by Gold, Ciara
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and dropped her gaze to her hands. “Bangles found out about Little Em and confronted James when I happened to overhear. James admitted loving Little Em. When Bangles asked him why he wasn’t marrying her instead, he replied, and I quote—‘Kaitlin will make me rich. She has more to offer than my Em’.”
“The heartless scoundrel,” Sarge said beneath his breath.
“I would never have agreed to James’ suit in the first place, but he was so charming, so persuasive. He’d become an integral part of the ranch. His assistance proved invaluable. I needed his expertise when it came to matters involving the ranch. I was already estranged from Sarge, and I couldn’t, wouldn’t ask my father for help. Marriage seemed like the right thing at the time.”
“So when you saw him again, what did he say?”
“He accused me of using him. He said he had just as much time and energy invested into the land as I did. We fought. He...he slapped me hard enough to make me fall to the floor, said I was too manly for his tastes. If not for Bangles’ timely arrival and his strong suggestion that James vacate the premises, I might have suffered more bruises than just the one.” She twisted her hands, and Bryce could see what her admission cost her. “Afterwards, he tried to claim rights to my land.”
“It all goes back to the land,” Sarge murmured.
“It’s not worth anything to anyone but me. It’s my land.”
“Have you ever had it assayed?” Bryce thought differently. Colorado was rich with minerals. He suspected Latham of finding more than grass on her property. “After all, we’re not far from the richest gold mine in Colorado.”
“James had a man come out.” She shook her head. “The assayer didn’t find anything.”
“Did you talk to the assayer, or did James tell you that’s what the man said?”
Sarge swore under his breath. “That skunk.”
Kaitlin’s eyes widened. “You don’t think...No, it can’t be.”
“I’m grasping at straws here, but it seems likely. We won’t be able to confirm these suspicions until winter clears, but I’m willing to bet your piece of paradise might be worth a heck of a lot more than you thought.”
“But why kill me? If I die, the land would go to Sarge as my only surviving relative.”
Bryce contemplated James’ motives. Speculatively, he replied, “Sarge has no use for this particular tract. I imagine James hoped to persuade him into selling it. What I don’t understand is why James didn’t try to persuade you into selling.”
Katy laughed, a bitter sound of self-derision. “He did. He came to see me a month before those hate letters began.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Or at the very least, why didn’t you tell Dan Cochran?”
“I never told anyone. Not even Maggie.”
“Ah Katy.” Sarge pushed the paper aside and touched her hand.
Katy bristled, yanking her hand from his. “Don’t you dare pity me. I kept this to myself so I wouldn’t burden others with my troubles. This was my fight and no one else’s.”
“Enough.” Bryce had reached the end of his patience. The woman’s need for independence had significantly curtailed the investigation, bringing more danger to her door. “No more sneakin’ around the truth. From now on, you’ll relate any and all adverse activity.”
“You’re not my keeper, Bryce Stanton.”
“You’re right.” He leaned across the table and shoved his face close to hers. “I’m not your keeper, but all that’s about to change. If ever anyone needed watchin’ over, it’s you. You’re too stubborn to admit when you need assistance. Even I know to ask for help when the cows are agitated. And your cows are more than agitated. They’re dangerously close to stampedin’.”
“Hold up, Stanton,” Sarge said. “Katy is her own woman. She’s capable of looking out for herself.”
“Like she did when she almost got herself killed?” Bryce sat down and stared at that chipped cup again. He was crazy to want to marry this obstinate woman, but God help him, he loved her. He didn’t want to see her hurt or worse, dead. Why couldn’t she trust him with her troubles?
He shifted his gaze to Sarge then Katy. Sarge looked disgruntled while Katy fumed. Her lovely, kissable mouth puckered into a tight ball of indignation. Bryce might have laughed if the situation wasn’t so serious.
Sarge cleared his throat. “I reckon’ you’re right, son.” He rustled the papers. “These articles along with the notes and the attempt on her life suggest an accomplice. Katy’s not out of danger.” He glanced over the headlines again and peered at Bryce. “Any of this true?”
