Kaitlin's Silver Lining (19 page)

“Rankles still,
doesn’t it?” Kaitlin needled him further.

“What?”

She folded her arms.
“That I wasn’t the son you craved.”

“I have a legacy to
leave, a kingdom here at the Silver Saddle, and no one who wants it.”

“Is that why you sent
all those notes?” Her quiet inquiry sounded like a shout in the stillness of
the room. What notes did she refer to? Was she talking about the ones addressed
from Sarge or the ones meant to drive her from her home? Had her father stooped
low enough to pull such a mean stunt in hopes of forcing her to return to the
Silver Saddle?

“I’m your father. I
have a right to want to see my only daughter.” His gruff voice had gentled, but
her stiff posture indicated her refusal to be seduced by his words.

His only daughter?
Bryce was confused. How had this man heard of Bethany’s death when Kaitlin had
just heard of it herself? No one in Brownwood even knew Bethany’s father still
lived. How did he know Kaitlin was his only living daughter?

“You heard?” Bryce
asked Sarge, puzzled by the subtle undercurrents of tension that branded the
air.

Kaitlin shot him a
pointed look. “As far as Sarge is concerned, Bethany died sixteen years ago.
You’re in for disappointment if you think he’ll grieve now.”

Sarge sank down in
the large, cowhide-covered chair, his expression grim. “Bethany’s dead?”

Kaitlin mimicked his
own actions by pounding his desktop. “Don’t you dare pretend sorrow. Not now.
Not ever.”

The man lifted
wounded eyes and looked at a point beyond Kaitlin. “Will, see them both settled.
Then ride back to the honeymoon cabin and fetch their things. Make it snappy. I
don’t like the idea of this man parading around in his underwear.”

“I’m not staying
here,” Kaitlin replied sternly, her fists clenched at her sides.

“You’re not staying
at that cabin. Have you looked at the weather lately? We’re due for some heavy
snowfall, and that shack isn’t weatherproofed. The window’s busted, and the
roof’s liable to cave in if we have a heavy enough snowfall. I’m surprised it’s
held up this long.”

Kaitlin straightened.
“You used to be able to browbeat me into anything, but not this time.”

“I was never able to
browbeat you. You were the most ornery, stubborn, difficult child there was,
but I’m putting my foot down now. Even your escort will agree with me on this
one.”

They both turned an
expectant gaze on Bryce. Caught between two stallions fighting for the right to
lead, he wasn’t sure how to respond. He hated siding with Sarge if his support
of Katy meant so much to her, but Sarge was right.

After studying both
combatants, he turned toward Will. “Lead the way. Looks like we’ll be needing
guest accommodations after all.”

Twenty Five

Bryce had just
finished slipping on his boots when the door flew open and one of the hands
strolled into the bunkhouse. The man looked weary. A rip in his pants extended
from his thigh to his knee, and dirty trails of sweat ran down his cheeks.
Well-used chaps hadn’t been enough to protect his waist overalls.

Bryce smiled. “Looks
like you must have tangled with a thorny tree branch.”

The man stopped,
obviously surprised to find Bryce there.

“Didn’t know the old
man was hiring anyone new,” the man said cautiously, tossing leather gloves
onto a bunk.

“Just passin’
through. Name’s Bryce Stanton.”

The man nodded and
untied his rawhide chaps. “Bangles Demsy. I’m the foreman here, so I do most of
the hirin’ and firin’. You gave me a bit of a surprise, as the Sarge usually
lets me know when we’re expectin’ company.”

“Actually, I escorted
his daughter here.”

At that, Bangles
snapped his head up, and his hands froze on the buttons of his fly. After the
momentary shock wore off, he finished unbuttoning his torn pants and slipped
them off. He gave his leg a cursory glance, probably searching for damage to
his own hide. An ugly scratch marred his skin, but it must not have bothered
him too much for he reached for another pair of britches. “So, Katy’s back.
That ought to make the Sarge bustin’ with happiness.”

“By your tone, I’d
say you weren’t too happy about it.”

Bangles shrugged and
slipped into fresh clothes. “Don’t care one way or t’other. But, that girl
makes Sarge miserable, and when he’s miserable, the rest of us suffer for it.”

“How so?”

Bangles narrowed his
eyes, obviously trying to discern the validity of Bryce’s interest. “Cuz, she
won’t never let him forget.”

Bryce wanted to ask
more. The man’s answer was rather cryptic, but he could tell by the way Bangles
started strapping on the dirty chaps that the conversation had ended. Bryce
understood. He hadn’t earned the right for such confidences, yet. It was a
cowboy’s code to keep information at a minimum, until the receiving party had
proven their worth.

“You look like you’re
in a hurry,” Bryce commented.

“Big storm coming,
and I’ve got to move a small herd from a low valley area to a more protected
location. I reckon I have a little less than three hours afore that blizzard
blows through.”

