Bartered Bride Romance Collection (67 page)

The door to the main house burst open. A small figure in a brown hat came tumbling out and ran toward Thomas.

“Father says,” Anna announced regally, “not to even think about climbing on Zeus’s back. He says he has his gun, and he’ll shoot you in the leg.”

Thomas glanced at the house. He could see both Tien-Lu and Trieu staring at him from the window.

“Tell them I won’t do anything foolish.” Thomas plucked the hat from Anna’s head. “Bertie said to wear this when you’re doing homework. Why are you wearing it now?”

“I want to wear what Miss Roberta gave to me.”

Roberta.

Thomas glanced at Zeus and plopped the hat back on Anna’s head. “Go tell your family that I’ll not be doing any riding today.”

Roberta.

It was all her fault. It began the moment he climbed off the train, encountered Miss Craig, and stuttered in front of Josiah. He half blamed Bertie for the ease of Susan’s entrance to his ranch. And, if Thomas were honest, part of the reason he’d not caught those responsible for stealing and destroying his property was because he spent more time thinking about and worrying about Bertie than he did thinking about and worrying about his ranch.

The only thing he couldn’t blame on Bertie was the bank activities and his father’s arrival. Zeus snorted one last time and pranced over to where Thomas stood. The horse cocked his head as if confused. Thomas stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the beast on the nose, but the horse backed up.

No
, Thomas thought,
nothing has gone as planned from the moment I stepped into Lickwind
.

But he’d never been happier, and it all had to do with the presence of Miss Bertie Craig.

What was it Donald had said? The Craig girls had a reputation for setting their sights on a man and turning his life upside-down until he married her.

Married?

Chapter 8

T
homas had been feeling some camaraderie with Frank Llewellyn as they tried to figure out who was depositing money into his account, but he didn’t expect that the banker felt the same. Monday morning dawned without interruption; and before Thomas could down his first cup of coffee, he saw the banker arriving at the ranch. Most bankers didn’t make house calls, so Thomas figured something important had spurred the man into riding the hour plus it took to get to the Two Horse Ranch. They sat on Thomas’s front porch. Tien-Lu poured coffee, and Frank shared the conversation that had taken place back in town at the restaurant. Thomas had heard it already from both Rex and Davey. “I believe in your father’s innocence,” Frank said.

“Why? Because he’s claiming to be a Christian or because he’s now a sheriff?”

Frank took a deep breath. “Those are both sound reasons, but it’s these money transactions. The money your father was given sounds close to what the cattle would have brought at market. Whoever is doing this to you did somewhat the same to him. It has to be an original settler. That narrows it down considerably. The Collingswoods, Kincaid, or Albert Smit.”

His father had been given money? None of this made sense, not even the banker’s interest. “Why are you so interested?”

“Funny how things work out.” Frank fiddled with the top button of his coat. “When them Craig girls first arrived, I agreed with the Collingswood brothers. Lickwind was no place for women. But I admit I was wrong. Them women have turned the place into more than a mud street and a few lost souls. The whole town acts like a community now.”

“What’s on your mind, Llewellyn?”

“When you came to town, I was back East visiting my sister. She’s sick. I went home, put things in order, and returned here.”

“And?”

“I recently received a telegram. My sister’s dying. I can either bring her three children here or I can go there.”

“You’re going there?”

“Yes. Watching the way those Craig girls stay together has made me realize that I’m all my nieces and nephews have. I’m putting my family first.”

Thomas took a sip of coffee and waited.

“I’m thinking about asking Miss Regina to marry me. She’s been taking care of me at the restaurant, always makes sure my coffee cup is full. And now that she’s my housekeeper, I can see the riches having a woman’s touch brings to a home. Lately I’ve been looking forward to seeing her smile. Plus, the way she always looks out for Walter, no matter the sacrifice, makes me think yesterday morning’s service about forgiveness is truer than I ever imagined. If Miss Regina will have me, I’ll take her away from here. Start a bank in my hometown and give us all a fresh start.”

There was that word again:
forgiveness
. He kept hearing it from Scotty, and last week the preacher in town seemed quite taken with the notion of forgiveness. Thomas needed more time. He’d never admired men who made decisions without thinking them through.

“The way I figure it,” Frank continued, “there are only two men in Lickwind who have enough money to purchase the bank.”

“Me and Josiah Temple?” Thomas guessed.

“I’m not counting Josiah.”

“Then who else?”

“Albert Smit.”

“Smit has money? Now that’s a surprise,” Thomas could not help but muse aloud.

Frank agreed. “He doesn’t look or act like he has much, but what that man can do with numbers is amazing. He knows when to sell and when to hold off. He’s had money in the bank since it opened. Unfortunately, he’s barely literate. Owning a bank wouldn’t appeal to him in the least.”

“You’re friends with Josiah. He’d probably love to own the bank, so why are you sharing this news with me?”

