Deadlier Than the Rest

by Shirleen Davies

  “She may have made it, laddie.” Jericho wouldn’t allow Connor to lose hope. It was hope that had driven the man for eight years and it could drive him now. At least until they knew about Grace.

  An hour passed, two, then three, and before long the sun set and the winds calmed. The fire had been contained but wasn’t out. Men still worked to water down the burning remains. Red embers glared against the black night and smoke hung thick above the town.

  Connor stayed with the family, moving from one building to the next in an attempt to stop anything from reigniting. He refused to go look in the tents. Tess had told him she’d send word if Grace was brought in to the hotel. Dodge and Chaz made sure the doctors had everything needed to treat those who’d been brought to them. Burns, broken bones, cuts, lacerations, and smoke inhalation were being treated as rapidly as possible.

  “Here, take this.” Drew held out a glass of water to Connor, then drank his own. “What a mess. It’ll take months to reconstruct everything.” Drew looked behind him at a bench. Nothing on this side of the main street had been touched as if a wall had been erected to keep the flames away. He sat down and rested his muscled forearms on his knees. “Take a seat, Connor. We’ll get back to it in a few minutes.”

  Connor sat down next to his cousin. Others were sitting or lying around them on the trampled grass area, arms over their eyes, trying to catch a few minutes of rest before starting again.

  “Look,” Will said and sat up straighter. “Who is that?”

  Connor looked up at Will’s question.

  Several of the men stood and started to run toward the scene.

  Drew nudged Connor. “Good Lord. Look over there,” he said and nodded with his head.

  Connor’s eyes followed the direction Drew indicated to see a woman carrying another woman, stumbling, righting herself, and starting again.

  “Grace?” Connor mumbled and stood. “Grace!” He ran to her, taking Grace in his arms as the others accepted the woman she’d been carrying. He picked her up, cradling her against his chest, and stepped over charred wood while making his way back to the bench.

  “My God, Grace. I thought I’d lost you.” He pulled her tight, burying his head in her hair. He inched away to look at her. “I’m taking you to the hotel so Doc McCauley can look at you.”

  “No, just hold me, Connor. Please?” Grace choked out and tightened her arms around his neck. She continued to cough, trying to clear smoke from her lungs.

  He held her close another minute, then stood and walked to the make-shift hospital, needing to confirm that she was all right. Pierce followed behind, unwilling to let Connor wait through this alone.

  “Doc, please help us,” Connor said as he walked into the dining room and set Grace on a table with sheets and a blanket.

  “Grace!” Meggie saw Connor carefully lay Grace down and ran to stand by her friend. She threw her arms around Connor. “You found her.”

  “More like she found us.” Connor’s voice choked on the emotion and he turned away in an attempt to compose himself.

  Grace coughed, her eyes closing at times, then opening. She tried to shield her eyes from the bright lights.

  Caleb McCauley walked up, several of the MacLaren women close behind him. “I appreciate your help and all, ladies, but you’ll have to give me room to check out Miss Madison.”

  The MacLaren women backed away but kept their eyes and ears open, anxious to know how Grace was doing. Connor refused to leave and stood next to the table, holding Grace’s hand and watching the doc’s every move.

  Pierce stepped back also. That’s when he noticed Mollie Jamison had positioned herself beside him. For some reason his senses always went on alert when he was around Mollie. Tonight he needed to ignore them.

  “How does she seem?” Mollie asked Pierce. She was as exhausted as everyone else yet had refused to leave the makeshift hospital.

  “She’s alive, that’s all I know.” Pierce placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for all your help.”

  Mollie looked up at him, surprised. “This is where I live. I’m happy to help.” Her eyes moved from his face to the table where the doctor continued his examination.

  “What happened?” Caleb asked Connor as he moved his hands slowly over Grace’s body, checking for any fractures or breaks.

  “I don’t know. We were taking a break and Will looked up to see Grace walking through the destruction, carrying another woman. Will and Drew took the other woman and I brought Grace to you.”

