“That’s a lot of money,” Molly remarked.
“My pa will find it.” Archie speared his fork into a potato and deposited it into his mouth. “He has lots of men looking.”
“Perhaps I should search myself,” Lannigan said. “It would seem all those men are finding nothing.” His eyes landed on Robert.
“The origins of that lode are murky, Shep,” Robert said. “You know that. It takes a lot of time and patience. Where’s Winston?”
“He’s not here,” Bridget replied.
“Taking care of other business,” Lannigan said over Bridget’s words, shooting her an irritated frown.
Molly tensed, as much from Lannigan’s chastisement of his daughter as to knowing the business of which Lannigan spoke involved Jake.
“Such as?” Robert asked, his jaw set in a hard line.
“Thieves who won’t keep to their own claims.” Lannigan shifted so that Stella could place a plate filled with apple pie before him. “I’m certainly glad I don’t have to include you in that group.”
Robert chuckled. “If you’re talking about McKenna, he’s not in the hills. I just saw him in town.”
“You saw Jake?” Molly asked before she could stop herself.
Robert pinned her with a curious look and nodded.
At Lannigan’s grunt of contempt, Molly tore her gaze from Robert and her desperate need to interrogate him, and stared at Lannigan’s scowl of disgust.
Robert leaned back in his chair. “Why am I getting the feeling that Winston was with McKenna earlier today?”
“You did the right thing, breaking ties with that no-good upstart,” Lannigan said. “Our partnership will be far more profitable for you in the end.” He shifted his attention to Molly. “It’s best to avoid the likes of McKenna from now on.”
“I tried to tell you that,” Bridget added quietly.
Molly wanted to spit nails. She was getting damn tired of everyone telling her how awful Jake McKenna was.
Lannigan turned back to Robert. “After supper, meet me in my study.”
Robert nodded and dug into the plate of food Stella set before him.
The talk turned to other matters—the train depot Lannigan was lobbying to have built on his property, a women’s town meeting, and the struggle between three counties to claim Creede as its own.
Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding her reunion with Robert—and her worry over Jake—Molly closed her eyes and sighed with blessed relief. Robert was alive and well. Thank the Lord for that.
Chapter Nine
Molly tossed aside the copy of Frankenstein that she’d been half-heartedly reading and leapt from the bed at the sound of a soft tap on the door. It was Robert.
She beamed and let him inside, squeezing his hand. She released him and shut the door, and then sat upon the sofa at the foot of the bed. He settled beside her.
“I’m sorry about the mix-up and not being here when you arrived,” Robert said.
“I’ve been a bit terrified for you.” She kept her voice low. “What’s going on?”
Robert rested against the sofa, his body sagging with a sudden release of tension. He still wore the crisp, white shirt from earlier although the vest hung open and the collar was unbuttoned. “It’s nothing.”
“Why do I now own a mining claim with Jake McKenna?”
Robert sobered. “Sorry about that. I’m just trying to keep everyone in check.”
“Don’t you trust him anymore? I thought he was your friend.”
“He is.” Robert exhaled heavily. “I guess being with Lannigan has made me paranoid.”
“You do know that I was with Jake earlier today, when Winston took us hostage?”
Robert’s face hardened. “Hostage? Jake neglected to mention that.” He muttered an obscenity.
“I’m fine, but I was forced to leave Jake and a man named Pedro Elizondo with him. You said you saw Jake? He’s well?”
“Yeah. You don’t have to worry about McKenna. He can take care of himself.”
Molly quieted, clamping down on her desire to know more about the man. She changed the subject. “Are you in love with Bridget Lannigan? Her father has you all but engaged.”
Robert looked away. “I thought I was. I’m beginning to think it was all just a silly game.”
Molly reached out to touch his shoulder. “I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat and removed her hand. “So now what? I’m scheduled to return home in a fortnight. Do you want me to transfer the Chigger back to you? I should mention that the claim document I took from you is no longer in my possession. My guess is that Winston searched my bag and took it. He probably gave it to Lannigan.”
Robert went silent, then finally said, “Jake thinks someone in the claims office is helping Lannigan jump them. It may not matter that your name was on it, if he steals it.” Robert shook his head in frustration. “Jake plans to go back to the claim and get a better handle on it. You don’t need to worry anymore. We’ll take care of it.”
“I should go with him.”
Robert raised an eyebrow and looked at her as if she were a two-headed rooster.
“I’m half-owner,” she said, defending herself.
“You don’t know anything about prospecting.”
“How hard can it be? You climb around in the hills and search for gold, right? Or do you pan in the streams?”
Robert ran a hand across his face, clearly exasperated. “Something like that. But we rarely find gold. It’s silver everyone’s after.”
She nodded. “Got it. We’re searching for the shiny gray stuff.”
“You need samples to bring back to the assayer’s office. They melt the ore down and extract the metals. A good sample will give you an idea of what the vein might hold.”
“Bring back rocks. I can handle that.”
Robert sighed. “Molly, you’re not going anywhere.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t want to stay here.”
“Quit cussing.”
“Then can you at least help me move back to Zang’s?”
