Nate's Destiny

by Shirleen Davies

  “You tired? Why don’t you take a nap while I start dinner?”

  “Nae. I’d feel awful if Caleb walked in and saw me sleeping.”

  “Nonsense. He’d rather have you getting rest than pushing yourself.” Standing, Geneen held out her hand. “Come on. I’ll help you up.”

  “I’m not a lazy oaf, Geneen.”

  Laughing, she continued to hold out her hand. “Of course you aren’t. Now, take my hand.”

  When they were both standing, Geneen stilled. “Wait. What do you hear?”

  “Nothing.”

  Dashing to the window, they looked out to see clear skies, the wet dirt beginning to dry.

  “I didn’t hear it stop. I’ll go see if the men need any help.” Geneen got a couple steps before she stopped. “First, I should see to dinner.”

  “Nae, you go. I’ll warm the food. Tell the lads to come in when they’re ready.”

  “That’s it, Geneen. Keep going.” Nate encouraged her from where he and Caleb stood outside the corral. “You almost have him.”

  Geneen stayed focused, doing everything she remembered from the lessons Blaine and Fletcher gave her at Circle M. With all their words of praise, they’d never let her break a horse on her own.

  “That’s it, lass. You’re doing grand.” Heather waved her hand in the air from her spot a few feet from Caleb.

  “She’s going to do it, Heather.” Caleb kissed her, then turned his attention back to Geneen.

  Nate jumped on the lowest rail of the corral, resting his arms on top. “A little more and he’s yours, sweetheart.” A huge smile broke across his face when the gelding began to settle. “A little more. Just a little more.”

  Caleb let out a loud whoop when the gelding snorted, danced a few more times, snorted again, then gave in to the inevitable.

  “You’ve done it, Geneen. Now, walk him around the corral, let him get used to your weight.” Nate turned to Caleb. “She did it.”

  “I always knew she could. Ewan wouldn’t allow Blaine and Fletcher to let her on a horse they hadn’t already calmed.” Caleb wrapped an arm around Heather, both watching Geneen guide the horse in a large circle.

  After a few minutes, Nate opened the gate, moving with measured, slow steps toward Geneen. He whispered to the horse, reaching out to stroke the animal’s neck when Geneen stopped.

  “You did great. Go ahead and get down. I’ll take him to the barn and cool him down.” Taking the reins, Nate watched her slide to the ground, his eyes showing the pride he felt.

  “I’ll come with you.” She walked next to him, stopping at the sound of approaching horses. “It’s Blaine and Bay. They weren’t gone long.”

  “There were just the two ranches to visit. With luck, their meetings went well. You go meet them. I’ll take care of the horse.”

  She ran through the open gate, closing it behind her. Caleb and Heather were already by their side, throwing questions at them.

  “Bay did a fine job explaining about the three lads and their lies.” Blaine slapped Bay on the back.

  “Did they agree to the original terms?” Caleb asked.

  Bay nodded. “They did. Once we told them the three men would no longer be a problem, they signed the initial agreement. Now I have to draw up final contracts and it will all be settled.”

  “Which means we’ll be making a visit to the lads before they leave town.” Blaine looked at Bay and Caleb. “They need to be understanding they’ve no more hand to play. They’ll be returning to their bosses defeated, and no longer welcome in Settlers Valley.”

  Caleb turned to look at Heather. “We need to ride into town right away and deliver the message.”

  “Before they’re over the effects of Dahlia’s meal,” Bay added.

  Blaine nodded. “Aye. They’ll be more receptive in their current condition.”

  Heather squeezed Caleb’s arm. “Well, get on with you then. By the time you return, Geneen and I will have supper waiting.”

  Settlers Valley

  “Hey,” the leader of the three groaned, feeling himself being lifted by the collar. “Let me be.” His voice hissed out, his hands clutching his stomach. “You’ve no business with us.”

  “Ach, that’s not true, laddie. We’re the most important people you’ll be seeing in this part of the country. What’s your name?”

  Sending Blaine a blurry-eyed stare, he shook his head. “My name’s not your business. What do you want?”

