Brazen

by Bobbi Smith

  Nobody.

  "Hey, Michael!"

  Michael was in the stable saddling his horse when he heard one of the men calling him. He went to the door and looked out.

  "What is it?"

  "You got company coming."

  He looked down the road and immediately recognized Casey riding his way. He drew a ragged breath, trying to ignore the pain pounding in his head from his overindulgence the night before. He went out to meet her.

  "Good morning, Casey," he said. He tried to give her a smile, but the sun was hurting his eyes as he looked up at her in the saddle. He noticed she was wearing her sidearm today, and he was surprised. "Are you expecting trouble?" He gestured toward the gun.

  "Trouble is already here, Donovan," she ground out, dismounting and facing him. "I had a visitor last night."

  He wasn't sure what she was leading up to, but judging from her fury, he knew it would be bad. "Who?"

  "John McQueen."

  "What did McQueen want?"

  It seems John was in town yesterday and heard that your fiancee from Philadelphia had just arrived in town!"

  "Casey, I"

  Before he could say more, she drew her gun and fired at the ground near his feet.

  Michael jumped nervously as he faced the full brunt of her fury. "Casey, put that damned gun away before someone gets hurt!"

  "I'm a veiy good shot," she answered coolly.

  "Karen is not my fiancee!" he protested, staring at the gun in her hand.

  "Liar!" She got off another round and found she enjoyed seeing him dance to her tune.

  "Dammit, woman! I'm not lying to you!"

  "Oh, yeah?" she snapped. "Then how come everybody in town thinks she is? Everybody in town knows all about her being engaged to you. I don't abide liars, Michael Donovan."

  "And I don't lie, Casey Turner!"

  They glared at each other for a moment in silence, unaware of the crowd that had gathered to watch the excitement.

  "You are my fiancee, Casey. I've never proposed to Karen. Now cool off."

  "Cool off?" she repeated in outrage. "You and your Eastern sweetie have just humiliated me before the entire town of Hard Luck!"

  "I haven't humiliated you. In fact, I was just on my way in to town to meet with Karen and"

  "So you knew she was here!"

  "Only because I got a letter from her late last night. She had one of the men from the stable deliver it to me."

  "And you were going in to Hard Luck to see her and you weren't going to tell me about it?" Her rage grew.

  "I was going to see Karen so I could tell her about our engagement."

  "Sure you were," she sneered in disbelief.

  "That's right. I was. Now" he changed the tone of their exchange "I want to know why McQueen felt it was his business to tell you about this."

  "John was just being a friend to me. He didn't want me to be caught off guard by all your lies."

  Michael grew even more angry. "I'm not going to tell you again, Casey. I haven't lied to you." He closed the distance between them to speak to her in a quieter tone so no one else could hear what he was saying. "What does it matter to you anyway? This marriage of ours is going to be in name only, so what do you care if I have a girlfriend back in Philadelphia?"

  Casey stiffened as she stared up at him. "You're right, Donovan. 1 don't care."

  In a smooth move, she holstered her gun and turned her back on him. Without another word, she mounted up and rode away.

  Michael stared after her for a moment, then started back into the stable to get his own horse.

  He had to pay Karen a visit.

  When Michael turned around, he realized he'd had an audience the whole time.

  "What are you looking at? Go to work!"

  Just then, Elizabeth came hurrying around the side of the stable to see Cassandra disappearing down the road.

  "Michael! I heard gunshots!" Elizabeth called out. "What happened?"

  "Casey stopped by to take a little target practice."

  "But"

  "I'll see you when I get back from town," Michael said, cutting her off as he swung up in the saddle. He'd done all the talking he wanted to do. He put his heels to his horse's sides.

  Elizabeth looked around at the hands who'd gathered there, but they were already drifting away. Frustrated, she returned to the house.

  "Karen, dear, I am so sorry," Dorothea told her in her most sincere tone. She knew how humiliated her daughter was that Michael hadn't come in to town to see her yet. "I never dreamed anything like this would happen."

  "Neither did I," Karen bit out.

  In her heart, Karen had expected Michael to rush to the hotel to see her just as soon as he got her note last night. But it hadn't happened. Now here it was already late in the morning, and still there had been no response from him.

  "Let's go out to breakfast. We can't just sit here waiting forever for him to show up."

  "Oh, yes I can," Karen said stubbornly. "You go ahead. I'm going to stay here a little longer."

  Dorothea realized then that her daughter needed some time alone to deal with her troubled emotions. "All right, darling. I'll go over to the restaurant and have breakfast on my own. I hope the food will be better than what they served us for dinner last night. Do you want me to bring you something?"

  "No. I'm not hungry."

  "I'll see you in a little while."

  Left by herself in the hotel room, Karen paced back and forth in growing agitation. She cursed Michael for not coming for her immediately, and then she cursed herself for caring.

  How dare he treat her this way!

  How dare he ignore her after she'd made this horrible trip just to see him!

  After a few minutes, Karen went to stand at the window. She stared out at the miserable main street of the miserable town. Oh, how she missed Philadelphia! She longed to be back home in civilized society. If she could have arranged it, she would leave for Philadelphia that very moment. But she couldn't.

