The Brides of Evergreen Box Set

by Heather Blanton

  Dillon stood up so fast his head nearly hit the lantern overhead. “What?” He lunged for the bars and grabbed hold. But panic gave way to rational thinking. Surely Winston was pulling his leg. He laughed with relief at his overreaction. “That’s not funny. You had me going.”

  “It’s no joke.”

  Time slowed to a crawl as Dillon tried to gauge the truth from the old man’s somber expression. Realization brought no comfort. “You’re crazy.” He spun and paced in the cell. “That’s not probation. That’s . . . that’s . . . obscene. It’s slavery is what it is.”

  “Calm down.” Winston patted the air. “Hear me out.”

  Pondering, Dillon scratched his eyebrow, licked his lips, swiped his hand over his mouth, and finally nodded. “Okay, but you’re crazy. There’s no way I’ll agree to this.”

  “My brother passed away three months ago and left a successful cattle ranch to his daughter. A rival cattleman wants the place and thinks he can get it by running off her hands. The spineless, narrow-minded weasels don’t want to work for a woman anyway, so all but two have left her. They’re riding out tomorrow unless she comes home with a husband today.”

  Dillon was speechless for a moment, totally incapable of understanding the situation—the offer, or its ramifications. He decided to dismiss the offer with a wave. “I don’t know anything about running a cattle ranch. Animal husbandry wasn’t offered at Yale.”

  Winston didn’t crack a smile. “Just what were you planning on doing with that fancy education?” He glanced around the cell again. “Seems a bit pointless now.”

  “I was buying a freight business. That’s why I’m in Cheyenne.” Dillon turned his back on Winston and walked over to the cell window. The Laramie Mountains looked so close, yet they’d never been so far away. He’d come home to open a business. Cheyenne was close enough to Denver that he could see his father, but not have to live with him, and maybe the two could work out their differences.

  Getting arrested had sure put a chink in those plans. Three years in jail would destroy them. No matter the hard feelings, he couldn’t do that to his father.

  “What are the terms?” he asked without facing Winston.

  “You will marry my niece and for one year be a model husband. She will tell you how to run the ranch and you will share those orders with the hands. At the end of the year, Audra believes she will have proven herself to the men as a competent rancher, despite her gender, and you may go on your way. She’ll say you abandoned her and we’ll quietly annul the marriage.”

  “A year is a long time.”

  “So is three to five. And the scandal would ruin your father . . .”

  “Is she ugly? She must be ugly.” He finally turned around. “That would be the icing on the cake.”

  “As a matter of fact she’s quite beautiful, which brings us to the nitty gritty. She’ll be quick to tell you this is a marriage in name only. Do you understand? Separate rooms.” He lowered his voice. “She’s like a daughter to me, Dillon.”

  “Well, this just keeps getting better and better.” He came back to the bars. “Live like a monk and have a woman for a boss.”

  “Dillon, I believe that, in spite of your current circumstances and a few bad decisions, you are an honorable man. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. This is an opportunity for you to stay out of jail, live quite comfortably for a time, and make new associations of a higher, less questionable quality. Possibly even mend fences with your father. And you will be helping a young woman who is in a tough spot. It is, nonetheless, probation. If you leave before the year is up, I’ll have an arrest warrant issued, regardless of the scandal it would cause.”

  “Can I at least go to the saloon for a drink and a . . . game now and then?”

  “You two can hammer that out, but I’m not sure she’d care, as long as you’re discreet about it. Don’t publicly shame her . . . in short, live quietly for a year. And do what she tells you.” He raised a finger. “One other thing. I’m going to write up a prenuptial agreement that clarifies you hold no ownership in the ranch. When you leave, Audra will give you a horse and a thousand dollars.”

  “A thousand—?” That was enticing. He could put up with a lot of ugly for a nice stake like that. He wouldn’t have to ask his father for the money the O’Herlihys stole, either. With a resigned sigh, he offered his hand through the bars.

