Mack thought of the few times he’d taken her in his arms. Sylvia’s touch settled and aroused him at the same time. She’d already become a critical part of his life, someone he needed to see each day. The time he’d spent with Cash in Big Pine had been difficult, reinforcing the void he felt without her.
She’d thought her mentioning the saloon women he’d been with would turn him away. Continuing to stare at the ceiling, he almost chuckled at the thought. Short of lying, he knew nothing she could say would change his mind about their courtship.
The more time he spent with Sylvia, the more time he wanted with the beautiful woman. He hoped to take her riding after church on Sunday. Suzanne already offered to pack food, and Noah confirmed Hasty would be available for Sylvia to ride.
He planned to take her to Rogue Rapids, a swift, churning section of Wildfire Creek bordering the southwestern edge of Redemption’s Edge. Mack had been there many times. He’d found it by accident one afternoon while on a solitary ride.
Mack had never invited anyone else to join him or spoken of the spot to Caleb. Nor had he mentioned it to Sylvia. He wanted her first impression of his favorite place to be spontaneous, not based on anything he might have said.
Mack had no doubt she’d love it as much as he did. He winced at the use of a word he wanted to avoid.
“Love,” he hissed, whispering it to himself in his darkened room. Mack didn’t understand why saying or thinking it resulted in what felt like a physical blow. His stomach clenched and chest squeezed each time the concept came to mind. He knew why, but couldn’t get the sharp, painful reaction to stop. The same happened tonight when Caleb insisted on talking about it.
The ache in his chest had become so great, Mack had to fight the urge to stomp out of the Dixie. Only a fool would base his future on such a fleeting emotion. He knew Caleb was no one’s fool. Still, Mack had no choice but to believe his friend somewhat delusional. He hoped Caleb never had to face the cold truth about the notion of love.
Closing his eyes, an image of Sylvia wearing a wedding dress crossed his mind. Along with it came an unmistakable sense of urgency.
No matter the obstacles, he would convince her to marry him—without the love she so fervently believed in.
Chapter Thirteen
Big Pine, Montana Territory
Dominic rode down the bustling street, surprised at the size of the territorial capital. He hadn’t expected more than one bank, a couple hotels, and a few saloons. Instead, he counted three banks, several hotels of various sizes, restaurants, a large mercantile, saddlery, two liveries, and at least six saloons. He suspected there were more businesses on the back streets, but didn’t want to take the time to look.
The sheriff in Moosejaw knew of the Pelletiers, but nothing about a group of mail order brides coming through months before. He suggested Dominic would have better luck getting his questions answered in Big Pine.
He’d allowed himself and his stallion to rest two days in Moosejaw before riding on. Dominic had pushed them both over the last two weeks, sparing little time for rest on his mission to find Sylvia.
The jail was located at the far end of the main street, part of the original buildings when the town was founded. Reining up, he dismounted and stretched his arms over his head before opening the jail’s door. Sterling Parker glanced up from the newspaper sprawled across his desk.
“Good morning, Sheriff.” He took off his hat, moving toward the desk. “I’m Dominic Lucero. I wonder if I might have a word with you.”
Reaching out his hand, Parker shook Dominic’s, introducing himself before gesturing to a chair across from him. “Take a seat and tell me what I can do for you.”
Dominic’s gaze landed on the stove and the pot of coffee sitting on top. “Do you mind if I have a cup?”
“Help yourself.” Folding the paper, Parker set it to the side, waiting for Dominic to explain what brought him to Big Pine.
Taking a sip of the tepid brew, he sat down, letting out a deep breath. The stark office reminded him of every other jail he’d seen, including the Texas Rangers’ headquarters. “I’m looking for my sister, Sylvia Lucero. She came through here several months ago as a mail order bride. My understanding is she ended up in Splendor.”
Parker’s gaze narrowed. “If you know all that, I’m not sure why you need my help.”
“I have some questions. I’m hoping you can supply answers before I ride out.”
The sheriff blew out a breath. “Go ahead.”
