Kaitlin's Silver Lining (22 page)

They were both
silent. Bryce couldn’t help but reflect on those tragic years. Times had been
tough. He supposed the Stanton family had been miraculously lucky. Unlike
neighboring ranches, they’d somehow escaped the wrath of the Comanches. Others
weren’t so lucky. The destruction of the Wilsons’ ranch seared his mind with
tragic imagery. Such brutality had a way of humbling a man, making him
appreciate all he had.

“We got off track,”
Sarge murmured, still puffing lightly on the pipe.

“Where were we?”

“Kaitlin told Maggie
and Charley. I know who Maggie is. Who is Charley?” Sarge asked.

Bryce’s eyes grew
wide as he realized his mistake. In all the trauma of Kaitlin’s attack, he’d
forgotten to inform Sarge that he had a granddaughter. Would he be happy? Would
he accept a bastard child born from a disowned daughter?

“Charley is the
reason I’m here. Charley’s my ward and—your granddaughter.”

“Explain.” Sarge
demanded, pulling the pipe from his mouth.

“I was good friends
with Bethany, and not in the way you’re thinking. We were only friends. Before
Bethany died, she asked me to take Charley and raise the girl for my own. I
owed Bethany my life, so I had no problem with repayin’ her this way, and I’m
mighty fond of the girl.”

“How...how did
Bethany die?”

Bryce looked down. He
never lied. Lying didn’t set well with him, but at this moment, he was tempted.
Kaitlin had never asked, a fact he thanked God for. He took in a deep breath
and expelled it slowly. Sarge had a right to know the truth. “She killed
herself.”

Sarge made no
comment. He nodded, accepting Bryce’s words as fact. “A granddaughter,” he
replied a few moments later, somewhat in awe. Bryce was glad the old man tried
to concentrate on the good, the miracle of having a granddaughter, rather than
the circumstances surrounding Bethany’s demise.

“I want to meet her.”

Bryce blinked. He
should have thought of that. “I want you to meet her. I’ll see what I can do to
get her here. In the meantime, we’re still back to only two people Katy could
have told.”

“We could ask her.”

“Yeah, I guess we
could at that. But before you ask, I just had a thought. Maggie’s been seein’ a
man who just happens to have invested a hefty sum into one of Denver’s newest
saloons. Not only that, but the man who owns this particular saloon is also in
the runnin’ for our next governor. Of all the saloon owners out there, Farley
Kaufmann stands to lose the most from Kaitlin’s actions. It’s a far stretch,
but...”

“But, it’s all we
have. I think you need to confirm that Maggie’s beau knew about Kaitlin coming
here before you take this idea further.”

“Agreed. I also think
I need to go back to Denver and ask more questions there.”

“Those letters? You
said that some of them were postmarked from Oresonville.”

“That’s right, but
not all. And they weren’t all in the same handwritin’ either.”

“When the weather
clears, I’ll ride into town and find out if James has been seen coming or going
from there. Either he made the trip often enough to mail a few letters, or the
man had an accomplice.”

Bryce nodded. “When
the storm allows, I’ll return to Denver. Katy plans to stay here, and with you
and Bangles looking out for her, I ’spect it’s safe enough. I’ll follow the few
leads we discussed, but I feel better about Katy not goin’ back to Denver just
yet. I’ll let her stay here two weeks, then I’ll come back for her. I’ll bring
Charley with me when I return. How does that sound?”

“Am I interrupting
anything?” Bangles entered.

“Come on in. We were
just discussing James Latham,” Sarge said. They filled Bangles in on the key
points of their discussion. Bangles seemed sympathetic to their dilemma, but
could offer very little in the way of constructive help. He was as baffled as
the rest of them.

“On a brighter note,
Bryce tells me I’m a granddaddy. Can you imagine that?”

“How?”

“Bethany had a daughter.
Her name’s Charley.” Sarge glanced at Bryce. “How old is she?”

“Eleven, but she’ll
be twelve next month.”

“Guess you brought
Charley to Denver just to meet her Aunt Kaitlin, didn’t you, Bryce?” Bangles
asked.

“You hit the nail
square on its head,” Bryce replied.

Bangles chuckled.
“Just to meet Kaitlin or to try and enlist Kaitlin’s help in raising the girl?”

“Another square hit
on that nail.” A touch of humor danced on Bryce’s vocal chords.

Sarge laughed out
right. “Wish I could have been there for those fireworks. I’m sure Katy wasn’t
too fond of the idea of instant motherhood.”

“She wasn’t exactly
keen on the idea. You could say she was rather adamantly opposed.” Bryce
shrugged. “I wanted Charley to get to know Katy and vice versa. That was the
main objective, but if by some luck, Katy wanted Charley to stay with her, I
wasn’t goin’ to object.”

“It ain’t easy
raising a girl by yourself.” Sarge narrowed his eyes. “I know.”

