The Rancher's Temporary Engagement

by Stacy Henrie

  “Well, I don’t rightly know for certain. Maybe one of these—”

  Druitt clapped his hand onto Jensen’s shoulder. “Dolphina and I are hopeful we can convince these kids to move here and run a ranch like us. Lavina does pine for her family, doesn’t she, son? And when the grandchildren finally come along, what’s better than having grandparents close by?”

  Jensen flushed, then ducked his chin. Edward felt sorry for the man. Clearly he enjoyed operating his store, but the Druitts had their own plan for their daughter and son-in-law and they weren’t ones to give up easily.

  “Do you have an interest in ranching?” Edward inquired.

  The man looked like an animal caught in a trap. “I...uh...don’t really know much about horses. Running a store is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

  “And that’s where other ranchers like myself can step in to teach you everything you need to know,” Druitt said, releasing the man’s shoulder. An awkward quiet settled over the table. Bertram cleared his throat, while Jensen and the two other ranchers seated next to him looked everywhere but at Druitt.

  After a moment, the older man said in a less boisterous tone, “I do so miss watching my baby girl ride. You don’t think when they’re younger that someday they’ll grow up and move far away.” He glanced at Edward, his smile sad. “Keep that in mind when you become a father, Kent.”

  “Are you married now?” Jensen looked relieved at having the focus of the conversation no longer on him.

  Edward shook his head. “Not yet, but I am engaged.”

  “To a real sophisticated lady. Not unlike those Brits back home, right, Kent?” Smiling, Druitt rested his hands on his ample belly. “Wouldn’t be surprised if she decides this place isn’t as exciting as the big city.”

  A desire to defend Maggy rose inside Edward. “She’s adapting quite well, actually.”

  “Just like my Dolphina.”

  He inwardly cringed at hearing Maggy compared to Druitt’s wife. He felt more than ready to take his leave. The thought of talking things over with Maggy back at the ranch sounded far more enjoyable than remaining here with his so-called friends, even if he’d enjoyed talking with Jensen. The younger man appeared to be honest and hardworking.

  “Gentlemen.” Edward scraped back his chair. “I’m going to head home. It was nice to see you again, Jensen.”

  The man gave a quick nod. “Likewise, Kent. Congratulations on your engagement.”

  “Thank you.” Edward left the inn and rode home. To his delight, he saw a light shining in the parlor. Had Maggy waited up for him? He brushed Napoleon down quickly, fed the horse and gave it a farewell rub on the nose before he headed inside.

  Maggy sat in the parlor, though she wasn’t alone. Mrs. Harvey was seated in one of the armchairs, doing some mending. Both women looked up as he entered.

  “How did it go?” Maggy asked, rushing to her feet, her expression expectant.

  Mrs. Harvey gathered up her sewing things before Edward could answer. “I’ll duck into the kitchen, sir, and take some tea while I finish my mending. Would you care for a cup?”

  “No, thank you, Mrs. Harvey.” Edward threw her a grateful smile, knowing she was giving him and Maggy privacy to talk about the evening.

  The moment the housekeeper left the room, Maggy pounced again. “So?” She trailed him to the sofa where he sank down. “Were Howe and Preston there? Did any of them say anything suspicious?”

  “Howe wasn’t in attendance.” Edward removed his tie and tossed his hat on the low table. “Preston was there, along with Bertram and Winchester.”

  Maggy dropped onto the other end of the sofa, making the entire thing bounce. “Did Preston act differently?”

  “Unfortunately, no.” He leaned back against the sofa. “He was his usual cynical self. Winchester still seemed overly friendly and Bertram was acting strange again.”

  Drawing her feet up beneath her long skirt, she placed her elbow on the back of the sofa. Her entire demeanor spoke of how comfortable she’d come to feel inside his home. And reminded Edward how comfortable he felt at having her here. “My guess is Howe must have been the one behind the snake incident. But even if Bertram and Winchester wouldn’t stoop so low as to deliberately spook your horses with a snake, they sound as if they know something, possibly more than writing those notes.” She lifted the stack off the table. “Otherwise they wouldn’t still be acting strangely.”