  “How is the other woman?” The doctor hadn’t seen anyone else being brought in.

  Connor just shook his head.

  Grace coughed again and tried to speak, her voice was coarse and dry. “She was in the room next to me.” She coughed again. “The stairs were on fire. We tried to jump from the window…” She coughed once more before the doctor put a hand on her wrist.

  “It’s all right, Grace. You can tell us everything later. Right now I’m going to have you sit up so you can breathe easier, and then I want you to rest.” He turned to Connor. “I don’t feel any breaks or fractures, some cuts and bruises are starting to form, but she’s darn lucky to be here.”

  “Can I take her home?”

  Meggie looked at Connor, knowing that Grace’s home had gone down in the fire.

  “Let her rest a while and I’ll check her again. If all is okay, then yes, you can take her home.” Caleb smiled and clapped Connor on the shoulder as he walked passed on his way to check another patient.

  “Where will you take her?” Meggie asked.

  “Where she belongs. With me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Hello, Mrs. MacLaren. I’ve come to see Grace, if she’s accepting visitors.” Chaz stood outside the main ranch house. He’d heard that Connor had brought Grace here as soon as the doc had given the okay.

  “Come in, Mr. Yarbrough.” Alicia stepped aside to let him enter. “She’s doing much better than a few days ago and I’m sure she’d like some company. Most everyone goes back to town each day to help with the cleanup and plans to rebuild, so it’s been pretty quiet around here. I’ll be right back.”

  Alicia walked down the hall to the second room and knocked. “Grace, you have a visitor.”

  Doc McCauley had issued orders that she was to stay indoors and rest for a week, no exceptions. Grace felt like a prisoner even though she was grateful to be alive. Two other boarders had made it to safety. The rest, including Maude, had not been spared from the fast moving fire that destroyed three blocks of homes and businesses.

  Grace opened the door, dressed, and ready to venture out of the solitary bedroom. “Who is it?”

  “Chaz Yarbrough.”

  “Oh, how nice.” Grace grabbed her shawl before making her way to the front room. “Mr. Yarbrough, it’s so good of you to visit.”

  He walked up to her and took her hands. “You look wonderful.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on each hand. “I heard you were doing well.”

  She carefully pulled her hands away and sat down. “To be truthful, I’m going crazy in this house. It’s time I leave and find a new place, plus I must find work.”

  “Yes, you mentioned needing a job. I spoke to Dodge and we would be grateful if you’d consider working for us in the hotel dining room. We need a manager for breakfast and dinner clients. It would include a room and liberal food allowance.”

  Her smile grew wide as Chaz spoke. It was perfect and included a place to live.

  “That is so generous of you and Mr. Delaney. Yes, I’ll accept the offer.”

  Chaz watched the excitement on her face as he offered her what he knew she wanted. Now, he had to broach a more delicate subject.

  “There is one condition. You must understand that neither Dodge nor I allow employees to court other employees. That would mean…”

  Grace understood right away. “I see. So you and I…”

  “Would remain friends. At least, that is what I hope.”

  “I
would hope so, too.”

  “Will things work out for you and Connor?” It had been obvious to everyone that Connor had strong feelings for Grace.

  Connor. He spent time with her each day, held her hands in his, yet hadn’t voiced his desire to work through what happened or his feelings for her.

  “I don’t know what will happen with Connor.” Her voice had softened, losing the exuberance of a few minutes before.

  “Do you love him?”

  Grace’s gaze swung up to search Chaz’s face. He’d become a good friend in a short period of time and she liked him. “Yes, I love him.”

  Chaz looked at his fingers as they worked the brim of his hat and stood. “Well then, it’s time I take my leave. We’ll expect you at the hotel, say, next week.”

  Grace walked Chaz outside. “Thanks so much for the job. You won’t be disappointed.” She stood on her toes to place a kiss on Chaz’s cheek. “And thank you for being such a good friend.”

  Chaz picked up her hand and kissed it. “It’s my pleasure to be your friend, Grace.”

