Henry glanced up. His bushy eyebrows rose. “He wouldn’t let you stay, eh, Lucy? I suspected as much.” He closed the book and laid it aside. “Eileen was missing you.”
Lucy took the chair farthest from her father-in-law. “I missed her.” Aware that her jaw ached from clenching it, she forced herself to relax as Nate dropped onto the sofa near his father. She hoped there was a logical explanation.
Henry stared at his son. “You seem tense, Nate. Don’t be too hard on Lucy. She did it for you.”
“I’m not upset with Lucy. I know she has a big heart and wanted to please me.” Nate slowly reached into his pocket and withdrew the deed. “This is what threw me.” He opened the document and smoothed it out on his knee.
Henry craned his head to look. “Looks like a deed.” His voice was eager.
“It is. For the ten thousand acres on our back side.”
Henry’s eyes widened, and he snatched up the document. Holding it under his nose to read it, he began to smile. “You found it.”
Not even a pretense of ignorance. The satisfaction in his voice made her ill, and Lucy pressed her hand against her stomach. “You knew,” she whispered. “You didn’t come to see me out of concern for me and the children.”
Henry’s smile faded. “It wasn’t quite like that, Lucy. Of course I wanted to help you. And Nate here was never going to take a wife without a push. It seemed the logical solution.”
“You get the land you wanted, and you manage to get me married,” Nate said. “Then everything is right with your world.”
Though his voice was deceptively calm, Lucy saw his jaw harden, and she prayed for Nate to stay calm even as her own temper rose. Just sit quietly and let your husband handle it. But it was hard to bite her tongue.
“We’ll put the land to good use. It was being ignored and wasn’t helping anyone.”
“And you feared O’Brien would get it first,” Nate said.
“I didn’t want to be boxed in.”
Nate glanced at Lucy. “It’s your land, Lucy, not mine. You can do whatever you want with it.”
The way he took his hands off of the property touched her. “I’d like to give some of it to my uncle.”
Henry leaped to his feet. “That’s ridiculous, Lucy.”
“Which would you rather have? All of my land or my uncle’s spread?”
“I own your uncle’s spread now,” Nate said.
They locked glances, and she couldn’t read his expression. Was he disappointed that she would want to do this? Did he feel she was choosing her uncle over him?
“Are you trying to force my hand, Lucy? I thought you wanted our differences put aside, not compounded.”
Lucy laced her fingers together. “I don’t want my family to have nothing. Uncle Drew’s spread is small. Only a thousand acres. If I compensate him with the same amount of land, that’s a tiny portion of the land I own.” Nate stared at her and she held her breath to see his reaction.
“Please, Nate. Let go of any hard feelings. I heard you talking to Margaret, you know. What you said about being loved for ourselves. I love my family because they are part of me. Can’t you do the same?”
His face was impassive until he finally gave a slow nod. “Then let’s give him back his land plus another thousand I own that borders it. We’ll keep yours intact for our daughter someday.”
Her heart swelled to bursting, but before she could tell him how she felt, his father leaped to his feet and raised his fist in the air.
“You can’t do that!” Henry shook his fist again. “Larson’s land is mine.”
Nate ran his hand through his hair. “It’s not, Pa. You signed it over to me last spring.”
Henry sank back onto the sofa. “You’re no son of mine.”
THIRTY-ONE
The dismissive tone in his father’s voice made Nate draw in a quick breath. His dad would come around. “You don’t mean that, Pa.”
His father snorted, then his gaze went past Nate. “Watson. What are you doing here?”
The detective stepped into the parlor. “Reporting on what I discovered, Mr. Stanton. Am I interrupting?”
“Another time might be better.”
“This concerns my wife, so we’re interested in what you have to say.” Though Nate didn’t trust the man, he hoped to put an end to the danger that had been swirling around Lucy.
Why was his father scowling? Nate couldn’t put his finger on the mood in the room as Watson dropped into a chair by the fireplace.
