Her father lifted a brow. “What do you think you’re doing? It’s nearly ten, Margaret. Go to bed. I’m fine.”
His gruffness made her eyes burn. “I’m going to stay with you tonight, Pa. Someone tried to kill you. What if he tries again?”
Her father’s eyes softened. “I suspect it was a thief. He probably just hit me in his haste to get away.”
“You nearly died. If he came into the yard, on our own property, he’d break into the house as well. I have to keep you safe.”
“You’re being melodramatic.” He rolled to his side, facing her. “Go to bed. Having you staring at me all night will keep me awake.”
She sighed and slumped against the back of the chair. “I’ll go in a little while. Once you’re asleep.”
His eyes were heavy, and he suddenly looked old to her with his grizzled chin and gray hair. How old was he? Sixty? Growing up, she’d thought him the most wonderful person alive, next to her older brother, Stephen, of course. Pa seemed as strong and powerful as the Red River in flood stage, forcing his will and way on all of them. She suspected it was the only way he knew to show love. For all his bluster, he was a softie.
She studied the picture of her mother on his dresser. Margaret’s life would have been so different if her mother had lived. She would have had a role model, a female to guide her. Lucy Stanton was her first real female friend.
She directed her attention back to her father. “The men are placing wagers on whether or not you’ll split the ranch between us.”
He snorted. “Ridiculous. You know better than that.”
She nodded. “You spent your life building this place.” She leaned forward. “I thought we could build Lewis a house of his own in the valley. For now, he might want to live in Grandpa’s old cabin, but we could make something nicer. We’d be close enough to see it but not so close that we would annoy any wife he chose to bring here. We could work the ranch together. I don’t think he’ll have an issue with taking orders from me.”
Her father’s brows drew together. “You’ve got it all figured out, do you?”
He seemed a little defensive to Margaret. She smiled reassuringly. “It makes sense to do that. He wouldn’t want to have a wife here in our house. She’d feel displaced. I’ll make sure she feels welcome. Lewis too. You don’t have to worry.”
Her father sat up and fluffed his pillow. “You’ll marry someday, Margaret. Your husband will provide a home for you. Then Lewis will have no qualms about bringing a wife here.”
She exhaled and shook her head. “I’m never getting married. I’m nearly twenty-six, a spinster by any measure. I’ve never had a single beau.”
“There was Nate.”
Margaret laughed. “Lucy’s man? Nate never courted me, Pa. We just assumed it would happen because it made sense to join our ranches. There was never anything between us.”
“You were in favor,” he reminded her.
“Because I didn’t know any better. When I see the way he looks at Lucy, I know the difference now. And who is going to look at me like that?”
Her father lay back against the pillow with a sly grin. “Daniel seems to like you fine.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her father what she’d learned about his new foreman, but she bit back the words. No sense in riling Pa when he was recovering from such a shock. And she needed more information. She clamped her teeth together and shrugged.
“You’ve nothing to say about Daniel?”
“I don’t think he’ll be around long. And any interest he might be showing is not genuine. I suspect he sees the value of the ranch and covets it. Not me.”
Her father stared at her. “You’re not inheriting the ranch, Margaret.”
Something squeezed in her chest. “You’re not leaving me the ranch?” Her throat was almost too tight to force out the question.
He sat up and fussed with his pillow. “I’m leaving Lewis the ranch. I changed my will when I invited him to come.”
Margaret shook her head to clear it. “I don’t think I heard you right.”
“I was perfectly plain. Running a ranch isn’t a job for a woman. You’ve done well these past few years. But for the ranch to grow, it will need a man’s hand. I’ve decided that man is Lewis. He even reminds me a bit of Stephen.”
Margaret sprang to her feet. I will not cry. Tears were for the weak. “And what about me, Pa? I’m to stay on here as a poor relation?”
“Of course not. I’ll settle a handsome sum on the man you’ll marry.”
“I’m not getting married!” She rushed to the door and slammed it behind her, then stood in the hallway with her back pressed against the wall. Her chest heaved and she swallowed back the sobs welling in her throat.
Castoff. It seemed she wasn’t good enough no matter how hard she tried. But she would stop this. Somehow she would prove her worth.
SIX
The kitchen was dark as Margaret felt her way along the wall. She wore her nightgown and robe, and the wood floor was cool on her bare feet. She found the kerosene lamp and lit it. The warm glow brought no comfort. This would no longer be her kitchen, her home. Lewis would own it. The thought squeezed her chest. She was born in this house. Every nook and cranny was familiar to her. Every chip in the floor, every nick in the plaster.
She got out a pan and poured milk into it, then set it on the warmer at the back of the woodstove. When it was warm, she added cocoa and sugar. Maybe it would help her sleep. Right now she knew if she tried to curl up in her bed, she would lie there with her eyes open. There had to be something she could do or say to change her father’s mind.
She carried her hot cocoa to the table and sat down. Cupping it in her hands, she inhaled the aroma and tried to think. Maybe she should take a look at the old homestead. She hadn’t been there in years. If she could draft a plan that would allow Lewis his own place, maybe Pa would relent.
