Heather's Choice

by Shirleen Davies

  “Well, he and my father have known each other since they were boys. They attended law school together. I’ve actually only met him a few times.”

  Caleb lifted a brow. “Yet you traveled out here alone, to stay with him.”

  “Oh, I didn’t travel alone. I came out with my aunt and uncle, who are also friends with August.” She nodded toward a table where Fielder sat with a couple he didn’t recognize. “They’re over there.”

  “How long will you be staying?”

  “Not long. Perhaps another two weeks, then we’ll go back. Now, tell me about yourself, Mr. Stewart.”

  Heather tried to keep her attention on Jinny and their conversation, finding it hard as she watched Caleb on the dance floor. She knew her cousin still hurt from the abrupt departure of Sam Covington, one of Conviction’s deputies and the man Jinny had fallen in love with. She felt a stab of guilt for not being a better friend.

  At first, Heather had found a sense of peace at being away from the boisterous MacLaren clan. After her time away, it surprised her how much she missed her family and those they’d accepted into their family, such as Caleb.

  To her surprise, she missed his superior attitude, the way he’d let her make mistakes without teasing her, unlike her brothers and male cousins. Most of all, she missed the smoldering glances he tried to hide.

  Jinny’s voice drew her attention. “I wish you’d come home more, Heather. Everyone misses you.”

  She gave little protest. “I do come for Sunday supper.” Her gaze wandered to Caleb again, who hadn’t left the dance floor. By her count, this was his third dance with the redhead. “Who is Caleb dancing with?”

  Jinny looked around. “From what I’ve heard, she’s visiting August Fielder with her aunt and uncle. I can’t remember her name, but I’m sure Caleb can tell you once he comes back to the table.” Jinny’s voice held enough humor to let Heather know she wasn’t fooling her cousin. “The lad’s been an eejit about you since traveling here from Oregon, Heather. Sarah thinks he fancied you on the wagon trip west.”

  Heather’s eyes widened. “I doubt that’s so.”

  “Aye, that’s what Sarah believes. You’ll be dancing with him if he asks, won’t you?”

  Heather hesitated, insecurity clear on her face as she bit her lower lip. “I’d hoped no one would ask me.”

  “Nae, you’ll be on the dance floor before long.” Jinny hid a smile, getting the attention of a man a couple tables away.

  “What are you doing?” Heather hissed out before standing.

  “Shhh.” Jinny stood, ignoring her cousin’s glaring stare as Deke approached. “Heather, I’d like to introduce Deke Arrington, Mr. Ferguson’s nephew. Mr. Arrington, this is my cousin, Miss Heather MacLaren.”

  “It’s a pleasure, Miss MacLaren. Would you care to dance?”

  Heather turned to Jinny, giving her a scalding look before looking back at Deke. “Aye, Mr. Arrington. I’d love to dance with you.”

  Caleb returned Miranda to her table, noting her aunt and uncle were no longer seated with Fielder.

  “Caleb, I see you’ve met Miss Harris.”

  “Yes, sir.” He glanced at Miranda. “She’s endured my presence for several dances.”

  Miranda smiled. “Oh, it was my pleasure, Mr. Stewart.”

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll leave you to enjoy the festivities.” Caleb nodded, then turned away, walking toward Brodie and Quinn MacLaren across the room. “Gentlemen.”

  “I see you’ve met the lovely Miss Harris.” Brodie, Conviction’s sheriff and Jinny’s older brother, lifted his glass, tilting it toward Fielder’s table.

  Caleb nodded. “She seems a nice enough young lady.”

  Quinn scratched his chin, ignoring the discussion of Miranda. “Do either of you recognize the man talking with Uncle Ian?”

  Brodie and Caleb looked across the room, seeing a man of medium height, dressed all in black, talking with the younger of the two surviving MacLaren elders. His clothes were made of fine cloth, the vest of black brocade with silver threads, his boots polished to a high gloss. The deep red handkerchief in his pocket matched the color of his hair and beard.

  Caleb shook his head. “I’ve never seen him before.”

  “Nae,” Brodie chuckled. “I believe I’d remember a man with such a striking appearance.”

