“No. I knew he owed you money.” Jed ran his hands through his hair.
“If Sabrina married Trey, she’d be marrying into the family. Matt would no longer owe me any money and I would save your ranch. It is common knowledge you’re about to lose it, Jed.”
Jed felt his face go up in flames as anger bubbled through his veins. He would never sacrifice his daughter to pay off Matt’s loan and to save the Big C. He would rather lose the ranch than give his daughter to this man’s son.
His jaw tensed visibly and Jed glared at the man. “I don’t know how this rumor got started, but I am not about to lose the ranch. Once I sell my cattle, I’ll be able to pay off the loan.”
Carson held up his hand. “The bank has already given you an extension once and won’t do so again. I’m offering to buy your ranch and let you live on it and work for me. . . when Sabrina and Trey marry.”
Jed stood up. His voice was firm, final. “The ranch is not for sale, to you or anybody else. The loan will be paid off. As for Matt, he’s learning a hard lesson.”
“Then you’re refusing my offer. Your daughter for your son and your ranch.”
Jed glared at Carson. This was his daughter’s happiness; the man wanted him to bargain with her life. “My daughter is not something that can be haggled over. I hope to God, she never marries your son, because I will always remember this conversation and it will sicken me.”
“I’d hoped this would be a friendly takeover.” Carson paused and flicked the tip of his cigar. “When the bank forecloses on your loan, I’ll be there to buy your land. I’m going to get the Big C.”
Jed ignored the insult, concentrating on suppressing his rage. He gritted out between his teeth, “You’ll rot in hell before I sell you my land or give you my daughter,” Jed glowered at Carson. “You’ll excuse me if I skip the rest of your party. I have a cattle drive to prepare for.”
* * *
If Carson was so intent on Trey’s marrying Sabrina, then maybe it was time for Jed to look out for the welfare of his daughter. If only those two pigheaded fools would realize they were meant for each other.
He’d never interfered in his children’s romantic affairs before, but maybe it was time for him to start. He’d insist Sabrina, stay at the party while he headed for the ranch. If Patrick would bring her home, it would be a good time for them to get reacquainted. Next week he would invite Patrick to supper. . . .
When Jed reached the barn, he found Patrick inside. “Leaving so soon?”
“No, I was just out checking on my horse,” Patrick replied.
“I need to get back to the ranch. Sabrina is having a good time and I don’t want to drag her away from the fun. Would you mind seeing her and Maria home later this afternoon?”
Jed watched Patrick’s eyebrows draw together into a frown. “I don’t mind, but you’d better okay it with her. She was pretty upset with me last night.”
Jed grinned at the young man. He had witnessed Patrick following Sabrina and Trey out of the barn last night at the dance. He had been about to go after her himself when he saw Patrick storm out after the couple. Not only had it warmed his soul, but he had been laughing all evening at the couple as they had tried to ignore each other. It was obvious to him, they still cared about one another, and with a little encouragement, maybe he’d be getting the son-in-law he wanted.
“I saw you two dancing last night. What’s the matter? Did you step on her toes?”
Patrick laughed. “No, but she is one stubborn lady.”
“She’s just like her mother, strong willed. I’ll tell Sabrina I’m leaving and you’re taking her home.”
“Don’t expect her to like it”
“She’ll be fine. Watch over my girl, Patrick.”
“Sure, Jed.”
Jed found Sabrina in the kitchen, helping with the dishes. “Sabrina, I need to get back to the ranch. Patrick has agreed to see you and Maria home.”
“No, Dad. I’ll come home with you.”
“I would rather you stayed, Sabrina. The wagon will only slow me down and I’m in a hurry. Besides, you haven’t visited with these people in a long time and it’ll be a while before you get another chance.”
“Why can’t one of the boys stay and escort me home? It’s not necessary to trouble Patrick.”
“I need the boys to go back with me.” Jed kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you at home.”
