Kaitlin's Silver Lining (21 page)

He ignored her
warning.

“That’s when I
decided to come to Oresonville for answers. At the time, all I had was a
description. I didn’t know it was James who’d paid that kid until I saw the
pinky ring.”

“So, all you need to
do is find James and confront him,” Bangles suggested.

“Can’t,” came Bryce’s
stilted reply.

Kaitlin knew
immediately where this was going. She leaned forward and caught Bryce by the
arm. “Don’t, Bryce.”

“Bryce?” Sarge urged
him to continue.

Bryce wouldn’t look
at her.

“Bryce, please. He
doesn’t have to know,” she whispered.

“Know what? Will someone
tell me what you two are yammerin’ about?” Sarge was getting edgy.

“I’ll never forgive
you,” she hissed.

Bryce finally looked
her in the eye with a sympathetic gaze. “This is somethin’ that doesn’t need to
remain secret. Your father should know.”

“No.”

He turned his
attention away from her. “James Latham is dead, sir.”

“Dead?” Sarge and
Bangles both sat up straighter in their chairs.

Kaitlin stood up,
clenching and unclenching her hands. He had no right. No right whatsoever. Now
her father would never let her out of his sight. He was going to suffocate her
with some misguided urge to be a doting and protective parent, to dominate her
with good intentions. And Bryce? She might never trust him again. Why couldn’t
he stay out of her business?

The coming blizzard
seemed more welcome than having her father know just how rotten James Latham
had become. Having Sarge realize James’s desire to see her dead made Kaitlin
feel all the more unworthy as a woman. “You just can’t leave well enough alone,
can you?” She turned on her heel and started to exit but not before hearing
Bryce’s next statement.

Bryce’s gaze bore
into her back. “I shot James Latham while he tried to kill your daughter.”

Twenty
Six

Kaitlin sat before
the window and gazed at the blanket of white covering the ground. To Bryce she
looked dejected, not at all the high-spirited woman who’d greeted him at the
door a month ago. The weather could be blamed for part of her melancholy.

The storm bombarded
them an hour after he’d told Sarge of the attempted murder. Sarge demanded that
she return to the dining room where he grilled her for every sordid detail.
Bryce could see why Kaitlin and Sarge butted heads on a regular basis.
Opinionated, neither was willing to give an inch. Sarge wanted information
Kaitlin didn’t even know, and Kaitlin refused to give Sarge all the facts she
did know. Bryce had been caught somewhere in the middle. Kaitlin’s glare made
him feel like he betrayed her each time he filled in the gaps for Sarge.

It was odd viewing
Kaitlin’s relationship with her father as an outsider. Objectively, Kaitlin and
her father were both wrong, yet—they were both right. If they would just temper
their emotions with less passion, they could communicate better. Their heated
discussions reminded Bryce of his own relationship with his brother William.
Next time he and William butted heads, he would remember this moment with
Kaitlin and Sarge.

“Are you going to
just keep staring at me?” Kaitlin turned her head and pinned him with a
disgruntled glare.

“Just trying to gauge
how angry you are at me.” Bryce shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets.
He’d abused her trust in him when he failed to honor her wishes. But damn it
all, Sarge had a right to know. If nothing else, telling Sarge gave Bryce
another avenue for information and another sounding board for figuring out the
truth.

She turned away to
look at the snowdrifts. The wind and snow had intensified, rattling the
windowpanes.

“That mad, huh? Well,
can’t say I enjoy the silent treatment. I ain’t—I have never seen you at a loss
of words before.”

“There isn’t a whole
lot left to say. I came to confront a few ghosts, but thanks to you the whole
graveyard is gathering for a party.”

“Your father needed
to know what kind of danger you’re in.” He’d be damned if he’d feel guilty for
doing what was right.

“I would have told
him in my own time.”

“Is that before you
meet your ghosts here on earth or after you would have joined them six feet
under?” He yanked his hands from his pockets, thinking he could throttle her
for being so obstinate.

“I think you enjoy
the idea of my difficulties, so you can play protector of the innocent.
Whatever danger I might have been in died when you shot James.” She wrapped her
arms across her chest. “The way I figure it, we may never know why he wanted me
dead. Either way, it’s over.”

“You might be willing
to see it that way, but I’m not.”

Kaitlin touched the
misted glass with her palm. “It’s cold.”

He knew she referred
to more than just the outer temperatures. He, too, felt the frigid mood between
them.

