Tomorrow's Shining Dream

by Naomi Rawlings

  When she’d seen Ares in the pen, she’d known then and there that she was going to start breeding Arabians, which had survived for thousands of years in a desert climate.

  “Did the rustlers only take cattle from one area of the ranch, or was it spread out?”

  Charlotte’s hand stilled on Calypso’s neck. She recognized that voice. After all, it had only been an hour or so since she’d heard it. She gave Calypso the last of her sugar cubes, then pushed to her feet and closed the stall door behind her. Fortunately, all of the other horses were milling around the fenced area of the yard, so they didn’t nudge the stall doors or snort as she passed their stalls. A quick peek out the door of the barn told her that Cain Whitelaw stood with her brother, Sam Owens, and the two other rangers from the sheriff’s office. Cain must have ridden out to the ranch after he’d finished with Daniel.

  “It was spread out.” Wes rubbed a hand over his face. “I know Robbie was working for us, but it still makes me feel like a fool. How could I not have noticed three thousand head of cattle had gone missing?”

  “How do you think they got the cattle without you realizing it?” Cain asked. “Don’t your ranch hands ride the perimeter?”

  The breath stilled in Charlotte’s chest. They got the cattle because I pay attention to our livestock when I ride, even if I’m not always on the perimeter. Robbie Ashton realized that and tried to distract me… and I fell for him. Dare she tell them how easily she’d been blinded by a man telling her she was beautiful and asking to meet her for picnics far away from the areas where he was stealing cattle?

  Perhaps the cowhands had been riding the border of the ranch, but she would have been the best person to notice unusual cattle patterns in the ranch itself. After all, she’d still been the first one to realize cattle were missing, even with Robbie around.

  She just hadn’t noticed it soon enough.

  She ducked her head so she couldn’t see the men. At least this would all be behind her once she married Andrew. Maybe the guilt would even leave.

  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

  She shook her head. Why did that verse keep popping into her head? She wasn’t going to die because she married Andrew.

  “Sure, I send men on rounds.” Wes had started talking again at some point. “Though Charlotte is the best at spotting movement among the cattle. That woman’s in a saddle from sunup to sundown.”

  Blood rushed in her ears. Why was Wes telling Cain this? What if Cain sought her out and asked about the stolen cattle? While she might not want to admit what had happened, she wasn’t prepared to outright lie.

  The sound of thundering horse hooves echoed through the barn.

  “Daniel, howdy,” Wes called.

  “What are you doing here?” Daniel’s voice emerged brisk and sharp, official-sounding.

  “What does it look like?” Cain’s voice that time, and it didn’t sound the least bit rushed or short. “I’m asking questions. Getting information.”

  Charlotte peeked through the door again. Sure enough, Daniel now stood with the group.

  “What brings you here?” Wes readjusted his hat and turned toward Daniel.

  “Came to tell you the rangers are in town—and Cain is with them. Looks like I’m too late.” Again, Daniel’s voice held a firm edge.

  “We should ride out to my place so you can see the trail.” This from Sam, who’d inserted himself between Cain and Daniel in their little circle. “I just need to stop by my house and let Ellie know I’ll be missing lunch.”

  “Ellie?” Cain’s voice rose in a question.

  Even from inside the barn, Charlotte could see the big, goofy grin that split Sam’s face.

  “Ellie’s my wife. We’re expecting a baby come spring.”

  “Well, I’ll be. I heard tell old man Griggs left his ranch to you, but I didn’t realize you hoodwinked someone into marrying you.” Cain slapped Sam on the shoulder.

  “More like she hoodwinked him,” Wes drawled. “She brought eight siblings with her when she moved from Michigan.”

  “Eight siblings?” Cain’s voice turned raspy.

  “A ready-made family.” Sam gave a proud nod. “Best thing a man could ask for. And besides, turns out I’m rather fond of my hair.”

  Hair? Charlotte frowned. What was Sam talking about?

  “What about you, Daniel?” Cain jutted his chin toward Daniel. “Isn’t your birthday in November?”

