The Rancher (46 page)

Raine and Rafe both pushed out of their

chairs and launched themselves at him.  Levi’s face broke into a huge grin.  In turn they clapped each other on the back in a bear-like hug. Cole watched.

“Come on, Charcoal.”

It had been a long time since he’d seen Levi.  Although, it had only been a short while since he’d seen his brother’s spitting image in Texas, when he’d picked up the cattle and horses from Taggert, Levi’s twin.   Cole’s emotions clashed together like thunder striking out at a clear sky.   He couldn’t decide which feeling

was   stronger—anger   at   Levi’s involvement in his current situation or appreciation for it.

Appreciation  won.   Cole  moved forward and joined in the playful reunion.

“What are you doing here?”

“When Mother told me you thought McCallister   here   might   have   had something to do with Alaric’s death, and that you’d headed out here to find the truth, I knew I needed to help.” Levi reached a hand out to Clay. “I’m sorry for calling at such a late hour, my friend.”

Clay stood halfway from his chair and shook his hand. “It’s good to see you, Levi.”

“To answer your question, Charcoal, the railroad would like to purchase sections of your land, McCallister’s, and Grayson’s.”

Cole closed his eyes.

“Cole’s land?” Abby stepped forward from the shadows and asked, befuddled.

Oh, no.  Please don’t say it.  Not now.  Not before I can explain.

Levi looked up at Cole, who made theslightest shake with his head. It wentunnoticed.

“Cole has always been the modest one.  Did my youngest brother forget to mentionhe owns the Gnarled Oak and the entiretown of Silver Falls?”  Levi nodded his

head.  “Yes, the Johansson and Deardon

lands… all his.”

“Levi.”   Cole’s voice held strict warning.

“And he had all that
 
before
 
marrying into his substantial inheritance.”

Cole closed his eyes briefly and shookhis head. Why hadn’t he just told her thetruth?

Abby glanced at him, as if forconfirmation.  He held her eyes, but she

turned away.

“Abby,” he reached out for her arm, but

she shook him off.

“Don’t.”

She pushed past Levi and Raine, then to

the front door.  It banged shut.

She was gone.

Abby needed air.

While the others had sat at the table indeep discussion over the events of the pastfew days, she’d backed away andlistened.

Before marrying for his substantialinheritance
, Levi’d said.  What did thatmean, exactly?

She couldn’t breathe.  It felt like all herwind had been sucked from her chest andshe had to concentrate on every inhale,

every exhale.

Cole had come to Silver Falls to

avenge Alaric.  He’d believed her father had something to do with his friend’s death and Abby realized he’d had multiple reasons for marrying her and none had to do with her.

How could I have been so stupid?

He lied about everything. He lied aboutcoming here to start his own place.  Helied about needing the job with her father.  He lied about his reasons for marryingher.  The last lie hurt most of all.  She’dbeen fooling herself to think he could loveher.  That he’d want her.  She could haveaccepted it had she known from thebeginning.  But now it was too late.  She’dgiven away her heart and there was noturning back.

Abby pressed her eyes shut against thepain.  One fat tear squeezed from beneathher thick lashes.  She rubbed her handsvigorously over her bare arms, hoping tofight the evening chill. Using the back ofher hand she wiped the lone tear from hercheek and looked down at the topaz dressshe’d worn to church.  She lifted a handfulof the material and dropped it again.  Asmuch as she’d wanted to believe it, afancy dress could not make her intosomething she wasn’t. A lady.

Cole Redbourne came from money.  Hedidn’t need her or the ranch.   She

wondered if he’d known all along Mr. Harris wasn’t a real preacher.  Without warning she bent over and burst into sobs.  She thrust her hands to her face, hoping to bury her weakness.

When she finally caught her breath andthe   tears   stopped   flowing,   she

straightened.  Maybe her father had been right all along.  It was time for her to visit her aunt Iris in Denver.  He wouldn’t sell

the SilverHawk now.  She was sure of it.

Cole would discover soon enough she’d learned about Mr. Harris.   She would save him the grief and herself the embarrassment.  A stage would be in town in the morning. She would be on it.  Surely, Aunt Iris would understand if she arrived on her doorstep unannounced.

Abby opened the door very quietly and tiptoed across the wooden floors of her empty bedroom.  She sat down on the bed and whispered into the darkness.

“I miss you, Mama.”

