Matt found himself fighting a pang of jealousy. He needed to get the ranger’s attention back on the problem. “Can you tell us what you know?”
Armstrong’s gaze moved back to the crowd. “The attacks come when the ranch hands are out on the range, so it’s someone who knows the comings and goings of the ranchers. They kill women, take at least one if not two children, and burn what they can.”
“Why?” Hannah frowned so hard her eyebrows touched.
“I don’t know. That’s what I’m here to find out. If I can figure out what they’re after, I can stop them.” Armstrong’s expression was one of frustration.
“What happened to the other ranches after the attack?” Hannah’s voice had dropped.
“Five of the ranchers lit out of Texas completely. Two of them hunkered down and now carry guns.” Armstrong hesitated.
Matt knew there were ten total and realized there were other ranches not accounted for. “And the other three?”
Armstrong shook his head. “All dead or missing.”
Hannah stepped away, her arms wrapped around her belly. She stared out into the open range, her gaze shining in the mid-afternoon sun. Matt wondered if she was thinking about her brush with death or his own parents’ murders. Either way, her thoughts were heavy enough to make her fight for control.
Matt hadn’t realized there was a pattern to the attacks, that there were other people who had lost loved ones, had suffered fear and grief. Hannah was right. They had to help stop this mayhem so others didn’t have to endure the dark hell left behind by these bastards.
“Do they leave anything behind? Anything that might point to who they are?” Matt hadn’t found a thing.
“No, but there is a pattern.” Armstrong’s gaze flickered to the fancy wagon heading toward them. “Someone has been buying the land either left behind by the dead or sold by the ones who ran.”
Matt knew who it was before Armstrong even said his name. And at that moment, the Stinsons’ buggy rolled onto his ranch. His hands clenched into fists.
“Stinson has a lot of money and a lot of land. He’s got a lot more now, and I hear he’s building a big herd of cattle, too.” Armstrong stepped back into the shadows. “Be careful, Graham. You, too, Mrs. Graham.”
With that, the ranger disappeared from view. The words Matt forced back down his throat threatened to explode when Stinson stopped the buggy. Margaret smiled at him while Jeb waved.
All Matt could think was
murdering bastard.
C
HAPTER
F
OURTEEN
H
annah could hardly keep a smile on her face. Anger and fear churned in her stomach at all she’d learned from the ranger. How could anyone murder innocent people just to get more land? Was dirt worth more than someone’s life? If Stinson was capable of killing their neighbors, there was likely nothing he wouldn’t do in the name of greed.
She carefully avoided talking to any of the Stinsons, moving away each time they grew near. Let Eva and Granny be polite to them. Right about then, Hannah might have spit in their faces.
The only good thing about what she’d heard from Armstrong was that he was investigating the crimes. At least the murders wouldn’t go unpunished, not if she could help it. Hannah would help the taciturn ranger no matter how much he warned her away. This was her family now and they’d been hurt, not to mention her own brush with death. She would not go down easy.
The barbecue was in full swing when Lorenzo and Javier pulled out a guitar and fiddle. To her surprise, they could both not only play but also had lovely singing voices. Their neighbors, relaxed with food and good cheer, started dancing.
Hannah had never been to a barbecue or a dance, and found her foot tapping along with the beat. The smiles and laughter abounded as the ranchers danced under the waning daylight. She wanted to join in but had no idea what to do, and her husband didn’t seem the type to dance.
“Why are you hiding over here, Mrs. Graham?” Frederick Stinson’s voice scraped along her skin. She barely stopped herself from flinching.
“I’m not hiding, Mr. Stinson. I’m making sure folks enjoy themselves.” She started to walk away but he took her elbow.
“Whoa there, little filly. How about you take a turn around the dance floor with me?” Stinson didn’t give her a chance to respond. He simply took her out to the dance floor and started dancing.
Her anger overrode her fear, but she knew if she pulled away from him, there would most definitely be a scene. She gritted her teeth and hoped it looked like she was smiling. To her surprise, Frederick Stinson was a graceful dancer and moved fluidly, regardless of her own clumsiness.
Hannah tried to keep quiet, she truly did, but her mouth started moving and she was hopeless to stop. “Have you met Ranger Armstrong, Mr. Stinson?”
He stumbled but regained his balance almost immediately. “No, I haven’t had that pleasure.”
“You really should. He is a very nice man.” Hannah could hardly stand to touch Stinson. His hands were softer than hers, with no calluses to speak of, and his palms were damp. She needed to get away from him. “Very smart, too.”
