“Hell no! I thought you and that grandson of yours did.” Brady frowned at Sam. “Is it yours then?”
Sam allowed himself a brief smile as he sat down. “Only a small part of it.”
“Then who owns the rest?” Treenery demanded.
“All in good time, gentlemen. All in good time.” Simkins opened the satchel and took out a sheaf of papers. “This shouldn’t take long.”
With another bewildered glance at each other, Treenery and Brady sat down.
“As you are aware, The Flying T is in desperate financial difficulty,” Simkins said, handing each a sheet of paper. “This is a list of outstanding debts, which both of you have repeatedly refused to pay.”
Richard Brady scanned the sheet and focused on the figure at the bottom of the page. “Holy Hell, that’s more than the business is worth!”
James Treenery leaned back in his chair and studied Simkins intently. “It’s not uncommon for a business like this to operate in the red for short periods of time. This doesn’t necessarily mean the end of The Flying T. Besides, I fail to see what it has to do with The Silver Springs Express. At risk of being rude, none of this is any of your damn business.”
“It wouldn’t be, except for one small detail.” Sam couldn’t quite keep the smug look off his face. “The Silver Springs Express Company paid all your bills. That means you owe every penny of it to them.”
“What!” James Treenery looked like a giant trout as his mouth opened and closed in speechless astonishment.
“So the owners of The Silver Springs Express essentially have control of The Flying T?” Richard Brady asked angrily.
“That’s correct,” Simkins said, “and that’s the whole reason for this meeting. The owners of The Silver Springs Express are calling in your debt.”
Treenery suddenly found his voice. “What if we refuse to pay it?”
“Then The Flying T goes on the auction block, and the two of you will be personally responsible for any debts not covered by the sale.”
“What!” Brady slammed his fist on the desk. “You can’t do that!”
“We can and will, unless you accept our deal.”
Brady frowned. “Deal? What deal?”
“Sign everything over to The Silver Springs Express, and all debts will be forgiven.”
Treenery jumped up from his chair. “The hell I will. You can’t force us to sign away our company.”
“That’s true,” Simkins said. “Selling out would be far more beneficial to my clients anyway. As you pointed out before, you owe more than the company’s worth. If it goes on the auction block and you have to pay the remainder, they stand to make a sizable profit.”
“You expect us to believe you don’t want the assets of The Flying T?” Treenery snapped. “Acquiring them would give you three times the coaches and horses.”
Sam shook his head. “They’re all useless to us. That’s how The Silver Springs Express managed to put you out of business in the first place. We have better horses, better coaches, and better prices.”
Simpkins rifled through his papers and handed a packet to each of them. “This is a complete list of your unpaid debts. You will note that the original creditors and when The Silver Springs Express obtained the debt are also listed. And this,” he said, handing them each another pile of papers, “is the contract if you choose to accept our deal. You will, of course, wish to read through both documents before you sign.”
“I won’t sign anything until I meet these clients of yours face to face,” Richard Brady growled.
“My clients are anxious to meet with you as well. They fully intend to be here, but they wanted to give you time to read through everything and make your decision first.”
“Don’t worry,” Sam said with a grin, “They wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Chapter 40
“I love you, Angel,” Ox whispered, liking the sound of it as he drifted in and out of a dream state. Even without opening his eyes, he knew she was there. He could smell her perfume. Roses. He smiled and reached toward the body next to him.
When his hand sank into cool softness of a pillow instead of landing on solid warmth, his eyes popped open in alarm. “Angel?”
A quick glance around the room showed he was alone. He jumped out of bed and struggled into his clothes. Damn, why hadn’t he pushed the issue last night? He should have known she’d run; she always did when he got too close. Now he might never get the chance to say all the things he’d been thinking, to ask her to marry him, to make love to her again.
Jerking his boots on, he tried to think where she might have gone. Would she go home with her father there? It wasn’t likely, and yet where else was there? Martha! If anybody knew where to find Angel, she would be the one.
The sun’s warm rays shone down on a beautiful morning, but Ox barely noticed other than to curse how late he’d slept. How much of a head start did Angel have on him, and how far had she gone? A sense of urgency drove him as he strode into the small corral adjacent to the cabin to catch his horse. He’d just as soon ride bareback but took the time to saddle his horse, because he wasn’t sure how far he was going to have to ride. The familiar road to Alexis’s house seemed miles longer than usual. When he finally arrived, he rode straight up to the house and tied his horse to one of the pillars out front.
He didn’t even bother to knock, just flung open the door and stalked through. “Where is she?” he bellowed.
There was no one around, and the dining room was empty. He turned toward the stairs and took them two at a time. An unfamiliar man was just about to enter the door at the top. Ox eyed the stranger belligerently. He was far too attractive to be running loose in Alexis’s house. “Who are you?”
“Brandon Johnson. Who—”
“The hell you say. If you value your hide, you’ll stay away from her.” With two steps, Ox was across the hallway. Brandon saw the punch coming and ducked.
“I’ll be damned if I’ll stay away from my own wife!”
