by Gold, Ciara
The idea of marriage looked better each day, but he was no longer indiscriminate. Where before he’d been willing to marry any woman, now he had his sights set on only one.
What was it about Kaitlin that stirred his blood with longing? He’d met women more appealing physically, but none that made his heart pound with longing like Kaitlin. Petite and voluptuous, she had sensuous curves he yearned to caress. He’d been introduced to ladies whose manners rivaled the Queen of England. Kaitlin exuded the grace befitting a lady of breeding until her temper flared, then it was quite obvious she was her father’s daughter. Yet the fire and heat fueled by her temper made her eyes glow with passion. He’d been attracted to her from the start, but seeing her at the Silver Saddle, he realized just how perfect she’d be for him. She was bred to be a rancher’s wife, his wife.
Her seriousness would complement his more jovial approach to life. She would keep him focused on his goals as no other woman could. Together, they could carve a living from this unforgiving land. Together. The word had a very nice ring. Kaitlin might be stubborn, but she had met her match. Bryce knew without a doubt he would make her his wife. All he had to do was convince the intended bride.
“Uncle Bryce? Where’s Aunt Katy?”
“She wanted to spend some time at her childhood home. Startin’ tomorrow, I’m fixin’ to wrap up things here. Then, you and I are travelin’ to Oresonville to see your granddaddy. How does that sound?” This time, he’d take the train as far as it went since traveling in the snow with a child didn’t sound pleasurable.
Her shoulders slumped. “Do I gotta?”
“You don’t want to?”
“I dunno. Aunt Katy wasn’t so keen on seeing me at first. I figure her dad will be the same way. Momma didn’t have very many good things to say about him, either.”
She looked so vulnerable his heart went out to her. Pulling her to him, he hugged her again. “Sarge is a gruff old buzzard, but of one thing I’m sure—he wants to see you, Charley. As for Katy, she sends her love. I think she misses you.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Really.”
Charley stood back and put her hands on her hips. “You didn’t wipe your feet before you walked inside. Maggie’s gonna take a skillet to your head.”
Bryce looked down at the mud and snow he’d tracked in. Sheepishly, he looked back at Charley. “Maybe you can help me clean it up before she finds out.”
“You can clean your own mess. I got sewing to tend to. Maggie’s been teaching me how to use the treadle machine. It’s a lot of fun.”
She scampered down the hallway before he could say anything else. Before he made a bigger mess, he backed up to the door and wiped off his boots. As soon as he shrugged out of his coat and gloves, he’d see about sweeping the floor.
Maggie rounded the corner before he got the chance. “Mr. Stanton, Bryce,” she amended. “You’re back. Where’s Kaitlin?”
He glanced down at his feet and her gaze followed his. “She’s still at her dad’s. Sorry about the floor. I’ll clean it up in a bit.”
“Don’t you worry about it. I’ll get it. Just tell me what you found out.”
“I left Kaitlin at Sarge’s. She wouldn’t admit it, but I think she wanted time to right things with her father.”
“Good. That’s mighty good. I’ve been wanting her to do that since he started writing her those notes. Each time she’d read one, her mood became distant. I could tell she was hurting. What else? Did you find out who’s been sending those other notes?”
Bryce shook his head. “Not exactly. Did Kaitlin ever talk about James Latham?”
“Oh, honey. Don’t get me started.” She waved her hands in the air, exaggerating her disgust for the topic. “That man was a devil, the way he hurt Kaitlin. He came by to see her not long after I moved in. Thought I was the maid and started ordering me about. I could tell right then, he was bad news. They had an awful fight. He wanted her to reconsider marriage. She just wanted him to leave. He said some hateful things then stormed out the door.”
“Did he say why he wanted her to reconsider? Did he tell her he loved her?”
“No,” she scoffed. “That man didn’t love nothin’ but himself. But he did seem determined. He surely didn’t like taking no for an answer.”