Finishing the last of his coffee, he set down the cup. “I bought my horse from a man in Denver who mentioned the Pelletiers.” Dominic saw recognition in Parker’s eyes. “I’m a Texas Ranger. The man said the Pelletiers used to be Rangers. Do you know if that’s true?”
“Yep. It’s true. Any reason it’s important?”
Dominic shrugged. “I thought I’d look them up while I’m in Splendor. I’m curious as to why they left the Rangers to start a ranch all the way up here.”
Parker leaned back in the chair, setting his booted feet on the desk, crossing them at the ankles. “They inherited it from another Ranger. I’ll let them tell you the rest of it.”
“Fair enough.”
Parker lifted a brow. “What else do you want to know?”
“Tell me about Splendor. My sister came all the way from Philadelphia to find a husband.”
Chuckling, Parker shook his head. “Son, there’s no telling why a woman does what she does. I’ve sure never been able to figure it out.” He steepled his fingers under his chin. “I don’t know why she’d go all the way across country unless they already had a man picked out for her. That’s the way it usually works.”
“They sent my sister out with three other brides.”
Parker’s eyes widened. “Well now, that is interesting. I know they’ve got a good number of single men in Splendor, but…” He shook his head, chuckling again. “Anyway, there are some good people there. From what I recall, several of Gabe’s deputies are single.”
“Gabe?”
“Gabe Evans. He’s the sheriff in Splendor. A good man, as are all the deputies he hires. Wish I had some of them over here in Big Pine.”
Dominic had heard enough. He’d hoped to get a little insight into the small frontier town and be better prepared to see his sister after almost a year. Instead, nothing Parker told him helped. Dominic couldn’t imagine Sylvia moving hundreds of miles from home to marry a lawman or small-time rancher.
Then he thought of the reason she’d left. His sister wanted love. He wondered if the man’s profession would matter if she found what she craved—love, desire, and passion. Getting to Splendor took on a new urgency. Standing, he settled his hat on his head.
“Thanks for your help, Sheriff. Anything I can relay for you?”
“You can tell Gabe if he’s got any deputies ready to move to a bigger town, send them my way.”
Splendor
Sylvia stood behind the counter in the general store, tapping the top with her fingers. “Friday afternoon,” she mumbled to herself, wondering if Mack might stop in before she left for the boardinghouse.
Sunday would be the start of their fourth week—seven days left to change Mack’s mind about marriage. So far, she saw no sign the stubborn lawman felt any more for her than he had when the courtship began. Her heart cracked a little more each day, a pain she carried with her from dawn to dusk.
Three wonderful weeks had flown by with them taking long rides, many to visit his favorite spot. Rogue Rapids captured her heart the same as the man who’d shared it with her. They’d spent more time with the Pelletiers, had supper with Beau, Cash, and their wives, and ended most evenings with a long walk.
It broke her heart knowing all those wonderful days and nights would end in a week. As much as she loved Mack, Sylvia knew committing to a marriage without love on both sides would eventually end in bitterness. It would be better to walk away, allowing him to find a woman who shared his views.
&nbs
p; As much as it stung her already fractured heart, she’d made the difficult decision to return to Whiplash and whatever her father planned. If she were going to agree to a union, it might as well be to the heir of a ranch near her family. At least she’d be close to her mother and brothers, far away from seeing the man she couldn’t have with other women.
The bell above the door drew her attention, ending her depressive thoughts. She startled at the sight of two men walking toward her.
“Mr. Miller. It’s been a while since you’ve be in.” She glanced at the other man, someone she’d never met.
“Good afternoon, Miss Lucero.” He gestured to the man beside him. “This is my brother, Curtis. He owns a ranch next to mine.”
Touching the brim of his hat, Curtis gave her a wary grin. “Ma’am.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Miller.” She focused on Morgan. “Do you have a list of what you need?”
He leaned a hip against the counter. “Actually, we didn’t come in for supplies. I wanted to see if you have a night available for me to escort you to supper.”
She opened her mouth to answer when the door burst open, two men walking inside, their rifles pointed at the Miller brothers. Morgan held up his hands, taking a few steps away, while Curtis stood his ground, smirking.
“You Millers have gone too far.” Ebenezer Smith’s lips slipped into a grim line.