“She’s not going to marry you,” Ox roared. His fist slammed into Brandon’s jaw, and the other man crashed to the floor like a poll-axed steer.
Before Ox could answer, the door across the hall opened. “Oh, my,” Vanessa said, looking from Ox to Brandon and back again.
“Where’s Alexis?” Ox asked angrily.
“She’s in here eating breakfast but—”
“Thank you.” Ox interrupted rudely, pushing her out into the hall, slammed the door in her face and stomped across the room to the table. The sight of Angel sitting there, calmly eating breakfast infuriated him even more.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.
“I...I beg your pardon,” she said, shrinking away from him.
Ox frowned. Since when did Angel beg his pardon? She was more likely to say any idiot could see she was eating breakfast. He took a closer look at her face. “Hell and damnation, you’re Alexis!” he said in stunned amazement.
“Y…yes.” She looked dangerously close to tears. “What do you want?”
“I’m sorry to burst in on you like this,” he said, fighting to keep his voice calm. She reminded him of a fragile piece of porcelain. What in heaven’s name would he do if she started crying? “Do you know where Angel is?”
“Angel?” Her face brightened as if by magic. “You must be—”
“Where is the son of a bitch?” The door behind Ox slammed against the wall, and an enraged Brandon Johnson stormed in. “I’ll show you—”
“Brandon, don’t,” Alexis said, quickly rising to her feet to lay her hand on his arm. “It’s Ox Bruford.”
“I don’t care who he is—”
“I’ll be damned,” Ox murmured as he stared at Alexis in astonishment. There was no mistaking her obvious pregnancy. Suddenly, Ox began to laugh. “Angel knows all about this, doesn’t she?”
Alexis looked at him uncertainly. “Of course.”
“And that’s what this whole charade h
as been about. No wonder you called her in to take your place. And now you’re here to get in on the grand finale. Perfect!”
“We didn’t know it was today until we got in last night,” Alexis admitted. “But Angel said she thought we should put in an appearance half an hour or so after the two of you.”
“Oh yes; you definitely should!” Ox laughed again. “Lord, are the Brady twins going to have their revenge today!” Then he sobered. “Do you have any idea where Angel is?”
“I thought she was with you.”
“Then she didn’t come back here?”
“Don’t tell me you misplaced her!” Martha said as she came in through the servant’s door. “Honestly, Treenery, I’ve about given up on you.”
“At least I finally realized who I’ve been dealing with all this time. I figured it out on my way back from Denver.”
“Hallelujah! It’s about time,” she said, setting a plate full of sausage on the sideboard. “Don’t tell me she ran away when you told her.”
“I didn’t get a chance. She left before I woke up this morning. Do you have any idea where she went?”
Martha sighed. “If the night went the way I suspect it did, she probably left town. She’s got some cock-a-mamie idea it’s Alexis you really love.”
“That’s what she told me too, but I think it’s more than that,” Alexis admitted. “She’s madly in love with you, and she’s scared to death of it. You’ve got to find her before she gets away.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll comb the entire town if I have to,” Ox said.
“Are those my clothes he’s wearing?” Ox heard Brandon say as the door closed behind him. Ox grinned as he left the house and untied his horse. No wonder Angel had taken her sister’s place. There was no way Richard Brady could touch either one of them now. He swung up into the saddle, then paused uncertainly. Where had she gone?
He sat there trying to second guess her reasoning, desperately aware of time passing far too rapidly.
“Ox!”
He turned his head and looked up in surprise. Shannon leaned out of an upstairs window, waving wildly while Jared shinnied down a nearby tree. Maybe they knew something the grownups didn’t. It wouldn’t surprise him in the least.
“Have you seen Angel this morning?” he called. “Neither Alexis nor Martha has any idea where she went.”
They looked at each other. “Angel,” Shannon said with studied nonchalance. “No, we haven’t seen her in months.”
“You can cut the act,” Ox said sardonically. “I know she’s the one who’s been here all along. Now, do you know where she went this morning or not?”
Shannon shook her head. “I haven’t seen her.”
“Neither have I,” Jared said as he reached the ground.
“Where would she go if she considered herself threatened?”
“If she’s in trouble, she goes to Alexis first, then Martha.”
“Neither of them has seen her.”
“Then she went to a friend.” Jared frowned. “Except you’re her best friend.”
“Maybe she went to another friend.” Shannon reached the bottom of the tree and brushed off the front of her dress. “Like Sam and Jessie maybe?”
“Sam! Sure. Why didn’t I think of that? Thanks. I owe you two.”
“Good! Angel said we had to stay in the nursery until next week for locking you both in the barn. Maybe you can convince her to let us out early,” Jared said hopefully.
Ox wheeled his horse around. “Looks like you’ve done just fine on your own.”
“Maybe so,” Shannon called after him. “But if she catches us, we’re dead!”
Ox chuckled as his horse loped down the road. Surely she’d let them out for the wedding. Angel would want all four of her siblings included in the ceremony. If she married him. His smile faded. If he even found her.
The Silver Springs Express was loading the last of the passengers headed for Silver Springs Gulch when he arrived at the station. Praying he’d guessed right, Ox dismounted, tied his horse to the hitching rack, and sprinted across the yard to the stage.
