She waved her arm over the room. "They tossed my dishes in the fire, scattered my food, and they took knives to my clothes and bedding. They even broke my mother's teapot and sliced up her portrait."
Shocked, he stared at her. "Where were you during all this?"
"Hiding under the bed like a cornered animal." She pointed to her cheek. "That's how I got this. My face was pressed against the chamber pot and I couldn't move." Her voice caught and her chin wavered. "Because I was scared they would hear me."
"Oh, Katie," he murmured, cursing his own stupidity. How could he be the man she needed when at the first sign of trouble he'd tucked tail and run, to the saloon no less?
"I had my father's rifle with me, but I was too scared to use it." She sank to the hearth and lowered her head in her hands. "If I hadn't been such a coward, I could have protected my property. My home."
Jake knelt before her and pulled her against his chest, cradling her in the protective circle of his arms. While he was grateful she'd done nothing and kept out of sight, he knew the regret she felt would stick with her for a while. Perhaps, like himself, forever.
Twenty-one years ago, when he'd been ten, he'd hidden while his mother, father, and two younger brothers had been shot and killed by two ruthless men bent on revenge. He'd stayed hidden while the murderers had ransacked his home and stolen everything worth anything, including his father's horses. He'd lived every day since wishing he'd done something to stop them instead of merely watching them disappear over the hillside beyond his house.
Knowing nothing he said would convince Kate she'd done the right thing in hiding instead of challenging two brutal men like Cyrus and Murray, he settled for holding her tighter.
"I'm glad you're safe," he whispered.
"I'm glad you're here," she whispered in return.
A sudden rush of emotion washed over him. He'd felt horrible about what he'd said to her outside the livery, but too many words and weeks had passed since then, leaving him with a feeling of hopelessness. Until now.
"I'm sorry, Kate."
He felt her back arch against his arm and looked down to see her staring at him with obvious bewilderment. "For what?"
"For everything I've said and done that caused you pain."
"I'm sorry too." She splayed her fingers and rested them on his chest. "I ignored you, and my own intuition, and because of that I nearly lost the one thing I care about most in this world."
Jake didn't have the courage to ask if she meant her claim, or him.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Confrontation
Kate rode into town with Jake by her side and a fury burning within. They headed for the mercantile first; they'd already decided on the need to buy more food supplies, and reasoned they wouldn't want to make the stop after confronting Theodore with his actions.
As they walked the aisles and gave Albert the long list of replenishments, Jake looked as tense as she felt. Neither said a word as they loaded up Old Dan and Nickel. When Jake finished, he dug into his saddlebag and brought out his leather holster.
It wasn't empty.
Kate tightened the final strap on her saddlebags, then looked up to see Murray ambling by as if he didn't have a care in the world. As if he hadn't stomped, slit, or shattered almost every possession she held dear.
Kate stepped into the street. "Murray!" she shouted, pointing her finger at the man when he turned in startled surprise. "I'd like a word with you."
The man's lips stretched into a sneer. "I'd like more than that with you, but we can start with talkin'."
Jake appeared beside her and she took comfort in seeing he'd tied down his holster.
"I heard you came into some money," Jake said, coolly removing his hat and hooking the brim over his saddle horn.
"I hired out for a few odd jobs. What's it to you?"
Though Kate wanted to save her anger and energy for the coming argument with Theodore, there was no way she was going to let this man terrorize her ever again. "You aren't a thorough worker. Otherwise, you would have taken two extra seconds and checked under the bed before you broke up my house."
Murray's bravado faded fast. "I don't want any trouble. From either of you."
"Too late," Jake said. "You're nothing more than a woman-groping lackey who does Theo's dirty work for him. Others in this town might think you deserved a second chance, but I don't."
Murray opened his mouth as if to protest, but the rage on Jake's face kept him quiet.
"You or Cyrus ever set foot on my land again, I'll use my rifle." Kate cocked her head and flashed a cold smile. "And I don't miss."