“Unfortunately, every word.”
Sarge didn’t even glance at Katy. He was once again the hard man she claimed to have grown up with. His solemn nod supported Bryce’s decision. “I’ll have Bangles send one of the men into Idaho Springs for a preacher. We can host a wedding here.”
“Wait. Now hold on just a minute.” Katy held up a hand. “What are you suggesting?”
Sarge’s chair scraped the floor and he stood. “A scandal like this can only be fixed with a marriage. What did you think I was suggesting?”
Bryce shook his head. “While I agree, this has to be Katy’s decision. I won’t force her into a weddin’ she doesn’t want.”
“Did you compromise my daughter?”
Bryce shifted in his chair, stalling to find the right words. He might not have compromised her at the hotel as suggested by the article, but he’d sure enjoyed her company this morning.
“I see no reason that should be an issue,” Katy said.
Sarge squeezed his eyes shut. His skin had turned a mottled purple. Emotions raged across his features in vivid display. The rumors obviously tore at his insides. “I won’t have you become like Bethany. I won’t have you disgrace this home with your flirtations, girl.” He snapped his eyes open and glared at Bryce. “Did you compromise her?”
Bryce swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”
Katy sagged in her chair and looked at the floor. Bryce wanted to comfort her, to offer reassurances, but his own emotions suffered from the exchange. Clearly, this had been upsetting for Sarge, and knowing Bethany’s background, Sarge’s disappointment was justified.
Bryce reached over and laid his hand over Katy’s. “This needs to be your decision, but let me paraphrase the facts. You and I spent three nights together en route to the Silver Saddle. For all accounts, that makes you a fallen woman. Ruined. Totally and completely. As a fallen woman, others will no longer want to follow your lead. You’ve just lost your stronghold among the other suffragists.”
He could see the dust whirling, the snort of fury. Her temper was about to explode. He braced himself for the worst. Her chest rose with a deep breath of indignation. Slowly, deliberately, she exhaled.
“This...this is why you...this morning...” she hissed her incomplete thoughts and turned on Sarge. “And you! I thought you’d changed. I was wrong. You’re just the same. Tyrannical and overbearing. You can’t force me into something I don’t want. You couldn’t then, and you can’t now, so don’t even try. And as for you!” She pointed at Bryce. “I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last stallion in the herd. I do not need you to rescue me from scandal. I’ve had enough rescuing lately to last a lifetime.”
Charley entered then, a furry ball snuggled in her arms. “What’s all the yelling about?”
“Arrogant men,” Katy stormed.
“Your Aunt Katy is fightin’ the bit,” Bryce growled between clenched teeth.
“That’s right, cowboy. A frog will have to grow hair before I let you put your saddle on me,” she replied.
He frowned at her attempt to mimic his own colorful speech patterns.
Charley giggled. “Frogs can’t grow hair, and you wouldn’t look very good in a saddle anyway.”
“Charley, that cat belongs out in the barn, not inside,” Sarge announced.
“He won’t hurt nothing. Bryce, tell him I can keep the cat w
ith me a little longer.”
Bryce hardened his heart, backing Sarge with his rough command. “Take the cat outside, Charley, and no backtalk.”
“I’ll walk you back out, Charley. I find myself suddenly in need of fresh air,” Katy replied.
Her words didn’t fool Bryce. She was running from a confrontation. Not that he blamed her. He wanted Katy for his wife, but not like this. He wanted her to want marriage as much as he did.
He reached out and grabbed Katy’s hand as she turned to leave. “Nope. We’re not through talkin’ about hairy frogs.”
Sarge winked at Charley. “I’ll walk you outside, Charley. I’ll even entertain you with stories about the ranch.”
Charley’s shoulders drooped. “I think hairy frogs would be more interesting, but I get it. Uncle Bryce wants to fight with Aunt Katy, and he doesn’t wanna do it in front of me.”
