Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1)

by Venetta, Dianne

  “I doubt very much anyone could pit the old man against Felicity.”

  “True.” Her angst slackened. “But she’s tied to me and he detests me.”

  “Why?” Nick asked. “What have you ever done to him?”

  She bit off a short laugh. “Where do I start?” At his confusion, Delaney said, “Well, let’s see... I married his arch enemy’s son, which lumps me into the enemy camp. I called him on his role in allowing my mother to die, which he can’t face. I moved back into her cabin against his wishes—because Ashley forced his hand after my mother died. Guess she felt entitled, as she became a mother of sorts to me after my mom passed. Then of course there’s Felicity. She resembles my mother, which aggravates him to no end.”

  Nick held up a hand. “I think I get the picture.”

  Really? Because she was on a roll and it felt good. It felt really good to get a decade of pain and suffering off her chest, even if it was with a stranger. A handsome stranger.

  A stranger who stood to gain from her misery, she reminded herself shortly.

  “But that doesn’t explain the men with the guns or how Clem knows them,” he said. “What do they have to do with the property and Ernie?”

  She drew the sweater snug. “I told you.” She glanced away. “They want the property for themselves.

  “They seem pretty intent on a place they don’t appear to be able to afford. Why take on the burden?”

  “Greed.”

  “Greed?”

  She nodded.

  Leaning back into his rocker, Nick extended his second leg and crossed them at the ankles. Interlacing his fingers, he rested them low on his abdomen. “I guess I’ll have to take you at your word.”

  Relieved that Nick had ceased his inquisition, Delaney eased back in her rocker. She took pleasure in the intimate conversation between man and woman. With Nick by her side, the black night had lost its power to scare. She no longer jumped at every little sound. With his imposing presence by her side, she felt safe, taken care of. It had been a long time since she felt this way. She sighed. Too long.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  She nodded, relishing the quiet strength in his voice. Nick was solid, formidable. An aspect to him she found particularly pleasing.

  “Do you mind me asking why you left your husband?”

  The memory sliced her heart in two. Ten years and more than a few nasty words later, Jack Foster still had the power to hurt. For better or worse, he remained a part of her life and would always be so. They shared a daughter. “My husband was abusive, Nick.” Shadows of anger entered his eyes. “Mentally, emotionally and one day physically.” She tightened her hands around the sweater ends. “He hit me and I moved out.”

  “You made the right decision.”

  The validation pulled at her. Delaney believed Nick could kill a man with his bare hands, but she doubted he would ever strike a woman. Although she had witnessed sparks of anger in him, Delany sensed his had more to do with self-defense than the intention to harm. “Most people said I should have stayed and tried to work it out, for Felicity’s sake.”

  Nick shook his head. “A man willing to hit a woman once will usually hit her again.”

  She smiled. It was heartening to meet a man as intolerant as she on the subject. “That’s what I said.”

  But the pleasurable feelings faded. While it sounded simple, leaving Jack was one of the hardest things she had ever done. It hurt. More emotionally than physically. To think the man she loved cared so little about her, about their child, had been heart-wrenching for her to accept. Jack was her first love, her only love. She had believed him a man of honor. He came from a good family. He performed well in school, in athletics. And he courted her with more romance than anyone she knew at the time. No one enjoyed the level of attention Jack showered on her. The first years of their marriage had been good. Until the drinking began. That’s when life grew sour.

  “He’s an alcoholic,” Delaney stated. “It was the drinking that made him lose control.” She leveled her gaze with Nick’s, relishing the tenderness she found in his dark eyes. “But he refused to give it up.”

  “He made his choice.”

  “He did.”

  “Why haven’t you remarried?” Nick smiled, a smile that turned boyish. “I mean, it’s been a long time since your split with your ex.”

  Delaney rolled her head side-to-side as she pondered the question. Because she had never met a man she deemed worthy? Never met a man she fully trusted? “Oh, I don’t know.” She settled her gaze on Nick and posed, “Will the proverbial ‘haven’t found the right one, yet’ work?”

