stepmother in a calm, clear voice, but her face was grim as she examined Anna-Sue. This made Effie worry even more.

“All right, here they come,” said the midwife right as the saloon doors swung open again.

It was the doctor who rushed inside, holding his hat with one hand and carrying his black leather bag with the other.

“Doc,” greeted the midwife, stepping slightly to the side so he could have access to Anna-Sue, too. When she did, Effie saw blood soaking into the canvas on the floor.

She turned away, not because she was squeamish. As an outlaw’s daughter, she’d seen her fair share of gruesome wounds. Gotten some herself. No, she turned away because she’d seen the stable boy she’d sent to fetch help peeking under the saloon doors.

Glad for something to do, Effie went behind the bar and grabbed a couple of coins from the till. If her father noticed any missing, she’d take it out of her own pay.

“You were quick,” Effie told the boy once she’d handed him the money. “Now run along and get home. It’s late.”

The boy nodded in thanks and vanished into the darkness as the sound of a deep, guttural groan emanated from Anna-Sue.

Effie rushed over to her side and knelt down as the doctor and midwife spoke encouraging words to her. Pulling back the strands of her hair that had fallen loose, Effie secured them in place and patted Anna-Sue’s shoulder. She just wanted her stepmother to know she was there while she let people with more expertise take care of the birthing.

Anna-Sue panted like she couldn’t catch her breath, then was seized by another great contraction. What began as a growl ended with a heart-wrenching wail.

This was followed by a sharp, high-pitched cry. The baby’s first breath of air.

“Oh!” Effie said, glancing down at the tiny little figure the doctor handed the midwife. “It’s a girl.”

Anna-Sue began sobbing, out of joy, relief, or pain, Effie couldn’t tell. She guessed it was all three, for even though the baby was free, Anna-Sue was still tense with discomfort.

The midwife handed the newborn girl to Effie as she and the doctor tended to Anna-Sue.

Effie dipped a clean rag in the bucket of water and dabbed at the infant, washing her off as best she could. Then she ripped some of the fabric from her petticoat to bundle around the baby as a blanket for now. Morris May would just have to deal with it.

She rocked the baby back and forth in her arms until its cries dissipated. By then, Anna-Sue had also quieted, but when Effie stole a glance at her, she was shocked to see how pale her skin looked. It was nearly translucent as Anna-Sue took shallow, ragged breaths.

Effie took one of her stepmother’s hands, which was cold and clammy. She held it tightly, her baby sister in the crook of her other arm, and listened to the doctor.

“There’s nothing else we can do,” he said sadly as the midwife brought a cup of water to Anna-Sue’s lips.

Eyes filling with tears, Effie wished she didn’t understand what the doctor meant. She didn’t need him to say it anyway, for she could see with her own eyes just how poorly Anna-Sue was faring. How exhausted she looked. How drained.

“Effie,” Anna-Sue rasped, her eyes drooping. She gave the weakest of squeezes to Effie’s hand. “Effie, my dear.”

“You have a daughter,” Effie said, biting her tongue to hold back a sob. “A baby girl, Anna-Sue.” She held the newborn up so Anna-Sue could see her.

Effie’s stepmother managed a weak smile, which quickly faded. “P-promise me, Effie, that you’ll t-take care of her.” Her voice was barely audible and stuttered with spasms. “Promise m-me.”

“Of course,” Effie said, cradling her sister against her. “I promise. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

There was the barest hint of another squeeze of her hand, the ripple of another shudder, and then Anna-Sue went completely limp. Her eyes closed, and her head lolled back as life seeped from her.

In another second, she was gone from this world.

Effie’s throat constricted as her eyes swam. No, not again. This couldn’t be happening again.

Silent tears trailed down her cheeks. Her shoulders shook with grief.

Anna-Sue was gone, and Effie, who’d already lost her own mother fifteen years before, was now all alone again.

Well, not all alone.

The baby in her arms murmured as first one sob, then another escaped from Effie. She kissed the smooth, bald top of her sister’s head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Supporting her elbow, the doctor helped Effie rise to her feet while the midwife covered Anna-Sue with the rags they had left. In a daze, Effie let the doctor guide her to a chair, where she sat down, crying and hiccupping and still clutching the newborn.

