Richard took off the gray hat he was wearing and offered a fake courtesy bow. “I am a man of my word.”
“I can see that,” Natalie replied spotting Mason watching her. The sight of the man made her blood turn cold.
“You must be tired. I have the best room at the hotel reserved for you. After you rest and freshen up, I will come by and we will have dinner together,” Richard told Natalie. Natalie quickly noticed that Richard told her the agenda rather than giving her a choice in the matter.
“Perhaps we can have dinner tomorrow, Mr. Crandall. I believe I will go to my room and rest for the remainder of the day and throughout the night. I am extremely tired and I'm afraid I would be very poor company in such a state.”
Richard, not expecting to be tossed to the side, began to insist on his agenda but realized that pushing at an untamed horse so quickly might cause it to run. “I understand,” he said in a voice that sounded sick. “I will come by tomorrow and we can go for a buggy ride before dinner.”
Natalie didn't say yes or no. Instead, she took her eyes away from Richard and studied the hotel. The hotel, to her relief, appeared to be in fine shape. Large, finely built, with a fresh coat of blue paint on the outside, the hotel offered a soothing invitation of rest to weary travelers. “Tomorrow,” Natalie told Richard.
Richard stared into Natalie's beautiful face. Suspicion began to arise in his mind. Why would such a beautiful woman leave Boston and travel to a small, dusty, town to marry a man she barely knew? Sure. He had taken the time to write her letters...he had taken the time to write many wealthy women letters...but Natalie was the first woman to nibble at the hook and then finally swallow the bait. Why? “Tomorrow,” Richard said and said goodbye without offering to help Natalie with her luggage.
Natalie watched Richard walk away toward the livery stable. The man on the veranda walked down onto the street followed Richard. Natalie knew that the plan she had arranged would not work to her advantage in the manner she had hoped. “When is the next stage to Sacramento?” she asked the stage coach driver.
“Two days from now,” the driver said and then spit ugly black spit out of his mouth. “Mam, want me to help you with your luggage?”
“No, I can manage,” Natalie told the driver in a worried voice. Two days to manipulate and control Richard Crandall...could she do it? “On second thought, yes, you may. All of a sudden I'm not feeling well.”
Chapter 2
Windy Truth
Duncan Andrews spotted Natalie walking into the hotel from the dining room. Leaning against the front desk counter, he rubbed his rough, beard and thought how amazing it was that such a beautiful woman could appear out of thin air. But what chance did he have of even saying hello to such a woman? There he was standing in the hotel still wearing his work clothes, covered with dust, waiting for his brother to bring him a meal from the dining room. But such a chance at saying hello presented itself when Natalie walked up to the front desk. “Mam,” Duncan said in a nervous voice, tipping the brown hat on his head at her. Quickly moving to the side, he watched Natalie look down at the guest registry book and then up at him.
To Natalie's surprise, she looked up into a handsome face that held strong, kind, honest eyes. “Do you work here?” she asked in a polite voice.
“Oh, no mam,” Duncan said and shook his head no. “My brother works here. He's in the dining room. I reckon he'll be along shortly.”
Natalie stared into Duncan's face and saw that the man was tired. Then she lowered her eyes down to the gun belt around his waist. “Are those really necessary?” she asked.
Duncan looked down at the gun sitting on his right hip. “Mam, at times, a gun is all a man has between him and the grave.” Duncan nodded toward the front door. “This is a small town, but a man can have an enemy anywhere.”
The image of Mason slithered into Natalie's mind. Then, she remembered the words the old man had spoken to her. “Are you speaking about Richard Crandall?” she dared to ask.
Duncan dared to let his eyes absorb Natalie's beautiful face. For a few seconds, he stood very still, staring into her face. “Mam, some men are deadly. It's wise to stay away from such men.”
“You're not the first man to tell me that,” Natalie cautiously tossed a few bread crumbs at Duncan. “Why is that?”
“Because that snake wants to steal every inch of land around here and will kill to do it,” a short, plump man wearing a nice brown suit said. Walking up to the front desk carrying a plate of food, he looked at Duncan. “Here's your supper. Now be wise and wait until Crandall leaves town. If he and his hired killer knew only a door separated you from them...a shootout would surely have taken place.”