  “If it’s the truth, sure.”

  “Pretty slim pickings around these parts, or haven’t you noticed?”

  “I noticed you.”

  New emotions wound around her belly, her heart. “How about you? Ever been married, Mr. Harris?”

  “Never been interested in settling down.”

  “Never?”

  “Never.”

  “Doesn’t that make for a lonely existence?”

  He laughed softly. “I didn’t say I spent my time alone.”

  “Oh—” Embarrassment flushed her cheeks with warmth.

  “But like you, I’ve never met the right one.” He grinned. “But Tennessee may change that.”

  “Tennessee?”

  “Tennessee. You, in particular.” Nick reached his hand over and sought hers. Delaney tried to appear unaffected by his touch, but the gesture felt like a zip-line tearing through her nervous system. “I like you, Delaney.”

  “You do?” she asked, and immediately felt foolish for asking, foolish for delighting in the feel of his hand around hers. It was big, strong and covered hers completely.

  “I do. I like your combination of female and fortitude.”

  She suppressed a swell of satisfaction. She’d always prided herself on being independent. It was nice when a man noticed.

  “I’ve never met a woman who’s both tough and tender, silver and steel. I’ve run across a host of women who are hard as steel, pretty as silver, tough as nails, tender as a baby’s breath, but never all rolled up into one. You’re quite a find, Ms. Wilkins.”

  “Delaney,” she said reflexively.

  “Delaney,” he repeated softly, his thumb caressing her hand. “You’re coming to mean something to me.”

  Shivers of desire heated her, woke the woman inside her, as she hung on the edge of his sultry gaze. “I am?”

  He nodded. “Is that okay?”

  Delaney nodded before the first thought could enter her mind. At the moment, she could only feel.

  Nick pulled his legs in, leaned over and brushed the hair from her brow, gazing at her cheek, her neck. “And I’ll be honest. I’m worried about these men after you.”

  She wasn’t. She wasn’t worried about anything at the moment—except that he might make a move. A move she would have to answer.

  “Clem is coming back tomorrow to check for himself about something.”

  Delaney gulped, her building desire stalled. “He is?”

  “His exact words were, ‘you’d better be right.’” Nick tipped her chin to face him more fully, the presumptive touch shocking to her skin. “Any possible idea what he could be referring to?”

  She shook her head.

  Nick nodded and pursed his lips. He allowed his hand to fall away, pulling it back to his armrest. Reclining in his seat, he tapped the chair. “Guess I’ll have to figure this one out on my own.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Delaney lay in her bed, eyes wide open. She blinked, her vision unchanged between eyes closed and eyes open. It was dark. Too dark. She thought of Nick outside on her porch. Angst feathered across her arms. But what could she say? Clem knows there’s gold on the property and he and his men want it for themselves? There was no reason for her to believe that Nick wouldn’t want it for himself, too, once he found out it was available for the taking. The men had no qualms
about looting her land. Why would Nick?

  The presence of gold on Ladd Springs land changed everything. She and Felicity were no different. Once they held title, they stood to profit from the gold find. They might even avoid the necessity of selling their timber altogether. What she did know, was that Clem would continue to plunder the precious metal while she and Ernie hashed it out in court. It was a no-win situation. And if Nick learned of the gold, she’d be battling on all fronts!

  Delaney pressed her eyes closed. The quiet sank in around her, flattening her to the mattress. What if Nick followed Clem to the site, followed him right to the gold, because she opened her big mouth? Her eyes popped open. She couldn’t let that happen. She had to convince Nick there was another reason Clem said he was coming back to check on something. But what?

  She clutched the quilted blanket to her chin. Lying and spying were not her department. She took care of horses, of finances—not lowlifes up to no good, attempting to tie them in knots with their own webs of deceit. Fine job she was doing of it. Shoot, she was lucky to keep one step ahead of them, let alone two or three!

