A Promise of Roses (4 page)

"Of course.
My mother lives in
New York
. She never liked living out here in
Kansas
—she says it's desolate and savage—so she stayed in the city."

"Anyone else?"

"My brother and his wife live just outside of Leavenworth. Caleb and Rebecca built up their own cattle ranch after their son, Zachary, was born. Now they have two children. Zach is four, and little Cinnamon Rose is less than a month old.” Megan frowned. “I still don't know why they named her that; Caleb refuses to tell me. They call her Rose."

"It sounds like they're very happy."

She nodded. “They tried to get me to move in with them after Papa died, but I didn't want to leave the house empty."

"You live all alone?"

"Yes. Sometimes it seems terribly quiet, but other times I like the privacy."

"And now you run your father's stagecoach company."

Megan shrugged. “It's not so hard. Over time Papa and Caleb taught me all about the business, and I gradually took over. It wasn't as if I was forced into it suddenly after Papa's death. I already ran the
Express
pretty much on my own."

"People don't shy away from a female stage driver?” Lucas
asked,
one side of his mouth lifting.

"I don't usually drive. I know how, and I could do it every day if I wished,” she defended herself, “but I hire men. The passengers seem to like that better.” She gave an unladylike snort. “They don't believe a woman driver could get them to their destination in one piece. I ought to tell them a few stories about Hector. Then they'd think twice about putting their lives in his hands."

"So why were you driving the day we stopped the stage?"

"Robbed it, you mean."

Lucas shrugged.
“Robbed it."

"Hector wouldn't take the run with the railroad payload aboard. You and your outlaw friends have him afraid to do his job."

"So you decided to drive the stage yourself."

"What else could I do? The damn railroad is putting me out of business as it is, stretching their lines all across the country. A canceled run would only cause passengers to find an alternate mode of transportation. I can't afford that. The railroad wants to run tracks right through Leavenworth from Kansas City to Atchison, to Topeka—everywhere. If they do that, there won't be much use for little
ol
’ me and my out-of-date stage line."

"You must hate that."

"I won't let it happen."

"And just how do you intend to stop it?"

Megan leaned forward to touch the crisping meat,
then
stuck her finger in her mouth as much to taste the rabbit as to cool her heated skin. “I'll do whatever it takes."

"Including stealing railroad payrolls?"

She frowned. “What?"

"You said you'd do whatever it takes to save your business, to keep the railroad from making the Adams Express obsolete. Does that include masterminding robberies to steal the railroad payrolls?"

"The smoke from this fire must be fogging your brain. That's the most outrageous thing I've ever heard."

"That's why you've been able to pull it off so flawlessly. Who would ever suspect you of sabotaging your own coaches?"

"Nobody.
Because it's a stupid and ridiculous idea.
How did you ever come up with it?"

"I didn't. The railroad figured it out. They sent me to stop you."

Megan stared at Lucas, her mouth falling open. “Have you always been this creative? I'll bet as a boy you told your mother one tall tale after another."

"I'm not making this up."

"You're with the railroad?
You?
I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, Lucas, but you can't work for the railroad and steal from them at the same time. It's just not done. Employers frown on that sort of behavior."

"I agree. Union Pacific has been frowning on your behavior for some time now."

"Why is that?"

"Because you're robbing them blind."

"Stop saying that!” Megan jumped to her feet. She crossed her arms in front of her, tapping a foot in agitation. “I don't know why you persist with this nonsense, but it's making me very uncomfortable."

"It should. When I get you back to Leavenworth, you'll be arrested.
Your friends, too, as soon as they can be rounded up."

"What friends?"

"Evan, Frank,
Dougie
, and Tom."

"They're your friends, not mine."

"Drop the act, Megan. The railroad knows all about the information you've been feeding the gang. You tell them when and where,
then
they show up and take the strongbox. Pretty slick plan, but they figured it out."

"I'm telling you, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about. I admit I have a grudge against the railroad, but I'm not stealing the payrolls. That would be downright stupid of me. Union Pacific has already made it public that I can't protect their cargo; the number of passengers I transport has dwindled to half of what it used to be. Robbing my own stages is not exactly a brilliant plan to keep myself from going under."

Lucas levered himself up from the ground and stood face-to-face with Megan. “But then, why bother running a legitimate business when you've got thousands of dollars of railroad payroll hidden away?
Minus the cut for your accomplices, of course."

"Hector and Zeke are hardly accomplices."