“I ain't scared of Crandall,” Duncan told his brother in a stern tone. “I came into town to replay you the three dollars you loaned Mitch. I didn't know Crandall was going to be in town today, I don't really care. All I care about is making sure you never give Mitch any money again. You know he's a drunk, Andy.”
“And you know I'm sweet on his sister,” Andy fussed back. “Take your supper and get out of town.”
Natalie found that she couldn't take her eyes off of Duncan. An idea occurred to her. “Uh...Mr...”
“My name is Duncan, mam...Duncan Andrews,” Duncan introduced himself. Feeling foolish for arguing with his brother in front of Natalie, he looked down at his dusty boots and then back up at Natalie.
“Mr. Andrews, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind having your dinner with me, here at the hotel, in the dining room,” Natalie asked and then threw a breathtaking smile at Duncan.
“You want to have supper with this dirty cowhand?” Andy asked Natalie and then began laughing. “Why, my brother can't even pay for his own supper because he gave me his last three dollars.”
“Mitch is my hired hand. I'm responsible for his debts...and I told you...I'd pay you back for supper,” Duncan growled. Shaking his head, he focused on Natalie. “The bank was robbed a few days back. I ain't been able to get any money to pay my hired hands or have any in my own pocket, either.”
“You had three dollars,” Andy pointed out.
“Mitch drank away the three dollars you gave him. He's my responsibility. I'll take what he owes me out of his pay,” Duncan snapped at Andy. “I'll pay you back for supper, too.”
Witnessing an integrity in Duncan that she had never witnessed in a man before, Natalie found herself stunned. “Please, Mr. Andrews, I would be honored if you be my company for dinner.”
Duncan stared at Natalie. How...and why...could such a beautiful woman want to have dinner with him? His ranch was failing. He was poor as dirt. He was at war with one of the deadliest men in town. He wasn't even sure he'd live to see Thanksgiving, let alone another sunset. “Mam, I'm awful dirty. I ain't fit to sit down with a pretty lady like yourself.”
Andy cut in. “Mam, its better if my brother gets out of town. Now, let's get you checked in. Name, please?”
“Natalie McClure,” Natalie spoke her name.
Andy froze. “Richard Crandall…his new wife...”
Natalie shook her head no. “As soon as I stepped off the stagecoach and my eyes met Richard Crandall, I knew I had made a horrible mistake. I will be leaving for Sacramento in two days, but no one is to know that. Until then, if I am inquired about, you are to simply state that I have fallen ill and do not wish to be disturbed until I feel better.”
Duncan glanced at Andy. “Did you agree to marry Crandall?” he asked Natalie concerned.
Natalie stated that she had. “The arrangement is informal, at best, for now, though.”
Duncan bit down on his lower lip. “Mam, Richard Crandall isn't the type of man that will just let you walk out on him. If you leave, he'll track you down.”
“In other words, what my brother is trying to tell you is that Richard Crandall always gets what he wants,” Andy finished.
“We will see,” Natalie replied forcing her voice to appear brave even though she was afraid. “Now,
Mr. Andrews, will you please have dinner with me?”
Duncan looked at Andy. Andy shook his head no. But Duncan didn't listen. “Yes mam, I sure will. No sense in a woman eating supper alone.”
Andy moaned miserably. Natalie smiled. “Then shall we?” she asked. Duncan picked up his supper plate and walked Natalie into the dining room.
*
The night had pulled in a delightful autumn scent filled with cozy ideas of baking pumpkin pies and taking walks in sleepy corn patches. Walking with Duncan on a grassy trail circling a cozy pond surrounded by tall trees, Natalie remembered doing such things with her mother as a child. Glancing up at a half filled moon, she thought of her mother. “I'm glad you recommended we come here,” she told Duncan.
“I always like to take walks after supper,” Duncan confessed. “The truth is, my Ma and Pa met at the very spot. Sometimes I like to come here...and just talk to them.”
“Your parents are dead, I take it?” Natalie asked Duncan, slowly walking beside him.