  Delaney glanced to her open door. The house was noiseless. Felicity was upstairs resting soundly. Nick was out front, standing watch. Or was he? She bolted upright in bed. He hadn’t been there this morning when she went out to greet him. Would he be there now?

  Yanking the blanket from her body, Delaney swung her legs over the side of the bed and planted socked feet on the floor. Deciding against retrieving the pistol from the drawer of her nightstand, she padded into the living room. She couldn’t see the rockers from here. Since they were located on the other side of the solid wall, she would have to open the door to do so. What would Nick think if she poked her head outside?

  Her breathing became shallow. Her thoughts raced to and fro. What could she say? I wasn’t sure you’d still be here. I thought I heard something...

  She took a few steps towards the door, but stopped. Delaney nibbled her lip, willing an excuse to take form. She flung her gaze up to the loft overhead, resisting the urge to check on her daughter. She’d only find the girl sleeping, safe and secure beneath her cotton comforter. Delaney and Nick had been here since she went upstairs. There was no need to double check.

  Her gaze clung to the wall in a long stare, as though she could see through it. Should she go outside? Would it do more harm than good? A swell of exhaustion surged. The weight of her run-in with Clem anchored her to the smooth wood floor. Regret penetrated her gut. Running her mouth had made matters worse. Thankfully, Felicity was unaware of the dark turn their situation had taken, though that didn’t prevent Clem from threatening to harm her. Seems he’d use whatever mechanism he could to threaten Delaney.

  She slid a glance back to the front porch. Nick had come to her rescue, twice. She envisioned his daunting figure embedded in the small rocker, the chair two sizes too small for his body. But at the first sign of trouble, she imagined him springing from his seat and taking out the bad guy. She smiled. Prince Harris was quite capable when it came to damsels in distress. His decision to follow Clem after their confrontation came to mind. No reservation, no doubt, Nick was a man of action. He took charge when it came to defending her. He took charge when it came to getting answers.

  Delaney frowned. She hugged her arms to her body, the muscles around her mouth tensed. Off the outside porch corner, the single bulb glowed, a faint swarm of insect activity busy within the haze of light. Tomorrow Nick might learn her secret. Worry pricked. If he did, what would he do with the knowledge?

  In the instant of decision, Delaney turned and trudged back to her room. There was no reason for her to be out on that porch with him. No reasonable excuse she could give that would sound convincing, that wouldn’t reveal her for the comfort-seeking fool that she was. Longing pulled at her, stronger, insistent. She wished they could be on the same team. When Nick was around, trouble seemed to cower in the shadows, surrendering in seconds beneath his intimidating stature. Delaney slumped to a seat on the edge her mattress. Elbows to knees, she buried her face in her hands. She, on the other hand, seemed to have an uncanny ability to provoke trouble into outright aggression.

  As expected, Nick was not on the porch when Delaney awoke the next morning. Removing the pot of eggs from the stove burner, she submerged them in cold tap water. The grits were ready, the bread browning in the toaster, the scent filling the space around her. Delaney could only assume Nick was chasing Clem into the forest. What else could Clem be coming back to check on? Clem and those men were connected. Those men had been pillaging the gold. Of course Clem wanted to check on the gold. Question remained, would he unwittingly lead Nick right to it? It might only be a matter of hours before she’d learn the answers to her questions.

  Delaney shut off the faucet, tilted the pot and drained the water through her fingers. As she transferred the eggs to the island, rapidly moving legs caught her attention as they hurried down the narrow stairway. Felicity was ready for breakfast.

  “Good morning!” she chirped. After depositing her backpack by the front door, she came over and plucked a napkin from the ceramic holder, a glazed and painted piece depicting a black bear and an evergreen—an art project she’d made in fourth grade. Felicity had been so proud of the accomplishment, but even more so that her mother prominently displayed it in the kitchen.

