A Daring Proposal

by Sandra S. Kerns

  “Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that Chaney knew I would remember that night and used it to tell me where Smitty is holding her.” He crossed the kitchen floor as he heard tires on the gravel outside. “They’re here.”

  He waited just inside the doorway for his uncle and cousin to come up the steps.

  His uncle stepped through the door followed by his cousin carrying Ash in his arms. Jed took her from him. He cuddled her close and kissed her head.

  “I thought we were staying at Grandpa’s,” she said in a sleepy voice.

  Jed smiled as he carried her up the stairs. “I decided you were right. We should stay here.”

  “Can I say goodnight to Chaney?”

  “We shouldn’t disturb her right now, it’s late. You can be a nice surprise for her in the morning. Okay?” At least Jed hoped she would be able to surprise Chaney in the morning.

  His daughter rubbed her head on his shoulder. “Okay,” she said, yawning.

  Jed laid her in the bed Chaney had prepared for her the first time Ash visited. He pulled the covers up to her chin. “I love you, Ash,” he said, though he thought she was already asleep.

  “You too, Daddy,” she said rolling over and snuggling down in the covers.

  Jed stood over her for a moment trying to absorb some of her childlike faith. God, you have to let this work out. Please. He bent and placed another kiss on her baby fine hair before leaving the room.

  In the quiet stillness of the darkened hallway, Jed pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He needed to focus on the job at hand. There was no room for doubt. He descended the stairs and reentered the kitchen.

  “Okay, here’s the plan.”

  ***

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chaney listened to the one sided conversation Smitty was having on the phone. It had taken a moment for her to recover from the surprise that he even had a cell phone. He would never take one when her father had decided to provide them for all his hands. Obviously, the need for communication between kidnapping cohorts was more important than communicating with his fellow ranch hands. Pushing her frustration down, she focused her attention back to his conversation. He had his back to her so she couldn’t hear everything, but the bits and pieces she did hear told her Smitty had a partner.

  “How do I know how he got it?” Smitty said. “He says he does. Must not have been at the bank. Not everybody’s as citified as you.”

  Whomever he was talking to, they didn’t seem to get along very well.

  “Don’t start with me you ungrateful whelp.” It was quiet for a minute while Smitty listened. He didn’t listen patiently. Pacing back and forth, his free hand fidgeting with one of his suspenders, his irritation grew with each step.

  “Well, if he hadn’t put that stuff about getting pregnant in the will we wouldn’t be in this mess,” he said then paused. “I know I said she was frigid, but that was before Sampson came back. Don’t you know anything?”

  He might as well have slapped her again, the insult was just as painful. Frigid? People thought she was frigid? Chaney wondered how many people felt the same. Embarrassment broke over her like a wave slamming against a cliff edge.

  “Them two’s been doin’ it since she turned sixteen,” he continued telling the other person.

  Chaney bounced back to embarrassment when she heard that. Smitty had known about her affair with Jed all along? About their first time together. How? Had he seen them together? Watched, even? She buried her face in her hands, disgust and shame mingling in her gut.

  “Why the hell do you think McBride had me and the boys chase him off the first time?”

  Chaney’s head flew up when she heard the question.

  “Not that it bothered us to lay into a Sampson. Course it would’a been more fun if he had fought back. Then I could’a taken some pride in beatin’ the crap outta him. But he had to be noble and pretend he was better than us. The boy was stupid as shit thinking he could out pride Travis. Standing up to him, juttin out that chin of his.”

  Bile rose in Chaney’s throat. She was certain she would be ill. How could she have trusted this man for so long?

  “But when McBride threatened him with rape charges he just folded. He’s a coward. Don’t worry.”

  Indignation quickly replaced Chaney’s nausea. Jed was no coward. She started to rise from the bunk but Smitty started to talk again.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “I keep her here and have Sampson meet you downtown. Once you have the deed we’ll make arrangements for them.”

  She must have heard wrong. Smitty honestly believed his partner would let her and Jed live?

