by Bobbi Smith
"It is. Hard Luck hasn't had a scandal like this in years."
The bartender frowned. "What kind of scandal?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Guess who showed up here in town today on the late stage."
"I have no idea."
"Two ladies and I do mean ladies and one of them claims to be none other than Michael Donovan's fiancee from back East," he finished with a flourish, relishing the news.
"She can't be his fiancee," Bill argued. "He's marrying Casey Turner."
"I know that and you know that, but Miss Karen Whittington of Philadelphia doesn't know it."
"She says she's his girl from back East?"
"Yes. She says she's his intended."
Bill agreed with Ernest's opinion of the matter. "You're right, Ernest. It does look like things could get exciting around here."
"What's this about Donovan?" John McQueen interrupted in an easy fashion as he joined them. He'd been playing poker in back, but he'd heard the two men mention Casey and Michael. As soon as the hand had played out, he left the game to speak with Ernest and Bill.
"Ernest here has some news," Bill led in.
Ernest told John McQueen the story.
"So, according to this young lady, she's engaged to Donovan?" John repeated thoughtfully.
"That's right. What do you think Casey is going to say about that when she finds out?"
"It'll be interesting, that's for sure."
"I sure don't want to be the one to tell her," Bill remarked. Everyone in town knew Casey, and they knew she had a temper.
"I almost feel sony for Michael," Ernest said.
"I don't," John spoke up, thinking with great satisfaction that the man was going to get exactly what he deserved. John already knew what he was going to do, and inwardly he was smiling. Things were finally starting to go his way. "Bill, will you tell Rosalie for me that I had to leave, but that I'll see her later?"
"I'll tell her, but she ain't going to be happy about it," Bill answered.
John just shrugged and left the saloon. He didn't care what Rosalie thought. He had to find Casey. He had news she needed to hear right away.
John knew it was going to be late when he reached the Bar T, but he thought the news he was bringing would gain him admission. He certainly hoped Casey would appreciate his concern.
Michael and Nick stayed late working on the new house. Time was running out, and there was still a lot to be done.
Whenever they took a break, Michael tried to school Nick in the art of using his six-gun, but with each passing lesson, Michael became more firmly convinced his cousin should probably carry a shotgun instead. Still, Nick insisted on keeping at it, so they practiced target shooting every day.
The two men were tired and dirty when they finally decided to quit work and head for home.
"I guess you're working so hard because you don't want to stay in the bunkhouse with Casey on your wedding night," Nick said.
"That's right."
"Sleeping in bunk beds wouldn't be very romantic, that's for sure."
"I wonder if Casey would want the top bunk or the bottom."
Both men laughed.
"To be safe, if it came to that, I'd advise you to both sleep on the bottom bunk," Nick told him.
Michael didn't even want to think about sleeping in the same bed with Casey, let alone imagine himself sharing a narrow bunk with her.
"You don't have to worry," he said, wanting to change the topic, "Casey and 1 are not going to be spending our honeymoon in the bunkhouse. At the rate we're going with the work here, I figure the house should be livable in another couple of days."
"I'll let the boys know. They'll be glad to find out they won't be evicted."
They reached the Circle D and stopped at the stable to tend to their horses before going to the house to get cleaned up for dinner.
Elizabeth had been anxiously awaiting Michael's return since the messenger from town had dropped off the letter. She was worried that it might contain bad news.
"Michael Nick I'm so glad you're here," she said, meeting them at the door.
Michael sensed her urgency and was immediately concerned. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Pa? Is he all right?"
"No, it's nothing like that," she answered as she ushered them inside. "It's just..."
"What?"
"You got a letter here," Frank announced as he wheeled himself into the hallway, holding the missive. "A letter? Who's it from?"
"We don't know. Rob brought it out from town a few hours ago. He said it was from a lady at the hotel."
Michael grew uneasy. He took the proffered envelope and went into the parlor to open it. His parents and Nick followed him, but waited in the doorway as he read the missive in silence.
My Dearest Michael,
I couldn`t bear to be apart from you any longer. I've made the trip to Hard Luck with my mother to be with you. We are staying at the hotel here in town for now. As soon as I hear from you, we can come and stay with you on your ranch.
I am waiting eagerly to hear from you.
Love,
Karen
Michael stared down at the letter in silent disbelief.
Karen was in Hard Luck.
She had followed him to Texas.
He looked up from the letter to find his parents and Nick watching him with open curiosity.
"It's not bad news, is it?" his mother asked.
Michael grimaced inwardly. "That depends on what you call bad news and who you ask, I guess."
"Who's here?" Nick had a feeling he already knew the answer to his question, judging from the look on Michael's face.
"Karen. She's in town."
Nick nodded slightly. His suspicion was confirmed.
"Who is Karen?" Frank demanded, wondering what female could be causing so much trouble.
"Karen Whittington. She's the young woman I was seeing back in Philadelphia," Michael explained.
"Why did she follow you here?" Elizabeth asked, curious to know more about her.