“I’m very sorry,” the doctor said. “So very sorry.”

Effie couldn’t respond. She was only vaguely aware of what happened in the next half hour. The midwife ducked into the kitchen and returned with a warm milk bottle. The doctor headed outside and came back a few minutes later with two men to help cart her stepmother’s body away.

The inside of the saloon, with its ordinarily vibrant cherry wood and gas lamps burning bright, dulled before Effie’s eyes. Everything became blurred as if covered in a fine mist.

Everything but her sister.

When Effie looked down at the baby she was feeding, she saw hope that her crushed heart could mend, for she knew that Anna-Sue lived on in her daughter.

Which is why she decided then and there on a name for the infant.

“Susanna,” she whispered. The baby paused in her bottle-suckling and opened her eyes, as if she already knew she was supposed to answer to that name.

“Hello, Susanna,” Effie said, trying to smile despite the sorrow weighing her down. “Welcome to the world. I’m so glad you’re here.”

But even as she said the words, Effie couldn’t help but wonder what world this sweet, innocent babe would come to know. Like her, she’d live under Morris May’s suffocating thumb, oppressed and controlled by the gang leader every day she breathed. She’d live in fear of the hard men in the Iron Spur Outlaws, most of them convicts and criminals, all selfish and vulgar.

Effie knew very well what the suffering would be like for Susanna. She’d lived it herself, after her father murdered her mother in cold blood and took her on the run, moving from camp to camp ahead of the law, risking her life numerous times over his scams and schemes.

For ten years she endured, until Anna-Sue came into the picture when Effie was seventeen. She’d somehow managed to calm Morris May down a little, convince him that stability was the better option.

That’s when he opened the saloon here, which turned out to be one of the smartest decisions he ever made. For the rail line was being built, and with it came a steady stream of customers.

Suddenly, Morris was earning coin instead of stealing it. Well, his wife and daughter were earning it, anyway. And still, he couldn’t leave his old ways behind.

Attacking travelers on the trails through the territory, robbing them of all they held dear, that was what Morris knew. It didn’t matter that he had a thriving business. He was a no-good thief and always would be. He was also a murderer.

Effie’s face suddenly hardened with resolve. She didn’t want Susanna to be around a man like that. Didn’t want her to be forced into the role of a gang leader’s daughter, like she had been.

She wouldn’t let that happen to her baby sister. As soon as Susanna was strong enough, as soon as Effie could make the preparations, they would flee.

To where, Effie didn’t know yet. But it would be far away from here, that much was certain.

Even though she would never harm people like her father did, she knew she had inherited some of his fearless tenacity, some of his stubborn strength. Some of his ruthlessness. And that’s what would help her in this newfound quest.

Effie had promised her stepmother she’d protect her sister, and that’s exactly what she would do.

God help the poor fool who tried to stop her.

Chapter One

Fort Laramie, Wyoming

July 1868

After so much loss, it was hard for Effie to let go of her horse. Not only was the mare a cherished companion, but she was one of the only things Effie’s father had ever given her.

“She’s slow and plodding,” Morris had said. “Not fast enough for an outlaw, so you can have her.”

Yet the horse had carried her and three-month-old Susanna both all the way to Fort Laramie. They’d left the moment Morris set off on one of his highway robbery missions, so hopefully, it would be a little while before he noticed they were gone.

Even though Effie had taken the money she had saved from working at the saloon, all the jewelry patrons had gifted her over the years, and most of the cash out of her father’s safe, she was already worrying about funds. She’d had to hire a guide to travel with them to Fort Laramie, and now that they were there, she had a lot to purchase. Which meant she had to sell her beloved horse.

Tightening the sling she’d made to hold the baby against her chest, she glanced around the fort. It had grown quite a bit since she was last passing through with her father’s gang some years back.

Both within and outside the wooden walls, all manner of merchants, farmers, cattle drivers, European settlers, and American Indians gathered to trade, sell their wares, stock up on supplies, or just rest before heading on their way. Effie knew this was a crucial stop on the wagon trail to Oregon, which was exactly where she wanted to be.

