The Rightful Heir

by Angel Moore

  Mr. Warren and Mary Lou stared at him. Did they suspect he was no longer talking about a missing cameo and a porcelain dish?

  “Well, I’ve got somewhere I need to be. If you’ll both excuse me.” He turned and left in an instant.

  Mistrust was new for him. It had consumed him when his mother died. Without warning it swarmed over his every thought.

  Mary Lou might not think people capable of robbing or hurting others, but he knew it could happen. And he wore the pain of it in his heart. No matter how he tried to bury it.

  * * *

  At fifteen minutes before noon, Mary Lou stood on the porch of the hotel. Jared was nowhere in sight. She searched the street in both directions. A check of the pendant watch she wore pinned on her vest told her she couldn’t wait for him any longer. Mr. Ivy had given her the watch on her twenty-first birthday. He’d told her that punctuality would open doors for a journalist that would never be open to someone who was late. She smiled at the engraved words—A broken heart is an open heart—knowing he’d meant it to encourage her but that it would probably never be true for her. Her heart had been broken by loss in her life. Never had she felt open after it happened.

  She turned on her heel and entered the lobby. Mr. Warren was still at the desk where she’d left him after Jared had walked out earlier that morning, with both of them staring after him.

  She couldn’t put her finger on why, but there was pain in Jared Ivy. Pain that she’d witnessed at the cemetery. Was that what made him so suspicious?

  She stopped in the middle of the lobby. Jared accused her of being too trusting, of not looking at the possibility that things weren’t what they seemed. She didn’t have any problem doing that when it came to him. She’d questioned everything about him since he’d arrived. Every action and motive was dissected in her mind.

  “Miss Ellison?” Mr. Warren stepped from behind the desk. “Are you feeling ill?”

  “No. I’m quite all right.” Was she?

  “You just look a mite pale.” Mr. Warren nodded toward the restaurant. “Evan will be joining Jasmine and Mr. Ivy in a few minutes. You’re welcome to wait for him with them.”

  “Mr. Ivy is in the restaurant?”

  “Yes. He’s been in there about a quarter of an hour with Jasmine. Said he wanted to ask her a few questions. Didn’t you agree to the meeting the other day?”

  “I did. It was scheduled for noon.” She rose up to her full height and took a deep breath. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work.”

  In the restaurant, Jared sat facing the entrance. He was speaking to Jasmine, and though Mary Lou couldn’t hear the words, she knew the instant he saw her. His eyes widened a bit and he leaned in closer to the table as he made a note.

  Mary Lou approached them. “Hello, Jasmine.” She smiled a greeting to her friend. “Mr. Ivy.” The look she shot at him was for his eyes only. He smiled away what she’d intended as a scorching rebuke.

  “Mary Lou. So glad you could join us.”

  “I was waiting for you on the porch.” She had been clear that they should arrive together.

  “You were so right to warn me to be early.” He took his seat again. “I arrived just as Miss Warren was returning from the Circle W. It seemed a good opportunity to ask her some questions about the ranch.” Their interview was supposed to be about the wedding. Jared meeting Jasmine early and asking questions about ranching made Mary Lou appear unprofessional. And she didn’t like it.

  Jasmine signaled to Naomi, the cook.

  The older lady came to the table with a happy greeting. “Good day to you, folks. What can I get for you?”

  Jared answered for all of them. “We’ve been invited here today on the promise of tasting the absolute best chicken and dumplings.”

  Mary Lou’s respect for Naomi Grant increased when she gave him a suspicious look. “Sir, if you mean to flatter me into an extra helping, you’ll have to know Miss Warren here won’t cotton to special favors to the menfolk.” Then she winked at Evan Willis as he joined them, and Mary Lou realized the look had been for Doc Willis’s benefit. “Unless it’s her intended.”

  Doc Willis put a hand on Naomi’s shoulder. “Please tell me you’ve saved a large portion of dumplings for me.”