"All she said in her note was that she missed me and wanted to see me."
"So she packed up and came here unannounced and uninvited?" Frank was amazed at the woman's audacity.
"Yes," he answered simply.
"That's something Karen would do," Nick said, knowing exactly what she was like. He knew, too, that Karen wasn't going to be happy when she discovered Michael was engaged to Casey.
"What are you going to do about her?" Elizabeth asked, already thinking about protecting Casey.
"It's too late to do anything tonight. I'll ride into town in the morning and see her."
"And you'll tell her about Casey. There's no point in her staying on when you're engaged to another woman."
"Don't worry," Michael promised his mother. "I'll tell Karen everything."
"I don't envy you that reunion," Nick said.
"You don't want to ride in with me?" Michael couldn't help smiling at his cousin's reluctance to face Karen's wrath.
Thanks for the invitation, but I've got work to do on Casey's house."
"Coward."
"You're right about that."
"What's this Karen like?" Elizabeth asked. She found their remarks about her intriguing and wanted to know more.
"Her family is very wealthy and well-connected."
"Were you seeing her that often that she should feel it's appropriate for her to come here and track you down?"
"I had been seeing her, but there were no promises between us. When I got the news about the shooting, I sent word to her that I had to leave, and I honestly haven't thought much about her since."
Michael's mood remained tense that night. He didn't have much to say during dinner. His thoughts were on what the new day would bring. He considered letting Casey know what was going on, but decided against it. With any luck at all, he could straighten things out with Karen and send her on her way without Casey ever finding out the other woman had come to Hard Luck.
/>
Not that it would matter.
Michael was certain Casey wouldn't care one way or the other about Karen coming to town, but he didn't want to put her in an embarrassing situation. Soon Casey would be his bride, and as his future wife, she deserved his respect.
John was smiling all the way out to the Bar T.He was feeling quite pleased with the way things were going, and by the time he got done talking to Casey, he was pretty sure life was going to be wonderful.
Michael Donovan had another fiancee.
And she had come to Hard Luck.
John was going to love telling Casey.
It was dark as he rode up to the ranch house. A light was shining from the window, and as soon as he'd reined in, Casey came out on the front porch.
"John? What are you doing here at this time of night?" She was surprised to see him so late, and uneasy, too, for her father had already gone to bed.
"I need to talk to you, Casey. It's important," he said as he dismounted and went to her.
John had a plan in mind. He believed that once he revealed the truth about Michael and his secret Eastern fiancee, Casey would throw herself into his own arms, seeking solace, and he'd be more than willing to provide all the comfort she needed. He was eagerly looking forward to that moment. Though he had been temporarily thwarted in his master plan, things were definitely looking up now. Casey was going to be his, after all.
"Of course, but let's sit here on the porch," she told him, indicating the wooden bench there. "It won't be all that comfortable for us, but Pa is already asleep and I don't want to wake him. He needs all the rest he can get."
John liked knowing Jack was asleep. It meant he and Casey were alone. Lecherous thoughts teased him, but he controlled them for the time being as he sat down next to her.
"How is he feeling? Better, I hope?"
Casey didn't bother to ask John how he'd heard of her father's illness. News good and bad traveled fast around Hard Luck. "Yes, he is better."
"Good. I was concerned."
"Thank you." She looked up at the handsome rancher, wondering what had been so important to bring him to see her at this time of night.
John glanced down at her hand and noticed she wasn't wearing Donovan's ring. His hopes soared for a moment, thinking she'd broken off the engagement to him already. "Aren't you engaged to Michael anymore?"
"Oh, yes. We're still engaged. 1 wear the ring on a chain to keep it safe."
"Oh." His previous thought that this trip might have been unnecessary was gone. "When I didn't see you wearing it, I thought you might have heard the news already."
Casey frowned. "News? What news?"
John was more ready than ever to tell her. "When I was in town today, I heard Ernest from the hotel talking-"
"About what?" Casey couldn't imagine what the man had to say that would cause John to ride all the way out to the Bar T tonight.
"According to Ernest, there are some new guests staying at the hotel two women."
"So?"
"So, one of them a woman named Karen Whittington-is Michael Donovan's fiancee from back East."
"What?" Casey didn't know what she'd expected him to say, but his announcement left her in complete and utter shock.
John's manner was serious as he related all the gossip he'd heard.
"But how could Michael promise to marry me if he was engaged to another woman?" A tumble of emotions assailed Casey confusion and fury along with humiliation and, unexpectedly, pain.
"I don't know," John offered in his most sympathetic tone as he gazed down at her. He reached over and took her hand. "That's why I rode out here to see you. I thought you deserved to know the truth as soon as possible. Casey" he said her name tenderly "I'm sorry."
Stunned, Casey looked up at him. "John"
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" he offered.
"No. I don't know," she responded, struggling to keep her runaway emotions under control.
John knew this was his opportunity and he drew her closer, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "You know how much I care about you, Casey. You know if you ever need me, I'm here for you."
