Reading the Rancher (Cowboys and Angels Book 28)

by Kit Morgan

  His other eyebrow went up and he gave her an odd look.

  Hattie wasn’t sure what that meant, so she petted the rooster and sighed. “Mr. White told me a rooster attended a poetry meeting he was at. Is this the one? Is he yours?”

  The rooster began to cluck and squirm again. Mr. Dunst shook a finger at it.

  Hattie swore the rooster gave him a dirty look. “What a peculiar bird. My father knew a man once who brought an alligator into his home,” she continued, staring at the gazebo. “He raised it for a time until it bit one of the servants – the poor man nearly bled to death.” She looked at him. “I’m sure a rooster is much safer. I still can’t get over that Mr. Redfern let one into his meeting.”

  Mr. Dunst smiled and shrugged. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a card and handed it to her.

  Hattie smiled back, looked at it – and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Mr. Dunst, who gave you this?” she rasped.

  Looking innocent, he shrugged and waved at their surroundings.

  What was that supposed to mean? But she knew … “Was it a man with reddish-blonde hair and dark eyes?” she asked, her voice desperate.

  Mr. Dunst shook his head.

  Hattie looked at the card again, feeling faint. It didn’t matter if the man fit the description or not. Printed in the center of the card in bold black letters were the two words she least wanted to see:

  Getting more information out of Mr. Dunst was like trying to pull teeth from a tiger. Try as she might, Hattie couldn’t understand all his facial expressions and hand gestures. The rooster’s constant interruptions didn’t help – he even started crowing at one point.

  She couldn’t make sense of it all. She was so flustered and worried Bart and his men had caught up to her that she fled before thinking to give the little man her notebook and pencil and have him write his answers down. “Hattie you fool!” she said when she reached her room. But Mr. Dunst was the least of her problems. Bart had apparently sent men after her – maybe he was in Creede himself. She sat on the bed, trying to collect her thoughts. She had to make a plan and fast.

  But before she could, there was a knock at her door. She leaped to her feet. What if they had come to the boardinghouse and found out she was there? She glanced at the window – could she jump? It was a long way down, but …

  “Miss Dodge?” Millie called from the other side.

  Hattie sighed in relief and approached the door. “Yes?” She shut her eyes tight. She shouldn’t have answered at all.

  “Can I speak with you a moment?”

  “What about?”

  “Well, I should have mentioned it before … it’s a legal problem we’ve been having in town.”

  Hattie sagged against the door, panting. She swallowed hard, straightened and opened the door. “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you with this, but I thought you ought to know.”

  Hattie’s eyes widened. “About what?”

  “Well, my sister Rhona, she’s married to the newspaperman. And she went to Crowther’s one day when you were there almost a week ago, and … it seems she was given a phony bill as change.”

  Hattie gasped. The dry goods store was one more place Bart’s men could ask questions.

  “Oh I know, it’s a travesty,” Millie continued, “and it’s been going on for some time now. We love our town, but it does have its black marks. I don’t mean to upset you. We’re asking everyone who was there that day …”

  Hattie took a deep breath before she spoke, trying to collect her wits. This had nothing to do with Bart. “Phony money?”

  “Yes, counterfeit.”

  Hattie nodded. “I understand. But I was given no bills as change, only coins.”

  “Oh, thank Heaven for that. It’s been hard enough to keep track of. Just when we think we’ve got it cleared up, it starts again. I thought you should know.”

  “Thank you for telling me.” She breathed a little easier and went to close the door.

  Millie stopped it. “Please don’t judge our town too harshly.”

  Hattie’s smile was half-hearted at best. “That’s the least of my worries right now. I like Creede, a lot. Perhaps more than I should …” She blinked a few times. She was really talking, not about the town, but about Cooper!

  Millie missed the subtext, thankfully. “I’m glad to hear it, because we’d all love you to stay.”

  Hattie sighed in relief, unsure if it was because of her heart’s admission or Millie not saying men were looking for her. Probably both. “One can only hope.”

