It was the first morning since they’d set out from St. Louis that Raymond and Bryce were both excited. They kept their emotions to themselves, but they climbed aboard the stagecoach eagerly and watched anxiously as the vehicle crossed the seemingly endless miles toward Bluff Springs.
It was near noon when the elderly lady riding in the stage with them spotted the town in the distance. “Well, boys, it looks like we’re almost to town.”
Bryce looked in the direction she was pointing and got his first view of Bluff Springs. It was small, hot and dusty, and he could only imagine the misery of living in such a place so far from any real civilization. When the stagecoach rolled to a jerky stop in front of the stage office, Bryce could hardly wait to get out.
The stage driver climbed down to open the door. “We’re not staying here long, folks. Those of you who are continuing on with me can get out and stretch for a while if you want. We’ll be heading out again in fifteen minutes.”
The passengers all climbed out, glad for the respite.
Bryce and Raymond stood next to the stage, looking up and down the main street of town as the driver tossed their bags to the ground. They noticed that some of the men from town were openly staring at them, and they realized how out of place they looked. Not that it mattered. They had no intention of staying in this pitiful excuse for a town any longer than they had to. They’d come to Bluff Springs to find Destiny and take her home.
“Where shall we start looking?” Raymond asked Bryce. “Do you want to take rooms at the hotel?”
“This town is so small, I’m sure whoever is working the desk there will be able to tell us how to find the Rawlins ranch.”
They picked up their bags and made their way to the only hotel in town.
The clerk had heard the stagecoach roll in and thought there might be a customer or two for the hotel. He saw the two Eastern dudes enter the small lobby and welcomed them. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. How can I help you?”
“We need two rooms.”
“Fine. That’ll be two dollars—in advance.”
Raymond made short order of paying him, and the clerk handed them their keys.
“Top of the steps at the end of the hall, the last two rooms on the left.”
“Thanks. By the way, we’re here to find a Mr. Seth Rawlins. The owner of the Circle D Ranch. Are you familiar with him?”
Both Bryce and Raymond were a little caught off guard by the change in the man’s expression.
“You sure you’re looking for Seth Rawlins, or are you looking for Lane Madison?” He eyed them suspiciously.
Bryce didn’t like to be questioned about any of his private business, but he sensed something strange was going on. “Actually, I’m not sure who Lane Madison is, but we’re relatives of Seth Rawlins’s wife—Rebecca. We’ve come from St. Louis for a visit.”
The clerk was studying the scars on the man’s face, thinking he was one ugly dude, all cut up as he was. The clerk knew, too, that these men would soon find out about all the excitement that had happened at the Circle D. “Oh, all right. If you go down to the livery stable, Ol’ Mick will help you. He can drive you out to the ranch.”
“We appreciate your assistance.”
Bryce and Raymond were aware that the clerk was watching them carefully as they proceeded up the stairs to leave their belongings in their rooms before seeing about arranging a trip out to the ranch. Each went into his own room for a moment, and then Raymond came knocking on Bryce’s door.
“Come in.”
Raymond walked in to find the other man standing at the window staring down at the street. When he closed the door behind him, Bryce looked his way.
“How are we going to handle this once we get out to the ranch?” Raymond asked, growing a little uneasy now that the moment had come.
“That’s up to you. I don’t care how you do it. You’re Destiny’s stepfather. I just want her heading back to St. Louis with us on the next stagecoach out of town,” Bryce ordered with a threatening glare.
Raymond nodded nervously. “Then let’s go get it over with. This isn’t going to be a warm family reunion, that’s for sure.”
They left the hotel and made their way to the stable.
Ol’ Mick was hard at work shoeing a horse when he saw the two strangers coming his way. He quit what he was doing and went to see what they wanted. “Afternoon.”
“We’re relatives of Rebecca Rawlins, and we need transportation out to the Circle D Ranch.”
“All right. Just give me a minute to get the buggy hitched up, and we’ll go.” Ol’ Mick was surprised the men were using Rawlins’s name, but he figured since they were related to the mail-order bride, they didn’t know her husband’s real identity yet. He thought about telling them but decided to stay quiet, knowing they were going to find out the truth soon enough.
It wasn’t long before Ol’ Mick was driving the buggy around to the front of the stable to pick up the two strangers. He reined in and waited while they climbed into the buggy with him. Once they were sitting down, he slapped the reins on the horse’s back, and they were on their way. He tried to make some conversation with the men at first, but they made it clear that they weren’t interested in hearing anything he had to say, so he shut up.