“Care to share?” Lewis stepped out of the shadows and came toward her. He was in his nightshirt and had bare feet. His hair stuck up on end.
A flood of emotions rose in her chest. Love, betrayal, admiration, despair. Lewis was as close as a brother. Did he despise her? She’d always thought he loved her like a sister. How could he do this to her?
“What’s wrong?”
She set down her cup. “Pa told me. About leaving the ranch to you and not me.” She hated the way her voice broke. She wanted to be calm and reasonable about it.
“Oh.” He plopped down in the chair with his shoulders slumped. “That wasn’t my doing, Margaret.” He stared at her with earnest eyes as though he was willing her to believe him. “I tried to talk him out of it.”
“I believe you. I’ve lived with his stubbornness.”
He reached across the table and took her hand. “You’ll always have a place with me, though.”
She sighed and clung to his hand. At least she knew he loved her. “You and I both know I’m not getting married, Lewis. And I don’t want to live with you. Would you be willing to let me have this house? You could build a bigger, nicer one for your wife. Or if you really want this one, maybe we could fix up the old homestead for me.”
He withdrew his hand. “How about we share this one until that time comes? If I ever marry, we’ll talk about it.”
She ruminated on his words. There was much he wasn’t saying. But like most men of her acquaintance, he assumed he knew what was best for the womenfolk in his life. “I’m happy to share with you. Pa is apt to change his mind again. It’s not unheard of. So shall we agree that whatever happens, we’ll make sure the other one is part of the split?”
“Absolutely.” He slipped his hand across the table again. “Deal?”
She grabbed his warm fingers and shook. “Deal.”
He leaned back and grinned. “So, you’re going to the dance with the new foreman. I thought you disliked him.”
“I suspect he’s not all he seems, Lewis. I overheard a disturbing conversation.” She told him a
bout her suspicions.
He lifted a brow. “I’m in a good position to keep an eye on him. Are you sure it’s safe to go to the dance with him?”
“He’s not going to hurt me. At least not in front of everyone.”
“Well, I’ll make sure to stay close to your side just in case.”
She smiled at him over the top of her cup. “I’m not sorry Pa brought you back to us.”
There was pain in his eyes. “I’ve never felt like I belonged much of anywhere. Now I do. I love you, you know. I would never do anything to hurt you. You’re my family. The only family I have.”
“I needed you as much as you needed me.” She swallowed the last of her cocoa and stood. “We’re getting maudlin.”
“That we are.” He grinned and rose. “Guess I’ll go to bed. It’s late. I have to round up strays in the back pasture in the morning.”
“Is Daniel going with you?” She pumped water into the cups and rinsed them.
“Yes.”
“Be careful. And see if he slips off to meet anyone during the day.”
Lewis picked up his candlestick. “I will. You suspect he’ll try to meet the rest of the gang?”
She washed their cups and turned them upside down to drain. “Someone named Charlie wanted to meet him Friday night.”
“Are you sure you heard it all correctly?”
“The meeting is at midnight, but the dance might still be going on. That’s why I wondered if he would have changed the time of the meeting. The river ford is not far from where you’ll be tomorrow. It would make sense.”
“I’ll watch him. But what is he doing here if he’s a bank robber? Have you figured that out yet?”
“Where better to hide than in plain sight at a respected rancher’s spread? People will get to know him as the Triple T foreman. That carries some status.”
His eyes were intense. “You’re smart, Margaret. Smarter than most of us give you credit for.”
His words warmed her and she curtsied. “Thank you, cousin.”
“No wonder the ranch has thrived under your care. I think we are going to make the Triple T the best ranch in Texas.”
She followed him out of the kitchen to the stairs. It might not be so bad to share things with Lewis. It was better than being alone.
HER FATHER WAS better in the morning, and he ordered Margaret not to work. To hear him talk, one would think it took a whole day to get ready for a silly dance. With nothing to do until time to get ready, she decided to ride to the old homestead to check it out.
She saddled Archie and mounted. Daniel saw her and frowned.
He jogged over to intercept her. “I hope you’re not going anywhere alone. Not after what happened to your pa yesterday.”
“I’m not going that far. I’ll be fine. I have my rifle.” She stared at him. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for organizing the fire brigade last night.”
He inclined his head. “You’re welcome. I’m just sorry we couldn’t save the barn.”
She nodded. “Well, I’d better get to work.”
He grabbed her reins. “You’re not going alone.”
She jerked the leather from his hand. “I’ve had the run of this ranch since I could walk. Mind your own business. If I don’t come back in a couple of hours, then you can worry.” She dug her boot heels into Archie’s flank and took off out of the yard at a canter. The nerve of the man. He had no right to tell her what to do. She resisted the impulse to look back and see if he was watching her ride away.
Once out of sight of the ranch, she slowed her horse to a walk and lifted her face to the breeze scented with sage and wildflowers. She needed this time alone, craved some space to absorb what had happened. Her life had been turned upside down in the space of two days. But her solitude was short-lived. She heard a shout and hoofbeats. Looking back, she saw Daniel riding toward her. Her first impulse was to try to outrun him, but it was futile. Someone would have told him how to find the cabin.
