A Healing Love For The Broken Cowboy (Historical Western Romance)

by Cassidy Hanton

  Isabelle frowned and looked away. He caught her gaze though and gave her a small smile and nod, thanking her for backing him up. She seemed to brighten slightly and gave him a tight smile in return.

  Mark sighed and shook his head as he took a drink of his coffee, his body tight and his face dark with anger. He was frustrated and spoiling for a fight. Harvey knew that unless he found some way to defuse the anger building inside of his friend, something bad was going to happen. And he did not want his friend ending up on the wrong side of that something when it hit.

  “I’ll stay with Charley while you two go into town to talk to the Sheriff,” Isabelle offered. “I’m sure Chenoa is probably exhausted.”

  Harvey nodded. “She is. I would appreciate you sitting with Charley,” he said. “And I’m sure Chenoa would appreciate it as well.”

  “Good then it’s settled.”

  Mark grumbled. “Sure, it’s settled. Let’s go into town so the Sheriff can tell us there’s nothing he can do.”

  “Try to think positive,” Isabelle said.

  “I’m positive nothing will come of this,” Mark said. “And I’m positive beating Alford will make all of our problems go away.”

  “And present you with a host of new ones,” Isabelle said. “Don’t be rash. You do stupid things when you act rashly.”

  Mark let out a loud snort as he stood up. Harvey chuckled then drained his coffee as he got to his feet and they headed for the door.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry Mark, there’s nothing I can do,” Waits said.

  Mark threw up his hands in disgust and grunted. Harvey raised a hand to try and calm his friend down. Sheriff Waits leaned back in his chair, the old springs groaning in protest.

  “Sheriff, we know who’s behind everything − the attack on Mark’s distillery, the dead cow − it’s obvious.”

  “So you say, but where is your proof?”

  “Where is your common sense, Sheriff?” Mark spat.

  “I hear what you boys are sayin’. Believe me, I get it,” Waits said. “Unfortunately, the law is the law. And the law says you need more than common sense. You need proof.”

  “So my life is threatened − my sister’s life is threatened − and there ain’t anything you can do about it?” Mark growled. “Is that about right?”

  “As much as I want to say different, I can’t,” Waits replied. “For all we know, it was a group of kids playin’ a prank on you.”

  Harvey pursed his lips. “That’s a little hard to swallow, Sheriff.”

  “I know. But I can’t exactly go accuse one of Stephill’s leading citizens of a crime when there’s no proof,” Waits said. “I’m caught between a rock and a hard place, boys.”

  Harvey hated to admit it but he knew the Sheriff was right. It was frustrating as all get out but the laws protected him and Mark from being arrested over false accusations as much as they protected Elmer.

  “Did you talk to Elmer about my distillery?” Mark pressed. “Did you ask him if he was involved?”

  “Course I did. Told you I would,” Waits snapped, offended that Mark would dare question his integrity. “Said he wasn’t involved.”

  “Of course he did,” Mark spat. “What did you expect him to say?”

  Waits arched an eyebrow at Mark. “Better question is, what did you expect him to say, son?” he asked evenly. “Did you expect him to admit it, even if he really was involved?”

  “He was.”

  “Maybe he was. But I ain’t got a lick of evidence proving it,” Waits responded. “And I can’t go around arrestin’ people just because they don’t like each other − I’d have half the town locked up. Maybe more.”

  For the first time since they got there, Harvey regretted bringing Mark down here to talk to the Sheriff. He had hoped Waits would say something that could defuse the situation and calm Mark down. The Sheriff was a wise man and was usually a calming voice of reason. But this whole exercise had done nothing but wind his friend up even more. He just needed to get Mark out of there and find some other way to calm him down.

  Harvey got to his feet. “We should go, Mark,” he said. “Sheriff Waits is right. There’s nothing he can do and sitting here beating him up for it isn’t gonna do any of us any good.”

  Mark sighed, his frustration more than evident. Harvey did not blame him for being upset. In his place, Harvey knew he would be too. It was a feeling of total impotence and powerlessness. But Waits was right. The law was the law and there was nothing they could do to change it.

  Mark got to his feet and stormed off, slamming through the front door and out into the sunlight beyond. Harvey looked over at the Sheriff, a small frown creasing his lips.

  “This situation could go off the rails real quick, Sheriff,” Harvey said.

  “I know it, Harv,” he replied. “But my hands are tied. I mean yeah, I can go out there and rattle Elmer’s cage a bit. But what good’s that gonna do? He’ll just deny any involvement in anything. And there ain’t nothin’ I can do about that.”

  “I know. I know,” Harvey said. “I just got a real itchy feelin’ that somethin’ bad is comin’ down the tracks and I don’t want to be standin’ in front of it when it comes through here.”

  “I don’t blame you. And I understand Harv. I really do,” he said. “But until we catch him doin’ somethin’, there’s nothin’ we can do.”

