Tall, Dark, and Determined (14 page)

The fistfight by the train offered better odds
. He shook off the unwelcome thought and offered the ladies a rusty smile. He didn't interact much with ladies. The mountains provided the food, shelter, and living he needed. Decoy made a better companion than most men, unquestionably a more honest one.

Usually he let prospective employers approach him. Most boss types didn't like having to persuade a man to take a job; it took away too much control. But it worked well for Chase. He had no trouble walking away, and he liked folks to know it.

Not this time. If he was going to find answers for Laura, he'd be the one doing the convincing in this interview. Problem was, he didn't have the first idea how to reason with one woman, much less a pack of them. Particularly when they already had their hackles raised by Granger throwing his weight around.

“Ladies, looks like Granger neglected introductions.” His opening gambit should appeal to their sense of propriety and make them think he shared it. “Chase Dunstan, at your service.”

“Our service?” Granger's woman raised her brows. “Seems to me you and my fiancé hatched your own plans, Mr. Dunstan.”

True
. He held his peace on that one. Not only had he fallen into Granger's scheme, he held a few of his own, and none of those focused on serving these women. On the contrary, if he discovered any involvement with the cave-in or fraudulent claims filed under the Lyman name, the women wouldn't fare well at all.

“You'll have to excuse Evie, Mr. Dunstan,” apologized the one Chase pegged as eldest. “A challenging day, preceded by several others, has put her in a somewhat adversarial mood.”

An understatement
. “If I understand correctly, she's agreed to wed Granger.” Chase offered a plausible explanation for the woman's lapse. “That would be enough to throw anyone off.”

“Under normal circumstances, my sister would follow the introductions
before
interrogation model of conversation. I'm Miss Cora Thompson, sister to Evelyn Thompson.” The slightly built woman with mismatched eyes launched into a recitation. “The lady apologizing for my sister is Miss Naomi Higgins, cousin to Lacey Lyman. You've already made her acquaintance. Her brother, whose company you're spared, is Braden Lyman—my fiancé, nominal owner of Hope Falls and general curmudgeon.”

The whirlwind recitation calmed long enough for her to take a breath. Chase couldn't have gotten a better setup if he asked, but he aimed for a casual tone. “Nominal owner of Hope Falls?”

“Until he recovers from the mine collapse, Lacey's been designated de facto executor of the Lyman estates.” The one he now knew as Miss Higgins offered the implausible, but succinct, explanation with a wry smile. “The cause for the curmudgeonly behavior he's exhibited since we arrived in Hope Falls.”

Not trusting himself to comment, Chase merely nodded. The entire situation was farcical, but so far every factor remained cohesive. From the ad, to Miss Lyman's remarks, to Granger's behavior, and even Kane's dubious report, every avenue available supported the women's claim that they ran Hope Falls.

Whether or not they had any right to do so remained in grave doubt until he resolved the matter of their Braden Lyman's true identity. But if this was a fraud, the women managed an unrivaled consistency and attention to detail.

“Let me make sure I have this all straight.” He met Miss Higgins's gaze before beginning the recitation that would cement everyone's role in his mind. “Your cousin, Lacey, owns Hope Falls while her brother, your fiancé”—he gestured to Miss Cora Thompson—”recovers from a mining accident. Meanwhile, the four of you decided to turn the town into a sawmill and posted a highly unusual ad to make your plans a reality?”

At this point, he put his copy of the advertisement atop a centrally located tea table. The familiar bold print marched between him and the women in a brash request for God-fearing, single men with logging experience and a desire for marriage.

Here things got interesting. An unwilling smile played about the corners of the elder Miss Thompson's mouth. Miss Higgins issued a small, very regretful-sounding sigh. The younger Miss Thompson, supposed fiancée to Braden Lyman, didn't bother looking at the scrap of paper in the first place.

“Is this what brought you to Hope Falls, Mr. Dunstan?” Surprise crept in around the edges of her question.

The laugh escaped him before he could consider whether or not it might be considered insulting. “I'm no logger, ladies. You can rest easy on that. My business is to know the lay of the land.” Here he reached out to tap the ad. “When this crossed my path, it seemed pretty clear you ladies aimed to change things.”