* * *
The late afternoon sun shone brightly over the circular drive of the Cactus Spread. The old wagon came into view as Patrick drove the creaky rig up beside the porch. All day they had avoided each other. Neither of them had spoken and now they had another long drive home together. At least Maria would be there to ease the tension.
Patrick came around and loaded their trunks. He lifted Maria into the wagon and came around for Sabrina. Quickly she climbed up into the wagon and picked up the reins, leaving an amused Patrick looking up at her.
“Move over, Sabrina. I’m driving the wagon.” Patrick crossed his arms across his chest and patiently looked up at her. His brown eyes twinkled with amusement. Her heart did a little flip-flop as she looked at him, but her pride refused to let him taunt her. He had treated her dreadfully last night and she was still smarting.
She sent a knowing gaze at his horse, then at Patrick. “Is there something wrong with your horse?”
“No.”
“I am quite capable of driving our wagon. You can ride your horse.” Sabrina turned back, dismissing Patrick, until she felt the wagon shift. He lifted his body into the wagon.
“You can either move over or I’m going to sit on you. Which do you prefer?” Patrick asked as he climbed into the wagon.
“You are so rude,” Sabrina hissed as she slid over next to Maria in the wagon seat.
Patrick gave her a stunning smile, his brown eyes glittering with amusement. “You should know by now that I never claimed to be a gentleman, but then, you aren’t much of a lady, either.”
Sabrina turned her nose up and settled her skirts so that nothing touched him.
Patrick shook his head and spoke aloud. “It’s going to be a long ride home.”
“You can say that again,” Sabrina snapped as she watched Patrick flick the reins and the wagon began to move. The sway of the wagon made it impossible to keep from touching somewhere.
Sabrina felt his leg and shoulder bump against hers. Two hours to the ranch, two hours of swaying and rubbing against him. She moved as close to Maria as she could without pushing the poor woman off the wagon seat, however, the next time the wagon hit a bump on the trail, she was thrown up against Patrick again. Moved by the intensity of feeling that one touch aroused in her, she sat up straight, stiff, trying not to have any contact with him.
Patrick groaned inwardly as his thigh rubbed up against hers. He remembered how her legs had looked the day he had found her by the pond, all that creamy white skin aching to be touched.
Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. He could have been riding his horse instead of sitting here beside her, touching her, being tormented by her. A part of his brain begged him to hit another bump in the road so he could feel her soft body up against his, but another part begged, no more. That part was beginning to ache and they were a long way from the Big C.
They rode along, no one speaking. Patrick sat awkwardly beside Sabrina. This was ridiculous. She was affecting him as if he were still a green-eyed schoolboy. He couldn’t recall another woman who made him feel this way.
“Look up ahead. Buzzards.” Sabrina pointed a long trim finger up toward the sky.
Feeling uneasy Patrick looked around, alert to the smallest change in the scenery. Reaching under the wagon seat, he pulled out the rifle he’d placed there before they’d left the ranch.
Maria, who had been dozing quietly, looked up. “Madre de Dios! Those things are ugly.”
“Ladies, we’re headed straight toward those birds.” Patrick grimaced as he kept watch on the coun
tryside. He had learned long ago to pay attention to his instincts and he had an uneasy feeling right now.
“It’s probably just a dead cow,” Sabrina replied apprehensively.
The wagon creaked and groaned as the wheels rolled into a ravine. Patrick couldn’t help but consider it was an ideal place for an ambush. Soft sand slowed down the wagon, causing the wheels to slip and slide. The squawk of a buzzard drew Patrick’s attention to the dead horses.
“Oh, God!” cried Sabrina. “Those are Will’s and Ed’s horses.”
Sprawled in the sand next to their horses were the bloody bodies of Will and Ed. Sabrina scrambled out of the wagon before Patrick could bring it to a complete halt or set the brake. She ran across the sand, and he knew the moment she found her father. An eerie half cry, half-moan escaped her lips like the wail of a wounded animal. Patrick watched as she sank to the ground.
He jumped down and ran toward her with the gun in his hand, alert that whoever had killed the men might still be around, waiting for them. Maria shuffled along as fast as she could behind Patrick.
