by Lopp, Karen
Once he was tethered to a sturdy tree branch, Kathleen went in search of food and a blanket. Inside the house, everything was neat, clean, and, although smaller, reminded her of the home she lost in Arizona. Wooden floors, no curtains to hide the view, a rock fireplace, and home-built furniture. A tear escaped her eye.
In the next room, a lone bed stood out from the center of the far wall, made up with blankets tucked neatly and a couple of pillows. Mike’s bed. She shuddered. Stupid of her but his harsh words about her not inspiring him cut a deep gash in her soul. Was she really that undesirable?
And why did she care what the man thought of her? He was a thief and had threatened her. The money Hawkins had loaned her was enough to pay a judge for an annulment. If she could bring herself to trust one. So, Mike’s opinion didn’t matter.
Kathleen yanked the blanket off the bed. Mike could freeze tonight. She stomped to the kitchen, snatched some food off the cupboard and left.
After she tied the supplies onto the horse, she retrieved her bag and glanced back at the house. She chuckled, lifted out the will, and went back inside. Wouldn’t Mike be livid when he learned she’d hidden the will right under his nose? She slid the document under his dresser.
Outside once again, she tossed a glance in every direction. She would love to see her ranch if she had any idea where it was. But that could spell disaster. Mike would probably look for her there. Not a chance she intended to take. She faced north and frowned. It was going to be difficult to find a way through these mountains.
At the crack of dawn, Mike sat at Aunt May’s again and beat a rapid tattoo with his thumbs on the coffee cup. Where the hell did Kathleen go? He hadn’t expected to find her waiting like a docile wife, in the room last night, but still . . . Where could she be? He’d ended up sleeping in the chair, because anytime he stretched out on the bed, memories of the terror in her eyes haunted him.
He wanted to get an early start to Santa Fe.
Mike glanced up as his hands, Juan and Hank, spurs jingling, stalked over to his table.
“Mornin’, boss. How’s married life?” Hank’s piercing blue eyes twinkled.
“Lousy. Can’t seem to find my wife.”
Both men tossed their heads back and hooted.
“Shut your mouth.” His terse growl only encouraged them to laugh harder. “When you’re through acting like children, I’d like to know what’s been going on here.”
“Simmer down, boss, we just never expected you to get suckered by a woman. After all, you snagged Sally up in a sweet business deal before anybody had a chance to romance her.” Juan’s black eyes twinkled.
“That’s off, too.”
“Hawkins gunning for you?”
“No, he still wants the match.”
“Now how you plan on having two wives?”
“I’m not. That’s why I want to find Kathleen. A quick trip to see a judge and I’ll have the honor of being wifeless.”
“Is she pretty?”
Mike scowled at Juan. Of course Kathleen was pretty. Sensual. Full of spunk. And a liar. “She’s not ugly.”
Juan nudged Hank. “Maybe we should tag along. If the girl’s that desperate we might have a chance with her. I wouldn’t mind a sweet, warm body in my bed.”
Hank grinned. “Dream on, pard. I’m the better-looking one.”
Mike clenched his jaw. “Enough.”
Both men glared at him. Great. Now he’d made them mad.
“What’s stuck in your craw?” Juan snapped.
“How would you like it if somebody shoved a shotgun in your gut and made you get married?”
“We heard. But, come on, boss. You can’t ruin a girl and expect to get away with it.”
Mike snatched a handful of Juan’s shirt. “If you believe the lies, you’re fired.” He shoved Juan back and glared at Hank. “You, too.”
“Now hang on, boss. What are you sayin’?” There was steel in Hank’s voice. He never shrank from a fight.
“Somebody set me up. I want to know who.”
“Hell, boss. You know we’re with you. What’s going on?”
Mike massaged his temples, leaned back, and told them all the events leading up to his marriage. They listened with elbows resting on the table and unwavering attention. Juan and Hank gaped at him when he finished the tale. He’d soon find out if they were loyal to him or not. Hank’s eyes burned like a sunset and Juan’s darkened blacker than a cloudy night.
“What you want us to do?” Juan asked.
“Tell me who’s been sniffing around Sally.”
“I ain’t seen or heard of anyone.” Juan glanced at Hank. “You?”
“Nope. But we sure can do some snooping for you. Ain’t nobody better at sneaking than Juan.”
Mike chuckled. That was true. He’d hired the inseparable pair in part because of their tracking abilities. Between the three of them, no rustler ever got far with Mike’s cattle.
“Think it could be Willie?”
“How? He went on the trail drive with you. Besides, what woman in her right mind would like Willie? Sally ain’t desperate and can have her pick of men. She’d never look his way,” Hank said.
“Then what part does he play in all this? Who’s he working for?”
“Good question. Could it be somebody that went on the drive with you?”
Mike mentally went down the list of men and shook his head. “If any of them had money to pay for all the attacks, they hid it well. Most all of them blew every last penny in Dodge soon as I paid them. Willie and Miguel were the only ones that hung around longer than necessary. And Miguel’s dead. I can’t ask him who paid him to hold up the stagecoach.”
“What do you want us to do, boss?” Juan asked.