  Harvey got to his feet. “Just keep your ear to the ground,” he said. “Let me know if you hear anything. I don’t want us to be caught with our pants down, Sheriff.”

  “Understood. And I will.”

  “Good enough,” Harvey said.

  He turned and walked out of the Sheriff’s office, feeling foolish for thinking this was the way to put Mark’s mind at ease. He should have thought it through. He should have known better. Especially after their last conversation with Waits.

  He sighed and walked through the crowd, looking for Mark. He saw him up ahead walking into an alley between a couple of buildings and was curious. Quickening his pace, Harvey turned the corner and found Mark standing with a young boy about halfway down the alley. The boy looked up nervously at Harvey as he walked up to them.

  “It’s all right,” Mark said. “He’s my friend.”

  The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper. He looked around, trepidation filling his features as he handed the paper to Mark. Harvey looked down at the boy as Mark unfolded the paper and read the message inside.

  “Who gave that to you?” Harvey asked the boy.

  “Miss Ruby,” he said shyly.

  Harvey nodded and pressed a couple of coins into the boy’s palm. It sent him scampering off with a smile. Harvey turned to Mark and waited for him to say something.

  “Did she write a novel?” Harvey chuckled.

  Mark shook his head, his face grim. Harvey would have thought a message from his lady love would have brightened his disposition. But judging by the way his face darkened, whatever it was could not have been good.

  “Ruby says her father is planning something big. Something bad,” Mark said. “She said she’ll come to the ranch tonight and fill us in.”

  Harvey frowned. “How is she planning on getting out from under Elmer’s boot?”

  Mark shook his head. “She doesn’t say.”

  “I don’t like the sound of this.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Harvey sighed. “Well, all we can do is get home and wait to see what she has to say.”

  Mark’s own frown deepened and Harvey knew he was worried about her. About how she was going to escape from her father’s house. Elmer kept her on such a short leash, Harvey really did not know how she was going to get out. And he too, feared for her safety if she got caught trying. Elmer was not exactly the model of parental restraint.

  “Let’s get on home,” Mark said. “I have a feeling we’ve got some preparations to make.”

  As they walked back to the wagon to make the ride
home, Harvey grew concerned about what was important enough that Ruby would run the risk of meeting with them in secret like she had planned.

  He knew if she was willing to incur the wrath of her father, it had to be something important. And something terrible.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “It’s getting late,” Isabelle said. “I do not think she’s coming.”

  “If she said she’s coming, she’ll be here,” Mark said, his voice firm.

  He paced the great room with his hands clasped behind his back. From his spot in front of the fire, Wolf was watching Mark walk back and forth, back and forth. Harvey sat in his usual spot at the table, as did Isabelle. The air in the room crackled with tension that was thicker than the fog that sometimes rolled down off the mountains.

  Her brother looked miserable. Like he was on the verge of sicking up. Just from the brief interaction she had with Elmer, she knew that he was a cold, cruel man. And if he caught Ruby sneaking out of the house, against his orders, it would be bad for her. Very, very bad. Especially if her father found out she was coming here.

  “Any idea what she wants to tell us?” Isabelle asked. “I mean, what her father’s plan is?”

  Mark shook his head but did not stop pacing in front of the fire. His face was cold and tense, filled with worry. Isabelle wished she could say something to ease his mind and bring him some sense of comfort. But even though she racked her mind, she was coming up empty.

  She looked over and met Harvey’s eyes − and immediately felt her heart lurch. A small smile touched her lips and she looked away, feeling her cheeks flush with warmth. She raised her head again and found Harvey returning her smile and the feeling of having a swarm of butterflies loose in her belly returned.

  The timing was beyond terrible. They were in a tense situation. Perhaps on the verge of having to fight for their very lives. But all she could seem to think about was Harvey. About the kiss they had shared. All she wanted in that moment was to go walking with Harvey in the moonlight, breathing in the cool, sweetly scented air of the orchards with him.

  She wanted to hold his hand and feel his strong, comforting presence next to her. Isabelle wanted to laugh with him, share silly stories from their past, and feel the emotion they had shared that night in her studio. She felt awful given what they were facing but all she wanted in that moment was to be somewhere, anywhere, alone with Harvey.

  It was selfish, she knew. But she also thought she saw the same conflicting emotions on Harvey’s face and wondered if he too, was having similar thoughts. Their gazes locked for a moment and they shared a small, secret smile and Isabelle knew she was correct, he had been having similar thoughts.

  It made her heart swell with emotion so strong, and so profound, she wanted to cry. The depth of emotion she felt for Harvey felt bottomless and she wanted to dive head first into the waters, losing herself in their comforting warmth.

  “Maybe I should ride out to Elmer’s ranch,” Mark muttered. “Make sure she’s all right. Maybe I’ll run into her on the road.”

  “That’s not a good idea. I don’t think that would go well,” Harvey chimed in. “I doubt Elmer would appreciate you showing up on his doorstep to ask about the daughter he’s forbidden you from seeing.”