  “You know I did.” The cozy cook confirmed their orders and headed through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

  “Hello, love.” Doc Willis dropped a kiss on Jasmine’s proffered cheek.

  “Hi, Evan.” She gestured toward Jared. “Have you met Jared Ivy?”

  Doc Willis took the chair beside Jasmine. “Not formally, but I’ve heard a bit about the uproar you started by coming to town and trying to take the newspaper from our dear Miss Ellison.” A light tone kept the words from being mean-spirited, but they stung of truth to Mary Lou.

  “Have I started a commotion? Really?” Jared turned to her.

  “You’ll soon learn that the town doctor is known for his direct manner.” To the doctor, Mary Lou said, “He came to see his grandfather, but sadly he arrived too late.” After seeing him grieve at the grave, she couldn’t doubt his true sorrow over not coming sooner.

  “My condolences to you.” Doc Willis put an arm across the back of Jasmine’s chair. Mary Lou watched how Jasmine, in full rancher attire, leaned into the gesture. Two more opposite people she couldn’t imagine. The town doctor and a lady rancher. She hoped for a good story about their upcoming wedding.

  “Thank you. I hope to learn about Grump from the people who shared his life.” Jared spoke to Doc Willis but his eyes were on Mary Lou.

  “We’re working together at the paper until the judge comes through town. It seems that Mr. Ivy left the Record to his grandson in an old will that has surfaced.” It took great effort to keep her tone from giving away the anxiety the words caused her.

  Naomi returned with several plates of food. “Here we are, ladies.” She set a generous portion of dumplings in front of each lady and put a plate piled high with her fresh biscuits in the center of the table. “I’ll be right back with something for the gentlemen.” Her wide skirts swooshed as she returned to the kitchen.

  Jared leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over the leather vest he always wore. Mary Lou thought it odd that he dressed like Jasmine yet wanted to run her paper. “I’m hoping to carry on the vision Grump and my father had for the Record.”

  Doc Willis looked at Jasmine and smiled. “Seems to me they’re at a crossroads in life.”

  Jasmine chuckled. “Don’t you start trying to solve their problems, Evan.”

  “What? I was merely going to say that a sensible solution would be to run the paper together. Why divide it, if it’s what you both want to do?”

  “Doc, you know how hard I’ve worked at the Record. Mr. Ivy taught me everything I know.” Mary Lou couldn’t let his words go unchallenged. What if everyone started to assume they should run it together? What if the judge ruled they should share it? No. That would never do. The Record was hers. She would fight for it.

  “Seems to me two adults with similar goals might be well suited to one another.” Jasmine pressed her elbow into Doc Willis’s side as he spoke.

  Jared put up both hands. “Hold on there, Doc. If you’re suggesting we join forces for the paper, I’ll have to agree with Miss Ellison. And believe me, we don’t agree on much.”

  “Not just the paper. I’m saying why not consider joining your lives? Miss Ellison is as fine a woman as you’ll meet in Pine Haven. You came here alone. Why not think of the possibilities if you aren’t against one another?”

  “Evan, you’re starting to sound like Papa when he tried to convince you and me to court.” Jasmine was clearly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation.

  “Look how well that turned out, my dear.”

  Mary Lou couldn�
��t have been happier to hear what Jared said next.

  “Thank you for your observations, Doc, but Mary Lou and I aren’t searching for life partners. We’re here for a story about you and Miss Warren.”

  Mary Lou seized the opportunity to change the subject. “Jasmine, I want to do a story about the wedding. Not just the facts of the event, but I want to include a personal touch about how it felt for you to move to Pine Haven and find your true love.”

  Naomi came back with the other plates and served the men. “Can I get you anything else?”

  Jasmine thanked her. “Naomi, it smells delicious. You’ve outdone yourself again.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. You folks enjoy your lunch.” She took a step away from the table. “But save some room for the chocolate cake Mrs. Beverly baked this morning.” Then she left them to the meal.