“Follow Willie, try to find out what he’s up to. I’m going to track down my wife and go to Santa Fe. I’ll hurry.”
“After we load the supplies you ordered, we’ll see what we can find out.” Hank slapped Mike on the back and motioned for Juan to follow him outside.
Mike gulped down the tepid coffee, tossed a coin onto the table, and went in search of Kathleen.
After poking his head into every conceivable place she could be, Mike stomped off to the saloon. Hank and Juan lounged at the bar.
“Hey, boss, thought you was headed out.” Juan’s soft voice didn’t sooth Mike’s frustration.
“I can’t find Kathleen.”
“You think she’s hiding from you?”
“That, or she skipped town with those two outlaws. Heard anything?”
“Yeah, they hightailed it out of town right after the wedding. So, she didn’t go with them unless they agreed to meet up later.”
“Damn it. I wanted to be gone by now. Any ideas?”
“Wal, boss. Could be she’s scared of you.” Hank always emphasized his Texas drawl when he wasn’t sure if you’d like what he said.
The bitter taste of shame filled Mike’s mouth. He didn’t like Hank’s suggestion. Because it was probably true and the thought of any woman afraid of him caused his gut to twist. He had been too rough yesterday. “I’m not going to waste any more time looking. Let’s go home.”
A tiny niggle of fear joined the fray in Mike’s stomach. He had taken all her money. “I’ll catch up with you later. I need to make one more stop.”
“Sure, boss. The roan is at the livery.”
Mike rushed outside and ducked down the alley. He didn’t want everybody in town to see him pay a visit to the whorehouse. Deep down he felt sorry for the unfortunate women who were forced by circumstances to sell their bodies. He just really hoped Kathleen wasn’t there.
He knocked on the gaily painted door and shifted from foot to foot. This early in the day, business should be slow.
A sleepy-eyed blonde with a cigarette in her hand answered the door.
“Come in, handsome.” She blew a cloud of smoke.
“How much do you charge?”
“Depends on how long you want me.”
“Information.”
“Ten bucks.”
Mike dug out two fives. “Did a young woman, green eyes, brownish red hair, and skinny show up here any time between yesterday and now?”
The woman snatched the bills. “Nope. You’re wife ain’t here.”
“Does everybody know?”
She laughed. “Not much exciting happens around these parts. Of course it’s the current gossip of the town.”
“Great.” Mike pivoted and left. Worry gathered like a thunderstorm. Was Kathleen in some sort of trouble? He shook his head. She’d managed to hoodwink him into marriage; she could take care of herself.
He stopped at the mercantile to pay off his bill. Sheriff Barker came in with a woman on his arm. Mike cocked a brow and bit his lip. Pretty brazen of the sheriff to escort one of Madam Violet’s girls around town.
“Baca, this young lady’s been looking for you.”
Mike stilled at her cold, calculating eyes. She sauntered up to him. “Thought you could sneak off on me, did you?”
Mike blinked and glanced around. “Are you talking to me?”
“Don’t act surprised. Did you really think I’d just let you get away with ruining my good name and skipping town? Or that Pa would?”
What the hell? Mike crossed his arms a shot a frosty glare at the woman as ice crystals formed in his veins, stabbing and slicing as his pulse galloped.
“I. Have. Never. Seen. You. Before.”
“Oh give it up. Pa ain’t far behind and he shore is out for blood. So, I suggest you make an honest woman of me pronto.” Her high-pitched whine abraded Mike’s nerves like the scream of a screech owl.
She planted her hands on her ample hips and turned to Barker. “He ruined my good name back in Dodge City, promised to marry me, and then up and ran out on me. Pa is hot on his trail, but since I beat him here, we can get this fixed up before he gets here. It’ll shore save a lot of trouble.”
The sheriff shot Mike a look of pure disgust. “Can’t be done, lady, ‘cause he’s already married. Seems he done a lot of fooling around and some other girl beat you to him. Her pa and brother done seen to it last night.”
Raw fury burned Mike’s throat. He stepped forward and stuck his finger in her face. “You’re lying.”
“You’re married?” Shock rippled through her eyes followed by an explosion of anger.
Mike smiled and offered her his arm. “Barker, I think the lady and I need to have a private discussion.” He would get to the bottom of this, one way or another. Since Barker wasn’t about to help, he’d get this woman talking.
“I have nothing left to say.”
“Oh, I think you do. I’ll make it worth your while.” Money always loosened mouths.
She tilted her head to the side, gave him the once over and grinned. “We’ll see about that.”
Mike lead the woman to Aunt May’s, escorted her to the far corner of the deserted restaurant, and held out a chair for her. Honey always attracted flies. And this woman made it clear that she could be bought by the highest bidder. He intended to be that bidder. He laid a five on the table.
“Who put you up to this?”
“If you think a measly five dollars will get me talking, you’re loco.”
Mike placed his Colt on the table. “Let’s start over.”
She jumped up.
“Sit down. A stray bullet, a misunderstanding. I’ll even have tears in my eyes.”
The woman eased back in her chair, all color leached from her face at the hard tone of his voice. “Good. Now we understand each other.” He peeled off a twenty. “Talk.”