"Neither do I," Jake added, shifting his stance so his palm draped over the handle of his pistol.
Murray swiped at sudden sweat dotting his forehead and upper lip.
"How about you run a little errand for us?" Jake's tone revealed it was more an order than suggestion. "Go find Theo and tell him we're aiming to have some words with him."
"Tell him yourself," Murray said, pointing over Jake's shoulder before scurrying into the shadows like a cur dog hiding from his master.
Kate spun to see Theodore headed their way with George LeBreton and another impeccably dressed man she didn't recognize walking on either side of him.
"Good afternoon, Kate." Theodore eyed Jake, then the bags of flour and sugar strapped behind Old Dan's saddle. "I see you're in town for supplies. I do hope you'll pay me a visit before you leave." His bright smile betrayed none of his recent actions.
Kate's jaw tightened at his audacity. She hadn't crossed thousands of desolate miles—losing her family along the way—only to be oppressed by a sadistic hotel baron who didn't know when to quit. After giving a genteel nod to George and the other man, Kate settled her gaze on Theodore.
"You've got some nerve, smiling at me after threatening me with jail to try to influence marriage, and then laying your hands on me."
Kate felt Jake's hand settle on her back and was reassured by his presence.
"Well now." Theodore's voice boomed across the street and two passing men stopped walking. "That's quite an imagination—and some wild accusations—you've got there, young lady."
"I say the lady speaks the truth," Jake said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
Theodore sneered at Jake "Your word means nothing."
George stepped forward, frowning. "Jake Fitzpatrick is a lot of things, but I've never known him to be a liar."
Theodore shook his head. "He's a liar and this woman is nothing but a squatter speaking lies about me, one of the most respected businessmen in the entire Oregon Territory."
Kate rolled up her sleeve and held out her forearm to George and the well-dressed stranger, and then Travers, who'd joined the gathering. "Would a respected businessman grab a woman so hard that three days later I still have the bruise to show for it?"
"More lies," Theodore responded smoothly. "I don't know what you think happened that night, but that was definitely not what occurred."
Kate looked around; their loud arguing had drawn quite a crowd of curious onlookers, which did nothing to dissuade her from making her final point. "And when I told you I didn't want to marry you, instead of taking no for an answer, you hired those two ruffians to break up my house. How dare you!"
"This is preposterous." Theodore puffed out his chest, his face an expression of indignant astonishment. "I'll thank you to take your unproven accusations elsewhere."
"She's got proof," Jake said quietly.
Murmurs and gasps rippled through the surrounding crowd.
"She's got nothing." Theodore flicked his hand in the air as if dismissing an errant servant.
"Next time you convince others to do your dirty work,” Kate said, “remind them to first check if anyone is hiding under the bed. Murray and Cyrus ran their mouths about why they were hired, and I heard it all."
Guffaws and hoots erupted from the men and George took a wide step sideways, distancing himself from Theodore.
Theodore's cheeks and lips whitened, but instead of acknowledging his actions, he dug in further. "She's an outlandish woman bent on revenge, and you all should know better than to believe her allegations."
"Gentlemen," Jake said, spinning to address the crowd, which was now three men thick. "You've been told the truth here today. Theodore Martin cannot be trusted, and now that you know what he's capable of, you can decide whether to do business with him."
"Enough!" Theodore roared, his eyes wide with panic and rage. "I'll not stand here and be insulted by the likes of a saddle tramp and a brazen hussy who travels unescorted in town and beyond with no concern for her reputation."
Kate gasped and Travers clasped his hand on Jake's shoulder, convincing him to stay put even as Theodore took several quick steps backward, stopping just out of Jake's reach.
"Hey now!" shouted a man from the edge of the gathered circle. "I don't much care if she's a brazen hussy or not, but is that true what he says about her being a squatter?"
Kate turned to the direction of the voice, inhaled a long, shaky breath, and then did her best to speak with confidence.
