Rancher to the Rescue

by Barbara Phinney

  Clare arched her brows at him. Why your sudden change of heart? she wanted to counter. Instead, she dredged up a smile and brushed past him. She wasn’t going to tell him that she didn’t trust the Townsends.

  She faced the twosome. They watched the sly conversation she’d just had with Noah with far too much interest to be considered polite. The hairs on her nape rose farther.

  Yes, Clare felt the overwhelming desire to protect Noah.

  From these two in front of her?

  She pulled back her shoulders. Never mind. She’d figure it all out later. This pair, no matter how suspicious they appeared, needed a place to stay and she wasn’t going to ignore her Christian duty and turn them away.

  “We’re just surprised to see you so early,” she said as smoothly as she could manage, all the while reaching forward to touch Elizabeth’s forearm. She smiled so brightly, it hurt as much as it had a moment ago. “And, of course, I am surprised to learn that you already know Noah.”

  She waved her hand lightly. “But never mind. Noah can take my brothers to his ranch, and that will free up another bedroom.” Her smile broadened, although she had no idea how that was possible. Honestly, it hurt enough as it was. “Their room is big enough. You would not believe how much space two small boys can take up! Now, where is your luggage?”

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, Noah held open Clare’s front door to allow the women to enter. Then, he stalked back to the train depot’s wagon in order to assist the young porter Rupert Townsend had paid to deliver their bags.

  How long were they planning to stay? he wondered, staring at the plentiful number of suitcases and the one large trunk.

  Dread then filled him. More importantly, why were they here?

  No way had they come all this way to tour the mountains. Yes, Proud Bend was a quaint town with magnificent vistas and a welcome dry air, not to mention a pleasant summer climate, but not for a moment did Noah believe those were the reasons for this visit. It was April and still cool out. Rupert had mentioned, albeit briefly, that he’d planned to meet with Noah. Why?

  His heart squeezed. If Rupert was delivering bad news, a telegram would have sufficed. But it couldn’t be that. Rupert and Elizabeth didn’t look as though they had misfortune or heartache.

  Or delivering a demand from his father. A demand to return. His father’s birthday was approaching. Could that be it?

  Noah had spent his birthdays alone. His every holiday, every special occasion, in fact, had been spent alone, trying not to grieve that he’d cut all ties with his family because they’d demanded the impossible from him.

  Had he been selfish, too?

  He hauled the trunk off the wagon with far more force than he’d wanted. His thoughts were just running amuck.

  When he’d left, everything had been set in place to work out for the best. Noah had a younger brother who was better suited to run the family business. Jacob had a head for figures and the ability to appreciate their father’s greed.

  He turned, finding with surprise Clare staring at him from just outside the front door.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked testily.

  She blinked as she walked up to him. “I...I didn’t think you were that strong.” She indicated the large trunk he stood there holding as if he was some feebleminded imbecile whose only gift was his strength.

  “I run a ranch. I’m not a small man. We should get your brothers to help.”

  “They may think they’re strong enough for all of this luggage, but they’re not. I just talked to Miss Worth. I think she senses something isn’t right, because she asked them to show her around Proud Bend. They’re leaving out the back door.”

  Clare then glanced over her shoulder at the open doorway. “I’m going to be busy for a while, but I’ll bring the boys over later. Mr. Townsend can take their room. Miss Worth is—” She peered at Noah, trying to capture his wandering attention. “Are you listening? We need to talk.”

  He lifted the trunk again. “About what?”

  Clare hurriedly overtook him, stopping at the front door and trying to block it with her slim frame. Her expression tried to be forceful but with those soft brown eyes of hers, she wasn’t successful. Reluctantly, he set down the trunk as she spoke again. “Don’t be obtuse, Noah. You know perfectly well what we need to discuss. Don’t think you’re going to avoid it, either, because I’m going to take the boys to the ranch just as soon as everyone is settled. And don’t bother riding off into the sunset to look for wild horses to adopt. I will find you.”

