“You had nothing to do with stealing the money, it was your mother. I could have a word with the authorities and tell them you were like me and knew nothing about it.”
“You could?”
She was glad he was not very bright. “Of course, I would, Cedric. I had no quarrel with you. I thought we were friends. It was Esmeralda who caused all the trouble, running the business into the ground, then stealing the money.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Would you like a ginger cookie? I made them myself. I’ll get a tray and take everything into the sitting room where it’s much more comfortable.”
“No tricks.”
“No tricks; holster the gun, Cedric. You can trust me. What could I do against a man as powerful as you? I’m unarmed, and as you can see, I’m merely a helpless woman.”
She wondered whether to squeeze out a few tears or not. He was half crazed, which made him dangerous, cunning, and unpredictable.
“You were clever finding me.” She picked up the tray with the two coffees and a plate of cookies on it.
“We’ll have it in here,” he growled.
“All right, I just thought it would be more comfortable, is all.”
“Here.” He waved the gun around and she feared it might go off.
“Anyway, how did you find me?”
“I placed an advertisement in the newspaper asking about you. A woman from Cheyenne contacted me, saying you were in Laramie and had married a man called Zane McIvor.”
Cold fear gripped her now. “Who was she?” She didn’t really need him to answer, she already knew, but had to hear the words from his mouth.
“A Mrs. Donaldson.”
Why would the woman do such a terrible thing? In the beginning when they had first met, she had seemed such a nice lady. Later, at the church and after the wedding, she did become rather cold, almost hostile. She had thought it was her imagination. Why would she turn against her like this? They hardly knew each other.
“Did you offer a reward?”
“No, I just asked for information on your whereabouts.” He gave a crazed laugh. “Didn’t cost me a cent, except for the cost of placing the advertisement.”
Had Mrs. Donaldson turned her in for money, she might be able to understand it better, but this was sheer spite. Was she jealous of the quick rapport between her and Rusty? She wracked her brains trying to think of a reason and failed.
“Where are you living now?” she asked, trying to sound chatty.
She watched him wolf down the cookies. Cedric had certainly come down in the world and was obviously blaming her for it.
“If you’re hungry, I could cook you ham and eggs, and pancakes even.” She prayed Zane would return soon, knowing full well he would not. Could she keep Cedric occupied until he returned? It could be hours.
“Yes, do that.” He waved the gun around again. “No tricks, mind.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She forced herself to slowly rise from the kitchen table. “What happened between us, Cedric? I thought we were friends.”
“You made us lose all our money,” he growled.
As she headed over to the stove, praying her legs would hold her up, she said over one shoulder, “You’re clever enough to know I didn’t do it. Your mother took the money and let you be blamed for it. You could have been happily married to Sally-Anne now, if it hadn’t been for her.”
She was playing a dangerous game. Turning him against his mother was her best chance, as he obviously believed he was the victim in all of this.
“Two or three eggs?”
“Three.”
“Ham?”
“Yes.”
“I could fry you some potatoes, too.”
“All right.”
“I have to go outside to the root cellar to get them.”
“No potatoes,” he growled. “What do you think I am? Stupid?” He pointed the gun at her.
“No, I don’t think you’re stupid, I never did. Remember the time when my father and Arthur took us fishing, and I fell out of the boat?” If truth be known, he had pushed her. “And you tried to rescue me.”
“Yes. Mother was so angry when we came home all covered in mud.”
It was the only time her father had ever taken her to St. Louis, and she had been about ten at the time. They never went there again.
She placed the plate in front of Cedric, wondering if she dared try wrestling the gun out of his hand. “Another coffee?”
“No.”
“When you finish eating, I can show you around outside.”
He gave her a suspicious stare.
“If you like what you see, maybe you could stay here for a while.” The words were so distasteful she almost vomited. “My husband is friends with the sheriff. I am sure he would believe me if I told him you were innocent. Your mother was the embezzler and you were just a victim of her trickery.”
He almost looked like he believed her. “That ham you’re eating was produced and smoked by my husband.” She held her coffee cup in a death grip as she forced herself to drink it. “The eggs are ours, too. There’s plenty of work here needing to be done. We could give you a job.”