  “I can’t just stand here and do nothing,” he said.

  “That’s exactly what you have to do, as difficult as that may be,” Isabelle said. “Like you said, if Ruby said she’ll be here then she’ll be here. You just have to be patient. We all do.”

  Mark grunted and continued pacing, seeming to be working himself into more of a lather with each passing moment. Isabelle was more than a little curious about what Ruby had to say. It was obviously important or she would not have taken the chance of sending Mark a note.

  Wolf raised his head and looked at the door, a low growl rumbling from his throat. Isabelle turned and looked at the door, a bright flash of fear blossoming inside of her. She could hear the sound of a horse approaching and Isabelle immediately thought of the butchered cow carcass and the warning scrawled in blood.

  “Somebody’s coming,” she said as she got to her feet.

  Isabelle grabbed the rifle she had been practicing with from its spot beside the door. When she turned back, she saw both Harvey and Mark had their shotguns in hand, grim expressions painting both of their faces.

  “Stand back, Isabelle,” Mark said.

  Harvey went to the door and opened it just a crack, peering into the darkness beyond. His entire body seemed to relax as he turned back to them as he held the door open.

  “It’s Ruby,” he said.

  Isabelle stepped forward, still clutching her rifle and looked out into the yard. A lone figure was approaching on horseback, but how Harvey figured it was Ruby, she did not know. The rider wore a cloak with the cowl pulled low over their face, casting it in an impenetrable shadow.

  Isabelle tensed as the mystery rider drew closer. The form of the figure was small and slender, that much she could tell. And that eased her mind. Somebody that small could only be a woman. She eased her grip on her rifle but continued to clutch it tightly.

  Mark was out the door in a flash though. He bounded down the steps and was halfway across the yard before Isabelle could think to stop him. For all they knew, it was a trap.

  But then he was helping her down from the horse and pulling her into a tight embrace. The hood of the cloak fell back and in the silvery-white light of the moon, she could see Ruby’s soft, white skin. From where she stood, her skin glowing radiantly in the moonlight, Isabelle thought the girl looked ethereal. And she could see the love between her and Mark as they embraced.

  Harvey stepped up beside her in the doorway. She was surprised when she felt his big, strong, calloused hand take hers gently. Her hand was enveloped by his massive paw as he gave it a soft squeeze. She looked up into green eyes that sparkled in the moonlight and felt her emotions lighting up inside of her like fireworks in the darkened sky.

  Isabelle watched the way Ruby melted into her brother and wished she could do that with Harvey. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to feel his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her to his taut, firm body. He made her feel protected. Safe. And she needed to feel that more than anything right then.

  With his arm wrapped around her shoulders, Mark guided her into the house. Isabelle closed the door after them as her brother helped her into a seat near the fire in the great room. Wolf stood and sniffed at the newcomer, apparently deciding she was all right as he nuzzled her hand and let out a soft whine. Ruby laughed softly and scratched him behind the ears.

  Isabelle disappeared into the kitchen and made a quick pot of tea. She thought it might take the chill off Ruby and help settle her nerves. She walked back in with a cup and handed it over to the Ruby who accepted it gratefully.

  “Thank you Isabelle,” she said and wrapped her hands around the cup, trying to leach the warmth from it.

  Mark had pulled up a chair beside her and sat down. Harvey pulled a couple of chairs closer to the fire and offered one to Isabelle. She gave him a warm smile as she took a seat, conscious of his presence beside her as he sat down.

  They gave Ruby a few minutes to settle her nerves and rest after her ride over. Isabelle imagined she had to have been under a tremendous amount of stress escaping from her father’s house.

  And if there was one thing Isabelle knew about stress, it was that more times than not, it left you feeling wrung out and used up. Ruby had dark shadows beneath her eyes and looked as if she wanted to do nothing more than crawl into a bed and sleep for the next several days.

  But she looked up at them, a grim smile on her face and Isabelle had to admire her strength and spunk − two things she bet Ruby did not know she had in such great quantity before that night. She looked over at Mark and in the firelight, her eyes shimmered with tears. He took Ruby’s hand and held it gently and Isabelle could see the girl taking heart in the man she loved.

  “I - I can�
�t go back there,” she said, her voice thick and quavering. “Not after tonight. My father will be furious with me.”

  “You don’t have to,” Mark told her. “You can stay here. With us.”

  Ruby’s smile was both relieved and terrified. Isabelle was not sure which scared the girl more − her father’s wrath or the idea of living with Mark. It would obviously be a massive step forward in their relationship and the implications of it were many. It could leave a lasting stain on Ruby’s reputation but it would also incur the eternal wrath of Elmer Alford.

  Isabelle caught Mark’s eyes, trying to make him understand the gravity of the situation with nothing more than her gaze. While Isabelle did not advocate sending Ruby back to her father, living with Mark before they were married might also not be the best solution either.