Denver (45 page)

“Hey!” Michael began to sing, and Brian fell in beside him, both weaving and bellowing. “Hey, friends, have you seen where Dan Castle went?” Michael called, narrowing the distance between them.

“He went back that way!”

“Do you know which saloon? We need to pay him.”

“Look at the Lazy Dog.”

“Get away from the wagon.”

Brian was singing, walking around to one side, while Michael moved closer to the man on the other. “Mister, you want to know what we won tonight?” He swayed and laughed and slapped his knees and jingled money in his pockets. “You want to see? We won thousands! Hit the mother lode tonight! Hit it right there in the Missouri House! Couldn’t believe my luck.”

“You won thousands?” the driver asked, interest flaring in his voice as he lowered the reins.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Maybe not. You want to show me?”

“Yeah, look here.” Michael tossed a fistful of coins in the air. As the man looked up, Michael yelled and grabbed him, yanking him down. A gun blasted the air and Michael hit the man’s hand against the wagon, doubling his fist and slamming it into the man’s jaw. His head snapped around and he sank to the ground without moving.

“Brian?”

“I’m okay. Can’t say the same for the other fellow. What about Dan?”

Both of them climbed into the wagon to look down at Dan tied and gagged.

“Hey, look at old Dan. Now, this lends itself to possibilities,” Brian said. “I mean, he has whipped my tail badly a few times in the past.”

“Shut up and cut him loose. He’s not in the mood for fun.” Brian slashed the rope that held Dan, and
they pulled him to his feet while Brian neatly cut away the gag.

“Thanks, boys. I hoped you’d get my message.”

“Bounty hunters?”

“Yes. Now, what do we do with them?”

“I’d say we wake ’em up and tell them how it isn’t healthy to stay in Denver,” Michael answered. “You go home, Dan. Brian and I will take care of this task. We’ll convince them. You won’t have to watch over your shoulder for them, I promise you.”

“Don’t get yourselves in trouble over it,” Dan said gruffly. He clamped both of them on the shoulder. “Thank you. I was going to wait until tomorrow to do this, but tomorrows have a way of changing on you. I need to find Paddy. Have you boys seen him?”

“He’s home in bed.”

“Is that right? Well, I have to pay a visit to your father.”

“Anything special?” Michael asked, tilting his head to one side.

Dan grinned, worries falling away for a moment. “Yeah, something special. I want to ask for your sister’s hand.”

“Son of a bitch. You’ll be family!” Brian said.

“That’s right. Let me ask Paddy before you tell him, okay?”

“Sure. That’s good news, Dan,” Michael said, pumping his hand.

Brian offered his hand. “I’m glad. I’m damned glad.”

They climbed down, and Dan wondered if the two bounty hunters were alive, but he decided to leave them alone and let the O’Malleys handle the problem.

Michael picked up his coins. “Men like that can’t resist money. Go on home, Dan. They won’t bother you again, I promise.”

“Don’t get yourselves in trouble.”

Dan left, his happiness now clouded with more than one worry. He went back for his horse, mounting up to ride home, wondering how the bounty hunters had found him. They had known exactly who he was, and
he hadn’t noticed anyone trailing after him during the past days. He mulled it over and thought about Silas. Dan hoped he came before the wedding. Nothing was really going to make it easy to tell Silas.

The next morning, along with Faucheux, Dan went to Mary’s early, when he knew she would be alone in the kitchen. When she came to the door, he motioned Faucheux to go ahead.

“Bonjour, mademoiselle,”
he said. “I’m happy for you!” He raised her hand to his lips to brush her knuckles with a kiss. With a sigh he hurried past her into the kitchen.

While Mary arched her brows in question at Dan, he swept her up in his arms to kiss her, crushing her to him.

Mary held him, her heart pounding with joy. He set her on her feet. “I brought my carriage and I brought Faucheux. Dulcie hired a new cook, and Faucheux is going to take over here,” Dan said, untying her apron and taking a spoon out of her hand, “and you’re going for a carriage ride with me. Grizzly is driving us.”

“That’s why he’s so happy!” she exclaimed in a whisper, rolling her eyes in Faucheux’s direction. “He’s getting my kitchen all to himself.”

With a grin Dan took her hand and they hurried to his carriage. As Grizzly started down the street, Dan pulled down the leather flaps, giving Mary and him complete privacy. In seconds she sat on his lap while he kissed her passionately. Then she pushed away a fraction. “Are you sure Grizzly won’t stop?”

