Before Blake could answer, Belle turned to the attorney. “Some men at the ranch quit because they don’t want to work for me and my sisters. One, named Praig, sounds like he’d like nothing better than to cause trouble. Seems he has a history with Mr. Harding. Mr. Hill thinks Mr. Harding needs to watch his back.” She looked between them. “Does that mean he’d actually try to kill Mr. Harding?”
There was no guile in her eyes, only open, honest concern—and a genuine interest in the operation of the ranch. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that she reminded him of John at that moment.
She turned back to Henry. “What should we do? Inform the sheriff?”
Blake shot Trevor a look that said, See what you’ve done? If you would have waited ten minutes, all this could have been avoided.
“We were expecting disquiet sooner or later.” Henry stepped closer. “We shouldn’t be surprised.”
Blake nodded. “Yeah, we were. You see, Miss Brinkman, the men—”
“If we’re going to be working together for six months, perhaps you should call me Belle. And I’ll call you Blake, if that’s all right with you?”
Blake’s heart thwacked in his chest. He couldn’t believe what was happening. “We are? Going to be working together, that is? Have you and your sisters come to a decision?”
She nodded.
“You’re staying in Eden?” He hadn’t meant to sound so shocked—but in reality, he was.
Her gaze went to each of the three men, and then she laughed. “Blake, you look as if you’ve been dealt a death sentence.” When he didn’t answer, because of his shock, she looked to Henry. “May I call you Henry?”
A wide smile split Henry’s face. “That’s fantastic news, Belle.” He rushed forward and gave her a fatherly hug. “Of course you should call me Henry. You won’t regret staying, I promise.” Henry’s face fairly beamed with happiness.
Blake hoped his friend knew what he was doing.
“And as I said before, I’m Trevor,” Trevor added quickly. “You or your sisters can come to me with any problem you might have. I’ll be happy to help.”
“Thank you, Trevor. I’ll be honest. I was overruled.” Her eyebrow tented. “I was against staying in Eden. The decision still has my insides in a knot. I’m keeping in mind what Henry said about the ranch as the better investment six months from now. And as of this morning, it sounds like we’ll actually be able to help as well.”
Blake rubbed a hand across his whiskers, remembering he hadn’t taken the time that morning to shave. “Help? In what way?”
“You’re short men for the roundup. Three, if I’ve counted correctly.”
A flash of heat rushed to Blake’s face.
“Do you ride, Belle?” Henry asked, his silly grin irritating Blake further.
“I do. But my experience has been with a sidesaddle in the park, on a mount that was not much larger than a pony. I’ve never ridden astraddle, and I don’t have the right clothes. Is there a clothing store in town?”
“Absolutely,” Henry chortled. “A small place called the Toggery—one of your new businesses. They should have whatever you need in the young men’s department. By now, they’re open. Your father had an account at every establishment in Eden. You’ll have no need for cash. Don’t worry about getting lost—Blake will show you the way.”
Blake gawked. Henry must be loco. Belle could get seriously hurt.
“Henry, you don’t intend to let her ride.”
She lifted a brow. “Let me?”
“The only way to learn is to ride,” Henry replied. “After a day or two, she’ll be comfortable.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back, puffing out her chest.
Of all things, thought Blake.
Blake was reminded of her excited smile when she’d entered the office. “We best get movin’. Who knows what’s going on out at the ranch. Trevor, go get a buggy from the livery and bring the other Brinkmans out when they show up. I’m shanghaiing Gunner for Belle.” He looked at Henry. “You coming with us?”
“You betcha. Let me do a few things here while she gets her duds. I’ll be ready when you are. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Clint waited as long as his impatient instincts would allow for the mule skinners to come into his office on their own to pay the overnight fee. Early morning was long past. The clock on the wall chimed quarter past ten. A few hours ago, on his way to the café for breakfast, he’d taken a roundabout route to make sure Captain White hadn’t skedaddled without paying. The mules stood peacefully under the large trees in the corral, head to tail, swatting off flies.