“I’ve built that bank up from nothing. I’m proud of it. For a town with only one street, we have a bank to equal Philadelphia’s. I don’t want Josiah near it.” Frank leaned forward. “The man owns Margaret’s bordello, and it’s about to go out of business. He’ll run the bank into the ground for his own gain. And,” Frank admitted, “truth is, Josiah has very little money. Right now he’s land rich and money poor. But he’d find a way to purchase the bank, be it honest or not.”

So Josiah owned the bordello. Thomas supposed he should be shocked, but he wasn’t. “Fact is, as you well know, you can’t stop Josiah from buying it if he can get the money. Law says you have to publicly announce that it’s for sale.”

“That’s true, but—”

A horse and rider came over a nearby crest. Frank squinted, trying to make out the identity. Thomas stood. Donald Potter rode into view.

He reined in his horse, slid off in one fluid motion, and said, “I need to speak with you, Thomas.”

“Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Llewellyn.”

Donald didn’t look inclined but went ahead. “You’ve got trouble, Thomas. Looks like the rustling problem has returned along with your father.” It didn’t take long to set up a town meeting in Lickwind, especially when the price of cattle, the state of cattle, or the disappearance of cattle was in question. The town’s leaders, except for Josiah Temple, wound up at the Back Porch. Bess, with a I’m-not-in-the-mood-for-nonsense look, told Bertie to stop making moon eyes at Thomas and to start peeling potatoes. All Bertie wanted to do was listen to the men like Bess got to. Distracted, she sliced her finger with the paring knife.

“Oh, Grandmother’s bloomers.” She stuck the offending digit in her mouth and looked around the kitchen, finally grabbing a clean dish towel and blotting at the blood.

Bess came back, more than a little annoyed. “They’re done for tonight.”

“I need to know. Is Thomas in trouble? Did his father do something? What’s going on?”

“All I know is that some folks out near Cheyenne are missing cattle. Thomas is getting the blame, and now that his father’s here, it’s not looking good.” Bertie stood. “Thomas has nothing to do with that.”

“I believe that. Oh, Bertie, whatever you’re up to, I can’t help but think it won’t work. Thomas Hardin is not a churchgoing man. In all good conscience, I cannot permit you to consort with him.”

Bertie moved the potatoes from the table into a pan of water. “I love him.”

“You’re too young to know about love.”

“I’m the same age as Adele was when she married Ellis, and I’m the same age Corrie was when she married Brian.”

“Adele was born old, and Corrie was born to be a wife and mother. Besides, Thomas Hardin is not a marrying sort of man.”

Bertie closed her eyes, the urge to pray strong. “Bess, you know what this conversation reminds me of?”

“I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“It reminds me of how you felt when you realized you were falling in love with Gideon. You had the same doubts about his character, about his walk with the Lord. But somehow you knew the true man—just the way I know my Thomas.”

Bess’s lips puckered, and tears shimmered in her eyes.

“I love him,” Bertie repeated.

Bess stood still, so still that only the rise and fall of her chest proved life. “This is my fault. I should have curbed your actions. It’s just,” her voice broke, “you remind me so much of Papa, always dreaming, always moving, always so full of energy. I thought I was doing right by you.”

“You did do right by me.”

It didn’t matter. Bess was sitting in a chair with her head in her hands. Bertie started to go to her, but Bess held up a hand. After a moment, Bertie quietly slipped out the back door.

The full moon did a good imitation of a lantern as Bertie walked the few feet to Gideon and Bess’s home. She let herself in the front door and headed for her room. How silly and young she’d been this morning.

She hung the green dress Matty had sewn for her on a peg and put on her nightgown. Huddled in bed, her stomach and mind flip-flopped with reaction to the day’s events.

She loved Thomas Hardin.

She had to tell him.

Chapter 9

T
homas Hardin!” The cry, actually loud voices blended into one, sounded too close. Thomas let go of the post he was holding and stared at two frowning Collingswood brothers and one visibly irate Gideon Riker. “Where’s Bertie?” Gideon demanded.

Thomas walked to meet the men, giving a backward look at a barn that should have been finished long ago. He was missing about fifteen head of cattle and in no mood to hear about how he wasn’t good enough for Roberta Suzanne Craig.

“She’s at home with you,” he growled.

“No, she left early this morning!”

Luke rubbed a hand across his face, worry lines running deep. “Bess thought you’d eloped.”

“What!” Just when Thomas thought nothing else could surprise him, Bertie managed something.

“Bertie definitely insists that she’s in love,” Gideon said slowly. “Bess caught on yesterday that it wasn’t just Bertie making moon eyes.” His eyes narrowed. “I agree.”

“W–we haven’t t–talked m–marriage.” Thomas’s throat was closing again. Cattle were missing, his father was nearby, and now Bertie was nowhere to be found. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all.

“Which way do we head now?” Luke asked.

Soon every man from both the Two Horse and the Rough Cs was out looking for Bertie.

Bertie stood behind a cottonwood tree and watched as Josiah Temple and the outlaw moved Thomas’s cattle south. She finally recognized the other man. Not an outlaw really, but he’d scared her and Bess a few months ago when he shot up the town after the railroad drove the last stake in.