Sarge frowned. “Your mother had attitude when she was your age. Best not take that tone while you’re here, girl, or you and me will be fightin’, and I fight to win.”
“Sarge,” Katy replied in a warning tone. “Don’t make the same mistakes with Charley that you made with Bethany.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t. Come on, Charley. Let’s get that kitten back to its momma.” They all watched as a reluctant Charley vacated the room. Bryce had expected Sarge to follow Charley. Instead, he turned his steely gaze upon Bryce. Bryce wasn’t a callous youth squirming in front of an irate father. Even so, he found himself in an uncomfortable situation. Sarge was not going to make this easy for either one of them.
Katy rounded on her father as soon as Charley was out of earshot. “Before you start, Sarge, I might remind you that I am no longer a young girl of eighteen. I’m well past the age most women get married. I can weather this scandal better now than I could have a few years ago.”
“Well, I can’t.” Bleak sadness crept into his eyes. “Your mother and Bethany gave the neighbors enough gossip to last me a lifetime. I won’t have my friends whispering about you. I’ve held my head high these past years. I’m old, Kaitlin. My heart isn’t as strong as it once was.” With those parting words, he followed Charley outside.
Katy turned slowly to stare at Bryce, and her steady regard seared him with recriminations. He stood taller, determined to ride the path he’d mapped out.
“Did you know this morning when you took me into your arms that you planned to pull this stunt? Or was this a spur of the moment thing?”
“I wanted it to be different,” he began, reaching for her hand. She allowed him this small show of affection. “I tried to propose last night, but I was tired and cranky, and you weren’t in the right frame of mind for it.”
“Correction. You tried to get me to propose, Bryce.”
“Yeah. I thought I’d stand a better chance if I let you do the askin.’ It would’ve worked too, if I’d been a little more cunnin’.”
“So instead of trying again, you use this underhanded method to force my hand?”
“Look, Kaitlin...Katy,” Bryce said. “This isn’t the way I wanted it to happen. You might not believe me, but I want to marry you, for you. Not because of some scandal the newspaper cooked up.”
She stared at the floor. Slowly she lifted her head, her eyes meeting his. “Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
She blinked. Clearly she’d expected him to prance around the answer. Her features softened. “Really?”
“Yes, ma’am. I do. I can’t imagine why. You’re an ornery cuss most of the time, but...”
She swatted him. “You make me ornery.”
He laughed. “I suppose I do at that.”
“I’ll marry you, Bryce Stanton.” She smiled. “On my terms.”
“On your terms,” he whispered, glad she finally saw reason.
“I won’t pretend to like the way this came about, but I don’t want this to hurt Sarge.”
“You’ve had a change of heart where your father’s concerned.”
“Yes. I’m still bitter about some things, but I’m learning to live with the past. I don’t want the past to control me any longer.”
“Marriage won’t stop the talk.” He took her hands into his. “It’ll just take the sting out of the gossip, make it less juicy for the good citizens of Denver.”
“They’ll get over it. As to my terms, I want to get married in Denver, in my church with all of my friends and acquaintances there to bless our union.”
“I can agree to that.”
“I want to rewrite the vows.”
He seemed puzzled at first until he remembered the part about the woman obeying the man. He nodded.
“And Bryce?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t ever cheat on me. I won’t stand for it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Bryce smiled broadly. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. We’ve barely mined the full extent of our passion. I’m looking forward to a long and productive trail ride, and I can think of no better trail boss I’d want givin’ the orders.”
“Those are not exactly the words a woman wants to hear when she’s accepting a proposal,” she said ruefully.
“No, ma’am. Reckon I’m not much on sweet talk. I tend to use cowboy jargon when I’m nervous.”
“I make you nervous?”
“Like a duck in the desert.”
“I would have never guessed it by the way you’re always ordering me around, picking fights when it suits you,” she replied.
“Well. You make me mad just as often as you make me nervous. All that aside, I think we’ll be good for each other. I foresee a solid partnership.”
She tilted her head and laid a hand on his chest. “Where do you envision us living?”
