Iris spotted Monty the moment she topped a windswept rise a hundred yards away. Unsure of herself, she pulled her horse to a halt.
"If you think I'm going to wait here with my teeth chattering from the cold while you work up the courage to talk to him, you're mistaken," Madison said. He slapped Iris's horse on the rump. "Get going."
The animal leaped forward, Iris struggling to regain her balance. The sound of an approaching horse caused Monty to look up. He stared for a moment in disbelief. Then he dropped the saddle and started forward at a run.
Iris dug her heels into her horse's side. She had no more doubts now. They came together in a melee of flashing hooves and flying stones. Without waiting for him to say a word, Iris threw herself from the saddle and into his arms.
"I bet your mama never taught you to do that," Monty said.
"She taught me to go after what I wanted, and I want you."
"Even if I'm a stubborn cuss who can never think of the right thing to say?"
"Even then. If Madison can change enough for a nice lady like Fern to enjoy being married to him, you can too."
"We're not alike," Monty warned. "Madison has brains and ambition. Someday he'll be richer than all of us put together. All I want is to run a few cows, ride a good horse, and love a pretty woman."
"And come home to food you can recognize."
"That, too," Monty said laughing. He hugged Iris close. "Be serious now. I've got to know if you think you can put up with me. I love you, but I'm rough and thoughtless and full of temper. I guess I was just made ornery."
"I'll take my chances."
"Have you two made up your minds what you're going to do yet?" Madison asked, as he pulled up next to them. He had caught up Iris's horse. "I don't mean to stay out in this weather."
"Madison's gotten so used to living inside a big house he doesn't like the outdoors," Monty said, taking hold of Iris's horse's bridle.
"I never did, not even when it was Texas and it was hot as hell." He tossed Iris's horse's reins to Monty. "I'm going back to check on Fern. I wouldn't put it past her to try for one more ride while I'm gone. You've got one hour to hash out everything between you. If you're not back at the house by then, I'll send Salty after you. I'm not leaving Fern again today."
"I can't believe he's as tough as everybody says he is," Iris said as they watched Madison ride off. "He hasn't talked about anything but Fern all morning."
"Maybe he uses business as an antidote for all that sugar he lavishes on his family." Monty tied Iris's horse to the hitching post.
"I'll never treat you like Madison and George treat Fern and Rose. I think the world of Rose, but she scares me half to death. I couldn't be comfortable around Fern because I could never be certain she couldn't ride and rope better than I can."
Iris pulled his arm from around her. "So you can love me because you know you're better at everything than I am."
Monty pulled her back into his arms and kissed her with satisfying thoroughness. "I like you just the way you are. I know I get mad at you now and again, but I wouldn't marry anybody I didn't like well enough to yell at."
"You really do love me?"
"I love you more than I ever thought possible."
"And you don't care about my horrible parents?"
"I never did."
"Prove it."
Monty looked as though he wasn't quite certain of her meaning.
"We've got a whole hour."
Monty didn't need a second invitation. Sweeping Iris into his arms, he carried her into his tent. Their lovemaking was hard and urgent. There would be time for slow loving in the years to come. Right now they could only yield to their urgent need of each other.
"Are you sure you want to marry me?" Iris asked as she nestled in his embrace. "I'm still a loss as a rancher's wife."
"Of course I do. Why do you ask?"
"After what you said when you sent me off to Dodge, I wasn't sure."
"I suppose I deserve that, but I had a lot of things to work out right them. I couldn't handle everything at once."
"Did you work them out?"
"Mostly. I guess I'll always be sensitive to what George wants. He's been more of a father to me than Pa ever was. But I can live without his approval. I'd rather not, but I can. Madison always has."
"And Hen?"
"Hen's different."
Iris felt her stomach tighten.
"Hen's the one who told me I was a fool to let you get away."
Iris twisted around in Monty's embrace until she could see his face. "But Hen hates me."