  3

  Audra had to admit she rather liked the sound of Dillon Pine’s voice. Deep. Masculine. A touch velvety. Though, when he’d yelped, “What?” she’d had to slap her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.

  She leaned against the wall in the outer hallway, sagging a little. Obviously, he wasn’t thrilled with this idea. Well, neither was she. But she’d be danged if she’d lose her ranch just because men ran the world. Pa had thought the ranch hands would be all right with her taking the reins. She was, after all, more capable than any of them. She reached down and picked lint off her gauchos. Apparently no man wanted to be reminded that some women didn’t need a man.

  She straightened up, refusing to lose herself in bitterness. She’d show them. She’d show them all.

  “Audra?” Winston poked his head around the corner. “Would you like to meet Dillon?”

  Her heart took off at a gallop. “Not really.” She smiled weakly at the bad joke. After all, this was her mess. On rubbery legs, she slogged down the hallway, Winston leading the way. He stopped at a cell. Two clean, masculine hands hung outside the bars. Audra took a breath and stepped where she could see the man they belonged to.

  Dillon Pine was not ugly. He had eyes so blue they seemed to glow, and wavy black hair that touched his collar. He was tall, too, and lean, but not skinny. She could argue he was very manly. Manly enough to pass for a ranch owner.

  They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment then Dillon offered his hand. “Miss Drysdale.”

  “Mr. Pine.”

  The handshake lingered and Audra wasn’t sure whose fault it was. Blushing as they broke apart, she laced her hands behind her back. “This is very awkward. I don’t really know what to say.”

  “I thought you came to ask me to marry you.”

  A maddening little grin played around the man’s lips and Audra had the burning desire to slap it right off his face. “Is this a joke to you?”

  “No, ma’am. It may be a lot of things—foolish, stupid, hare-brained—but it’s definitely not a joke.”

  Audra didn’t know how to take Mr. Pine. She glanced over at Winston, pleading silently with him to make this awkward situation bearable.

  He stepped a little closer, as if getting the message. “I think all I need to hear from the both of you is yea or nay. If it’s yea, I’ll get Dillon released and we’ll find us a justice of the peace back home in Evergreen.”

  Mr. Pine’s eyes widened. “A justice of the peace?” He looked at Audra. “You have something against preachers?”

  “Of course not. I merely prefer to save that for a real wedding. This is a formality.”

  He seemed to ponder that, then his gaze traveled over her, top to bottom and back again. “Yeah. All right. I guess I can see your point.” He laced his hands together. “I have a couple of questions first.”

  She nodded slightly, giving him the go-ahead.

  “Can you cook?”

  Audra assumed he wanted to know how well he would be eating for the next year. “I’m a passable cook. Some would say better than fair.”

  “And you know I don’t know anything about running a ranch.”

  “Yes. Can you at least ride? A horse?”

  His lips twitched. “I can stay in the saddle. Can I drink?”

  “I don’t know. Can you?”

  “I mean,” he lowered his voice, “if I want to visit the saloon, have a drink, play a little poker, that’s agreeable?”

  “Are you a drunk or a whoremonger?”

  He laughed. “No. Drunks and whoremongers don’t make it through Yale.”

  “Yale
?” She looked at Winston.

  “Yeah, he has a fancy education. Give him a little whiskey and he’ll talk your ear off—in Latin.”

  “What did you study?”

  “Business and Political Science.”

  Audra was both impressed and shocked. And just maybe she could put that fancy education to use, at least for a little while. “How did you wind up in so much trouble?”

  His face darkened a bit and she felt she’d overstepped, but then again, if she was going to marry the man, she had a right to ask.

  He sighed. “Let’s just say my fancy education doesn’t change the laws regarding stolen property, corruption, and vice.”

  She studied him for a moment, debating hard. But what choice did she have? “Are you prone to fits of anger?”

  He shrugged. “No more than any other man.”

  Audra didn’t find that reassuring. She did, however, trust Winston. “Fine.”

  Dillon tilted his head. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I understand. Isn’t there something you want to ask me?”