  Karen made up her mind right then and there that if Michael hadn't shown up by noon, she was going to the stage depot to book their return trip. She didn't know where he was or what he was doing, but if he cared anything about her, he would have dropped everything and come to her. The hours were passing, and she was still waiting.

  As Karen gazed despondently out the window, she saw a cowboy riding up to the hotel. Something about him held her attention, but she wasn't sure what it was.

  When he dismounted and started inside, she finally realized the man was Michael.

  Shock radiated through her.

  The Michael she knew was a sophisticated gentleman. The man who'd just entered the hotel looked like nothing more than a lowly ranch hand.

  Karen stood back from the window and turned to stare at the hotel room door. Any moment he would be there, knocking on it. Having just gotten a look at him, she wasn't sure if she was excited about seeing him again or dreading it.

  Michael entered the Hard Luck Hotel to find Ernest at the front desk.

  "Good morning, Michael."

  "Ernest," he said tersely, not looking forward to the encounter to come.

  "It's about time you got here," Ernest said.

  "So I understand."

  "Your lady is upstairs in Room 203."

  "My lady?" Michael repeated.

  "Yes, sir. Your fiancee, Miss Whittington."

  Michael stifled an inner groan. Casey had been right. The news was all over town.

  "Thanks, Ernest."

  He wasn't going to waste time right then trying to set the clerk straight. It was more important to set Karen straight. He would take care of Ernest later.

  Michael went up to Karen's room and knocked on the door.

  Despite her disappointment, Karen was tempted to run to the door and throw it wide at the sound of his knock.

  She controlled the impulse and asked calmly, "Yes? Who is it?"

  "It's me, Karen. It's Michael."

 
"Michael! At last." Karen opened the door to him. "You're here finally!"

  Without waiting for him to say a word, she forgot all about caring how he was dressed or that he was so late in coming to her. Instead, she launched herself straight into his arms and kissed him passionately.

  Michael was shocked by her kiss. He stood stock-still for a minute, then took Karen by the upper arms and pushed her away from him, ending the embrace.

  "Karen, someone might come by.,,

  "Oh "She managed to blush a bit as she took his hand and drew him inside her room. She started to close the door behind them to give them privacy, but he stopped her.

  "I wouldn't want anyone to question your reputation," Michael explained as he deliberately left the door open.

  It made Karen angry that he didn't want to kiss her more. They'd been apart for what seemed like ages. She gave him a sweet smile instead of saying what she really felt.

  She eyed his cowboy attire but didn't remark on it. The Michael standing before her bore little resemblance to the sophisticated man she'd known in Philadelphia. She realized with a start that Michael was even wearing a gun and holster! He looked almost primitive.

  "To what do I owe this honor, Karen? Why are you here?" he asked, ready to get this over with.

  "When you left Philadelphia so abruptly without coming to see me, I was upset. I thought you'd be returning right away, but when I didn't hear from you for so long, I got worried. I spoke with your uncle, and he told me where you'd gone. I thought you might need me here with you," Karen explained. "I've missed you, Michael, and 1 can't wait for us to get back home."

  Michael had known that confronting her wouldn't be easy, but she was making it even more difficult than he'd imagined. "I'm sorry about the way things have turned out, Karen, but it looks like I won't be returning to Philadelphia."

  "I know it won't be right away, but-"

  "No. I won't be going back at all."

  "You won't?" She stared at him, aghast. There she was, standing before him, ready to throw herself into his arms, and he was refusing her! Karen wanted to scream. "But-"

  He quickly went on to explain, "My father was ambushed and seriously wounded."

  "He was shot down?" She shuddered as the news emphasized her opinion of how uncivilized this place was.

  "Yes."

  "That's terrible. Who did it?"

  "We still don't know."

  "Dear God." In civilized Philadelphia, she was certain the assailants would have been caught right away. She wondered anew why anyone would want to live here.

  "It's been a very hard time for my family."

  "I'm sure it has, and that's why I came here. I knew you needed me," she said ingratiatingly.

  Michael had to disabuse her of that notion right away. "There's nothing you can do, Karen. My father is paralyzed. He can't walk, so I have to stay and take over running the Circle D."

  "No, you don't," she countered, dismissing his assertion out of hand. She believed he would listen to her because she was being logical, and her plan was, in her opinion, brilliant. "There are many fine doctors back East, and I'm sure they are far more qualified than any sawbones you may have here. All you have to do is sell the ranch and move your mother and father to Philadelphia with us. Your mother came from there. I'm sure she wouldn't object, and surely you could find a physician there who could help your father. If he is as bad off as you say he is, his only hope is better medical care."

  "That's not going to happen, Karen."

  "But--" She couldn't believe Michael didn't want to do what she suggested. It only made sense.

  "My father wouldn't do it. The trip itself would probably kill him, and he has no desire to leave the Circle D.He loves the ranch."

  "We could wait until he's stronger and then--"

  "Karen." Michael realized the moment had come. He'd tried to be gentle, but it wasn't working. He was going to have to be blunt with her. "There's no point in going on about this. This isn't just about my father anymore. There's something else I have to tell you. Something you don't know."