Duncan nodded his head yes. “My Pa worked hard to build the ranch he left me and my brother. One day he was breaking in a wild horse...horse threw him to the ground...Pa landed on his neck. My Ma...she just kinda died inside of herself after that. A year later, I found her dead in her bed...Doc Flancher never did say how my Ma died.”
“Maybe your mother died of a broken heart,” Natalie suggested in a low whisper. “I wouldn't really know, though. I've never been in love.”
Duncan stopped walking. Looking at Natalie, he watched as the moonlight softly caressed her beauty. “A woman like you...now that's hard to believe.”
“It's true,” Natalie confessed. “And what about you?”
Duncan smiled. He pointed to the sky. “Jesus is my first love. I figure when he wants to send a woman to be my second love, He will.”
Natalie stared at Duncan. “Jesus?”
Duncan continued to smile. “Are you surprised? I do have a Bible and I do know how to read.”
“No...I mean...I assumed...” Natalie fumbled. As a woman who held sound intelligence, she found it embarrassing that her words came out so disorganized. “You carry a gun...I assumed...”
“That I was an uneducated cowhand that knows only how to argue with a stubborn horse?” Duncan asked and then laughed to himself. “Well, I guess there would be some truth in that. I ain't no man that ever step foot in one of those fancy schools back east, that's for sure. And I do spend my time running a ranch that is about to dry up. But I reckon the Lord has given me enough common sense in order to see my way around in the dark.”
Natalie smiled. She admired Duncan's honesty. “And you seem very content.”
“I'm grateful,” Duncan corrected Natalie. “The Lord puts air in my lungs and strength in my body. I'm able to work and I'm able to ride a horse. Sure, I'm poor and my Pa's ranch is about to go under...but that's life. The Lord, He'll take care of my business for me...if I have faith.”
“Duncan...I mean, Mr. Andrews...is it true that Richard Crandall wants you dead?” Natalie asked in a serious voice.
“Crandall wants all the small ranchers off the land in order to expand his own spread. He's offered to buy us out...but the price he is offering for each ranch...well, it's downright theft,” Duncan explained throwing his eyes at the pond. “I convinced most of the ranchers to stand their ground.”
“That must have made Richard Crandall very angry.”
“Sure did,” Duncan admitted. “Crandall went and hired him some guns and began burning barns, breaking down fences, stealing cattle...and then he turned to killing. Steve Coffee was first...”
Natalie waited for Duncan to continue speaking. When the man grew silent, Natalie gently urged him to move forward. “Please, continue.”
Duncan shook his head. “Steve Coffee was a good man. I knew Crandall sent his hired gun to murder Steve while Steve was out checking on a section of broken fence. But what could anyone do...no one had proof. Sheriff Mulgrew tried to get some evidence up but came up flat. Crandall got away with murder and managed to send a message to the other ranchers.”
“What happened?”
“We held a meeting and I convinced everyone to hold their ground. Shortly after, Crandall sent a hired gun to shoot me down when I was out riding the fence. Steve was always slow on the draw...I'm not,” Duncan explained. “Crandall wasn't happy that I came out of the fight alive and had me arrested for murder. He paid off the jury and it sure seemed set that I was going to hang. But at the last minute, Judge Dalton dismissed the paid off jurors and called in a new set of jurors. I guess he knew.”
“How long ago was this?” Natalie asked.
Duncan knelt down, picked up a rock, and threw it into the pond. “Last week.”
“The man who followed Richard Crandall when he walked away from me--”
“Mason,” Duncan explained. “Mason is a killer, Ms. McClure. He's deadly on the draw. But without his guns, he's a coward. I expect Crandall will be sending Mason for me pretty soon.”
Natalie watched Duncan stand up. “You seem mute about this entire matter.”
“Ms. McClure, Richard Crandall has a group of hired guns that will do anything he says as long as they get paid. These men are soulless...like rattlers who will strike at a dove for no reason at all other than being poison inside. These men bully, tear down, destroy and kill anyone who stands in their way. The truth of the matter is...I'm pretty calm because...I'm about to hold up the white flag and send the other ranchers off. I don't want any more killing.”