  Daniel had already been stiff, but his back grew straighter yet, his jaw harder as he glared at Cain.

  “You send for a bride yet?” Cain asked.

  Silence.

  Cain let out a whoop. “I hope to have these rustlers rounded up and out of Twin Rivers by week’s end. But if you’re not married come your thirtieth birthday, you can bet your saddle I’ll be headed back through town in November.”

  Wes pulled the hat off Daniel’s head, then reached out and ran his hand through Daniel’s hair.

  Daniel shoved him away. “Leave off.”

  “Come on.” Sam shook his head. “We’d better saddle up if we want to be back before supper.”

  Wes gave Daniel back his hat, and the men started for their horses, everyone except Daniel, that was. He stood as still and stony as the mountain peak that rose behind the ranch.

  Cain turned back from the group, sent Daniel a wink, and pointed his finger square at Daniel’s chest. “November. Don’t you forget it.”

  The men all climbed onto their horses and rode off.

  That had been the oddest conversation. Why were Cain and Wes so concerned about Daniel’s hair?

  Daniel stood alone in the cloud of dust from the horses, a strange emotion flashing across his face, though she couldn’t quite name what it was. Part of her wanted to walk outside and take his hand, much like he’d taken hers earlier that day. At least then he wouldn’t have to be by himself. But what could she say to make him feel better?

  She shook her head. This was why she’d have such trouble as a wife, no matter who she married. She just never knew what she was supposed to do around men.

  Four days. Daniel gave the toy top he’d found in the alley a twirl. Cain had been gone to Mexico for four days and still hadn’t returned.

  The top spun across the surface of his desk before dropping off the side and clattering to the floor. Cain had said he’d have the rustlers dealt with by the end of the week. But here it was Saturday, and he hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the group Cain had taken across the Rio Grande.

  Shouldn’t he have returned by now?

  What if he got himself into trouble? What if the rangers had ended up surrounded by rustlers and found themselves on the losing side of a gunfight?

  Or what if Cain arrived later today with all the rustlers, several thousand head of cattle that had yet to be sold off in Mexico, and the boss character?

  Daniel sucked in a breath. He’d be thankful, that’s what. Especially if Mattherson’s cattle were in the herd. He wasn’t about to grumble about the rustlers getting caught.

  But did Cain Ramos Whitelaw have to be the one to catch them?

  Daniel dragged a hand through his hair and let out a growl. Few people besides Mattherson had faulted the sheriff’s office for not being able to catch such a large group of rustlers on their own.

  But no one seemed bothered that Cain was leading the rangers either—not even Ma and Pa and Anna Mae. Was he the only one to care that the last time Cain had been in Twin Rivers, his mistake had resulted in the town sheriff losing his leg?

  Daniel rubbed at his breastbone, where a sudden ache had started. Maybe none of this would smart so bad if Cain had actually tried to work with him. Even as a boy, Cain had been the person to stand back and watch with narrowed eyes, never quite willing to take part in what was happening.

  And that had been the exact way Cain handled returning to Twin Rivers. He’d blown into town, gotten mad that Daniel had transferred the prisoners to
Huntsville, then announced he was going to Mexico.

  Not even the men he’d left behind had bothered working with him. Cain must have given them orders not to.

  Oh, a couple rangers were stationed as lookouts on either end of the town, but the lieutenant Cain had left in charge hadn’t been back into the sheriff’s office since the day they’d arrived.

  Footsteps sounded on the porch, and the door swung open. Sunlight streamed inside, casting the familiar forms of both Charlotte and Abe in shadow.

  Charlotte strode in, her split skirt swaying around her ankles.

  “Losing your toys, are you, Sheriff?” She bent to pick up the top and set it on his desk.

  “Found it in the alley.”

  “Gotta keep this town looking clean.” Abe closed the door behind him and hung his hat on the peg inside. “Biggest job our sheriff has—at least according to some townsfolk.”