Casey almost let herself relax against John. He was offering her comfort and protection and she longed for both, but as quickly as the urge came, she realized she would be no better than her lying, cheating, miserable excuse for a fiance if she went into John's arms. She pulled back and stood up to move away.
John was thoroughly annoyed, but he told himself to be patient and bide his time. The news he'd given her was devastating; she would need time to adjust to Michael's betrayal.
"I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you, but I didn't want you to be caught unaware. You know how much I care about you, Casey," he repeated earnestly as he stood up beside her. "If you ever need anything, you only have to ask."
She nodded as she lifted her gaze to his. "Thank you, John."
He stared down at her in the moonlight. Casey was lovely and soon, very soon, she would be his. He wanted her, but he would wait. In a gentle, nonthreatening move, he bent down and pressed a single kiss to her cheek.
"Good night, Casey."
John left her alone with her thoughts. He strode to his horse, mounted up and rode away. Things hadn't gone exactly as he'd hoped, but he'd started the fire, now he just had to wait for it to rage out of control. He was smiling as he rode off into the night.
Casey stood unmoving on the porch, staring after John until he had ridden out of sight. Only then did she sink back down on the bench. Her thoughts were racing as she tried to decide what to do.
Her first instinct was to get her gun and go after Michael.
She realized, though, that she wasn't willing to spend the rest of her life in jail or to be hanged over the likes of a miserable, no-good liar like Michael Donovan.
He wasn't worth it.
Casey wondered why John's news about Michael's secret fiancee hurt her so badly. She'd known from the beginning that their engagement was no love match, but this other woman ...Michael must really love her. But if he loved Karen Whittington, why had he agreed to their marriage?
Casey had always prided herself on being strong, and when tears unexpectedly pricked her eyes, she grew even angrier at herself for her weakness.
Casey got up and walked away from the house.
She needed to be alone in the darkness.
She didn't want anyone to see her cry.
It was late that night when Nick found Michael drinking alone in his father's study.
"Are you that worried about seeing Karen tomorrow?" Nick asked.
"I'm not looking forward to it," Michael ground out, taking a deep drink of whiskey. "Karen can be a very determined woman when she sets her mind to it."
"There's really nothing for you to worry about," Nick assured him. "Just tell Karen the truth and send her on her way. You're going to many Casey. That's all Karen needs to know." Nick smiled at him. "You're man enough to handle her, I'm sure."
Michael chuckled. "I may be man enough to handle Karen, but what if Casey hears about this?"
"Then you'd better run for cover," Nick laughed. "Casey's a whole other story."
"That she is."
The tone of his voice changed so much that Nick frowned. "You do want to marry Casey, don't you?"
It was the first time that anyone had really asked him that. He looked thoughtful as images of his wildcat fiancee played in his thoughts.
He saw her breaking the bronc-
He saw her standing before him soaking wet after he'd dunked her in the river
He saw her in his arms as they'd kissed
He saw her as he'd carried her across the threshold of their new home
Casey
She had tormented him from the beginning
She had stolen his clothes
And now
Had she stolen his heart?
Nick waited, puzzled by Michael's silence. Finally he asked him point-blank, "Do you want to go through with you
r marriage to Casey? Or do you want Karen? You'd better decide right now."
Then Nick quit the room, leaving Michael alone with his thoughts.
It was long past midnight when Michael finally made his way upstairs to bed. Despite all the liquor, he did not fall asleep right away. He lay in bed, thinking about the future and wondering about the wisdom of the decisions he'd made.
Casey stayed out of the house until she got her emotions under control. When she went inside to her bedroom, she lit the lamp on her dresser and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She stood there unmoving, staring at her own reflection. The evidence of her crying was apparent in her swollen eyes and reddened cheeks, and she was thankful her father had been asleep and hadn't gotten a look at her tear-stained face.
She poured fresh water in the bowl at her washstand and scrubbed her face. She didn't want anyone to know she had shed tears over Michael Donovan.
After undressing, she donned her nightgown, put out the lamp and climbed into bed. She couldn't decide if she was eager for morning to come or if she was dreading it. Either way, she was going to confront Mr. Michael Donovan about his fiancee first thing tomorrow. She wanted answers to the questions that were tormenting her.
The hours passed slowly. There were times when Casey thought morning was never going to arrive. When dawn finally brightened the eastern sky, she got up and dressed. She left a note on the kitchen table for her father, telling him she was making a quick trip to see Michael and would be back soon. Then she strapped on her gun belt and strode from the house.
A few of the ranch hands saw her ride out, but none of them questioned her. They knew better than to mess with Casey when she had that look on her face.
Casey rode straight for the building site, believing Michael would be there working. When she found the house deserted, her first thought was that Michael must be off seeing Karen.
In frustration, she started off toward the Circle D ranch house. She would have preferred to have this discussion with him in a more private setting, but one way or the other, she was going to have it out with him this morning.
Nobody played her for a fool and got away with it.