“Absolutely,” Dan said, watching her. “When we get married, I wish you’d leave your hair down.”

“You can have whatever you want,” she drawled languorously, closing her eyes and leaning close. He kissed her, and in minutes his hand slipped beneath her skirts, caressing her thigh, stirring longings that were new, more intense than any she had known before their night of lovemaking. She loved him with all her being, and wanted him badly. She envisioned Dan’s golden body, remembering ecstasy, wanting him. She
trailed her hand over him, working the buttons loose on his denim pants to free him from restraint.

She touched him, and he groaned, closing his eyes to kiss her. In minutes he pulled her over him, settling her down as they moved together wildly. Rapture burst in her. Both gasped and cried out. She leaned against him, spent, perspiration beading her brow while she turned to give him a mischievous look.

“Damn, you’re a lusty wench!” he said with amazement, stroking her bare legs, kissing her long and hard. She moved away from him and straightened her clothing while he tucked his shirt in and buttoned his pants. “I won’t be fit to get out of this carriage.”

“Are you complaining?”

Pausing, he pulled her beside him, his fingers biting into her flesh, he held her so tightly. “No, I’m not complaining. I’m thinking I have a woman who is even more exciting than I ever dreamed.”

Her eyes sparkled at his words, and Dan pulled her to him to kiss her.

After a moment he leaned back. “Mary—”

“I know that tone. It means trouble.”

“Yes. I heard a rumor that Silas hit it big.”

She studied him and thought it over. “Then he’ll be coming home.”

“Thinking he’ll marry you.”

“That’s all settled, Dan. I want you to promise me you’ll let me be there when you tell him.”

“I may not be able to keep that promise. He might not give me a chance.”

“I should talk to him and you should talk to him.”

Dan nodded. “There’s something else.”

She felt as if a cold wind had assailed her, because she could see from the worried expression on his face that it was serious.

“What is it?”

“Last night I was jumped by bounty hunters. Fortunately, your brothers freed me and ran them out of town.”

“Oh, Dan,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. The look in his eyes frightened her.

“I want to go back and give myself up and stand trial.”

“No!” Terror such as she had never known gripped her. She had grown up on a frontier and she knew the unfairness of some of the rulings, the rough and violent justice meted out. “You don’t have to, and they could hang you! No!”

“Now, listen,” he said gently, extracting her arms from around his neck. “I don’t want to go through life with this hanging over me. I have a brother who is a fine lawyer. My father is established in the community now, and the Craddocks, the family who wanted to hang me and who caused all the trouble, aren’t as powerful now. I think I can be vindicated and I want to try.”

She couldn’t keep back a sudden gush of tears. She had gone through hundreds of calamities, yet she couldn’t cope with Dan’s news without crying. It shamed her, but she was terrified by what he wanted to do. “No! Please! I couldn’t bear to lose you. I couldn’t bear it!”

“Shh.” His arms tightened and he held her close against him. “Look, if we have children, would you want something like last night to happen? Next time, your brothers might not be around to save me. If they hadn’t come along, I’d be on my way to New Mexico to stand trial without Luke and without your knowing what had happened to me. The reward is for me dead or alive, Mary. They might have shot me as soon as we were out of town.”

She wouldn’t answer, burying her head against him, clinging to him tightly.

“Honey, I have to go back,” he said gently. “I just have to.”

She knew he was right when she faced the situation logically, but in her heart she didn’t want him to give himself up. She raised her head, framing his face with her hands. “You have to let me go with you. We’ll do it after we’re married. We can wait that long. I want that, Dan.”

He nodded. “If you’re sure that’s the way you want it.”

“I’m sure.” She felt tears coming again and buried her face against his chest. “I love you. You can’t imagine how much I love you!”

He held her tightly. “I promise you, Luke will get me off.”

“If he doesn’t, Michael and I will get you out of jail if we have to turn outlaw to do it!”

He laughed, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “I believe you, Mary Katherine. I believe you without the slightest doubt!”

He pulled her to him to kiss her until they felt the carriage halt. “Our ride is over,” he said in a husky voice, gazing at her with a scalding look. “I told Grizzly what time we had to be back. Hon, I don’t think I can come in for breakfast right now. I’ll go home and be back shortly.”

She laughed, looking down at his denim trousers which bore signs of their lovemaking. Her eyes sparkled, and he squeezed her. “It was fun.”

She climbed out and hurried inside and he rode back home. When Dan returned to the O’Malleys’ he was astride his horse. He dismounted and knocked at the front door. When Mary opened it, she moved into his open arms to hug him.

