The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly ((Paranromal Western Romance))

by Keta Diablo

  Now, now, let’s deal with one problem at a time, Nettie scolded in a motherly fashion. Barney, you go talk to the girl and report back.

  Ruth felt a light brush of air sweep over her left shoulder and then his presence faded. "Nettie, you don’t understand my whole family was torn apart by Barney’s death. I—"

  You need to get over it and see to Wilhelmina. Konnor is a wonderful man and a hard worker, but he doesn’t know beans about how to handle that woman. That’s your job. You have to free him from her claws. Then he can settle down and put a ring on your finger. The boy needs you, Nettie stated as if Konnor couldn’t take care of himself.

  Shoving out of her chair, Ruth grumbled, "Right, a big strapping man like Konnor McKee needs me."

  "Yes, he does," Wilhelmina agreed and strolled into the room in a black satin dress. Red lace decorated the sleeves and the collar, and a huge silk bow of the same color sat on her chest, highlighting her full bosom. Her blonde hair caught up in a decorative hairnet gave the impression of a royal crown. "I’m hoping to hear that you’ve located that crazy ghost of his and exiled it to parts unknown."

  A low groan rumbled near the back door.

  Knowing Nettie had taken exception to the comment, Ruth worked to soothe her ruffled feathers. "I can’t say that will ever happen. The ghost has been in Konnor’s family for several generations and not likely to go away anytime soon."

  "But I thought that was your job. Aren’t you supposed to convince them to leave?" Wilhelmina glanced around and walked to the counter. She flipped back the towel lying over the breadbasket and snatched up a muffin.

  "It is but I’m not so sure Konnor wants to get rid of Nettie." Ruth stepped to the oven, wondering what she might fix to go with the savory meat.

  The thought had her glancing at the elegantly dressed woman. What was her real reason for being here? Was she in love with Konnor?

  A wicked smile spread across Wilhelmina’s face. She lifted the bread in her hand to lips and muttered, "Hmm, then I’ll just have to convince him." With glee, she bit into the sweet treat.

  Footsteps sounded on the back steps, and the door opened. An icy breeze rushed into the room.

  "Miss Wilson, I, uh," Henry sputtered to a stop the moment his gaze caught sight of Wilhelmina. He nodded and maneuvered the carpetbags in his hands through the entrance. Weighted down with the luggage, he fought to close the door behind him.

  "Oh, my, can you be a bigger coot? Why didn’t you bring those bags in through the front?" Wilhelmina shoved him aside and slammed the door. "I tell you once I’m married to Konnor, I’m going to insist he find a better helper."

  "I, uh, just wanted to talk to Miss Wilson before I...."

  Ruth set her hand on his arm and ushered him forward. "No need to worry about me, Henry. You head upstairs with Wilhelmina’s things, and we’ll have a nice conversation later."

  Henry glanced at Wilhelmina as if wanting to argue, then nodded. "Yes, ma’am. Then once I’m done, I’ll head home. Konnor says we should call it quits for the day."

  "Lay the carpetbags flat on the bed. I don’t want any more wrinkles than you’ve already caused," Wilhelmina admonished and waved him out of the room.

  Without bothering to turn and acknowledge the woman, Henry walked through the kitchen doorway into the dining area.

  He hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps before Wilhelmina started in. "I don’t know why Konnor keeps that boy. He’s completely worthless."

  Wanting to defend him, Ruth gave a nonchalant shrug and offered, "I’d think you’d be glad he was here. Konnor works long hours. And if not for Henry, he’d be even busier and never have a moment to spend with you."

  "Exactly, that’s why we need to get someone who can handle more of the load, so Konnor doesn’t have to work so hard." Wilhelmina snagged another muffin and walked to the table. "I can see this farm taking off where we won’t even have to live here. I mean good draft horses are hard to find. We’ll simply hire a foreman to do all the chores. Then Konnor and I can live in Omaha and reap the rewards."

  Ruth blinked at the grandiose plan, knowing full well that Konnor would never agree to leave. He loved working with his horses and took pride in running this place. She’d seen it in the way he cared for his livestock and how he beamed when they’d discussed their future together. How could Wilhelmina have missed how much his ranch meant to him?

