by Linda Bridey
Tell everyone that I thank them from the bottom of my heart for the party and that I appreciate everything that all of you did. Especially you, Lacey. I’m going to miss you until I get back. Take care of yourself and don’t worry.
Yours,
Joe
Lacey read the letter with disbelief. How could he do this to her, to everyone? Where was he going? And then she suddenly knew. Joe was going to Texas to exact revenge on his father.
Lacey took the letter with her as she ran through the house to the storage building. The band was performing, but she didn’t care. She hurried over to Luke and interrupted his playing.
Shoving the note into his hand, she said, “He’s going to Texas.”
Luke read the letter and said, “Damn it. I thought maybe he’d given up on this since he hasn’t mentioned it again since the day after the fire.”
Lacey said, “He never said anything to me, either. Why can’t he just let it go? If he kills August, he’ll be hanged. Please go after him, Luke, and stop him. I don’t want to lose him. You know the way he would travel.”
Luke nodded. “You’re right. If he murders his father, he’s as good as dead, too.”
Seth stopped playing and came over. “What’s going on?”
Luke handed him the letter. Seth read it and said, “Well, let’s get going. If he’s on one of those Thoroughbreds of his, we’re gonna have to move now to catch him.”
“You’re gonna go?” Luke asked with surprise.
“Yeah. I know shortcuts that he probably don’t and we might be able to head him off. Lacey, where did his father move to? Do you have an address?” Seth asked.
“I think Joe has it written down in the office,” she said. “I’ll go look.”
“I’ll come with you,” Luke said.
Seth said, “I’ll spread the word to wrap up the party and then we gotta get to our place, get our stuff and head out.”
Luke nodded and he and Lacey went to the office. Lacey sifted through the papers on the desk until she found a scrap of paper with August’s address on it. She handed it to Luke.
“Please find him, Luke,” she said.
Luke hated seeing the sorrow and fear in her dark eyes. He hugged her and said, “We’ll bring him back safe and sound.”
Chapter Fourteen
With Seth and Luke off tracking Joe, Dean had pulled Jack from the cookhouse to help out with the other ranch work. Marcus and Cam picked up some of the slack, too. Jamie even helped clean stalls. Their minds kept turning to their friend, hoping that Luke and Seth could stop him from doing something stupid.
Lacey’s emotions were erratic and she had trouble concentrating on things. The only time she had any real peace was when she was riding. The air was turning colder as September started, but the chilly air helped clear her mind. A couple of days after Joe had left, Lacey woke up nauseous and spent an hour vomiting. Towards lunch time, it seemed to go away.
It happened for the next two days and Lacey begin to suspect that she was pregnant. She’d missed her monthly for the second time and she couldn’t ignore the symptoms. She took Romeo over to the Samuels ranch in the hopes of finding Marcus. Lacey didn’t feel guilty about taking Romeo even though Joe didn’t want anyone except him driving the stallion. The horse needed exercise and the only way he was going to get it was to be driven.
She pulled up by the barn on the Samuels ranch and was greeted by Roscoe, Marcus’ wolf-dog. Much to Lacey’s relief, Romeo wasn’t bothered by the big canine. As she got out of the buggy, Jamie came out of Tessa’s house.
“Hi. I wasn’t expecting you today,” she greeted her friend and smiled. The look of panic on Lacey’s face made her smile quickly fade. “What’s wrong?” she asked as Lacey’s eyes filled with tears.
“Is Marcus around?” Lacey asked.
“Why? Is someone hurt?” Jamie said.
“Can you please just tell me if he’s around?” Lacey said.
Jamie was concerned by Lacey’s curt manner. “I’m not sure. He might be in one of the barns.”
“Ok. Thanks,” Lacey said. She didn’t mean to be rude to her best friend, but she was on a mission. She walked away from Jamie and went into the first barn.
She encountered Dean and asked about Marcus.
“I think he’s over in the other barn,” Dean said. “Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked in a friendly manner.
“No, thank you,” Lacey said and went in search of Marcus once again.