  He had no doubt she would. You owe her something, a part of him reminded himself. With a sigh, he nodded brusquely. “All right, but don’t think you can talk this thing to death, Clare. Now, allow me to deliver this trunk. And remember, we still need to return to work. We’re late as it is.”

  Surprise flared on her face. Had she forgotten about work? “Yes, of course,” she said quickly. She spun, pushed open the door as far as it would go and held it open until he and the young porter from the train depot had delivered the entire set of luggage.

  Wordlessly, Noah took the trunk upstairs, finding, to his chagrin, Elizabeth alone in Clare’s bedroom. He knew that Rupert, fatigued from the journey, had already chosen to lie down. From the bedroom Noah knew to belong to Clare’s brothers, he could hear the deep snores that indicated the older man was already fast asleep.

  Another thing bothered Noah. Rupert usually traveled with a manservant. Elizabeth had a personal maid. Where were they?

  He glanced around. This was far too big a house for just her and her father. With four spacious bedrooms, it was better suited to a large, boisterous family, a family that Clare’s parents had probably planned to have, but had been prevented because of Mrs. Walsh’s poor condition.

  Suspicion rose within him. Was Rupert Townsend planning to bring others out here?

  Stop it, he ordered himself. Clare’s home was probably the only one available for rent, and no doubt had been advertised out East by the owner of the haberdashery. He dabbled in real estate and would have assisted Clare for a small commission. Things could have fallen into place very quickly.

  “Noah?”

  He turned after setting the trunk down in the center of the room. Elizabeth hastily closed the door just enough to leave it ajar a few inches.

  She turned. “You’re upset with me.”

  “You have developed a knack for stating the obvious, I see. I’m also upset with your father for bringing you here.”

  “Let me explain, then.”

  “No, thank you.” Noah was also upset with himself. He had been selfish and rude and was still fighting the uncharacteristic desire to go home and brood about their arrival. He brushed past her. Better to leave now before he said something he would later regret.

  “Noah!” Elizabeth spun as he strode past her and threw open the bedroom door. “Listen to me!”

  “No. It’s inappropriate for us to talk here. Or anywhere alone. We’re no longer engaged.”

  “It’s not inappropriate.”

  He turned at the door. “It is, and you know it. What’s more, it’s wrong for you to lie to your father.”

  She looked away guiltily.

  “So you did. I didn’t catch everything your father said back at the bandstand—”

  “When you were hiding behind that bush.”

  He sighed, ignoring the biting accusation. “I wasn’t sure if you had lied to him, but now I see that you really did tell him you ended our engagement.” He shook his head.

  “You agreed to that lie, Noah, so don’t be self-righteous.”

  Noah bristled, and suddenly, his conscience pricked him.

  Lord, forgive me.

  Noah rubbed his forehead. Elizabeth wasn’t above reminding him of his own faults in order to divert
attention from hers. “I felt badly that I was hurting you,” he muttered. “That’s why I agreed to allow the lie to stand. But it was wrong and I see now I was only hurting your pride.”

  “So why didn’t you tell the truth to Miss Walsh? Don’t tell me you have. It’s as plain as the nose on your face that she didn’t even know I existed.”

  Noah flinched. “I said nothing because I didn’t want to lie to her, nor did I want to break my promise to you, although I’m not sure why.”

  “An omission is as bad as a lie.”

  He worked his jaw. She was right. But another important question was why Elizabeth was trying to drag him into her sin. She knew how wrong it was.

  “Noah, what exactly did you tell your parents?”

  Why did she want to know that? Surely, she would have realized by now that he would have told them the truth. It had happened before he’d spoken to her. “Elizabeth, I told them that I couldn’t do what they demanded of me. My father called me a fool, among other things, and I called him equally awful names. I’ve destroyed my relationship with my parents. After you and I spoke, I wasn’t going to return to my parents and tell them I was wrong and that you had broken off the engagement instead. I figured you could deal with whatever happens, and I left.”