It had been a tough choice, but Effie thought she’d have more opportunities to make a living out west, where she could hopefully find work in another saloon or something. Make enough to buy a small patch of land where she could put a little cabin and raise Susanna.

That was the hope, anyway. But first, they had to get out there.

After inquiring about the next wagon train due to arrive, Effie learned it would be a couple of days coming. That meant she had to pay her guide, a big, burly mountain man, for another two nights of camping with them. She certainly didn’t think it would be safe for herself and an infant to be camping alone amongst all the men.

Though she was more than capable of protecting both of them with a knife and the rifle she’d taken from her father’s stash. That would draw attention to her, though, which she was trying to avoid at all costs.

While in Fort Laramie, Effie kept her auburn-gold hair tucked under a bonnet and her deep green eyes downcast so no one would recognize her. Morris May’s infamy around these parts was only superseded by that of his fiery, strong-willed daughter, who was not only a crack shot but could run like a deer and ride a horse bareback—facing the wrong way.

Why, she’d become more of a legend than anyone in the Iron Spur Outlaws, which Morris only put up with because people traveled to his saloon just to see the red-headed, wild-hearted Effie May.

And she couldn’t allow anyone here to wonder if that was her. Morris had spies and informants all over the Wyoming territory and far beyond. He’d be alerted to her whereabouts and put a quick end to their journey.

It took Effie a bit to find a fair price for her horse, but she was finally able to trade it for a goat to provide milk for Susanna, and extra coin besides. After a somber goodbye to her favorite animal, she found a small, weather-beaten wagon. It looked like it had been on some rugged trails in the past but seemed sturdy enough to Effie and came with a few spare wheels.

Calculating the cost of other provisions, including barrels of water, salt, sugar, flour, and other food supplies, she realized she’d only have enough left for a pair of oxen, especially if she still had to pay her way onto a wagon train.

A cattle driver outside the fort’s tower showed her some of the animals he had for sale.

“Well,” Effie said to Susanna as they examined the oxen. “If we don’t pack the wagon with too much weight, two of these beasts should be able to pull it, wouldn’t you say?”

Nestled in her sling, Susanna cooed sleepily. Effie’s heart was full of warmth and trepidation as she bartered some of her jewelry for the oxen. The cattle driver even helped her hitch them up to her wagon.

“Thank you,” she told him. “Thank you so much.”

“My pleasure, Miss.” He bowed his head, then turned to help someone else who was interested in trading with him.

Effie gazed at her wagon and tried to tamp down the exhilaration she felt at the fact that they’d finally be leaving soon. As she meandered over to some stalls to purchase supplies, the oxen obediently followed, and she was happy they were so well trained. The goat was another matter.

No matter how Effie tried to bribe, command, or cajole the little goat, it didn’t want to go where she was trying to lead it.

“Ugh!” she spluttered, dropping the rope lead in the dirt. “Don’t tell me you’re going to act this hardheaded all the way to Oregon, or it’s going to be a very long trip indeed.”

The goat just looked at her dolefully and chewed some grass. Undeterred, Effie pushed and pulled it around until she was soaked with sweat from the exertion. But soon enough, she was satisfied with everything she’d gotten and had very little money left anyway.

Once she had packed her wagon, she settled Susanna inside for a nap out of the sun. Then she waited for the wagon train to arrive, hoping it would be before dark.

Right at dusk, she spotted them coming along the winding trail toward the fort.

At first, the wagons seemed like ivory ants marching in a meandering line, but as they grew closer, she was astounded just how big most of them were. Her little wagon was relatively diminutive in comparison, and most of the ones coming toward her were pulled by a team of at least six oxen.

“Well, this should be interesting,” she said to herself.

The caravan came to a halt on the east side of Fort Laramie, forming a circle with their prairie schooners and setting up a large campfire in the middle. The flames seemed to beckon Effie over, and she was eager to join the other travelers. There were so many wagons that perhaps she could slip into the group unnoticed. If not, she’d just have to prove herself an asset.

She began to make her way over as some of the waggoneers headed into the fort, probably looking to replenish their supplies. The rest bustled around, doing repairs, getting some food cooking, and herding young ones.