  “If it’s work you’re needing, maybe we can help.”

  That was an unexpected blessing. But … “I’m afraid I have a few things I need to tend to. They’ll determine whether I can stay or …” She glanced into the hall. “… have to move on.”

  “Oh, I’d hate to see that. We’ve gotten used to you.”

  Hattie grinned this time. “And I you. Everyone here is so kind.”

  “As are you, Miss Dodge.” Millie smiled, stepped away from the threshold and disappeared down the hall.

  As soon as she was gone, Hattie closed and locked the door. “Oh dear Lord, what am I going to do?” Whatever it was, she’d better do it fast. It was only a matter of time before Bart and his men found her. One thing was for sure, she’d have to leave the boardinghouse. If she stayed, they’d find her. She needed a place to hide.

  She went to the dresser, pulled out her clothes, fetched her satchel from under the bed and started to pack; Millie’s words swirling in her head like a storm. Creede wasn’t Boston, true, but in the short time she’d been here the place had grown on her. People here were friendlier and didn’t carry the same burdens as those in the big city. In Boston, the only concern of those in her social circle was money: making it, spending it, using it to control other people. Her father and Bart Sullivan chief among them.

  She didn’t want to be like them. She liked spending money – who didn’t? – but she’d made a choice when she left Boston to leave the money behind. Had she made the right choice?

  She glanced at the door and thought of Millie, her husband Edwin and his sisters who owned and operated Hearth and Home. They had a simple life, and a happy one from what she could see. That’s what she wanted – what was missing from her life in Boston. She didn’t want for material things, but for love and close friendships. She doubted she’d ever have either with Bart, or any man like him.

  Maybe she should have become a mail-order bride. Then she would’ve had a husband waiting for her when she got off the train, and a guaranteed escape from Bart, her parents and their world. She still could – she’d overheard a man a few days ago mention a legitimate matchmaker back in Denver he was thinking of contacting. Some eccentric old Frenchwoman named Pettigout or something …

  Unfortunately, part of her couldn’t let go yet. Maybe it was her instinct to survive – she knew her father’s bank accounts could make that happen. She had accounts of her own, but couldn’t access them – they were held in trust. As her father’s only child, when he died she would inherit everything … if he didn’t disinherit her, which could easily happen. Would she be willing to live a brand new life, without money or fancy possessions?

  But first things first. She had to figure out where to hide before Bart found her. Only she had no ideas. It was too late in the day to catch a train out of town. She’d have to wait until tomorrow, and even then, what if someone caught her going to the train station? They could already know the schedule and be waiting for her. No, she’d need a different plan. But what?

  She went to the window, chewing a fingernail, and gasped. “Oh, thank God!” She watched Cooper park his wagon in the street below, climb down and enter Hearth and Home. Perfect – he might help her! Granted, she might have to tell him everything, but given the desperate circumstances she was willing.

  Hattie left off her packing, checked herself in the mirror, pinched her cheeks for safety’s sake and went out of the room, head
ing for the stairs.

  Chapter Ten

  “Hello, Hattie,” Cooper muttered on the porch of Hearth and Home. “I brought you a present … nah, that doesn’t sound right.” He made a face, cleared his throat and tried again. “Miss Dodge, I wanted to get you something for all the hard work you’ve been doing on my behalf …” He rolled his eyes. “For crying out loud, White, why are you so nervous?” A good question. It’s not like he was trying to impress her or anything. Or so he told himself.

  He squared his shoulders, opened the door and stepped inside.

  “Hello, Cooper.” Isla glanced at the stairs and back. “Shall I fetch Miss Dodge for you?” She looked at the package in his hand and gave him a knowing look.

  Cooper cleared his throat again. “Yes, if you don’t mind.”

  Isla smiled and hurried for the stairs. Land sakes, she was more excited than he was. His chest tightened. Was he excited? He’d just wanted to show his appreciation, but his heart was thundering in his chest.