  Quinn shook his head, his gaze narrowing on the man. “There’s something about him that’s familiar.”

  Brodie looked between Quinn and Caleb. “I’m thinking it’s time we introduce ourselves to him.”

  Making their way across the room, Caleb let his gaze return to Heather, who danced with a man he didn’t recognize. “Who’s Heather dancing with?”

  “Deke Arrington. He works for his uncle, Rube Ferguson, who owns the saddlery,” Brodie explained. “Why don’t you ask her to dance?”

  Caleb choked out a laugh. “You know as well as I do she’d turn me down.”

  Brodie clasped him on the shoulder as they joined Ian. “Perhaps. But you’ll never know until you ask.”

  “Good evening, lads.” Ian shook each of their hands before turning to the man next to him. “I don’t believe you’ve met Mr. Giles Delacroix. Giles, these are my nephews, Brodie and Quinn, and a family friend, Caleb Stewart.”

  Brodie stuck out his hand. “Mr. Delacroix. What brings you to Conviction?”

  Ian chuckled. “You’ll have to excuse my nephew, Giles. Brodie is our sheriff, and quite a good one.”

  Accepting Brodie’s hand, Giles studied him for an instant. “It’s the job of the sheriff to know who comes and goes from his town. To answer your question, I have business in Conviction. I’m on the board of the San Francisco Merchant Bank. We opened an office here a few months ago.”

  Quinn stiffened at the words. He still couldn’t remember meeting the man, but he certainly recognized the name of the bank. Its manager had disappeared several months before, under strange circumstances, after denying loan extensions to several ranchers. It had happened before he married Emma, when Quinn had been working as foreman on her parents’ ranch.

  Brodie nodded. “Aye. Your employee, Chester Bailey, left town suddenly. Then your manager, Deegan James, quit.”

  Giles shook his head. “A tragedy took him away.”

  “He’ll not be returning?”

  “It’s quite doubtful, Sheriff. We sent another fellow from San Francisco to manage the office. He may be a little inexperienced, but I’m sure he’ll serve the bank, and your town, well.”

  Quinn shifted his stance, his gut telling him something didn’t feel right. “Do you intend to continue supporting the ranchers in the area, Mr. Delacroix?”

  “Quinn MacLaren, is it?” Giles asked as he studied the young cowboy.

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Well, it’s understandable you’d be concerned about the way my bank deals with ranchers. From what Ian has said, your family’s ranch is quite solvent, not at all in need of additional funds.”

  “Aye…for now. The cattle and horse businesses are dependent on orders from our buyers. I’ll not be lying to you about the uncertainty in ranching. Small changes in price make a big difference to a spread our size.”

  Giles studied Quinn, wondering if all the MacLarens were as astute at the business side of ranching. Most meant only to get by, feed their families, pass along their ranch when they died. The MacLarens were a different breed. He made a mental note to learn as much about the family, and their operation, as possible.

  “I must say, I’m not as familiar with the running of a ranch as I am with merchants and the shipping business. I’ll need to make certain our manager understands your needs. Even better, I’d suggest we plan to meet before I leave for San Francisco.” He looked at Ian. “Let me know how many you’d like to have at the meeting and I’ll make all the arrangements.”

  “Aye. It’s a good idea for you and your managers to meet with us. I’ll not be giving you false hope, though. The MacLarens have done busine
ss with the Bank of Conviction for years.”

  Giles nodded. “Ah, yes. The small bank controlled by August Fielder.”

  Delacroix’s stance and demeaning tone had more than one of the men bristling.

  Ian gritted his teeth, forcing out a smooth reply. “He may control the shares, but the man is more than fair in his dealings. My brother, Ewan, and I sit on the board, along with several others. No matter the shares, each member has an equal vote on bank matters.”

  Giles stroked his chin, considering this information. His bank worked in a different fashion. Although the board voted, the two prominent families who held the majority ownership ran the bank like their personal money machine. Out of twelve board seats, four were held by members of the families. The other eight were held by close personal friends and the bank’s attorney. There was little room for dissenting views as there seemed to be at the local bank.