“I’m not a lowly farm hand,” he said derisively. “Mother sent me to all the best schools.”
“I know, I was thinking you could keep the ranch accounts. Zane expects me to do it and I hate figure work.” Don’t overplay your hand, Jasmine.
“Finish your food and I’ll show you around, that way you can see it is a large operation and really needs someone with more skills than I have.”
“No tricks.”
“Of course not.”
“I guess it wouldn’t do any harm.” After gobbling down his food, he stood.
“You know, it’s not such a bad life, ranching. I mean, if you could learn a few things from Zane, then get a place of your own, with a couple of hired hands to do the heavy work, you could sit back and collect the money. Pretty girls out here love ranchers, especially well- educated ones.” She could almost see him puffing out his chest. He was even crazier than she had thought.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
They walked outside, Jasmine in front, Cedric behind with the gun pushed into her back. She fought the desire to take her chances and run.
“You can see it’s quite pretty here.” She waved her arm around. “We’ll look at the pigs first.”
Purposely, she took him past the woodpile, desperately praying Zane had not chopped up the branches from the tree that had blown down and almost squashed their out house. She went to bend down.
“Stop.”
“I think I stepped in something. Check your boot, too.”
He started to do so, and she snatched up a piece of branch and swung it at him. It hit him on the side of the head, causing him to stumble back. She rained blows to the side of his head until he dropped to the ground. She pounced on the gun. He was groaning, so she hit him again.
Dashing over to the barn, she grabbed up a length of rope and tied his hands behind his back. He was unconscious and she could not decide whether to be glad or not that he still breathed.
With strength born of desperation, she dragged him in to the barn, grabbed another length of rope and secured him to a post.
Tremors shook her body, she felt light-headed enough to faint, but dared not. Pull yourself together woman, the worst is over now. All you have to do is wait for Zane to return.
Time passed. Jasmine had no idea how long. Blood oozed from Cedric’s face and head and God forgive her, she did not care whether he bled to death or not.
“Mrs. McIvor,” a male voice called out. “Mrs. McIvor, are you there? It’s the sheriff from Laramie.”
“I’m in the barn,” she screamed, trying not to become hysterical.
On seeing the sheriff, she sent up a heartfelt prayer of thanks to God for saving her.
“What happened here?” He bent down and checked Cedric. “He’s unconscious.”
“I don’t care
if he’s dead. He was going to kill me.” In a few words she told him what had transpired. “What are you doing here?”
“We’ve been keeping an eye on this place.”
“You have? Why?”
“Rusty sent me a telegram a couple of days ago, saying your life could be in danger.”
“Dear Rusty, my knight in shining armor, coming to my rescue yet again.”
“Yeah, well, his sister apparently told Cedric where you were. Not that you look like you needed rescuing.” He grinned. “You did a good job on your own.”
“He’s been here a couple of hours. I thought I was going to die. Why did Mrs. Donaldson, Rusty’s sister, do it?”
“Who knows. Rusty spoke to the stage driver from Cheyenne. He said Rusty told him his sister has had some kind of mental break down. She had always been delicate with her nerves since her husband was killed. Never got over it, poor woman.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to her. Will she be all right?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Who knows. Apparently, someone they know has a doctor friend who treats people like her.”
“It’s so sad. Would you like to come in for coffee? I don’t think Cedric will run off on us.”
The sheriff grinned. “You’ve got him trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Thank you kindly, but I want to get this varmint back to town and safely locked away. He robbed and seriously injured a traveling salesman a couple of days ago.”
“Really? I didn’t know. I think he is insane; his mother was.” She tried to suppress a shudder.
“Probably, but that’s for a judge and jury to decide. I’ll put him on his horse and take him into town.”
“Yes, take him away. I can’t even bear to look at him.”
“I’ll bring the horses around as he’s too heavy for me to carry.” He suddenly grinned. “Remind me not to tangle with you, Mrs. McIvor.”
“Call me Jasmine. I was fighting for my life, otherwise I never could have done it.”
After the sheriff left, leading Cedric’s horse with him tied to the animal’s back, she sat on the porch, wrapped her arms around a post and wept.
