“I’ll go with you.”
Lena’s head swiveled toward Gabe, surprised at his offer.
“There’s no need. I’m certain Abby and I are quite capable of making it there and back without incident.” Lena touched her napkin to her lips, then placed it back in her lap, gripping it in her hands.
“Most likely, but I’m going anyway. What time?”
Lena let out a sigh. Spending a Saturday with him would mean she’d have to be cordial, and that wasn’t what she felt toward him right now.
“After breakfast. Does that suit you, Lena?” Abby suggested, ignoring Gabe, already knowing he wouldn’t change his mind.
“Sounds wonderful.”
“I’ll meet you ladies at the livery.” Gabe pushed his chair back and stood. “Nick, why don’t we talk again next week? I’d like to hear more about your ideas.”
Before Nick could respond, the door slammed open, Cash taking quick strides to their table.
“Gabe, you might want to see what’s going on at the land office. There’s trouble between some of the miners. Beau’s there now, trying to hold off a fight.” Cash nodded at the women, then followed Gabe outside.
The land office comprised no more than three hundred square feet in a building next to the Dixie. On a normal day, three or four men might visit the office. Today, people spilled out onto the boardwalk, their shouts carrying onto the street as tempers flared. Gabe and Cash pushed their way through those standing outside to see two groups squared off in front of the counter.
“What’s going on here, Otis?” Gabe’s hard voice rang out, silencing most of the men.
“Seems we’ve got us a dispute on a few gold claims, Sheriff.” Otis Ivie ran Splendor’s land office, while his brother handled the assay office.
Gabe turned toward the crowd, noting Beau standing in one corner and Cash in the other, both with their hands resting on their guns.
“Anyone who isn’t here about the disputes needs to step outside.” He waited as men mumbled to each other, continuing to stand their ground. Gabe rested his hands on his hips. “Let me put this a different way. If you are not one of the supposed owners of a claim in question, I want you to get out of here. Now.”
This time, the majority of the men headed outside, grumbling as they went, not walking more than a few feet from the building.
“Now, tell me what’s going on, Otis.”
“Well—”
“I’ll tell you what’s going on. Those men are trying to steal our claims.” He pointed to four men standing against one wall. “We caught ‘em moving stakes and we want ‘em stopped.” An older gentleman with a long, graying beard, slender face, and deep-set eyes glared at the men a few feet away.
“That’s a load of crap, Sheriff. We were staking our claim, not moving theirs.” The man standing near the wall crossed his arms, a smirk on his face.
“That’s a damn lie,” the older miner threw back. “These men work for Carlyle. They got orders to do whatever is needed to move us off the mountain. Well, we ain’t budging.”
Gabe looked between the two groups, then addressed the man with the complaint. “Anyone else see them move the claim?”
“My partners here…” he nodded to the men next to him, “and our other partner still at the claim. All four of us caught ‘em.”
“Otis, you have a recording for the claim by these men?”
“I sure do, Sheriff. Got it right here.” Otis held it out for Gabe.
Scanning the document, it seemed plain to Gabe that the four partners filed a valid claim a few weeks before.
“Is the location on this claim accurate?” he asked the miner.
“Yes, sir. We’ve been real careful about all this.”
Gabe nodded, then looked at the group near the wall. “Have you men filed a claim yet?”
Several looked at the ground before one spoke up, not looking Gabe in the eyes. “We’ve been meaning to file, but couldn’t get to town.”
He handed the document back to Otis and took a step toward Carlyle’s men. “Seems to me you’d be better off getting out of here and working the claim Carlyle already filed.” Gabe looked at Cash, then Beau, then back at Carlyle’s men. “You have a dispute in the future, you see me or one of my deputies. Don’t be bringing a wagon full of supporters to a fight you can’t win. Now, get out of here.” He stepped in front of the miners as the gunmen left the building, congregating outside with the others. “Do all those men outside work for Carlyle?” he asked the miner.