Effie was glad to see there were several children among the travelers. She even spotted a baby or two, though they seemed much bigger than Susanna. It would make her feel more comfortable to be amongst mothers and fathers, especially if she needed help with her sister.

The past few months had been quite hard. Effie still had her job at the saloon and a newborn to care for. Luckily, some of the saloon girls had helped her scrounge up baby clothes and blankets whose former owners had grown too big to use.

Naturally, Morris was no help with his daughter. He hadn’t even held her once since she’d been born. He had almost seemed afraid of the premature infant, recoiling from Susanna whenever Effie held her out to him. He seemed to want nothing to do with her.

But Effie knew it would only be a matter of time before he would control her whole life, claim her as one of his treasures, though valued less than some of the rare gems and gold nuggets he stole.

“That’s why we need to get away from him and his thieving, murderous ways,” Effie reminded herself. She mustered up some confidence and guided her oxen over to the camp.

Amidst the chatter and shouts, Effie could hear the strain of a fiddle playing a jaunty little melody that lifted her spirit further. She loved music. Dancing and singing would be the only part of working at the saloon she would miss.

Oh, how fun this was going to be! She’d get to meet new people, see more of the country, and go on an adventure—one where she didn’t have to fear for her life like she did with her father and his gang.

As Effie clapped softly to the fiddle tune, Susanna woke up and let out an ear-splitting wail inside the wagon. Effie’s eyes widened as a few people turned to her. She gave them a little wave, and sensing no threat, they returned to their tasks. Effie rushed to pick up her sister from the little nest of blankets she’d made.

While rummaging around in her supplies for a bottle, Effie felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled, pressing Susanna tightly to her chest and taking a defensive stance.

“Pardon, ma’am,” said a wiry man with a long, scraggly beard. In the low evening light, he appeared older than Effie thought he probably was due to the shadows that contoured sharp lines across his face.

“Um, hello,” she said, caught off guard. She had a story prepared, though. “I heard your wagon train was coming, and I thought, well… I thought we might join up with y’all. You see, our father, he…”

She trailed off, her nerves fraying. That was a new sensation for the normally sure Effie May. But the bearded man looked kindly at her and the fussy baby in her arms.

“Are you looking to head out on the trail?” he asked. “With a cub that little?”

Effie smiled, pleased that he was making an invitation so quickly. “Why, yes!” she said. “We’re headed to Oregon and would be ever so delighted to join you. Are you the trail master?”

“Now, hold on,” the man said, dipping his head toward her. “Just a minute. Where’s your husband at?”

Effie blinked. Husband? “I don’t have a husband,” she confessed, her elation popping like a soap bubble.

“No? A father, perhaps? A brother? Who’s traveling with you?”

Effie shook her head. “It’s just us,” she said, resting her cheek on the peach fuzz of her sister’s crown. Susanna abruptly stopped crying at the contact.

The man’s nose twitched. “Just the two of you? Lady, the trail ain’t no place for a lone woman and a baby. Do you have any idea how dangerous it’s gonna be out there? We’ve lost five people to sickness and one to a wagon accident already, and we’re just now halfway.”

“Oh,” Effie said, “I’m sorry.” She wasn’t surprised, though, and stiffened her spine, trying to show him she wasn’t daunted. “But I understand there will be trials. Obstacles. I’ve met many people who’ve traveled out west before, and I know it won’t be easy.”

One of the man’s brows arched. “Have you?”

“Yes,” Effie said emphatically. “But we need to get to Oregon. We won’t be any trouble, I can promise you that. I’m capable and strong and can shoot as well as any expert hunter, and I can pay our way.” She stuck her hand into a leather pouch at her belt and pulled out the last of her jewelry—a silver necklace with a gaudy pendant and a pair of pearl earrings.

The man took the jewelry and regarded her thoughtfully, then looked at her two oxen and little bleating goat. “I can’t have anyone holding my wagon train back. We’re already behind schedule.”

“No, sir,” Effie said. “We wouldn’t dream of delaying you.”

He looked skeptical, as if weighing the decision in his mind.

“Look,” Effie said, “I don’t have any other options, so—”