  Electing to avoid the topic, Ruth lifted two hot pads and opened the oven. "This roast should be done here in a bit. What would you like to go with it?"

  "I’m sure you know better than I do what there is to eat around here. Konnor is not one to worry about what he’s having for dinner until his chores are done. I had to do most of the cooking while I was here a while back or I would’ve starved." Wilhelmina must have pulled out a chair because the sound of a chair’s legs scrapping against the floor echoed through the room.

  Ruth shook her head and closed the oven before she turned. "Then why are you considering marry him?"

  Wilhelmina frowned.

  "I mean, you apparently don’t want to live here and have no interest in being a rancher’s wife. So what is it that marrying Konnor offers?" Ruth studied the other woman’s face, looking for clues as to her thoughts.

  With a slight shrugged, Wilhelmina ran a finger over a small divot in the wooden table. "I don’t have much choice. My dad, who by the way is a wealthy lawyer, is cutting me off. He believes marriage will make me a more responsible woman. So when Konnor asked me to marry him, I had to say yes."

  She lifted her gaze, and her sad blue eyes almost sparked a smidgen of sympathy for her. However, having seen too many women play the woe-unto-me card, Ruth refrained from falling into that trap. "Then you’re not in love with Konnor?"

  Wilhelmina shook her head. "No, I just want to get out of town for a few months. Once my parents start to miss me, I’ll claim I’m unhappy and go back."

  Ruth swallowed the anger that bloomed in the pit of her stomach and fought for a way to reason with the woman. "Do you think that’s fair to Konnor?"

  A small chuckle escaped from Wilhelmina. "The man hasn’t even seen a girl in a coon’s age, much less been with one that is willing to kiss him. He’s almost thirty and desperate, I’ll have him wrapped around my finger in no time."

  See, I told you she was wicked, Nettie’s voice whispered through Ruth’s head.

  Everything inside Ruth agreed, but she refused to react to Wilhelmina’s bait. The woman was like so many other women Ruth had met, crafty and willing to use any situation to their advantage. She must have picked up on Konnor’s feelings and was planning to be the innocent victim in a battle for his affection.

  Ruth didn’t intend to play the game. Even though she wanted to tear the woman’s heart out and was struggling with how best to handle the conflict over the missing silver delicately. Hoping for a distraction, she noticed a canned jar of green beans on the shelf above the counter and diverted the conversation to an earlier topic. "Why don’t you set the table while I heat up some of the vegetables Konnor has here? Then we can dig in as soon as Konnor comes inside."

  Chapter Nine

  Konnor paused with his hand on the railing leading up to the back steps. The aroma of cooked meat had his stomach rumbling, but he continued to delay. Wilhelmina had thrown a wrench into his plans. If he wanted to head into town and marry Ruth tomorrow, he had to convince Wilhelmina tonight he didn’t want to marry her.

  How should he go about doing that?

  For the last half hour, he’d struggled with the answer and still didn’t have a clue. "I reckon I better do what I gotta do."

  Clenching his hand against the wood, he placed his foot on the step and reached for the doorknob. With a quick twist, he opened the door and walked inside. "Evening, ladies, something in here smells awful good."

  "Konnor." Wilhelmina rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The sudden display of affection had him wondering if she cared or if she was simply putti
ng on a show. After all, when she’d been here more than a week ago, she hadn’t greeted him in the same way.

  In fact, she’d grumbled consistently about being bored or having nothing fun to do. It’d been part of the reason he’d decided she wasn’t the woman for him.

  Wrapping one arm around her, he held her against his chest and shoved the door closed. His gaze met Ruth’s over Wilhelmina’s shoulder, and he noted her frown. With a reassuring smile, he backed out of his ex-fiancée’s embrace and noticed the roast on the counter. He turned his head and caught sight of the three place settings on the table waiting for them to take their seats. "It looks like you two have been busy. Let me wash my hands and we can eat."

  "Yes, Ruth here has been telling me about your ghost. She seems to think, what was her name again, Nelly?"