"No, he doesn't. He got angry because he thought I was letting you talk me into doing all the wrong things, but he doesn't hate you. He told me if I was fool enough to let you get away, I could find myself another twin."
"I don't understand your family," Iris said, settling back against the warmth of Monty's large, comforting presence. "I don't think anybody could."
"Nobody understands Hen. It's like he's two different people and you never know which one you're talking to."
"Why did you decide to start your own ranch? I don't want to come between you and your family."
"You made me realize I need something I can truly call my own, something I don't have to answer to anybody for."
"You can run my ranch."
"Carlos is your foreman."
"I know, but he'd work for you."
"A more important question is, can you be happy as a rancher's wife."
"I can't say I'll be delirious if I never see a city again, but I won't mind it. I'm starting to feel at home here. I like the space and the peace. I don't even mind the work. I also like not having to pretend to be somebody I'm not. I never realized until this drive that I'm not at all what my mother hoped I'd be. She'd probably be very disappointed in me." She looked unhappy for only a moment before she delighted Monty with an enchantingly smug smile. "Besides, Betty is teaching me to cook."
"You? Cook?"
Iris punched him. "Okay, so I'm not very good at it, certainly not as good as Tyler, but I can eat it. And you can tell what it looks like."
"No sauces, huh?"
"Betty doesn't know any sauces."
"Good."
There was a short pause. "When did you know you wanted to marry me?" Iris asked.
Monty drew Iris close. "When I got to Dodge and found you gone. I suppose I already wanted to, but I was too worried about a lot of other things to figure it out. But when you left me, all I could think about was finding you. I knew right then none of the other things mattered unless I had you."
Iris felt a knot in her heart loosen. She had found a haven in Monty's love. She had come hone. She was safe.
"Tell me what you plan to do with the ranch," Iris said, snuggling close. "Do you plan to live here or at the Circle-7?"
"That depends on you."
"How?"
"We can live at your ranch, the Circle-7, or my ranch. Take your pick."
"Do you have a house?"
"No. I was waiting to make sure you'd marry me."
"Then we'll live at the Circle-7 until you do. I don't think you'd call what I've been living in a house either."
"I want you to move in right away. Now. Today."
"I can't leave Carlos."
"Yes, you can. You certainly should leave Joe Reardon."
"I won't mind that. I really don't like him."
"Good. At least you're finally developing some judgment."
"I never did like Reardon," Iris said, firing up. "I just didn't have any choice."
"I don't want to argue today," Monty said. He got up and reached for his clothes. "If we don't get started, Madison is going to send Salty after us."
But the temptation to disagree was too strong. They were arguing when they reached the Circle-7.
"At it again," Fern said. She and Madison were sitting on the porch when they rode up. "Are you two sure you want to get married?"
"We've been arguing for so long, we hardl
y know how to do anything else," Iris said.
"You'd better find out," Madison advised. "Once you get married, you'll really have something to fight over."
Fern frowned at her husband. "Don't listen to him. He's just irritated I don't want to go back to Denver just yet."
"The first snow," Madison said. "And I'm coming after you."
"I'm glad you're staying," Monty said. "I've asked Iris to move here until we can get married."
"I knew it," Fern said, turning to her husband, delighted to have outguessed him. "Now I'll have somebody with me. And it will give me a chance to get to know Iris."
"The first snow," Madison repeated.
"You'd better hurry up if we're going to have more than a cup of coffee together," Fern said, glancing at the grey skies. "Winter seems to be coming early this year."
"I'd better be getting back," Iris said. "I promised to help Betty."
"I'll ride with you," Monty offered.
"You'd better not. Carlos isn't going to like this. I want to tell him myself."
"Why?"
"He knows you don't think much of him. He's always been afraid my husband would make me take back his half of the ranch."
"You can give him the whole thing for all I care," Monty said.
Iris jumped up and kissed him. "Thanks. I was hoping you'd say that."
"I think you've just lost your dowry," Madison said.
