“Yes, to save money. I can look after myself on the trail. I’m not some delicate little hot house flower.”
She looked delicate enough for a puff of wind to blow her away, but she had an inner strength, he had no doubt about that. “I’ll buy you a meal at the diner.”
“Thank you, it will give us a chance to talk.”
He watched her mount before doing likewise himself. Straight away he could see she was an experienced rider. She was a ranch gal through and through.
They rode along without speaking. He couldn’t marry her, much and all as he wanted to, now they had met. A man had his pride and he would never live off a woman. Not that she looked like she had much more than him.
They tied their mounts to the hitching rail outside the diner and he stepped back to allow her to enter first. Millie who ran the place was a good cook. “I’m having beef steak with potato mash, greens and gravy.”
“I’ll have that too, if you recommend it.”
“I recommend it all right. Millie here does the best steak for miles around. Her peach cobbler is nice too.”
“Just the steak, thanks.”
“Don’t worry about the prices, I’m paying.” He could ill afford it under the circumstances although there was no way he would allow a woman pay for her meal.
“Just the steak thanks, and some nice cool water would be good.”
They were shown to a table down the back and he pulled the chair out for Miranda, before giving their order to the waitress.”
Once he was seated, she asked. “Have you heard from Bob?”
“Yes, he and Lotte are married now. They’re staying on her farm until they decide what to do. I’m glad it all worked out for him.”
“He was a nice man. I would have asked him to marry me if he hadn’t already proposed to Lotte. I need a husband.”
“A pretty gal like you could easily find herself a husband?”
“I don’t have much time left now?”
“What’s the rush?”
“If I don’t get myself a husband quick smart now my brother has left town, the bank will sell my ranch from under me.”
“I’m sorry, Miranda. If I had something to offer a wife, I would jump at the chance to marry you. Thanks to the treachery of my old friend’s son, who has taken over the place, I’ve lost my home and my job. I’ll be lucky to be able to collect my cattle from the ranch, then I have to find somewhere to keep them.”
He went on to tell her what had happened, leaving nothing out. He at least owed her the truth. To think he had forgotten about her until she turned up here, made him feel despicable.
Like any decent person she was shocked. “You see why I can’t marry you. I’ve got nothing to offer you, no prospects and a bleak future.” He tried not to let his bitterness show. It did, he could hear it in his voice, and if he looked in a mirror, he would see it in his eyes.
Placing her hand over his she said. “It’s terrible what happened to you, but I’m almost in the same position. Pa left the ranch to my brother Jacob and I and until he got tied up with this awful woman, everything was fine.”
She wrung her hands. “It’s all so complicated now, but if I don’t get a husband within the next few days, the bank will sell the ranch out from under me.” He listened without comment as she told her story, and what a dreadful one it was. He stared at her, not doubting her sincerity.
“What a terrible thing to happen. Are you sure the bank is allowed to do such a thing?”
“Clem owns the bank, so I guess he can run it however he likes. He’s an attorney as well, which means he would do all the legal stuff too.”
What an awful predicament for a gal to find herself in.
“I’m pleading with you, Rowan, marry me. We can have a marriage in name only, and you can leave me, and have it annulled once all the bank stuff is done. The bank manager hates women, I’m sure of it.”
Their meal arrived and even though it looked and smelled delicious he had suddenly lost his appetite. Not that he would let it go to waste. “How many ranch hands do you have?”
“None, there was only Jacob and me, and at busy times, we hired a few casual cowhands. We’ve got plenty of acres, a lot of it is rough and after my father died, we couldn’t run too big a spread with just the two of us.”
He thoughtfully cut up his steak. Could they perhaps help each other out? He had cattle and no place to live. She needed a husband to keep a ranch without much stock, and it was obviously running well below its potential.
“The ranch could be prosperous if I could afford to pay for ranch hands. As it is, well. I plan to run only as much stock as I can handle on my own. That’s if Clem and his rotten bank don’t take it off me.”
She attacked her steak with such gusto he wondered whether it was him, her brother or the bank manager she was thinking of. Probably all three of them if truth be known. She had every right to feel aggrieved. Her dilemma was worse than his; at least he was a man who could find work on another ranch. What could she do if she was forced out of her home? What kind of brother would leave his sister in such a mess? Any wonder he had just about lost his faith in humanity.
If he agreed to marry her, the bank would loan her the money she needed, and he would have somewhere to stay until he worked out what to do. If she had plenty of land with not much stock, he could bring his cattle there for a while and they would be safe. As it was now, he risked Edward getting rid of them. The more he thought about the idea the better he liked it.
“I’ll marry you.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“You will? Oh, thank you, Rowan.” Her beautiful smile almost floored him.
“I wonder if the preacher would marry us today.”
“Today?” he exclaimed.
“Yes. Do you know him? I can’t stay away from the ranch for too long”
“Not really. I read the bible, but I’m not a regular church going man.”
“But he might if we told him it was urgent. Then we could go to the ranch, pick up your cattle straight away and I can help you drive them to my place.”
