“I was the Madame of a whorehouse, for God’s sake. How could you have fallen in love with me?”
“You also owned an extremely successful gambling casino, which, I might add, you sold at precisely the right moment. Right now, you’re part owner of a stage line that is going to make us filthy rich. What you are, is a brilliant business partner.”
Angel scowled. “So you love me because I’m good at making money.”
Ox lifted her chin with his finger and stared earnestly down into her eyes. “No, I love you because you’re beautiful and smart and have a heart as big as the Rocky Mountains. You have more courage in your little finger than most men have in their whole bodies. You’re the woman I want to share the rest of my life with.”
She looked away. “I...I’m afraid, Ox. I can’t live in a gilded cage like my sister did.”
“Gilded cage! Angel, this is Wyoming Territory, as you’re so fond of telling me. As your husband, I couldn’t touch a penny that belongs to you.” He waved his hand dramatically. “I’m not even going to pamper you. I fully expect you to be at work every morning, just like I do now.”
She smiled slightly. “What if I get pregnant?”
“ I might give you a little time off for that,” he teased.
“You’ve changed your mind about children, then?” she asked.
“Of course. Just think, we could have twins like Jared and Shannon.”
“That’s supposed to persuade me to marry you?” she asked in mock horror.
“We might have a Betsy.”
“That’s even worse!”
“Then, maybe this will convince you,” he said against her lips.
His kiss was like the first spring rain, filled with magic and promise. It weakened her knees and melted her objections. “I don’t know,” she whispered shakily. “I think I’m convinced, but it might take another one just like that to make sure.”
Ox laughed. “Another one like that, and we’ll wind up doing more than kissing on the street. I’d prefer a little more privacy myself. Besides. We’re late for our meeting. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they see who owns The Silver Springs Express.”
“Me either.” She looked thoughtful. “What do you think? Shall we let your grandfather and my father be the first to congratulate us on our future of wedded bliss?”
“I think that would be a great idea.” Ox said, tucking her hand through the crook of his arm. “They are the ones who brought us together, after all.”
“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”
They looked at each other and grinned.
Chapter 41
“This contract amounts to highway robbery!” James Treenery shouted. “Who do they think they are, saying we can’t open another stage line?”
“My, my, they do sound angry, don’t they?” Angel stopped just outside the door of The Flying T. They could hear raised voices coming from inside.
“We have kept them waiting,” Ox pointed out.
“We had no choice,” Angel said. “You couldn’t very well come to such an important meeting in your shirt sleeves, and it was a borrowed shirt at that. What would your grandfather say?”
“And we needed to let Brandon and Alexis know when to come to the office.” Ox grinned down at her as he reached for the doorknob. “Shall we put your father and my grandfather out of their misery?”
“It was probably your crooked grandson that came up with the idea!” Richard Brady retorted. “I don’t know why you insist you had nothing to do with it.”
“Actually, I’m the one that thought that up,” Angel said sweeping past Ox and into the room. “But Ox wrote the rest of the contract.”
“Ah, here they are at last,” Sam said with a touch of relief. “Gentlemen, may I present the owners of The Silver Springs Express.”
There was a long moment of stunned silence. James Treenery’s mouth opened and closed several times as if he’d lost the ability to speak. But Richard Brady tipped his head, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
“Oh. Hell!” he said after a moment. “Angel!”
“Hello, Father.”
His face turned an interesting shade of red. “It’s been you all along, hasn’t it?”
Angel smiled. “Yes, it has. Alexis called me in when you decided to rearrange her life once again. You miscalculated this time, though.” She patted Ox’s arm. “You gave me the perfect partner to help bring about your downfall.”
“Where’s Alexis?”
“What are you jabbering on about,” James Treenery demanded. “She’s standing right there in front of you.”
Ox grinned. “Not quite. Allow me to introduce my fiancée, Angelica Brady.”
“I know who she is,” his grandfather said scornfully. “She’s Brady’s daughter, same as she was yesterday.”