  Ian set his glass down, crossing his arms. “We’re a small community, Mr. Delacroix. We know the people, their hardships, and their needs. Unlike many big city banks, our goal is to help our neighbors through hard times.”

  “Not jump on any chance to foreclose on the properties,” Quinn interjected, recalling the difficult times faced by his wife’s parents. Much of it due to the way the San Francisco bank dealt with them.

  Ian glanced at his nephew, then back at Delacroix. “As you can see, Giles, our family has been raised to speak their minds. Quinn makes a good point. There are some who will never deal with your bank due to some unfortunate circumstances when Chester Bailey disappeared.”

  “I’d like a chance to turn the town’s opinion around, Ian. Don’t you agree a meeting will give us a chance to start the process?”

  Ian nodded. “Aye. It will be a start.”

  Brodie held out his hand to Giles. “If you’ll excuse me, I believe my wife has been waiting long enough for the dance I promised her. I’ll look forward to the meeting.”

  “As will I, Sheriff.” Giles glanced at Ian. “About how many people do you expect to bring?”

  “At least fourteen.” Ian nodded at Caleb, letting him know he’d be included.

  Giles chuckled. “Well, that is a goodly number.”

  “Aye, and I’ll be warning you. We’ll be bringing some of the MacLaren women. You best be prepared.”

  “I’m sorry, Heather. I’d hoped Caleb would ask you to dance.” Jinny slipped her arm through her cousin’s as they walked outside.

  “Nae. It’s best he didn’t.” Heather took one more glance across the room, seeing Caleb speaking with the young woman from back east. The one he’d danced with several times, while ignoring her. She didn’t realize her disappointment would be so acute.

  “Aye. You probably would’ve turned him down.”

  Heather nodded, although she wasn’t so certain. “Well, I’ve done my duty and accompanied Mrs. Evanston to the dance. I won’t be doing this again for a long time.”

  Jinny shook her head. “Just because Caleb is an eejit doesn’t mean you should go back into hiding.”

  Heather chuckled, the sound falling flat. “Aye, the lad is an eejit and always has been. Obnoxious and condescending, as are most of the MacLaren men.”

  Jinny looked at her. “But he’s not a MacLaren.”

  “Aye, he is in spirit, if not name.” They walked to the wagon, seeing Mildred waiting for them. “I’ve more than enough work at the Evanston ranch to keep me busy. If I never see Caleb Stewart again, I’ll consider myself blessed.”

  Jinny bit her lip. Someday, Heather and Caleb would come to their senses, confronting the feelings between them. It could be weeks or months, but the reckoning would come. Jinny was certain of it.

  Chapter Two

  Circle M Ranch

  Several months later

  “You’ve been a wonderful help, Heather. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” Mildred Evanston stood next to the wagon loaded with what remained of her personal belongings. Health and age had forced her to make the hard decision to sell her ranch. The bright spot in the difficult process had been August Fielder and the MacLarens buying the property. She knew they’d continue to make a success of the ranch she and her late husband had started.

  Heather’s eyes teared, the strong emotions catching her off guard. She’d come to love the widow, and although she understood the reasons for her leaving, hated to see her go. “Are you sure you want to live in San Francisco? Wouldn’t you rather find a place in town where you’d be close?”

  Mildred raised her chin, taking another look at the home her husband had built. “No. I’ve made up my mind. My sister-in-law and her husband live there and have plenty of room for me. Remember, San Francisco isn’t so far away. I’m still fit enough to ride or take the stagecoach, so you won’t be getting rid of me completely. Besides, it’s time for new blood. I think Ewan and Ian made the right decision, making Caleb foreman.” She patted Heather’s arm. “I know you wanted it, but you’ve still got much to learn. Working with Colin and Quinn at Circle M is the perfect solution.”

  Heather shook her head. “Nae. I’m fine with their decision. Caleb will be a fine foreman, and it’s time I returned to my family, although working under Quinn will be a challenge.”

  Throwing back her head, Mildred laughed. “You’re a strong woman, Heather. You’ll set your brother straight in no time. Just watch your temper and lace your words with honey…not vinegar.”