"I'm not a squatter. My father contracted the deed from a man in Virginia and he intended to make the claim our home, but he and my brother died on the trail, leaving me as the sole owner of the deed. Jim from the Champoeg land office and Claude from this town's land office have both confirmed my deed as valid, and Article One of the Land Claims law allows me to legally make the claim my own. Which is what I intend to do, like the rest of you, by proving it up in six months' time."
"All right men, she's had her say." Kate recognized the voice of Albert Wilson, owner of the mercantile. "Let's move it along now."
While the crowd slowly dispersed, their chatter amongst themselves guaranteeing the rest of the town would hear of the Theodore's exploits, Theodore charged forward and slammed his fist into the side of Jake's jaw.
Jake stumbled, then fell to the ground.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Two Competing Barrels
Jake rolled onto his back, sat up, and stared at Theo while he wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Sighting blood, he grinned.
"Let's get to it then," he said, shrugging out of his coat and rising to his feet in anticipation of a lengthy battle he'd waited years to fight.
Theo's raised fists shook wildly and he stared at Jake with panicked, bulging eyes. A childlike scream of terror filled the air as Theo spun around, clawed his way through the crowd, and ran down the empty street.
"The mark of a true coward," Jake muttered, shaking his head in disgust. "He retreats." Retrieving his coat from the dirt, he looked to Kate, who bore a similar expression of revulsion at Theo's antics. "Ready to go home?" he asked, bending his elbow at a jaunty angle that beckoned her close.
She obliged by sliding her arm through his, and together they returned to their waiting horses, mounted up, and rode out of town. About half a mile later, Kate broke the silence.
"What's going to happen to Theodore?"
"I'd say he's about to get what's coming to him. Men out west might be wild, but there's still things they won't tolerate, and laying a hand on a woman is top on the list. After the rest of the townspeople hear of that—and everything else he's done—he'll have a tough time maintaining the reputation he's created for himself. I doubt he'll be too welcome at the next meeting of the Provisional Government. Influential men of the territory won't appreciate how he tried to manipulate others for his own benefit."
Kate grimaced. "What about the men who will think I manipulated the land office and claims law for my own benefit?"
"After the outstanding speech you gave to nearly half the town, I'd say your troubles with keeping your claim are over."
Kate lurched forward in her saddle as Old Dan stumbled and nearly went down on one knee.
"Whoa," she said, giving him his head as he recovered his balance.
"He all right?" Jake questioned.
"I think so," Kate replied. "He probably stepped in a hole or twisted his hoof on a stick. He's walking without any trouble now, so I think we should keep going."
Five minutes later, Old Dan began limping. Kate dismounted, then squatted to run her nimble fingers over the horse's front fetlocks.
"He's fine," Kate declared, breathing an obvious sigh of relief. "He's just thrown a shoe. I heard something land in a shrub about twenty yards ago; that must have been where he lost it. I'll fetch it and be right back."
She was gone around a bend in their back trail before he could open his mouth to protest. Jake chuckled as he leaned to his right and took Old Dan's reins in hand to prevent the horse from following his spirited, impulsive owner.
A rustle in the bushes on his left made Jake turn. To his disbelief, Theo stood at the edge of the trail, holding a pistol leveled squarely at the center of Jake's chest.
He slowly slid Old Dan's reins into his left palm and then inched his right hand toward the holster still tied to his leg.
"Keep your hands where I can see them," Theo said, his calm voice at odds with his mottled cheeks and the veins protruding from his neck. His gaze settled on Old Dan and the empty saddle on his back. "Where's Kate?"
"Not here," Jake answered, glad she knew well enough to hide and stay out of harm's way.
"Where is she?" Theo shouted. "That's her horse so I know she's close!"
"She stayed in town to shop for more supplies." Jake shifted his weight in the saddle, subtly preparing to jump should the opportunity arise. Long ago his father had taught him when it came to fights—be it with guns or fists—timing was the key to winning.