  “Ask you?” Audra’s cheeks heated, but not from embarrassment. What a pompous— “Would you like to stay out of jail? Do you prefer probation to incarceration? That what you mean?”

  He shook his head. “No. That’s not it.” He strolled over to the cot and sat down. “If I’m going to have a woman lording over me for a year, well, I need—”

  “Your ego soothed?” Audra fumed. Men. Was there a creature more shallow in the world? “Your feathers unruffled? Well, I didn’t put you in here, Mr. Pine, but I can get you out.”

  “That’s right. You can.” He stood again and strode over to the bars. He leaned toward her, as close as the iron would allow. “With one little question.”

  They stared at one another. Unblinking. Audra teetered between lamenting this mess and admiring Dillon’s swagger. And enticing blue eyes.

  She blinked. Anything for my ranch. “Fine. Will you marry me, Mr. Pine?”

  A slow, easy grin raised the corner of his mouth. “You can call me sweetheart.”

  4

  In the tiny courtroom in Evergreen’s town hall, Winston snagged Sheriff “Dent” Hernandez and a cowhand paying a fine, to act as witnesses. Audra’s heart beat out of her chest as the Justice of the Peace said the words to a simple ceremony.

  She repeated this isn’t real, it’s just for show over and over in her head, but when the justice of the peace pronounced them man and wife, she felt a terrible explosion of panic. Oh, Lord, what have I done?

  “You may kiss the bride.”

  She and Dillon leaned toward each other, then backed away, shock and confusion on their faces. Awkwardly, he shoved out his hand. Dent snorted at the absurd gesture. Audra didn’t know what to do and stared at Dillon, horror and humiliation washing over her. Winston cleared his throat and bobbed his chin slightly. Though this was a lie, a charade, people had to believe she was married.

  She closed her eyes and lifted her face to Dillon. The time felt like an eternity until his lips pressed against hers. Warm and gentle. Then his hand came to rest lightly on her cheek. Something inside her sparked to life. Her breathing hitched and her legs suddenly felt all wobbly. He deepened the kiss—

  “Congratulations, you two,” Winston said, stepping forward quickly.

  Heart pounding like a stampeding herd, Audra pulled away from Dillon, but didn’t miss the mischief in his eyes. Or was that desire?

  The wedding dampened their spirits, or at least ended the cocky banter. Audra settled on the buggy seat beside Dillon, quiet as a church mouse. He hadn’t uttered a word to her since the ceremony, and she was too unnerved to talk.

  “Where to?” he asked, lifting the reins.

  “West out of town.” She turned and smiled down at Winston. “Thank you for everything.”

  “I’ll be checking on you. I just hope—” Winston’s gaze shot passed her. He pointed with his chin and she followed his stare. “Speak of the devil.” Dent was talking to Jess Fairbanks in front of the bank and motioned toward them a few times.

  “Looks like news of your nuptials is going to get around pretty darn fast.”

  She glared at the old cattle baron, his wavy silver hair shining like a beacon, the conchos on his gun belt glinting in the sun. In his sixties, he was still as salty as a young man in his thirties, or so he liked to think. He was arguably handsome, but he was also sinister and brooding. And unaccustomed to hearing the word no. He’d made the point abundantly clear to Audra, who was a little unsettled by his aggressiveness. Still, he was a harmless, if not frisky, old goat.

  “He’s a cocky-looking old rooster,” Dillon said, studying the man. “Wears that gun belt like a real desperado.”

  “’Bout as friendly as one, too.” Audra had every intention of avoiding introductions, but Jess slapped Dent on the back, stepped down into the street, and headed straight for her.

  “So, is this him? I hear Winston there went and found you a mail-order bride?”

  Audra gasped and a mean smile cut across Jess’s face. Beside her, Dillon’s fingers tightened on the reins.

  “How Audra went about getting a husband is of no concern to you, Jess.” Winston walked around the back of the buggy to stand in front of him. “You could wish them good luck.”

  Jess wouldn’t take his cold, hazel eyes off Audra. “Why did you go and do a fool thing like this?”

