The Circle Eight: Nicholas (24 page)

“Then I have a proposition for you.” Winnie’s heart pounded so hard, her ribs nearly cracked.

“You were here with that son of a bitch already. I threw you out then. I can throw you out now.” He reached for her again and the door swung open, hitting the wall with a resounding crash.

“You touch either of them again, I’ll rip your fucking arms off.” This was Vaughn. The man she had called friend for years, and she’d never seen him violent. Behind him stood the Grahams and she was pleased to see Conklin’s expression change from fury to fear. She was glad they were there to support her, even if she was too proud to ask for it. Home was family.

“What is this?”

“I told you. It’s a proposition. Are you ready to listen?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caleb cross to the girl and kneel. Soft murmurs followed and she could have kissed Nicholas’s brother for his gentle approach to her daughter. She remembered he was father to two little girls himself. He was probably an amazing pa
rent.

“I’m listening.” Conklin crossed his arms and glared at her.

“Two years ago you bought a child illegally. I’m offering to adopt the girl from you. If you don’t sign her over, I will make sure you go to prison for your crime.”

He jerked at her words, guilt crossing his features. “I ain’t never
done such a thing.” The man was a filthy liar. He’d already told her he’d bought Martha. Now with an audience of armed men, he lied.

“We have a ledger that proves otherwise. Plus
, I’ve been speaking to Mr. Fuller, who remembers refusing to allow you to adopt a child from the home.” Winnie kept her voice even when all she wanted to do what shoot the man. “You also told me yesterday you had a bill of sale.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Everybody knows Fuller is out of his head dying.”

“Not true. He is alive and very clear-headed. At this moment, he is meeting with his brother-in-law, the attorney, to track down all the children who were sold from the home along with the police.” Winnie let that sink in, watching the other man’s face. “You have a chance to avoid prosecution and, potentially, the loss of your business.”

“By
giving the girl to you.”

“Yes, you walk away
with your good name and you don’t go to jail.” She told herself not to touch her gun, although she wanted to shoot the man with a fever that burned her.

Conklin’s gaze narrowed. “How do I know you won’t send the law after me if’n I do
give her to you?”

“That would be foolish. I could call the law now and the girl would no longer be yours to own. I am offering you a
fair deal.” Winnie had learned how to manipulate people early on. Now was the time to use all her skills. “I think the two Texas Rangers behind would be happy to take you into custody if you refuse.”

She waited while he mulled over her words. Hope warred with fear like a hurricane in her chest.

“What do you want with a Mexican cripple anyway?” His gaze sharpened.

“I knew her mother. I want to return her to the woman who gave her up.”

A tiny noise behind her made Winnie wince. The girl might not be keen on the plan to be reunited.

“Some dirty Mexican whore gave up a defective girl and you’re gonna be a good Samaritan and bring her back?” Conklin snorted. “You’re lying.”

One of the men growled and the shop owner’s gaze flicked to a spot behind her and then back.

“It doesn’t matter where she goes from here, does it? She is unable to work as much as someone who was not crippled.” Winnie was anxious to make the deal
and leave this awful store for good.

“I ain’t letting her go. It’s gonna cost me plenty to pay somebody to do her work.” Conklin had seen through Winnie’s words and his avarice reared its ugly head.

“This is a one time offer. You refuse and the police will take you into custody.” Her bluff was just that. Her face was impassive, smooth as porcelain, just like her father taught her.

“That’s
a load of shit.” Conklin crossed his arms again. “No matter how many guns you got at your back, I ain’t just giving up this girl. She’s my, ah, daughter.”

“She’s nothing more than your slave.” Winnie’s voice shook with rage and she struggled to keep it under control.

Conklin shook his head. “You want this cripple and you’re gonna pay for her. Five hundred or you get the fuck out of my store.”

Boots shuffled near the door and Winnie held up her hand to stop the Grahams from jumping into the negotiations. She had to do this on her own.

“I will give you no money for her. She is not a thing to be bought and sold. She is a child.” She pointed behind her. “The Texas Rangers or the girl. That’s your choice.”

“It ain’t a choice. They need to get out of my store and so do you
.”

“No,
we aren’t leaving without Martha. Although I could ask them to shoot you.” Fury had pushed aside any fear and Winnie pulsed with it. The note from Nicholas crinkled against her breast and she drew strength from the sentiment contained within. “What’s your decision, Mr. Conklin?”

He stared at her, then at Martha. When his gaze returned to Winnie, she saw his decision in his eyes.

“I ain’t going to jail for that little piece of shit. You can’t prove nothing. Take her. She don’t do nearly enough work anyway.”

Winnie let out a breath slowly. “Vaughn, would you please go to Mr. Fuller’s house and ask him to send his brother-in-law here as soon as possible?”

“On my way.” Vaughn’s footsteps echoed as he left the store.

“I’m going to take the girl outside for now.” Caleb spoke in her ear. “She’s heard enough.”

Winnie nodded and the door closed once again. She stared at Conklin, hating him, at the same time, grateful for accepting the offer. She didn’t have time to consider the fact he could change his mind before the papers were signed. It was done, and soon she could leave this awful store and never come back.

Later s
he would think about what they would do after they left the store. For now, knowing Martha was free of the man was enough.

Nick counted the cracks in the ceiling for the forty-seventh time when Enrico came back into the hospital room on stealthy feet. The boy peered at him until Nick beckoned him forward.

“Did you give her the note?”
His voice had come back somewhat but it hurt to speak.

“Yup. Found her at the boardinghouse.”
The boy stood a few feet from the bed as though poised to run at any moment.

“I ain’t gonna hurt you boy. Hell, I can’t even sit up.”
He told himself not to scowl. “Did she give you a note in reply?”