“How long do you plan
to stay at the Silver Saddle?” Bryce asked.

“It’ll be days before
the temperatures warm enough for us to travel. I also wouldn’t mind taking a
little time to look over my property. You’re more than welcome to head on back
without me, though.” She glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Nice try, but where
you go, I go.”

“Fine, but try to
stay out of my way. Okay?” She lifted one brow.

“Whoowee, I think the
temperature just dropped another ten degrees.” He shook his head, wondering why
he kept pushing. She obviously didn’t want him around, yet he couldn’t seem to
leave. She needed him whether she thought so or not. “You know just how to
freeze a man where he stands, Katy.”

“Just don’t melt into
a puddle at my feet,” she replied with her usual sarcasm.

“Only if you promise
not to heat my blood with those calf eyes of yours.” He tried to pick a tone
purely meant for seduction. He smiled when he was rewarded with her tempered
reaction.

She faced him fully
now, hands on hips. “Calf eyes? What kind of lame compliment is that? You have
this thing for comparing me to animals, Mr. Stanton, that doesn’t set quite
right.”

Bryce laughed. The
incredulous look on her face was priceless. She sure was fun to pick on.
“There’s nothing more endearin’ than a calf who looks at you balefully, like
you’re its best friend. He trusts you to feed him, care for him when he’s sick,
and rescue him when he strays too far. You have a way of lookin’ at me in just
such a manner sometimes.”

She pointed her index
finger at him. “Let’s get a few things straight. I do not need taking care of.
I never have and I never will. When this storm clears, I want you to go on back
to Denver. I...I need time to sort through some things. I’ll join you later.”

“You’re right. You
don’t need takin’ care of. You’re quite capable, and I admire you for it. Take
all the time you need. When the storm lets up enough to see where I’m goin’,
I’ll move back out to the bunkhouse, but I’m not goin’ back to Denver without
you.”

She let out a big
sigh. “This is all about that kiss. I knew it. That kiss didn’t mean anything,
you know. It was just an experiment, a need to feel something other than pain.”

“I hear tell
experiments should consist of many case studies before a final conclusion can
be drawn.” He took a step closer. “Care to experiment a little more?”

“I should never have
let you stay in those hotel rooms with me. Three nights together has given you
ideas you don’t need to have. I can see now I should have put my foot down and
demanded you find your own room.”

“I believe you did
stomp around a bit, but you had little choice once my mind was made up.
Besides, you didn’t argue a whole lot when I slept beside you that first
night.” He continued to advance on her while she tried to hold her position.
“And I was quite noble in sleepin’ on the floor the other two nights.”

“The fact I didn’t
protest is of little consequence. You caught me in a vulnerable moment.”

“But, I never took
advantage.”

“No...No, you didn’t
take advantage.”

“But, I’m goin’ to
take advantage now,” he murmured as he closed the gap between them.

He stood with just a
feather space between them, not touching, but close enough to feel her breath.
Close enough to see the movement of her shirt as her heart beat erratically. He
bent his head. She leaned away. He smiled, enjoying her reticence. He moved his
face toward hers until his lips hovered over hers without yet touching.

“Darn blizzard has me
claustrophobic already. I never could abide being forced inside,” Sarge
grumbled as he rounded the corner.

Bryce couldn’t help
the bubble of laughter as Kaitlin quickly skidded away from him. He held his
position even with Sarge’s untimely interruption. Kaitlin needed to know
exactly who was in control here.

“Well, don’t expect
me to entertain you,” Kaitlin snapped. “I’m sure the two of you can find things
to amuse you both. I’m going back to my room to read.”

Bryce followed her
departure with his gaze, unmindful of Sarge’s presence. Once she was gone, he
focused his attention on Sarge. The old coot had a smile that could light an
entire campsite. Bryce chuckled. Sarge knew exactly what he’d interrupted, and
he was likely enjoying Bryce’s discomfort.

“I know that look. I
had it once myself when Kaitlin’s mother was still around. I have no problem
with you courting my girl, but I’ll tell you this once and only once. If you
hurt her, I’ll make you wish you’d never heard of the Silver Saddle Ranch and
Sarge Kanatzer. Katy’s gone through enough heartache. If you plan to play, you
better play for keeps.”

“Spoken like a man
who truly loves his daughter. Maybe if you told her just exactly how you feel,
you and she might begin mendin’ your relationship.”