Bryce scratched his head. He hated to admit he hadn’t given that much thought. “I’m a cowboy, Katy. I can’t live in town. We can go back to Texas. I’ve already got a start on my own outfit, or we can try to make a livin’ off your parcel of land. With my know-how and a little bit of capital, we can make it work.”
“My land. I want to try again, try to make something of it.”
He laid his hand over hers and squeezed. “We’ll make a trip to the Double S after the wedding and pick out some prime stock. I imagine your father will also help us.”
Katy withdrew her hand and sank onto the chair, her facial expression pensive. “Married? I’m really thinking about letting you force me into this.”
“It won’t be so bad,” he said, kneeling at her feet. “I’ll do my best by you. I can’t promise anything more.”
“Without the scandal, would you still have wanted to marry me?”
“With all my heart.”
“Sarge will be happy,” she said simply.
Yes, but would she be happy? Bryce sighed. If he never did anything else right in his entire life, he wanted to make Kaitlin happy. She deserved a silver lining to her chaotic life.
Thirty Four
“Ladies. Ladies! Attention, please,” Kaitlin called out over the chitchat rattling the walls of her small sitting room.
When the noise died down, Kaitlin addressed the group. “It breaks my heart that not more of you came tonight, but I understand. In fact, the reason I called this meeting was to address your concerns about the gossip you’ve read.”
Abigail Pritchard broke into her conversation. “Kaitlin, those of us here support you fully. We know there was no truth to the rumors. The others will come around, I’m sure.”
Kaitlin smiled at the support her friends were willing to give her. “I appreciate all of you being here. It means a lot to me, but I must confess. Every word in those articles was true.”
The sudden outburst of murmuring made it difficult for Kaitlin to gain their attention again. With Maggie’s help, she silenced the twelve ladies present.
Maggie stood beside her and motioned with her arms. “Settle down, ladies. Let her finish.”
“Thank you, Maggie,” Kaitlin said. “Taken out of context those
words are very damaging. They paint a totally different picture from the reality. Yes, Mr. Stanton was a guest in our home. He slept on the hardwood floor. Yes, my ex-fiancé tried to kill me, and Mr. Stanton shot him while trying to defend me. Yes, he slept in the same room with me in Idaho Springs. We were both concerned James Latham might not have acted on his own. It was all very innocent and nothing untoward happened.” She paused, looked down for a moment then back up. “Not that I didn’t want things to happen between us, but unfortunately, nothing did.”
At that, the ladies giggled demurely, each sympathizing with Kaitlin for her honesty.
“He is a handsome man,” Margaret Knowles replied, to which many nodded their heads in agreement.
“Yes, he is. In fact, he proposed, and we’re getting married soon. We’ve scheduled the wedding a week from Tuesday, and I’d love for all of you to be there.”
The congratulations that followed overwhelmed her.
“Married?” Several women reacted in unison then giggled.
Over the din of excited suffragists, she met Maggie’s sympathetic eye. Only Maggie knew the true turmoil behind her capitulation.
She was a fighter, vocal about the things she found wrong with the world. Why hadn’t she said no more firmly? In the back of her mind, she knew the answer. Somewhere between being drenched in molasses and being shot at, Kaitlin Kanatzer had fallen in love. Not your sweet, walks-in-the-moonlight kind of love, but a deep, soul-searing kind of love. That Bryce had confessed his love made it all that much sweeter and yet, she still feared binding herself to a man.
She entertained no illusions where Bryce was concerned. He’d come to Denver for the singular purpose of providing Charley with female guidance. He had wanted her to take Charley off his hands. When she hadn’t complied readily with his plans, he’d set out to find himself a wife. He didn’t seem too particular in the women he’d tried to court. His proposal, such as it was, came as no surprise except... He’d chosen her. He’d fallen in love with a woman who feared commitment.
Shy Anna Marie came up to Kaitlin, her facial expression serious. “But Kaitlin, won’t your new husband object to your activities?”