  "What?" She couldn't imagine what he was talking about.

  "Karen, I won't be going back East with you, no matter what happens with my father. Since my return, I've become engaged."

  To say that Karen was shocked by the news of Michael's engagement was an understatement.

  "You're engaged to someone else?" she demanded, staring at him as if he'd suddenly grown two heads.

  "Yes, to Casey Turner. We're getting married next week."

  "Casey Turner?" She stared at him aghast. Never in all the time she'd known him had she heard him mention anyone named Casey Turner, and now- Now! He was going to marry her! Next week! "Who is she?"

  "The woman I love." He wanted to convince Karen once and for all that there was no future for the two of them.

  "What about us?"

  "What about us, Karen? We saw each other socially, but there was never anything more than that to our relationship."

  "I thought we were going to be married when you returned from your trip to Europe with Nick," she insisted.

  "I never told you I loved you, and I never proposed." Michael was blunt. "I'm sorry if you had the wrong impression about my feelings for you."

  "But you've only been back here for a matter of weeks." In her mind she was trying to calculate if the other woman could be pregnant. "How can you be marrying her so quickly?"

  "Casey and I have known each other for years. Seeing her again after all the time I've been away made me realize how much she means to me." Michael was determined that Karen should believe his marriage to Casey was a love match.

  "And I mean nothing to you, Michael? After I made this trip out here just to see you, to let you know how much I care about you." Though she was furious, she forced herself to cry, hoping her tears would make a difference with him.

  "I'm sorry, Karen."

  Michael knew it was time to go. There was nothing more for him to say. He turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  Karen stared at the closed door for a moment, then her fury erupted. She grabbed the nearest thing the pitcher from the washstand and threw it as hard as she could. It crashed against the door and shattered.

  Michael had just reached the steps when he heard the crash.

  He kept on going.

  Karen had never suffered a rejection before. Wealthy sophisticate that she was, she had always been the one who ended relationships. She couldn't let Michael just walk away from her. She wouldn't allow it! Karen was proud, and she had no intention of just giving up and going back home. Somehow she was going to find a way to make Michael hers.

  "Karen, dear, I'm back," Dorothea began as she started to enter the room. She stopped when she saw the broken china on the floor. "Oh, my! What happened? Did you have an accident?"

  "No. Michael was here."

  "And?" Dorothea looked from the shattered china to her daughter.

  "And he informed me that he's become engaged to another woman."

  Dorothea understood how devastated Karen must be and immediately went to take her in her arms. "I'm so sorry, darling. We made this whole horrible trip for nothing.,,

  "Michael may be engaged, but he's not married yet," Karen went on in a fiercely determined voice.

  "What are you planning to do? Don't you think we should go home?"

  "Oh, no. 1 didn't come all the way out here to just give up without a fight. There has to be some way I can see him again. Some way I can spend time with him."

  "Well, you know, while I was eating in the restaurant, I did hear some of the townsfolk talking about a church social and dance this Saturday night. If you want a chance to show Michael what he's going to be missing, that would be your opportunity. But there is one thing I want you to think seriously about."

  "What's that?"

  "Do you really love Michael, or are you just acting out of anger? 1 know we came here to see him in the hope that the two of you would beco
me engaged. You won't be opening yourself up to further embarrassment, will you?"

  "Right now I'm not sure how I feel about Michael. I am furious with him for doing this to me, but love him? I don't know."

  "I understand. I know you were set on marrying him, but everything has changed."

  "Yes, it has. Michael also told me that he has to stay here in Texas and take over the day-to-day running of his father's ranch."

  "Oh, then maybe it's fortunate all this happened. You certainly don't want to live here, do you?" Dorothea asked.

  "No. I told him he should sell the ranch and move back to Philadelphia with his parents." Karen went on to tell Dorothea about his father's condition. "But Michael wouldn't even consider leaving."

  "Let's see what Saturday brings."

  "Do you think he'll attend?"

  "The lady I spoke with at the restaurant seemed to think the whole town would show up. So we'll be there, too. Maybe when Michael sees you in a social setting, the way he's used to seeing you, it will remind him of how very wonderful you are and what he'll be missing."

  "In the meantime, I want to find out all I can about his fiancee."

  "What's her name?"

  "Casey Turner."

  "Casey? What an odd name for a woman," Dorothea remarked. "We can start asking around town discreetly, of course. That way you'll be ready for anything that happens at the social."

  "I'll be ready, all right. You'll see." She gave her mother a confident, superior smile.

  "How did it go?" Nick asked when Michael arrived at the building site. He'd been watching and waiting for his cousin.

  "About like I expected it would."

  "That bad, huh?"

  "Yes, but it's over. Now all I have to worry about is Casey."

  "She was one angry woman when she rode away this morning."

  "She sure was."

  "It's a good thing she knows how to shoot, she could have done you a lot of damage if she'd missed or aimed too high." Nick had been hoping to lighten Michael's mood, and he was glad when his cousin finally laughed.

  "You're right about that. I'm just glad Karen didn't have a gun this morning."

  "I bet." Nick was chuckling. "Think about it, though. You've got women fighting over you."

  "Impressed, are you?"