"Put down the gun, Theo. You've already lost your reputation. Kill me, and you'll lose your freedom too."
Theo pressed his left palm against his eye that had begun twitching. To Jake's dismay, his right hand never wavered in its aim.
"Why'd you tell Kate the secret to making a claim?" Jake asked, hoping to anger Theo into distraction. "If you'd have kept your mouth shut, she'd never have known it was possible, and she'd probably still be in your hotel."
Jake thought he heard soft footsteps approaching on his right side, then stop. It was all he could do not to turn.
"I told her so she'd respect the knowledge and power I wield." Theo snorted, then brought his left hand to join his right in gripping the gun's handle. "I never thought she'd actually follow through with wanting to live alone in squalor."
Recalling the times he'd seen Theo hiding papers in his desk drawer within seconds of anyone entering the hotel lobby, Jake took an intuitive risk. "And the land deed fraud?"
Theo's jaw went slack. "How did you know?"
Jake deftly dodged the question. "It's a brilliant scheme, except for the one problem you're too stupid to have foreseen."
"What?" Theo snarled.
"All the people you've defrauded are going to start pouring into Oregon Territory. Others are bound to figure out your role in the rush of forged deeds." Jake raised his brows. "When that happens, the law will be the least of your worries."
"Tough talk for a man on the wrong side of a gun."
Jake was convinced he'd heard scuffling in the shadowed woods to his right, but Theo was too consumed with boasting to notice.
"No one will know what I've done, because nothing can be traced back to me." Theo eyed him with contempt. "With power and money you can hire others to do your bidding—something you'll never experience."
"How'd you get the deeds back east?" Jake asked, noting how bragging brought a wobble to Theo's aim.
"Tom Baker was a rich man looking for adventure, so he came out here for a few years. When he was ready to go back east I simply convinced him to buy all the deeds I'd spent a year creating. After he carried them across the trail, he was free to recoup his investment by selling them to unsuspecting buyers at double what he'd paid me."
Finally Jake understood. He'd always wondered why only one of Elijah's deeds had been forged. Baker had sold him a fake
along with his own real claim.
Theo's grin turned bitter. "It seems I've finally found a good use for my painstaking attention to detail. Another batch will head east next spring once I find an investor rich enough to purchase them from me."
"It's over, Theo. I figured it out. Others soon will too."
"Your death will buy me the time I need to cover my tracks." Theo closed one eye and stared down the barrel of his pistol.
Jake gave up on subtlety and whisked his pistol from the holster.
"Now we're even," he declared, lining up the end of the barrel with the center of Theo's forehead. "Even a gambler like you knows when he's licked, and we both know I've got a whole lot more experience at pulling a trigger. Drop your gun and step away."
Crack!
Old Dan—always fearful of sudden, sharp noises—shied backward, pulling his reins from Jake's grip.
Theo's gasp of horror made Jake twist in his saddle, then groan at what he saw.
Chapter Sixty
Again
Kate felt a stick snap in half beneath her foot and cringed as Old Dan skittered off, revealing her hiding position. Knife clenched in her right hand, she froze.
Theodore did not.
Keeping both his gun and his gaze on Jake, still perched in his saddle, he walked a wide path around Nickel's head, stopping less than a foot in front of her.
"I heard it all," she declared, jutting her chin in the air in defiance of the man responsible for deceiving her father. "I'm telling everyone."
"I think not," Theodore said, then snatched her arm and yanked her against his side. Fighting his strength earned her a slap across the cheek with the gun barrel that made her see stars.
"See this, Jake?" Theodore taunted, positioning her between himself and the barrel of Jake's gun. "What are you going to do, shoot her?"
"No," Jake said. "Just you."
Her bruised cheek burned from Theodore's strike, but she ground her boot heel into his toes anyway, furious at what she'd suffered at the hands of this man.
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