“Trigger and Cooper, don’t know if that’s their real names or not. They were hired to pose as my father and brother. I was supposed to get on the stage with you and they were supposed to be waiting to catch you and me together in a compromising situation, of my doing.”
She shrugged. “You left Dodge a day earlier than I was told.”
Mike stared at her. The vision of Kathleen’s fear-filled eyes and the terrified pleas assaulted his mind with a bone-chilling dread. This doxy sitting across from him had been the intended bride, not Kathleen. He dropped his head into his hands. Kathleen had been an innocent bystander who happened to be in the wrong place. And he’d threatened her, handled her roughly, and stolen all her money.
A frigid rope tightened around his neck and his heart searched for a way to escape his ribcage. He was as guilty as these three criminals. “Who was this acquaintance?”
She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. “Don’t matter.”
He ground his teeth. “Who?”
“Nope, I ain’t sayin’.”
Mike picked up his pistol and chambered a round.
“Sally Hawkins.” The high-pitched squeak came out in a rush.
Mike stiffened and a succession of rapid breaths puffed out his lips. Sally? He shook his head to clear the shock. Why didn’t she just tell him the engagement was off? “You lie.”
“Go ask her yourself.” The woman snatched the money and stuffed it between her breasts. “So, where is your bride? I want my money for coming all the way here for nothing.”
“One more question. How long ago where you contacted?”
“Pay me first.”
Mike counted out seventy-five dollars and waved it under her nose. “Answer me.”
“About a week ago. Said her other plans had failed.”
So, Sally had tried to have him murdered and when that failed, she’d spread nasty rumors and hired this bunch. And she botched it. Oh, he was married all right, but to the wrong girl. It was imperative he find Kathleen and help her. If she’d let him.
He threw the money down and left. He had already searched the entire town. Not a soul had admitted to helping her or seeing her. Where would a terrified, penniless person go?
Mike hurried to Barker’s office and shoved inside. “Have you seen or heard anything about my wife?”
“No, why, you lose her already?”
“She’s disappeared. I need to find her.”
Barker scratched his head. “Ain’t my problem.”
Mike placed his palms on the desk and leaned in. “It is now. That woman who claimed I’d accosted her just confessed. She and those two men you sided with were paid to force me into marriage. Only problem is, Kathleen was the wrong girl.”
Mike bent lower. “And you didn’t do a damn thing to stop them.”
“What about all them rumors?”
“Lies.”
“Got any proof?”
Mikes fingers twitched with the urge to slug Barker right in the nose. “I’ll get it.”
“Come back when you do. Now git. I ain’t being roped into your squabble.”
“I suggest you quit before I come back.”
“Don’t threaten me.”
“No threat, just a promise.” Mike turned and stalked out. The lazy bastard didn’t deserve to wear a badge. But Hawkins had backed him every election and that alone assured Barker of winning.
He saddled his roan, raced out of town, and caught up with Juan and Hank a few miles out.
“Change of plans. I just found out who was behind this mess.”
“Who?” Both men asked at the same time. “Sally. But that’s not the problem. Kathleen, the girl I’m married to, didn’t have a thing to do with it. Now, she’s running scared. With no money and no friends I can discover. We have to find her.”
“You sure she’s not in town?” Juan rubbed the side
of his face.
“Sure as I can be.”
“What she look like?”
“About five and a half feet tall, pretty green eyes, and brown hair with a touch of red in it. Skinny. Last night she had on a white blouse and faded brown skirt.”
“Where was she headed?”
“I don’t know. She rode the stage here, but no one met her. If she planned on going on, that would mean she was headed south.”
“She rent a horse?”
“Not from the livery. I asked.”
“Umm, she know anything about you?”
Mike snapped his fingers. “I told her about my ranch. Keep your eyes open for her. I’m riding on ahead.”
“Hey, boss.” Hank’s yell stopped Mike and he turned.
“What?”
“If you do find her, remember she’s scared.”
Chapter 11
Hours later, Kathleen scowled and turned the horse around. She had ridden into a box canyon. Good thing she knew how to track, because her mind kept replaying Mike’s kiss, and she’d failed to pay proper attention to her surroundings. She snorted. Stupid and dangerous. She had, however, listened well when Mike described the area and somewhere not far to the west was the small town of Cimarron. A place to avoid.
The thick pinion and ponderosa pine left a soft carpet of needles across the ground and muffled the sound of a hoof fall. Rugged cliffs offered excellent concealment for anyone on foot with a multitude of boulders and crevices. Kathleen swiped at the loose hairs in her eyes and frowned. Not a single place a horse and rider could climb, and definitely not a safe place to be caught in. She slapped the saddle horn and rode on.
The afternoon sun disappeared behind dark, rolling clouds. A gust of wind picked up dust and swirled it around, stinging her cheeks. She squinted. Thunder rumbled and echoed up and down the canyon walls. A solid, gray wall moved steadily down the mountainside, swallowing everything in its path. Within minutes, the temperature dropped several degrees. Kathleen shivered. Now would be a good time to be inside with a comforting fire and a hot cup of coffee.