"I'm talking about Evan and the boys,” Lucas said through clenched teeth. Damn, but she made his head spin. She was a good little actress. If he didn't know better, he'd almost believe she had no clue of what was going on.

"I don't know Evan and the boys. I never set eyes on them until they dragged me to that shack in the woods. Need I remind you, Mr.
McCain, that
you were with them, not I?"

"I was under orders by Union Pacific."

"You were under a mask,” she snapped.

"I'm working for the railroad. Brandt Donovan had a pretty good idea who was robbing the stages. He was also fairly certain you were involved."

"Brandt Donovan?
That first-class joker?
He couldn't find his ass in an empty room!"

"Watch it, Megan. That's my friend you're talking about."

She threw up her hands. “Why does that not surprise me? You couldn't find your ass if it perked up and started singing ‘
dixie
.’”

"Brandt wrote and told me there was a good chance you were involved in the robberies. After all, you're the only one who knows when the payrolls are shipped, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you're the perfect candidate to be leader of the bandits."

"Leader?
I told you, I've never seen those men before in my life. Did it look like I was in charge?
Because if so, I'm afraid I missed it—hanging from Frank's arm and all."

"That was an act. They decide to take you hostage, you put up a fight, and the guy riding shotgun and all the passengers get to tell how the outlaws dragged you away kicking and screaming. It was a good plan, but I don't buy it."

"Do you actually believe that? I've never heard anything so ridiculous. If anyone should go to jail, it's you. You were riding with them when they robbed the stage. You have the payroll with you right now. If that's not guilt, I don't know what is."

"Shut up,” he grated.

"I can't believe you actually intend to take me to jail for being kidnapped. Not only by that gang of thieves, but also by you. I've been abducted twice in the same day, and you have the gall to accuse me of being a criminal."

"Sit down and shut up."

Grudgingly, she clamped her mouth closed and dropped to a sitting position in the dirt.

He lifted the rabbit from the fire and pulled a long knife from inside his boot. He cut off a sizable piece and handed it to her, oblivious to singeing his fingertips.
“Eat."

Megan took the meat and immediately dropped it on the ground. “It's hot,” she said in an accusing tone.

"Of course it's hot. I just took it out of the fire."

Megan looked around and picked up a fairly flat rock, rubbing it on her pant leg in lieu of washing it. She balanced the stone on one knee. “Give me another piece,” she said.

"I already gave you a piece. You dropped it in the dirt. Wipe it off and eat it."

She picked up the meat with two fingers and tossed it into his lap. “You eat it. I want a different piece."

Lucas grumbled under his breath about stubborn females and getting drunk, then cut her another hunk of rabbit. She used the rock as a plate and pulled the meat apart to eat in small strips.

"This is very good,” she said with her mouth full.

He nodded.

"Are you really working for the railroad?"

Another short, dismissive nod.

"You don't look like you work for the railroad. I can't even picture you in a suit and tie."

Lucas shrugged. He shouldn't have assumed the simple act of eating would be enough to keep her quiet.

"Do you really know Mr. Donovan?"

He nodded again.

"You said he was your friend. Are you really friends or do you just work together?"

No nod or shrug would be enough to answer that. Lucas swallowed a bite of rabbit and took a moment to think of a short reply. “Brandt and I have been friends since before Annie and I married."

"Did he get you your job at the railroad?"

Didn't she ever shut up? “I don't work for the railroad."

"But you said—"

"I just took this one assignment for them. Brandt offered me the job as a favor."

"You really needed work, huh?” She tipped her head back and held a strip of rabbit above her mouth.

Lucas watched as she bit off the very tip of the meat,
then
slowly licked the grease off her lips. Her tongue darted to one corner,
then
traveled over her full bottom lip, returning across the top. Heat suffused his body and gathered between his legs, causing his manhood to strain against the confinement of his trousers.

Megan lowered her head and met his eyes, blissfully unaware of his response to her innocent actions.

"So you needed the work?” she asked again.

Lucas gave his mind a sharp order to get his body under control. “No."

Her brows puckered. “Then why did Mr. Donovan offer you the assignment?"

"He thought I might be short on cash."

"And were you?"

"Yes."

"Then you did need a job."

"Not the way you think.” She didn't say anything, and Lucas decided to continue before she piped up again. “For the past year, I've been following someone. Every time I think I'm close enough to grab him, he disappears. I was using my life savings and the money I got from selling my house and cattle, but that ran out a while ago. Brandt knew and wanted to help me out."