The man opened his briefcase and extracted a paper. “I tracked down the owner of the coins. They were reported stolen six months ago. The owner is a well-known collector in Boston, a Mr. Ralph Johnson. The police are still investigating the theft, and so far have no leads to the thugs who took them.”
“Thugs?” Lucy was cradling Eileen on her lap.
Watson nodded. “A guard was killed during the theft. From the evidence, it appears there were three men involved.”
“I’ll give them back, then,” Lucy said. “I want nothing to do with them if they were stolen.”
“I’ll take care of it for you,” Watson said.
“I’d rather do it myself,” Nate said. “Do you have the man’s address?”
Watson’s gaze darted from Nate to his father and back. “I have it back at my room. Not with me.”
“I’ll stop by and get it.”
His father waved a hand in the air. “Oh, Nate, don’t be ridiculous! Hand over the coins to Watson and let him take care of it. You can’t be spared from the ranch to go gallivanting off to Boston.”
Watson was shifty and wouldn’t look Nate in the eye, and he didn’t like his father’s insistence that he needed to hand over the coins. Pa was greedy. Nate recognized the sin for what it was now.
Nate glanced at Lucy. “I think I’ll ride back to town with Watson and get that address. Want to come along?”
She nodded and Eileen squealed. “I want to see Aunt Sally!”
“May we?” Lucy asked.
He nodded. “We’ll have dinner in town.”
“There’s no need to rush off,” his pa said. “Percy has chicken cooking. Stay and eat.”
Hadn’t his father just told him he was no son of his? Why was he suddenly so genial? Or was it that he was trying to prevent them from going to town? Nate didn’t like the way every part of his body was on alert. He hated that he was filled with distrust toward his own pa. It didn’t seem right, but he was unable to shake the feeling.
He rose and held out his hand to Lucy. “I’ll talk to you later, Pa.”
Watson pressed his lips together. “I wasn’t planning on going to my room just yet.”
“You’re staying at the boardinghouse. I know Mrs. Hopkins. If you tell me where to find it, I can get it myself.”
“I don’t want anyone rifling through my things.”
Nate folded his arms across his chest. “You don’t have it at all, do you? This is a scam to get possession of the coins.” He glanced at his father. “You’re in on it too, aren’t you, Pa? This was your plan all along, to get those coins for yourself.”
His color going gray, his father shook his head. “It’s not like that, Nate. Everything I’ve done, I did for you and Roger. Not that your brother appreciates it. Neither of you ever had to be hungry like I was. You never had classmates whisper about your drunken father like I did. I want the Stanton name to mean something in the legacy of this state. My wealth has wiped away every stigma from our name.”
The strength went out of Nate’s legs, and he sank back onto the sofa. Even though he’d accused his father, he’d held on to a hope that there was another explanation.
Lucy rose. “You knew about the coins before you talked me into marrying Nate too, didn’t you?” Her voice trembled. “You hired someone to break in and try to find them. If you’d found them, would you have left me in Indiana to starve?”
“Of course not, honey,” his father said. “I just wanted the coins
to be safe.”
“Catherine mentioned them, didn’t she?” Lucy’s voice rose and she waved her hands as she spoke. “You thought you could swoop in and take everything for you and your sons?” She drew out a harsh sob. “Did you hire someone to force me to give up the coins? To follow me?”
Henry massaged his left arm. “Of course not! I’m hurt you would think I would do such a thing. I care about you, Lucy. And Eileen and Jed too. I’ve made sure you and your family were well taken care of.”
Nate couldn’t speak, couldn’t formulate the full horror he felt as his father stood and took a step toward Lucy. She backed away when he held out his hand.
“Did you know anything about this at all, Nate? Anything?”
Still mute, he shook his head, but he could see the doubt in her eyes. The betrayal in her voice hit him hard. And he didn’t blame her. The revelation of his father’s despicable deeds left him feeling frozen and bereft as if the ground under his feet had suddenly given way.