This time when he stumbled, she broke away from him. He reached for her again but she sidestepped him.
“Thank you for the dance, Mr. Stinson.” She managed to make her way through the dancers, and away from him.
Matt stood at the edge of the dancing with a deep scowl on his face. She turned left and avoided her husband’s wrath. Hannah could hardly believe what she was doing, and how alive she felt doing it.
Granny sat in a rocking chair on the front porch and she beckoned Hannah closer. With a quick look behind her, Hannah darted onto the porch and sat beside her grandmother in the empty rocking chair.
“What are you up to, child?”
“Hiding from the men out there.”
Granny’s eyebrows went up. “Hiding from the men? Has someone hurt you again?”
“No, I’m just, I don’t know how to describe it.” She rocked back and forth, the cool early evening breeze exactly what she needed. “I’m too full of things right now.”
“Too much food?”
“No, I haven’t eaten anything yet. There’s just so much happening at once, I don’t know which end is up.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
“I reckon I know what you mean.” Granny nodded. “Sit here a spell and get your wits about you.”
Hannah took Granny’s advice and stayed put. She saw Stinson walking through the crowd, chatting with people, smiling and acting as if he were the host. She was disgusted that she’d even touched him, much less danced with him.
“You’re going to strike sparks with that fiery look,” Granny mused. “Who is he?”
“Frederick Stinson.”
“The neighbor who snatched that land between the Circle Eight and the new land?” Granny peered through the crowd.
“Among other things.”
“He’s very handsome.”
“Granny! The man is a snake.” Hannah saw Jeb Stinson heading toward the porch and told herself not to get up and run again. Jeb likely had no idea what his father was up to.
“You best stay clear of the man then.”
Easier said than done, of course, but there were so many things she knew about and could not ignore. That included the Stinsons and the threat to the Graham family.
“Good evening, Mrs. Dolan. Mrs. Graham, may I call you Hannah?” Jeb smiled, his pearly white teeth shining in the setting sunlight.
“No, you may not. It’s Mrs. Graham and it’s going to stay that way.” Matt stepped up beside him. “She’s married, Jeb, so quit flirting.”
“Hey, I can’t help if it I see a pretty lady and I just feel the need to make her smile.” Jeb chuckled, earning a surprised smile from Hannah. “You see, it worked!”
Matt’s scowl returned. “I need to talk to my wife if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, but I do mind. I heard my father danced with the hostess. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t dance with her too?” Jeb ignored Matt’s protests, as well as Hannah’s, and led her out to the dancing couples.
It was a lively song with a lot of foot stomping and swirling. Hannah couldn’t catch her breath as Jeb twirled her around and around. She found herself smiling at his good-natured silliness and enjoyed herself for a few moments.
Then her scarf fell off.
Jeb’s eyes widened and he snatched up the scarf, leading her into the shadow of the house quicker than she’d thought possible.
“Hannah, what happened to you?” He reached out toward her neck and she reared back.
“Please don’t touch me. I’m fine.” She took the scarf and tried to remember how Eva had wrapped it earlier.
“Like hell you’re fine. Someone tried to choke you.” Jeb’s voice grew angry. “I can’t believe Graham would do that to you. I’m going to—”
“Matthew did nothing to hurt me, Jeb. I appreciate your concern, but this is none of your business.” Hannah touched his rock hard arm. “Please forget you saw my neck and enjoy yourself.”
“I can’t do that.” He moved closer and she suddenly felt very small next to his large body. “You are a good woman and deserve better than a rancher without two nickels to rub together.”
Hannah tamped down her panic and told herself to be strong. Jeb wouldn’t hurt her. He was just worried about her.
“I love my husband. He is a good man and that’s that.” She turned to walk away from Jeb, but he took her arm again.
“Please, Hannah, don’t run away yet.” His fingers twined with hers and she yanked her hand away.
“I did not give you permission to call me by my first name, Mr. Stinson. Don’t touch me and don’t ever think you can bad mouth my husband.” Her anger returned and with it the courage she needed. “I suggest you get your sister and father and head home.”
This time he didn’t try to stop her, which was good because she would have kicked him. She ran right into a wall, which turned out to be her husband.
“Matthew.” She sounded out of breath even to her own ears. “My scarf fell off and I had to fix it. How does it look?”
The orange glow of the sun gave him a fiery look as he reached out to adjust the scarf. His hand grazed her jaw as his gaze locked with hers. Hannah’s body came to life as though he’d cast a spell over her. She nearly fell into the pool of his blue-green eyes.