After a while she dried her eyes and stood, wondering why she had gone to pieces after the danger was past. “Pull yourself together, woman,” she scolded herself out loud.
She would cook Zane an extra special meal tonight to celebrate finally being free from the clutches of Esmeralda and Cedric Johnson.
EPILOGUE
Two years later.
Jasmine and Zane, who was holding twelve-month old Richard, stood on the front porch watching a lone rider approach.
Rusty had finally accepted Zane’s offer of a job here at the ranch, now that his sister had died. It was so sad about poor Mrs. Donaldson, who had grown to resent the fact Jasmine’s father had saved Rusty and not her mortally wounded husband. A growth inside her head had started pressing on her brain, slowly sending her insane.
“I’m so glad he decided to come to Laramie,” she said. “It was good of you to offer him a job.” Rusty had been like a second father to her, even though they had only seen each other intermittently.
“Well, I could do with a capable man I can trust, now we’re doing well. With help I can now spend more time with you and this special little man of ours.”
The baby gave his father a slobbering smile, as if he understood what was being said. She was never sure exactly how much he could understand, even though he was a smart baby who had walked at eleven months.
Her mother’s heart swelled with pride every time she looked at their baby. It had been sweet of Zane to let her name their first born after her father. He was like that, though. A kindly, considerate and loving husband, who always put her needs above his own.
Through sheer hard work and determination, the ranch was successful. He had even made time to turn the loft area into two bedrooms, not to mention building a one room cabin for Rusty so he would have his independence. She hoped Rusty would have most of his meals with them. The sheriff had offered his old friend work from time to time. Nothing dangerous, he had assured them.
“Rusty.” She dashed over to him as he dismounted in the front yard. “Finally, you got here.” She hugged him.
“What a welcome. If I’d known I was going to have a pretty woman throwing herself at me, I might have come sooner.”
Zane stepped up, grinning. “Sorry, she’s well and truly taken.”
“Come and have a look at little Richard and tell me whether you think he looks like my father.”
Rusty and Zane shook hands. “Welcome, I’ve got your cabin ready.”
“I could have bunked in the barn.”
“You could not,” Jasmine said. “You’re having your meals with us, too, and no arguments.”
“Okay, okay.” Rusty laughed, but there was sadness clouding his eyes. They lit up on seeing the baby. He whipped him out of Zane’s arms and held him up and inspected him carefully. “You do favor your grandfather, young man. You’ve got his eyes, your father’s hair, though.”
Richard, who normally disliked anyone except his mother and father holding him, made no complaint about this stranger. Young and all as he was, perhaps he sensed that here was a good man.
The End
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Author Links
Margaret’s Website:
http://www.margarettanner.com
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http://amazon.com/author/margarettanner
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About the Author:
Margaret Tanner is an award winning, bestselling Australian author, who mainly writes Historical Romance and Historical Western Romance. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her novels. No internet site is too boring, no book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty.
Her love of Westerns came about because of the movies and TV shows of her childhood. Some of her favorites were Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wagon Train, and Little House on The Prairie.
Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors. She once spent a couple of hours in an old prison cell so she could feel the chilling cold and fear.
Apart from her family and friends, writing is her passion.
Margaret is married with three grown up sons and two gorgeous little granddaughters.
Other Books by Margaret
Historical Western Romance
Emmie’s Wish
Rejected Bride
Deceived Mail-Order Bride
A Bride for Mitchell – Proxy Bride Series.
A Husband for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Bride)
A Niece for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Bride)
An Unwanted Bride for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Bride)
Rescuing Cain (Christmas Rescue series)
Rescuing the Captain (Christmas Rescue series)
Logan – Bachelors and Babies – Series - (Book 2)
Lily – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 1
Freddie – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 2
Alfie – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 3
Alex – Guilford Crossing Brides – Book 4
Edwina, Bride of Connecticut (American Mail-Order Brides Series)
Cowboy Christmas
The Sheriff’s Outcast Bride
The Cowboy and The Quaker
His Brother’s Wife
Gunslinger’s daughter
Jasmine's Journey Page 8