  She watched him mount his horse and ride out, noticing for the first time that three riders were approaching. Pierce, Jericho, and Connor.

  Jericho and Pierce had been speaking of plans for the construction of a new boarding house in town when they noticed Connor’s attention had shifted to the house. He watched as Grace kissed Yarbrough and as Chaz returned her gesture with a kiss to her hand. The scene appeared intimate and not what Connor had expected to see when he returned to the house. Conversation stopped as the men rode the rest of the way.

  They tipped their hats at Chaz as he rode past but didn’t stop to chat. Pierce and Jericho continued to the barn while Connor rode straight to the front of the house and dismounted.

  “Grace.” He looped his reins around the post and stalked up the steps toward her.

  “Hello, Connor.”

  “You’re well enough to receive visitors?” He stood a few inches away, his eyes boring into hers.

  She clasped her hands in front of her. “Yes.”

  “And do you always kiss men you don’t know well?” His voice was hard. He watched her, deciding if it was time he said something.

  “No.” He saw the gleam in her eye, which should have warned him. “Sometimes I do more than kiss.”

  “Shit,” he muttered and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind him into the house, and closed the office door behind them. “Have you?” he snarled.

  “Have I what?” She was trying to keep her patience. He must have seen that all she’d done was give Chaz a harmless kiss on the cheek.

  “Done more than kiss him?”

  She walked to within a few inches of Connor. “That is none of your business.”

  “The hell it isn’t,” he hissed out.

  “Don’t swear,” she threw back at him.

  “I’ll talk any damn way I want.”

  “Fine. Then you’ll do it alone.” She turned to leave.

  Connor reached out and grabbed her arm, hauling her to him until their bodies touched. He could feel her warmth through his shirt as her soft, fast breaths fanned his face. His eyes locked with hers, hard and searching.

  Grace stood motionless, glaring up at the man she loved. If only he’d give her a sign that he still wanted her. The beating of her heart was like a drum—fast, hard, and almost painful in its persistence. She wanted to push him away and, at the same time, wind her arms around his neck.

  He loosened his grip, moving his hands from her arms to cup her face. He lowered his face to hers and captured her mouth.

  She responded hungrily, without restraint, wrapping her arms around him and holding tight.

  He slanted his mouth one way, then another before his lips traced her upper then lower lips, coaxing her to open for him. He plunged in, taking what he’d wanted for weeks. His hands drifted from her face to her back, and lower. He pulled her toward him, letting her feel his hardness.

  She sighed. This is what she wanted, who she wanted. No one else, just Connor.

  He stopped on a ragged breath, resting his forehead on hers.

  “I won’t accept anything except complete honesty.”

  “I know,” Grace responded.

  “No secrets, no lies, no manipulations.”

  “All right.”

  “I don’t know yet how I’ll make a living or where I’ll live.”

  “I understand.”

  He took another deep breath. “Marry me.”

  “Yes.”

  A smile broke across his face and he pulled her in for another searing kiss. “I love you, Grace.”

  “I believe I love you more, Connor MacLaren.”

  Epilogue

  Meggie and Dodge married two weeks after the fire. Today everyone gathered for Connor and Grace’s wedding. Now all that had to happen was no emergencies or family crises until they’d said their vows.

  Grace and Meggie had talked about getting married on the same day. In the end, they’d decided each deserved to have their own special date to celebrate, a day that belonged to them and no one else.

  Now, Grace stood at the top of the stairs waiting for the cue to begin her walk. The sounds of the piano drifted through the air. Alicia nodded to Meggie, Grace’s matron of honor, to start, then motioned for Grace to begin her descent down the stairs. She reached a middle step and stopped, seeing Connor’s unwavering gaze fixed on her. His moss colored eyes were a deep green and his normally stoic face broke into a smile as she took the last step toward him.

  Connor took her hand and pulled Grace to him for a kiss, ignoring the laughter and gasps behind him.