“Steady on.” He feared he had just got himself into something more than he had anticipated. He rarely did things on impulse.
“We need to think things through.” This gal was a whirlwind who made his head spin.
“No, we don’t. I need a husband to keep the bank happy. You need somewhere to live and to graze your cattle. It’s perfect, unless.” Her voice faltered. “You don’t really want to marry me.”
“It’s not that, I just don’t like being rushed.” What was wrong with him? The quicker they got this over and done with the better.
“I guess what you say is right, Miranda, only I wanted to sort something out for a couple of the old-timers on the ranch first. They won’t be happy staying there once I’m gone and Edward is vicious enough to fire them, then where would they be?”
“Bring them along, too. They could help get your herd to my place and I could afford to give them some work.”
Her offer surprised him.
“There are other local ranchers around so they could pick up extra work. I don’t have a bunkhouse, although the original cabin is still standing, if they don’t mind sharing. It’s not in bad condition; it’s where any casual hands stay. Well, we never had more than a couple at a time because we couldn’t afford the wages.”
She reached over and picked up his hand and jiggled it. “What do you say?”
“Why not? Let’s finish our meal first before it gets cold.”
“How romantic.” She laughed and it was a nice sound. Him agreeing to marry her had obviously lifted a weight from her slender shoulders.
“What do you want me to say?”
Red fired her cheeks.
He had no idea what to say, although he knew what he wanted to do – taste those sweet lips of hers.
Chapter Nine
Miranda could not believe she was acting nearly as wantonly as tha
t Dorothea woman. She snatched her hand away. “Sorry, I got carried away.”
He grinned. “It’s okay. We need to get a few things clear first.”
“Like what?”
“Living arrangements.”
“It’s a three-bedroom ranch house with plenty of space. I thought if your men didn’t mind sleeping in the cabin, they could have their meals with us. I’m not a bad cook.”
“It’s a generous offer, Miranda. Exactly what kind of marriage do you want?”
The question hung between them. What if he didn’t want an annulment? She had not thought of that. He was obviously much more meticulous about things than her. “What kind of marriage is there?”
“Well, there are only two I know of,” he said with a grin. “A marriage in name only and we get an annulment when we both get what we want, or a proper marriage. You know, the death do us part, share the same bed kind of one.”
She swallowed quickly. “What kind do you want?”
His eyebrows shot up to form peaks. “You would be happy with either?”
“Well.” She gnawed her bottom lip. “I’m not sure.”
He laughed. “I knew you hadn’t thought things through, see what I mean. There’s the financial consideration as well.”
“What financial consideration?”
“You don’t imagine I would be prepared to live off you,” he said indignantly. “What kind of man do you think I am?”
“An honorable one, and I’m sorry I screamed at you before. I was just so angry and upset at what I thought was your betrayal, when you knew how desperate I was. Well, I guess I wasn’t as desperate then as I am now.”
“I’m sorry too. I can’t believe I forgot all about you. Like I told you, things have been really terrible here of late, with George’s poor health and Edward’s antics. To top it all off I’ve had to put up with Dorothea throwing herself at me every chance she got. I’m a man, and not adverse to female attention, but not from a wanton, married woman like her.”
“We have both had a bad time of it lately. Things can only look up for us.” Miranda sipped at her water. “I could easily develop feelings for you, Rowan.”
She clearly heard his shocked intake of breath.
“You’re a real pretty gal, and to be honest I am attracted to you. I think we should get to know each other better before we embark on actions we might later regret.”
“It does sound sensible.” But not romantic she thought, wondering why she was acting so idiotically. “We’ll do what you suggest, Rowan. Get to know each other better then see.”
“Okay. Finish your meal and I’ll take you to meet the preacher. If he can’t do the marrying today, tomorrow morning would be fine, and we can leave from there. You’ll have to stay overnight here anyway, otherwise it will be too hard on your horse. The livery stable here is well run.”
“I forgot about Audrey.”
“Who?”
“Audrey, my mare.”
He grinned. “Never heard of a horse called Audrey before.”
“Ah.” She smiled, suddenly feeling happy for the first time in weeks. “You’ve never met a horse like her.”
They finished their meal and he paid for it on their way out. The street was quite busy. “The sales always bring plenty of people to town,” he said, as they mounted the horses and rode down the main street.
They received a few odd stares, probably because of her male attire. If Rowan noticed he gave no sign, just pointed out a few features as they passed by. She saw a simple white wooden church on the edge of town with a house at the back of it.
“Is that the church we’re going to?” She pointed.
“Yes, it’s the only one in town.”
A few trees shaded the long hitching rail in the front yard. They dismounted and tied up their mounts. Glancing down at her pants, she was starting to regret not having worn a dress. What would the preacher think?
“We better go to the house first. I’ve only been to church a few times with George, so I don’t really know the preacher. I hope he agrees to marry us.”
They strolled over to the quite large, but plain looking house and Rowan rapped his knuckles against the door. He barely had time to drop his arm before the door swung open to reveal a tall man wearing a black suit and a clerical collar.
