Slowly Savannah raised her eyes and Laredo could see that they’d filled with tears. When she spoke again, her voice was small and weak. “He took the money—every dime. As best as we can figure, he left the funeral and went straight to the bank, forged Grady’s signature and cleaned out the safe-deposit box. He took what belonged to all three of us. He left us with nothing. We’d just lost Mom and Dad. Our grief was unbearable, and he made it worse with his betrayal. Neither Grady nor I have heard from him since.” Some of her tears spilled over. “Grady’s never been the same. He’s practically killed himself trying to hold on to the ranch, and I think he hates Richard.
“I can’t hate him—he’s my brother. You see, Laredo, in one day I lost my parents, and I lost both my brothers, too.”
Nothing could have kept Laredo from reaching for her then. When he did, she came to him as though he’d held her a thousand times. It felt so...right to press her against his heart. Her body was warm and pliant, molding to his as naturally as if they’d been designed for each other.
Laredo had no idea how long they stood there. Not nearly long enough, of that he was sure. Savannah’s arms were around his middle, her face buried in his chest. His hands were in her hair, his eyes closed, savoring the wonder of being close to someone this beautiful and this good.
He didn’t hear the door open, but he should have realized it was bound to happen.
The screen door slammed and Laredo’s eyes shot open. Instinctively his arms tightened around Savannah before he reluctantly released her and faced her brother. Eye to eye. Man-to-man.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing with my sister?” Grady Weston shouted.
***
Grady mulled over what he had to say before he confronted Savannah. Pacing the living room floor, he carefully weighed each word.
Okay, so maybe he’d been out of line earlier when he found her and Smith clinging to each other like lovers. The sight had distressed him and before he could stop himself he’d exploded.
He didn’t want to fight with Savannah. She was his sister, but damn it all! Her infatuation with Laredo Smith—or whatever his name might be—had deprived her of all reason. It was more than he could bear, watching her make a fool of herself over this useless drifter.
Unfortunately his methods of convincing her hadn’t worked so far, and Grady realized he needed to change his tactics. To this point, all that his anger and frustration had netted him was the silent treatment. He’d never known a woman who could say more without uttering a word.
Okay, okay, he was willing to admit he’d made mistakes, too. Earlier in the week Savannah had cooked him his favorite dinner as a peace offering, but he’d been so angry he’d chosen to overlook the gesture. He’d been wrong to ignore her outstretched hand, but he was man enough to admit it. He hoped to make peace with her now—hoped he could persuade her to see reason.
Savannah had given him the cold shoulder since he’d walked in on her and Smith in the kitchen. For the rest of the day she’d conveniently disappeared and had retired to her room as soon as it was dark. She wasn’t asleep; he could hear her moving about upstairs, as restless as he was here below.
He continued pacing, then decided to talk to her now, before the opportunity was lost. Before he changed his mind. He headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, paused outside her bedroom, inhaled deeply and knocked. Loudly.
“Yes?” his sister said through the door. Her voice was anything but warm, and the door stayed closed.
“Savannah, I’d appreciate the opportunity to discuss the matter of Laredo Smith with you,” he said. It’d taken him ten minutes to come up with those words, to strike the proper tone. He thought he sounded formal, calm, even lawyerly.
The door opened and she stood stiffly in the doorway, blocking the entrance. “Downstairs might be more comfortable,” he suggested, gesturing down the narrow staircase.
She hesitated, then reluctantly nodded.
Grady relaxed slightly, and wondered how much this peace was going to cost him. Being on the outs with his only sister distressed him more than he cared to reveal.
Savannah followed him down the stairs and took a seat on the sofa. “You owe me an apology, Grady.”
“All right, all right,” he said, raising both arms in surrender. “I apologize.”
“How about apologizing to Laredo?”
That was going too far, but Grady was smart enough to see that arguing the point wouldn’t serve his purpose. “I want to discuss Laredo,” he said again, and because it was impossible to hold still, he stood up and resumed his pacing. This next part was the most difficult. “I’m worried about you,” he said.
“I’m thirty-one years old and I don’t need my brother treating me like a child. You’re not my guardian. I was mortified today, Grady. Simply mortified.”
His behavior had embarrassed him, too, but he hadn’t been able to prevent it. Walking into the house and finding Savannah in a man’s arms had been a shock.
“I apologize,” he muttered again. He walked the full length of the room and turned back.
“Then why did you act like...like a bull on the rampage?”
Grady didn’t know what to tell her other than the truth. “I’m afraid you’re going to be hurt.”
“My life is none of your concern.”
On the contrary, he thought, what happened to her was very much his concern. He was her brother. She was naive about men—especially con artists like Laredo Smith—and whether she realized it or not, she needed him. At least he could be counted on to keep a level head. “Savannah, you’re setting yourself up for heartache, getting involved with a drifter.”
She sighed as if to say he clearly had no concept of how she felt. Perhaps he didn’t, but that didn’t change the facts.
“Laredo’s been the perfect gentleman,” she explained calmly. “I was crying and he comforted me.”
“He made you cry?”