“I confess. I was
also hopin’ to find a bride I could take home with me. I’d been correspondin’
with a woman who lived in Denver, and I pinned my hopes on askin’ for her
hand.”

“So what happened?”
Bangles asked.

“Someone asked her
before me, and I found her already engaged. In fact, her fiancé’s the saloon
owner I told you about. Farley Kauffman. His name sure does seem to pop up
quite a bit. Think it’s just coincidental?”

“I always said if it
smells like a skunk...”

“It’s gotta be a
skunk,” Bryce finished. “Whatever the case, my plans to find a mother figure for
Charley have been put on hold. Lookin’ out for Katy has taken top priority over
findin’ a wife.”

“’Pears to me, the
two go hand in hand. Katy would make someone a mighty fine wife,” Sarge replied
carefully.

Bryce glanced at
Bangles. The man wouldn’t meet his eyes. Bryce laughed. If only they knew.
Those were exactly his same thoughts. Kaitlin wasn’t cooperating as he’d hoped,
though. On the other hand, she had invited him to kiss her, a major victory in
his book. However, until he and Kaitlin could work things out to their mutual
benefit, he didn’t think it was fair to her to involve Sarge.

Without giving
anything away, Bryce answered. “I couldn’t agree more. She will make someon
e
a terrific wife.”

Twenty
Seven

“Uncle Bryce!”
Charley greeted Bryce with a strong hug. “I’ve missed you.”

“I wasn’t gone all
that long.” He’d have returned sooner, but the blizzard took two days to clear.
The ride home had been fraught with challenges, but he’d managed. Bryce pulled
away from her grasp to look at her, his hands still locked on her forearms.

“It felt like
forever.”

She was right. He
hadn’t expected to miss her so terribly, but it had seemed like forever. Seeing
Charley again, he wondered how he ever thought he could give her up. Even if
Kaitlin offered to take Charley, he wasn’t so sure that’s what he wanted
anymore. Charley needed a woman in her life. He still felt strongly on that
point. But she also needed him. He was the one constant in her life, always had
been and always would be. The interaction between Sarge and Kaitlin made him realize
how important it was for Charley to have a strong father figure in her life.
Kaitlin had missed out on so much. He didn’t want that for Charley.

The idea of marriage
looked better each day, but he was no longer indiscriminate. Where before he’d
been willing to marry any woman, now he had his sights set on only one.

What was it about
Kaitlin that stirred his blood with longing? He’d met women more appealing
physically, but none that made his heart pound with longing like Kaitlin.
Petite and voluptuous, she had sensuous curves he yearned to caress. He’d been
introduced to ladies whose manners rivaled the Queen of England. Kaitlin exuded
the grace befitting a lady of breeding until her temper flared, then it was
quite obvious she was her father’s daughter. Yet the fire and heat fueled by
her temper made her eyes glow with passion. He’d been attracted to her from the
start, but seeing her at the Silver Saddle, he realized just how perfect she’d
be for him. She was bred to be a rancher’s wife, his wife.

Her seriousness would
complement his more jovial approach to life. She would keep him focused on his
goals as no other woman could. Together, they could carve a living from this
unforgiving land.
Together.
The word had a very nice ring. Kaitlin might
be stubborn, but she had met her match. Bryce knew without a doubt he would
make her his wife. All he had to do was convince the intended bride.

“Uncle Bryce? Where’s
Aunt Katy?”

“She wanted to spend
some time at her childhood home. Startin’ tomorrow, I’m fixin’ to wrap up
things here. Then, you and I are travelin’ to Oresonville to see your
granddaddy. How does that sound?” This time, he’d take the train as far as it
went since traveling in the snow with a child didn’t sound pleasurable.

Her shoulders
slumped. “Do I gotta?”

“You don’t want to?”

“I dunno. Aunt Katy
wasn’t so keen on seeing me at first. I figure her dad will be the same way.
Momma didn’t have very many good things to say about him, either.”

She looked so
vulnerable his heart went out to her. Pulling her to him, he hugged her again.
“Sarge is a gruff old buzzard, but of one thing I’m sure—he wants to see you,
Charley. As for Katy, she sends her love. I think she misses you.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Really.”

Charley stood back
and put her hands on her hips. “You didn’t wipe your feet before you walked
inside. Maggie’s gonna take a skillet to your head.”

Bryce looked down at
the mud and snow he’d tracked in. Sheepishly, he looked back at Charley. “Maybe
you can help me clean it up before she finds out.”

“You can clean your
own mess. I got sewing to tend to. Maggie’s been teaching me how to use the
treadle machine. It’s a lot of fun.”

She scampered down
the hallway before he could say anything else. Before he made a bigger mess, he
backed up to the door and wiped off his boots. As soon as he shrugged out of
his coat and gloves, he’d see about sweeping the floor.

Maggie rounded the
corner before he got the chance. “Mr. Stanton, Bryce,” she amended. “You’re
back. Where’s Kaitlin?”