  “Fair point.” He waved to the notes in her hand. “Were you looking at them again?”

  Maggy nodded. “Trying to see if I missed something.”

  “And?”

  She pursed her lips, causing her nose to scrunch in dismay. The childlike expression was rather charming, but he knew better than to say so. It would likely sound too personal, too familiar. “I didn’t find anything new.”

  “Nevil Druitt’s daughter and son-in-law are in town.” He couldn’t recall any other interesting bits of news from the dinner. “The son-in-law runs a successful store in Buffalo.”

  “Do the Druitts have any other children?”

  Edward rubbed at his tired eyes. Now that he wasn’t moving or trying to be a detective himself, the fatigue he’d felt earlier stole over him again. “No, they only have the one now. If I remember right, there was a son who died as a child.”

  “How sad.”

  Nodding, he twisted to face Maggy on the sofa. “Apparently Druitt is desperate to have his daughter living closer.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked as she stifled a yawn.

  “He keeps hinting to his son-in-law that Jensen needs to move here and start his own ranch.”

  She rested her cheek on her arm. “Does Jensen want to run a ranch?”

  “No.” Edward shook his head. “He sounds quite proud of his store, and says he doesn’t know the first thing about ranching. I certainly don’t envy him. Druitt and his wife aren’t the type to back down anytime soon.”

  “Poor man.” Maggy made a face, then yawned again.

  It was time they both turned in. He stood and gathered up his hat. “I’m sorry I don’t have more to report, Maggy.” He held out his hand to help her up.

  “It’s all right,” she murmured, staring at his hand. “As you said the other day, narrowing down who isn’t a suspect, such as Preston, helps us get closer to knowing who is a suspect.”

  He nearly dropped his hand to his side, guessing she didn’t want his help, but then she pressed her fingers against his palm. Their smoothness derailed his thoughts for a moment before he realized he was supposed to assist her in standing. Edward tugged her onto her feet.

  “Thank you for remembering the dinner tonight,” he said with sincerity. He might not have wanted to go, but he also felt the need to do his part in their investigation. And, he had to admit, he liked knowing Maggy had confidence in his sleuthing abilities, however untrained they might be.

  She glanced at their joined hands, then slowly pulled hers free. “You’re welcome.”

  More than his fingers mourned the sudden absence of her touch.

  He pushed away the ridiculous thought as he accompanied her outside and bid her good night. As he waited for her to enter the guest cottage and shut the door, he realized that once his case was solved his life would be as empty as his hand had been moments ago—empty of Maggy’s presence. A keen sadness he couldn’t fully explain or understand filled him. Things would never be quite the same, not after a certain brilliant and beautiful female detective left the Running W for good.

  Chapter Ten

  Maggy felt far less nervous before her and Edward’s second dinner than she had before their first. It was nice to have already established themselves as an engaged couple. She chose to wear a rich brown brocade dress. Like her other new dresses, this one fit well and wasn’t uncomfortable.

  She didn’t feel right
about taking these clothes with her when she left, but a small part of her wanted to keep them. It was a notion she didn’t plan to share with anyone, especially not Edward or her supervisor at the Denver office.

  Unlike their last dinner, she and Edward were early this time, and yet, the tables were nearly full already. Maggy didn’t see the Howes among those seated or standing. She hoped Vienna and her husband arrived soon. Not only did she want to observe Chance Howe, but the idea of talking to Vienna sounded more pleasant than conversing with some of the other women.

  “Miss Worthwright,” Mrs. Druitt called out, rising to her feet.

  Maggy forced her lips up in a magnanimous smile. “Mrs. Druitt.”

  “I’ll get us a seat,” Edward said before untucking her arm from his.

  She’d grown accustomed to having him take her by the arm or the elbow. Or the hand as he had last night. But helping her stand up from the sofa hadn’t been a necessary gesture as it had at other times.