"It doesn't matter," Monty said with a slightly dazed look. "I got the prize."
* * * * *
"I still don't like it," Carlos said, facing Iris across the small table in their cabin. The empty bowls indicated they had made a meal of soup once again.
"But I do. I've been wanting to marry Monty practically my whole life. Please be happy for me."
"I'll try. After everything you've done for me, I'd be a heel if I didn't."
Iris reached out to lay a hand on his arm. "You did a lot for me, too. I can't tell you how much nicer it was all during that endless drive to know I had a brother with me."
Carlos sobered. "You realize I'm not really your brother, don't you?"
"Yes, but I hope you'll still think of me that way."
Carlos nodded.
"I'm glad. I never knew how terrible it was to be alone."
"You had Monty."
"That was different. There's something about family that isn't like anything else. I never understood that before. I guess it's why the Randolphs can fight like they do and still love each other."
"You sure Monty won't object to your giving me half the herd?"
"He said I could give you the whole thing if I wanted."
"Well, if he really means it, the least I can do is try to learn to like him."
"You will," Iris said, giving Carlos a slightly self-conscious hug. "Now I've got to decide what to take. I want to leave first thing in the morning. Are you sure you and Joe will be okay by yourselves?"
"We've been by ourselves before. We'll do just fine."
* * * * *
"We're not doing it," Carlos shouted at Joe. "I never thought it was a good idea from the first. But after all she's done for me, I'd be a first class heel to kidnap her."
He had waited for Joe in the bunkhouse. He knew there would be an argument, and he didn't want anybody to hear it.
"We wouldn't really be kidnaping her," Joe said, "just keeping her here until Randolph can deliver the gold. I like your sister. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."
"Look, Joe, we got a good place. We got steady jobs, and I got nearly two thousand head of cattle. In a few years we can be sitting pretty."
"I don't have anything," Joe said.
"Yes, you do. You know I'll share everything with you. It's the way we've always done it."
Joe waved his hand toward the bunkhouse. "It doesn't stack up very well against the gold." The logs needed to be chinked, there was no heat, and the beds were nothing more than boards covered with a blanket.
"We don't have the gold. We don't even know the Randolphs have it--"
"I saw it. You saw it, too."
"--but we do have this place. It's ours, we're here, we can stay. I'm sorry she didn't want to marry you instead of Randolph, but we're not touching Iris."
"Okay," Joe said. "You'd better talk to her about some money before she leaves. We got the ranch, but we don't have money to buy nothing, not even coffee."
"I'll talk to her. You just forget about the gold or marrying Iris."
"I'm not forgetting about any gold," Joe said aloud after Carlos had left the bunkhouse. "You don't want any part of it. Fine, but I'm not settling for a few hundred cows in the goddamned coldest corner of the earth when I can have enough gold to live like a king anywhere I want."
* * * * *
"I still don't see why you insisted on giving everything back," Betty said. "He did give it to you, and Carlos could use the stove and beds just as well as you."
"I don't feel right leaving everything for Carlos and Joe when I know Monty dislikes them. I gave Carlos half the money. That's more than enough to buy what he needs. As for the furniture and stuff, Monty doesn't have anything for his own house. I think he ought to have it back."
"I suppose you're right, but it somehow seems rude to return a man's presents back. It's like you don't want them."
"But I do." Iris laughed. "They're my dowry. Considering I've given half of everything I have to Carlos, I don't have much of one."
Betty drove the wagon, and Iris rode. At least she could bring her own horse and saddle with her. Their progress was slow. There was no trail between the two ranches. While the land was open, it wasn't easy to drive a wagon up and down hills and through streams, even though most of the stream beds were dry. Iris offered to drive for a while, but Betty declined.
"My family never could afford riding horses, but I've been driving a wagon since I was old enough to hold the reins. Oxen, mules, horses, it doesn't make any difference."