Curtis moved toward them, stopping at the look on Elija’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Six more sheep were slaughtered last night. Someone used a knife on them.” Ebenezer took a menacing step forward. “You won’t drive us off our land. Not even if you kill every one of our animals.”
That drew a laugh from Curtis. “And how will you take care of your family without your herd? You’ll starve.” He slowly moved his right hand up to rest on the handle of his gun.
“We won’t starve because the killing is going to stop.” Ebenezer lifted the rifle to his shoulder. “Right now.”
The front door slammed open, Mack, Caleb, and Dutch charging inside, guns drawn.
“What the hell is going on here?” Mack shouted, sending a concerned look at Sylvia. “Miss Lucero, you need to head out the back door and go to the boardinghouse.”
Her features hardened. “I don’t want to leave—”
“Now, Sylvia.” His booming voice allowed no argument, even as his gaze stayed locked on the Smith brothers. “I’ll come get you when this is over.”
Morgan glanced over his shoulder. “He’s right, Miss Lucero. It’s best if you leave.”
If Sylvia wasn’t mistaken, she thought she heard a low growl from Mack. Nodding, she took one last look at him before leaving out the back.
“Elija, do you want to explain what you and Ebenezer are doing?” Caleb asked, taking a few steps to his side to get a better position. The Smiths hadn’t moved, their backs to the deputies.
“Six more sheep were slaughtered. We all know the Millers are responsible. We’re not going to wait around for them to kill our entire herd.”
“So you plan to kill them right here in Petermann’s?” Dutch moved around a barrel full of cornmeal.
“If we have to.” Elija settled his rifle against his shoulder.
Mack took slow steps until he stood next to him. “You don’t want to do this, Elija. You and Ebenezer are good men. Put down your rifles and let us sort this out.”
“We can’t do that, Deputy. There’s too much at stake.”
Mack slid his six-shooter into the holster, placing a hand on Elija’s shoulder. “If you shoot them, you’ll force us to arrest you. You’ll stay in jail until the circuit judge comes. He’ll find you guilty and you’ll hang. Is that really what you want for your family?”
Elija’s hands shook, his jaw tightening. “No.”
Mack held out his hand. “Give me the rifle before you do something you’ll regret.”
A shaky breath blew through his lips as he lowered the rifle, allowing Mack to take it.
“Don’t,” Caleb growled, aiming his gun at Curtis when he saw the man’s grip tighten on the handle of his gun. Curtis dropped his hand to his side.
Dutch moved next to Ebenezer. “Lower your gun. We’ll work this out another way.” He watched the man’s hands tighten on the rifle.
“What they’re doing isn’t right,” Ebenezer choked out.
“No, it’s not. But this isn’t the solution. Give me the gun, Eb.” Dutch held out his hand.
A minute passed, no one moving as Ebenezer struggled with what to do. Finally, he lowered the rifle into Dutch’s outstretched hand.
Curtis took a threatening step forward. “I want them arrested.”
“Stay back, Miller. We’re going to handle this.” Mack sent an unyielding glare at Curtis and Morgan. “Everyone is coming to the jail so we can figure out what happened.”
Curtis’s face reddened. “It’s clear what happened. These two walked in and threatened Morgan and me. They should be arrested and put on trial.”
Caleb moved next to Curtis. “They’re going to jail, all right. But you and Morgan are coming along. Now, let’s get going.” He indicated for the Millers to walk out first, escorting them to the jail while Mack and Dutch accompanied the Smith brothers.
Gabe sat at his desk, Cash in a chair across from him while Beau stood by the stove, pouring coffee into a cup. The door flew open, Caleb shoving the Miller brothers inside. Before Gabe could question his deputy, Mack and Dutch escorted Ebenezer and Elija into the jail.
Standing, Gabe grabbed the keys to the cells.
“We need to lock all of them up until we get some answers.”
Curtis glared at Mack. “We didn’t do anything. It was them two who threatened us.”
Ignoring him, Mack nodded for Caleb to take the Miller brothers to the back, the Smiths following. When all four were inside the cells, Gabe locked the doors, motioning for his deputies to follow him back to the front.