  Last night her heart had lurched, though not unpleasantly, when Edward had extended his hand. The feel of his fingers gently closing over hers had only increased the rapidity of her pulse. And frightened her.

  She couldn’t get too comfortable with Edward or their temporary arrangement. This was a mission; it wasn’t as if she was truly engaged. It would be unwise to read too much into Edward’s actions. After all, he was a gentleman. Helping her stand, even with no one present, was the same automatic courtesy he showed when others were watching.

  Mrs. Druitt approached Maggy with a young woman in tow. “Miss Worthwright, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Lavina Druitt Jensen.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jensen.”

  The brunette nodded. “And you, Miss—”

  “Lavina and her husband will be here for a few weeks.” The older woman smiled at her daughter, then at Maggy. “Isn’t that wonderful? We never see them enough, although I still hope to persuade them to come live in Sheridan.”

  “That would be nice, Mother. But Felix’s store—”

  Mrs. Druitt interrupted again. “I know all about Felix’s store, my dear. After all, your father and I helped finance it in the beginning.” Lavina’s cheeks turned red with obvious embarrassment at her mother’s wagging tongue. “But land and ranching are still wise investments. And to think, if you lived back in Sheridan, you would only be a short buggy ride away.”

  Maggy recalled what Edward had said the night before about Mr. Druitt trying a similar tactic with his son-in-law. The older couple had helped finance Jensen’s store, too. It was an interesting bit of information to tuck away.

  The older woman kept talking, extolling her daughter’s virtues and talents, which apparently included being an exceptional rider. Lavina stood silent and visibly uncomfortable. Clearly mother and daughter were very different in temperament. While Lavina didn’t strike Maggy as being as shy as Vienna, the Druitts’ daughter didn’t possess the same domineering personality as Dolphina, either.

  She did feel the tiniest prick of envy at the pair. If her mother were still living, what would she say about her daughter? Would she be proud of the woman Maggy had become or disappointed? She hoped her mother would be pleased at how she’d taken charge of her life after Jeb’s death and had become a detective.

  “Lavina will be helping with the summer ball and attending our weekly tea meetings while she’s here,” Mrs. Druitt said, yanking Maggy back to the present.

  She managed a quick smile. “I look forward to getting to know you better, Mrs. Jensen.”

  “The same to you, Miss Worthwright.”

  Everyone, except for the three of them, had taken their seats. Maggy looked for Edward. He was sitting at a table with the Prestons and Matilda Kitt and her husband. Why hadn’t he tried to sit at the table with the Winchesters and Bertram? she wondered with a frown.

  Edward saw her walking toward him and stood to pull out her chair.

  “You didn’t want to sit at the table with the Winchesters?” she asked in a whisper.

  He shook his head. “I was hoping that if the Howes came they would sit with us.”

  She’d shared with him the other day about how she’d gotten to know Vienna a little, though she hadn’t told him the painful bond she shared with the young woman.

  “And now they’ll have to,” he added, “since our table is the only one with two empty chairs.”

  A quick glance at the other tables confirmed his words. Maggy gave him an apologetic smile. “That was a risky move, but apparently I’m not the only brilliant one around here.”

  “So pleased you’ve finally noticed.”

  With a laugh, she sat down and allowed him to push in her chair. She would miss bantering with Edward. The truth of that thought snuffed out some of her merriment. Edward wasn’t just another client whose case she was solving; he’d become a good friend.

  “I remember when you used to tease me like that, when we were courting,” Matilda said, bumping her shoulder lightly against her husband’s.

  Douglas Kitt started to smile, then covered it by coughing. “That was a long time ago.”

  “But it doesn’t have to be.”

  Maggy shifted uncomfortably in her chair, as did the Prestons. She couldn’t relate to Matilda’s romantic sensibilities and hopes. Or maybe she could. Before marrying Jeb, she’d felt much like Matilda about life and love, and look where and who she’d ended up with as a result?