“Him and his partner. They’re buying up land and bringing in men faster ’n we can pull gold from our claim. We just want what’s ours, Sheriff. Nothing more.”
“You have a name for this partner?”
“No, sir. From what I heard, he arrived at their claim last week.”
“I’ve got it here, Sheriff,” Otis said, holding up the document to the claim Carlyle filed. “Says his partner’s name is Thomas Pennington.”
“You boys ever hear of a man named Pennington?” he asked Cash and Beau.
“No. Doesn’t sound familiar.” Beau looked at Cash, who shrugged.
“Have you met him yet, Otis?”
“I have not. Carlyle signed his name to the claim.” Otis filed the document in his cabinet. “I’ll let you know if he shows up.”
“I’d appreciate it. Cash and Beau, see that the gunmen get out of town. I don’t want them starting up trouble. I’m going to the Dixie to speak with Nick. He may have heard something about the other partner.” He offered the miners a grim smile. “You men watch yourselves. These recent gold strikes have tempers running real high around here. It would be best if at least two of you are at the claim at all times.”
“Thanks, Sheriff. We’ve been thinking the same.”
Gabe walked into the Dixie, spotting Nick at the far end of the bar, Lena talking with Deborah near the piano. She shot him a quick glance, then turned her back to him. He needed to speak with her, although he had no idea what he’d say regarding his decision to replace her with Dolly. He knew what Lena assumed. She couldn’t be more wrong.
“Gabe. Let me buy you a drink.” Nick signaled Paul for another glass, keeping his eyes on a table full of men who’d become more boisterous as the evening progressed.
They touched glasses, Gabe downing his in one gulp, trying his best to watch Lena without Nick noticing.
“You know, she wasn’t too happy about the way you sent her off.”
“She had no business being there in the first place.” So much for keeping my interest in her to myself, Gabe thought.
“And why’s that?”
Gabe didn’t answer, picking up the bottle of whiskey and filling his glass.
“I know why Lena keeps ignoring what’s going on between the two of you. I just don’t understand why you do.”
Gabe took a sip of his drink before looking at Nick. “What’s her reason?”
“You’d have to ask her.” Nick leaned his back on the bar.
Gabe mumbled a curse, then chuckled at the situation. “What’s your relationship with her?” He’d never come out and asked, although he’d heard the same rumors as everyone else.
Nick’s lips turned up at the corners. “I wondered why you never asked. She’s like a sister and always has been.”
“And that’s it?”
“If you’re asking if I’ve ever slept with her, the answer is yes…when she was little and woke up screaming from another nightmare, or when she ran a fever so high I thought she’d burst into flames.”
“And the men she’s been with—”
“Now you’re crossing the line.” Nick’s hard voice cut off whatever Gabe had been about to say. “If you’re thinking she’s like the rest of the women in here, you’d be mistaken.” Anger radiated from him. “She’s my family. Do you understand that?”
Gabe hadn’t believed it until now. He knew Nick was fiercely protective of her, but now his staunch defense of Lena made Gabe feel like a fool. Ne
ver in his life had he asked these questions about a woman. He’d never cared enough to dig into their past and understand them—until Lena.
“I understand.” He finished the whiskey, setting the glass on the bar. “Tell me about Carlyle. And don’t say you’ve never met him.”
Nick debated on how to respond. Gabe needed to know at least some of the history, but nothing more. “If he’s the same Carlyle with the gold claim, and I assume he is, we knew him in New Orleans. He hadn’t been in America for long and didn’t know many people. He told us he gave up his title in England to come here, insisting he had considerable wealth stashed away in a safe place.” Nick’s jaw worked as he thought of how he’d taken advantage of their friendship. “I made the mistake of taking him into my confidence. One night, he experienced a tougher than normal stretch at the tables, losing a tremendous amount of money. The next morning, all the money and valuables stored in my safe had disappeared, as did Carlyle.”
“Did you report him to the authorities?”
