Ladd Springs (Ladd Springs, Book #1) (16 page)

But
Nick was not a man to mess with lightly, that much she had seen. He worked hard
to get what he wanted, and when trouble arose, he wasted no time in managing
it. The man responded first, asked questions second. And he was asking them
now.

Night
pushed in around them, the katydids rampant in their song, their tempo urgent,
pressing. Delaney felt compelled to talk, to share. Truth was, she
wanted
to talk. And she wanted to talk with him. Stealing a peek at Nick, a squiggle
of nerves raced through her breast. “It happened just before my mother died,”
she began quietly. “Ernie and Ashley were with her, here.” She tipped her head
back toward the cabin. “They knew it was time and both wanted to be with her.” There
was no love lost between Ernie and Ashley, no emotional connection stemming
from their commitment to Susannah. Only the fact that they alone shared her
confidence. “My mother asked Ernie to will her share of the property to me and
Felicity. He agreed, even wrote it down on a piece of paper.” Delaney appealed
to the business man in Nick as she added, “Ashley was witness to the event. She’ll
testify in a court of law.”

“What
happened to the document?”

“Ernie
burned it.”

Hope
drained from his expression. “I see.”

Delaney
twisted the hem of her sweater in her hands. She refused to accept defeat. Not
from Nick and not from Ernie. “My lawyer says an eyewitness to a deathbed
promise will help in court.”

“It
can.” Nick held her in his gaze, steady, confident. He didn’t waver. He simply
listened.

“It
has to.” Talking sense into the old man certainly wasn’t working. “But Clem has
been hanging around over the last months, like a shark that senses blood in the
water. He’s been working around Ernie’s house, mowing the fields, trying to get
into my uncle’s good graces. He thinks Ernie will leave him something when he
dies.”

Nick
angled away from her as he asked, “And apparently he thinks that time is
coming?”

“Ernie’s
health isn’t good. Hasn’t been for years.”

“Yet
he’s still kicking and screaming.”

A
smile pulled at her mouth. “You know the man well.”

“Seems
to me he operates on one channel and one channel only.”

“He
wasn’t always this way. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s never been sugar and
honey, but when my mom was alive, he was tolerable.”

“She
was his rock,” Nick offered.

“My
mother loved him. She took care of both Ernie and Albert when she was alive,
but it was Ernie who held her affection. He was the oldest of the three and I
think she looked up to him.”

“Doesn’t
appear there’s a whole lot to Albert.”

Pity
stirred in Delaney’s heart. “There isn’t. And what there is, isn’t pretty. He
has a couple of sons, but both are worthless. Albert never paid them any
attention and they got into trouble.”

“What
about Ernie’s son?” he asked, as though logging the information away.

“Jeremiah?”
Delaney was surprised that Nick knew about him. “He and Ernie don’t get along. He
left town almost twenty years ago and hasn’t been heard from since.”

“Any
chance the son might return to contest a will?”

“Not
hardly. No one around here would bother to tell him. They know he couldn’t care
less if his father died.”

“Until
it comes to money,” Nick said.

Struck
by the comment, Delaney turned it over in her mind. “Would it matter if Ernie
signed it over as a trust for Felicity before he died?”

“Anything
can matter when it comes to the legal system.” Nick picked at the denim on his
knee and outstretched his leg. “One lawyer says it’s settled, another
disagrees, and the next thing you know, you have a court battle on your hands.”

“You
sound as though you’re talking from experience.”

He
nodded. “Too much experience.”

“Anyway,”
Delaney continued, finding the disclosure of information surprisingly freeing. “I’ve
been trying to convince Ernie to stand by his promise so that it doesn’t get to
the courts, but he’s resisting. Now Clem has reason to want this property for
himself and will stop at nothing, pitting my uncle against Felicity and me.”

“I
doubt very much anyone could pit the old man against Felicity.”

“True.”
Her angst slackened. “But she’s tied to me and he detests me.”

“Why?”
Nick asked. “What have you ever done to him?”

She
bit off a short laugh. “Where do I start?” At his confusion, Delaney said,
“Well, let’s see... I married his arch enemy’s son, which lumps me into the
enemy camp. I called him on his role in allowing my mother to die, which he
can’t face. I moved back into her cabin against his wishes—because Ashley
forced his hand after my mother died. Guess she felt entitled, as she became a
mother of sorts to me after my mom passed. Then of course there’s Felicity. She
resembles my mother, which aggravates him to no end.”