  Jared took a bite of the dumplings and hummed his approval.

  Jasmine laughed. “I told you they were famous.” The crowded room bore witness to Naomi’s cooking skills.

  “This might be the story for the paper.” Jared took a biscuit from the platter. “I’d love to do an article on how Naomi came to be in Pine Haven.”

  “I wrote that story six months ago.” The arch of his brow was minute, but she saw it. He knew she was challenging him. Jared silently signaled his acceptance before he bit into the biscuit.

  Mary Lou asked Jasmine, “Will your house be finished before the wedding?”

  “We think so. The men are working feverishly.”

  “So the men on the ranch are building your home?” Jared seemed surprised.

  “Some of the workers are ranch hands. We hired a few men who help Mr. Thomas at the lumber mill, too.” Doc Willis grinned at his betrothed. “We needed to hire the extra men to get the work done.” He asked Jared, “Why would that matter to the story?”

  “Your families are two of the most influential in Pine Haven. I’m looking at how your union will affect the business opportunities in town. A lot of people rely on your families for their livelihood.”

  Mary Lou thought her heart might stop beating. Was Jared suggesting their marriage was a business arrangement?

  Doc Willis put his fork down. “What exactly are you asking?”

  The serious tone caused Mary Lou to interject, hoping to calm what she saw as a brewing storm. “Let’s talk about the ceremony. Have you decided to hold the reception at the ranch or the hotel?”

  Jared wasn’t deterred. “I’m thinking the two families working together could have a great impact on the local economy. It could be a good thing for Pine Haven. And as owner of the Record, I feel it’s my duty to keep the community informed of anything that could make their lives better—or worse. That’s the kind of story readers want in a local paper.”

  Doc Willis leaned back in his chair. “You think our marriage will impact the economy?”

  “I do. With the resources and business experience of Mr. Warren and Mr. Willis pooled, there would be no end to what they could accomplish. If any member of your family were to run for public office, you’d most likely succeed. You could influence the direction of the future development of Pine Haven.”

  Mary Lou almost dropped her jaw. Where had this line of questioning come from? She wanted a piece about a lovely couple. Jared was turning it into a political and economic article. His grandfather had never done stories like that, nor had she. If she could get him out of this meeting without making enemies of two of her dear friends, she’d be relieved.

  She directed her comments to Jasmine. “The readers care about the people of Pine Haven. They loved the reception your father hosted to honor your sister, Lily, and her marriage to Edward.” To Jared she added, “The entire community was invited. It was the finest event we’d seen in a long time. There was delicious food and dancing. The hotel was decorated beautifully, too.”

  Doc Willis smiled at Jasmine. Again. “That’s where we met.”

  Relieved that the couple followed her to a less controversial topic, Mary Lou asked several questions about the upcoming wedding.

  Jared ate his lunch and listened with every indication of attention.

  When the meal was over, and the cake was eaten, the four parted ways in the hotel lobby. Jared held the door open for Mary Lou to precede him onto the porch. As soon as Jasmine rode off in the direction of the Circle W and Evan closed the door of his doctor’s office in the building next to the hotel, Mary Lou poked a finger into the center of Jared’s chest.

  “What were you thinking? You could have ruined the very good friendship that I enjoy with the two of them. Why did you want to pry into their personal business? And to suggest they run for office! That is making a story where there is none.”

  He narrowed his eyes and tilted his chin down to meet her gaze. “It’s not about sparing personal relationships. The Record is a newspaper. And your small-town approach will not help it succeed in the fast-changing world we live in. It’s not 1855. We are approaching a new century. The world won’t stand still while we tell cute stories about pretty dresses and fancy cakes. The only chance you have of making an impact on the community should not be wasted on frivolity.”

  He hadn’t raised his voice but he’d threatened her very way of life with every word.

  She had to stand her ground. “Your grandfather would have approved the story I intend to write.”