  Heather drew in a slow breath. She’d heard the widow say the same so many times, it finally seemed to take a place in her mind. At least she hoped it had. “Aye. I’ll remember.”

  “When do you go back to Circle M?” Mildred climbed aboard the wagon, waving a dismissive hand at Heather when she tried to help.

  “Today. Caleb and Blaine will be here this afternoon. I’ll leave soon after they arrive.”

  Picking up the wagon lines, Mildred glanced around, her gaze landing on Heather. “It would do well for you to stay until tomorrow. Show Caleb and Blaine around. Introduce them to the two ranch hands who are staying.”

  Heather clasped her hands together, staring down at her muddy boots. “I do wish Levi had stayed.”

  “I know you do, girl. Ewan and Ian wanted him to stay. They even offered him a higher wage and the choice of working anywhere on their land.” Mildred leaned back, letting the lines rest in her hands. “Levi needed time away.”

  “He told me he planned to travel south, along the ocean, until the point where California touches Mexico.” Heather thought of the Evanston’s longtime foreman. Levi had been hired by Mildred’s husband as a young man in his twenties. He stayed for more than twenty years, through good times and bad, taken less pay while doing more work, and became a good friend of the couple.

  When Heather arrived at the ranch, Levi ignored her initial antagonism, was amused at her combative nature, and allowed her to voice the pain she’d held close inside. Levi encouraged her to speak of her father, Gillis, and how much she missed him after he and her uncle, Angus, had been murdered. In some ways, he became the father she’d lost. His departure had cut deeply.

  Straightening her back, Mildred once again held the lines in a firm grip. “He may return someday, Heather. Levi still has many friends in Conviction. Perhaps he’ll change his mind and accept a job with your family.”

  “Aye, perhaps you are right.” A slight smile touched Heather’s lips. “I’ll be doing my best to think good thoughts, even as I try to keep my temper under control when working with Quinn.”

  “You do that and you’ll be fine. It’s time for me to start for town and leave you to the rest of today’s chores.”

  Heather stepped up to the wagon. “Send me an address once you get settled in San Francisco.”

  Mildred nodded. “And you’ll write back about what’s going on here?”

  “I promise.” Ignoring the lump in her throat, Heather did her best to hide the tears threatening to spill. The widow had become dear to her in a short time and she�
��d be missed.

  Without another word, Mildred nodded, slapping the lines to get the wagon moving.

  “Are you ready?” Blaine held his horse steady as Caleb mounted Jupiter.

  “I am.”

  Colin walked up, stroking a hand down the neck of Caleb’s horse. “Make a list of what is needed at the new place. If we don’t have enough here, we’ll send men into town.”

  Blaine nodded at his older brother. “Aye, Colin. We’ll need a few days to see what’s needed and learn the property.”

  Stepping away from Jupiter, Colin looked between his brother and Caleb. “Ask Heather to stay a few days longer. She knows the condition of the ranch.”

  “Not necessary. Blaine and I can handle it without her. The sooner she leaves, the sooner she’ll be here to help you and Quinn.”

  Colin shook his head. As the oldest MacLaren cousin, he’d known Caleb since they’d traveled west in the wagon train, watched as the sparks flew between him and Heather, and saw Caleb’s feelings for her fade as she continued to treat him as no more than a friend.

  “If the lass is a distraction, send her back this afternoon.”

  Blaine laughed. “Ach. The lass is always a distraction, Colin.”

  “Aye. Most times I would agree with you.” Colin glanced at Caleb, seeing his features still.

  Caleb couldn’t find it in him to join their bantering. He knew they loved their cousin and wanted only the best for her, but his chest still constricted whenever she entered his mind. A sudden urge to leave gripped him.

  Reining Jupiter around, he looked at the brothers. “If you two are finished, it’s time Blaine and I got moving.” He didn’t wait for Blaine before kicking his horse into a lope, preparing his mind to see Heather after months of keeping his distance.

  The last time he’d been in the same place with her for more than a few minutes was at the community dance. She’d walked into the room a vision, taking his breath away. Twice he’d tried to get close, wanting to ask her for a dance. Each time, she’d turned away, feigning interest in a conversation with whoever stood close. He’d known her actions were not by accident.