Sometimes, I feel guilty for all the good fortune that has fallen into my. I look around at how the old west had been keeping the little guy down for too long and I wonder if I’m contributing to that or not. All I know is that I grew up with nothing and to catch the eye of Colin was like a godsend to me and my family. He allowed them to live on his acreage. They were maybe a mile away and came by every, so often to make sure that their little girl was safe and being taken care of.
“Normally, I would be more than happy to give it to one of my underlings. Merriam, but this is very important and these documents have to be in the hands of the sheriff by 5:00 tomorrow afternoon. I can’t trust anybody with this assignment. They may have loyalty for me, but underneath it, I never know what somebody’s agenda really is.” My husband and I had never seen eye to eye on his business practices. He was always cutting out the middleman and finding ways to do things that were not exactly legal. “It’s the year 1845 and the gold rush is going strong. Those documents will give me a stranglehold on a mine that is just ready to be plucked clean. If I were to give this to anybody else, they might see it upon themselves to take what is rightfully mine. You have a good heart and would never to something like that to me.” He grabbed my chin and I could see the punishing for disobeying.
“Colin, if you really feel that way, then why don’t you do it yourself? That way you know that it’s going to get done and if anything happens it’s on your head and nobody else’s.” I thought it was a pretty obvious solution, but apparently I’d opened a hornet’s nest.
“I hate to say this, but you are a bit naïve. I can’t do it myself, because I’m dealing with a land dispute with the sheriff in this town and a man that thinks that he owns what I have. I can’t leave those negotiations. Let’s just say that I’m hedging my bets and making sure that I come out on top.” He moved his fingers along his finely groomed mustache, while looking at the reflection of himself in the glass of the shop window. He was vain, but he did have every right to be. He was after all a sought after commodity and any girl in their right mind would have been right where I was, except that I had beaten them to it.
I’d heard all about Colin and I knew that he was the perfect way to get out from underneath the poverty that had now become like a part of me. I still remember those days where I struggled and fought for everything I had. My parents did their best, but they barely had two nickels to rub together. I was glad that I was able to take us away from that life. If anything, I was using my sexuality and a carefully revealed ankle to my advantage.
“I really don’t want to be out there. There’s no telling what I will find. It’s not safe for a woman and I think we both know that.” He began to laugh at my expense and people were now staring and making me feel like I was this spectacle to be watched for their amusement. “Stop that… stop that right now.” I was having a tantrum and he suddenly took me by the shoulders and began to shake me.
“I’m laughing, because of the person that’s saying these things to me. Merriam, you’ve always been able to take care of yourself. I guess in some way I don’t think that you need me anymore. You could easily go your own way and you may say that you are not business minded, but I know the truth.” I didn’t consider myself to be a business thinking kind of girl, but apparently being in his presence had made it easier for me to become acclimated to his business. I began to see all the shortcuts that he was taking and I found the secret fund that he was using to squirrel away his ill gotten gain.
“I don’t know what you see in me, Colin. I’m certainly not business savvy like you.” I think what I was trying to say was that I could not be, as underhanded, as he could be on any given day. He had this charming smile that made most people believe that he had their best interest at heart, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I had to admit that getting away from him for even a few hours might not be a bad thing. He was full of himself and there were times that I thought that I made a mistake in marrying a man for convenience, instead of love.
“Merriam, I don’t have time for this. Either you’re going to do this, or I’m going to be very cross with you.” The last time that he was like that, I felt the coldness in not only his words, but in the way that he looked at me. I didn’t want to contend with something like that, so I believed that it was the best for everybody concerned that I take on this assignment.
“I hope I don’t regret this, but I think a little distance will do us both good. You can fight the good fight here and I can do this for you and be back in two days.” He passed me tan hide leather bag. It was snapped closed and I was tempted to look into it, but I did see in his eyes that it wasn’t the best use of my time.
“I’m glad that you finally see reason, Merriam. I’ve been beating this thing to death for the last hour. I could be over at the sheriff’s pleading my case, but instead I’m here convincing you to do something that would be considered a wifely duty to her husband.” He turned and stomped off with his leather high boots smacking against the walkway. When he jumped onto the road, he crossed it, while looking at his watch at his waist. He picked up that timepiece and he was not only looking at the time, but he was looking at a legacy that had been passed down by his father.
The stagecoach was brought around to the side of the saloon. Thomas stopped the two horses right in front of me. I could see that he was sheepishly looking at his feet the entire time that he was preparing things for me. I knew in the back of my mind that he had a crush on me and that he would’ve done anything I wanted within reason.
“Mr.’s August. The horses have been well fed and they have recently been shoed. You should have no problem getting to your destination and back. Just remember to stay on the main road and don’t deviate into those smaller paths. They are ripe with dangers, including wildlife and Indians that would scalp you and take what you have without a second thought. Don’t tell, Colin, but I stashed the shotgun underneath the seat up front. If you need it to scare off those that are getting a little too close, then fire a few rounds over their heads and they should run the other way.” I knew my way around a shotgun, but only enough to use it in self defense. I was not much of a shot and if push comes to shove, I would probably end up shooting the broadside of a barn.