  Still, she let herself relax as she came to a conclusion about the Kitts. They weren’t likely to be part of the group trying to sabotage Edward—not with the open way they interacted together and with others. The Prestons had been ruled out as well, which made tonight’s dinner far more pleasant. All she had to do was listen and see if anything suspect came up...

  “Howdy, folks.” A sandy-haired young man with a grin strode up to their table. Maggy realized it was Vienna’s husband only when she saw the man held the younger woman’s hand, though she lagged a few steps behind him.

  The men greeted Howe as he dropped Vienna’s hand and settled into his seat. Vienna wordlessly slipped into the remaining empty chair beside Maggy.

  “How are you, Vienna?”

  The young woman glanced at her husband. “I’m doing fine, Miss Worthwright.”

  “Please. Call me Maggy.”

  A brief smile appeared. “Then you’d best call me Vienna.”

  “So, Kent,” Howe said loudly as the food was served. “This is your bride-to-be, huh? She’s not from around here, is she?”

  Maggy fisted the fingers of her gloved hand beneath the tablecloth, hating the way he talked around her as if she weren’t there. “I have a name. It’s Maggy Worthwright. And, no, I’m not from around here. I’m from Colorado.”

  “Plucky, aren’t you?” Howe sized her up, but Maggy maintained a level gaze. She was no longer a novice when it came to handling boorish men like him.

  Vienna flushed. “Chance,” she murmured.

  “What?” he countered with a frown. “I haven’t said somethin’ wrong, now have I, Maggy?” He turned his steely gaze toward her.

  She responded with a cool smile. “Would you be so kind as to call me Miss Worthwright, Mr. Howe?”

  From the corner of her eye, she could see the discomfort on the faces of the Kitts and the Prestons, but she didn’t care. She was tired of men like Howe and Jeb thinking they could railroad anyone, particularly a woman...

  “My Maggy might be from the city,” Edward interjected flawlessly as he placed his arm along the back of her chair, “but she’s quite the horsewoman. We went riding the other day, and she bested me in a race.”

  She twisted to face him, doing her best to hide her surprise. First, he’d called her his Maggy. The endearment repeated softly through her mind like the ripples of a quiet pond. Second, he’d told everyone at the table that she’d bea
t him in their horse race when it had been a tie.

  “You were not an easy opponent.” Maggy smiled fully at him. She hoped he understood how grateful she felt for him coming to her defense.

  Chuckles echoed around the table, breaking the earlier tension. They all started eating their food. Maggy felt Howe’s eyes on her, but she ignored him. After a few minutes, he began talking to Mr. Preston about a new colt.

  When she felt certain everyone was occupied with eating or conversing, she glanced at Edward. “Thank you,” she mouthed quietly.

  His answering smile filled her head to toe with warmth, along with the delicious feeling of being safe. “My pleasure,” he murmured back.

  She listened to the conversations moving about the table, on the hunt for any interesting tidbits that might help Edward’s case, until she realized Vienna hadn’t spoken for some time. Memories long forgotten surfaced in her mind of times as Jeb’s wife when she’d sat in a group, feeling invisible. A tug of compassion had Maggy turning toward the young woman.

  “Are you from here, Vienna?”

  She looked momentarily startled that someone was addressing her. Then she dabbed her mouth with her napkin and shook her head. “Not originally. My family moved to Sheridan when I was eleven.”

  “Does your family still live here?”

  Her green eyes filled with unmistakable sadness. “No. My parents passed away six years ago. I lived with my aunt and uncle, the Druitts, until Chance and I were married.”

  “The Druitts are your relatives?” Maggy couldn’t conceal her shock. The interactions between Vienna and Mrs. Druitt hadn’t come across as warm and friendly as she expected family might act. Then again, what did she know about warm, friendly family relations?

  Vienna nodded, and to Maggy’s further surprise, she laughed softly. “You’re not the first to find that unexpected. My mother and Uncle Nevil are siblings.”

  That might explain why Dolphina Druitt wasn’t as doting on Vienna as she was toward her own daughter. “Then you and Lavina are cousins?”

  “Yes.” Vienna took another bite of food.