Nick
held up a hand. “I think I get the picture.”

Really
? Because she
was on a roll and it felt good. It felt really good to get a decade of pain and
suffering off her chest, even if it was with a stranger. A handsome stranger.

A
stranger who stood to gain from her misery, she reminded herself shortly.

“But
that doesn’t explain the men with the guns or how Clem knows them,” he said. “What
do they have to do with the property and Ernie?”

She
drew the sweater snug. “I told you.” She glanced away. “They want the property
for themselves.

“They
seem pretty intent on a place they don’t appear to be able to afford. Why take
on the burden?”

“Greed.”

“Greed?”

She
nodded.

Leaning
back into his rocker, Nick extended his second leg and crossed them at the
ankles. Interlacing his fingers, he rested them low on his abdomen. “I guess
I’ll have to take you at your word.”

Relieved
that Nick had ceased his inquisition, Delaney eased back in her rocker. She took
pleasure in the intimate conversation between man and woman. With Nick by her
side, the black night had lost its power to scare. She no longer jumped at
every little sound. With his imposing presence by her side, she felt safe,
taken care of. It had been a long time since she felt this way. She sighed. Too
long.

“Can
I ask you something?”

She
nodded, relishing the quiet strength in his voice. Nick was solid, formidable. An
aspect to him she found particularly pleasing.

“Do
you mind me asking why you left your husband?”

The
memory sliced her heart in two. Ten years and more than a few nasty words later,
Jack Foster still had the power to hurt. For better or worse, he remained a
part of her life and would always be so. They shared a daughter. “My husband
was abusive, Nick.” Shadows of anger entered his eyes. “Mentally, emotionally
and one day physically.” She tightened her hands around the sweater ends. “He
hit me and I moved out.”

“You
made the right decision.”

The
validation pulled at her. Delaney believed Nick could kill a man with his bare
hands, but she doubted he would ever strike a woman. Although she had witnessed
sparks of anger in him, Delany sensed his had more to do with self-defense than
the intention to harm. “Most people said I should have stayed and tried to work
it out, for Felicity’s sake.”

Nick
shook his head. “A man willing to hit a woman once will usually hit her again.”

She
smiled. It was heartening to meet a man as intolerant as she on the subject. “That’s
what I said.”

But
the pleasurable feelings faded. While it sounded simple, leaving Jack was one
of the hardest things she had ever done. It hurt. More emotionally than
physically. To think the man she loved cared so little about her, about their
child, had been heart-wrenching for her to accept. Jack was her first love, her
only love. She had believed him a man of honor. He came from a good family. He
performed well in school, in athletics. And he courted her with more romance
than anyone she knew at the time. No one enjoyed the level of attention Jack
showered on her. The first years of their marriage had been good. Until the
drinking began. That’s when life grew sour.

“He’s
an alcoholic,” Delaney stated. “It was the drinking that made him lose control.”
She leveled her gaze with Nick’s, relishing the tenderness she found in his
dark eyes. “But he refused to give it up.”

“He
made his choice.”

“He
did.”

“Why
haven’t you remarried?” Nick smiled, a smile that turned boyish. “I mean, it’s
been a long time since your split with your ex.”

Delaney
rolled her head side-to-side as she pondered the question. Because she had
never met a man she deemed worthy? Never met a man she fully trusted? “Oh, I
don’t know.” She settled her gaze on Nick and posed, “Will the proverbial
‘haven’t found the right one, yet’ work?”

“If
it’s the truth, sure.”

“Pretty
slim pickings around these parts, or haven’t you noticed?”

“I
noticed you.”

New
emotions wound around her belly, her heart. “How about you? Ever been married,
Mr. Harris?”

“Never
been interested in settling down.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“Doesn’t
that make for a lonely existence?”

He
laughed softly. “I didn’t say I spent my time alone.”

“Oh—”
Embarrassment flushed her cheeks with warmth.

“But
like you, I’ve never met the right one.” He grinned. “But Tennessee may change
that.”

“Tennessee?”

“Tennessee.
You, in particular.” Nick reached his hand over and sought hers. Delaney tried
to appear unaffected by his touch, but the gesture felt like a zip-line tearing
through her nervous system. “I like you, Delaney.”