Dean looked after her with a troubled expression.
Lacey could have fainted with relief when she found Marcus.
“I need your help,” she said. “Can we go somewhere private?”
Marcus arched an eyebrow at her. “Sure. What’s going on?”
“It’s of a private medical nature,” Lacey said.
“Oh, ok.” Marcus looked around and figured the store room would do since Lacey didn’t want to involve anyone else. “Follow me.”
They went in the store room and Marcus shut the door. “Ok, tell me what’s wrong?”
Lacey fidgeted for a moment and then said, “I think I’m pregnant.”
“Wow! That’s great!” Marcus said with a grin.
Lacey began crying and Marcus asked, “That’s not great?”
“Joe doesn’t want children, at least not yet. He’s going to be angry and maybe he won’t want to raise the baby and I’ll have to do it all on my own,” Lacey said through her tears.
Marcus sat her down on a crate and knelt by her. He took her hands and said, “Take some deep breaths. C’mon; in and out.”
Lacey did as he asked and felt a little better.
“Ok. Good. Now tell me why you think you’re pregnant,” he said.
“It’s been two months since I’ve had my monthly and I’ve been sick the past three mornings,” Lacey said.
Marcus nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right. What about your appetite?”
“Once the sickness passes, I’m hungry the rest of the day and I’m tired,” Lacey replied.
“How about your emotions? Are they kind of helter-skelter?” Marcus asked.
Lacey nodded. “I can’t concentrate and I get angry over little things.”
“Well, from everything you’re describing, I would say you’re pregnant. We’ll know for sure if you miss another cycle. I know right now you’re under a lot of stress, what with Joe and all, but if you missed a cycle before the fire, then I would say that you’re going to have a baby,” Marcus said. “As far as Joe not wanting children, once he knows, I think he’ll be happy. Sometimes people who never thought they wanted children completely change their mind once they know one is on the way.”
“Do you really think so?” Lacey said, looking into his gray eyes. Marcus had a comforting air about him.
Marcus nodded. “Look at my brother, Seth. No one ever thought he’d get married, much less have kids. After he and Maddie got married, it took three years for them to conceive and once they had, they were ecstatic. They’d started trying as soon as they got married, but it just didn’t happen. The point is that Seth told me as soon as Maddie had accepted his proposal, the idea of them having a baby popped into his mind. The big, tough guy who was never going to be tied down with a wife and kids wanted that very thing. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. So try not to worry about Joe’s reaction.”
Lacey smiled. She did feel a little better. “Thank you. No wonder everyone likes you.”
Marcus laughed. “Not everyone. You know Charlie Benson from down the road? He’s not so keen on me.”
“He must be one of the few people who don’t, then,” Lacey said. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. I won’t be offended if you ask Doc Turner to confirm it,” Marcus said.
Lacey shook her head. “I think you’ve dealt with enough pregnant women to know what you’re talking about.”
“True,” Marcus said. “Oh, um, I’ll make a tonic for nausea tonigh
t and drop it off to you in the morning.”
“That’s not necessary,” Lacey said.
“Nonsense. A good doctor does everything they can for their patients. I don’t mind,” Marcus assured her.
“All right. Thank you again. I’ll leave you get back to work,” Lacey said.
“You’re welcome and it was nice to have a break,” Marcus said as he walked her out of the barn.
*****
“Pregnant!” Jamie said and hugged Lacey. “I’m so happy for you.”
Lacey tried to smile. “I’m so scared, Jamie.”
“Aw, it’ll be ok. When the time comes, there are several people around who can help with the birth,” Jamie said.
Lacey said, “I know. That’s not what concerns me. When Joe and I discussed having children, he wasn’t thrilled about the idea. I don’t think he’s going to want this baby.”
The desolation in Lacey’s eyes saddened Jamie. “Honey, Joe’s not mean like that. Maybe it’ll take him a little while to come around to the idea, but I think he’ll be happy.”
“What if he’s not? I’m not giving it up or doing anything to…” Lacey couldn’t say the words.