Without changing out of her dress, she

snuggled beneath the covers and pulled them up to her chin.  “Please, God, let me be strong.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Monday

Cole had been outside their bedroomdoor for the better half of the morning,sitting in the chair, standing by thefireplace, waiting for Abby to emerge.  Hedidn’t want to wake her, but she hadn’tcome out for breakfast and he needed totalk to her, to tell her the truth.

He lifted his fist to knock at the door.

“She’s gone, son.”

Cole whirled around to see Claystanding with his back leaned up againstthe pole at the base of the stairs.

He dropped his hand to his side.  “Gone

where?” he asked.

He’d gone to the bunkhouse last night with his brothers, knowing Abby would be   waiting  in  their  bedroom  with questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.  So, he’d stayed away.

“She left this for you.” Clay threw a folded piece of parchment across the long table behind the couch.

Cole eyed Clay, whose expressionappeared grim.  Gingerly he opened thenote.

Dearest Cole,

As I am sure you have alreadylearned,   Mr.   Harris   was   not Reverend Daniel’s replacement, butan imposter.   We are not husbandand wife as we believed and I

relieve you of any sense of duty to come after me. My aunt will see to it that I am provided for. I assure you I have no illusions that what we

shared was real, but I do want you to know I will always carry a place in my heart for the man who rolled in the mud for me.

I wish you luck in your life, Mr. Redbourne. I am afraid I am too weak and could not bear to hear

your reasons for leaving me.  So, I will say goodbye here. Know you have made an impression on me I am not soon to forget. Thank you for even pretending to marry a tomboy like me.

Abigail McCallister

Cole  looked  up  from  the  note.  “Pretending?”

Who was pretending?

Clay watched him with squinted eyes.

“Where would she go?” Cole asked hiswould-be father-in-law.

“Let her go, son.” Clay pushed off fromthe pole he leaned against.

“I can’t.” His voice cracked, but Coledidn’t care. He couldn’t lose her now.  Hewould not let her go. “I love her,” hewhispered.

“Well, why ya standin’ here tellin’ me,son? The stage leaves in half an hour.”

Cole darted from the house to thestable. Town was at least an hour’s ride

from the SilverHawk in the buckboard.  He could make it in half that if he pushed Maverick hard.

“Get it all squared away, Charcoal?” Levi jumped off the wooden plank porch of the bunkhouse and followed him into the stable.

“She’s not here,” Cole answered while pulling his tack from a hook on the wall. “She’s leaving on the stage for Denver.  Levi, I have to stop her.”

Levi nodded, grabbed his work coat off a chair in the stable, and headed for the bunkhouse. “We’re right behind you,” he yelled back over his shoulder.

Cole pulled the last strap with a firm grip   and   hauled   himself  up   onto Maverick’s back. He ducked his head as he passed through the stable doors, and with only a slight nudge, Maverick seemed to feel his urgency. As if the signal had sounded from the starting line

at the track, the steed broke into a dead

run toward town.

Dust swirled around the stagecoach asit trampled down the only road into town.

Abby had been waiting on the woodenbench in front of the post office sincesunup. She knew Gus, the driver, wouldprobably want to catch some breakfast atthe hotel before heading on to Denver, butshe was prepared just in case he didn’t.

Abby had awoken in the early morningto find that Cole had not retired to theirroom for the night. She’d moved to hervanity desk, avoiding the unruly reflectionthat would have been sure to greet her,and had penned a short note.

It will be better this way.   Cole

deserves a lady,
 
she reassured.

Abby reached for the sugarcane handles of her large carpetbag and pulled.  The handle came unlatched.  Rather than fidget with it, she stood up and tucked the bag under her arm, then ambled down the two steps to the street.

Not needing much for the trip, she’d shoved three of the dresses Martha had

hung in her closet into the travel case at her side, along with a few personal items. Aunt Iris would certainly not approve of her current attire, but Abby had not wanted to make the bumpy ride into Denver   a   disheveled   mess   and uncomfortable.   Her trousers and clean

shirt would have to do.

Her hair was pulled away from her face

with a plain brown ribbon.  No need to

fuss over her appearance this morning.  This is what she’d looked like every day before the Redbournes came into town.

The stage was coming in at break-neck speed and immediately Abby reached for the gun tucked into her belt.  She dropped her   bag   and   dashed   toward   the approaching transport, but could not see what or who was causing the rush.

“Whoa,” Gus yelled and his horse team obeyed, sliding a few feet before coming to a stop.

“What in—“ she stopped short.

A woman’s scream bounced off the