Patrick knelt down beside Sabrina. She looked up at him with glazed eyes. Tears began to run down her cheeks. “He’s dead,” she choked.
Reaching for a pulse, Patrick felt the cold body of the man who had always been his friend. A gunshot wound to Jed’s shoulder and chest had ended his life. An overwhelming sense of loss and anger began to build inside Patrick.
He looked at Sabrina’s stricken face. “I have to check the other bodies.”
She didn’t even look up at Patrick, but merely nodded her head in agreement while stroking her father’s hair. Tears coursed down her cheeks. Maria sat beside her, wailing and holding Jed’s hand.
Patrick hurriedly checked the other bodies. Ed had been killed instantly by a shot to the head. Patrick thought he probably never knew what hit him, but Will had put up a fight. Two bullet holes in the chest had finally brought him down. Whoever had killed them had been an excellent marksman, cutting them down as they rode into the ravine.
Patrick walked around the area, looking for anything unusual. Finally, he climbed to the top of the ravine and found a boulder large enough for a man to hide behind. The perfect place to ambush someone. He looked closer and found the killer’s boots had left marks in the soft, moist sand that was around the rock. Checking closer, he found horse tracks leading away from the top of the ravine.
Cautiously, he walked back down to the women. He loaded the bodies of Will and Ed into the back of the wagon. Then glanced over at Sabrina. Remembering his parents’ deaths, he felt her pain and anguish intensely. Now hers were gone. She was alone. Anger filled him as he thought of how someone had done this to both of them.
Slowly he walked over to her and motioned for Maria to help him get her to the wagon. Maria gently lifted Jed’s head and placed it in her lap. Sabrina, still in shock, looked up at Patrick. Despair shone from her eyes, filling Patrick as he shared her pain. He reached down and lifted her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her to support her.
“I’m sorry, Sabrina.”
“Who would do this? What did Dad ever do to anyone to make them do this?” Her blue eyes reflected a pain that reached out and touched his soul.
“I don’t know, sweetheart, but I intend to find out. They left a trail and as soon as I get you home, I’m coming back.”
“I have to tell Matt.” Sabrina slumped against Patrick’s chest, as if the weight of informing him was more of a burden than she could bear. “I need Matt. I have to tell him.” Patrick picked her up, carried her to the wagon. She was limp, despondent in her grief.
“I’ll help you find Matt, Sabrina. Let’s go home.” Patrick replied, his voice steely.
Another death.
* * *
The day had dawned cloudy and humid with the smell of rain in the air. Sabrina stood alone, expecting raindrops to fall on her face any moment and mingle with her tears. She wished to God, it would rain. Rain away everything, the pain she felt, her anger at whoever had killed her father; the anguish filling her heart.
The preacher’s voice droned on, but Sabrina barely heard him. This had to be a bad dream. Awakening, she would go down to breakfast with her father. They would talk about the progress of the cattle drive. They would laugh and banter as always.
A drop of rain fell on her cheek. This was no dream. Her father was about to be laid to rest beside her mother. No longer would they sit and talk. Unknown to either of them, they had said their last goodbye Sunday morning.
He was gone. The sound of “Amazing Grace” drifted to her ears. She tried to sing her father’s favorite hymn, but the words stuck in her throat.
Searching the crowd, she looked for Matt, hoping to see that familiar face. He should be here beside her, but instead she stood alone with only Maria at her side. Patrick had spent the previous day searching for Matt to no avail. How could the brother she loved and defended not be here?
Thunder rumbled in the distance. The storm was moving closer. Maria nudged Sabrina with her arm. They were waiting on her—waiting for her to throw the first handful of dirt on the casket, waiting for her to say goodbye one last time. This was it. No more hugs, no more long talks, no more reassuring pats.
Her legs felt wobbly, weak, but somehow they got her to the edge of the grave. Six feet was a long way down. Glancing inside the grave, she saw the wooden casket. A shiver ran down her spine. It seemed so cold, so dark. Shaking, she scooped up a handful of dirt and slowly released the earth. It fell on top of the casket with a dull thud. Closing her eyes, Sabrina whispered softly, “Good-bye.”