  Bay and Caleb held the other two in a similar way, their captives moaning, bending at the waist. Nate rested his shoulder against the doorframe, watching.

  Blaine shook the one in his grip. “You’ve been threatening ranchers with nonsense about their land. You’ll no longer be welcome on their properties. They’ve signed contracts—binding contracts, which no court in the land will contradict.” The man looked up at him, his eyes glassy and remote. “When you can ride, you’ll be saddling your horses and leaving town, never to return to Settlers Valley. If we see you here again, you’ll be needing more than horses to leave a second time.” Dropping him back to the mattress, Blaine leaned down. “Are we in agreement?”

  The man nodded, then rolled to his side, his body shaking. Bay and Caleb dropped their men in the same fashion, turning to leave.

  “Ach, I almost forgot.” Blaine grabbed a handful of money from the dresser, counting it out. “I’ll be paying Mrs. Keach in advance.” He shook the coins in his hand. “You’ll not be taking advantage of such a lovely woman.”

  Blaine followed the others into the hall, halting when the leader called out.

  “Who are you?”

  He turned. “Blaine. Blaine MacLaren.”

  “You’ll send someone to fetch me if they give you any problems, right?” Nate stood before Dahlia, seeing the hard set of her jaw.

  “Young man, I’ll have you know I can take care of myself. Besides, Mr. Dye has been keeping watch on those three ruffians. Twice he’s had to convince them to stay in their room.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “He’s at some meeting with Marcus Kamm and a few other businessmen at the church. You might want to stop by there before you leave town, Mr. Hollis. They may want a word with you.”

  Nate could hear chuckles behind him, knowing Caleb, Blaine, and Bay had heard the suggestion.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Keach. I just might do that.”

  Walking to their horses, the others refused to ride to the ranch. They followed behind Nate as he made the short ride to the church. Not content to wait outside, they followed him in, removing their hats as they entered.

  At the sound of boots stomping down the aisle, Marcus and the others turned. “Ah, there’s Nate now. Come on up and join us. You, too, fellas.” He waved his arm, motioning for them all to take seats.

  “What’s this about, Marcus?” Nate noted the others in attendance, including Colt.

  “Well now, we’ve been discussing how we need a new sheriff and who we might select. Seems there’s just one man in Settlers Valley who meets all the qualifications. Colt has been filling us in on your work in Texas and Conviction. It’s pretty impressive.”

  The reverend stepped forward. “What Marcus is trying to say is we’d like you to be our sheriff, Nate. You’d get a decent wage, a room and meals at Mrs. Keach’s place, and free board for your horse at Marcus’s livery.”

  “And free whiskey at the Lucky Lady.” Nate looked down a pew at the bartender. “I tend the bar…and own the place.”

  Marcus stood, locking his gaze on him. “What do you say, Nate? Everyone in town feels the same about you taking the job.”

  “What about my work for you?”

  Marcus shrugged. “We don’t have a lot of troublemakers in town. I figure you can help me out when things are slow.”

  Nate glanced at Colt, who nodded, then behind him at his friends. The smiles on their faces told him all he needed to know. Taking a breath, he blew it out.

  “Well, gentlemen, I’d be honored t
o be your sheriff. When do you want me to start?”

  Highlander Ranch

  “Why didn’t you take the job, Colt? You’re more qualified than me.” Nate looked across the supper table, his hand resting on Geneen’s knee.

  An easy grin appeared on his face. “I already told you. As lovely as Settlers Valley is, I need a little more going on. Besides, I’ve already got a job.”

  “You’ll be riding back to Texas?” Caleb forked another mouthful of beef.

  “I’m taking a little time off. I thought I’d ride to Conviction, maybe head over to San Francisco for a spell. See some of the sights before returning to Texas.”

  “I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. You can ride with me.”

  Colt nodded at Bay. “I believe I’ll do that.”

  Geneen felt a wave of sadness. Colt and Bay would be leaving. Nate’s job meant he’d be living at the boardinghouse. Being the only lawman, he wouldn’t be able to spend many weekends at the ranch. She had the sick feeling of losing him all over again.