Robert leaned forward. “I know you don’t want to remain here, but I think you should for now. I plan to break from Lannigan, but not yet, and I won’t while you’re here.”
“Then let me go back to the hotel.”
“I’ll do it when you leave town. Maybe you should go back to Tucson tomorrow.”
“No!” The heated rebuttal hung in the air. She took a calming breath, brought her knees up, and hugged them. “I’ve come all this way to see you. I’m staying. Figure out what you need to do, and then we’ll both go. I came here to ask you to travel with me, Robbie. We could go to New York City. You know Mama and Papa would never let me venture there alone, but if you were with me, they’d probably say yes.”
Robert smiled. “You still have dreams of wanting to see the world? I really thought you’d outgrow that. You ought to think about getting married.”
Molly grimaced and shrugged. “There’s time enough for that.” She glanced at him. He was different now, certainly older, but the carefree sparkle in his eyes was gone. “I love you, Robert.”
He grinned and flicked a finger against her knee. “I love you too, Chigger.”
* * *
The next morning Bridget appeared at Molly’s door with a gift. She entered and laid a deep blue gown upon the bed.
“What’s this?” Molly asked.
“It’s for you. My pa is having a dinner party this evening, and I thought you’d look very lovely in this color.”
Molly’s heart sank. The gown was, by far, the fanciest she would ever have the opportunity to wear, but she didn’t want to spend the evening at a party. However, she plastered a grateful smile on her lips. She’d be the dutiful sister and play nice with her brother’s sweetheart and her family although from her conversation with Robert the previous night, it would seem that the courtship between he and Bridget might be coming to an end.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.�
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Bridget handed her a matching pair of velvet shoes. “Hopefully these will fit you. Stella can help you dress later.”
Molly nodded. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why does your father have armed men guarding the ranch?”
“It’s just for protection. Doesn’t it make you feel safer?”
“I suppose. What if I want to go into town? Am I a prisoner here?”
Bridget appeared affronted. “No. Would you like me to go with you?”
Not particularly. But that was rude, so Molly silently agreed.
Later that day, Molly and Bridget rode into Creede, accompanied by two of Lannigan’s men. Since Molly could hardly act on the real reason she had wanted to take the excursion—to see Jake McKenna and determine for herself that he was well—she had to settle on retrieving her remaining belongings from the hotel, followed by an amiable lunch with Bridget at a restaurant in Jimtown.
One thing did surprise her—it wasn’t an altogether unpleasant afternoon. Bridget Lannigan might not be the girl for her brother, but, against Molly’s better judgment, she was beginning to like the woman.
* * *
Jake entered the hotel and approached the clerk behind the counter, a young man with bright eyes and an efficient demeanor.
“I’m looking for one of your guests and was hoping she might be here,” Jake said.
The clerk watched him expectantly.
“Molly Rose Simms.” Jake rested a hand on the counter and glanced around the sparse lobby.
“Oh, you’ve just missed her. She was here with Miss Lannigan to retrieve her belongings. I would imagine she’s staying at Shepherd’s Pass. Perhaps you should look there.”
Jake’s gaze settled back on the boy. “I’m afraid you’re not much help.” He held little hope of Lannigan ever letting him on his property.
“I heard them speak of a party,” the clerk added.
Jake considered the information. “At Lannigan’s?”
“Yes. This evening. Perhaps you can catch up with her there.”
Jake nodded at the boy then stepped out of the hotel onto the bustling street. He’d held back from checking out the Chigger for only one reason—he wanted to see Molly Rose Simms again, and it bothered him that she might depart for home before he had a chance to return to town.
A social gathering at Lannigan’s ranch opened up possibilities. He needed to pay a visit to Henry and Esme Patterson.
* * *
Molly returned with Bridget to Shepherd’s Pass in the afternoon. As they handed off their mounts to the stable hand, Molly spied Archie. “Would it be alright if I had a look around?”
“I really need to have Stella work on my hair for the party,” Bridget replied.
“Maybe Archie can give me a tour.”
Bridget looked over her shoulder as her brother hauled water into a stall. “I suppose that would work,” she murmured under her breath then called her brother over. He appeared once his chore was complete. “Archie, can you show Miss Simms around the ranch?”
He hooked his thumbs into his suspenders and stared at his boots. “Yes, I certainly can,” he said, his voice quiet, almost bashful.
Bridget’s eyes caught Molly’s, and the entreaty was clear. Take care with my brother.
Molly gave a reassuring smile. “I won’t keep him long.”
Bridget left them. Molly untied the straw bonnet on her head and carried it in her hand as Archie showed her each and every stall in the massive barn.
“My pa likes to breed horses.”
“The animals seem strong and in fine form.”
Archie’s gaze swiveled toward her then slid back to his boots. “Do you know about horses?”
“A little. But I grew up in town. My pa ran a flour mill. You’re very lucky to live out here.”
“I am. I am lucky.” His head bobbed up and down.
Molly couldn’t help but smile. There was something sweet and innocent about Archie Lannigan. She hoped that his pa treated him well. She had sensed Bridget’s protectiveness, and it further warmed her heart in regard to the woman.