  "Nettie." Ruth moved to the table, effectively avoiding him. She kept her back to him and pulled out the chair at the opposite end from where he normally sat.

  "Oh, yes, Nettie." Wilhelmina followed him to the sink and chatted away while he cleaned up. "Ruth says the ghost is not inclined to leave. So I was thinking, we might have to consider the possibility of moving."

  Shocked by the absurd suggestion, he swiveled his head around. The glance he gave her must have been harsher than he intended because she retreated several steps and grabbed a towel off the counter.

  "But luckily we don’t have to make that decision today. And who knows, Ruth might still be able to exile the ghost." Wilhelmina tossed him the cloth and spun on her heels. "Let’s eat, I’m starving."

  He turned and watched her beautiful body move elegantly across the kitchen. Again, he was struck by how he’d found her so appealing when they first met. Now, her allure completely escaped him. He darted his gaze to Ruth, and a sense of home spread through him. She was the only one for him. He knew it. She knew it.

  The question again was how to tell Wilhelmina.

  Lifting the roast off the counter, he carried it to the table and placed it in the center next to a bowl of green beans and the basket of bread. "Thank you both for getting dinner ready. I have the horses settled."

  After taking his seat, he folded his hands over his plate. "I’m free until I need to do my final check for the night."

  "Wonderful, then perhaps you can catch me up on what’s been going on around here." Wilhelmina lifted the breadbasket and gave it to Ruth.

  Expecting her to make a comment about how they should say grace first, he held his tongue when she took the basket, selected a roll, and passed the bread to him.

  "Konnor, why don’t you slice the meat? I left the...." Ruth jumped from her chair and hurried to the counter. Grabbing a knife, she returned and handed it to him. "I want mainly the carrots and potatoes so don’t cut me a big piece."

  Wilhelmina lifted her plate. "I’m starving. After a day of traveling, I could use a good meal."

  She proceeded to tell them tidbits of her trip while he dished out a serving to each of them. Once finished with the chore, he sank back into his seat and stared at his meal. Suddenly, his airways tightened, and he worked to draw in a breath.

  What could he say?

  "Wilhelmina, I’m sorry you came all this way but I—"

  "Yes, if you had only waited, Konnor and I were heading into town tomorrow to find you." Ruth interrupted him and sent him a stern glance. "But now, of course, we don’t have to...because you’re here."

  What the hell was she trying to do? Didn’t she want him to tell his ex that he no longer wanted to marry her?

  Confused, he noted Ruth’s rigid posture and tried to figure out why she didn’t want him to end his engagement. Had Wilhelmina said something to change their plans?

  "Really?" Wilhelmina set down her fork and laid her hand on his forearm. "Did you want to find me and reconcile?"

  "Not exactly." He glanced at Ruth, hoping she’d help him know which direction she wanted the conversation to go.

  She sighed. "No, Konnor understood your desire not to live with a ghost. But I convinced him we needed to see you because I had a few questions about some items that seem to be missing."

  Wilhelmina’s hand tightened briefly on his arm and she shifted restlessly in her seat. "What are you talking about?"

  With a relaxed grace, Ruth finished cutting up a potato and set down her knife. "I’m sure it’s nothing. But part of the reason the ghost appeared was in reaction to several missing pieces of silver."

  "Well, I can’t blame the poor thing. Family heirlooms are priceless." Wilhelmina patted Konnor’s forearm and retracted her arm. "Have you asked Henry if he knows anything about it? Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he took them. He’s constantly rushing in and out of the house as if he owns the place."

  Stunned by the woman’s ability to keep a straight face and lie through her teeth, Konnor merely shook his head. Why had he ever considered her being someone he’d want for a wife? "We have it on good authority that Henry isn’t involved, but we wanted to check with you to see if you recall seeing the pieces while you were here."

  Wilhelmina shrugged and stabbed a few green beans. "I can’t honestly say that I remember any particular item. I mean we used several things from the cabinet in the dining room, but nothing that appeared valuable to me."

  Again, the woman surprised Konnor. When she’d been staying with him, she raved at the beauty of each piece and cooed over how honored she’d felt to use them. Drawing in a cleansing breath to hold his temper at bay, he forced his focus away from Wilhelmina and stared back down at his plate. What now?