  Conversations continued with glasses raised to Circle M expanding and Nate’s new job. She and Heather served dessert and coffee, but Geneen couldn’t feel the enthusiasm she knew she should. She loved Nate with all her heart. The new job might make all her dreams fall away as they had when he’d ridden away all those months ago.

  “If no one minds, I’d like to go for a walk with Geneen.” He didn’t wait for them to respond before grabbing her hand and helping her up. “It’s cold out tonight. We’d better get our coats.”

  Slipping into hers, she remained silent. Their other walks had been fun, memories she etched in her mind. It frightened her to think tonight’s would be different.

  He intertwined their fingers as they walked down the porch steps. “Do you mind going back to the river?”

  “No. I love it there.”

  They didn’t speak as they made their way along the trail to the fallen log. The moon wasn’t as full and clouds hung low in the sky, making it harder for their eyes to adjust. She followed his lead, stopping when he pointed out the log.

  Sitting down, he didn’t let go of her hand, holding it in his lap as he stared out over the water.

  Geneen shifted on the log, clearing her throat. “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you on the new job. You’ll make a wonderful sheriff, Nate.” She squeezed his hand, hoping he didn’t hear the tremble in her voice.

  “Thank you. I wasn’t certain I’d take it until the reverend offered it to me. The moment he said the words, I knew it was what I wanted.”

  Biting her lower lip, she nodded. Pushing aside her hesitancy, she looked up into his face. “I suppose you’ll be staying in town most of the time. I mean, being the only lawman, it will be hard to come to the ranch at nights and on weekends.”

  His features softened. “Nope. When the others left the church, I stayed behind for a few minutes to talk with Marcus and the reverend. I told them I’d be living at the ranch, only using the room at Mrs. Keach’s when I had to. I let them know my future wife worked on the ranch and I had no intention of spending my nights away from her.”

  Geneen’s breath caught, a startled gasp escaping her lips. Blinking to stall the sudden moisture in her eyes, she held his gaze. “Your future wife?”

  “I figured you wouldn’t want to live in town, and I’m definitely not sleeping alone. What do you say, Geneen. I love you. Are you willing to give a battered ex-soldier a chance by marrying him?”

  Placing a hand over her mouth, she did her best to stop a sob from escaping.

  “Are you all right, sweetheart?”

  Nodding, she took a deep breath, settling the fluttering in her stomach.

  “Marry me, Geneen. You won’t regret it.”

  Bursting into a combination of tears and laughter, she nodded. “I love you so much, Nate. Yes. I’ll marry you.”

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later…

  Circle M Ranch

  A large group of MacLarens stood together, enjoying the clear, chilly day. Nate kept his arm around Geneen, unwilling to let his new bride even be a few feet away. He still couldn’t quite believe she’d agreed to marry him. The one woman who had enough faith to stand by him and not give up when others would’ve walked away.

  Once Geneen’s letter reached the aunts, telling of their betrothal, plans were quickly arranged for their wedding to coincide with Heather’s trip to see Doctor Tilden. The haste hadn’t bothered Nate. He wanted her as his wife as soon as possible, and having the wedding at Circle M pleased everyone. It also gave them a chance to see Sean once more before he left for Edinburgh.

  “Are you certain you’re ready, lad? Scotland is a long way from the ranch.” Fletcher settled an arm over Sean’s shoulders.

  Although a few inches shorter than most men in the family, quiet, with a lean build, no one could mistake Sean’s features as anything other than a MacLaren. He smiled, affably shrugging off his cousin’s arm.

  “Aye. It’s what I’ve wanted for years.”

  His younger sister, Bridget, threaded her arm through his. “You know we’ll be missing you.”

  Sean kissed her cheek. “And I’ll be missing you, lassie.” Looking up, he glanced around the large circle of family. They were his entire world, and he was about to leave them behind for a future he still couldn’t define. “I’ll be missing all of you.” His soft voice fractured a little.