“Just remember what I
said,” Sarge said. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a pipe. From
another pocket, he produced a small package of tobacco. With fluid execution,
Sarge filled the pipe, tamped it down, and lit the aromatic indulgence.

“You have nothin’ to
worry about from me. I only want the best for Kaitlin. She’s quite a woman.”

“Yes, she is.” He
drew on the pipe, sucking in a lungful of smoke and letting it out slowly. “Now
that we’re alone, tell me exactly what’s been going on. I feel like Kaitlin’s
keeping important information from me. How much danger is she really in?”

Bryce pondered the
question. He wasn’t sure himself. There were some things that didn’t add up,
didn’t make sense. The key to solving the mystery was just within his grasp.

“Quite frankly, I
don’t know. I could sure use your help to figure out a few things. For
instance, the big question is, why would James want her dead? What would he
have gained from her death? That question kept me awake last night until I realized
I was lookin’ at things all wrong. I need to break it down into smaller
components.”

“All right. I’ll do
whatever you want. Name it.”

“For now, I just need
someone to listen while I think through some smaller questions. We’ll start
with location. The only thing of value that Kaitlin owns around these parts is
her land. Accordin’ to her, it isn’t worth a whole lot. But the land is the
only real connection we know of between her and James.”

Sarge shook his head.
“Not really. After she left him standing at the altar, Kaitlin continued to
work the land. She was determined to finish out her five years so the land was
fully hers. According to my sources, James moved to Denver and began working at
odd jobs.”

“You had him
followed?”

Sarge nodded, but before
answering he inclined the pipe toward Bryce. “Care for a smoke? I think I have
another pipe in the other room.”

“Never developed a
taste for it, but thanks.”

Sarge inhaled deeply,
held it for a moment and blew out the smoke. “I wanted James permanently
removed from my daughter’s life. I had him followed and threatened. There was
no way I was going to allow that man to hurt Kaitlin again.”

“Think he might have
had revenge in mind? A man doesn’t normally take too well to being threatened.”

“Possibly, but it’s
been over two years, almost three now. That’s an awful long time for a man to
hold a grudge.”

“Here’s another
question to scratch your head on. James had to know Kaitlin was on her way
here. He was waitin’ for her on that road, but the thing is, her trip wasn’t
planned. She didn’t have much time to prepare as she decided on the spur of the
moment to follow me. Either James was watchin’ her for just the right moment,
or someone told him of her plans.”

“Let’s assume he
found out and managed to travel ahead of her,” Sarge said. “He must have had
murder in the back of his mind for some time, and her unplanned journey here
gave him the perfect opportunity.”

“So, we’re back to
the why.” Bryce studied the tips of his boots while pacing the small confines
of the room. After a brief lapse in the conversation, he glanced up. “He moved
back to Denver where he got odd jobs. Assume he got a job workin’ for one of
those saloon owners. Kaitlin and her small group of suffragists have managed to
do a little bit of damage to the saloon business. I could see where a bar owner
might want to stop Kaitlin’s protests.”

“But murder? She
can’t be damaging the liquor trade that much.”

Bryce waved his hand
in the air, trying to clear his mind. “No, no. Let’s not get hung up on the why
again. We need to concentrate on the how. How did James find out she was comin’
here?”

Sarge’s chest heaved
noticeably with a big sigh. “Who would she have told?”

“Maggie and Charley.”

“Maggie’s that black
woman she took in, isn’t she?” Sarge’s voice took on a distinctly nasty ring.

Bryce bristled at his
tone. “Maggie’s that very nice woman who happens to be a friend of your
daughter’s. They’re very close. If you want to win your daughter back, I’d keep
any prejudices you might have to yourself.”

“I’ll keep that in
mind. I had a few slaves until the war ended the practice. Life seemed simpler
back then. I have trouble thinking about those blacks taking jobs for lesser
pay. Jobs our white boys needed so they could get back on their feet again. For
a few years there, things were mighty tough for our returning soldiers.”

“They were tough for
everyone. Did you fight?” Bryce redirected the subject somewhat, not wanting to
get into a debate over the rights and wrongs of the war.

“Naw. I provided
livestock for the Confederacy. With no one to watch over my property, I
couldn’t just leave. But I supported our boys in other ways. How ’bout you?”

He shook his head.
“My brother William spent a year with the Texas Mounted Riflemen until problems
with the ranch brought him back home. The rest of us were too young. By the end
of the war, the Comanches proved a constant threat in our area and every
able-bodied man was expected to help ward off attacks.”