The squawking of the chickens was the only sign that anything alive was around. The ground was nothing but patches of dirt that blew like dust in the scorching Texas sun.
Teagan swung down off his horse, by-passed the porch steps and knocked on the house instead of the door. He waited, but nothing happened. No one answered. He hopped off the porch and went around back. The garden that had once been lush and vibrant with vegetables was no longer anything but a patch of weeds. But laundry on the clothesline was whipping in the wind. Someone lived here.
Then he saw her, Gemma Maguire. She was pulling with what seemed to be all her might on a rope around their old cow. It always was a stubborn animal, and time hadn’t mellowed her one bit. He strode over and, without so much as a word of greeting, took the rope out of Gemma’s hand, and with a firm tug to get her moving, he led Old Bennie into the falling-down barn and to her stall. He removed the rope and closed the stall door behind him when he was done.
When he turned around and walked out of the barn, she was waiting for him just outside the door.
“Gemma,” he said in a neutral tone as he tipped his hat to her.
“Teagan. I heard all the boys made it home from the war. What a blessing.” She quickly stared at the ground and shuffled her feet a bit. “I guess you want to evict me. I’m trying to locate any family I might have, plus the bank said I still had one month before I had to either pay off the loan or leave.” Her chin wavered, and she swallowed hard. “I… suppose you could say I’ve hit on hard times.”
“Where are your folks?”
“Mama died of consumption, and Daddy never did come back from the war. I married a man who promised to take care of the ranch and me, but he took all my money and left. I guess I wasn’t very good at picking a husband. He tried to sell the land right from under me but there was too much debt, all his debt. He liked to play cards at Bobbie’s Saloon for days at a time.” She stole a quick look at him and bowed her head again. “I will pack.”
“I didn’t buy your ranch, Gemma.”
She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “Of course, you did. Mr. Lyons told me how you wanted me gone right away but he worked it out so I could stay until the end of the month. He said Teagan Kavanagh bought the place with cash.”
He shook his head, trying to make sense of her words. “I don’t understand any of this. When’s the last time you had a good meal?”
She turned crimson. “It’s not important.”
He touched her arm and was struck by a jolt of awareness; he still felt a spark between them after all this time. “It is important. I hate to say this Gemma, but you look worse than the beggars in the city.”
Stepping away, she turned her back on him. “I will be out by the end of the month.” Gemma lifted her skirt a bit and ran to the house. She almost fell on the busted-up steps, and she was extremely gentle with the door.
They had once been such good friends. Good friends until he’d asked her to marry him, at least… and she said no. He hadn’t even been aware she got married. He supposed he had never really known her at all. His hands fisted as he walked to Sandy then swung up into the saddle.
A wry chuckle bubbled forth. He never had gotten to the reason he’d come over; the cattle.
As he rode, he couldn’t help but compare the worn-down woman he’d just left to the vital young lady she’d once been. Her blossom of youth had vanished, her hair looked uncombed, and her dress has seen better days. “I married a man who promised to take care of the ranch and me…” Her words echoed in his head, and he couldn’t get the broken look she’d worn as she told him out of his mind. She married someone else. The notion was pure torture and would not leave him alone while he rode through his herd and got a better sense of how many head she had on his property.
Heading home and asking his brothers a few questions might clear things up. Then he would see Victor Lyons and find out why Gemma thought he was buying her ranch.
* * *
She hadn’t set eyes on him for at least six years. He’d grown up, hardened some, but mostly he was the same. She’d fallen for him the minute she first saw him with his broad shoulders, sky-blue eyes, and brown hair. He’d been confident bordering on arrogance back then. He seemed more reserved now. She’d spent far too much time crying over that man.
Her father had hated the whole Kavanagh family, and he’d forbidden her to marry Teagan. In fact, the day Teagan had asked her, she had been ordered to tell him he’d be shot on sight if he came near her again. The confusion and hurt in his eyes had haunted her all these years. When the Kavanagh boys joined up to fight the war, she’d been terrified he’d be killed.
At first, she had ridden the fence line between their ranches to glean a bit of information about how he was doing, but none of the brothers would talk to her. Losing their friendship had cut deep, but she didn’t have a choice. Her father never told her why he hated Mr. Kavanagh.
She prayed so much for the boys in gray. Then her father had joined the army and soon after that, her mother had died. What a terrible time it was. Few folks helped her, and she had never understood why. Her mother had been friendly to them all.
Then the soldiers had raided her food. She dug a new root cellar, but it was discovered, and the army took her food. Finally, she walked a good half hour and dug another new one. She planted her garden out there too, after the one near her house had been raided to the extent there was nothing left. She’d been lucky she’d had enough time to grow and harvest again.
She’d picked all the wild berries she could find and made preserves. It was a long trek in the winter, and she spent much of the time covering her tracks. It was a lonely time, and though they were her nearest neighbors, not one of the Kavanaghs had checked on her. She paid the mortgage every month with money she’d found buried in her yard. Her father hadn’t trusted banks. As far as she’d known everything had been paid off.