She shuddered and clasped her arms around her. “Is everything a lie? Everything?” She stared at his father. “Did you care anything about me at all? And Eileen? You acted as though you really loved her.”
“I do!” His father tugged on the collar of his shirt. He stretched out his hand and stepped toward her.
“Don’t touch me.” Her voice was low and impassioned. “You used me to get what you wanted.” She grabbed up Eileen, then rushed out the door.
“Lucy!” Nate started toward her, but his father groaned. Glancing back, he saw his father topple toward the floor. “Pa!” He leaped to try to catch him but wasn’t in time, and his father fell facedown on the carpet.
Nate rolled him over and stared into his pa’s lifeless eyes. He was gone.
“WHERE WE GOING, Lucy?” Eileen’s voice was plaintive.
Lucy swiped at her eyes. “To find Jed.” She stuffed their clothes back into the trunk. When everything was packed, she dragged it to the door of the cabin. How was she going to get it loaded in the wagon? Her vision blurred again, and she took another swipe at her wet eyes.
She didn’t want to believe Nate had anything to do with this, but had it all been a good performance? After all, he hadn’t come after her when she left. Didn’t that indicate guilt? And he’d wanted to know where the coins were. In a sudden panic, she realized she hadn’t retrieved them yet.
She rushed out the back door, hurried down the steps to the cellar, and opened the pickle barrel. Cool, pungent vinegar encased her arm as she plunged her hand into the pickles. She only dared breathe when her fingers touched the oilcloth. Carrying the dripping bundle outside, she paused when Bridget came to nose at her leg.
She would miss the dog. Tears fell faster now. Her pain wasn’t just for the dog but for her home here. For Nate and the life she’d thought to build. She patted the collie on the head, then took the coins inside where she washed them off and tucked them back into the dress where she’d found them. It took only a few minutes to whipstitch the hem back in place and cover them. No one but Jed knew where she’d found them, so they should be safe there.
Now to get the chest into the wagon. And how was she going to get to Jed? He was on the trail. She couldn’t take the buggy on a trail. Maybe they could take the stage to Kansas City and meet him there. It was getting dark, though. Was it safe to take the buggy alone to town? The darkening sky put her aback. She sat on the chest and buried her face in her hands.
“What am I going to do, God?” she whispered. “I don’t think Nate loves me. I’ve been a fool.”
“Nate loves you,” Eileen said. “He told me so.”
Lucy’s pulse stuttered, and she raised her head. “He told you?”
Her little sister nodded. “When we were playing with the kittens.” Her eyes grew round. “I wasn’t s’posed to tell you.”
The frantic pounding in Lucy’s chest eased a little. “What did he say?”
Eileen clapped her hand across her mouth. “I promised,” she mumbled past her palm. She lowered her hand. “Don’t tell him, okay?”
Lucy didn’t want to insist Eileen break a promise, but knowing what Nate said might help her know what to do. Was it possible he harbored fond feelings for her? She shook her head and got up from the chest. Eileen’s words made her want to stay, at least tonight. Just in case there was hope that Nate might come after her.
She took Eileen’s hand. “Time for bed, honey.” Once her sister was tucked into bed, she took her Bible outside to the porch rocker and settled in. The light would be gone soon. A crocheted cross marked the spot where she’d left off reading. It was Matthew 19. She read the first verses, then came to verse 5.
“And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Though their marriage had not been consummated, the Bible said they were one flesh. If she wanted to follow God, didn’t she have the burden of at least talking to Nate before she left? Of asking for an explanation? Her thoughts flashed back to the moment when she’d realized what Henry had done. Nate stood there without a word to say. Shouldn’t he have vehemently protested his innocence?
She sighed and rubbed her head, which was beginning to throb. Sometimes it was hard to do what was right. And she knew it was wrong to leave. Closing her eyes, she prayed for the strength to wait and see what God could make of this mess. All the control in the world couldn’t solve this. As she prayed, she felt the load lift. It was freeing to turn her burden over to God, to admit she was powerless to fix this.