  “Uh, Connor, you’re supposed to wait until the end,” the preacher said.

  “Yes, sir. I can wait now.” He smiled back at Grace whose eyes were filled with laughter.

  An hour later they were man and wife. Although they’d included close friends and family for the wedding, many more were invited to celebrate afterward. The weather had threatened to turn sour earlier in the week, but today the sky was clear and the sun bright.

  Nothing could be more perfect.

  “Fifty cents,” Drew said.

  “I’ll up it to a buck,” Niall chimed in.

  “What’s going on?” Connor had left Grace’s side long enough to visit a few of the men and finally made it to the circle of his cousins and brother.

  “Betting how long you and Grace stay before disappearing to Drew’s house for the night,” Pierce laughed and slapped his brother on the back.

  “Whoever bet another five minutes is the winner.” Connor chuckled and accepted a glass of whiskey from Jamie.

  “Here’s to you and Grace. Long lives and lots of children,” Niall raised his glass as did the others.

  A few minutes later Connor excused himself and began his search for Grace.

  Pierce joined him. “Got a minute?”

  Connor looked at his brother. Something had been going on the last couple of weeks, but he’d been so busy helping at the ranch and getting ready for the wedding that he hadn’t taken the time to ask Pierce.

  “Of course,” he gestured to a spot a few yards away. “What’s going on?”

  “I met with Jerrod Minton and another gentleman about a possible opportunity.”

  “A job?” Connor’s voice underscored his confusion. “I thought you liked it here and were ready to settle down.”

  “This might allow me to do both.”

  “Explain.”

  “The man is in charge of finding a group of men with specific skills to join a government agency that investigates counterfeiting, fraud, and provides political intelligence. Jerrod thought I might have an interest.”

  “Sounds like you do.” Connor wasn’t happy with this turn of events. He wanted to be close to his family now that they’d found Meggie.

  “I need more information, but yes, I might be interested.”

  “They want you to be a Secret Service Treasury Detective, right?”

>   “How’d you know?”

  “Not hard to figure from what you told me. I don’t want you to go, but I understand how you’d be the perfect man for them. Where would you be?”

  “Some of the work is right here in Arizona, some in California. They want to set me up with a partner for the first case. Some female they recruited a couple of years ago. I’ve been told she’s turned into one of their best detectives. She’s been snooping around Fire Mountain. With it being the territorial capital, they want to be sure everything’s clean here—apparently it’s not. I told them I’d be interested depending on who the partner is. I refuse to get stuck with some woman who can’t keep up her end.”

  “You know this female?” Connor was intrigued.

  “Jerrod and another man are bringing her here. They want it to appear social—hope that’s all right.”

  “Hey, there you are.” Connor and Pierce looked up to see Grace walking toward them. “Thought I’d already lost you.” She looped her arm through her husband’s.

  “Not a chance,” Connor responded and pulled her close. He turned his head at the sound of an approaching carriage. “Looks like that’s Jerrod now.”

  The three waited as the carriage pulled to a stop near them.

  “Hello, Jerrod. Thought you might not make it.” Pierce extended his hand to the attorney when he jumped from the buggy.

  Jerrod shook hands with Connor and kissed Grace on the cheek. “Congratulations. Wish I had been here for the ceremony.”

  “It was short. Now is the important part,” Connor grinned, referring to the reception.

  Pierce looked toward the carriage but couldn’t see the face of the woman who sat inside with the other man who had his back to Pierce.

  “I would guess you’re anxious to meet your partner,” Jerrod said.

  “Possible partner,” Pierce countered and waited for the other man to step down.

  “Pierce, I’d like you to meet Noah Dodd. He’s in charge of most of the western United States and its territories.”

  “Good to meet you, MacLaren. Heard great things about you.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Pierce’s gaze swung back to the carriage, his curiosity stretching thin. The woman sat erect, her wide-brimmed hat pulled low, a parasol in her hand. She didn’t appear tall, more medium height. Nothing else about her jumped out at Pierce.