“Nope.”

Nick’s heart stopped beating. It couldn’t be true. She didn’t reply because she didn’t have anything to write with. That had to be it. Nick had asked her to marry him. She couldn’t not respond to him. Not possible.

The blackness he’d lived in whispered at him. Since he’d been with Winnie, he hadn’t had a single
dark moment like what he had for as long as he could remember. Just being with her, loving her, had stopped the shrieking in his soul. He refused to believe she wouldn’t be part of his life any longer.

“Are you sure?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking.

Enrico shook his head. “No note, but she did ask me to tell you yes.”

Yes
.

A single word
that held the world in its grasp.

Nick closed his eyes and savored the sound of it. No matter that it was through
someone else’s voice. It was Winnie’s voice he heard. The slightly husky, melodious tones that caressed his ears.

Sweet Jesus. She said yes! He had himself a real fiancée. As soon as he was vertical he would find a preacher and marry her. He didn’t care if anyone else was present. The sooner he married her, the sooner he could banish the shadows from his life for good.

“Then what?”

“Then she left with all those men. They rode off together and none of them looked happy.” Enrico made a face. “They all had guns too.”

“Don’t worry. That’s my family.”

Enrico’s brows went up. “I hate to get into a tussle with your brothers.”

Nick chuckled, which made his head hurt, but it still felt good. “I got my ass handed to me more than once, but I can give as good as I get.” A smile crept over his face.

“Do you gotta note you want to send back?”
Enrico had walked back toward the door. He obviously wanted to skedaddle, no doubt to get back to she whom he worshipped.

“No.
” It was tearing him up to know she was there without him, facing that bastard who owned her daughter. Their daughter. Martha would be his. Each time he thought about the girl bearing the name of Granny Dolan, he allowed himself to believe the older woman was giving her stamp of approval.

“Miss Winnie usually gives me a coin.” Enrico was an entrepreneur.

“Boy, I ain’t got nothing but what you see. Tell you what, ask my brother Matt and he’ll make sure you get a coin, okay?” Nick was impatient to know what was happening. “Now get.”

Enrico skidded out the door and disappeared from view. Nick was left alone with his thoughts again. The next hour went by with excruciating slowness. He must have dozed a bit because the sun coming through the window had dropped low in the sky. Unbelievably, the daylight was fading. It must have been evening already.

No one had come to tell him what was happening. He missed his brothers, he missed Winnie with an ache. He could hardly stand the thought of waiting another moment for news. His throat ached and damned if he didn’t have to take a piss.

A commotion in the hallway had his ears straining to hear
more, but no one appeared in his room. His head screamed and his throat throbbed. He reached for the edge of the cot and pulled himself to a sitting position.

Winnie watched as Conklin signed his name on the adoption agreement. Mr. Fuller’s brother-in-law, a sandy-haired man named Marcus Tuttle, had kindly written up a legal agreement in less than ten minutes within arrival time. Then he made a second copy.

“Your turn, ma’am.” Mr.
Tuttle handed her the quill.

She dipped into the inkpot and signed her name
on both papers. For now, she wrote Winnie Watson. Soon, she would write Winnie Graham. Her family was nearly in her grasp.

Mr.
Tuttle sanded the signatures and set them on the counter.

“Mr. Conklin, this
paper gives Miss Watson immediate custody of the child Martha.” Mr. Tuttle handed the copy of the adoption release to Conklin.

“Yeah, fine. As long as it says I ain’t going to jail, that’s all I care about.”

“It was an interesting clause, but yes, the agreement has that information in it as I’ve read it to you.” Mr. Tuttle glanced at Winnie and nodded ever so slightly.

Winnie reached for her copy of the adoption paper and folded it, tucking into her reticule. She looked at Conklin

“I will wait here with Mr. Tuttle while you retrieve Martha’s belongings.”

Conklin snorted. “Miss High and Mighty, still, eh? I ain’t doing a damn thing. You wanted the girl. That’s all you get. She ain’t got nothing to gather.”

That was fine with Winnie. A fresh start for both of them.

She turned to Mr.
Tuttle. “Thank you for all your assistance today. How much do I owe you?”

The attorney waved his hand. “I won’t take a fee for this. Consider it a favor for my brother-in-law. He deserves a bit of goodness in his life.”

Winnie nodded and put her chin in the air. “Then I bid you good day, Mr. Tuttle.” She wasn’t about to speak to Conklin again. She wouldn’t spit on him if he were on fire.

Caleb and Brody
waited with Martha back at the boardinghouse. Vaughn waited for her by the door of the feed store. He offered her a small smile and his arm. This time when she left the boardinghouse, her heart had never been lighter. Life had kicked her enough times to deaden her sense of hope and goodness, but both had survived. And now, what she had was worth all the pain, all the heartache, all the tears.

She had a family.

Nick managed to make it to the boardinghouse before he
almost fell off the horse. He’d ripped the bandages from his head and it felt like a damn hammer was drumming on his skull. He slid off the saddle and leaned against the saddle, blowing as though he’d run to Louisiana and back.

Caleb and Brody sat on the front porch with Martha between them. Nick’s heart lodged somewhere in his throat.

She’d done it. Goddamn. Winnie had gotten the girl back. Now two ex-Texas Rangers guarded her as if she were a royal princess. She looked so small sandwiched between them, her gaze solemn. He knew he looked like shit but this was the first time he’d be speaking to her as her father.

He swayed a bit on his feet at the thought. A wife and a child of his own.
Less than six months ago, the only thing he worried about was fall round-up and which calf would kick him. Now he had a huge responsibility. She was dark haired and olive skinned but damned if she didn’t have Winnie’s heart-shaped face and pert nose.