“That’s true,” Ox said. “However—”
“Ah,” Angel said, glancing toward the door. “Here comes Alexis now.”
The door opened, and Brandon escorted Alexis inside. For the second time that day, both Richard Brady and James Treenery were stunned into silence.
“There are two of them!” Treenery said, his eyes shifting back and forth between the two women. “What are you trying to pull, Brady?”
But Richard Brady couldn’t tear his gaze from his daughter’s obviously pregnant belly.
“Brandon?” Alexis said nervously.
“It’s all right, love.” Brandon put his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead before facing her father. “Your daughter and I are married, Mr. Brady, and your first grandchild is on the way, as you can plainly see. We hope you’ll share our joy, but I’ll tolerate no interference from anyone.”
“Who the devil are you?” Brady asked, raising his gaze to Brandon’s.
“Brandon Johnson,” Brandon said, squaring his shoulders. “Your daughter’s husband.”
Brady gave a sharp bark of laughter. “If you married her for her money, you’re in for a nasty surprise.”
“I married her because I love her, and I have no need of her money. I own the Rocking Bar J Ranch north of town,” Brandon said. “As far as I’m concerned, Duncan Smythe’s fortune can stay in the bank forever.”
“This is all vey touching,” James Treenery broke in, “but I don’t see what any of this has to do with The Flying T.”
Ox shrugged. “You and Brady here tried to manipulate Alexis and I into a marriage neither of us wanted. Angel took her place, and we decided it was time to teach the two of you a lesson. To put it simply, we started The Silver Springs Express and put you out of business.”
“We didn’t expect it to happen so fast,” Angel added. “Thanks to you and my father and your schemes to destroy each other, we accomplished our goal almost a year early.”
James Treenery’s face took on a crafty expression. “You may think you’ve won, but you’ve forgotten the ace I hold.” He sneered at Ox. “Unless you want your mother out in the street, we need to renegotiate.”
“I see she hasn’t caught up with you yet.” Angel grinned up at Ox. “You know, this might be the best part. Tell him.”
Ox patted her hand. “My, you are a blood thirsty one, aren’t you?”
“I can’t believe you let this…this hussy cloud your mind.” Treenery’s expression changed to one of pity. “Your poor mother; this will crush her.”
“On the contrary, my mother will be delighted. She’s the one who told me I should marry Angel instead of Alexis.”
Angel looked up at him in surprise. “She did?”
“I apparently mentioned you rather frequently in my letters. My mother made me realize I was in love with you long before I even knew you had a sister. That’s why I went to Denver to find you.”
“I wasn’t referring to your silly romance,” Treenery bit out. “We’ll see how much your mother adores her precious son when she loses the home she loves!”
Ox gave him a slow smile. “Ah, but you haven’t heard her good news yet.�
��
“News? What are you blathering about?”
“My mother is on her honeymoon with her new husband and forever beyond your reach.”
The look of cunning and smug satisfaction were wiped from the elder Treenery’s face in an instant. “Honeymoon?”
“That’s right. She married her childhood sweetheart last month and then came to tell me. They were here three days ago.” Ox’s smile widened. “You’ve lost your one hold on me, old man, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“You’re lying!” his grandfather shouted. “Trying to trick me into signing your damned papers. Well, I won’t do it!”
Ox shrugged. “Suit yourself. We stand to make a lot more money if you don’t take our deal. Either way, The Flying T is out of business.”
The old man’s skin turned a rather alarming shade of purple. “This isn’t over. You’ll never see a penny of my money. I’m still young enough to marry and have a son.” He grabbed his hat and stalked to the door.
“Excellent idea! You should have done that years ago,” Ox called after him. “I hope you have twin boys, so you have an heir and a spare. If you get started right away, you might even have time for three!”
Richard Brady frowned as the door slammed behind his former partner. “I wouldn’t put it past your grandfather to do exactly as he says, Treenery. With his money, I doubt he’ll have any trouble finding a wife.”