“And you believe that will make Richard Crandall happy?”
“I don't know?” Duncan admitted. “Crandall isn't the type of man to leave a fight unfinished. Come on, I reckon I better get you back into town.”
“May I ask you just one more question?” Natalie asked Duncan. Suddenly, the little pest back in Boston seemed like an annoying little gnat rather the grand worry she had made him out to be.
“I reckon.”
“Does running away make you feel...perhaps a little like...what I mean to say is--”
“Do I feel like a coward?” Duncan said. Kicking at the ground with his boot, he sighed miserably. “Yeah, I do like a yellow-belly coward giving into Crandall. But I can't risk another good man being killed. After my Pa died...I promised to keep his ranch alive and make it into the biggest spread around...I'm going to have to break my promise...and that's what angers me the most.”
Natalie wasn't sure why she reached out and patted Duncan's hand, but she did. “You're willing to sacrifice what you love in order to save the lives of innocent people. That's very admirable.”
Hearing footsteps appearing from behind, Duncan quickly grabbed Natalie's hand and pulled her behind him. Turning around, he saw Mason standing in the moonlight with his right hand resting on his gun. “It's time to pay, Andrews,” Mason grinned. “And as for you, little lady, Mr. Crandall will have a word with you about sneaking around behind his back.”
Chapter 3
A New Fight Begins
Duncan nodded toward a set of trees. “Go over there and stay,” he ordered Natalie. “If Mason kills me, run north. My ranch is about three miles north of here. Don't stop running. Mason ain't gonna kill me, though.”
Natalie watched Mason take out his gun, check the bullet chamber, and glance at Andrews. “Come on, Andrews, I ain't going to wait all night to kill you.”
Staring back into Duncan's eyes, Natalie saw a calm man even though her own heart was fearful. “I...” she tried to speak but found that any word struggling to leave her mouth stopped in her throat.
“The Lord will win my battle,” Duncan promised Natalie. “I'm not scared of Mason and he knows that. Just like that giant Goliath who thought David was just a scrawny old horse, Mason thinks I'm no challenge for him.”
“I...never had faith in the Bible,” Natalie confessed. “I stopped praying after my mother died when I was ten years old.”
“Maybe you stopped pra
ying, but Jesus never stopped caring. Now, move, get over in those trees.”
Natalie hurried over to the trees and watched Andrew walk toward Mason. Hugging the tree, she glanced up into dark night sky glittering with specks of stars. “Please,” she begged.
“Ready to die?” Mason asked Andrews shoving his gun back down in a black holster.
“Crandall send you to do his dirty work?” Duncan asked Mason, stopping at a safe distance.
Mason grinned. “After you're out of the way, it's free picking, boy,” he answered. “Crandall thinks he's in charge. That worthless man is going to learn real soon who is really in charge.”
Duncan stared at Mason through the moonlight. “You're planning to kill Crandall, is that it?”
“Yep,” Mason continued to grin. “Who do you think robbed the bank? I have to keep Crandall on his knees. His money was in the bank, too. Crandall is desperate. That's why he turned to the woman.”
“Where's the bank money?” Duncan demanded.
Mason laughed. “Sure, why not, you're a dead man anyway. I hid the bank money in an old well on Crandall's. Before I kill Crandall, I'm going to show him all of his money. Now, get ready to die, Andrews.”
Duncan watched Mason's face turn deadly cold. Drawing in a deep breath, he said a quick prayer. And then, Mason went for his gun. Natalie closed her eyes as two gunshots exploded into the night. “No...” she cried. Dropping down to her knees, she began to cry. A few minutes late, a gentle hand touched her shoulder. Opening her tear filled eyes, Natalie saw Duncan smiling down at her.
“I told you the Lord would win my battle,” he told Natalie.
“He's...dead?”
Duncan nodded his head. “Yeah, Mason is dead. Come on, we need to go get the Sheriff. I heard a man ride off. Probably one of Crandall's men. We get into town where it's safe. Crandall will be along this way pretty soon.”
The Thanksgiving Day Bride: Mail Order Bride Novels Page 34