“You
do?” she asked, and immediately felt foolish for asking, foolish for delighting
in the feel of his hand around hers. It was big, strong and covered hers
completely.

“I
do. I like your combination of female and fortitude.”

She
suppressed a swell of satisfaction. She’d always prided herself on being
independent. It was nice when a man noticed.

“I’ve
never met a woman who’s both tough and tender, silver and steel. I’ve run
across a host of women who are hard as steel, pretty as silver, tough as nails,
tender as a baby’s breath, but never all rolled up into one. You’re quite a
find, Ms. Wilkins.”

“Delaney,”
she said reflexively.

“Delaney,”
he repeated softly, his thumb caressing her hand. “You’re coming to mean
something to me.”

Shivers
of desire heated her, woke the woman inside her, as she hung on the edge of his
sultry gaze. “I am?”

He
nodded. “Is that okay?”

Delaney
nodded before the first thought could enter her mind. At the moment, she could
only feel.

Nick
pulled his legs in, leaned over and brushed the hair from her brow, gazing at her
cheek, her neck. “And I’ll be honest. I’m worried about these men after you.”

She
wasn’t. She wasn’t worried about anything at the moment—except that
he
might make a move. A move she would have to answer.

“Clem
is coming back tomorrow to check for himself about something.”

Delaney
gulped, her building desire stalled. “He is?”

“His
exact words were, ‘you’d better be right.’” Nick tipped her chin to face him
more fully, the presumptive touch shocking to her skin. “Any possible idea what
he could be referring to?”

She
shook her head.

Nick
nodded and pursed his lips. He allowed his hand to fall away, pulling it back
to his armrest. Reclining in his seat, he tapped the chair. “Guess I’ll have to
figure this one out on my own.”

Chapter Sixteen

Delaney
lay in her bed, eyes wide open. She blinked, her vision unchanged between eyes
closed and eyes open. It was dark. Too dark. She thought of Nick outside on her
porch. Angst feathered across her arms. But what could she say?
Clem knows
there’s gold on the property and he and his men want it for themselves
? There
was no reason for her to believe that Nick wouldn’t want it for himself, too,
once he found out it was available for the taking. The men had no qualms about
looting her land. Why would Nick?

The
presence of gold on Ladd Springs land changed everything. She and Felicity were
no different. Once they held title, they stood to profit from the gold find. They
might even avoid the necessity of selling their timber altogether. What she did
know, was that Clem would continue to plunder the precious metal while she and
Ernie hashed it out in court. It was a no-win situation. And if Nick learned of
the gold, she’d be battling on all fronts!

Delaney
pressed her eyes closed. The quiet sank in around her, flattening her to the
mattress. What if Nick followed Clem to the site, followed him right to the
gold, because
she
opened her big mouth? Her eyes popped open. She couldn’t
let that happen. She had to convince Nick there was another reason Clem said he
was coming back to check on something. But what?

She
clutched the quilted blanket to her chin. Lying and spying were not her
department. She took care of horses, of finances—not lowlifes up to no good, attempting
to tie them in knots with their own webs of deceit. Fine job she was doing of
it. Shoot, she was lucky to keep
one
step ahead of them, let alone two or
three!

Delaney
glanced to her open door. The house was noiseless. Felicity was upstairs resting
soundly. Nick was out front, standing watch. Or was he? She bolted upright in
bed. He hadn’t been there this morning when she went out to greet him. Would he
be there now?

Yanking
the blanket from her body, Delaney swung her legs over the side of the bed and
planted socked feet on the floor. Deciding against retrieving the pistol from
the drawer of her nightstand, she padded into the living room. She couldn’t see
the rockers from here. Since they were located on the other side of the solid
wall, she would have to open the door to do so. What would Nick think if she
poked her head outside?

Her
breathing became shallow. Her thoughts raced to and fro. What could she say?
I
wasn’t sure you’d still be here
.
I thought I heard something...

She
took a few steps towards the door, but stopped. Delaney nibbled her lip,
willing an excuse to take form. She flung her gaze up to the loft overhead, resisting
the urge to check on her daughter. She’d only find the girl sleeping, safe and
secure beneath her cotton comforter. Delaney and Nick had been here since she
went upstairs. There was no need to double check.