  “I’m in love. Isn’t that why folks get married?”

  After a moment, he finally tore his gaze away from her to survey Dillon. “What’s your name?”

  Dillon flexed his fingers. “You know, Fairbanks, if I were a lesser man and if this wasn’t my wedding day, I would take strong offense to the way you’re talking,” he leaned forward a little, “to my wife.”

  Jess’s eyebrow twitched a hair. His face tightened up like he had lockjaw. In no hurry, he slid his baleful stare back to Audra. “You’ve just gone and made things a whole lot harder than they had to be.”

  With a slap to the buggy, he turned and headed back toward the bank. Winston shook his head in resignation. He gave the happy couple a sad little smile and wandered off in the opposite direction.

  Dillon snapped the reins and pointed the horse out of town. “Winston could have told me I’m stepping into a hornets’ nest.” He’d been pretty upfront about everything else, including warning him what a breath-taker Audra was.

  “But you’re not, at least not now, anyway. I’m married. Now that there’s a man around, he won’t try anything else.”

  “Else? What’s he done up to now?”

  “I’m pretty sure he burned my barn. And he convinced my hands I can’t run the ranch or protect them.”

  “Now, that I don’t understand. I can understand not wanting to work for a woman, but how are you supposed to protect them?”

  “Men ride for the brand, if you’re a good boss and earn their loyalty. One gets hurt, all the boys come a-runnin’. Jess convinced them I wouldn’t be able to stand up for them.”

  “That sounds like he threatened them.”

  “No . . .” Audra faded off.

  Dillon snuck a sideways glance and saw the doubt on her face. What if this Fairbanks had done more than sow doubts about her as a boss? What if he had threatened her hands, either directly or through subtle hints? Did Winston know, or at least suspect, Audra was in over her head with the neighbor? “How did your father die?”

  “His horse threw him.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did.” Her eyebrows dove, expressing her disapproval of the question. “I think you’re letting your imagination run away with you if you think Jess is that dangerous. Stubborn, greedy, heavy-handed—but he’s no murderer.”

  “People can be unpredictable, Audra, more than you’d think. Especially when it comes to getting money and power. Your uncle told me how big your ranch is. It’s gotta be worth a lot of money.”

  “I promise Jess is not a problem anymore
. And with you around, I can pull the Diamond D back together. I can rehire the hands who left, find a good foreman, and I’ll earn their respect.”

  “If you couldn’t earn their respect when your father was alive, what’s different now?”

  “Brains. Pa wouldn’t let me show them I had any brains about ranching. It’s going to be different with you. I’ll have to help you. As far as the men are concerned, we’re running the ranch together. Just do what I tell you and we’ll be fine.”

  Do what I tell you. Those words grated on his nerves like sandpaper. The very words that had caused him so much trouble before and during college. Now they were coming from a woman who was pretending to be his wife, so she could be his boss. He had swallowed some big pills in his life, but this was the biggest, most bitter one yet. He slapped the reins and moved the horse up to a trot as they left Evergreen behind. “One year,” he muttered under his breath. “One year.”

  5

  Dillon tossed his one bag on the log bed and sighed.

  “Can you meet me at the barn in a few minutes?”

  He heard the hesitancy in her voice. It mirrored how he felt right now—doubtful, unsure, on guard. Just keep telling yourself this is better than prison.

  He rounded on her and shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. “What’s wrong with now?”

  She wrung her hands. “I thought you might want a minute—”

  “To stare at the walls and wonder what I’ve gotten myself into? Reflect on what a bad idea this is?”

  “You think it is?”

  The sincere hope in her eyes caught him off guard. Winston sure was right about her. Audra was a stunning beauty. Green eyes, wide and cool, watched everything. She wore her long golden hair pulled back in a no-nonsense braid. Her lifted chin and straight, square shoulders said she was ready for a fight. Feisty, yes, but unsure of things at the moment. He’d second-guess this decision too, if he was her. He sucked in a breath. “It’s gotta be better than prison, right?”