Marquis, seated on the couch, head cocked slightly to one side, wore a gentle smile as she listened to his movements. “Sky? She is going to be just fine. Doctor Martin is really good.”
He grimaced, praying she was right as he looked toward the stairs. “I’m sure you’re right. Just wish it wasn’t taking so blasted long!”
Marquis covered her mouth, but her mirth was plainly evident.
For a moment irritation flooded his veins; then he grinned. “Been pacing like a caged bear, haven’t I?”
She nodded.
“I’ve never been so excited and so worried all at the same time.”
A rustle on the stairs drew his gaze, and he jumped to his feet in anticipation.
Ma, skirts lifted, hurried down the last couple steps and across the room toward him. Tears streamed down her face and, without a word, she pulled him into a tight hug.
His excitement guttered and died. His arms went around her slowly, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. Something had gone wrong. His eyes slid shut. “Ma?” The word was barely audible.
She stepped back, brushing away the tears on her cheeks with both hands and straightening the front of his shirt.
He stood waiting, hands hanging limply at his sides. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to bear whatever she was trying to tell him.
She looked up, meeting his gaze, and a slow smile parted her lips even as more tears coursed down her cheeks. “You’re a daddy,” she whispered.
Relief flashed but was quickly followed by another plunge into dread.
He glanced at Marquis. Her face was taut, mouth slightly open, one hand pressed to her chest.
Dear God, not Brooke! He took a step back. “Brooke? Is she…?”
Ma brushed away more tears and blinked in surprise. “She’s fine, dear. Go on up and see for yourself.”
The strength left his knees and he plopped back down into his chair, his own eyes filling with moisture. He ran his fingers back through his hair. “You just took ten years off my life, Ma. I thought something was wrong.” He looked up at her.
She covered her mouth, eyes widening. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m a grandma and you’re a daddy and….it’s all too much. God is so good.”
He grinned, surged to his feet, and headed for the stairs with long strides. “Yes, He is.”
Quietly he pushed open the door to their room. Brooke was sitting up in bed, her back to the headboard, hair in wild disarray, cheeks flushed, and tired bags under her eyes. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Her concentration was on the swaddled baby resting in the crook of one arm as she talked to it softly. But when he entered she looked up and smiled, resting her head against the headboard. “Hi,” she whispered.
He blinked back tears as he padded to the edge of the bed and sat down, looking into the face of his child for the first time. “Hi.” He never took his eyes off the baby.
“Do you want to hold her?”
“Her?” His voice was gravely, and he cleared his throat. He had a daughter!
Brooke smiled and placed the baby in his arms. “Her.”
He felt like a peasant who’d just been handed the crown jewels. He swallowed, still blinking back tears. One man didn’t deserve so much blessing.
All he could see was the face of the swaddled little bundle. A small tuft of black hair pulsed in time with her heartbeat at the top of her head. Long black lashes rested against small round cheeks. And when he stroked her cheek with the back of one finger her tiny pink mouth automatically turned in that direction, looking for something to latch onto.
He chuckled tenderly and looked at Brooke. “She’s beautiful.”
Brooke smiled, eyes sliding shut. “I want to name her Sierra Dawn.”
He looked back at his little girl. “That’s a fine name. Hello, Sierra Dawn.”
Doctor Martin approached, drying his hands on a towel. “Best to let them sleep for now,” he whispered.
Sky stood, helping Brooke, who gave no protest, slide down under the covers and snuggle the baby securely in her arms.
His heart soared as he stood back, arms folded, and took in the sight of his wife and daughter. Yes, indeed. No man ever was so blessed.
The next morning, Nicki was checking the barn over one last time when she heard a rider enter the yard. Diablo began to have a conniption.
Rolf looked up from where he was huddled in one corner mending harnesses, but Nicki waved him to stillness as she moved to see who it was.
“Diablo!” Nicki stepped out of the barn. “Quiet!” The pup lay down and put his head on his huge paws with only a whimper of protest.
It was William. He swung down from the saddle with practiced ease and emerged into her vision holding a huge bouquet of wild irises.