“No.” The word was filled with exasperation. “I told him about Richard, and I always cry when I talk about Richard.”
Grady’s jaw tightened at the mention of his younger brother, but he didn’t want to discuss him now. He crossed to Savannah and squatted down in front of her. “Savannah, look at me.”
“I like Laredo.”
“I know you do, and that’s what troubles me.”
“But why? Haven’t you seen how hard he’s worked in my garden? He’s done nothing but show me kindness.”
Grady ground his teeth in frustration. “There are things about him you don’t know,” he said as gently as he could.
“Grady, look at me, really look. My youth is slipping through my fingers and I’ve been given this...this precious gift, this blessing, a chance to love and be loved. I’m not going to let you or anyone else ruin it for me.”
“Love.” The word felt like acid on his tongue. “You love him? You hardly know him!”
She lowered her gaze to her clenched hands. “I could love him, I know I could, and he could love me, too. He understands me and I understand him.”
“You’ve known him what? Three days? Four? Savannah, for crying out loud, what’s happened to you?”
She looked at him then, and to his amazement she smiled. “Something wonderful, Grady, something really wonderful.” She touched his arm and nearly blinded him with the brilliance of her smile. “I feel alive, truly alive for the first time in years. I’d forgotten how good it felt.”
“Savannah, Savannah,” he moaned. She made this so damned difficult.
“Grady, please be happy for me.”
“I can’t.”
“Then don’t ruin it for me, please. That’s all I ask.”
He stood, feeling the pain of what he had to tell her until the words felt like bricks loaded on his back. “You can’t trust
him.”
“How can you say that?” Her face wore a look of pure puzzlement. “Laredo’s been nothing but trustworthy.”
“You can’t trust him,” Grady repeated.
“I’d trust him with my life. Do you honestly think I’m such a bad judge of character? He’s patient and generous, and for you to say otherwise proves you don’t really know him.”
“You’re naive. He’ll use you, and when he’s finished, he’ll leave you to face the consequences alone.”
His words were followed by a shocked angry silence. Then she said, “That comment was unworthy of you.”
Well, she’d wait a long time before he’d apologize. He hated what he had to tell her next. Hated to be the one to destroy the fairy tale she’d built around this cast-off cowboy. “Ask me where I was this afternoon,” he demanded.
Savannah blinked. “Where were you?”
“I stopped off at Cal Patterson’s to make a phone call.”
“You couldn’t do it here?”
“No. Cal’s got the names and phone numbers of all the district members in the cattlemen’s association.” He waited until the information sank in.
“You tried to find out about Laredo,” she said, and her voice dropped to a whisper.
“Savannah, listen to me. It gives me no joy to tell you this, but your precious Laredo Smith was fired from his last job.”
She remained outwardly calm, but Grady noticed her clenched hands in her lap. “I talked to Earl Chesterton myself,” he continued. “Smith was fired and for a damn good reason.” If that didn’t convince her of the truth about this man, nothing would.
A moment of shocked silence followed, or what he mistook for shock. To his amazement, Savannah slowly smiled. “Oh, Grady, how worried you must have been, but there was no need. I already knew all about that.”
Four
Grady wasn’t looking forward to talking to Frank Hennessey, but he’d delayed his visit to the sheriff long enough. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he drove toward town, and his thoughts darkened with his fears. It bothered him that his sensible, intelligent sister had been taken in by a lowlife like Smith.
One thing Grady couldn’t tolerate was a thief. As far as he was concerned, stealing what belonged to another was about as low as a man could go. His feelings, no doubt, were influenced by what Richard had done. From the time his younger brother was an infant, he’d been spoiled and coddled by their parents. Savannah was guilty of catering to him, as well—along with everyone else. Even in high school, when Richard should have been maturing and accepting adult responsibilities, he’d made it an art form to pawn off his obligations on others. From early childhood Richard had charmed his way through life. How that boy could talk, Grady recalled cynically. He’d often watched in astonishment as Richard, so glib and smooth, managed to get out of one scrape after another. Nothing had been his fault. Someone else was always to blame. His brother had continually found ways to shift the responsibility for his failures and problems onto other people.
Richard was a charmer, a ladies’ man and a smooth talker, but Grady had never suspected his brother was a thief. Then he’d learned the truth. After the shock of the theft had worn off, Grady had been left to face the reality of their dire financial circumstances. He’d even blamed himself. He should never have taken Richard to the Brewster bank or let him know where he kept the key to the safe-deposit box. But Grady had trusted him. And learned the hard way that it had been a mistake.
He wasn’t willing to make a second mistake, especially not where his sister was concerned. Savannah was all the family he had left, and he wasn’t going to lose her.
In the beginning Grady’s opinion of this outsider had been tainted by Savannah’s attitude. For the first time in more years than he could remember, she’d challenged his judgment. So Grady’s natural inclination was to dislike the man she’d favored, against his advice. But he had tolerated Laredo Smith’s presence. He’d even taken some good-natured ribbing from Wiley and Caroline Daniels about being unreasonable. Given time, he might have put the drifter on the payroll himself. As Wiley and Savannah had reminded him often enough, they needed extra help.