“Of course not!” Jamie said. “Regardless of Joe’s reaction, you’re going to have a baby and that’s a wonderful thing.”
Lacey wiped her eyes with the hanky Jamie had given her and said, “I love him so much, Jamie, and he has no idea. I was going to tell him after the party the other night, but then he up and left. What if he kills his father and they hang him? I won’t get the chance to tell him that I love him and that we’re going to have a baby. I won’t ever know if he loves me!”
Lacey’s breathing had become rapid and her face had reddened. Jamie grew alarmed as she recognized that Lacey was starting with a panic attack. “Lacey, it’s going to be ok. Luke and Seth will catch him. It’ll be all right. You’ll see.” Jamie hugged Lacey as they sat on the sofa and prayed that she was right.
*****
“We’re never going to catch him,” Seth said. “That damn horse he’s on is just too fast for ours. These quarter horses aren’t the type built for high speeds. They’re made for turning fast and making sudden stops and starts.”
Luke nodded. “Plus, we’re a lot heavier than him and we can’t run our horses as fast as he can push Hamlet. I know that horse. He’s almost as fast as Lance was, and that’s saying something.”
“We’re gonna have to get creative here, Luke,” Seth said. He kept Bubba, his younger horse, at a trot while he thought. Hank was a little older now and not quite as fast as Bubba, so Seth had left him at home for this particular ride.
“Too bad Marcus couldn’t come,” Luke said. “He’s lighter and Arrow is faster than our horses.”
“Yeah, but with Claire being so close to having their baby, I don’t blame him for not coming. I was the same way when it was Maddie’s time. There was no way I was gonna miss that,” Seth said with a smile as he thought of their little son, J.R. “I can’t believe how big he’s getting already.”
Luke said, “I know. Our house should be done next month and I keep hoping that Jamie will turn up pregnant before too long.”
“Well, don’t be afraid to ask Marcus for some of that baby-making brew he made for Maddie and me,” Seth said. “How the hell are we gonna catch up to Joe?”
“We could ride all night, but then we’d need some fresh horses. Maybe we could ride into the next town, trade horses and keep going. With fresher horses, we’d be able to ride even when Joe isn’t. He’s bound to stop at night and we could catch up with him then. Or, instead of trying to find him, we should just go right to Houston to August’s place and wait for him there,” Luke said.
“You’re a genius, Luke!” Seth said as he shot a smile at his cousin.
“I am?” Luke asked.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” Seth said. “C’mon. Let’s get movin’.”
*****
Joe was savvy to many ways to preserve a horse’s stamina, one of which was travelling during the night when it was cooler. He found shade for Hamlet and him during the afternoon hours and didn’t start moving until the sun was setting. Knowing Luke, Joe was sure that he and someone else was following him. Unlike them, however, Joe travelled during the night and rested during the day.
Hamlet was only four years old and well-conditioned. His sire and dam were known for producing fast horses that could travel long distances at high speeds. Hamlet had inherited these qualities and loved to run. Joe had to keep him reined in sometimes when the stallion would prefer to gallop. Hamlet’s diet also consisted of the finest feed and supplements, which meant that he was a more superior horse than any other horse in Dawson.
Therefore, Joe was confident that he could keep ahead of his pursuers. During the day when he was dozing, Joe’s mind turned to his wife. He smiled as he thought about how much she loved horses and how she was happy to talk about them for hours. It was amazing that his mail-order-bride was as crazy about them as he was.
Joe knew gambling odds and figured that the chance of meeting a woman who shared that obsession was a very slim one. Making Lacey smile gave Joe such pleasure. While he enjoyed entertaining people, Lacey’s enjoyment was the most important to him. He thought back to the day they’d first made love on his bed where breeding charts and books were strewn. She hadn’t believed him when he’d told her she was a desirable woman. Joe could see where she would doubt what he’d told her, but he’d been honest with her. Lacey was the first woman he’d ever been totally open and honest with about everything in his life. No other woman knew the things about Joe that she did.