  "I’m sure they will show up somewhere," Ruth assured him and continued in a conversational tone, "So what did your family say when you told them about your broken engagement?"

  "I didn’t tell them. Daddy would have been furious with Konnor and would have threatened to sue him for breach of promise." Wilhelmina smiled and waved a hand as if the issue was of little importance. "I knew I’d come back, especially after Barton informed me you’d hired an agent to get rid of the ghost."

  Forcing himself to swallow the chunk of meat he’d just put in his mouth, he nodded and glanced at Ruth. She had to know how Wilhelmina had honey-fuggled him. Now, he didn’t have any other choice but to marry her.

  They had no proof of her stealing his family heirlooms. And unless she broke off the engagement in front of witnesses, he’d never be able to prove she’d dumped him first. Her father had a reputation for being the best lawyer in the state for winning cases. He always went for the jugular vein.

  Shit, not only had he lost the girl of his dreams, but he’d also have to live with Wilhelmina for the rest of his life, or risk losing everything.

  Dang it all!

  * * *

  Two hours later, Ruth tossed her case notes on the bed and tried to reason with Nettie. "My hands are tied. You know Barney has already talked to Healy and told her that we suspect Wilhelmina. But until the agency finds evidence of wrongdoing, we can’t accuse her of stealing the items."

  But I’m telling you I saw her do it.

  "Yes, but you aren’t considered a viable witness. You don’t have the ability to show up in court and testify." As frustrated as Nettie was about the situation, Ruth felt as if her world had been yanked out from under her. Again, she’d fallen for a man that she couldn’t have. However, in this case, they did have a chance of winning the battle if they could simply be patient.

  "Look, we clearly need to buy ourselves some time. I’ll stick around and pretend to try to convince you to leave." Ruth walked to the dresser and lifted the pitcher that sat there.

  Then you don’t want me to disappear?

  The ghost’s surprised tone drew a smile to Ruth’s lip. She poured some water into the porcelain bowl and set down the jug. "I’ve met your type before. You can be quiet, but you aren’t going anywhere no matter how hard I try to convince you. You’d be better off though, if you did."

  And you like talking to me too, right? Nettie teased. Man alive, you’d go insane arou
nd here without me to connect to every day.

  Ruth wondered if that might be true. When her brother had initially left her, she’d struggled with handling the vacuum in her mind that constantly reached for him. Longing for a spiritual connection, she had begun to talk to other ghosts and spirits. "You’re probably right. But that’s not likely to occur unless we come up with a way to convince Wilhelmina she wants to break off her engagement with Konnor."

  I could try.... Nettie suddenly quit talking.

  Ruth glanced around the room. What had changed?

  A light knock sounded.

  Knowing who it was, she rushed forward to pull the door open.

  Konnor held his finger to his lips, indicating for her to remain quiet. Then he slipped quickly inside and closed the door with extra care to keep from making any noise before he turned and pulled her into his arms. "Please tell me you’ve come up with a way to get me out of this."

  His crestfallen expression and the pure misery in the depths of his dark eyes had her shifting closer to reassure him. Her arms circled his waist, and she forced a smile to her lips. "It’s not as bad as it may seem. I was able to contact my agency and they are sending an agent to investigate Wilhelmina."

  He sighed and pulled her tighter into his chest.

  Ruth’s gaze dropped to his lips and a sudden desire to feel them against hers awoke. "But it might take some time to find the evidence we need. Until then, we’ll have to wait."

  "I’m not sure that’s the best way to convince her to break off our engagement. She could find me in bed with another woman?" Konnor suggested.

  "Yes, and with her father, she’d probably still win the case." She worked her hands between them and pressed them against his chest. "Let’s give my agency some time to find a few answers before we do anything extreme."

  He tightened his hold not allowing any more space to develop between them. "Does this mean you’ve changed your mind about wanting to marry me?"

  She shook her head. "You can only be engaged to one girl. Once we get Wilhelmina out of the picture, then, and only then...." She shoved at his chest to emphasize her point. "Can we be together."