  Smitty closed the phone and turned a hard stare on her. Chaney shivered at the hate shimmering in the old man’s eyes. She didn’t let it put her off.

  “Do you really believe once he has the deed he’s going to let me go? Or Jed? Or you for that matter?”

  He crossed the floor as fast as his old legs would carry him. Chaney held her face up daring him to slap her. He yanked on her hair instead sending involuntary tears to her eyes.

  “That’s my nephew you’re bad mouthin’, Princess. Family don’t turn on family,” he snarled, his face an inch from hers. “At least families that aren’t as prissy as yours. Even though my nephew is educated and works in old Pike’s office, he knows the value of family.”

  When he mentioned her father’s lawyer, the pieces started to fall into place for Chaney. Now the new assistant, Mr. Burton’s constant badgering made sense. They must have been getting ready to buy the ranch at auction because her birthday was so close. When Jed showed up and they got married, she ruined their plans. She had to keep him talking to learn more.

  “I didn’t know you had any family, Smitty. Why didn’t you ever tell us?”

  The pain where he still held her hair and the stench of his sour tobacco breath threatened her already queasy stomach. Refusing to close her eyes and let him see her weakness, she swallowed hard and stared back. Maybe some normal conversation would calm the situation down and give her time to figure a way to escape. Smitty pulled her hair a little more and smiled a tobacco-stained smile at her.

  "What’s goin on in that female head of yours?”

  She realized it was more important than ever that she get away now. Jed had no idea what he was walking into. Smitty’s nephew, if he really was his nephew, would probably shoot Jed on sight then come up here to finish off her and Smitty. She suspected he already had an alibi and explanation in place. Not to mention a way to get the ranch turned over to him. That’s when she noticed Smitty patting his pocket. That evil smile appeared on his face again, too.

  “Nothing, Smitty. I’m just curious,” she said, unsure what he was thinking.

  “Don’t worry, princess. I got the note you wrote, telling everyone how you two can’t stay here with all the bad memories. You and your worthless husband want a fresh start and want the ranch put up for auction rather than saddle your priss of a sister with it.”

  Chaney recalled finding him in the hall outside her office the other day. He said someone said she wanted to see him. She hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Now she realized he must have used her computer to type up the note. Arguing about it wouldn’t help anything. Maybe in his obviously deluded mind, he expected it to be true.

  “You’re probably right. It would be better for Jed and me to start our life in a new place,” she said, hoping to get him to release his hold on her. “You know he never did like the ranch. But you didn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you ever mention your nephew before?”

  Smitty’s grip loosened a bit. “Travis didn’t like us bringin’ our personal lives onto the ranch. I hadn’t seen Cain since he was a baby. He showed up in town ‘bout a year ago.”

  Chaney eased her hair the rest of the way out of his hand and rubbed her head. A bump was rising he’d pulled so hard, but she concentrated on the old man. He seemed to be drifting away in his thoughts.

  “M
y sister and me didn’t get along too well. I left home ’fore I was even sixteen, not that any of them cared. I heard a few years later that she married some bastard who used her for a punchin’ bag. Stupid, she was, like most of you women. I saw her in town once with the boy. He was still in diapers. She looked like a walking corpse, but that didn’t stop her from pretendin’ everything was fine. She was probably afraid I’d beat the tar outta her deadbeat husband, but it weren’t no skin off my nose if she wanted to be slapped around. Anyway, when she died the man took the boy and I never saw him again.”

  Chaney remained silent. She’d never heard Smitty talk so much. He normally used as few words as possible to make his point. She also hadn’t known he held such a low opinion of women. With him talking though, he was distracted and maybe she could get away.

  “He’s a smart boy. Found me all by hisself. Said he remembered his mamma talkin’ about her brother and how she missed him. He had drifted around a while, but said he always wanted to find me. When he did, we knew we could make a real life for ourselves. Him and me’ll be sittin’ pretty on that ranch.”

  A cloudy cast came over his eyes. Chaney knew this was her moment. He was feeling safe.