He held them out to her with a smile. “I thought you might like these. There are hundreds of them in the little valley at the back end of my property. When I saw them, I thought of you and couldn’t resist bringing you some.”
Feeling slightly uneasy, Nicki took the flowers. “They’re beautiful, William. Thank you.” She buried her nose in the blossoms.
“You named him Diablo?” William gestured to the puppy, but his eyes took in the barn, stripped of everything but the walls. A frown formed.
Nicki rolled her eyes at the puppy, ignoring William’s obvious interest in the barn. “Trust me, he earned the name. The first night we kept him in the house and he dug himself a hole to the outside, right by the door there.” She gestured to a place at the base and to the left of the door that had obviously been patched recently. “Ron fixed it. And the next night we decided to tie him outside. He proceeded to redig the hole to the inside.” She gestured to the same spot. “He’s a little devil, but Sawyer loves him, and for that I thank you.”
William smoothed one hand down the front of his cowhide vest. “I see you are cleaning out the barn. I heard in town that the church members are going to help you with a barn-raising.”
Nicki nodded, her unease growing. Jason, Rocky, and Cade could be back with the horses at any minute. It wouldn’t do for William to be here when they arrived. She grimaced inwardly. Had Jason convinced her, then, that William wasn’t all that he made himself out to be? She shuddered. Could he really have set fire to the Jeffries’ cabin? Shot at her? Maybe even killed John? She buried her face in the bouquet to hide her thoughts from him. What would be his motivation for those actions? Just to get land? Surely not. Still…better safe than sorry.
“What can I do for you, William?” She wanted to hurry him on his mission, whatever that might be, and get him out of here.
His face softened. “Come riding with me.”
Nicki looked up. What should she do? Could she keep him riding long enough for the men to get the horses back to the ranch undiscovered?
William cleared his throat.
Nicki sighed. No. Better get him on his way as soon as possible. “I can’t go riding with you. Sawyer has had a runny nose, and I don’t want to take him out in this cold.”
His face hardened. “Tilly can watch him.”
Nicki shook her head. “No. It’s just about time for her to head for home. And something awful happened at their place two nights ago. I don’t want her riding home in the dark.”
William folded his arms. “Yes, I heard. Interesting that things started happening again as soon as Jason got out of jail.”
And just like that, Nicki knew. Like a kick in the chest from a mule, the truth hit her. It was William. He was trying to set Jason up. Jason had been with her the whole afternoon and evening when the Snows and Ashlands had been threatened. He had a rock-solid alibi. Fear clenched a fist around her heart, and she stepped back.
William nodded. “Yes, I can see the truth dawning on your face. Where has Jason been lately?”
Jesus! Help me remain calm. “I—I don’t—he hasn’t been here for several hours.”
Satisfaction washed his features. “I thought so.” He almost smiled. �
�I’ll let the sheriff know.”
“Yes, well. I best be getting inside so Tilly can go home.” All she wanted was to get away from him as fast as she could. She started toward the soddy.
He fell into step beside her. “How about Mrs. Jeffries? She could watch the boy.”
Nicki hated it when he referred to Sawyer as “the boy.” She turned to look him full in the face. “Mrs. Jeffries is still grieving the loss of her murdered daughter. She does not need to be babysitting Sawyer.” Did his face pale slightly at that remark?
William cleared his throat. “Fine, then have Tilly wait. Come riding with me, and I will escort her home when we get back.”
Nicki scrambled for something to say. “William, nothing more can ever come from our relationship. I thank you for being a good friend and neighbor, but that is all we can ever be—friends and neighbors.”
“Nicki.” His tone was cajoling, and she felt her skin crawl as he took her elbow. “Give it some time.” He pulled her to a stop. “You’ve only been widowed a little less than a month. There is a future for us. After things settle down, you will see things differently.”
Just get him to leave! That was her current goal. She smiled thinly.
“Maybe so. But I don’t feel right about making Tilly wait. Can we go riding another time?” She desperately hoped he couldn’t hear the revulsion in her voice.
