The Man From Tucson by Mason Macrae

Sam didn't get the letter until almost a year had passed.  He packed up and headed out to help Tom but he was too late.  He'd been shot and was bed bound and didn't speak much.  But Sam could tell something wasn't quite right.  Especially since he caught some Indians picking on a young woman.  They were going to scalp her.  He stopped them, then he found out they weren't Indian, they were white.

Pioneering Press allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can grab a copy now.

When the woman Sam was in love with years ago (who's Tom's wife now) expresses an interest in him, it makes his ego proud.  She's still a beautiful woman.  And she's also still Tom's wife.

What he discovers is that someone is making a land grab and Tom is in the way.  He knows he's dying so he does a new will and leaves the ranch to original owner's granddaughter.  The judge took the will home with him.  The judge ends up being stabbed, Sam finds the will and hides it, and then he tries to stay away from those who are trying to kill him.  It's hard when most everyone is against you.

Despite the odds, he fights well and comes out ahead.  He's a bit disillusioned about some of the people he thought well of but he has someone else to comfort him.

This is another rip-snorting western with lots of action and a true taste of the old west.