  “Smitty? I need to use the bathroom,” she said crossing her legs.

  “Ain’t no bathroom here,” he said, then laughed.

  “I know. But I have to go.”

  He stared at her then laughed again. “This should be good. The Princess peeing on a tree.” His cackling laughter turned into a coughing fit when he reached to pull her off the cot.

  Chaney knew it was now or never.

  Curling her hand into a fist the way Jed had taught her, she pulled back then swung up under his chin. Smitty flew backward. Chaney’s foot was there to make sure he went all the way down. His head hit the floor sending up a dull thud. Chaney didn’t wait to see if he was unconscious. She ran across the room to the door. As she reached for the handle, the door flew open.

  “Going somewhere, Mrs. Sampson?” A tall thin man stood blocking her escape.

  Startled by his appearance Chaney simply stared for a moment. Mr. Burton smiled down at her.

  “How? I thought you were in town?”

  He smiled broadly. “That was the plan.”

  He grasped her tightly around her upper arm. “That was quite a show you put on. I almost believed you myself. I do wish you had really needed to pee, though. I would have enjoyed that show. I knew you were more than that old man could handle.” His gaze stopped momentarily on Smitty’s inert body then he kicked it. “Did you kill him?”

  His tone was conversational, his clothes neat, but none of it fooled Chaney. She was looking into the eyes of evil.

  “I hope not,” she answered and then wondered if she had. Smitty’s body was awfully still. Chaney started to kneel beside him to see if he was okay. Burton yanked on her arm.

  “Don’t bother. If he isn’t dead now he will be shortly.” The grin that spread on his face was feral. “Along with you and your husband.”

  He pulled her toward the cot. He grabbed both her wrists. Chaney fought him by kicking and trying to yank her hands away. His grip was stronger than she imagined. He smiled as he tied her hands to the metal frame then turned and yanked her feet. He knelt on one while he tied the other to the frame. The moment he stood, she kicked out with her free foot. Burton caught it easily and yanked hard. After he tied it to the frame, he let his fingers slowly stroke all the way up the inside of her leg. Chaney wanted to gag. Instead, her response was to glare at him. He grinned that evil grin.

  “You can’t believe you’re going to get away with this.” Inside she was a quivering mass of Jell-O, but she refused to let this con man know it.

  “Of course I do, darlin’,” he said, a southern drawl appearing in his voice. He stepped back to the top of the cot. “I’ve done it before.”

  Chaney’s blood ran cold. “Before?

  He ran a manicured finger down the side of her face. He trailed it all the way down her neck to the opening of her shirt. A lecherous grin turned up his lips.

  “Last time I had to marry the bitch before I took all her money. Now you, I think I would have enjoyed playing house with you for a while. From the scuttlebutt around town, you wouldn’t be amenable to that plan, so I had to come up with something else.

  “I heard old Smitty here whining in his whiskey one night about how your daddy did him wrong. Kind of the same way your daddy whined to him soon after. You have no idea how much he hated your old man.” The laughter that filled the cabin now was loud and raucous. Still, it had the same hateful tone as Smitty’s cackle.

  “So, you’re not really his nephew.”

  “Lord, no. It didn’t take too much research to get his history and work up a plausible story. His brain was so twisted with all the hate he has for your family, he took the bait hook-line-and-sinker as they say.”

  Chaney watched as he squatted beside Smitty’s body. A deep sadness filled her heart for the old man. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’d love to stay here and chat, darlin’, but I have business to attend to.” He lifted Smitty under the arms and dragged him through the doorway.

  The silence in the cabin became deafening. When ten minutes had passed, Chaney started to shake with fear. Facing the man was terrible, not knowing where he was or what he was doing was worse.

  “Miss me?” he asked as he appeared in the open doorway.

  “What did you do to Smitty?” she asked with false bravado.

  The man kicked the door closed while he wiped his hands on a handkerchief. He grinned at her. “Do you really want me to tell you?”