He wouldn’t hire Smith now, though. Not after what he’d learned. No way in hell would he offer a job to a known thief.
Grady had discovered everything he needed to know about Laredo Smith in his short conversation with Earl Chesterton. He wanted Smith off his land as soon as possible and as far away from Savannah as could be arranged. Frank would understand, and because the sheriff was fond of Savannah, he’d be eager to help Grady send him packing.
His sister’s words—Don’t ruin this for me—echoed in Grady’s head, and although he believed he was making the right choice, he felt a sense of guilt. The last thing he wanted was to see Savannah hurt. He wanted to get rid of this drifter, but he had to manage it in such a way that Savannah would agree it was the only prudent course of action.
For that he needed Frank Hennessey’s help.
Grady considered it his duty to protect his sister. She claimed she knew everything necessary about Laredo; Grady doubted that. A thief was a thief, and if Smith had stolen once, he’d steal again. Grady strongly suspected this cowboy had tangled with the authorities on more than one occasion. That was what he intended to find out from Frank Hennessey. Faced with the raw truth, Savannah would have no qualms about sending Smith on his way.
Grady found Frank Hennessey relaxing at his oak desk, feet propped on the edge and hat lowered over his eyes as he enjoyed a midafternoon snooze. Frank had represented the law in Promise for as long as Grady could remember, and while an able lawman, he took business in his stride.
Grady closed the door a little harder than necessary and Frank used his index finger to lift his Stetson off his forehead just enough to let him take a peek at his visitor.
“Howdy.” Frank greeted him lazily with the familiarity that years of friendship allowed. “What can I do for you, Grady?”
Grady hesitated, unsure how to begin. At last he blurted, “I’ve got trouble.”
The older man’s smile faded and he slowly straightened. “What kind of trouble?”
Grady removed his hat and rubbed a hand across his brow. “I need to ask a favor of you, Frank. Now, I know you wouldn’t normally do this sort of thing, but it’s the only way I can think of to save Savannah.”
“What’s wrong with Savannah?” Frank asked abruptly, gesturing toward the hard wooden chair that sat alongside his desk.
It gave Grady no pleasure to drag family business into the open; however, he had no choice but to involve Frank. “You’ve heard about Savannah hiring a drifter to work in her rose garden?”
Frank’s mouth angled into a half smile. “The story’s been all around town twice by now, and Dovie was full of the news.” He paused to chuckle appreciatively. “Apparently Dovie didn’t think Savannah had it in her to stand up to you.”
Grady hated the thought of folks talking about Savannah behind her back and let Frank know his feelings on the matter with a dark scowl.
Apparently Frank got the message because he cleared his throat and looked apologetic. “You know how women love to gossip,” he said with a disapproving frown—although it was well-known that the sheriff wasn’t opposed to indulging in the habit himself.
The fact that the news had spread all over town complicated things. Grady figured all he could do now was get to the point and leave the problem in Frank’s capable hands.
“I don’t trust him. First off, I’ve got to think Smith’s a phony name.”
“He might have picked something more original than Smith if that’s the case, don’t you think?” Frank asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“Why he chose that name isn’t the point,” Grady argued. “‘Laredo Smith’ sounds about as real as a three-dollar bil
l.”
“Other than not liking his name, have you got a reason not to trust him?” Frank asked next.
“Plenty.” Surely Frank didn’t think he’d come to him over something trivial! “Smith mentioned that he last worked for Earl Chesterton on the Triple C over in Williamsburg, so I called Earl and talked to him myself. Found out Earl fired Laredo Smith for stealing.” He spit out the last word. Even saying it left a bad taste in his mouth.
Frank’s eyebrows lifted. “Why didn’t Earl press charges?”
“I asked him that myself.” The other rancher would have saved Grady a great deal of trouble if he had. “Apparently it was one man’s word against another’s and no way to prove who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. Earl fired them both.”
“I see,” Frank murmured. “Seems to me that if Smith had something to hide, he wouldn’t have mentioned working on the Triple C.”
Grady sighed and wondered why no one else viewed the situation with the same concern he did. “I’m asking you to do a background check on Smith,” he said, and realized he was expecting a great deal of their friendship. Frank had every right to deny his request, but Grady hoped he wouldn’t.
The sheriff frowned and his chair creaked noisily as he leaned back and considered Grady’s request. “I understand you’re worried about Savannah and I can’t say I blame you. Your sister is one of the most kindhearted people I know, and if this saddle bum hurts her, he’ll have me and half the town to deal with.”
“You’ll do it, then?” Grady said with relief.
“I’ll check him out,” Frank said reluctantly.
The two exchanged handshakes and Grady left. On his way out of town, he decided to stop off at the post office and talk to Caroline. If he couldn’t get through to his sister, maybe her best friend could. Reversing direction, he headed down Maple, then sat in the parking lot, debating the wisdom of his decision. In the past year or so he’d begun to notice Caroline Daniels. She was younger than Savannah, and while they’d been friends for several years, he’d always thought of her as a kid. For some time now it’d become difficult to view Caroline as anything but an attractive woman.