Ebenezer and Elija sat down on the cots, staying silent. In contrast, Curtis kept yelling, insisting he and Morgan had done nothing wrong, his words punctuated with a continuous string of curses.
Setting the keys on a hook, Gabe lowered himself into his chair. “Who’s going to tell me what happened?”
Caleb and Dutch turned toward Mack, who shrugged.
“The Smiths found six more sheep slaughtered. I don’t know how they knew Morgan and Curtis were in town, but they found them in the general store, threatening the Millers with rifles.”
While Mack spoke, Caleb and Dutch checked the two rifles.
“This one’s empty.” Caleb set the rifle down.
Dutch shook his head. “Same with this one.”
Cursing, Mack scrubbed a hand down his face. “Eb and Elija were threatening the Millers with empty rifles?”
Caleb’s mouth twisted. “Seems that way.”
Crossing his arms, Dutch leaned a hip against Gabe’s desk. “What would make them threaten the Millers with unloaded rifles?”
“Maybe they were just trying to get Morgan and Curtis to confess.” Beau finished his coffee, setting the cup aside.
“If that’s what they were after, those boys were taking a helluva chance. Either of the Millers could’ve drawn on them.”
“I don’t think they cared, Cash. Eb and Elija want the killing to stop, even if they put themselves in danger.” Mack stared toward the back, gritting his teeth at Curtis’s loud voice. “Somebody shut him up.”
Chuckling, Beau walked to the back. “Quiet down, Miller, or we’re going to keep you longer than you’ll want.”
“We haven’t done anything.” Curtis’s voice rang with anger.
“So you say. Now, quiet down or you and I are going to have some serious words.” Beau returned to the front, his mouth twisted in a grimace.
Gabe leaned back in his chair. “I’m going to let Curtis cool off for a spell before talking to him and the others. Did the Millers ever draw their weapons?
”
“No,” Dutch answered, Caleb and Mack shaking their heads. “Curtis thought about it, but changed his mind when Caleb stopped him. Morgan never made a move for his gun.”
Blowing out a breath, Gabe stood, grabbing his hat. “We’ve got ourselves a real dilemma, boys. Eb and Elija have been pushed to their limit, and we’re all agreed the Millers are somehow involved in the deaths of the sheep. We need proof before the Smiths lose their ranch.” His gaze moved between the five deputies in the room. “Hex and Zeke Boudreaux are on patrol.” Gabe mentioned his newest deputies, brothers, two of the three men who came from Big Pine and decided to stay in Splendor. “Dutch and Caleb, tomorrow morning I’d like you to ride out with me to the Smith ranch.”
Both nodded.
“I want to leave early, before the Millers are released. There’s no good reason to keep them here, but I figure we can hold them until noon tomorrow, which should give us time to search the area where the sheep were slaughtered. Mack, I’ll need you to stay at the jail tonight. I’m not comfortable leaving either of the new deputies in charge with four men in the cells. Tomorrow, I want you to speak with Miss Lucero, learn what she saw before you, Caleb, and Dutch arrived at the general store. Beau, Cash, I need you and the Boudreaux boys to take care of the town while we’re gone tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir,” Beau and Cash answered together.
Mack let out a breath. He’d hoped to have supper with Sylvia tonight. That wasn’t going to happen. “Whatever you need, Colonel.”
Gabe raised a brow, ignoring the comment and shaking his head. “I’m having supper at the Eagle’s Nest with Lena, Jack, and my father tonight.” He mentioned their young son. “Afterward, we’ll be heading home. Ride out if anything more happens, Mack. I’ll stop at the boardinghouse and have Suzanne send over meals for you and the prisoners.”
A few minutes later, Mack sat alone in the jail, listening to Curtis continue his grumbling. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he thought about Sylvia and the last three weeks. They’d spent every evening together during that time, getting to know each other. Even with all the hours, Mack’s instincts told him she still held important information from him. He didn’t know what or why, but she didn’t trust him completely. Then again, he didn’t trust her, either. Mack had no intention of trusting a woman again, not after the debacle with his fiancée.
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