“Want some help?”
Bryce offered, actually looking forward to the thought of working cattle again.
A month away from the usual chores had made him soft.

Bangles gave him a
lazy look. “Got any experience?”

“Enough.”

“Grab that extra pair
of chaps hanging by the door. I ain’t got time to give you lessons, so I hope
you know what you’re doin’.”

Bryce grinned. He was
more than confident in his abilities, but it was Bangles’ last statement that
provided the ironic twist. He knew exactly what he was doing. Bryce planned to
ingratiate himself so information about Kaitlin Kanatzer and her father would
be forthcoming from Bangles without hesitation or reservation. If Kaitlin
wouldn’t tell him the particulars of her life, then he’d find out through other
means. He’d already unraveled one mystery. It was time to untangle the rest.

~ *
~

Kaitlin wore her
royal blue dress to dinner. The demure style presented a sophisticated image
that would hopefully impress her father. He needed to understand she was no
longer the little girl who screamed at snakes or cried at monsters hiding
beneath her bed. As a grown woman used to taking care of herself, she wasn’t
going to let Sarge intimidate her.

She descended the
stairs slowly, sore from the horseback ride. With each step, she felt more and
more like a stranger to this house. She’d spent her youth here until Sarge had
sent her to school in the east. Though she’d resided at the Silver Saddle
Ranch, it had never felt like home. Now, she questioned her sanity in returning
to the place that had caused so much pain.

Bryce was right. She
needed to know, needed to find out if her father was vindictive enough to write
those hate letters. Had the old man concocted a plan to lure her back? Did he
think to scare her into returning? Her father possessed a cruel vein, but she’d
always thought of him as straightforward. She couldn’t imagine him doing
something so underhanded.

And James? How did
James fit into the equation? Had he plotted with her father? She shook her
head, her eyes cast upward. She was unwilling to even voice such a thought. The
skin on her fingers tightened, and her stomach clenched with nerves. Her father
was alone in the dining room. She would have to face him without the
distraction of other, more charming company. Bryce would not draw her away from
getting answers this time.

“You look
breathtaking,” Sarge murmured as she swept into the room. “Just like your
mother did at that age.”

“False flattery from
a man who prides himself on being brutally honest?” She hadn’t particularly liked
the comparison to her mother.

“There was nothing
false about the comment, and I imagine your escort will echo my sentiments.”
Sarge inclined his head and gave her a pointed glare.

“Bryce? He abhors
lying, so I doubt he’ll give the same compliment. He has very little to gain by
soothing my ego in such a manner.”

Sarge held out a
chair, inviting her to sit by doing so. “I think you underestimate that man’s
interest in you.”

“I don’t really want
to talk about Bryce if it’s all the same to you.” She perched on the edge of
the seat, unwilling to appear comfortable in his presence. “I want to talk
about you, and why you keep sending those letters.”

Sarge’s brow arched.
He took a seat opposite her and braced his arms on his knees. “I wrote you
several letters in hopes you’d finally see reason and come home where you
belong.”

He was either a good
actor or was unaware of the other notes she’d been receiving. “Using scare
tactics isn’t really your style.”

“What are you talking
about?” he asked. “I admit I’m not very good at voicing my thoughts, but I
don’t recall ever threatening you.”

She was about to give
him an answer when Bryce entered the room, followed by another man. She
immediately recognized Bangles and jumped up to give the foreman a heartfelt
hug.

“Gosh, it’s so good
to see you, Bangles.” She wrapped her arms around the cowboy and squeezed. A
strong odor of sweat, horses and hay wafted from him and she smiled. The scent
reminded her of better times spent here at the ranch.

“Damn, girl. A bear
don’t hug tighter than that,” Bryce replied.

Kaitlin laughed,
undaunted by Bryce’s dry wit. She pulled away from Bangles but kept her arm
around his waist. “You’re right. A bear hug isn’t enough. Anyone who would stay
in Sarge’s employ for as long as Bangles deserves more than a hug. He deserves
a great, big kiss.” At that, she grabbed Bangles’ face before he could back
away and kissed him hard, but quick, on the lips. It was an act Kaitlin would
never have presumed had it not been for Bryce and Sarge. The forwardness of the
action caught her off guard, and she stumbled backwards, not knowing how she
should proceed now she’d done such a wild and precocious thing. To say the
moment was awkward was an understatement.

Bangles turned three
shades of red, one shade she’d never seen before. He was such a shy man, and
she’d succeeded in making him terribly uncomfortable.

“Bangles, forgive me.
I shouldn’t have embarrassed you like that,” she said, contrite over her lack
of manners.

“Shucks, ma’am. I
didn’t mind. I just hope you gave Sarge here the same kind of warm welcome.
He’s been mighty lonesome for your company.”

She smiled, loving
Bangles all the more for trying to smooth over the tense moment.