  Chaney felt the blood drain from her face. He’d killed him and now he was going to kill her. She pulled frantically at the ropes binding her hands and feet. She wanted to scream but fear clogged her throat. Terror kept her gaze glued to his as he walked closer.

  “Don’t worry, darlin’. I’m not going to hurt you,” he told her lifting her chin with his finger. “Not yet anyway. I want your dear husband here to watch that.”

  He pulled out a cell phone and punched in a number. Chaney knew he called the ranch by his next words. “Hope you’ve got a fast horse.”

  Chaney couldn’t stand by quietly while Jed rode to his death. “Jed, don’t it’s a trap,” she yelled, receiving a backhanded slap for her trouble.

  “Granddaddy’s cabin. Thirty minutes or you’ll never see her again,” he said, smiling down at her. “Alive anyway.”

  “That wasn’t smart,” he told her frowning. “I didn’t want to hurt you. Really. I was hoping we could enjoy each other’s company while we waited. But, I guess not.”

  He reached up to a shelf above her head and brought down a roll of duct tape. “Duct tape, never leave home without it.”

  He tore off a piece. Instead of slapping it over her mouth as Chaney expected, he reached behind her and yanked her head toward his. Then he pressed his lips to hers in a harsh painful kiss. Chaney fought as best she could but the ropes and his grip didn’t allow her much movement.

  When he pulled back, he pressed the tape over her mouth then squeezed her jaw until tears filled her eyes. “I wish we had time for more, but, I have preparations to make before hubby gets here.”

  The chill that filled her since the moment Smitty put a gun to her head became an iceberg. Tied and muzzled; how was she supposed to keep Jed safe?

  ***

  Jed had wanted with every fiber of his being to rush out after Chaney himself. Knowing where she was had made it hell waiting for backup, but he wasn’t stupid. If he rushed in alone, he would be playing right into Smitty and his partner’s hands. So, he’d waited for Steve. Then they came up with a plan. They rode toward the cabin. He’d also called the sheriff and told him a place they could meet.

  Steve signaled to Jed that his phone had buzzed. After they reined the horses to a stop and Steve spoke for a moment, he handed Jed the phone.

  “Where and when?”r />
  “Thirty minutes at the old cabin.”

  “Is he alone?”

  “It wasn’t Smitty,” Dale told him.

  “What?”

  “I said--”

  “I know what you said. Who was it?” Jed’s fear vaporized what little patience he had been able to control.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t recognize the voice, but it wasn’t old and rough like Smitty’s. The man said, ‘Hope you’ve got a fast horse. Then Chaney yelled something about it being a trap.”

  Jed tensed when he heard the weighted pause before his uncle continued. “What happened then?”

  “I think, I think he hit her.”

  Anger spiked through him tensing every muscle in his body. Sterling pranced sideways in response bringing Jed quickly back to focus. His uncle was talking again. Quieting the horse, Jed listened.

  “. . . said, ‘Granddaddy’s cabin. Thirty minutes or you’ll never see her again.”

  Jed stared off in the direction of the cabin before he replied. Anger and rage weren’t going to get Chaney back safe. He needed to think strategy and logic.

  “Okay. You stay on guard there. We don’t know who, if anyone else is involved in this. Steve and I have a head start on getting to the cabin. That will give us time to check it out and find the best way to handle this.” He flipped the phone closed.

  “We’ve got less than thirty minutes,” he told Steve as he rode up beside him. “Smitty didn’t place the call so we know we have more than one old man to deal with.”

  “Do you know how many?”

  “Not yet, but I called the sheriff earlier. He’s taking some men up the back way. He’ll call if he gets any more information before we get there.” He gave Sterling the slightest of touches and they bolted across the ground. Ten minutes later, they met up with the sheriff.

  The cabin was on the east side of a stand of trees. It had been Chaney’s great grandfather’s first residence on the property, before he built the big house where she lived now. With most of the property containing low brush or nothing at all, this was the only place that provided protection from the relentless sun in the summer and gusting winds the rest of the year. It also offered a rare thing on the ranch. Privacy.