Bryce was looking forward to the moment Destiny saw him for the first time. He couldn’t wait to see the terror in her eyes when she realized he’d finally tracked her down, and she could no longer escape the consequences of what she’d done to him that night. He realized they might run into some trouble with this husband who’d sent for her, but if Rawlins became a problem, he had no doubt the man could be bought off. Every man had his price. After all, he’d bought Destiny from Raymond. Again, he thought of how she’d cheapened herself by marrying some cowboy. He was disgusted, but his revenge would be sweet, and he was ready to exact that revenge—now. Soon, very soon, the weeks of endless searching would be over, and she would be his.
The ride out to the ranch seemed to take an eternity as they covered mile after endless mile.
“How much longer will this take?” Bryce demanded in disgust.
“We’re almost there,” Ol’ Mick assured him. “Another mile or three and we’ll be able to see the ranch house. When we get there, do you want me to wait to take you back to town or go ahead and leave?”
Bryce and Raymond hadn’t thought too much past just seeing Destiny again. They exchanged a quick look, trying to decide what would work best.
Raymond spoke up. “Wait for us.”
“I can do that,” Ol’ Mick assured them before falling silent again.
Finally, the ranch house and outbuildings came into view.
“There’s the main house,” Ol’ Mick pointed out.
Bryce and Raymond studied the layout of the buildings critically. They didn’t see anyone moving around, and they weren’t sure whether that was good or bad. It might mean there was no one at the ranch—including Destiny—or it might mean she was there alone, which would work out perfectly for them.
Ol’ Mick drew up in front of the house and looked around, a little surprised to find there were no ranch hands in sight. “It looks kinda quiet here today. That ain’t normal. I wonder if something’s going on—”
“We’ll go find Rebecca,” Bryce said. “I’m sure she’s probably in the house somewhere.”
He quickly climbed down, followed by Raymond. The two men looked around, but seeing no one coming their way to greet them, they went on up to the house.
Raymond paused at the front door, wondering whether to knock or not, but Bryce didn’t even give it a thought. He wanted the element of surprise on his side. He pushed open the door and walked right in.
As Destiny worked hard at what were now her normal household chores, she couldn’t believe that the very next day, she and Lane would be leaving for St. Louis. For the first time since that awful night with Raymond and Bryce, she was filled with hope. Because of Lane, she no longer had to live a lie. He would stand beside her, loving her and protecting her, and she knew that with his support, she could do anything.
The last thought made her grin, because she had discovered she was turning into a decent cook, and she was learning how to keep a house. For a moment, she thought of Sylvia and realized just how hard the woman had worked for her family all those years. Sylvia definitely was a very talented, hardworking woman, as well as a wonderful friend. Destiny hoped some day she’d be able to repay Sylvia for her help escaping that night. She didn’t know how she would do it, but she planned to find a way.
Destiny was in the back of the house hard at work when she heard someone come in the front door. She was surprised, wondering if it was Lane returning early. He’d told her he was riding out with Steve and the hands that morning to take one last look around before they left on their trip, so she hadn’t looked for him to return until late that afternoon. She stopped what she was doing to go find him.
She was expecting to find Lane coming her way.
She was expecting to go into his arms and kiss him. She wanted to tell him how much she’d missed him during the few short hours they’d been apart.
But what she found shocked her to the depths of her being, and she froze, unable to move or speak at the sight of Raymond coming down the front hall toward her.
“Well, well, well, look what we have here…” Raymond said, gloating at the sight of her standing before them, looking completely stunned. He liked seeing her so disconcerted. It made him feel powerful. “Looks like we’ve finally found her…”
For a moment, Destiny was confused. She had no idea who he was talking to or what he was doing there.
And then Bryce stepped forward out of the parlor to come face-to-face with her.
“So, my dear, we meet again—at last,” Bryce snarled. It pleased him to see the look of astonishment on her face. He chuckled evilly.
“Bryce…You’re not…” She stared up at him, seeing the scars on his face and knowing from the savage look he was giving her just how furious he was at what she’d done to him.
“Dead?” he asked sarcastically, advancing on her. “Oh, no, my dear, I’m quite alive and well. No thanks to you. I am a little the worse for wear, perhaps…” He touched his scarred face to emphasize his need for revenge. “But I’m still quite alive, my dear—and looking forward to our wedding day…and our wedding night.” The tone he used for the last left no doubt of his intentions.
“What? You’re crazy!” Destiny backed away from him as he kept coming toward her.