Bryce rubbed his arms and inclined his head. “Let’s visit in the parlor. This hallway is chillier than a snowman’s nose.”
He followed Maggie into the bare room. They’d bought two sitting chairs to replace the broken furniture, but that was all. The salvageable pieces were tucked away in the far corner. Maybe he could look into getting them repaired while he was here.
They both sat. Maggie appeared worried. This whole thing had to be hard on her.
“Out with it, Bryce. Has something happened to Kaitlin?”
“First of all, she’s fine, just as feisty and stubborn as ever.” He paused before continuing. “James Latham is dead. He tried to kill Kaitlin, and I shot him.”
Maggie’s head fell back, and she tried to blink away tears. Her hands clutched the armrest. “How? Why?”
“I don’t know the why yet, but I was hoping you might help me with the how. When Kaitlin decided to follow me in such a hurry, who all did she tell?”
“Jack came over when she was packing. Mr. Carls at the livery knew cuz I rented a horse from him. Other than that, I don’t think she had time to tell anyone else.”
“Was Jack here when she left or did he leave before she did?”
She clutched her neckline and shook her head. “You can’t be thinking that Jack was in on this. I won’t hear of it.”
“I’m not accusin’ anyone. I’m just tryin’ to piece together the events leadin’ up to James’s death. Bear with me on this one, okay?”
Maggie gave him a baleful eye but nodded. “Jack left before she did. He said he needed to take something to Farley Kauffman.”
Bryce wasn’t surprised. Now all he needed to do was confirm what Jack might have told Farley. If Farley knew, then Farley would be the prime suspect. He probably ought to clue Dan Cochran in on his suspicions, but he wanted to dig a little deeper first.
“Have there been any more letters?”
“No. Nothing. You know, Bryce, whoever conspired with James doesn’t know Kaitlin’s still alive.” She sat up straighter. “He probably thinks she’s dead.”
“What are you thinkin’?”
“It might buy you some time if you were to tell everyone that Kaitlin is gone.”
“I won’t lie.”
“Not even to help Kaitlin?”
Bryce furrowed his brow as he contemplated Maggie’s suggestion. “I can’t. Her suffragist friends would be heartbroken, for one, and besides, I don’t think Charley could keep it a secret. I lied once. I thought I was protectin’ someone, but it only made matters worse. I promised myself then that I’d never do it again. Please, don’t ask it of me.”
“Well, aren’t you the righteous one. Fine. It was just a thought.”
“It was a good thought. I know you want to help. We all do, but lyin’ ain’t—isn’t the answer. We’ll just find another way to get the answers we need.”
Maggie gave him a slight smile. “You sure have been good to Kaitlin.”
“She’s Charley’s aunt.” Would Maggie approve if she knew just how good he wanted to be to Kaitlin? “Charley’s had enough grief, losin’ her mother like that. I don’t want to see her lose Katy as well.”
“Katy, is it? Your eyes light up when you say her name that way.” She touched his hand. “I think there’s more to all this chivalry you’re displaying. I think you like Kaitlin a bit more than you’re letting on.”
Bryce looked down at the floor, trying to decide how much to confide in Maggie. He glanced back up. “You’re right. I like her a lot, Maggie. I don’t want to see her get hurt or worse.”
“You like her more than a lot.”
He cleared his throat. “I like her enough to consider makin’
her my wife. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Oh, Lawsy. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. I like you, Bryce Stanton. You’ve been the best thing that ever happened to Kaitlin. I just hope she’s not too stubborn to realize it.”
Twenty Eight
Kaitlin sat on her horse with her arms resting on the saddle horn and surveyed her land with a practiced eye. She’d forgotten how beautiful and tranquil it was here. While a thick blanket of white covered the ground, spring would present an entirely different picture. An abundance of range grasses grew on the south side, enough to support a small herd of cattle. The north side was bounded by a forest of evergreens. A small mountain stream meandered through the center, providing plenty of water. The land was fertile, productive.