  “You told your parents you could only marry for love. Are you doing that now? Because from what Clare said, it sounds like a financial arrangement.”

  He felt his shoulders tense. This was none of Elizabeth’s business and he refused to confirm or deny her accusation. She would use it against him. Besides, he knew Elizabeth. She was working up to some declaration. Noah narrowed his eyes. “Has your father spoken to my father?”

  “Not for a long time,” Elizabeth answered crisply before clearing her throat. “After I told my father that I had ended our betrothal, he went to yours to see what could be done. Your father said it was you who’d ended the engagement and that I was lying.”

  “You had lied.” Understanding dawned on Noah. So that was the point of her needing to speak with him. “What happened?”

  Elizabeth looked away again. “They had a terrible argument and they haven’t spoken since.”

  Noah took a step forward. “They were the best of friends, Elizabeth! Look what your lie has done! You didn’t correct it?”

  She spun around, her eyes glistening as they blazed. “No! I couldn’t! I didn’t want the shame. I knew your parents wouldn’t say anything because the fact that you left was humiliating enough for them. I knew they wouldn’t say a thing!” She blew out a frustrated sigh. “Yes, it was my pride that hurt! It still does! Who cares about love! I want to be comfortable, and my father wants to make sure of that.”

  “You need to tell the truth.” Abruptly, he realized she was telling the truth right now. She was showing who she really was. She only wanted Noah to provide her with a comfortable life, one that she could manage as easily as she’d expected to manage Noah.

  “I can’t tell the truth now! Mother got sick just a few weeks after the fight. She died within two days. Father was devastated.” Tears started their tracks down her cheeks and she laid her palm on her chest. “I was devastated!”

  Noah shut his eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that. My condolences. But the fact remains that you allowed your mother to go to her grave believing a lie.”

  “Yes.” Elizabeth hung her head. “To add to it, father’s suddenly estranged relationship with your father really hurt him. Your parents didn’t even come to Mother’s funeral. And that hurt has festered for two years. Now Father has started to realize that he can’t leave this world without knowing that I’m being cared for.”

  “There are plenty of fine gentlemen out East. You live only two hours’ train ride from New York City.”

  “Father always admired you. He wants you as his son-in-law, partly to mend his friendship with your father.”

  “He can’t fix it without me?” Anger swelled in Noah as he added, “You’d be willing to marry me even after I ended the engagement?”

  “If it pleases my father.”

  Which would work to her advantage, Noah realized.

  Elizabeth continued. “So what if we don’t love each other? It’s about business and keeping the family purses where they should be.”

  Money. For Elizabeth, it was only about that. Like his father. Noah sighed. He knew firsthand his father’s stubbornness. Unless there had been a substantial change in the man’s attitude, he doubted his father would open his home or his heart to Rupert Townsend.

  Or him.

  That thought cut him sharply. Elizabeth only wanted to be comfortable. In comparison, Clare had said nothing about the basic home she’d be moving into on Friday.

  Elizabeth tossed her head. “My father has brought me here because he thinks he can mend this relationship. He thinks that if I tell you that I want to marry you, you’ll welcome me back with open arms.”

  “How did he convince you to accept me back?”

  She swallowed. “I...I said I might have been a bit premature in breaking off the engagement.”

  “You lied to him again?” He shook his head in disbelief. For all of Clare’s faults, he had to give her one shining quality. She did not lie.

  “No!” Elizabeth argued back. “Not exactly. I just, well, allowed him to make certain assumptions while we talked.”

  “You never told him the truth at all.”

  Elizabeth stepped up closer to him. “I couldn’t. Noah, I know it’s wrong, but you have to understand something. Father isn’t a young man anymore. He is afraid he’ll die and leave me alone. Think about what he’s gone through! He’s lost his wife and his best friend. Planning this trip, hoping for reconciliation and a secure future for me—that gave him something to live for again.”

