The Badger City Gang [Bride Train 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (31 page)

Walt’s words finally forced themselves through her fogged brain. “Me?”

“Wilbur Walter Chamberlain, at your service.” He opened his arms. “Do you think you could give your papa a hug?”

Kate stared at the old man as the room wavered. Up close, he didn’t look as old as he sometimes acted. It was the white hair and beard which added years. She blinked, taking him in. She pressed her lips together, fighting not to cry. A huge lump in her throat made it hard to speak.

“Papa?”

He nodded shyly.

This was the man her mother had loved until she died. He was both gruff and caring. She fell into his arms and burst into tears. He hugged her so tight she felt his wildly beating heart as she sobbed against his chest. He rocked her like a child, rubbing her back and murmuring soft words. The rumble of his voice, from his chest to hers, soothed her. She’d never known a father’s loving touch, or how desperately she craved it.

Though she hated to let go, she pulled back and grabbed for her handkerchief. He kissed her on the forehead and let her go. He hauled his own large white handkerchief out of his pocket and gave a loud honk. She laughed through her tears. She had a father who loved her!

“No one can know you’re Walt’s daughter until Zach makes his choice between you, or the Running W,” said Emma. She sniffed delicately and wiped away a tear with her knuckle.

“I want them boys to climb off the fence and make a decision,” said Walt. “They can have the ranch if they marry the gal I picked out. If they want you, they lose the ranch. I’ll buy ’em out.” He gave a decisive nod. “Give ’em all the gold they need to keep you dressed real purty. You’ll live in the city and go to parties, even dance every night if you want.”

“But, I don’t want that,” she protested. “I want to live on the Running W with them.”

“This is a test for Zach and his partners, to see if they know you well enough to realize what you do want,” explained Emma. “They must give something up if they wish to choose you.”

Walt scrubbed his face with his hands. “I thought Millie would choose me.” He sighed and slowly shook his head.

Kate looked from Walt to Emma. “You’ll make them choose between letting me go so they can keep their ranch, or loving me and giving up everything they’ve worked for?”

Walt nodded. She saw no guilt in his expression. “Either the land that’ll bring them respect, or the lady who loves ’em.”

“Only if they think of what you
really
want, to be with them no matter where, will they prove they love you,” added Emma.

“But, I don’t want to leave Tanner’s Ford.”

“’Course not,” said Walt. He grinned and rubbed his hands together eagerly. “This is like a contract with the devil. No matter what choice they make, someone’s gonna be hurt.”

“That’s cruel,” Kate whispered.

“But effective,” replied Emma.

“Who knows, one of ’em might be smart enough to figure it out.” Walt winked, his eyes crinkling.

“You’re enjoying this,” said Kate, just realizing it.

“Yer durn tootin’ I am! Ain’t had so much fun in a coon’s age, missy!”

Kate laughed in spite of her worry. “You’re a fraud. You can speak as well, or better, than the finest gentlemen, can’t you?”

“Yep, but don’t let the word out or I’ll be swamped with women, and I have only one in mind.” He gently touched Kate’s cheek. “I’ve been alone since your mother turned away from me. I hope you don’t mind your papa thinking of marrying a good woman.”

“You and Emma deserve all the happiness you can find,” replied Kate. “My mother was a fool not to go with you, and she admitted it before she died. She sent me to find you, and tell you that she still loved you. It’s what got her through.”

“Now those men of yours must prove how much they love you,” said Emma. “We’ll be nearby where we can hear everything. When’ll they be by, Walter?”

“I give ’em an hour or two before they can’t stand it any longer.”

Kate went high on her toes to reach Walt’s dry cheek. “I love you, Papa.”

* * * *

“Poor girl’s exhausted, so I had her lie down,” said Emma. “I don’t know how those valley women can take care of three men by themselves, even without whatever happens at night.”

Walt could give her a few ideas. Emma Johnston was more than enough of a woman for him, and he wouldn’t share her with anyone. She loved to sass him when no one else was around. He couldn’t wait to call her bluff. He’d never expected to find such a woman this late in life. After her controlling first husband Emma wanted to be strong and independent. Walt wouldn’t want her any other way.

She fluttered her eyes at him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. She squealed, just enough to show she was a lady, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Maybe I
will
ask Beth Elliott what happens at night!”