"That's sweet of him,” she said, licking her fingers.

It was the most sensual act Lucas had ever witnessed. He forced himself to concentrate on his own meal so he wouldn't be tempted to grab Megan Adams and kiss her senseless. He groaned at the picture that thought painted in his head.

"Are you all right?"

He straightened.
“Fine."

"Did you burn yourself?” Megan asked
,
her eyes filled with concern.

"I must have,” he said. She looked at him a minute longer. He blamed his raging pulse for making him give such an asinine answer.

"Who are you following?” she asked, drawing his attention back to the conversation.

A conversation Lucas would rather avoid.

"A man,” he said.

Megan rolled her eyes and reached for the canteen Lucas had filled with fresh water and set between them. “I gathered that much. Who is he?"

"The man who murdered my wife and son."

Megan coughed and sputtered, choking on her mouthful of water. Lucas didn't move a muscle as she gasped for breath. Such a gentleman, she thought, racing to a lady's aid that way. After several seconds spent thinking she was going to suffocate, Megan got hold of herself. “Your family was murdered?"

Lucas inclined his head.

"When you said they were dead, I thought you meant they'd been the victims of some sort of epidemic. I never thought ... Murdered? That's terrible. I'm so sorry."

"Would you do me a favor?” Lucas asked.

Megan studied him warily. “What?"

"Stop apologizing."

She didn't respond.

"Look,” he said, “you don't have anything to be sorry for. You didn't cause their deaths. If you feel the need to say you're sorry, apologize for the fact that I have to drag you along and that you're slowing me down."

Megan bristled visibly. “If I'm slowing you down, why don't you let me go?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because Brandt would never forgive me."

"Then why don't you take me back to Leavenworth and let me deal with him?"

Lucas shook his head. “That would take too long. I can't risk losing Scott's trail."

"Who is Scott?"

"Silas Scott is the man who slaughtered my family,” he said with a hard edge to his voice.

"I think I'm confused,” Megan said.

Lucas gave a bark of laughter.

"It's not funny,” she reproached. “If you're so hot on the heels of this Silas Scott person, why did you take the time to work for the railroad?"

"I lost Scott, so I figured I could make a little money before picking up his trail again."

"Then why are you in such a rush now?"

"I picked up his trail again."

"Here?"

"Not here, exactly.
Back in
Cubilo
del
Diablo."

"He was there? How did you know?"

"I saw him when I went for supplies with Tommy."

Understanding lit Megan's dark eyes. “That's why you came back with all the whiskey. You wanted to keep the bandits off their guard."

Lucas shrugged one shoulder. “They were pretty proud of themselves for pulling off the robbery, anyway. I just helped them relax with some liquor is
all.
They didn't suspect a thing when I offered to take the first watch. Once they were asleep, it was easy to sneak off with you and the loot."

"Well, I know you brought me along because you think I'm a criminal and need to be duly punished, but why bother lugging the money around?"

"A couple reasons,” he answered. “First, so I can turn it in right along with you. Second, so I'd have money to travel on."

"Isn't that stealing?"

"Nope.
The railroad's reimbursing me for any money I spend on the job."

"But technically, going after Scott isn't included in working for Union Pacific."

"Brandt will understand. He wants this guy caught as much as I do. They can take it out of my pay if they want. I don't care."

"You don't care about much, do you?"

At Megan's low tone, he raised his head and met her eyes. “Catching Silas Scott is the only thing that matters."

"And what will you do once you catch him?"

"I'm going to kill him.
Nice and slow, so I can watch him suffer."

Megan swallowed, her heart breaking for the man in front of her. It was none of her business, but she felt compelled to question him further. To find out just what made Lucas McCain, a man of so many contradictions, tick. He took a job to bring a gang of lawbreakers to justice, and yet he was stalking Silas Scott with the intention of committing murder.

"Did he make your wife suffer?” Anguish shone in his eyes, and Megan instantly regretted giving in to her penchant for being nosy.

"Yes."

"Will you tell me about it?” she asked in a soft, soothing voice. He looked at her a moment, as though deciding if she could be trusted with what was certainly the most painful memory of his lifetime.

"I used to be a bounty hunter,” he
started,
his tone distant and devoid of any hint of emotion. “But Annie thought it was too dangerous, and with a new baby, she worried something would happen to me. Said she didn't want to raise Chad alone.