  Millie joined him. “Haven’t seen you around town for a few days. You probably haven’t heard, but that funny money is circulating again.”

  Cooper sighed. “I’ll try to keep an eye out.”

  “I saw you go into Crowther’s the other day and thought you should know.”

  “Well, I handed over the exact amount, so this new batch didn’t catch me.”

  She nodded in relief. “That’s good to hear.” Her eyes went to the stairs.

  Hattie was already descending, looking at him with a smile of … relief? “Cooper,” she said, her voice cracking. She looked nervous.

  His heart pounded a little harder. “Hattie, how are you?”

  She wrapped her arm through his, and he barely kept his jaw from dropping. “I was wondering when you’d show up. Are you ready for your lesson?”

  He studied her a moment, saw the pleading in her eyes and narrowed his own. “Hattie?”

  “I think we should try something new. But we’ll need a quiet setting.” She glanced around. “I’m afraid there will be too many interruptions here – we’ll never get any work done.”

  “Lessons?” Millie said with interest.

  “Yes, I’ve been helping Cooper with his, um … poetry. Editing it, working on the imagery, that sort of thing.”

  “Oh,” Millie said. “I heard you were attending those meetings at the bookstore. Do you like them? I understand Louisa’s trying to organize one for the women.”

  “I’ve heard that too,” Cooper said never taking his eyes off Hattie.

  “Well, if we’re going to get any studying done …” She steered him toward the door. He realized she had her coat on and was holding her reticule. Had she already been planning to go out? Then why didn’t she just say so? More interestingly, he noticed he didn’t cringe when she mentioned lessons or poetry. Maybe confessing his struggle to Tobias had done more good than he thought.

  They left Hearth and Home, and Hattie led him straight to his wagon across the street. “Tarnation, woman, what are you doing?” he hissed.

  She looked at him in desperation. “I’m sorry, Cooper, I can’t explain right now.” She glanced up and down the street, then pulled a scarf from beneath her coat and wrapped it around the lower half of her face. “Please, can we just leave?”

  She was frightened, like someone was coming after her. “Hattie, what’s this all about?”

  “Please, Cooper. Now.”

  He helped her onto the wagon seat without further hesitation. She had to be in some sort of trouble, and he had a good idea what. Something Ma had once said: if a woman’s running, it’s from a man. Her father or husband or fiancé, most likely, but always a man. He climbed up beside her where she was hunched over, making it hard to see her face. Yup, he thought to himself. Someone had caught up to her. He wished he had his gun belt, but hadn’t thought he’d need it – he’d only come to town for a few supplies and to deliver her gift.

  He slapped the horses with the lines and the wagon lurched forward. He didn’t know where to go other than home, so he headed that way. As soon as they were out of town he asked, “So who’s after you?”

  “I’m so sorry,” she mumbled through her scarf.

  Cooper brought the wagon to a halt and looked at her. “That’s not an answer.”

  “Don’t, please!” she said in a panic. “We have to keep going.”

  He got the horses moving again but never took his eyes off her. “Hattie, tell me what’s going on. Now.”

  “I’m … I’m …”

  “Out with it.” Then, gentler, “Please.”

  She nodded. “I was engaged. Not by my choice.”

  “All right,” he said with a nod. He’d heard of rich families setting up their kids to marry, with no thought to the kids’ views on the matter. “And?”

  “And I couldn’t go through with it. I couldn’t marry a man I can’t stand the sight of.”

  He nodded again in understanding. “So you came to Creede?”

  “Yes. It seemed safe enough when I thought of it.”

  “And how does a woman like you find out about a place like Creede, Colorado?” Creede was a good-sized town now, but it was new enough to be unknown to folks outside the state. And it was a drop in the bucket compared to Boston.

  She made an odd noise, a laugh or a sob, and blushed deep red. “I let my finger fall onto a map.” She closed her eyes. “Childish and stupid, I know.”

  He just shrugged. He’d heard worse plans, though not many. “I suppose it could work. Unless someone found something that indicated where you went.”