“Hardly, Destiny,” he sneered. “I’m not crazy. I’m just a serious businessman who intends to hold you to our agreement. You were to marry me to settle your stepfather’s debts. I plan to see that you abide by the agreement.”
“I can’t marry you!”
“Oh, but you can,” he said darkly, closing in on her. “And you will.”
“No! I can’t! I’m already married!”
Bryce just laughed, and Raymond echoed the sound from where he was still standing in the front hall, watching all that was transpiring.
“You married a complete stranger using a fake name, and you think that marriage is valid in the eyes of the law?” Bryce challenged. “Hardly.”
“Get out of my house! Both of you!”
Bryce only laughed again and closed in on her.
Destiny knew she couldn’t cower before Bryce. Lane had taught her to use a gun, and he’d also taught her to keep it close at hand for moments just like this. She backed toward the kitchen, knowing she’d left her gun on the small side table there.
“Get away from me!” she shouted in the hope that there might be someone close enough to hear her and realize she needed help.
Bryce and Raymond kept coming, though. They’d finally tracked her down, and they weren’t about to let her get away from them again. They certainly weren’t intimidated by her shouting, until…
Destiny reached the kitchen and quickly grabbed her gun from its holster. She spun around and aimed it straight at Bryce as he started to close in on her.
“I told you two to get away from me! Get out of my house. Leave me alone!” She glanced at her stepfather, then back to Bryce, her eyes wide with fear and loathing.
Bryce was a bit surprised that she’d pulled a gun on them, but he wasn’t put off by her threat. He spoke to her condescendingly. “Destiny, what are you doing holding a gun? Put it down before you hurt yourself.”
“I told you to leave me alone, and I meant it!” she declared, concentrating on keeping the revolver aimed straight at him. She was shaking, but she hoped her hand would be steady enough to get off a shot if she needed to.
Bryce was ready to wrestle the gun from her or even hit her if he had to, to knock the gun from her hand.
“You’re not going to shoot me—” Bryce sneered with snide arrogance as he started to make his move on her.
Both men jumped when a deep, threatening voice sounded behind them.
“Destiny might not shoot you, but don’t doubt for a minute that I will—”
Bryce and Raymond were completely startled, and they froze where they were.
“If you value your miserable lives, you’ll get away from my wife,” Lane ordered. “Now!”
Bryce and Raymond slowly turned around to find a tall, dangerous-looking man pointing a lethal-looking six-gun at them.
“You heard me! Move!”
The two quickly inched away from Destiny, moving back toward the man standing in the hall.
Lane had been riding homeward with Steve when he’d seen Ol’ Mick driving the two strangers up to the house in the buggy. He had realized immediately from their clothing that the two men were from back East. Believing they meant trouble for Destiny, he had spurred his horse to a gallop to reach the house in time. The memory of what had happened to Katie when she’d faced Mose all alone had terrified him, and Lane wasn’t about to let these two get anywhere near Destiny. When he’d hurried inside to find them threatening her, he’d known his instincts had been right.
“Now,” Lane said slowly as he looked the men up and down. “Who are you, and why are you threatening my wife?”
“I am Raymond Howard, her stepfather, and this is Bryce Parker, her fiancé. We’ve come here to take her back home.”
“Destiny is home. She’s my wife, and she isn’t going anywhere with you,” Lane stated as he glared at them coldly, seeing what pitiful excuses they were for men.
“You know her real name?” Raymond sounded surprised.
Lane gave him an easy, yet threatening, smile as he looked from one to the other. “I know everything.”
Lane was glad when he saw Bryce begin to look very uncomfortable.
Lane went on. “So I suggest you two…gentlemen…make yourselves real scarce. Get out of my house and out of my town—” He gestured toward the door with his gun. “Unless you’re looking for real trouble—If you are, I’ll be more than happy to oblige…”
Raymond was cowardly enough to hurry to the door, but Bryce looked his adversary up and down in disgust.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” Bryce said defiantly.
Lane knew what this man had tried to do to Destiny, and he wanted to make him pay. He moved so quickly, Bryce never saw it coming. Lane hit him as hard as he could, and then he clubbed the arrogant man on the side of his head with his six-gun and threw him bodily out the open front door. As he tossed Bryce outside, he kicked him in the seat of his pants and shoved him across the porch. Lane watched in satisfaction as Bryce tumbled down the steps and landed facedown in the dirt right in front of Steve and Ol’ Mick.
“You got trouble, Boss?” Steve asked, more than ready to lend a hand.
“I don’t know. Do I?” Lane looked at Raymond.