He glanced down at
his feet and her gaze followed his. “She’s still at her dad’s. Sorry about the
floor. I’ll clean it up in a bit.”

“Don’t you worry
about it. I’ll get it. Just tell me what you found out.”

“I left Kaitlin at
Sarge’s. She wouldn’t admit it, but I think she wanted time to right things
with her father.”

“Good. That’s mighty
good. I’ve been wanting her to do that since he started writing her those
notes. Each time she’d read one, her mood became distant. I could tell she was
hurting. What else? Did you find out who’s been sending those other notes?”

Bryce shook his head.
“Not exactly. Did Kaitlin ever talk about James Latham?”

“Oh, honey. Don’t get
me started.” She waved her hands in the air, exaggerating her disgust for the
topic. “That man was a devil, the way he hurt Kaitlin. He came by to see her
not long after I moved in. Thought I was the maid and started ordering me
about. I could tell right then, he was bad news. They had an awful fight. He
wanted her to reconsider marriage. She just wanted him to leave. He said some
hateful things then stormed out the door.”

“Did he say why he
wanted her to reconsider? Did he tell her he loved her?”

“No,” she scoffed.
“That man didn’t love nothin’ but himself. But he did seem determined. He
surely didn’t like taking no for an answer.”

Bryce rubbed his arms
and inclined his head. “Let’s visit in the parlor. This hallway is chillier
than a snowman’s nose.”

He followed Maggie
into the bare room. They’d bought two sitting chairs to replace the broken
furniture, but that was all. The salvageable pieces were tucked away in the far
corner. Maybe he could look into getting them repaired while he was here.

They both sat. Maggie
appeared worried. This whole thing had to be hard on her.

“Out with it, Bryce.
Has something happened to Kaitlin?”

“First of all, she’s
fine, just as feisty and stubborn as ever.” He paused before continuing. “James
Latham is dead. He tried to kill Kaitlin, and I shot him.”

Maggie’s head fell back,
and she tried to blink away tears. Her hands clutched the armrest. “How? Why?”

“I don’t know the why
yet, but I was hoping you might help me with the how. When Kaitlin decided to
follow me in such a hurry, who all did she tell?”

“Jack came over when
she was packing. Mr. Carls at the livery knew cuz I rented a horse from him.
Other than that, I don’t think she had time to tell anyone else.”

“Was Jack here when
she left or did he leave before she did?”

She clutched her
neckline and shook her head. “You can’t be thinking that Jack was in on this. I
won’t hear of it.”

“I’m not accusin’
anyone. I’m just tryin’ to piece together the events leadin’ up to James’s
death. Bear with me on this one, okay?”

Maggie gave him a
baleful eye but nodded. “Jack left before she did. He said he needed to take
something to Farley Kauffman.”

Bryce wasn’t
surprised. Now all he needed to do was confirm what Jack might have told
Farley. If Farley knew, then Farley would be the prime suspect. He probably
ought to clue Dan Cochran in on his suspicions, but he wanted to dig a little
deeper first.

“Have there been any
more letters?”

“No. Nothing. You
know, Bryce, whoever conspired with James doesn’t know Kaitlin’s still alive.”
She sat up straighter. “He probably thinks she’s dead.”

“What are you
thinkin’?”

“It might buy you
some time if you were to tell everyone that Kaitlin is gone.”

“I won’t lie.”

“Not even to help
Kaitlin?”

Bryce furrowed his
brow as he contemplated Maggie’s suggestion. “I can’t. Her suffragist friends
would be heartbroken, for one, and besides, I don’t think Charley could keep it
a secret. I lied once. I thought I was protectin’ someone, but it only made
matters worse. I promised myself then that I’d never do it again. Please, don’t
ask it of me.”

“Well, aren’t you the
righteous one. Fine. It was just a thought.”

“It was a good
thought. I know you want to help. We all do, but lyin’ ain’t—isn’t the answer.
We’ll just find another way to get the answers we need.”

Maggie gave him a
slight smile. “You sure have been good to Kaitlin.”

“She’s Charley’s
aunt.” Would Maggie approve if she knew just how good he wanted to be to
Kaitlin? “Charley’s had enough grief, losin’ her mother like that. I don’t want
to see her lose Katy as well.”

“Katy, is it? Your eyes
light up when you say her name that way.” She touched his hand. “I think
there’s more to all this chivalry you’re displaying. I think you like Kaitlin a
bit more than you’re letting on.”

Bryce looked down at
the floor, trying to decide how much to confide in Maggie. He glanced back up.
“You’re right. I like her a lot, Maggie. I don’t want to see her get hurt or
worse.”

“You like her more
than a lot.”

He cleared his
throat. “I like her enough to consider makin’ her my wife. Is that what you
wanted to hear?”

“Oh, Lawsy. That’s
exactly what I wanted to hear. I like you, Bryce Stanton. You’ve been the best
thing that ever happened to Kaitlin. I just hope she’s not too stubborn to
realize it.”