“I sincerely hope he does,” Ox said. “Nothing would make me happier than for him to father a whole army of boys.”
Angel looked at Ox. “An army?”
He shrugged. “At least enough to make sure I never inherit.”
“He’ll probably appoint you as their guardian,” she pointed out.
Ox looked surprised for a moment then sighed deeply. “You’re right, and in charge of an extremely silly widow, if I know my grandfather. Oh well, I won’t have to worry about that for a while yet.”
“I’ve never seen a grandson so disrespectful,” Brady said. “I don’t know that I will allow my daughter to marry someone so lost to common decency.”
Angel gave him a disbelieving look. “You don’t get it, do you? You can’t tell either Alexis or me who to marry. In fact, you won’t be able to manipulate either of us against our will ever again. We’re out of your reach.”
“Manipulate!” Richard looked highly offended. “I’ve never done anything that wasn’t in my children’s best interest!”
“Your opinion of what is in my best interest and mine differ greatly,” Angel said with disgust.
“That’s because you’re so hard-headed.” Richard gave Alexis a soft smile. “You’ve always been sweet and biddable like your mother.” His gaze dropped to her very pregnant belly, and the smile slipped. “Except when Angel was a bad influence on you.”
Both women started to protest, but Richard Brady ignored them as he turned to Angel. “But you, my girl, you’re just like me!”
Angel rolled her eyes and made a disgusted sound. “I wish people would quit saying that!”
“They say it because it’s true.”
Angel shook her head. “No, Father, it’s not. I may have a head for business, but I don’t try to control people, and I would never force my child to do something against her will.”
“You don’t understand how the world works. I did what I had to, and I’d do it again.”
“Which brings us back to my first point. You no longer have any control over Alexis or me.”
He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. “It was high time you both were on your own anyway.” Brady ignored his daughters’ indignant gasps and pulled Angel into a fierce hug. “Ah, Angel, my girl. I’ve missed you!”
Against her will, Angel felt something loosen inside her as she fought the prickle of tears. “You can’t expect me to forgive you so easily!” she choked out. “You stole my life from me.”
“No,” he said, stepping back. “You threw it away when you stole your mother’s jewelry and left your home in the middle of the night.”
“I ran away because you made my life intolerable!”
“And you’ve done all right for yourself,” he pointed out. “I’ll admit I was concerned when you sold your restaurant to buy The Road House, but it turned out to be a stroke of genius. Then there was The Green Garter.” He beamed at her. “I’ve never seen a timelier sale.”
Angel gaped at him. “You had me followed?”
It took me awhile the first time, but once I found you, it was easy.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide,” Angel snapped.
“Which is why I only needed to check on you a couple of times a year.” He frowned. “I’ll admit I lost you after South Pass City. The only information we had was that you’d gone to San Francisco. My people have been scouring California looking for you.”
“Where did you get the idea I was in California?”
Sam smiled. “Probably from me. Somebody came nosing around South Pass City after you’d left, and I told them you went to San Fransisco looking for a site for our next casino.”
Brady frowned. “South Pass Cit—Oh hell, you’re her bartender!”
Sam dipped his head in acknowledgement. “That I am.”
“Damn, how did I miss that?”
Angel gave him a smug smile. “Because you never pay attention to underlings. If you had ever once thought about it, you’d have recognized his name and would have put two and two together.”
“I’m not sure it would have made a difference. Though maybe if I’d known I was dealing with you rather than Alexis…” Brady sighed. “Simpkins, where are those papers?”
Angel blinked in surprise. “You’re going to sign?”
He sat down at the desk and picked up the pen Sam laid next to the papers. “One of the first lessons I taught you was to know when to admit defeat.”
“You never said any such thing!” Angel bristled. “You told me there was no such thing as defeat, just setbacks.”