She turned her back on him and rode toward the original homestead, now only a hundred yards away. When she reached the hitching post, she dismounted and tied up Archie. “I won’t be long, boy.” She stepped onto the low porch. Some of the floorboards were rotted, and a wasp nest was high on the door. The yard was overgrown, and nothing was left of the garden where her grandmother had shown her how to grow roses. Not a hint of the sweet flower was left in the air.
She stepped back off the porch as Daniel arrived. “I told you I didn’t need any help.” She ignored him and went around to the back.
He followed. “I’ll just hang around and make sure no one else followed you here. I’ll leave you alone.”
His mere presence disturbed her, but she couldn’t tell him without revealing that she had too much interest in him. And maybe she could learn more about him. If Lewis saw that Daniel had accompanied her, he would be concerned, but Daniel didn’t scare her.
She said nothing and went to the back door. There was no wasp nest on this one, so she twisted the knob and pushed it open. The dank smell of disuse rushed to meet her, and she wrinkled her nose. Debris littered the floor. Dirt, pieces of old dishes, the remains of some furniture that had been left behind. She could see daylight through the roof over the dry sink.
“Kind of a mess.”
She turned to see that Daniel had followed her inside. “I thought you were going to let me look around in peace.”
“I was curious.”
She glanced around at the rotted wood and peeling paint. “This place is a wreck. It’ll take a lot of work to make it livable.”
His dark eyes held compassion. “Your pa told you, didn’t he? That’s why you’re looking here. You don’t want to live at the ranch house after Lewis takes over. I told him it was wrong.”
She let the words sink in. Daniel had dared her father’s wrath on her behalf. Why? Did he only want to woo her if she was to inherit? “What did he say?”
Daniel grinned. “Pretty much what you’d expect. Basically told me to mind my business.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around. “Your grandparents lived here?”
She nodded. “My grandfather fought in the Texas Revolution and was granted the land in 1835. He came here in 1850 and built this cabin with my grandmother. He was forty when they arrived. My parents came with them when my brother was small. I was born here. When I was ten, they built the big house and left this one. No one has lived here in eighteen years.”
“When did your grandparents die?”
She led him into the small parlor. The old stove, blackened with soot, was in one corner. It had been so long since she’d been here. Nostalgia filled her. “My grandmother died before Grandpa. She fell into the river at flood stage and drowned. My uncle died in a—an altercation. Grandpa grieved, and Pa thinks he wasn’t paying attention when he was dehorning some cattle. One of them kicked him in the head and he never recovered.”
“So if your uncle had lived, your grandfather would have split the ranch between his two sons. I don’t understand why your father won’t do the same.”
“He’s added on to the ranch. It’s twice the size it was when he took over. He has taken pride in how large he’s grown his holdings. I think he can’t bear to tear it apart.”
Daniel gestured to the hall. “And that way?”
“Two bedrooms. One for my grandparents and one for my parents.” She walked to a ladder. “My brother and I slept here in the loft.” She tested the strength of the old structure and craned her neck to look into the tiny space where she’d shared her secrets with her brother.
He grabbed her hand when she put her foot on the first rung. “I don’t think it’s safe, Margaret.”
She let him pull her away, not sure she was ready to face the ghosts of her memories. She still missed Stephen. The last time she’d been here, he was still alive.
“You’re thinking about restoring it?” he asked. “Living out here all by yourself? I reckon that’s a bad idea.”
/> “I can take care of myself.”
“I don’t doubt that. But you’re a beautiful woman. I wouldn’t want you to be alone here.”
Beautiful. She wished she could believe the earnestness in his eyes. She turned and made her way out into the sunshine.
SEVEN
The interlude with Margaret at the old homestead had been sweet. Daniel liked the way she’d shared the family history. He’d talked her into going back to the ranch, then went to what was left of the barn. The ruins were still smoking and warm. Paddy didn’t remember much except being hit on the head while he was caring for the cow, but Daniel wanted to find out if the attacker had left any clues in the barn.
Lewis stood in the shade of the springhouse. “What are you doing out here?”
Daniel wiped the soot from his hands on his jeans. “I reckon I’m trying to figure out who might want Paddy dead.” The sun was bright and hot overhead.
Lewis shrugged and stepped out of the shadows. His face was red and damp with the heat. “Uncle Paddy thinks it was likely a thief.” He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his brow.
“I don’t think so.” Daniel stared at him. “Calvin was upset when I was hired. But upset enough to get revenge? He wasn’t in the bunkhouse when I roused the men to fight the fire.”
“You’re a more likely suspect than Calvin.”
Daniel went back to sifting through the charred debris. “I didn’t hurt him.”
“So you say. Where were you when he was struck?”
“I woke up and saw him with the cow, so I decided to see if he needed any help. When Margaret and I got there, he was on the ground. Ask him if I struck him. He’ll tell you I didn’t.”
The undercurrent to Lewis’s questions puzzled Daniel. As far as he knew, the two of them were strangers, yet Lewis seemed to have a personal stake in his accusations. “Why the questions?”