“Where’s Paddy?”

“He’s in the parlor. I told him you wanted to see him.”

“Run along and leave us alone,” Dan said, giving her a hug. He rapped on the open door. “Good morning, sir.”

“ ’Morning, Dan. Come in.” Paddy was whittling, and Dan watched him work, the short stubby fingers holding the knife with certainty.

Dan closed the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted by the boys. “Sir, I want to talk to you about a serious matter.”

“Talk away, my boy.”

Dan wanted Paddy’s full attention, but saw he wasn’t
going to get it yet. “I’d like to marry your daughter. I love Mary and I’ll take good care of her.”

Paddy stared at Dan. “You want to marry her? Does Mary want this?”

“Yes, sir. You can talk to her. I wanted to wait until Silas returns, but she said she doesn’t love Silas and she never will.”

“I declare.” Paddy put down the figure he was whittling. “My boy, you have my permission, and we’ll just drink to the occasion.” Paddy crossed the room to pump Dan’s hand vigorously and clasp him on the shoulder. “I’ll get the family and we’ll celebrate. Glad to count you one of us. Yes, sir. Know you’ll make my little girl happy.”

“I intend to try,” Dan said, breaking out in a grin. He recalled the afternoon he had asked for Louisa’s hand and the stiff and cool reception he had received. Paddy went to the door and whistled. In minutes Michael and Brian came down the stairs.

Paddy poured four glasses of whiskey. “Boys, we have cause to celebrate. Our family is going to get larger. Dan wants to wed Mary.”

They shook hands as if they were hearing the news for the first time, and they all drank to the occasion. “We need to tell Faucheux!” Brian said, disappearing into the hall in spite of Dan’s assurance that the Frenchman already knew. In seconds the two returned and Paddy poured another round of whiskey for more toasts. Each proposed a toast, until Mary heard their voices and came across the hall. She paused in the doorway. “Pa! It’s before breakfast!”

“We’re having a toast, Mary, love,” he said happily while Dan crossed the room to her. When she looked into his eyes, her consternation vanished.

He draped his arm around her, and she smiled up at him. She felt a bond with him that separated her from everyone else in the world and tied her to Dan. She felt as if he were part of her all the time, her heart one with his. She couldn’t bear to think about going to New Mexico, but she knew he was right. And for now she wouldn’t think about it.

She drank a toast with them, and shooed Dan and the boys to the dining room for breakfast, leaving Paddy to his carving while Faucheux hurried back to the kitchen.

Dan kissed Mary good-bye and left for work, deciding to stop at the bank on his way. He strode into the lobby. Charles Shumacher stood only a few feet from the door talking to Reuben, whose back was to Dan.

“Good morning,” Charles said. Reuben turned, and when he saw Dan, all color drained from his face. As his hand went beneath his coat, Dan instantly realized he was carrying a weapon and that he felt threatened. And Dan knew who had given the information to the bounty hunters. Rage flooded him that Reuben would go to such lengths, but as swiftly as the anger had come, it vanished. Dan shook hands with both men. “Good morning.”

“I suppose you’ll hear it soon enough,” Charles Shumacher said. “Reuben and Louisa are engaged.”

“Congratulations,” Dan said. “I’m sure you’ll be happy.”

“Thank you,” Reuben said stiffly, studying Dan.

“I came to deposit some money, Mr. Shumacher,” Dan said, moving on past them. He deposited his winnings from several nights’ poker games and left. Outside he heard his name called, and turned to see Reuben following him.

“I suppose you’re angry over Louisa.”

“No. I said congratulations and I meant it.”

Reuben looked puzzled, staring at Dan intently.

“And don’t send someone after me again,” Dan said softly. “Next time, you might regret it badly.” He strode away without looking back.

Each day seemed to pass in a flurry of activity. As they watched the arrival of the first train into Denver, Dan squeezed Mary’s waist, and eagerness filled him, because he knew this meant a boom for the town. Mary was busy getting things ready for the wedding, sewing her dress. Dan worked diligently to get as much built as possible before the wedding. And he had something
else he needed to do. He stopped to see Mary one Thursday morning in the last week of June. After breakfast, when he told her good-bye, he kissed her long and hard. As he straightened up, he became solemn. “Honey, I know what we said, and after this one time, it won’t ever come up again, but I want to see Dulcie sometime today. I have to get some things from her, and I owe it to her to say good-bye.”