  “Then you better do a bang-up job. It may be among the last stories you write for the Record.” Jared jammed his hat on his head and left her standing there.

  Chapter Seven

  Jared rode out to the Double Star Ranch and met with Tucker and Daisy Barlow after breakfast on Thursday morning. The visit proved to be informative. As he suspected, most of the farmers and ranchers who called Pine Haven home would appreciate more news on the markets in the Record. The railroad had only come to town the year before. Things were changing rapidly. He hoped Mary Lou would see the need to stay ahead of the times.

  He rode back into town in the afternoon and stopped in front of the general store. He tied Noel and, as he went up the steps, Doc Willis came out of the store.

  “Afternoon, Doc.”

  “Hello, Mr. Ivy.”

  “Call me Jared. I’m starting to feel like an old man. Everyone in town calls me Mr. Ivy.”

  Doc Willis chuckled. “It’s a close-knit community. They’ll warm up to you. Unless they feel like you’re trying to come in and put Miss Ellison in the street. That poor woman had a rough life before your grandfather took her in. He was good to her.” He paused. “And she was good to him. Loved him like her own.”

  “I didn’t come to put her out. I came to be with Grump. I had no idea he had passed.”

  “Would you have come if you’d known?”

  Jared hadn’t considered that. Would he have moved this far west? There had been other ranching jobs in Maryland. Just because the ranch he’d worked on had gone under didn’t mean he couldn’t find work closer to home.

  But it wasn’t really home. This was his home.

  “Pine Haven is my home, Doc. My father and mother lived here before I was born. Pa and Grump built this paper for me when I was a small boy. I came to carry on the legacy they created.”

  Doc nodded. “Then God will work it all out for you. He has a way of bringing folks to the things—and the people—they need in their lives.”

  Jared wasn’t sure. “God didn’t show much interest in me in Maryland.”

  Doc Willis shook his head. “Sometimes things happen that God didn’t have anything to do with. It doesn’t mean He isn’t interested. It can mean He wasn’t consulted. Or even that it wasn’t time for a particular thing to happen. Either way, I’ve learned something about God. He’s always good.” The doctor gave a quick nod for emphasis. “And He’s always right.”

  �
��I’ve got no argument with that.”

  “Don’t close yourself off from things—or people—too quickly. There just may be an answer waiting for you if you’re willing to hear it.”

  “Doc! Come quick!” An older gentleman waved at the doctor from the center of town. “There’s a fight at the saloon! Looks like they’re gonna need you again.”

  “I wish the town council had never let Winston Ledford build that saloon.” He stepped onto the street.

  “Would they have approved it if men like you or your father-in-law had been one of their number?”

  Doc Willis paused to ponder his question. “They wouldn’t have had my vote. Mr. Warren didn’t move here until after the saloon opened.”

  “That’s just the sort of thing a man can influence when he involves himself in political matters.”

  “That’s a thought worth thinking on, Jared.” The doctor nodded as if it were something he’d think about immediately. “You have a good afternoon. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”

  As the doctor made his way toward the waving man, Jared thought about what Doc had said about God working things out for people. Grump had read him Bible stories when he was a boy. Every story had ended with something good that God had done. His mother had read to him, too, until he’d learned to read for himself. But not with the enthusiasm of Grump. When Grump read, the characters all took on different voices. He’d even made the lions roar before Daniel had been thrown into the den. The memory warmed his heart.

  Doc was right. God was always good.

  And in his heart, Jared knew God was always right. If only he could see God’s plan for the future. He’d known coming to Pine Haven was the right thing to do.

  Why hadn’t God told him to come sooner?

  For the first time he acknowledged that he couldn’t blame that on his mother or God. Jared was twenty-four years old. He’d been working on the ranch for years before his mother passed. He could have come to visit Grump any time after he’d started working. No, it wouldn’t have been an easy trip, and his mother wouldn’t have approved. But the fault was his alone.