  “But it’s all based on yet another lie.”

  “I know, but what was I to do? I couldn’t tell him I’d deceived him! It would have destroyed him. He’d defended me to your father. Then he’d lost Mother, who’d asked him before she died to fix everything between us. To tell him I’d lied to Mother and to him would break his heart and his hope.” She looked down at the floor. “You may think that I’ve made a terrible error in judgment because of my pride, but I don’t see it that way. I’ve saved my father’s life, Noah Livingstone. So I can’t allow you to tell him the truth!”

  Noah folded his arms. She couldn’t allow the truth? She was being bold, indeed, but her boldness was backed by a lie.

  Clare was bold, too, but only in trying to be the best for her family. She wasn’t perfect, but compared to the wily Elizabeth here, her flaws seemed incredibly benign.

  Elizabeth took another step closer to him and grabbed his jacket by the lapels. “Noah, I can’t let my father down again. The promise of our engagement is the only reason he gets up in the morning. That’s why I came here with him. That’s why I felt that we needed to speak in private as soon as we met. Please don’t destroy the one thing that keeps my father going.”

  She was only now saying please? “I’m engaged. He knows it’s too late.”

  “It’s only a marriage of convenience. We could...compensate Miss Walsh for her inconvenience, enough to make it beneficial financially. Not enough that she wouldn’t need to rent her home, but enough to entice her.”

  Noah felt heat rise to his face. He was sure if he didn’t do something right now, his blood would boil.

  Even as he simmered, he thought again of the resentment Clare would surely show toward him eventually. She didn’t want to be married.

  No. It was wrong for Elizabeth to think she could purchase her own way. And Clare would never agree to such a settlement. As much as she knew she needed money, she knew life wasn’t solely about that. Her brothers needed a stable home, and although they hadn’t spoken of it, those boys needed a father figure.
/>   “No. It’s a commitment I made to Clare. I plan to honor it.”

  Elizabeth pushed herself away from him. “Like you honored your commitment to me?” She raised her voice and pleaded. “Noah, do what’s right here! Think of our families! Your father is miserable, and our families have been tied to each other for decades!”

  “It would have been a marriage of convenience, but only to our fathers.”

  Her voice turned shrill. “Our marriage would have been more than convenience! We would have been wealthy together, not to mention improved our social standing! Now you must do what’s right for our fathers!”

  She was in tears when she collapsed against him. Noah hauled her up and guided her to the bed.

  He had absolutely no idea what to say to her, so he left.

  And that was when he saw her. Clare stood at the top of the stairs, gaping at him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Standing outside of Noah’s stable Wednesday evening, Clare glanced over to the west. The sun was just brushing the top of Proud Mountain, threatening to plunge the town into deep twilight, as it did each day. April saw lengthening days and pleasant evenings, but tonight, a cool breeze rolled down from the still snow-covered mountains, chilling Clare.

  Or was it the thought of approaching Noah?

  He was talking quietly to Turnip, having been successful in coaxing the pony back into his stall. All he needed now was to hang up Tim’s and Leo’s coats to allow the pony to smell them in relative safety.

  Turnip snorted in disgust as he caught a whiff of either her or her gelding. Or perhaps he’d heard her stealthy footfalls?

  Stealthy? She stiffened her spine. She was not going to skulk around like a thief. Thanks to the lamp hanging up in the center of the stable, Clare could see Turnip clearly, his ears back, the white of one eye practically glowing.

  Noah glanced up at his pony’s reaction, and then turned. He stilled.

  Clare fought the urge to run. No! She was made of sterner stuff than this. She hadn’t run away before. She’d climbed the stairs to the bedrooms and had seen Noah and Elizabeth embracing in the doorway to the spare bedroom. The small woman barely reached the center of Noah’s chest, but her arms had been wrapped tightly around him.