As she rocked, she became aware of the rattle of tack on a horse. She rose with her hand to her throat as Nate came riding toward the cabin. From the tenseness of his shoulders and the straight line of his mouth, she could tell something was very wrong. She said nothing as he dismounted and stood staring at her in the twilight.
“Lucy,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Pa’s gone.”
“Gone?” She struggled to understand what he meant. “With Watson?”
Nate stepped nearer and shook his head. “He’s dead.”
She gasped and moved to embrace him. “Oh, Nate!” He picked her up and carried her to the chair, where he collapsed and buried his face in her neck. She wanted to cry, but after seeing Henry’s true nature, she found it hard to summon more than sympathy for Nate and regret for a life wasted in chasing power. His breathing was harsh and ragged in her ear. She held him as tightly as she could, willing him to take her strength and love.
When he raised his head, his eyes were wet. “I still can’t believe he did all this.”
She clearly saw that Nate had nothing to do with his father’s schemes. His pain was too raw. “I’m so sorry, Nate. I should have believed you immediately. I know the kind of man you are.”
He pulled away and stared into her face. “What would it take for you to believe I love you, Lucy? Just like you are.”
Lucy gulped the tears in her throat. “You do? Truly? I overheard you talking to Margaret about love that is earned is no love at all. I realized that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. With everyone, not just with you. I’ve always felt I had to earn love. I think it started with my father. I was the oldest, and I was supposed to do more, to give more. I always felt like a failure. But I want so badly to be loved for myself, for who I am.”
Nate’s gray eyes grew solemn. “I love everything about you, Lucy. Everything that makes you who you are. Your fire and spirit, your determination to right any wrongs, your love for people, your compassion. I love you even if you hate tending cattle.”
“I realized I try to control too much and don’t let God do it.”
He grinned. “‘A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ You just didn’t realize God loved you so much that all the time you were trying to make sure you had the love you craved, he was directing you right here t
o me.”
Lucy buried her face in his neck. He pressed his lips against her hair. “I’m so blessed God brought us together,” she whispered. “You’re what gives meaning to everything I do.”
His fingers lifted her chin, and he gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Lucy Stanton. I only hope our children are just like you.”
His lips found hers, and she was lost in his kiss. It promised all the things she’d longed for all her life. A home, acceptance, and approval. She rubbed her hands across the rough stubble on his face, relishing his maleness and strength.
“I love you, Nate. I’ve loved you for a long time, but I was so afraid you would never accept me. I’m never going to be like Margaret.”
“I reckon I had plenty of opportunity to marry Margaret. I always knew something was missing. You’re more important than anything, Lucy. More important than the ranch even. What would you say if I told you I wasn’t going back to the cattle drive?”
“You have to go back!”
Nate shook his head. “No, I don’t. I have a good foreman and good cowboys. My foreman will watch out for Jed. There’s no reason to go back and a very good reason to stay.” He cupped her face in his hands. “You are that reason, Lucy. It’s been hard trying to woo you with Jed and Eileen in the house. We have that time now. Let’s take it and get to know one another better. I wish I were a poet so I’d be able to tell you how much I love you.”
With an inarticulate cry, Lucy burrowed into his arms. “I wanted to be a blessing to you, just like the Bible says.”
“You already are. My life was empty without you. I can’t imagine living without you. If you couldn’t adapt to ranch life, I’d leave it all behind and find a job in the city. You’re all I want, Lucy. You and Jed and Eileen. And our own kids, of course.” He smiled crookedly.
“I love the ranch. As long as I don’t have to share it with Zeke.”
Nate grinned. “Zeke’s gone, but you’re here and I’m here. Can we have a honeymoon here, or would you like to travel somewhere? I have money tucked away, if that’s what you want.”