The fierce look on the man’s face faded and turned into a smile. “Yep, and you’re Cheyenne Brewster from the RHR? I haven’t seen you in years.”

Cheyenne strode forward and stuck out her hand. Judd grabbed it and just held it. They’d had enough in common back in the day, with Indian blood flowing in their veins in a world being conquered by the white man, that she’d always felt a strong connection to him.

“You found cattle stolen from my place?”

“I was in on finding it.” She quickly ran through enough of what had been going on, then she jerked her head at Falcon, who’d come up beside her. “He helped. We’ve got Sonny Bender locked up inside.”

“Bender? One of my cowpokes is in on this?”

“Yep, he was in on it. They’re forming a jury, and he’ll hang. We listened in on a plot to kill you, Hanson, Hawkins, and those of us on the RHR. We think there are more traitors on every ranch, because they couldn’t have hoped loyal cowhands would stand by while their boss was killed and someone else took over. So ride careful.”

That’s when she realized Judd was still holding her hand, and she quickly pulled it free. Judd looked between her and Falcon, then flashed a blinding white smile.

Then his smile faded as he really looked at Falcon. “You’re the image of Clovis Hunt. I was unlucky enough to meet him a couple of times.” He turned back to Cheyenne. “We’ve heard how he stole your father’s land from you, Cheyenne. And now here you stand with the son of the man who stole from you?”

Cheyenne felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over her. She just wasn’t up to a long explanation. “Falcon and Kevin are the brothers who were cut in. They’re both decent men and are doing their best not to profit off of the legal thievery in Clovis’s will. Falcon’s a fine man and a better tracker than I am.”

Judd arched both brows and looked longer at Falcon. “Is that so?”

“We’re getting married, and I believe that gets me a goodly chunk of my ranch back. Now, do you want a thousand more details, or do you want to find your stolen cattle?”

“Your father was of my people, as you are, Cheyenne. I’d come to your aid if you needed it. That’s true today and for all time.”

“Clovis’s will led to Falcon coming out west. That led to the outlaws being exposed. Falcon had no part in Clovis’s thieving.”

Sheriff Corly had taken the time to shackle Wells’s hands.

Judd noticed. “And this is one of the cow thieves?” Judd glared at him in a way that would make a stronger man than Wells confess to any crime he’d ever thought of committing.