He sighed. “Fine. I should probably head into town to talk to the sheriff anyways.”
Nicki nodded. She didn’t care what he told Sheriff Watts. She knew Jason had an alibi for yesterday’s events. And town was in the opposite direction from where Jason would be coming with the horses. She lifted the bouquet and opened the door, stepping inside. “Thanks for the flowers, William.”
William smiled. “Things are gonna get better, Nicki. And when they do, you’ll see that you and I could have a great future together.”
Nicki felt like her smile was chiseled out of ice. “Bye.”
He tipped his hat, spun on his heel, and almost tripped over Diablo, who was skulking just behind him.
The pup yipped and scuttled toward the door. Nicki let him in and then clicked the door shut. She leaned against it, tipping her head back in relief.
Brenda and her two boys sat before the stove weaving rags into braid to later be used for a rug. Tilly sat at the table mending clothes. Everyone looked up, but then Brenda and the boys immediately resumed what they were doing.
Tilly paused in her sewing and eyed her. “What?”
“De noche todos los gatos son negros. Un gato verdadero negro es revelado por la luz.”
“Un-huh.”
Nicki smiled, opened the door to the woodstove, and threw the flowers inside. A satisfying hiss sizzled through the room.
Tilly gasped at the abrupt action. Brenda and the boys made no indication of even having noticed.
Nicki shut the door and dusted her hands with satisfaction, smiling at Tilly. “We have a saying, ‘At night all cats are black. A true black cat is revealed by the light.’ Today the light has turned on in my heart.”
Tilly huffed. “If you had asked me, I could have told you William was a black cat a long time ago.”
Nicki sighed. “I should have asked.”
“Fwowers gone?” Sawyer asked, studying the stove intently.
Nicki and Tilly chuckled. Nicki swung him up into the air and spun him around in a circle. “Flowers gone!” she acknowledged, tickling his belly.
Sawyer giggled, then waved at the stove. “Bye, Bye,” he said, bringing a fresh round of laughter.
Nicki settled Sawyer on her hip, then nodded toward the door and spoke to Tilly. “You better get home. Today was your day to only work a half day. You need the break, and I’m sure your mother could use the support at home.”
Tilly’s face fell, but she put the mending back into the basket and stood. “You’re probably right.”
Nicki knew she had been hoping Conner would arrive in time to escort her home. The young couple hadn’t seen each other for several days. She pulled Tilly into a one-armed hug. “He’ll be here when you get back in the morning.”
Tilly groaned. “Am I that obvious?”
Sheriff Watts swung down from his horse in front of the Snows’ place. Suzanne opened the door as he wrapped his reins around the corral rail. She dried her hands on her apron. “Sheriff. Glad you stopped by. Jacob just came over a short while ago. Won’t you come in?”
“Oh, Jacob’s here? Good. That’ll save me a trip o’er to his place.” He removed his hat as he stepped over the threshold and both Jim and Jacob stood from the table.
The men extended their hands.
“Jim. Jacob. Good to see ya both. I had a few more questions about what happened t’other night an’ wondered if I might impose, so to speak. It be pure providence that Jacob is here today.”
Suzanne poured the sheriff a cup of coffee as all three men settled themselves around the table.
Sheriff Watts shifted uneasily. “Some o’ my questions may seem a mite personal. But I want ya both t’ know that it’s only my intention to find out who’s causin’ all the ruckus ’round these parts.” Jim and Jacob nodded.
“First off, do either of you have anyone that you know as your enemy?” Both men shook their heads.
“Do you have any money tied up in your place? An equity loan of sorts?”
Jim nodded. “We don’t owe anything on our land, of course, since we’re homesteading. But we had to borrow some money from the bank for seed and supplies last year when things got a little tight. Nice banker in Prineville, name of Roland gave it to us.”