Stepping outside, he was brought up short. Four of the Brinkman girls stood by the hotel entry, gazing around with interest. He wondered if they were frightened to leave the hotel without an escort.
Time for a proper sheriff’s welcome, he said to himself as he strode forward and touched the brim of his hat with a forefinger. “Good morning, ladies. You must be John Brinkman’s daughters.”
In a flurry of nods and smiles, one replied, “Yes.”
“Sheriff Dawson, at your service. Welcome to Eden. This day has been a long time coming.”
All wore black dresses that were a bit too fancy for their new town. “I can’t remember Eden ever having so many new women at once.” Pretty too. “You’re creating quite the stir. Let me know if anyone bothers you, and I’ll take care of them right away.”
All four straightened.
Maybe not the smartest thing to say. He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “My office is over there.” They’d have to be blind to miss the large sign, but pointing it out couldn’t hurt. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“And we you.”
Mavis, if he were to guess, gave a slight tip of her head. The strawberry-haired one would be Emma. Lavinia was giving him the stink eye for being so bold as to introduce himself, and the blue-eyed baby with the honeycomb-colored hair must be Katie. Blake had described them perfectly. He took a quick glance around for Belle. He wondered at the wrist-length gloves Mavis wore even though the weather was nice. Is she too uppity for Eden?
“You must be Mrs. Mavis Applebee. And these are Emma, Lavinia, and Katie Brinkman. But, ladies, aren’t we missing someone?” He smiled mischievously as they glanced between themselves, visibly astonished by how much he knew about them. “Surely you can understand how news of your arrival would spread quickly.”
All three blushed at his compliment.
“Belle preceded us to Mr. Glass’s office,” Mavis replied. “That’s where we’re headed now.”
An unpleasant smell wafted by on the breeze. Mavis waved one gloved hand in front of her face, and the others wrinkled their noses.
“That’s the tannery,” Clint said quickly, wanting to make it known he wasn’t to blame. “Ol’ man Little must be soaking his hides today. I’d be honored to escort you to Henry’s,” he said, to change the subject. The office was just across the quiet street.
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Lavinia said, the earlier narrow-eyed expression having given way to a smile. Her dark hair looked velvety in the early light as the upswept curls glimmered and her brown eyes snapped a challenge. “We can cross on our own, Sheriff Dawson.”
“You sure? Now that you’re in Eden, I’d hate for anything to happen.” He wasn’t ready yet to let them go.
Right then, the first of seventeen mules rounded the corner, heading toward them, with Captain White leading the way. The mule brayed loudly, his pack swaying with each step.
The captain’s timing couldn’t have been better. Clint gave Lavinia a satisfied smile, and she looked away. Her spirited response made him chuckle.
Captain White pulled to a halt in the road before them. “Sheriff, we’re on our way out of town, but first I intended to stop by your office and pay what I owe. The security of having our merchandise locked in the barn last night was a boon. I wish all our stops provided such accommodations.” His gaze m
oved slowly over John’s daughters. One of his men rode closer when he saw the pretty display of femininity.
“You can pay me now, if you’d like. Or stop by the office. Either way. The pay box is just inside the front door. You can’t miss it.”
The girls stood quietly, listening.
“I’ll leave payment in your office, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” He wouldn’t share the fact he’d been on his way to their camp, suspicious they might try to leave without doing just that. “What’s your end point?” he tossed out, friendly-like.
The third man’s eyes narrowed, presumably not liking Clint’s meddling. Clint didn’t blame him. He’d feel the same if the tables were turned. Captain White, an expert in diplomacy, masked his reaction with a smile and scratched under his hat. “Agua Mansa.”
“Ah, California. A long trip. I’m surprised you’re not stopping over for a rest and trading.” Or have you already? “These Easterners just showed up. Perhaps you’re carrying some souvenirs these ladies might like to buy.”
Why am I trying to get them to stay on? That strange pull inside was back.