Her
gaze clung to the wall in a long stare, as though she could see through it. Should
she go outside? Would it do more harm than good? A swell of exhaustion surged. The
weight of her run-in with Clem anchored her to the smooth wood floor. Regret
penetrated her gut. Running her mouth had made matters worse. Thankfully,
Felicity was unaware of the dark turn their situation had taken, though that
didn’t prevent Clem from threatening to harm her. Seems he’d use whatever
mechanism he could to threaten Delaney.

She
slid a glance back to the front porch. Nick had come to her rescue,
twice
.
She envisioned his daunting figure embedded in the small rocker, the chair two sizes
too small for his body. But at the first sign of trouble, she imagined him
springing from his seat and taking out the bad guy. She smiled. Prince Harris
was quite capable when it came to damsels in distress. His decision to follow
Clem after their confrontation came to mind. No reservation, no doubt, Nick was
a man of action. He took charge when it came to defending her. He took charge
when it came to getting answers.

Delaney
frowned. She hugged her arms to her body, the muscles around her mouth tensed. Off
the outside porch corner, the single bulb glowed, a faint swarm of insect
activity busy within the haze of light. Tomorrow Nick might learn her secret. Worry
pricked. If he did, what would he do with the knowledge?

In
the instant of decision, Delaney turned and trudged back to her room. There was
no reason for her to be out on that porch with him. No reasonable excuse she
could give that would sound convincing, that wouldn’t reveal her for the
comfort-seeking fool that she was. Longing pulled at her, stronger, insistent. She
wished they could be on the same team. When Nick was around, trouble seemed to
cower in the shadows, surrendering in seconds beneath his intimidating stature.
Delaney slumped to a seat on the edge her mattress. Elbows to knees, she buried
her face in her hands. She, on the other hand, seemed to have an uncanny
ability to provoke trouble into outright aggression.

As
expected, Nick was not on the porch when Delaney awoke the next morning. Removing
the pot of eggs from the stove burner, she submerged them in cold tap water. The
grits were ready, the bread browning in the toaster, the scent filling the
space around her. Delaney could only assume Nick was chasing Clem into the
forest. What else could Clem be coming back to check on? Clem and those men
were connected. Those men had been pillaging the gold. Of course Clem wanted to
check on the gold. Question remained, would he unwittingly lead Nick right to
it? It might only be a matter of hours before she’d learn the answers to her
questions.

Delaney
shut off the faucet, tilted the pot and drained the water through her fingers. As
she transferred the eggs to the island, rapidly moving legs caught her
attention as they hurried down the narrow stairway. Felicity was ready for
breakfast.

“Good
morning!” she chirped. After depositing her backpack by the front door, she came
over and plucked a napkin from the ceramic holder, a glazed and painted piece
depicting a black bear and an evergreen—an art project she’d made in fourth
grade. Felicity had been so proud of the accomplishment, but even more so that
her mother prominently displayed it in the kitchen.

Delaney
cracked open the eggs and deposited them into the grits. She tossed the shells
into the empty pot, grabbed a fork from the drawer and slid both to Felicity,
admiring the green plaid she wore over a cream tank top. “I always liked that
shirt.”

Felicity
looked down as though checking to see which one she had chosen. “Thanks.”

Delaney
wondered if the skinny jeans—more leggings than pants—were comfortable. She had
an affinity for Levi’s herself, but the younger generation seemed to paint
their pants on, but hip was hip and Felicity was among the “in” crowd when it
came to teen fashion.

Felicity
reached for the salt and sprinkled her breakfast before mixing and mashing the eggs
and grits together.

“Are
you ready for your test today?” Delaney asked. Taking pot in hand, she began
washing it.

Felicity
nodded. “I plan to ace it.”

Of
course she did. Felicity aced every test she took. “Well, don’t count your
chickens before they’re hatched.”

Felicity
rolled her eyes. “Travis and Troy are coming over to ride this afternoon. Is
that okay?” she asked, almost as an afterthought.

“It’s
fine.” Delaney folded the kitchen towel in half, then set it aside. “Just
remember what I told you.”

“Stay
together. Got it,” she said, and downed a mouthful of eggs, a drop of thick
yoke falling back into her bowl.

Delaney
hoped Felicity understood loud and clear. She didn’t need the added stress of
worrying about her daughter alone in the woods, in addition to everything else
on her mind. Leaning a hip against the counter, Delaney watched Felicity eat. Scooping
the egg mixture onto her toast, the teen bit an entire corner piece off with
her teeth. She chewed and swallowed.