So they proceeded along their way. While Betty picked a careful path across the countryside, Iris tried to alleviate her boredom by identifying as many plants and grasses she could and riding to every ridge to get a view of the land.
"If I'm going to live here, I ought to know everything I possibly can."
"I imagine you'll move to Laramie or Cheyenne before long."
"Maybe for the worst part of the winter, but I've made up my mind I'm not going to ask Monty to live anywhere he doesn't like. Madison took Fern to the city, and you can see she still longs for the freedom of the country. Monty would die without it."
"What about children? You can't bring them up out here."
"I'll worry about that when I get there. Right now I'm still not married."
"I wonder what we forgot."
"What do you mean?" Iris asked.
"Joe's coming after us. We must have forgotten something."
"I hope nothing's happened to Carlos," Iris said. She turned back to meet Joe.
"Is anything wrong?" she asked.
"Naw," Joe replied. He reached over and took hold of Iris's reins. Iris was so surprised Joe easily jerked the reins from her slackened grip. Leading her horse, he headed toward the wagon. Iris made a grab for the reins and lost her balance. She had to hold tightly to the pommel to keep from falling.
"What on earth are you doing?" she asked.
"I've got a message I want Betty to take to Monty Randolph."
"I can take it," Iris said. "Now give me back my reins."
Joe drew alongside the wagon. Betty regarded him with a good deal of apprehension.
"You tell Monty Randolph I got his girlfriend," Joe told Betty. "You tell him if he wants to marry her, all he has to do is give me a hundred thousand dollars of that gold his pa stole. He don't have to worry she'll come to any harm. I'll take extra special care of her. Of course if he don't want her himself, I just might take a fancy to her."
"You're insane," Iris said. "There's nothing to that gold story. Everybody knows that."
<
br /> "Everybody didn't see him passing out gold pieces to Frank and his bunch."
"That was my money," Iris said.
"Good try, but Carlos told me how the bank took everything you owned except the cows. You tell him to deliver the money to Carlos," Joe said. "Soon as he does, he'll get his little lady back."
"I can't tell him," Betty called out as Joe started to ride away. "I don't know the way to his ranch."
"Hell. Do I have to give him the message myself? Just keep going in that direction. If you don't get there soon, he'll send somebody out looking for you."
With that Joe galloped off with Iris doing her best to stay in the saddle.
Chapter Twenty-five
"I keep telling you that was my gold," Iris said.
"And I keep telling you I don't believe you," Joe replied.
Joe had brought her to a small, crude lean-to hidden in one of the timbered valleys that drained the Laramie Mountains and supplied Sybille and Chugwater Creeks. Iris figured it must have belonged to some trapper years ago before the beaver gave out. It looked like it hadn't been occupied in years. She doubted Carlos knew the location of this cabin. She was certain no one at the Circle-7 did.
"Everybody knows those Randolphs got gold," Joe said. "How else could they get rich so fast?"
"Hard work, something you might try if you live long enough."
"Why should I when there's all that gold just for the asking?"
Iris brought her balled-up fist down on a rickety table. "There is no gold." She shook her head in total frustration. "Monty will kill you. And if he doesn't, Hen will."
"Hen doesn't like you worth a damn."
"Maybe not, but the Randolphs stand together. You should have realized that when they went after Frank and the rustlers. The whole bunch of them will be after you now."
Joe drew back his hand to strike her.
"If you touch me, if there's so much as a single mark on me, Monty will beat you to death just like that man in Mexico."
She had the pleasure of seeing Joe recoil.
She wasn't really worried Joe would hurt her. His goal was the money. Monty would be angry if he hurt her, and an angry Monty would be less likely to give him gold.
Only there wasn't any gold, so Monty would have to do something else. It was that something else that had Iris worried. She had no doubt that either Monty or Hen would kill Joe. She had to stop them. She didn't care about Joe, but she did care about Monty. She didn't want to come this close to her dream only to have Monty end up in jail for murder. It would be almost as bad if it were Hen. It would always stand between her and Monty.
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