“I did. They took little action, claiming we didn’t see whomever took the money and had no other proof to the thief’s identity. In my mind, it didn’t take a genius to know who robbed us. We never saw him again.” Nick glanced at Lena, knowing she’d seen Gabe come in and had chosen to avoid him.
“Is that why Lena reacted as she did to learning he’d come to the area?”
“Perhaps. They’d become friends. She took his betrayal hard.” Nick wouldn’t say more, leaving the rest up to Lena. He turned back toward the bar, lowering his voice as his eyes locked on Gabe. “I’m warning you as a friend. Don’t go after her if you aren’t prepared to see it through. I’d hate to be the one to put you back under Doc’s care.”
“Don’t feel you must ride out with us, Gabe. Lena and I will be fine on our own.” Abby tightened Hasty’s cinch, then checked Joker’s one more time.
“I’m certain you would be, but I’m still going.” He walked Blackheart to the front of the livery, then mounted, waiting as Lena closed the boardinghouse door behind her and walked across the street to join them. He swallowed a tight knot in his throat as he watched her hips sway in a riding skirt similar to a few he’d seen back east before the war. Although still full, the material draped from her small waist and rounded hips before touching high-topped riding boots.
Tipping his hat, he saw her nod, her lips tipping up without offering the wide smile he’d become used to seeing when she came to his home. She headed straight to Abby, taking Hasty’s reins. Talking softly to the horse, Gabe watched her stroke his neck in long, fluid movements, his body tightening at the sight. Forcing his gaze away, he adjusted his position in the saddle, trying to still the immediate discomfort. So focused on controlling his body’s reaction to her, he didn’t notice they’d ridden up beside him, reining to a stop.
“Are you ready, Gabe?” Abby asked, following his gaze up the street, seeing nothing.
“Uh…yeah. Let’s go.”
He let them ride ahead, content to keep watch on the trail from the back. Abby had been right about the trip being simple with little chance of threats along the way. An easy ride would get them to Dax’s ranch in less than an hour.
“How are Luke and Ginny doing at your old place?” Lena asked Abby, lifting her face toward the warmth of the sun. She’d been to the Tolbert ranch a few times after Abby’s father died, offering to do anything the young woman needed to get beyond the drastic change in her life.
Giving up her job at the bank for a short period, Abby had run the ranch, as well as the various businesses her father owned, before deciding to offer the ranch to the Pelletiers. She kept all the other investments, which she could manage with Noah’s help. Within days, the sale had finalized, and Luke and Ginny moved into her old home. The Pelletiers now owned the largest amount of property in western Montana. It had been a good decision.
“They love the house. Ginny’s making changes, which is what should happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start a family soon.”
At Abby’s mention of a family, Lena glanced behind her to see Gabe a short distance away. She caught her lower lip between her teeth, thinking of how she had felt with his arms wrapped around her—safe, even as the contact sent chills through her body. He’d been right to send her away. If she’d stayed, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t weaken under the intensity of her own desire and his ministrations. She had too much at stake, too many secrets he wouldn’t understand. She couldn’t allow herself to fall in love. Getting close to a man like Gabe Evans would do nothing except complicate her life and lead to heartache.
~~~~~
Chapter Seven
“I can take them out real easy, boss. Just give me the word.” Rance Stillwell, the gunman hired by Carlyle and his partner, Thomas Pennington, had been watching several nearby claims. The majority consisted of between one and four miners, leaving little room to keep watch for claim-jumpers.
“Do whatever you need to.” Carlyle pulled a thin cigar from his pocket and lit it.
“Short of killing,” Thomas added, sending a look to his partner.
“He’ll do what needs to be done to protect our claim,” Carlyle shot back, then glanced at Stillwell. “No killing unless they refuse to leave.”
“I’ll take care of the—”
“Spare me any details, Stillwell. It doesn’t matter to me how you handle each situation, as long as it gets done and we take over the claim.” Carlyle drew on his cheroot, letting the smoke waft into the air, filling the small cabin.