Brady dipped his pen into the inkwell. “A good businessman knows when to cut his losses and move on.” He signed the document with a flourish. “Which I had already done. I had decided to give my half of The Flying T to you and young Treenery here as a wedding present.”
“As a…” Angel nearly choked on her ire. “You really expect me to believe that?”
“Believe what you want.” Brady glanced over the second sheet Simpkins presented for him to sign. “You are now the proud owners of half a defunct stage line, and my former partner is responsible for any outstanding debts.” He slid the paper back to Simpkins and rose from the table. “I’d say I won this one.”
Ignoring Angel’s sputtering anger, Brady turned to Alexis and Brandon with a benevolent smile. “So, how soon am I going to be a grandfather?” he asked.
“W…within the month,” Alexis stammered.
“Excellent! Does Vanessa know?”
“We told her last night. You mean you don’t mind?”
“Of course not! What kind of a father would I be if I didn’t wish my children well?” He gave Brandon a speculative look. “You know, I’ve been thinking of investing in a cattle ranch here. You may be just the man I need to advise me.”
Brady sauntered to the door where he stopped and raised one finger as though he had just thought of something. “By the way, Angel,” he said, turning back to face her. “Even you will have to admit I picked the perfect husband for you. Treenery is your match in every way.” He opened his hand as though to stave off her words. “No, no, don’t thank me. That’s what fathers do, after all. I’m sure Vanessa is expecting you all for tea. I’ll see you then.” With that, he walked through the door and shut it softly behind him, leaving a speechless audience in his wake.
“Of all the unmitigated gall,” Angel began. “Even when he’s wrong, he won’t admit it. I’ve never seen anyone so pig-headed and stubb—”
Alexis started to giggle. “Oh, Angel, don’t you see? That’s one of the ways the two of you
are so much alike.”
Angel glared at her sister. “Thanks!” she said sarcastically. “I love you, too.”
Alexis shook her head. “No, no, I don’t mean it as an insult.” She smiled. “Both of you snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as a matter of course. It’s what makes you so very good at what you do. Frankly, I think we all came out winners here.”
“She’s right, you know,” Ox said, leaning down to kiss a very irate Angel. “Everybody got what they wanted.” He gave a wolfish grin. “Except maybe my grandfather.”
He dropped Angel’s hand and crossed to the desk where he pulled a bottle and six glasses out of a drawer. “I brought the last of my grandfather’s finest cognac just for this occasion.” He popped the cork and poured everyone a drink. “To new beginnings,” he said, raising his glass high in a toast.
Alexis slipped her arm through the crook of Angel’s elbow and smiled at her sister. “And to happily ever after!”
The six glasses clinked together. “To happily ever after.”
Note From The Author
Writing historical fiction is such fun. Invariably, I come across some fascinating little tidbit that I just have to use. My research for SILVER SPRINGS led me to the famous Cheyenne-Deadwood stage line where I discovered Mother Featherlegs. Though she didn’t actually come to Wyoming until 1876, she did run a dugout of ill-repute and was well known as a go-between for various road agents in the area. She gained the nickname Mother Featherlegs from the bright red lace pantalets she wore. Since she rode astride, the lace fluttered in the wind like the leg feathers of a chicken when she galloped across the prairie. Now how could I resist that?
I found nothing to indicate she ever went anywhere near South Pass City, and I believe she was a much older woman than I have portrayed. However, she did have a confederate named Dangerous Dick Davis, who is presumed to have murdered her in 1879. A monument dedicated to Mother Featherlegs stands just outside of Lusk, Wyoming, a town that started life as Silver Springs.
Then I discovered ‘the great epizootic of 1872’. The epizootics was an equine flu that swept through Canada and the eastern United States with devastating force. As many as two hundred horses died of it each day in New York City, and 2250 died in Philadelphia during a three week period. In many places, horsepower was replaced by manpower, as men and boys pulled wagons and trolley cars through the streets. The great epizootics apparently didn’t spread to the West, but it isn’t hard to imagine what would have happened if it had.
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