  “What a bunch of tripe. Come on.” Charlotte trotted around the side of the desk and tugged on Daniel’s arm. “I’ve got a picnic in Athena’s saddlebag. Let’s ride out to Closed Canyon.”

  “A picnic?” Were he and Charlotte the only ones going? Daniel straightened for a moment, then slumped back down. “I can’t. Someone might need me.”

  “I’ve got a desk and chair,” Abe barked. “I can sit in the office for a few hours. And the rangers at either end of town can keep an eye on things too.”

  Daniel shook his head. If anything happened while he was gone, he’d have no idea until it was too late. The canyon was an hour ride from town. And they all knew better than to depend on the rangers for help.

  “Don’t be stubborn.” Charlotte gave his arm another tug. “No one will begrudge you a few hours away.”

  “You don’t understand. If—”

  “She understands plenty.” Abe plopped himself down in the chair behind his desk. “You’ve not had a day off since the men left for Huntsville. Go take an afternoon with a pretty lady and enjoy it.”

  Color rose in Charlotte’s cheek. “N-no. That’s not why I want… I mean…” She pressed a hand to her cheek, though that did little to stop the blush from stealing down her neck. “It’s true Daniel’s been working too hard and needs a break, but we aren’t… that is… I’m not…”

  “I’ll go.” Daniel stood from his chair.

  Abe and Charlotte were right. It had been over two weeks since he’d had a day off, and while Charlotte had stopped by his office twice more since Cain’s arrival, their time together had been rather limited. Besides, if he sat around Twin Rivers, he’d only wonder what Cain was up to in Mexico.

  “Great.” Charlotte sent him a shy smile that made him just a little too eager to spend the afternoon alone with her.

  She’s planning to marry another man. She’s planning to marry another man. He’d keep repeating it until his heart finally learned that she’d never be his.

  10

  Daniel dismounted from Blaze and tethered him to a mesquite shrub growing in the entrance to the canyon, where the towering cliffs would provide shade from the noonday heat.

  “So was this supposed to be about giving me a break, or are we practicing for Andrew?”

  Charlotte swung off Athena with the ease of one of the acrobats he’d seen at that circus in San Antonio. She might have trouble walking up steps in a dress, but there was certainly nothing awkward about the graceful way she moved in a split skirt. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out here, and the day is hot. Figured this would be a nice place to practice. With the rustlers about, I probably shouldn’t be venturing this close to the river on my own.”

  She untied a wicker basket from where it had been attached to Athena’s saddle, then scanned the pristine opening to the canyon. A frown etched itself over the smooth lines of her face. “I never thought of it before, but do you suppose rustlers could move cattle through here? There are a couple drop offs that the cattle would have trouble climbing down, but if the rustlers brought in some rocks and sand, this would be a great place for a hidden trail.”

  “Too many people know about this spot. I mean, you’re right that the cattle themselves would be well hidden on this section of trail, but people come out here often enough that the trail would have been discovered long ago.” He’d kept his eyes peeled for anything out of place the entire ride out here, but hadn’t spotted so much as a speck that seemed abnormal for the Chihuahuan Desert. If rustlers had moved thousands of cattle through the canyon, the opening where they stood would be marred with hoofprints and overturned rocks.

  “I suppose you’re right.” Charlotte sighed and looked out over the desert. “You know what I’ll miss most if I marry Andrew?”

  He jolted. How had she gone from the rustlers to Mortimer so quickly? “What?”

  “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

  “Maybe I already think that.”

  She flashed him a smile. “I’ll miss the cacti.”

  Daniel coughed. “The cacti?”

  “Don’t make it sound stupid. It’s just... they’re hearty, you know. The prickly pears are my favorite. They look so dull and ugly most of the year, but then they produce the most beautiful flowers and delicious fruit.”

  He wasn’t going to claim prickly pear was the most delicious fruit he’d ever had, but considering it was the only fruit that grew in the desert, and during the summer it was next to impossible to get anything but dried or canned fruit shipped to Twin Rivers without it spoiling, prickly pear was the best they had.

