Safe Havens Bundle

by Sandy James

  All the man did was give her a terse nod before returning to his list.

  The room reeked of stale tobacco and was every bit as dark and intimidating as Senator Shay had been. Servants were arranging chairs of all shapes and sizes in a large semi-circle around the oak desk as fast as they could to accommodate the people there to hear the man’s last wishes.

  Once that distasteful task was done, Cassie could present the papers that forever released her from these vultures.

  Damn, but Ty was proud of her. How many women would walk away from that kind of fortune? But she hadn’t even hesitated. Hell, the woman had demanded that she no longer be considered a Shay.

  When he’d sat her down and told her the truth—that all he’d probably ever be able to give her was a home with very few luxuries—she’d kissed him gently and told him that he was all she’d ever need.

  Why God had blessed him with the love of a woman with such a pure heart was beyond his understanding. He simply sent an awkward prayer to his Maker and accepted the gift he neither deserved nor would ever give up.

  The lawyer finally took a seat at the senator’s desk and opened his leather case. From it he pulled two papers, then he cleared his throat. “I am here to let it be known that these are the last wishes of Hiram Shay. This last will and testament was written by his own hand and duly notarized.” He cleared his throat again and started reading.

  Ty had little interest in what the lawyer was saying. He wanted nothing more than for Simon to shove Cassie’s papers at her family and drag her all the way back to Montana. He did, however, enjoy some of the grimaces, groans, and growls coming from each of her relatives as the late senator got in some last licks in the form of insults and ridiculously small sums of money.

  Cassie had chosen to sit on the arm of Ty’s chair, and she kept a tight grip on his hand. Every now and then her gaze would drift back to where Derrick and Robert sat, which usually made her tremble.

  Trying to will some of his strength to his wife, Ty kissed the back of her knuckles.

  She gifted him with a smile and stopped shaking.

  The lawyer shifted to the second paper, giving Ty hope that the ordeal would be over soon.

  “Because I still mourn the death of my beloved Stephen,” the lawyer read, “I feel honor bound to give special mention to his two children.”

  A gasp slipped from Cassie.

  “What?” Ty whispered.

  “I am his only child, except... He can’t think to name—”

  “To Jake Curtis,” the lawyer said, increasing his volume as everyone in the crowd began to whisper to one another, “I leave the sum of one dollar. I choose that sum for him and instruct him to use it to reimburse his mother for her sexual services to my son. The whore...” he tugged on his collar as though it suddenly became too tight, “...murdered my son. I will not allow hers to inherit a single penny of my fortune.”

  Then he directed his dark eyes to Cassie. “Now, I have special instructions for my beloved Stephen’s only legitimate child—his daughter, Cassandra. Her fortuitous marriage has been finally been arranged, and I want to provide well for her new family. Once her marriage is blessed and consummated, I bequeath to her husband the sum of five-hundred thousand dollars.”

  The room fell deathly quiet for a few long moments before all hell broke loose.

  “What?” Robert was on his feet as he hurried to the desk.

  Derrick was stammering and couldn’t seem to get a coherent word out.

  The rest of the Shays alternated been shouting and shaking their heads—with the exception of Simon.

  He was grinning as he set his hand on Cassie’s shoulder after she jumped to her feet. “’Twould seem your grandfather has finally made a mistake, and it was of epic proportions. He was a bit...negligent in his specificities.”

  She looked up at him, wide-eyed as Ty stood and wrapped an arm around her waist. He had no idea why everyone was reacting as though everything had changed. It was clear the senator had meant that money for Robert since he was the one who would’ve married Cassie.

  Why was everyone so damned upset?

  “What do you mean, Uncle?” she asked. “What specificities?”

  His grin grew. “What I mean, my darling Cassandra, is that your Mr. Bishop just inherited half a million dollars.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Have you lost your mind?” Ty couldn’t accept what he was hearing. “That ain’t my money.”

  “It is now,” Simon insisted.

  Cassie’s kept shifting her gaze between the two men, looking far too dumbfounded to say a word.

  Voices, most of them angrily raised, filled the room. Ty instinctively pushed Cassie behind his back when someone smashed a vase against the wall.

  Francis Middleton stood and motioned for everyone to sit. “Please! Please! We must finish the reading of the will!”

  No one paid him any heed as they either argued with one another or simply left the room.

  Robert and Derrick shoved their way toward them.

  Cassie tried to step around him, but Ty kept her sheltered with his own body. They’d have to go through him to get to her. He swept aside his coat and set his hand on his Colt, giving them fair warning.

  Both men stopped, glaring at him with red faces and clenched hands. Neither had a weapon, which gave Ty the advantage. For now. He was still on their land—something he would remedy just as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Hiram Shay’s will had now complicated things something fierce.

  “That’s my money!” Robert’s bellow made the rest of the crowd fall silent.

  While Ty didn’t give a shit about the money, he couldn’t help but rub salt in Robert’s open wound. “Can’t help but notice that you’re a mite more concerned about that cash than about Cassie not being your bride no more.”

  “I want my money!” Robert demanded.

  “It ain’t your money now. It’s mine—just like Cassie’s mine.”