Annie or any of his other companions knew how awful his relationship with his father had been. They didn’t know the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death and they’d never held him while he cried. Luke’s question about whether he was going to be faithful to Lacey came back to him. He thought about his reaction then and then imagined Luke asking him about it now. As Joe rode he knew that the answer was that he no longer had any desire to be with any other woman but his wife.
This was put to the test a couple of nights later when he stopped for a drink and something to eat at a saloon along the route. He had been to that particular saloon twice before and knew the food and alcohol were excellent. As he sat down at a table, he noticed a blonde saloon girl watching him. He recognized her. Her name was Melodie and he’d had the pleasure of her company both times he’d been to the Murdock Saloon.
She sauntered over to him and Joe couldn’t deny that she was a very pretty thing. As she sat down on his lap, Joe caught the scent of her perfume. He was surprised that he found it a little too strong. He much preferred the more subtle scent Lacey wore.
Melodie gave him a seductive smile and said, “I never thought I’d see you are here again, Joe Dwyer. Where have you been hiding yourself?”
Joe laughed. “Well, I live in Montana, so that’s where I hide most of the time.”
“That’s so far away, though,” Melodie said with a pout.
Not so long ago, Joe had been a sucker for a pretty pout, but it didn’t move him like it used to. Lacey’s beautiful smile was more exciting to him now. “Yep, it is, but I’m sure you have lots of fellas around here to keep you busy.”
She walked her fingers up his chest and she caressed his shoulder. “But none of them are like you, Joe,” she said.
“Well, that’s very flattering, Melodie, but I’m afraid I’m off the market,” he said, showing her his wedding band.
Her blue eyes widened. “You got married?” Then she put her arms around his neck and said, “That’s ok. I’m here and she’s not. There’s no reason we can’t have a little fun, right? She’ll never know.”
Joe considered it, but realized that he wasn’t really tempted. Gently Joe extricated her arms from his neck and said, “But I’ll know. I’m sorry, but I love my wife and I’m not gonna cheat on her.” Joe had never spoken of his love for Lacey before. He hadn�
�t known he felt that way until he said it out loud. Joe looked into his heart and knew that it was the truth. He did indeed love Lacey.
Melodie looked into his gorgeous hazel eyes and sighed. She could tell he was serious. “She’s a lucky girl,” she said, sliding off his lap. “Well, since we can’t have that kind of fun, how about a card game?”
Joe figured that a quick game of poker couldn’t hurt. “Now you’re talkin’,” he said with a broad smile.
He had good luck that night and had tripled the money he’d started with. Joe knew when to quit and it was time for him to get moving anyway. As he went outside to where he’d tied his horse, Joe said, “Well, Lance, we made out good tonight, my fine friend.” He looked up to see Hamlet standing where Lance should have been. His expression turned grim as he remembered that he would never ride Lance again, and all of his anger and hatred returned.
He mounted Hamlet and galloped out of town with a renewed determination to carry out his plan. Joe wasn’t going to let anyone stop him.
*****
Luke’s plan was working out fairly well. It had been a little strange telling people why they wanted to switch horses at first, but once they’d explained the circumstances, they got a lot of cooperation. This surprised the duo because they knew how much horses were depended on. Seth had told Luke that he should do most of the talking because of his big, brown, puppy-dog eyes.
“No one can refuse you when you ask them something if you’re looking at them like you do,” Seth had said as they came to the first town.
Luke frowned. “That’s not true. You tell me no all the time.”
“That’s only because I know you and I’ve had time to, um, oh, yeah, build up a resistance to those soulful eyes of yours. Damn, I wish Marcus was here to hear that. That was a good sentence, if I do say so. Remember how I said it so you can tell him,” Seth said. “I’ll probably mess it up when I try to say it again.”
Luke laughed. “Yeah, I’ll do that. So what am I supposed to say?”
“Ok, try to picture how smooth talking Joe is and then combine it with those eyes. You’ll have them eating out of your palm,” Seth said.