  Delaney cracked open the eggs and deposited them into the grits. She tossed the shells into the empty pot, grabbed a fork from the drawer and slid both to Felicity, admiring the green plaid she wore over a cream tank top. “I always liked that shirt.”

  Felicity looked down as though checking to see which one she had chosen. “Thanks.”

  Delaney wondered if the skinny jeans—more leggings than pants—were comfortable. She had an affinity for Levi’s herself, but the younger generation seemed to paint their pants on, but hip was hip and Felicity was among the “in” crowd when it came to teen fashion.

  Felicity reached for the salt and sprinkled her breakfast before mixing and mashing the eggs and grits together.

  “Are you ready for your test today?” Delaney asked. Taking pot in hand, she began washing it.

  Felicity nodded. “I plan to ace it.”

  Of course she did. Felicity aced every test she took. “Well, don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

  Felicity rolled her eyes. “Travis and Troy are coming over to ride this afternoon. Is that okay?” she asked, almost as an afterthought.

  “It’s fine.” Delaney folded the kitchen towel in half, then set it aside. “Just remember what I told you.”

  “Stay together. Got it,” she said, and downed a mouthful of eggs, a drop of thick yoke falling back into her bowl.

  Delaney hoped Felicity understood loud and clear. She didn’t need the added stress of worrying about her daughter alone in the woods, in addition to everything else on her mind. Leaning a hip against the counter, Delaney watched Felicity eat. Scooping the egg mixture onto her toast, the teen bit an entire corner piece off with her teeth. She chewed and swallowed.

  Felicity caught her mother staring and asked, “Are you in a hurry?”

  “Me? No.” Delaney rapped her fingers on the butcher block surface, then flattened her palm on the counter and leaned forward. “Why do you ask?”

  “You seem a little uptight.”

  “Uptight?” She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

  “Was that Nick Harris I saw heading down the trail this morning?”

  Delaney’s heart tripped. “What? What are you talking about?”

  Felicity suppressed a grin. “I saw him when I woke up.”

  Delaney stiffened. Number one, what was she doing looking out her porthole of a window at that hour, and number two, so Nick had stayed the entire night.

  The news tangled in her thoughts.

  “You two an item?”

  “What? She blew out a breath. “No—of course not! Why would you say such a thing?”

  Fe
licity looked pointedly at Delaney’s hands. Delaney followed her gaze to find her hands scrunching the dish towel within her fists. She tossed the towel aside.

  “Wouldn’t blame you if you were,” Felicity added quietly, amusement dancing in the heather green of her eyes. “He is kinda good-looking.”

  Delaney’s throat closed. This conversation was not happening.

  Felicity shifted on the stool. “Besides, it’s about time you found someone.”

  She glared at her daughter. “I haven’t found someone.”

  “Mom. It’s okay. We all need someone.”

  “I don’t.” Especially not that someone—the someone who wanted to take Ladd Springs from her. The someone who was about to learn there was gold on her land and who knew what he would do with that information. A thousand thoughts whirred into action, careening with raw emotion. An item? She and Nick?

  He was good-looking enough of, she had to admit. Seemed smart enough. Visions of him from last night filtered in, his hand on her chair, his request for her trust.

  “Whatever,” Felicity replied dully, but underscored her point with a brief shake to her head. Silently, she concentrated her breakfast.

  Delaney wanted to trust Nick. She did. It would make life easier is she could believe what he said about having their best interests at heart. But an item?

  That was a bit of a stretch.

  Felicity munched the last bite of egg and grits, scraped her bowl clean and downed the last of her toast. She cleared her dish, washed her hands and headed for the door.

  Turning out the kitchen light, Delaney called out, “I’m right behind you.”

  Joining her at the door, Felicity asked, “Going into town?” When Delaney didn’t respond right away, her daughter shrugged. “Do you want to ride with us later?”

  “With who?”