White gave a fake laugh. “Can’t. I have a schedule to keep. Bartering for a herd of horses and mules we’ll be bringing back this way. If we don’t show up on time, they may sell to another with cash in hand.”
As they pulled out, Clint did his best to memorize their faces. Sugar House, Utah’s territorial prison, was located just outside of Salt Lake City, a few days’ ride from where the Old Spanish Trail meandered through Utah on their route. Clint knew several marshals who worked at the penitentiary, and they had been grumbling about the conditions. There’d only been two prison breaks since Clint had become sheriff, and all the escapees had been killed in the recapture. By his way of thinking, the fact that the mule skinners didn’t want to barter at all or stay around town for any length of time was unusual. On the other hand, Captain White could be telling the truth. Maybe they’d lingered too long in another town and now had time to make up. Who could say?
Mavis, Clint saw, was studying the long train as the animals trudged by. Her profile was one of intelligence and beauty. She resembled John around her eyes and nose—but softer, sweet. She caught him watching and dropped her gaze.
“You know, Mrs. Applebee,” Clint said low, for her ears only, “I’ve met you before a time or two. I’m sure you don’t remember, but I do. When you were a child.”
A crimson line crept up her face. “I’m sorry. I don’t. You must have been just a boy.”
“No, ma’am. I was about eighteen.”
The middle rider passed, and then the final man behind the last mule.
“That was exciting,” Katie gushed when the road was again clear. “Those men were like nomads, going from one town to the next. I can’t imagine a life like that. And caring for so many animals.” She shook her head in astonishment.
“Ready to go?” Traffic was booming today. After a peddler’s wagon driven by an old Chinese man rolled by, Clint put out both elbows and waited for someone to take hold. “By now, Henry will be wonderin’ where you are.” He felt a brief moment of disappointment when Emma took one arm and Lavinia the other. Surprised, he realized he’d been hoping for Mavis. The women lifted their skirts as they stepped across the multiple droppings the pack animals had left behind. He enjoyed having one sister on each arm, but it was the nonchalance of the oldest that had piqued his curiosity the most.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Belle sat on Trevor’s gelding, the noontime sun shining warm on her back. Blake and Henry had brought her on a roundabout way out to Five Sisters so they would end up on a rise that afforded the best view of the ranch. They forked their horses, three across, taking in the Colorado scenery.
Cradled between two forested highlands was a large valley. Along the distant stand of trees she could make out a river, but couldn’t tell from here whether the flow was swift or slow. She was able to pick out a grove of cottonwood trees and tall, magical aspens. Several windmills in the midst of the ranch yard turned slowly in welcome, and vines that she thought might be honeysuckle twined up their legs.
“To the right,” Blake said, pointing, “is the old homestead. She might look rickety, but she’s stood off many a bad snow year as well as torrential rains—and the big winds we can get in the spring. She’s kept us just fine all through the years.” He pointed again. “That’s where the new place will go up.”
His voice was low and calm. By his tone, there was no doubt how much he loved the land, the ranch, and everything in between. Although the hint of resentment told her he liked that old house just fine and didn’t see a need for a new one. Belle didn’t dare look over to see the expression on his face.
“No argument she needs a little loving care,” he said. “But as Henry said, there’ll be a new one going up soon enough. Until then, I’m sure you and your sisters will want to stay in Eden at the hotel, where the accommodations are comfortable and there’s the eatery downstairs.”
Since she wasn’t sure yet what she and her sisters would decide on that subject, she ignored his comment. A smattering of aspens grew on the slopes between them and the ranch. In her mind, she imagined the clacking of the rigid, almost heart-shaped leaves and rolling soft strips of white bark between her fingers. Is that a childhood memory? That plus the feel of velvety-soft grass beneath my bare feet? They had no aspens in Philadelphia. She’d never gone barefoot outside before. And what of the unfamiliar, deep voice calling to Mavis and me?
Henry touched her arm. “Belle?”