“Thomas, I really do appreciate you looking out for me. It’s more than I can say for my husband. I know that he has a lot on his mind, that doesn’t mean that he can treat me like one of you.” I didn’t mean anything by it, but he apparently took great offense to what I had to say. I think that Colin was rubbing off on me. “Don’t give me that look, Thomas. You know what I mean. I’m his wife and I should be given the same respect that anybody in that position would find themselves in.” I had my parasol and I carried it with a bonnet on my head, climbing up into the saddle with my hands on the reins.
“I think that we both know that your husband is not a good man, Mrs. August. He steps over people to get what he wants and has no problem undermining a man’s right to his own land. He hasn’t told me anything about what you are taking to the next town over, but I can only assume that he’s got his eye on a parcel of land that is not easily acquired. Those documents will force the sheriff to act on his behalf. Just don’t look at them. Pass them off to the Sheriff. It must be nice to have the Mayor in his pocket. All he has to do is snap his fingers and he’ll do anything he wants. I don’t know what he has over him, but it has to be something very bad.”
I’d already gotten that inkling from Colin. He wouldn’t speak of what it was that he had over the Mayor, but I would say that it had something to do with a woman. The Mayor was happily married and if Colin had gotten wind of some affair, then that would be something that he could lord over his head for favors to be given later.
“Do me a favor, Thomas. Keep an eye on him. I feel like he’s trying to hide something from me and I don’t like that feeling. I just want to make sure that he’s not trying to get me out of the way to replace me with somebody else.” I snapped the reins and the hor
ses took off, leaving behind a trail of dust that was being stirred up in their wake. I actually kind of enjoyed getting my hands into manual labor like this. It reminded me of the hard work that I had to do to keep the farm from falling into the bank’s hands in foreclosure.
“Mrs. August, I will do as you ask. I don’t know why you’re worried. He couldn’t do better than you. They broke the mold when you were born.” He was a sweet talker, but I really didn’t feel anything towards him except the sort of kinship that I would find from a brother. He was a good friend and I may have taken advantage of his feelings for me, but it was the only way that I was going to get the upper hand on my husband.
As I rounded the corner to leave town, I saw my competition walking with her own parasol and white dress that was almost virginal. The one thing that she wasn’t was a virgin. I’ve heard the rumors and apparently she gave aid and comfort to anybody that gave her the least bit attention. I had no interest in speaking ill will of anyone, but she was another matter altogether. She was the one that was constantly coming around and flirting with my husband right in front of me. There were times that I thought that we were going to come to blows, but it never did amount to all that much.
Sheila waved to me, as I moved past her in a wild gallop. I had the satchel with the documents inside secured underneath the seat in a hidden compartment away from prying eyes. I had no interest in going toe to toe with bandits. I had to look like I was unarmed, although being a single girl going into these paths was tantamount to taking my body and my life in my own hands.
Chapter two
I had been riding for over 3 hours and the horses were showing that they could go the distance. They weren’t slowing down, but I knew that eventually I would have to find a watering hole to give them that necessary nourishment to go on.
I heard the crack and that feeling of the stagecoach out of control. It didn’t sound good and I pulled back on the reins to slow the momentum of the horses. It took a moment to get them to come to a complete stop. When they finally did, I climbed off and I went to see where the damage had occurred. I saw the axle leaning to one side. I could see that it was cracked. I must’ve hit something pretty damn big for that to happen, but I don’t remember going over anything that would cause that kind of damage.
I heard a shot in the distance and the echoing blast caused the horses to become spooked. They reared up and suddenly snapped out of their harness and began to take off at a breakneck speed.
I watched with my hands on my hips, not quite believing my own damn luck. I not only didn’t have the horses, but I had a broken axle on the carriage, which left me pretty much stranded and my only option was to walk. That shot didn’t sound like it was too far away and I had a bone to pick with the person that had made my horses take off without me, as a passenger.
I reached up and took the saddlebag with the documents inside. I strapped them over my shoulder, although it did make me feel like I was a target with a bull’s eye on my back. I made my way down that dusty trail, looking behind me to make sure that I wasn’t going to have any unwanted visitors that would find my pleasing form something to their liking.
I was getting dirty and it brought to mind the way that my childhood was and maybe I was a little unforgiving about what my parents went through. They did after all; keep a roof over my head and food in my belly. My father raised cattle, but we had several droughts and we lost a lot of our livestock. We continued to persevere, even though I could see that the strain of trying to make it was getting to my father.
I had to hold my dress in my hands, while sludging through a bit of mud towards the sound of oncoming water. Another bullet barely missed me and then the telltale smash of the glass caused me to look in that direction to see that whoever was firing was only doing it as target practice.