* * *
Sabrina closed the door to her father’s room. She couldn’t bear to look in and see his clothes lying strewn around the room. The house was filled with people, yet she felt alone.
Maria and Patrick had not left her side the last few days. No one had been able to get through to the ache that filled her heart. Where was Matt? Didn’t he realize she needed him?
Standing in the hall outside her father’s room, she knew she should get back to her guests, but she needed time alone. Time to think about what she was going to do, time to think about Matt, about her dad.
The soft sound of footsteps intruded upon her thoughts. Patrick placed his hand on her arm and turned her toward him.
His golden-brown eyes searched her face. Quietly he asked, “Are you okay?”
Sabrina closed her eyes, her heart aching. She had to be strong. The world now rested on her shoulders, with the responsibility of the Big C and the cowhands. “I’m fine. A little tired, but okay.”
Sighing, she looked up into Patrick’s eyes, seeing a reflection of her grief.
“I can’t believe he’s gone.” Feeling the tears begin to pool in her eyes, she squeezed them shut. “Every time the door opens, I think its Dad coming home.” One lone tear made its way down her cheek, and Patrick reached out with his thumb and softly brushed it away. She opened her eyes as his arms slid around her in a comforting gesture.
She clung to him and was amazed at the feeling of safety and security that came over her. The words started to pour from her mouth, releasing pain from her aching heart
“I don’t know what to do. Everyone is turning to me, asking me to make the decisions.” She choked back a sob. “All I can think about is Matt didn’t come to our father’s funeral. I can’t help but wonder why?”
Patrick stroked the back of her head with his hand, trying to comfort her. “Go ahead and cry. You’ve been strong these last few days.”
She didn’t want to cry in his arms. The anger between them had made him a stranger, but his soothing word released her carefully constructed dam. Unable to stop herself, she surrendered to the compulsive sobs and her body began to shake.
He simply held her and comforted her as she cried away some of the pain. The pain of losing her father, the pain of Matt’s disappearance, the pain of feeling alone. Finally empty of emotion, she sniffed, “I don’t have a hankie.”<
br />
Patrick reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. “Here.”
Sabrina smiled through her tears and took it from him. Glancing down, she noticed his shirt was wet with her tears. She reached out with her hand. “Oh, Patrick I’m sorry. Your shirt is all wet.”
“It’s okay.” He stood not more than three inches from her, comforting her, consoling her. How could this man hate her, but be so gentle toward her? He had been there for her more than anyone in the last few days.
After Patrick had seen them home Sunday afternoon, he had stayed and helped her tell the ranch hands. Then he had taken some of the men and ridden back to the ravine. They had followed the tracks left by the killer until darkness had overtaken them. During the night, rain had washed away any remaining tracks, leaving them without any clues.
She wiped her eyes and nose with his handkerchief. “Can I keep it and return it later?”
He grinned at her. “Sure. Just don’t make it smell like roses or lavender.”
She laughed for the first time that day. “Thank you, Patrick. I’d better get back.” She started down the hall, then turned back. “You were a good friend these last few days. I don’t know what I would have done without you. Thanks.” Quickly, she walked away before he could respond.
Sabrina hurried back into the parlor. The house was overflowing with people. After the graveside service, most of the townsfolk had stayed for the meal that followed. Lengthy shadows filled the house as the afternoon slowly waned. Evening was fast approaching and people were beginning to gather their things, preparing to leave. Sabrina walked through the house, saying goodbye and thanking people for coming.
“Sabrina, I need to speak with you.” Sam Bradley stood before her, nervously licking his lips.
He dropped his head, unable to look her in the eye. “I know this is a bad time, but we need to talk.”
Puzzled, Sabrina looked at the odd little man who ran the only bank in town. “Can’t it wait until next week, Sam? I’m exhausted.”
Second Chance Cowboy Page 5