Carlyle’s men had built four structures. Two served as residences for Pennington and himself, one served as an office, and the last held supplies. His men lived in tents, using the nearby stream for baths and laundry. They took meals in the largest tent, congregating there at the end of the day to play cards and drink the small amount of liquor Carlyle allowed in camp. He provided enough whiskey to relax them, but not enough to hinder their work.
Stillwell nodded. “I’ll get started.”
Pennington watched him leave, uncomfortable with Carlyle’s desire to steal claims from other miners. He felt their own claim held enough promise without resorting to intimidation or killing.
“We should buy them out, not try to run them off.” Pennington took a seat and crossed his arms.
“I tried. They’re not interested.”
“Then we should concentrate on our own claims and ignore them. I’m not comfortable using men like Stillwell.”
“Getting soft, Tommy?”
“I prefer to believe I’m taking the smart approach. The sheriff suspects us of attempting to grab the claim of the four miners north of here. It won’t be difficult for him to connect Stillwell to us. I’m not interested in killing men for claims that may have little to no value. That was not the plan when we came here from San Francisco.” Pennington stood and paced to the window, looking out the dirt-encrusted glass to see workers scurrying about.
Willie and Tommy became close friends in England, both third sons with little chance of obtaining title or wealth. They’d traveled to America, using their supposed social standing in England when it benefited them. Otherwise, they ignored ties to their homeland and family.
At first, the two stayed in Boston, finding success using their considerable gambling skills. Ready to see more of America, they moved to New York. Tommy met an actress and decided to stay, while Willie continued to New Orleans. His luck there ran out at the same time Tommy and his actress lover parted ways. They traveled across the country, discovering the bawdy bay town of San Francisco was a perfect fit—until Willie became obsessed with gold fever.
“Plans change, Tommy.” He unfurled a map and pointed to a large area surrounding their claim. “We want to control claims in this section. There is a chance veins could intersect. If that happens, we’ll be buried in disputes. The smart decision is to eliminate the risk now.”
“As long as Stillwell does whatever he can to dislodge them before he resorts to killing. We d
on’t want a murder to come back to us.”
“Stillwell will be the one who hangs, not us. No one will be able to connect his actions to us, and he’ll leave the territory as soon as his job is done.”
Thomas didn’t like it, but the order had already been given. “What about our plans to open a gambling hall in Splendor?”
“Rumor has it the Wild Rose is losing money fast and the owner, Amos Henderson, is thinking of selling. We’ll speak with him on our next trip.” His lips quirked into a wry grin at the decision they’d made to bring men to Splendor to work their claims, then open a saloon where they could spend their wages.
“Have you learned anything about the Dixie?”
Willie knew quite a bit about the other establishment, shocked when he’d discovered who owned it. He thought the chances of him ever crossing paths with Nicholas and Magdelena again were slim. Thinking back, he wouldn’t mind another go-around with the beautiful woman who’d captured his interest in New Orleans. It had been a real shame when he’d decided to cast her aside in favor of the large sum of cash and jewelry they kept in their safe. Now he had another chance. The more he thought of his goals, the more he believed she could play an essential role in helping him achieve what he wanted. Wealth had a place, but what he craved had been taken from him in England by the order of his birth—namely power and social standing.
“It’s booming. The owners seem to have a magic touch when it comes to saloons and gambling halls. Perhaps a visit is in order. It doesn’t hurt to learn as much as possible about the competition, right, Tommy?”
“Patrick is beautiful, Rachel,” Lena whispered, holding the baby in her arms as she rocked back and forth. “He’s grown so much since I saw him last.”
“He never stops eating,” Rachel laughed, enjoying the look of pleasure on Lena’s face. “It is much more work than I’d ever imagined. He never wants to sleep. Dax keeps telling me to sleep whenever he goes down for a nap, but there’s always so much to do.” She sighed, thinking of all the work waiting to get done.
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