“Jeb try anything with you?”
“Yes, but I told him you were a good man.” She swayed toward him, eager to touch him, to feel him. Her core throbbed with an ache that needed to be satisfied.
“That’s not all you told him.”
Oh dear Lord, he’d heard her tell Jeb she loved her husband. If he hadn’t heard her before when she was out of her head, apparently he’d heard her this time.
Matt moved closer and everything around him fell away. As his lips touched hers, Hannah was able to shake off all the darkness riding her back. She moaned into his mouth as the kiss deepened.
“I guess you weren’t kidding, Mrs. Graham.” Jeb walked past them in a huff.
Both Hannah and Matt laughed as they moved back a step, taking up where they’d left off.
“Did you mean it?” His softly worded question made her heart hiccup.
Hannah closed her eyes and looked down at her feet. “Yes.”
His thumb pressed her chin back up. “Good. You’re mine.” After a hard kiss, he tucked her arm in his and walked her back to the barbecue.
She didn’t quite understand what “you’re mine” meant, but it was probably the closest thing to “I love you too” she’d get.
Matt’s gut was on fire. At the sight of Jeb dancing with his wife, jealousy had eaten him up like a dragon from a storybook. He’d stomped after them, eager to kick Jeb’s ass from one end of the Republic to the other. But when he’d paused to listen, he’d heard Hannah defend him, put Jeb in his place, then confess she loved him.
He’d thought perhaps he’d heard her wrong earlier in the day or maybe she had been out of her mind. This time, however, she was lucid and completely clear when she told Jeb she loved Matt. He had to ask her, he just had to, and she willingly confirmed what she’d said.
His wife loved him.
It had been the strangest, craziest day of his life, but at the end of it, his wife loved him. Matt wasn’t about to admit to his own feelings for her, but armed with her love, he felt a little invincible.
Matt walked toward Frederick Stinson with determination in his step and Hannah on his arm. He found the rancher at the bowl of beans, talking to Olivia. In the door of the barn, he spotted Armstrong, who was also watching Stinson with Olivia. What in the hell was going on?
“Stinson.” Matt kept his voice even, although inside he wanted to tear the man’s arms off for not only touching his wife but obviously sizing up his sister.
“Graham. I was looking for you earlier, but I couldn’t find you. I spent the time talking to your lovely sister. How is it this pretty young gal isn’t married yet?” Stinson leaned toward her and Matt could swear the other man was looking at his sister’s breasts.
He almost lunged for the man, but Hannah caught his arm. Damn, the woman was stronger than she looked.
“Mr. Stinson, we’d like to discuss a business matter with you.” Her voice was high and tight.
“Ladies ought not to talk about business. That’s a man’s job, little missy.” Stinson rocked back on his heels. “You let your women run amuck, Graham. I saw your wife with no less than three men tonight.”
Hannah held his arm tighter. “It is my business because it involves my family.” Her smile looked forced.
“We got our land grant, Stinson, but I’m thinking you might know that,” Matt began. “We want to offer you a deal to buy that little patch of dirt between this ranch and our new property.” There, that sounded reasonable.
Stinson rubbed his chin. “That’s a mighty tempting offer, but I don’t know that I want to sell any of my land.”
The music faded as Lorenzo and Javier turned their attention to what was happening between Matt and Stinson. Conversation around them also seemed to stop.
“I’ll have to go near fifty miles out of my way to get from this ranch to the new land.” Matt kept his tone as light as he could. “It would be right neighborly if we could either buy that patch of land or work out an arrangement to cross it with our animals.”
Stinson shook his head, and then his gaze flicked to a spot over Matt’s shoulder. Matt had a feeling Hannah’s plan to call the rancher out in front of everyone was working. The last thing Stinson wanted was to be thought badly of. He had a reputation as a smart but tough man; however most folks respected him. Until his parents’ deaths, Matt had been one of them.
Now he knew better.
“I didn’t know my owning that strip landed you in such a situation, Graham. I would think the land grant office would be more logical.” Stinson shook his head as though he hadn’t masterminded the entire thing.
“Seems you had already claimed that skinny piece of land, so there wasn’t anything they could do.” Matt squeezed Hannah’s arm. “I want to build a bigger ranch for my future children and my brothers and sisters. I’m sure you understand that.”
Margaret appeared at her father’s side. “Daddy, this barbecue is boring. Can we leave now?” She turned a pouty gaze on Matt, and damned if she didn’t wink at him.