Walt laughed. One of these nights he was going to show her himself, up close and personal. He kissed her, which seemed to take her mind off everything else for a while. She sighed contentedly at his efforts.

“When will you tell Kate that you’ve signed your part of the ranch over to her?”

Walt tucked Emma’s head under his chin. Unlike the valley ranchers, he was average size, well under six foot. His woman fit perfectly.

“The boys also need to know Kate would rather have them than the ranch, no matter how much it’s worth. They were hurt bad by their mothers. They need to believe, deep in their heart, that Kate chose them even if she has to work years to help them pay off the debt.”

“You do realize they may never forgive you for this,” said Emma quietly. “Even if they do marry, you may have to sneak onto their land to see your grandchildren.”

“For their happiness, it’s a risk I’ll take. Now do something useful, woman, and kiss me again.”

Emma obliged, and he spent the next while behaving like a sixteen-year-old boy necking in the barn. Her eyes were bright when they finally came up for air.

“They’ll thank you someday,” she said, quietly resting in his arms. “You’re doing this out of love for your child and the men you see as your sons. It’s nothing like my husband did to my son, the daughter-in-law I never met, and my grandchildren. He did it out of revenge for besting him.”

“Why did you marry him?”

“Other than I had no choice?” She sighed. “He was more than twice my age and knew how to put stars in a naïve sixteen-year-old girl’s eyes. He courted me and I thought he was wonderful.”

“How long did that last?”

Her fingers twisted in his hair. He waited for her, knowing it was hard to speak of such things.

“Until the night of our wedding,” she whispered, her head down. “He came to my bed and brutally showed me what he expected of his wife, and that he was very much my master.”

“Aw, Emma.” He hugged her, wishing he could take away her pain.

“It only lasted ten years. Then he turned to mistresses.”

Walt held her until she began to relax.

“You’re a good man, Wilbur Walter Chamberlain.”

“Emma, please forget that name,” he said, cringing. “I never liked it.”

“You think they’ll make the right choices, Walter?” she emphasized his name, drawing it out with as deep a voice as she could.

“I’m betting my daughter’s happiness on it.” He lifted her from his lap and stood up. “I need a kiss after that.” She puckered up and pecked his cheek. “That’s not what I had in mind.”

“I’m not wild like Kate. That’s all you’ll get before a wedding.”

Walt knew Emma had no idea of the pleasure a man could bring a woman. He liked that he would be the one to bring her body to life. He brushed a knuckle over her breast. She gasped. Her face turned pink.

“You think you can hold out that long, Mrs. Johnston?”

“Yes, Mr. Chamberlain, I can!”

She tried to glare fiercely, but he felt her pulse race and saw her panting. He held her round bottom and pressed her against him, letting her feel how much he wanted her. He winked and her face flushed even more.

“I love a challenge, Emma. And I’m betting you’ll soon be discovering just how wild you can be.”

Zach didn’t know why Walt insisted they get cleaned up and stop by the Widow Johnston’s huge house. They knew Kate was there, but she didn’t care what they wore. The less, the better. His cock throbbed at the thought of what he’d like to do after getting Kate naked. They hadn’t had near enough nakedness the last few nights.

But Walt was still their boss so wait they did, even though there were horses to ride and cattle to mind. Maybe Walt wanted them to look good enough to convince that interfering old woman of his to let Kate come back to the ranch with them. She hadn’t been gone long, but they already missed her something awful. He rocked back on his heels and looked around the overstuffed room.

“Even if we’d had a house this big, we’d never stuff it with so much,” said Gideon. He pointed to a particularly ugly black lamp with gold fringe around the bottom. It sat on a lace doily, on a piecrust table. There were paintings on every wall and gewgaws covered almost every surface.

At least the windows were open to the faint breeze. It flowed from the street through the room, around a silk-covered screen, and out the open door behind them. Perhaps that was where Mrs. Johnston’s bedroom was. He’d heard she was too poorly to do stairs. Billy O’Keefe’s father said he rebuilt the dining room into what he called a “boo-drawer.” Zach figured that was a bad pronunciation of a fancy word for a lady’s bedroom.