  “I’m still not understanding why you need to cross an ocean for education when you’re already the finest veterinarian for hundreds of miles.” His mother, Gail, leaned against her husband’s side.

  “Now, Gail. You’ll not be making the lad feel bad about leaving. He wants the formal education, and no matter the distance, he’s going to fulfill his dream.” Ian’s features remained passive, the moisture in his eyes revealing his inner feelings. “We’re all proud of you, laddie.”

  Holding up his glass, Sean cleared his throat. “This isn’t a day for sorrow. It’s a day for celebrating the marriage of Nate and Geneen, and the coming wee bairn.”

  Lifting their glasses, they acknowledged Sean’s sentiments. Glancing around the group, Colin cocked his head at his brother, Camden.

  “Where’s Blaine?”

  Nate looked at Geneen. He knew she and Blaine had a brief conversation after the ceremony. Not long after, he’d ridden toward town.

  “He had some business in Conviction.” Geneen took a sip of punch, mindful of the surprised expressions.

  “The lad rode off on your wedding day?” Colin asked, his voice holding a bit of censure.

  Geneen nodded. “He asked if I minded, and I told him no.”

  Colin shook his head, a little miffed about his brother’s actions. “What in the world could be more important than being with family?”

  Brodie and Fletcher shared a look, faint smiles tipping up the corners of their mouths.

  Conviction

  Blaine sat alone at a table in the Gold Dust, his gaze locked on the young woman moving about the room. Saturday afternoons brought a varied group of people into the restaurant—couples, cowhands, businessmen passing through. All looking for a quiet, decent meal before continuing their day.

  All Blaine desired was time with Lia. Not a lot. Just enough to tell her goodbye.

  “More coffee, Mr. MacLaren?” She held the pot above his cup, a brow quirked.

  “I’ve told you my name is Blaine, lass.” He held up his cup, staring into her amazing turquoise eyes with golden brown highlights.

  She glanced around the restaurant, then nodded. “Blaine.”

  His name rolled off her lips in a soft whoosh, causing his body to tighten.

  “I’ve not seen you in the restaurant in a while.”

  Shaking his head, Blaine set the cup down. “I’ve been gone on business.”

  “Ah, that would explain it. Welcome home.” She turned to leave, stopping when he gripped her arm.

  “I came in to tell you I’m leaving Convict
ion.”

  Her body stilled, a bleak expression replacing the joy he’d seen a moment before. “Leaving?”

  “Aye. The family purchased more ranches north of here. I’m being sent to run the properties.”

  “I see.” Lifting her chin, Lia did her best to hide the disappointment in his leaving. “Your family must think highly of you.”

  Right now, what his family thought meant little to him. What captured his interest stood a foot away, a despondent look in her eyes.

  “The ranch is a short ride east of Settlers Valley.”

  She knew the name, understood the town to be several hours north, possibly too far for him to visit. The thought brought a dull ache to her chest.

  “I’ve heard of it. From what I know, it’s quite a ride.”

  He nodded. “About five hours.”

  She offered a hollow grin. “Too far to stop in for a meal and coffee.”

  Until this moment, Blaine hadn’t realized how much he wanted to see her again. “I’ll be back when I can.”

  “I’ve heard such words before and know it’s an empty thought.” Sucking in a breath, she forced a smile. “It’s been a pleasure to know you.” She turned, taking a few steps away.

  “Lia, wait.”

  Stopping, she cast him a wistful expression. “Goodbye, Mr. Blaine MacLaren.”

  Thank you for taking the time to read Nate’s Destiny. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.

  Watch for book seven in the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain series, Blaine’s Wager.

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  About the Author

  Shirleen Davies writes romance—historical and contemporary western romance with a touch of suspense. She is the best-selling author of the MacLarens of Fire Mountain Series, the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain Series, and the Redemption Mountain Series. Shirleen grew up in Southern California, attended Oregon State University, and has degrees from San Diego State University and the University of Maryland. Her passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance. She lives with her husband in a beautiful town in northern Arizona. Between them, they have five adult sons who are their greatest achievements.