“Howdy, preacher. I’m Rowan Carstairs and this is Miranda Kingston, and we’d like to get married.”
“Really?” The preacher glanced at them. “I haven’t seen you for a while, Rowan.”
“I’ve been busy, what with George not being well and all. I suppose you would have heard he had to move to Colorado Springs because of his health?”
“I did as a matter of fact. If you want to get married now, I’m sorry I can’t do it. I’ve got a funeral to conduct.” He took out his pocket watch and glanced at it. “I’m just waiting for the mourning coach to arrive.”
“We had sort of hoped you would be able to do it straight away, but under the circumstances we understand,” Rowan said.
“I’ll do it tomorrow morning, say about ten o’clock.”
“Thank you, that will be fine.” Miranda tried to hide her disappointment. She wanted the wedding ceremony done as quickly as possible, but the preacher performing a funeral service was more important.
“I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” The elderly preacher smiled. “You will need a wedding ring.” He stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind him, leaving them no option except to step away. “My wife and daughter can act as witnesses for you.”
A black, mourning coach pulled up, and with another smile and a nod, the preacher walked over to it and climbed in.
“I’ll escort you back to the hotel and get you all signed in, then head for the ranch to organize my cattle. Luckily, they’re in pastures not too far away from my cabin. I separated them once Edward took over the ranch.”
His lips tightened. “I knew he was an untrustworthy varmint. I had a bad feeling about him right from the start. If Hank and Tom agree to come with us, which I think they will, we’ll leave as soon as the marrying ceremony is over.”
“Sounds romantic.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “And what a honeymoon, sharing it with two other men and a couple of hundred head of cattle.”
He grimaced. “It can’t be helped. I’m sorry things turned out the way they have. I’ll have to buy you a wedding ring.”
“I’ve got one.” She pulled out the cord she always wore around her neck with her mother’s wedding ring attached to it. “It was my mother’s wedding ring.”
“That’s one less thing to do.”
They mounted their horses and rode off. “I might get Audrey settled at the livery stable first, we’ve had a long trip. To be honest, I didn’t sleep too well. It’s the first time I’ve ever attempted a ride this long on my own.”
“It was foolish, a little gal like you, riding all the way here on your own. Some unsavory varmint might have attacked you.”
“I know, but I was desperate. I thought men’s clothing would help keep me safe and I am a good shot.”
“Some man could have crept up on you while you slept.”
“Exactly, which is why I’m tired. For two nights I virtually slept with one eye open.”
They rode to the livery stable and handed the mare over to the owner. “Can Miranda keep her saddle and bedroll here, Bert?
“Sure, I’ll look after it. Leave the Winchester, too. I’ll keep it safe.”
“Thank you. Make sure you give my horse a good rub down and a nice feed of oats, we’ve traveled a long way, haven’t we girl?” She patted Audrey’s sweaty neck. “I’ll take my saddlebags with me.”
“We’ll pick the horse up in the morning,” Rowan said.
“Okay.”
“Now Audrey is bedded down, let’s see about finding you somewhere to stay.” He left his horse tied to the hitching rail, carried her saddlebags in one hand and linked his free arm with Miranda’s. “You won’t mind staying i
n town on your own?”
“Are you kidding? A nice soft bed in a hotel? You betcha, I won’t mind at all.”
“I heard they serve good food there, probably better if you have supper at the hotel. I don’t like the idea of you wandering around town in the evening on your own. There are always a few drunken cowpokes hanging around.”
She had no intention of wandering around at night in a strange town but was irked by Rowan issuing orders.
“It’s for your own safety, Miranda.”
Was he a mind reader?
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
He grinned. “I saw the obstinate tilt to your chin. There’s no point being foolhardy to score a point off me.”
“I know, I just don’t like being bossed around.”
“That’s obvious.”
A buggy with a fancy fringed hood, driven by a young man wearing a brown Stetson, passed by. The passenger was that awful Dorothea woman. Rowan must have seen them as he pointedly turned his back.
“Hey, Rowan,” the man called out.
Rowan swung around. “What do you want, Edward?”
“I want you to fire Hank and Tom tomorrow,” he said.
“They gave your father loyal service for years.”
“Too bad. I own the ranch now and they’re too old and useless.”
Miranda felt Rowan’s body became rigid. “They’ve forgotten more about ranching than you’ll ever know,” he snarled.
“You better watch yourself, Rowan. Edward can fire you just like this.” Dorothea snapped her fingers and Miranda seethed. What a dreadful woman.
“Oh, he won’t fire me, he hasn’t learned enough from me yet. Come on, Miranda, we’ve got a hotel room to book.”
Edward flicked the horse’s backside with the whip, and it took off.
“What a horrible pair,” she said.
“They deserve each other. I find it hard to believe a decent man like George could sire such a vicious son.”
“It’s terrible. At least Hank and Tom are coming to Twisted Creek with us.”
“I’m glad, too. They’re good ranch hands with a lot of knowledge even though they are getting on in years. After the loyalty they showed to his father, it’s criminal to treat them this way. George would be devastated if he knew what Edward was up to.”
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