Mrs. Johnston had a fine house, all right, but the spindly furniture was not for him. There was one decent-size chair, but he figured it belonged to Walt. The door opened and the boss came through. Walt nodded and went to the sideboard to pour a whiskey. He was trimmed and polished for once. Perhaps his rich lady friend insisted. He looked as comfy pouring booze here, as he did at Baldy’s in his elk-hide pants.

Zach accepted the glass of whiskey with a nod. He waited for Rusty and Gideon to be served, hoping this shindig wouldn’t take long. All dressed up with whiskers and beard trimmed, Walt was a sight to behold. When he stood straight instead of hunching over, he looked like he could take down Judge Thatcher, or at least make a good attempt at it. Zach had figured Walt for at least sixty, but seeing him now, he had to cut it down a bit. The man might be ten, even twelve years younger than he figured.

“To the Running W,” said Walt, and lifted his glass.

Zach took a gulp. It burned all the way down his gullet. This was no strychnine-laced rotgut, but it was potent. He inhaled and wished he hadn’t. He and Rusty managed to hold back a gasp but Gideon choked. Rusty, like a typical big brother, whacked him on the back, hard, just to be helpful. Gideon glared, likely more worried about spilling the high-quality whiskey than the blow.

“Is Kate going to join us?” asked Rusty. A trace of anger laced his quiet words. “You hauled her away from the ranch and we haven’t seen her since. We don’t care about what the townspeople think, and neither does Kate. We want her back.”

Zach agreed, but he took his time with the next mouthful, letting it flow over and around his tongue before sliding away. Walt held up his glass, now half empty. The late afternoon sun came in the west window and made it almost glow. Zach noticed Walt’s eyes were almost the same color.

“I wanted to talk to you boys first.”

“What about?” Rusty held up his empty glass. Walt filled all four.

Zach waited before taking a mouthful in case the old man said something to make him choke. He was a cagey old bastard and knew how to set up a situation in his favor. But Zach was no easy mark, and neither were Rusty nor Gideon. He finally gave up waiting for Walt and let the whiskey float down his throat.

“I’ve got a daughter.”

Zach choked. This time Rusty “helped” him out with a whack. But it was the wily old bastard who’d waited for just the right moment to speak that he glared at.

“One of the things Emma was doing in Helena was checking out my daughter to see if she wanted to meet me.” Walt beamed. “She’s so happy to know she’s got a rich papa who can keep her in the fancy clothes and gewgaws that she’s used to.” He dropped his eyes to his glass. “Seems her mama let it out that the dear girl was mine and not her husband’s, and then died. Gal’s got no one but me now.”

“You sure she’s yours?” blurted Gideon.

“Yep.” Walt smiled fondly. “She looks just like her mama did when I, ah, spent some time with her. Millie married a couple days after I lit out.” He shrugged. “I’m not proud of that, but it’s all water under the bridge now.”

“What’s this got to do with us?” Rusty asked the question before Zach could.

“I want to give the Running W to my daughter.”

“What the…?” Zach choked back a curse. Walt was still the owner on paper. They’d shook hands on the deal, but nothing was written down.

“If you marry my girl, I’ll give you the deed to the ranch, free and clear.”

“What about Kate?”

Gideon actually snarled the words, more upset than Zach had seen him since that whole business with Peyton and Ma. Zach set his half-finished glass on the sideboard. He needed to keep his wits clear. Plus, he wasn’t going to drink with a yellow-bellied, four-flusher who backed out of a deal halfway through because something better came up. He bet Walt’s daughter was just the same, eager to get her hands on her new father’s gold.

Walt swished whiskey around his mouth before loudly swallowing. “Why, do you want her?”

“Hell, yes!” blasted Rusty. Zach and Gideon weren’t far behind.

“Ah, well, that could be a problem,” said Walt.

He smoothed his moustache, a sign Zach recently discovered meant he thought he’d won. He did it during poker just before taking the whole hand. Too bad. McInnes men didn’t go down without one hell of a fight.

“Why is Kate a problem?” demanded Zach. He kept his voice low and icy. “We shook on a deal.”

“You’d throw away our deal over a woman, just like that?” demanded Rusty.

“I’m not throwing anything away, dammit! I’m offering you the best part of me, my child, along with the ranch, free and clear!” Walt screwed up his face in a fierce scowl. “I like you boys, and I think you’d do good for my little girl.”