There she was! Ox could see the familiar flowers of her hat as the driver helped her into the stage. “Wait!” he yelled.
She paused and glanced over the driver’s shoulder. Her gaze met Ox’s for an endless moment. His eyes were filled with entreaty, hers with regret. After a few seconds, she bit her lip and disappeared into the coach.
“Angel!” Fully intending to remove her by force if necessary, Ox headed toward the stage with a determined set to his jaw.
The burly driver stepped in front of him just before he reached his goal. “Do you have a ticket?”
“Hell no, I don’t have a ticket. I’m not going anywhere.” He glanced at Angel already seated inside the coach. “And neither is she.” Ox took a step forward, but the driver blocked his path.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t come any farther without a ticket. Company policy.”
“Fine, I’ll buy a ticket, now let me pass.”
“This stage is full. You’ll have to wait for the next one.”
“I don’t want to get on, damn it, I just want to talk to one of the passengers.”
“We don’t allow anyone to bother passengers on The Silver Springs Express.”
“You’re fired.”
“Only Sam Collins can fire me.”
“That’s the trouble with being a silent partner, Ox,” Angel said from inside the coach. “You’d better go now. If you don’t, you’ll be late for the meeting with your grandfather and my father.”
“I’m not going without you. We’re partners, remember?”
“Talk to Alexis.”
“I already have. She sent me after you.”
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the driver said, moving forward menacingly. “It’s obvious the lady doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Ox gave him a scornful look. “You can ask all you want. It won’t do a speck of good.”
“All right by me,” the driver said, rolling up his sleeves. “I haven’t had a good fight in a long time.”
“Look, Angel, I’m going to ask you to marry me, even if I have to go through this big galoot and propose in front of all these people to do it. I really don’t want to hurt this man, but I will if I have to. The choice is yours.”
There was a moment of silence, then Angel appeared. “Don’t be such a fool, Ox. He’s one of our best drivers. We can’t afford to have him off the job.”
“I knew you’d see reason.”
“The stage is due to leave, ma’am,” the driver said. “The company is very strict about schedules, so I can’t wait.”
“That’s fine. I’ll just go on the next one out.”
The driver eyed Ox suspiciously. “Are you sure you want to stay here, ma’am? He looks kind of unsavory to me.”
Angel’s lips quirked. “It’s all right. I carry a derringer in my reticule.”
“And a very nasty knife strapped to her leg,” Ox added. “You ought to worry about my safety, not hers.”
“If I didn’t have to leave right now, I’d teach you the right way to talk about a lady,” the driver said.
“You might try,” Ox murmured as the man mounted the driver’s seat.
Angel sighed. “This doesn’t change anything, Ox.”
He watched the stage drive out of town. “Actually, it does. That driver will probably have heart palpitations when he finds out who really owns The Silver Springs Express.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” He reached out and caressed her cheek with his knuckles. “I guess I’m afraid to say the truth out loud for fear you’ll run away again.”
“What truth is that?”
“That I adore you, Angelica Brady. Marry me.”
“You only want to marry me because of last night.”
“I went to Denver intending to propose to you, but you were nowhere to be found. Imagine my surprise when I r
ealized you’d been here all along.”
“You knew?”
“It sort of hit me between the eyes yesterday on my way home from Denver. I would have figured it out when I met Alexis this morning anyway.”
“She is pretty obviously pregnant.”
“I realized it wasn’t you before I noticed that. In fact, I knew the minute she opened her mouth. You really aren’t very much alike.”
“What did she say?”
“It wasn’t so much what she said; it was more what she didn’t say, namely to mind my own business. I think I scared her. Nothing scares you, least of all me.”
Angel frowned. “If you knew last night, why didn’t you say something?”
He smiled fondly at her. “When I got to the cabin, I thought you’d set up the evening to confess you’d been playing the part of your sister all along. Who was I to interfere?”
“I was going to tell you,” she admitted, “but I couldn’t find the right time, and then you distracted me. When you said you loved me, I thought you meant Alexis.”
“How could you have thought that? I didn’t even know Alexis.” He cupped her face with his hand and traced her cheek with his thumb. “I’ll admit you confused the hell out of me when I thought there were two of you. I loved you both the same; I couldn’t even tell you apart. It’s a relief to know there was a reason for that.”
Angel was incredulous. “I’ve been lying to you all this time, and you don’t mind?”
“Mind? I’m pleased as hell. It’s like having a dream come true.” He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “For the last six months, I’ve wished there was a way to combine you both into one person. Do you know the hell you put me through, thinking I was in love with both of you? I just wish you’d told me at the beginning. Look how much time we’ve wasted.”
She rubbed her cheek against his coat. “You really love me?”
“I’ve loved you since South Pass City. I think I was smitten the first time you accused me of charging ridiculous prices for hauling your freight, proceeded to drive a damn hard bargain, and then finished it off with the best home cooked meal I’ve ever had.” He grinned. “Of course, I didn’t realize it was love until later. You were very successful at keeping me at arm’s length.”
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