“Beautiful,” she murmured, shaking off the gentle squeeze of her heart. “Every bit as lovely as you said. I can see why Father loved the ranch so. Back in Philadelphia, we’re used to breathing coal dust and smelling grease on the streets.” She took a deep breath and held it for several seconds. “This air smells so sweet.”
She took in the barn as well as the corrals and a rambling bunkhouse with a high-pitched roof. Leaning forward in her saddle, she felt an unsettling pull toward the land. This was Father’s dream, not mine. The place is a means to an end, right? This is not where my heart belongs. In six months, I’ll be back home with Lesley. Disconcerted, she pushed the questions away, glancing at Henry and then at Blake. The men seemed lost in their own thoughts.
“Henry, concerning the new house . . .” She felt awkward voicing her opinion on such an important matter, one that would usually be reserved for men. She had to realize she was now a partner—at least for the time being. Her views mattered. She wasn’t dealing with Vernon and Velma anymore. “I know your heart is in the right place, but I’m not sure taking on a huge debt would be prudent. Such an undertaking must be substantial. Spending all that money just so we can live comfortably seems almost sinful.”
Henry was looking at her in wonder. Blake still gazed out at the valley.
What must they think? They don’t realize we sisters have worked since the day we finished school. We’ve saved prudently all our lives. She knew the meaning of a dollar and didn’t like wasting a cent.
“A frivolous, unneeded expenditure,” she went on, trying to make a point. “Until we know more about the accounting books and income, I think we should wait. I feel moderately certain my sisters will agree. If Mother could live all those years in that little house, I’m sure we’ll be able to as well. We never asked to be pampered. Or for a fuss to be made.”
Henry chuckled. “Sorry, Belle, but that decision isn’t up to you and the girls. Or Blake, for that matter. John felt strongly about building. If you’re to stay on, even for only the six months, the new homestead will go up as planned, along with the smaller one for Blake. Knowing I’d follow through on his wishes made John able to die in peace. If you do decide to sell after the allotted time, which you have every right to do, the additions will make the ranch’s worth go straight up. Those rich Easterners are taken in by our big and bold ways. You needn’t worry about the cost. Long ago, your father opened a separat
e account to pay for it. The money is just sitting there, waiting to be spent. The Five Sisters can afford it.”
She chanced a glance at Blake. He was a difficult man to figure out, but she thought she knew what his carved-in-stone, unreadable expression meant. Driving up the price would make his ability to buy them out that much more problematic.
Blake doesn’t appear flush with cash, not like Lesley and his family, who throw money around like water.
“Indeed. The money is there,” Blake agreed, although he’d not taken his attention off the ranch stretched out before them. “John spoke often of the new place for his daughters.”
The way he’d said “daughters” made her sit straighter. She could tell he didn’t like them one bit, no matter how he tried to act nice. He thought them spoiled and arrogant. He was inconvenienced by them, but worse, he feared they’d hurt the ranch. The urge to strike squeezed her heart.
“So much land,” she said with phony excitement. “I can only guess at how much it’s worth. A true fortune. You must have speculators sniffing around all the time.”
His mouth actually opened in surprise. “Is that how your sisters feel as well? Ready to sell off the first time you lay eyes on the place?”
“I’ve seen it before.” She glanced over her shoulder at Henry to find he hadn’t heard their comments—or was ignoring them. Either way, the hot stare Blake was sending her was meant, she was sure, to intimidate her. “Eighteen-plus years ago. So quickly you forget.” She smiled.
His jaw clenched and released several times. “John scrimped and saved to add each and every acre to this place, for the likes of you. He talked of seeing your face when he showed you the land the first time, and how you’d love the vastness just like he did. I’m glad he’s not here to hear you talking about the money selling it could put in your pocket.”
A man stepped out the door of the bunkhouse, drawing Blake’s stunned expression away.
Her smile faded. Even though he deserved a moment of unease for his lack of faith in her, she felt childish for baiting him needlessly. The fella on the bunkhouse porch glanced around as if he had a feeling he was being watched.
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