Kaitlin tossed her head back and gazed at the crystal blue sky. Drawing her coat more tightly about her, she studied the breathtaking scenery. Defeat was not something she dealt well with. A man with a clear vision and strong backbone had built the Silver Saddle into a small empire. She wanted, no craved, the same sense of success her father enjoyed. Against his advice, she’d applied for the homestead. Refusing any help from Sarge, Kaitlin had bought two hundred head of cattle, hired two hands, and set about making a life for herself. The first year was the hardest. The one-room cabin she and her hands had erected was barely habitable. After a month, Sarge had hauled a crew over from the Silver Saddle. Against her protests, they’d built a sturdier cabin for her and a smaller one for the hands. Reluctantly, she accepted the gift, but swore she’d accept nothing else from him. She was out to prove to herself and to Sarge that she was every bit the settler that he had been. All she’d proven was her own lack of defense against the elements.
The day after holding the deed in her hand, she’d closed the door on the honeymoon cabin and headed for Denver. With the proceeds from the sale of her entire herd, she’d bought the house on Timber Street and set up shop as a seamstress. Business was slow at first, but her reputation with a needle began to earn her clients. She’d met Maggie a week after moving to Denver. Recognizing the same indomitable spirit in Maggie that moved within herself, Kaitlin befriended the black woman. When Maggie was forced to move out of her rented room, Kaitlin gladly offered her a room in her home. They’d been best friends ever since.
Things change. Time was unstoppable. Maggie was getting married, and, soon, Kaitlin would be alone once more. For the past two years, Maggie’s friendship had filled the void left when she discovered herself without a husband or a father.
She often wondered how things might have turned out if she’d married James anyway, knowing he could never be faithful. Married, she might have had children. A picture of Charley popped into her head, and she couldn’t help but smile. The idea of caring for Charley had frightened her. She didn’t need another failure in her life. Charley needed a mother who could teach her how to cook, care for a home. She needed a strong, guiding hand that could offer sound advice when it came to matters of the heart. Kaitlin’s failures would likely hinder her abilities to deal with Charley as she needed.
She’d lied when she told Bryce she wasn’t marriage material. Longing and desire had been suppressed by her inexhaustible work. She’d picked up the gauntlet laid down by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton. After hearing both women speak in New York when she was but nineteen, she could do no less. Their words had touched a fighting chord within her breast and given new meaning to her dull life. They’d been instrumental in giving her the courage to attempt running her own ranch. Unfortunately, she’d only been armed with courage and little else. Ranch work required more knowledge than she possessed, and determination wasn’t enough to see her dream succeed.
Vaguely, she wondered if Bryce was any relation to Elizabeth. She’d ask next she saw him. Once she turned her back on her property, she needed a new direction for her energies. An article by Elizabeth Stanton had given her incentive. A year later, with Maggie’s help, she began organizing the women in her neighborhood. Since then, their united efforts had grown. Though Kaitlin was their driving force, they would carry on without her should she withdraw.
Stunned, she reeled from the avenue her thoughts had taken. Leave? What caused her to consider leaving?
She allowed her gaze to sweep the countryside once more. Deeply, she inhaled the crisp air. Home. She’d come home. As hard as life had been here, it wasn’t until her return that she realized just how much she’d missed this place. She enjoyed her work in Denver, but it was just that. Work. This land had been her passion. The challenges from living day to day had defined who she was, who she wanted to be.
The honeymoon cabin. Funny. They had given the cabin a name, but not the land. She’d laughed at James, telling him she didn’t want to name it until it was completely and legally hers. He’d laughed back, teasing her with his smile.
“Then, we’ll name your cabin instead,” he’d said.
“It’s just a cabin, one my father built against my wishes. What will we name it?”
“Once we’re married, we’ll share our first night here together,” he’d replied with just the right seductive tones to whet her appetite for unknown promises.
“Our honeymoon cabin.”