“Well, would you look at that. Five of the six of those bottles has become nothing, but a distant memory. I knew that my granddaddy was good at teaching me something.” He sounded rough around the edges and I wasn’t sure if I should make my appearance known.” I can hear you out there. You may as well come out and show yourself. I don’t bite…at least not too hard.” He was laughing despite that nobody else was getting the inside joke. “Seriously, you must be hungry and I could certainly use the company.” I took a deep breath, pushed myself into the clearing and came face to face with my own worst nightmare.
I thought that I was going to see a grizzled old man, someone that was looking to find his own pot of gold in these darn hills of ours. Instead, I came upon a cowboy with a black hat and black leather vest with his shirt unbuttoned on the first two buttons. There was a six shooter at his waist and he was clean shaven and had at least 190 pounds underneath those chiseled features.
“I never expected to see a lady out in these parts. It’s not exactly safe. I imagine that your husband is not too far away.” He was eying the satchel and the way that the shotgun was protruding out of it in a menacing nature. “I take it that the husband is not with you. If he was, you certainly wouldn’t be packing something like that on a Sunday stroll.” I was at a loss for words and I could see the bead of sweat on his forehead and the way that his muscles seemed to be bulging in all the right places. “Does the cat got your tongue, or are you going to say something? Perhaps, you don’t like the idea of talking to a stranger. I can remedy that by telling you my name is Vance James. It’s a pleasure to meet you, although you do have me at a disadvantage.” He had taken off his hat and showed that he was in possession of some wavy dark hair.
“It’s nice to meet you, Vance. Unfortunately, I do have a problem that you caused. My horses were spooked by your attempt at target practice. They took off and snapped their harness, leaving me literally stranded at the mercy of anybody that was going to come around.” He motioned for me to follow him and we went down to the water’s edge. He had a tin can that he was using to drink from. He tipped it into the cooling surface of that bubbling brook and brought back enough for the both of us to share.
I drank from it, but I continued to keep my eyes on him to make sure that he wasn’t up to something. I held that satchel in my hand, as tight as my little fingers could twist around the straps. I had no interest in giving him the satisfaction of telling him what was in it. Actually, I had no real idea, except for what my husband said and usually there was only a grain of truth with anything that he tells me.
“I’m sorry for spooking your horses. You should hold on to your possessions. That doesn’t seem to be an issue, considering that you’re holding onto that satchel like a newborn baby. Wherever you’re going, I will accompany you, because it’s the least that I can do. I was responsible for making your horses take off like that and I feel kind of bad about that.” The only thing that I was feeling bad about was the fact that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of his body. I’d already taken off his clothes in my mind and I think I was flushed along my chest by the very idea of those very vivid and naughty thoughts.
“There’s no point in going any further, until morning. I may, as well stay here with you and then you can take me on your horse to my final destination.” I told him of where I was going and he cocked his eyebrow like he couldn’t believe that I was making such a journey on my own. “I know that I might seem dainty and frail, but trust me you really don’t want to go toe to toe with somebody like me. I know that I shouldn’t be out here alone, but I can’t help that. My husband thought this was important enough that he was going to send somebody that he trusts to get the job done right.” Now that I think of it, I was beginning to realize that was a crock. He had somehow convinced me that he needed me to do this, because he didn’t trust anybody else in his employ. I started to get suspicious and I was tempted to look at these papers and make sure that they were on the up and up.
“You can stay at my camp that’s just up on that bluff. I caught about five fish the other day and I’ve been rationing them off, until I can find something a little bit more to sink my teeth into. I almost had a deer, but
it got away before I had a chance to take that final shot. I can see from your face that you’re not exactly happy with the fact that I am ready and willing to bring an animal down for my own survival. If I were you, I would look at all the meat that you’ve eaten yourself. It’s hypocritical for you to have this attitude, when you partake in what a hunter brings to your table everyday.” I’d never thought of that before, but I also knew that I found the prospect of hunting distasteful. I had no leg to stand on, but I did enjoy fishing and that was something that my grandfather had instilled in me from a very early age.
“I don’t see that I have much of a choice. It looks like I’m going to have to rely on the kindness of a stranger. As you said, we’re not exactly strangers. My name is Merriam.” I followed him from behind and in those tight pants; he looked almost too delicious to pass up. To be honest, I hadn’t had anything that resembled physical relief from a man in over six months. I hadn’t really thought about it, but maybe that’s part of the reason why I felt this distance between myself and Colin. He never initiated anything and I was happy to go to sleep, even though deep down I wanted something more than just a peck on the lips.
“I’m not sure that my cooking style is up to your standards, Merriam. I came across this spice on my travels and I find it pleasing enough to add to my creations. If you don’t mind taking a backseat, I’ll be more than happy to put the finishing touches on our meal.” He carried that tin can with the water precariously in one hand, as he made his way up that trodden path towards his camp. We finally got there and he put the tin can down. He breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t spill any more than a few drops.
Bought By The Highlander (Scottish Highlander Romance) Page 43