“No—No, we’re leaving. Just don’t hurt me,” Raymond begged. “I’m going…I’m going…” He edged around Lane, terrified that he might be next to suffer his wrath.
Lane cast a quick glance toward Destiny and was relieved to see that she looked untouched. “Are you all right?”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she put her gun down and ran to him. “I am, thanks to you…”
Lane kept her close by his side as they watched Raymond hurry from the porch. Lane still had his gun in hand as they moved to stand at the top of the porch steps.
“My name is Lane Madison, and I’m a Texas Ranger. Destiny is my wife, and this is my ranch. I don’t take kindly to you showing up here and trying to cause trouble for me and my family,” he said coldly.
Raymond had hurried to kneel down beside Bryce in the dirt. He was trying to help him up.
Bryce was furious at having been so manhandled. He indignantly shoved the older man away as he struggled to stand up. When he finally got to his feet, he spun around to face Lane. “You’re not going to get away with this!”
Lane just smiled at him. “I already have.”
Bryce tried to brush some of the dirt and dust off of his clothes and then looked up at Destiny where she stood beside Lane. He threatened, “This isn’t over.”
“Yes. It is,” Lane said harshly. “If you value your miserable life, I suggest you finish dusting yourself off and get off my property right now!”
Bryce was ready to argue, but just then Ol’ Mick shouted out, “Look, boys! The sheriff’s riding in!”
Lane was surprised when he saw the lawman coming their way. He had no idea why Sheriff Langston would come to the Circle D, but he knew it had to be important for him to be riding that fast. Lane slowly holstered his gun as the sheriff drew up at the house.
“What’s the trouble, Sheriff?” Lane asked as the lawman reined in right before them.
Sheriff Langston looked from the two strangers to Lane. “A telegram just came in for your wife. It’s from a lawyer in St. Louis, and it sounds important. I thought you’d want to get it right away.”
The sheriff pulled the telegram out of his pocket to hand it over, and Lane went to take it from him.
Raymond looked even more nervous as he watched Lane read the wire.
Bryce glanced at Raymond, and, seeing his stricken expression, he wondered what was going on.
“It’s from your mother’s lawyer, a man named Westlake,” Lane told Destiny.
“What’s it about?” she asked, confused.
“It says: Warning. Mr. Howard en route to Bluff Springs. Stop. Your mother’s will forged. Stop. Your inheritance is waiting for you. Stop. Contact me as soon as possible.”
“Oh—God…” Destiny began to cry as she ran to embrace Lane. She looked over at Raymond then, all the disgust she was feeling for the lying, cheating lecher plain in her eyes. “You lied about everything! You’re nothing but a thief who tried to steal all my family’s money.”
Bryce looked at Raymond in disbelief. “You mean you never had control of the Sterling money? Everything you told me was a lie?”
The look on Raymond’s face revealed everything. He was a coward and a liar and a thief.
Unable to restrain himself, Bryce hit Raymond as hard as he could, knocking him to the ground. Bryce didn’t look back but strode to the buggy and climbed in.
“Driver! Get me back to town!
Now
!” Bryce ordered.
Ol’ Mick rushed to climb up into the buggy. He was grinning at all the action and excitement he’d just witnessed. He knew there was sure going to be some good gossip going around town tonight!
Raymond lay on the ground, moaning and crying and bleeding from his broken nose.
Lane went to stand over him. “Get out of here. I don’t ever want to see your miserable face again! If we see or hear from you again, you’re going to find the law after you for trying to steal Destiny’s inheritance.” Lane looked at his foreman. “Get him out of here, Steve. Have one of the boys go with him and make sure he’s on the next stage out of Bluff Springs.”
Steve nodded. “We’ll take care of it.”
Steve grabbed Raymond by the arm and jerked him to his feet. He all but dragged the crying man away to the stable to get him on a horse so he could haul him into town.
Sheriff Langston looked at Lane and Destiny. “Are you two all right now?”
“I think we’re going to be fine.”
“Good. I spoke to the judge earlier, and he said we can put the ranch up for auction whenever you’re ready.”
Lane was thoughtful. “All right. I’ll need a few days to talk to the banker in town to see if I can get the loan I’ll need to buy it.”
Destiny stepped forward to speak up then. She touched Lane’s arm, drawing his attention. “If the telegram from my mother’s lawyer is right, you won’t need to borrow any more money.”
Lane frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“My father’s family—The Sterlings—We’re rich. We’ll have all the money we’ll need to buy the Circle D,” she told him, her eyes aglow as she gazed up at him. “You just got yourself a rich wife, Lane Madison.”