  “But if I have to leave the desert—”

  “You don’t.” He took a step closer to her. “Tell your father you won’t marry Mortimer. I’ve said from the beginning that I don’t like it.”

  She shook her head. “You’re getting too far ahead of me. I was just going to say that if I have to leave, ever, for any reason, then I’d rather go to Houston instead of San Antonio.”

  That didn’t make any sense. A city was a city. “Why?”

  “I’ll miss this flat, open space.” She spread her hands to encompass the wide swath of desert before them. “Have you been to the ocean?”

  “No. Never had a reason to make it that far east.” San Antonio and Austin had always done well enough.

  “It’s like going to the top of one of the mountains and looking at the desert, but with water rather than sand.”

  Daniel scratched his head beneath his hat brim. He’d never seen so much water. Couldn’t imagine it, really. But if he had to leave the desert, the ocean might make a decent place to settle.

  “Come on, if we stand here talking much longer, we won’t have time for our picnic.” Daniel took the basket from her, then threaded her arm through his and steered her toward the break in the cool sandstone wall that towered in front of them.

  Within a few steps, they left the sun and heat of the open desert behind. Craggy walls towered on either side of them, leaving only ten to fifteen feet of sandy, dry riverbed at the bottom of the giant crevice. The canyon had been named Closed Canyon because it closed off the sky above and provided shade at all times of the day. Few things did that in the desert.

  “Where do you want to eat?” he asked as he led her deeper into the narrow, jagged tunnel.

  “Let’s walk for a ways. The shade is nice, and there’s a little crevice farther ahead that will make for the perfect picnic spot.”

  “A little crevice?” Daniel frowned. She couldn’t be talking about the same crevice where he and his friends used to hide and play poker as boys, could she?

  “Anna Mae and I found it a few years ago. It’s perfect. Makes you feel like you can hide away from the entire world if you wish it.”

  He led her along the narrow, sandy bed of the dried-up river, the noise of their boots crunching against the ground the only sounds to echo in the space. Was she concerned about the two of them being out here alone? Sure, they’d been alone in his office lately, but anyone could barge in and interrupt them in the middle of town. Out here, six miles separated t
hem from the closest house.

  The scent of her lemon soap wafted to him. Maybe she’d had something more romantic in mind than just practicing for Andrew? He glanced at her, but there was nothing romantic about the prim set to her shoulders and perfect angle at which she held her chin.

  “Here it is, just around this bend.” She let go of his arm and walked ahead, then stopped at a jagged turn in the canyon. The smile on her lips transformed her face from proper and aloof to downright beautiful.

  Daniel halted beside her and stared at the narrow crevice. Memories stirred of the sacred pacts, whispered secrets, and risky dares that had filled his childhood. It was indeed the same spot he and his friends used to visit.

  “If you spread the blanket, I’ll set out the food.” Charlotte tugged the basket from his arm.

  Daniel gave his head a small shake, scattering the memories to the farthest corners of his mind, and shook out the blanket while Charlotte busied herself with their lunch. She’d brought a feast of cold ham, cheese, biscuits, and… were those grapes? Real grapes in the desert in the middle of the summer? His mouth watered. How had her family managed to get fruit that didn’t come dried or in a can?

  Charlotte handed him a sandwich. “What do you think of my spot?”

  “Uh… it’s pretty nice?” Daniel shoved a bite of sandwich in his mouth.

  She scowled at him. “You already knew about it.”

  “I think a lot of people know about this crevice.”

  The spark of excitement left her eyes. “And here I thought I was taking you somewhere special.”

  “It is somewhere special.” If for no other reason than he was sitting here with her.

  “You’ve known about this crevice for years, haven’t you?”

  Daniel tried to hide his wince, but the way the scowl on Charlotte’s face deepened told him he hadn’t quite managed it. “When your brother and I were boys, we saw Preacher Russell and Miss Emmaline here kissing a few months before they got married.”