“Hmm. That has a nice ring to it. Our honeymoon cabin it is.”
Only, there’d been no honeymoon, no wedding. She should rename the structure, but it was old habit to continue calling it the honeymoon cabin. And old habits didn’t die easily.
The horse shifted beneath her weight. She urged him into a canter, wanting to look at the cabin again. When she’d been here with Bryce, her mind had been on James and the attempted murder. Now, she wanted to think about the cabin and her land.
She found the cabin to be in remarkably good shape for having been abandoned to the elements. With the exception of one broken window, everything appeared in good order. Bryce’s cleaning attempts had cleared the largest particles of debris from the floor. Cobwebs hung from the corners, and there was a thick layer of dust on the mantle and tops of furniture. She hated to clean, but today she felt the urge to tidy the place up, make it more than just habitable.
An hour later, Kaitlin collapsed in one of the rickety chairs. She’d forgotten why cleaning wasn’t her favorite chore, but after tackling the dust and spider webs, she held a new appreciation for the work Maggie did. She glanced at the windows. Pink gingham check. That’s what she’d make the curtains out of.
Lost in thought, she barely heard the door creak open. Swiveling toward the sound, she collapsed with relief when she saw that it was only Sarge.
“A bit jittery, are we?” he asked.
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d check on you. Place looks good. You’ve been cleaning.”
Kaitlin stood, feeling at a disadvantage with her father peering down at her. “Just tidying up some.”
“Katy,” Sarge began, but hesitated.
Kaitlin kept her back to him, her arms crossed. Less than welcoming, her posture indicated her difficult time in believing Sarge’s sincerity. Her turbulent emotions had calmed, but trust didn’t come easily. Seeing her father again had allowed her to voice her disillusionment, to air the differences that had caused so much pain—things she hadn’t been able to voice during her youth. Sarge had grown older, less rigid. He didn’t exude the same commanding presence she’d fought so many years ago.
“I’d forgotten how much I liked living out here,” she finally said and turned to give him her full attention.
“Your failure with this place had nothing to do with any inadequacies you thought you had as a woman. Your disappointment can be blamed on lack of experience and nothing more. You gave it five good years, more than some men I’ve known would have done.”
The back of her eyes swelled with tears. “I think I know that now, but at the time, I needed to prove to myself I could make it on my own.”
“And you have. Look at all the things you’ve accomplished in Denver and in just a sho
rt amount of time.” His gruff voice still carried the edge of command.
“I needed to prove to you that I wasn’t like Mamma. I wasn’t like Bethany.”
“I know, girl. I know,” he said.
She turned away again and stared out the window as silent tears cascaded down her cheeks. “I struggled so hard to make you see me. Me. Not some worthless girl.”
“Ah, Katy. I never thought of you that way. You were always strong. It scared me. You always seemed to know exactly what you wanted. You had vision, hope. I just had memories.” His voice broke, and he took a deep breath before continuing. “I lived each day just going through the motions. The ranch was barely making it. Jennifer and Bethany were both gone, and I’d sent you away to school. I had no reason to work, to build. It wasn’t until you came back and challenged me, that I began to put my heart and soul back into this land. You did that for me. You were the real driving force behind the Silver Saddle.”
“For every defeat I suffered, you seemed to succeed.”
He settled large hands upon her shoulders and squeezed lightly. “I wanted you to have a place to come home to when things didn’t work out for you. I didn’t set out to make the Silver Saddle an empire just to make your endeavors look bad. I did it because it will one day be yours, and I didn’t want to leave you some rundown old ranch.”
“I’m so sorry. I never knew. I thought...Never mind what I thought. It’s in the past now.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Sarge, I’m not sure I intend to stay.”
“I know, but just the fact you’re here is enough for now. I...I love you, Katy.” The whispered words soared straight to her heart. She turned. The hands that rested lightly on her shoulders enveloped her into a huge hug. She’d come home.