  That statement set the crowd to shouting again.

  Ty could care less about them. His focus was on the enraged man he suddenly feared he’d have to kill to keep his wife safe. Unlike Robert, however, he wasn’t a murderer. He’d simply have to stay on his guard. Robert would surely come for them, then Ty could settle accounts once and for all.

  “Please!” Francis was still on his feet. “If everyone will take their seats we can—”

  “Mine!” Robert wagged his finger. “Understand, you half-wit?”

  “I don’t want your damned money,” Ty snapped. “And if you touch me again, you’ll pay for it.”

  Cassie tugged on his coat. “Ty...please be careful.”

  Derrick found his voice. “If you think I’ll let you get away with this travesty—”

  “The boy has done nothing to bring this about,” Simon said. “This was your father’s doing.”

  “That money was meant for Robert,” Derrick insisted. “He should be Cassie’s husband.”

  “Well, then...” Simon cuffed Ty on the shoulder. “It would appear that Robert was bested in the quest for Cassandra’s hand and her money.”

  “The money is mine!” Robert took a step forward. The man was practically foaming at the mouth.

  A gunshot followed by breaking glass made Ty pull his gun. He quickly realized the shot came from Francis, who now held a smoking Derringer after shooting out the window.

  Despite the chaos, Ty’s lips formed a smile at the lawyer’s pluck.

  “Now that I finally have your attention,” Francis said, “I would ask everyone except Cassandra Shay and her husband to leave this study.”

  People whispered, but few moved.

  Francis pointed his gun at Robert. “I shall not ask again.”

  The room cleared as fast as a saloon after the whiskey ran out.

  Just as Simon was leaving, Cassie put her hand on his arm. “I would like my uncle to stay.”

  “I act as her legal counsel,” Simon added.

  T
he lawyer gave her a curt nod.

  Ty still held his Colt, although he was more at ease now that Robert was gone. Not that the man would simply let them be. So long as Robert still drew breath, he’d be a danger to Cassie.

  Francis sat back down and once again cleared his throat. “It would seem we have a dilemma.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Ty quipped. He held a chair for Cassie and moved one closer to hers as Simon sat on her other side.

  There was no doubt what Shay’s lawyer would say. Now they’d all hear exactly why that money would be going to Robert Putnam.

  So be it.

  The Shay money never bought anything but misery for far too many people Ty loved. He didn’t want a penny of it.

  Cassie thoughts whirled. She still couldn’t believe her grandfather had been so foolhardy. The man had controlling down to an art form.

  “I still don’t understand,” she said. “Why would grandfather leave the money to my ‘husband’ rather than name the man? He was always so...precise in all his dealings.”

  A knowing grin spread over Francis’s face. “I put that same question to your grandfather when I helped him draw up this will. He informed me that Robert Putnam was his choice for a husband, but he believed the man to be a bit too arrogant for his taste. The gesture was meant to remind him that you, my dear, were the Shay, and that the only reason Robert would have any of the Shay fortune was because he’d married you.”

  Simon jumped in. “That being said, the money is now legally Ty’s, correct? The will never named her husband, so the money belongs to her legal husband—Ty Bishop?”

  “Exactly.” Francis grinned.

  Gathering her brows, Cassie had questions of her own if she was ever going to make sense of this turn of events. “Do you know why he had you draw up his will? I mean no offense, sir, but both Uncle Derrick and Robert are attorneys. Grandfather had several others on his staff. Why didn’t he have any of them see to the task?”

  His grin grew. “The senator told me it was never wise to keep all your eggs in one basket. While he and I had little affection for one another, having faced each other in court on many occasions, he claimed I was an honest man and would see his wishes through regardless of any pressure brought to bear by his family. I must say, this has been a rather entertaining venture thanks to your impulsiveness, young lady.” He gaze became serious. “I must know for a fact that your marriage to Mr. Bishop is legal and consummated as your grandfather requested.”

  Her face flushed hot, but she refused to be embarrassed. “Yes, sir.”

  “Yes, it is legal? Or yes, it was consummated?”

  “Both, sir.”

  Simon chuckled. “I have a copy of their marriage certificate, and after they were guests in my home last night, I can assure you, their marriage bed is quite lively. Even my servants commented on the ruckus they made.”

  Cassie gasped her outrage. “Uncle Simon! Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, how could you say something so–so–personal?”

  Ty put his hand over hers where it lay on the armrest. “The old man underestimated you, Cassie girl.”

  Though grateful for the turn of topic, she quirked an eyebrow. “I fail to see how putting Robert in his place could be seen as him underestimating me.”

  His smile made her stomach flutter. “He never thought you’d defy him. But you did. You ran away, and thank God for that.”

  Her eyes stung with tears. “I do.”

  “Do what?”

  “Thank God. Every day, I thank Him for sending you to me to save me from the hell my family had planned for me.”

  Ty caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “You are the blessing.”

  “Now we must make arrangements,” Francis said. “The money must be placed in your name, Mr. Bishop and—”

  “Don’t want it,” Ty said with a shake of his head.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Don’t want any of it.”