Jacob agreed. “Yeah, same for us. We’d already proved up, but we had to borrow for a woodstove and some hay last year. Must be the same banker. Nice guy. He made us feel real comfortable, not like some o’ the bankers do these days. He’s a rancher too. Owns a ranch just south o’ here. Something like twenty thousand acres. So he knew what it was like to be in the business. He doesn’t get down here much, though, since he has a bank in Portland and one in Prineville. He has a man managing his place down here.”
Sheriff Watts twisted the end of his mustache. “And what did you put up for collateral on these loans?”
Jim made a circular gesture with one finger. “My land. All of it. Seemed like a lot of collateral to me, but he assured me that was how banks did things now. And I knew I would get it paid off, so I didn’t worry overmuch about it, until our sheep were slaughtered. Now I’m not sure what’s gonna happen to us.”
Jacob nodded. “Same for us, Sheriff. We put up all our land as collateral. We don’t get that loan paid off, our land reverts to the bank. Now that our barn has burned, and the horses didn’t make it….” His shoulders slumped with the weight of his burden.
Sheriff Watts twisted his mustache for another minute, staring up at the ceiling and muttering under his breath. Suddenly his hand came down on the table with a loud crash. “Blazin’ blue-bellied bulls!”
Suzanne gasped from the living room where she’d been sewing on a quilt piece.
Sheriff Watts looked chagrined and lowered his voice. “Sorry, ma’am.” He stood and snatched up his hat. “I believe we done caught ourselves a varmint, boys. I got to get me out to the Trent place and talk to the Jeffries. I’ll be seein’ ya.”
With a touch to the rim of his hat he dashed out the door.
Tilly had only been gone for a couple minutes when Nicki heard a rider enter the yard. Picking up her skirts, she hurried to the door. Maybe the men were home! But it was only Sheriff Watts. And, to her dismay, William was with him. She hurried over and met them by the corral.
“Ma’am.” The sheriff tipped his hat as he faced her.
“Sheriff.” She eyed the horizon, hoping against the odds that Jason and the horses would be later than she expected. She brought her gaze back to the men before her as they started toward the house. Had they detected her worry? “William,” she acknowledged.
He nodded. “I bumped
into the sheriff on my way into town. He said he was coming here, so I accompanied him. I figured you’d need to verify that your new hand hasn’t been around for several hours anyways. Isn’t that right, Sheriff?”
Nicki’s heart pounded as she waited for his reply.
Sheriff Watts cleared his throat. “Well, let’s not git the cart afore the horse. I ain’t so sure that this here Jordan fella is our man.”
Nicki sighed with relief. Sheriff Watts was no head-hunter. He was after the truth.
William ran a hand down the front of his vest. “Really? Why ever not? Things started happening again right after he got out of jail.”
The sheriff paused midstride. “Yes, sir, I guess you’d be right on that count.” His gaze narrowed, and he caressed one end of his mustache. “You know a fella by the name o’ Roland? Banker down Portland way who owns a branch in Prineville, too?”
Nicki gasped and put one hand to her collar. That was the banker John had borrowed the money from! She fixed her gaze on William.
The muscles in his face tightened and he blinked. “Yes. I do. He…he holds a loan of mine. Why do you ask?”
Sheriff Watts stilled. He didn’t respond for a minute. Then, like the hands on a clock that had just been wound, he started for the soddy again. “No reason. Just a hunch o’ mine. If you owe Roland money, though, I’d watch things around the home place real careful like o’er the next couple a days. Ms. Trent, you seemed surprised a moment ago by the name o’ Roland. You know him?”
The trio paused in front of the soddy door.
“Yes, sir. Well, I’ve never met him, but my husband owed him quite a substantial sum of money. If I don’t have it paid off by Tuesday, my land reverts to his bank.”
Sheriff Watt’s huffed. “Figured as much. Are the Jeffries here?”
“Yes. Do come in.” Nicki reached to open the door.
William fiddled with the edge of his vest. “Well, Sheriff, it appears you don’t need me here. I’ll be heading home now, but keep Jordan in mind. He’s still a prime suspect in my book.” He tipped his hat to Nicki, then strode purposefully toward his horse and rode out of the yard in the direction of his own spread.
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