“I get the impression
that little display was especially for our benefit, Sarge.” Bryce took her
elbow in a warning grip. “Nothin’ like rubbin’ salt in an old wound by givin’
to someone else what another most hankers for.”

Did he mean himself
or Sarge? She wanted to pull free from his grasp but dared not create more of a
scene than she already had.

Instead, she smiled
brightly at Bryce. “I apologize for showing exuberance in seeing an old friend
again. Bangles was always there whenever I needed him.” She shifted her gaze
toward the man and smiled softly at him. He’d understood her when her father
hadn’t. Whenever Bethany had taunted her cruelly, he’d given her a sympathetic
ear. He’d provided solace when she’d cried her heart out over James’s
duplicity. He was the one who told her about her mother, and how she’d abandoned
them all. She would never hurt Bangles intentionally, and could only attribute
her lack of judgment to her need to hurt Sarge. As always, Bryce had put things
into perspective. She would have liked it better had his words been less
colorful, though.

“You boys ready for
some vittles?” Sarge asked, changing the subject quite nicely.

“Hungrier than a
grizzly comin’ out of hibernation,” Bryce exclaimed. “But I reckon we both need
to freshen up some. Movin’ that herd was harder than I figured. A month of lazin’
around made me soft.”

“Don’t let him kid
you, Sarge.” Bangles put a hand on Bryce’s shoulder. “This man knew what he was
about out there. I couldn’t have done it without his help.”

“I appreciate the way
you chipped in and lent a hand. We don’t stand on ceremony around here. A man
works hard, so I figure he deserves to come to the table as he is. ’Sides, it’s
been just Bangles and me for so long, we don’t worry much over our manners.”
Sarge led them to the table that had been laden with an assortment of dishes. A
heavenly aroma wafted from a plate of beef enchiladas swimming in gravy, a
heaping bowl of mashed potatoes, homemade tortillas, and refried beans. The
cook, a large Hispanic woman called Vena, had outdone herself. Vaguely, Kaitlin
wondered what had happened to the old cook, but she refrained from asking. She
didn’t want to appear too interested in Sarge’s current circumstances.

“I enjoyed the
activity today. Guess I’m a bit homesick for the Double S,” Bryce commented.

The four of them sat
down. Sarge led grace while the rest of them bowed their heads. Silently,
Kaitlin asked for patience. Being in her father’s presence always set her on
edge. Their relationship was often as hot as the enchiladas Vena served. When
the blessing was said, everyone filled their plates. Kaitlin served herself a
dainty helping of each dish, while each man in turn heaped piles of food on
their plates.

“So, Bryce, tell us
about your own encounters working the range. You’re obviously experienced.”
Sarge pointed a fork his direction before diving into his food.

“Yes, sir. I’ve been
a cowboy all my life. My father owns the Double S down in Brownwood, Texas. We
run about nine hundred at any given time.”

“Ever thought about
branching off and starting your own ranch?” Sarge asked, and Kaitlin could just
imagine where this conversation was headed.

“Well now. I do own
my own spread. It just happens to border the Double S. Until I can get fully
established, my brothers and I continue to work both outfits together.”

“You never told me
that,” Kaitlin said and immediately clamped her mouth shut. Her accusation
hinted at an interest in his affairs. She didn’t need her father getting any
ideas about the two of them. For that matter, she didn’t need Bryce getting any
ideas about the two of them. Since that kiss, she figured he already had enough
ideas as it was, and while she found Bryce’s company more stimulating than
most, she just wasn’t ready for a commitment.

“You never asked,”
Bryce said, smiling around a mouthful of refried beans. The conversation
continued as Bryce recounted several amusing tales of him and his brothers.
When the topic was spent, there was a brief lull before Sarge started a new
avenue for discussion.

“Well, I can’t thank
you enough for bringing my daughter home. I don’t know how you accomplished it,
cuz I’ve been trying for the past two years, but I’m grateful, nonetheless,”
Sarge declared, his voice unusually thick with emotion.

Bryce laid down his
utensils, placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. “The
letters. If not for the mystery of the letters, she wouldn’t have followed me
here.”

“What mystery? I
wrote my daughter several letters. I don’t see any crime in that.”

“You didn’t send a
few extra that didn’t have your name attached?” Kaitlin snapped, unable to keep
silent any longer.

Sarge shook a fork at
his daughter. “That’s the second time you’ve alluded to something wrong with
the mail I sent you. Spell it out, girl. I feel like I’m on trial, and I
haven’t a darn notion what the charges might be.”

Kaitlin wouldn’t
answer him verbally. She let her gaze bore into his with intense mistrust.

Bryce reached over
and put his hand on top of hers. “Don’t seem right, this anger you have stored
up inside for your father, Katy. For what it’s worth, I don’t think he sent
those other notes.”