  “But they couldn’t have,” she said with a frown. “I don’t understand how they tracked me down.”

  “They?” he said with concern. “There’s more than one?”

  She nodded. “My father probably sent men after me once he figured out I wasn’t abducted and ran away instead. I’m sure my fiancé did.”

  “And what are they going to think when they find out I’ve taken you to my ranch?”

  “That’s just it.” She turned on the wagon seat to look behind them. “Hopefully by the time they find that out, I’ll be long gone.”

  He glanced between her and the road. “Hattie, you need to think this through.”

  “I know!” She put a hand to her temple, her eyes shut tight. “It’s just that…” Her shoulders shook.

  He turned to face her. “Hattie …”

  She looked at him, tears in her eyes. “Oh, Cooper, what am I going to do?”

  Cooper didn’t know, nor did he expect to pull her close. But his arms wrapped around her without any thought on his part. “Hush, now, you’re safe with me. I won’t let them take you.”

  She cried against his chest, and his heart felt like it would burst. He’d never held a woman like this before, or felt such a surge of protectiveness. It pounded him, threatening to take over his good sense. His eyes narrowed at the thought of men hunting her down.

  He looked behind them, but the road lay empty. “Hattie, we have to get moving.” He tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at her. “Let’s get to my place and you can explain everything. But I do want you to explain everything – our lives could depend on it.”

  She nodded and sniffled, pulling down her scarf to rub her nose. “I’m so sorry, I’m such a ninny. You must think me silly and stupid.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir, honey,” he said with a smile. “If anyone knows what it’s like to be thought of as silly and stupid, it’s me.” He saw how beautiful she was, more beautiful than he’d ever realized. The thought was like a bucket of cold water dumped on his head.

  He lowered his face to hers and kissed her. He didn’t know if it was the overwhelming drive to protect her, the warmth of her body against his, or that she’d turned to him for help. Whatever it was, he needed to be closer to her, had to touch her somehow, and this was the only way he could.

  But they couldn’t stay there. He had to keep her safe f
irst and foremost.

  He broke the kiss and stared at her, his heart beating so hard he wondered if she felt it. She stared back, looking as shocked as he felt. He swallowed hard. “Hattie, I didn’t mean…”

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s all right.” Her eyes widened as they both realized she still had her arms wrapped around him. She let go and scooted out of his embrace.

  Cooper sighed, glanced behind them once more and got the horses moving faster – he’d been so caught up in Hattie’s presence that he’d forgotten to stop them. Still, the sooner he got her home and safe, the better he’d feel. Then maybe he could find out who she was running from, give her his gift, maybe tell her what Tobias had figured out … and figure out if he was falling in love.

  “Bob, so help me, if you’re wrong about this I’m going to …”

  Squawk!

  “Don’t talk back to me! This was your idea, remember?” Albert tossed his hands in the air and continued pacing.

  Bob crowed.

  “Yes, I saw him kiss her. That’s a good sign.”

  Cluck.

  “It was one kiss, Bob. One. A man doesn’t necessarily fall in love after one kiss.”

  Bob scurried over and pecked his foot.

  “Stop that! I’m done arguing with you. What if we’ve put them in danger?”

  Bob hopped onto the log and paced alongside him.

  “Yeah, you’d better think of something,” Albert chastised. “Or we’re both in a lot of trouble.”

  Cluck?

  “Oh trust me, it will be both of us. Especially when I tell them it was your idea to let Bart Sullivan know where Hattie was.”

  Cluck cluck CLUUUUCK!

  “Worked? Nothing’s worked yet!”

  Bob pecked the log a few times, ignoring him.

  Albert stopped and pulled at his hair. “Why did I let you help me? Why?”

  Bob planted himself on the log. Cluck.

  “All right, so we have one kiss,” Albert agreed, “and if we’re lucky, yes, he’s taking the plunge. But what about Hattie? What’s to keep her from bolting and taking the next train out of town?”