It had proven a struggle, but she had been getting by. One day after church, a handsome man with blond hair and brown eyes had smiled at her. He’d asked her to go for a walk. He was funny and charming. His manners were polished, and he was so respectful. The other unmarried women in the town all had their eyes on him, but every Sunday he’d chosen her. She’d been too smitten by his attentions to realize she was just being played for a fool.
Shoving the memories aside, she stared out the window and into her ruined garden. If Teagan didn’t know about the land buy, then what was going on? It was time—past time,—for answers. She’d need to draw a hot bath and press her Sunday dress, for tomorrow she was going to the Kavanagh’s.
* * *
It was a bit of a walk to the Kavanagh’s house; a dry, hot, sweaty walk. Hopefully her shoes would hold together. She could see the house and outbuildings from a distance, and the difference between the state of their house and hers shamed her. The Kavanagh house was beautifully whitewashed, and she had always admired the big porch. A person could walk out any door of the house and be on the porch. Their steps looked to be in fine condition, and she’d bet they didn’t have water leaking into the house when it rained. To think her house had once been in such fine order as that.
A sigh slipped past her lips, and she squared her shoulders. She’d done the best she could, and she’d survived. She had made some bad, life-altering decisions, but here she was. Which of the boys would answer the door? Or did they still have Dolly working for them? She had checked the notices of death constantly and she had never seen the name Kavanagh on any of them, but the notices weren’t always correct.
She stood very straight and tall and hesitated. Teagan wouldn’t want to see her. She’d lost her pride when she told him about her life. What had she been thinking? A hush seemed to settle around her. No birdsong, no chirp and hum of insects. No voices. No one was around. She should turn around and leave…
The door swung inward, and the Kavanagh’s housekeeper stood framed in the opening. “Mrs. Parks,” Dolly greeted. “I saw you walk up
, but I didn’t hear you knock. Well, come on in. I haven’t seen you in a while not since… Well, it’s been a while.”
Gemma walked in. “It’s good to see you too, Dolly.” Gemma had always admired the woman who had practically raised the boys. Dolly had black hair she wore braided. It hung down her back and was as thick as a man’s wrist. She was older and she ruled the house with an iron hand. It was as though she was the conscience of the household. The boys had often looked to her for advice.
“I was just making some tea. Would you care to join me?” Dolly tilted her head slightly, and her smile was welcoming, but not as warm as normal, as though she knew this wasn’t a social call.
“That sounds lovely. Is Teagan available? I need to talk to him.”
Dolly shook her head. “He grumbled about bankers and went to town.”
Gemma’s heart quickened. So, he knew about the sale. She gave a nod. “The tea sounds good if you’re still offering.”
“Of course. Please have a seat, and I’ll be right back.”
Dolly walked to the kitchen, and with each step she took, Gemma lost a bit more of her confidence. Dolly had such poise and manners. Gemma felt like a country hick compared to her. She sat in a comfortable chair facing the lavish stone fireplace that took up half the wall. It was beautiful when lit during a frigid day. At least that was how she remembered it.
Was Teagan chastising the banker for telling her who had bought the land? Did she have any prayer of paying him off? Would he help her? She must have a few stray cattle somewhere, but without a horse to round them up, she couldn’t claim them as collateral against any debt. No, she’d drink her tea as quickly as she could while still being polite and then she was leaving. Coming here was just another bad decision to add to her long list.
Dolly returned with a tray that held the tea and sugar cookies to have with it. Gemma’s mouth watered as she stared at those cookies. Dolly poured a cup of tea and handed it over. “If I remember you like it plain?”
“Yes, thank you.” Gemma waited for Dolly to be seated before she took a sip. It was heavenly. She hadn’t had tea in a while, so she savored each sip. The sugar cookie had extra sugar sprinkled on top. It had been a long while since she’d had sugar.
“Oh, Teagan is back,” Dolly announced as she hopped up and opened the door for him. “You have a visitor.
Teagan glanced at her and didn’t bother to hide his scowl. “Miss. Maguire, please come with me to my office.”
“Mrs. Parks,” Dolly corrected.
Gemma stood. Her face heated. “It’s still Maguire. My husband already had a wife when he married me.” Shamed, she walked to the office, now Teagan’s office. It still looked and smelled the same. Everything was made of leather and there was still a hint of the scent of his father’s pipe tobacco in the air.
Teagan caught up and closed the door. “Please have a seat.”
She remained standing. “Dolly told me you went to see Mr. Lyons?” she pressed. No sense stalling, she decided as she met his gaze.
Teagan took his time getting settled behind the massive wooden desk. “What we have is a bit of a mystery. Mr. Lyons didn’t have any signed papers from a buyer. Interestingly enough, you are not behind on your payments, so I don’t understand why he told you to leave at the end of the month. At first, he pretended to not know what I was talking about. He was lying. He’s still lying, but now he can’t hold anything over you. I took the liberty of paying off your debt, and the house and land are yours.”
“You—what?” Why would he do something like that? And how…? She forced her racing mind to slow down so she could have a civil conversation with him. “I’ll pay you back every cent.” She would just have to figure out how. “I-I can’t even pretend to know what is going on.” She sank down on one of the leather chairs. “I had the land and everything all paid for. It took a lot of going without, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t want anyone to think they could take it after the war. But then… Well, my husband…” She wrung her hands. “I’ll pay you the first of the month.” She stood and turned toward the door.