  Cassie blinked at her new husband, wondering what was flying through his mind. “You would walk away from that much money?”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  “Why?”

  He took her hand back in his. “I don’t want anyone coming after you again. So long as you have that money, you’re nothin’ but a target.”

  “Think of how your life would be,” she cautioned. Perhaps she needed to enlighten him as to the ease of living that came with a fortune that size. He needed to understand before he made any decisions. “You could be a man of leisure. You could have things you’ve never thought possible. You could—”

  He was shaking her head before she could even finish. “I like my life, Cassie. I ain’t got need for money. I got me a home I love. I got the mountain air. And I got you. Don’t need nothin’ else.”

  The tears were back, blurring her vision. “Oh, Ty...” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I love you so.”

  Francis looked dumbfounded. “You truly don’t want the money?”

  “Nope. Not a penny,” Ty replied.

  “Then the money passes to Cassandra.”

  Since Ty had shown the courage to leave the trappings of luxury behind, Cassie followed suit. “I don’t want it, either.”

  “You cannot be serious,” Francis protested.

  “I assure you, sir, I am quite serious. If my husband believes the money will only cause us more trouble, then we are better served to leave it behind.”

  “Then it will be returned to your grandfather’s estate and—”

  “If you’ll pardon my interrupting,” Simon said. “I might have a solution to this little problem.”

  Cassie wasn’t at all pleased with her Uncle Derrick getting his hands back on the money, which would surely happen should it be returned to her grandfather’s estate. He’d most likely put right into Robert’s greedy hands, so she was more than willing to hear Simon’s suggestion.

  “By all means, tell us,” she said.

  “Perhaps the bequeath could be placed in a trust for any children that come from your marriage.”

  “A trust?” Ty asked. “What’s that?”

  “The money will be held for your children. Should they decide later they would like to pursue their educations or perhaps travel, they would have access to those funds.”

  “Would you be willing to manage the trust?” Cassie asked.

  “Of course, Cassandra.”

  “A good choice,” Francis said. “Everyone who knows Simon realizes he has a knack for investments. Why, I’d wager by the time your children are grown, the profit will eclipse the original funds.”

  “Ty?” She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. While she thought Simon had an excellent idea, she wasn’t about to speak for her husband. Although she’d never be an obedient wife, she wanted this marriage to begin with sharing this enormous decision. “What do you think?”

  His face, as usual, revealed nothing. “I don’t know about this kind of stuff, Cassie.”

  She leaned closer. “The money would remain in Uncle Simon’s care. He would invest it wisely to keep it growing. When our children are older, they can use the funds to go to college or visit Europe.”

  Still, he hesitated.

  “Think about your own childhood, Ty. This money would insure that even if something happened to us, our children would be provided for.”

  Judging from the pain that entered his eyes, the memories were unpleasant.

  Cassie couldn’t change his past. But she was damned well going to make sure he had a wonderful future. “It’s the best choice. Not only will we know our children’s future is safe, but that money will never be in Robert’s hands.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

  ***

  Ty led the way out of the study, keeping his hand on his Colt. Just in case.

  Instead of Derrick and Robert being there to confront them, the hall was empty. Simon led them through the corridors to the front door of the Shay mansion. With the exception of a few serv
ants, the rest of the Shays had disappeared, most likely licking their wounds after the senator’s rather insulting will.

  No one spoke until they were inside Simon’s carriage heading back to his home. Simon sat on one side, stretching his long legs out until Cassie had to move her skirts to give him more room. Ty wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulder to pull her a little closer, which gave Simon even more room.

  “Well, well.” Simon grinned as he set his leather case aside. “This was truly a day of surprises.” He leaned forward to glance out the window one last time. “The biggest of which is how we were able to escape without Robert and Derrick having another explosion.”

  “Where do you think they went?” Cassie asked. “Do you think they’ve accepted the loss—”

  The loud guffaw from Simon stopped her cold. It took him a moment to get himself under control. “I’m sorry, my dear. I couldn’t help myself. The mere notion of Derrick ever walking away from money simply set me to...” He started laughing again.

  All Simon’s amusement did was affirm what Ty already believed.

  This was far from over.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Ty’s nerves were stretched tighter than barbed wire fencing. Even lying in bed with his wife sleeping contentedly at his side, he found his thoughts churning into a whirlwind.

  In the month since he and Cassie had returned to White Pines, he’d spent almost every waking hour on alert, sure that Robert would be coming to get his revenge. Only exhaustion had allowed him to sleep at night, but even then, he felt as though he slept with one eye open.

  Thankfully, Simon had decided to stay in San Francisco to keep an eye on Cassie’s family. He sent a telegraph message daily to keep Ty apprised of the turmoil in the Shay household. Unfortunately, his last message had been several days ago, and Ty worried something had happened that Simon was afraid to tell him.

  Not that Cassie even noticed, nor would he tell her about the messages. His wife had been so busy preparing for the coming performance of Romeo and Juliet, she hadn’t had time for worry. At least when she was in the Four Aces with Drew and the rest of the cast and crew, she was safe. Ty used the time where she was busy to continue working on their new home.