“You’re fortunate to have Bridget,” Molly said. “I can tell she loves you very much.”
Archie stopped outside a stall and gripped the railing of the gate. Beyond was a magnificent jet-black steed munching on hay, his tail flicking in a steady repetition, back and forth. “Do you have a sister?”
“I do. She’s about the same age as you. Her name is Evie.”
“Do you love her?”
Molly laughed. “Yes, of course, but she borrows my dresses and hair ties without asking, so we fight sometimes.”
A grin tugged at Archie’s mouth. “Bridget and I don’t share dresses.”
“That’s good.”
He laughed, a bit too loud, but his enjoyment was infectious.
“My sister is very smart,” Molly continued, “especially at arithmetic. She wants to study astronomy.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s the investigation of the stars in the sky.”
“That seems a strange thing to learn about.”
Molly rested against the stall gate. “It is, I suppose, but there is so much beauty in the world. It’s up to people to see it and share it with others.”
“I like animals,” Archie said, watching the horse.
“I bet you’re very good with them.”
“They make me happy.” Archie leaned forward, grasping the gate with both hands. “Don’t tell my pa, but sometimes I sneak out. I want to see the animals. Sometimes they’re hurt, and I help them.”
Concern swelled in Molly’s chest. “You should be careful, Archie. Wild animals can lash out sometimes. You could get injured.”
He shook his head, his attention on the stallion enjoying a respite. “I know how to do it.”
“How to do what?”
“How to approach animals. I can hear them.”
“So you climb over the ranch’s fencing in the middle of the night?”
He peeked up at her. “No. I have a key to the padlock.”
* * *
Jake knotted the dark tie at his neck and put on the black jacket. He didn’t usually dress this fancy in Creede, but a party at Lannigan’s merited it. He’d bathed and shaved and combed his hair. He had a strong need to look presentable, and it had nothing to do with Lannigan or any of the other men who would be in attendance.
Molly Rose will be there.
He exited his cabin and walked to Fernando. The horse waited at the hitching post, the livery boy having delivered the animal, saddled and ready. Jake mounted and headed south toward Jimtown.
He passed through downtown—Kinneavy’s Saloon already bustling with customers—then navigated the business district. He finally approached a two-story home as a couple emerged, headed to a carriage hitched to a single horse.
Henry Patterson waved. “You want to ride with us, Jake?”
“No thanks. I’ll be fine.” He tipped his hat at Henry’s wife. “Esme, you look lovely as ever this evening.”
She laughed, the lines on her face deepening. “You’re such a charmer, Jake.”
The Patterson’s were his way onto Lannigan’s property, and it was one more debt he owed Henry. The elderly man had befriended him just after Jake had come to town, and it was Henry who’d grubstaked Jake’s first foray into the mountains. Henry and Esme had become like family, even going as far as trying to find a suitable wife for him, which he had successfully evaded at every turn. Until now.
Esme had watched him with a shrewd gaze when he’d described Miss Simms and her arrival into town to visit Robert. With a gleam in her eye, she’d prodded Henry until her husband had insisted Jake accompany them to Lannigan’s ranch that evening. She wanted to meet the girl herself. Jake knew matrimony was on her mind, but subjecting himself to some matchmaking was a small concession if it got him near Molly.
Henry helped his wife into the
carriage then looked at Jake. “I sure hope Lannigan doesn’t throw you out on your very charming backside.”
“I plan to stick close to Esme. She’s my insurance plan.” Jake turned serious. “I appreciate you letting me tag along, Henry.”
The stout old man grunted. “A lot of us tolerate Lannigan because we don’t have a choice, but I’m also of the mind that you don’t poke the bear, and you’ve done more than your share of that.” Henry shook his head. “You’re here because of Esme. She’s determined to see you enjoying wedded bliss. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Esme leaned out the carriage window. “I’ve never kept my matchmaking intentions a secret.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jake said.
Henry watched Jake as if he’d lost his mind then shook his head in resignation.
Jake moved his horse closer to the carriage window. “I owe you a kiss, Esme, for letting me accompany you both this evening.”
Esme tittered and waved the lace kerchief in her hand. “I’ll collect.”
“Like hell,” Henry grumbled, seating himself on the bench beside her. “How old are you, Esme? A hundred now?”
“I’m too old to still be married to you.”
Jake suppressed a grin.
“She was always a tart,” Henry added, donning a hat over the shock of gray hair that covered his head. “That’s why I married her.”
Jake smiled in acknowledgment, but the gesture went flat as thoughts of Henry’s health crept in.
Henry was well over seventy years old, and even though he still went into the mountains with the surveyor to assess claims, Jake worried that he didn’t have the stamina to keep up the pace of his life. What if he fell ill from overexerting himself?
Henry represented investors from as far away as New York City while also bankrolling from his own funds. He’d arranged the sale of three of Robert and Jake’s most promising claims—the Lucky Dog, the Arabian, and the Sit Down. He would likely have been involved with the Shanghai if Jake hadn’t lost it.
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