“Wait! How do you expect to pay me?”
“Well… I must have some cattle… somewhere.”
He gave a curt nod. “You do, currently grazing on my land. How do expect to round them up? You don’t have a horse, do you?”
“Just how many cattle are we talking about? I figured I had a few hiding in a canyon or something.”
He was going to tell her to get off the property. Saying that she had no business running a ranch.
“I’m sorry your first husband didn’t work out,” Teagan said gently. “But you need help. I’ll figure out which of my brothers will marry you.”
The breath left her lungs in a whoosh. “You will what? Listen Mr. Kavanagh, you may be able to tell people on this ranch what to do, but I’m not one of them.” She gave him a hard, angry stare. Arrange for her to marry one of his brothers? How absurd!
“Where do you plan to go?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Yes, it is. All right, I lied. I paid it off, and I hold the note on the property. The only way I’m getting paid back is if you have a husband to rebuild the ranch.”
“You take too much upon yourself. I will never marry again.”
“Is there one brother over another you’d prefer?” He sat back and crossed his arms.
Her heart jumped. The fight went out of her momentarily as she stared into his eyes. Yes, there was, but he’d never believe her. “I won’t subject any of your brothers to a loveless marriage.”
“Is that what you had, a loveless marriage?” His voice turned taunting.
“Yes, if you must know. I settled and I knew it, but I didn’t know just how hard it could be. The man I really loved was always on my mind, and Richard was well aware who that was. He threw it in my face every chance he got. He spent more time at Bobbie’s Saloon than he did at home, and he wasn’t always gambling. People whispered about it every time I was in town.” She heaved a sigh. “But that was my burden to bear. I refuse to marry again. I had my heart torn out once, and I won’t do it again.” She opened the door and walked out of the office.
Just who did he think he was? “You don’t have a horse, do you?” he’d said, as if that would solve all her problems. Well, she had two good feet; she’d drag her cattle back. A soft snarl curled her lip as she thought about her cattle on Kavanagh land. That no-good banker had led her to believe they’d been rustled. She knew the Kavanaghs weren’t thieves. She walked and walked, aware that her shoes were rubbing her feet raw, limping more with each painful step.
The door to the house was off its hinges and on the ground. Had someone been there? Did she dare check inside? She grabbed the axe off the chopping stump and walked to the door then cautiously pushed it open. No one was there. In fact, nothing was there; all her things had been taken, furniture and all. What was going on? She’d had to be strong for so long… And now she not only didn’t have a horse, she had nothing. Great gasping sobs tore through her body.
She sat on the porch and cried.
Continue Reading
Greg
At the loud crack of a rifle shot and the subsequent bullet whizzing by his head, Greg Settler dove for the ground. He’d barely lifted his head when another shot rang out, kicking up the dirt next to him.
Jumping Jehoshaphat! What was going on? He’d finally arrived in California and drove his pickaxe into the ground to stake his claim. Not a minute later he was waiting for death. He’d heard the Goldmines of California were dangerous but he hadn’t imagined anything like the situation he was in now. Afraid to move, he crouched behind a bush, his mind raced for a solution.
“I’ll cover you! Make a run over here!” A voice to his right called out. “Ready? One, two, three, run!!”
Greg had never gotten up and sprinted faster in his life. He dove into the dark cave-like opening in the mountain, gulping for air. “Thank you.”
A
few more shots were exchanged before all was quiet. He glanced around the beginnings of a shaft mine. The front was shored up with lumber and it served as this man’s living quarters too.
The man quickly put out the oil lamp and sat in the dark shadow keeping watch across the stream.
Greg sat up and leaned back against the side of the shaft. “What was that all about?”
The man turned toward Greg. Only he wasn’t a man at all, and Greg’s breath caught with his surprise. Although it was dark, he could make out her features. She was quite pretty with bow-shaped lips and long blond hair. He couldn’t tell the color of her eyes. For some reason, that bothered him.
“It’s simple really, someone wants your claim.” Her voice flowed like honey, and he wondered how he’d ever mistaken her for a man.
“I haven’t even started it.”
“You drove your pickaxe into the soil. You started it all right. I’m just glad I was here to help. My pa went for supplies, and I’m guarding our claim. It wasn’t necessary a month ago, but some color was found a couple claims down and now everyone thinks this place has gold on the ground ripe for picking. They’ll turn this area into another boomtown and bring all its problems with it.”
“I’m Greg Settler from Oregon.” He put out his hand.
She wiped her palm on her pants before accepting his handshake. “I’m Mercy Watkins. You’ll find out soon enough that you can never seem to be mud-free out here.”
Greg smiled. “Been out here long?”
“If it’s not one claim it’s another. My pa has gold fever. We’ve been at it since March of 1849. We make enough to keep us fed.”
He cocked his brow. “It would seem like a female—”
“Don’t say it. I’m a hard worker, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” she said in a defensive tone.
Brogan: Cowboy Pride: The Kavanagh Brothers Book Three Page 11