Felicity
caught her mother staring and asked, “Are you in a hurry?”

“Me?
No.” Delaney rapped her fingers on the butcher block surface, then flattened
her palm on the counter and leaned forward. “Why do you ask?”

“You
seem a little uptight.”

“Uptight?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

“Was
that Nick Harris I saw heading down the trail this morning?”

Delaney’s
heart tripped. “
What
? What are you talking about?”

Felicity
suppressed a grin. “I saw him when I woke up.”

Delaney
stiffened. Number one, what was she doing looking out her porthole of a window
at that hour, and number two, so Nick
had
stayed the entire night
.

The
news tangled in her thoughts.

“You
two an item?”

“What?
She blew out a breath. “No—of course not! Why would you say such a thing?”

Felicity
looked pointedly at Delaney’s hands. Delaney followed her gaze to find her
hands scrunching the dish towel within her fists. She tossed the towel aside.

“Wouldn’t
blame you if you were,” Felicity added quietly, amusement dancing in the
heather green of her eyes. “He is kinda good-looking.”

Delaney’s
throat closed. This conversation was not happening.

Felicity
shifted on the stool. “Besides, it’s about time you found someone.”

She
glared at her daughter. “I haven’t found someone.”

“Mom.
It’s okay. We all need
someone
.”

“I
don’t.” Especially not
that
someone—the someone who wanted to take Ladd
Springs from her. The someone who was about to learn there was gold on her land
and who knew what he would do with that information. A thousand thoughts
whirred into action, careening with raw emotion. An item? She and Nick?

He
was good-looking enough of, she had to admit. Seemed smart enough. Visions of
him from last night filtered in, his hand on her chair, his request for her
trust.

“Whatever,”
Felicity replied dully, but underscored her point with a brief shake to her
head. Silently, she concentrated her breakfast.

Delaney
wanted to trust Nick. She did. It would make life easier is she could believe
what he said about having their best interests at heart. But an item?

That
was a bit of a stretch.

Felicity
munched the last bite of egg and grits, scraped her bowl clean and downed the
last of her toast. She cleared her dish, washed her hands and headed for the
door.

Turning
out the kitchen light, Delaney called out, “I’m right behind you.”

Joining
her at the door, Felicity asked, “Going into town?” When Delaney didn’t respond
right away, her daughter shrugged. “Do you want to ride with us later?”

“With
who?”

Felicity
opened the door. “Travis and Troy, remember?”

No,
she didn’t remember. Delaney couldn’t think straight let alone remember what
her daughter said ten minutes ago! But that was neither here nor there. “No,”
she answered hastily. “Thank you, but I have to work today.” She tugged on her
boots as Felicity did likewise.

What
her “work” entailed remained to be seen. At the moment, she was only certain
that her time today would be spent saving her daughter’s inheritance. Somehow,
some way, Delaney had to make sure her daughter didn’t lose out due to Clem or
Ernie or for that matter, Nick.
An item
. She scoffed. Did it get any
more ludicrous?

Though
she had to admit, it was heartening to know he had indeed camped out for the
duration last night. Delaney stood and kissed her daughter on the cheek. “I’ll
see you at three.” She closed and locked the door behind them. Would Nick be
back this evening?

That
depended upon his trip into the woods today.

Nick
parked down the street from Clem’s trailer. He sat just past the curve in the
road, a nearby cluster of branches hanging far enough over the street to ensure
he would remain unseen should it occur to Clem to look for him. Reaching for
his coffee from the center console, Nick took a slow sip. He had no idea what
time to expect Clem’s departure, but with no place else to go, he had the time
to wait. And think.

Delaney
had been remarkably cagey about Clem and their dispute, much like she’d been
when it came to the stranger on the trail. But sure as he was sitting here,
Nick believed Clem and the men were tied together and she knew the reason why. Today,
he would learn the facts for himself.

The
cell phone vibrated on his dash. Nick picked it up and checked the screen. Malcolm
again. Which was odd. It wasn’t like him to be so insecure about a deal. But
then it wasn’t like Nick to take so long in securing a property, either. He
answered the call with a brisk, “What’s up?”

“Jillian
is up.”

“What
now?” he asked, a twinge of memory firing in his groin as he brought coffee to
mouth.