“So you didn't follow the ad, and you didn't come here to find Jake?” Granger's woman—this business of two Miss Thompsons was just plain irritating—lost the vestiges of her smile.

“I didn't know Granger followed the ad here at all.”

“He didn't.” Her hands clenched into telltale fists. “His brother's murderer answered the ad. Jake came for Twyler.”

Chase might not spend much time around women, but even he could see this struck a nerve. Hard to imagine he'd missed Jake trapping the killer and revealing his real identity—and purpose—by a mere day. He looked at it as a lot of fun missed, but obviously it hit a woman hard to hear her beau hadn't come to Hope Falls looking for love. He'd been looking for justice.

Easy to forget how much you have in common with a friend when you don't see the man in three years
.

“Regardless, if we take you on, you won't be working for Mr. Granger.” Miss Higgins didn't prance delicately around the issue. “How do you feel about answering to four women as your employers, carrying out their plans rather than those of your friend? We need to know your loyalty to Mr. Granger won't prove problematic should we enter into a good-faith arrangement.”

Time to tread carefully. What sorts of plans does she anticipate Granger protesting?
If they weren't what they appeared, they'd hidden a good deal from his friend.
And done so well Granger proposed to one of them
. Chase would have to walk a fine line between placating them and following his own plans.

“I answer to myself and don't take sides in matters between couples. Four women running a town deserve the respect of anyone within it, and employers have a right to expect the same. Seems only a fool would think otherwise.” The women murmured favorably to this, so Chase cashed in on their approval before he lost it. He'd exchange that newfound goodwill for grudging tolerance, so long as it leveled the field. “But it's only fair to tell you I've never been one to report for orders.”

“There's a difference between receiving orders and taking direction from one's employer, Mr. Dunstan.” Braden's supposed fiancée pokered up in an instant. “By the same token, we can't accept a renegade who does as he pleases. We have rules in Hope Falls for a reason, and you'll not be exempt from them.”

“Hold on now. I'm not going to be flouting the authority I'm here to uphold.” He needed to nip that idea in the bud. “If you want a guard dog you can bring to heel, I can train you one. But if you want me making sure no one gets insolent while Granger's gone, I'll use your guidelines and my own methods.”

“And if we dislike your methods?” Miss Thompson pressed.

“Like I said”—Chase shrugged to keep the tone nonchalant—”your guidelines. I'm happy to help ladies in need and put a friend's mind at ease, but I offer assistance. Not obedience.”

“Obedience is required of children and expected of wives, Mr. Dunstan.” Miss Higgins smoothed her skirts. “Biblical, wifely submission is far too often confused with obedience, but that is a conversation for another time. The pertinent matter is that all of us understand—and have rejected—the idea of owing obedience to a person with whom we wish to form a partnership.”

Chase blinked.
What revolutionary ideas for gently bred females
. He drew a breath.
Of course, they may not be gently bred at all. Only time, and thorough investigation, will tell
.

“Then we understand each other. I'll maintain order in Hope Falls. Aside from that, I'll tackle your wildlife problem.”

“Should you officially be hired, yes. There are other things we may yet require.” The younger Miss Thompson still seemed hesitant. “To what wildlife problem do you refer? Lacey already killed the cougar that attacked her this afternoon.”

“You're situated right on the water source hereabouts, so the animals come to you.” He wrestled with whether or not to add anything then decided to go ahead. “Same as you've already experienced on account of that ad—anything precious draws bad with the good. The volume of what you're dealing with should be cut down to something more manageable, just as a precaution.”

Granger's woman gave a slow nod. “I won't argue against good sense, and we can certainly use the fresh meat in the kitchen. But, if you'd indulge my curiosity, Mr. Dunstan, I would ask how you came to know my husband-to-be?”

“Worked with him about three years ago, when his family started the RookRidge Mill. Granger put out word he wanted the best guide in the area to help scout his location.” Chase shrugged. He'd never been one for false modesty. “Folks recommended he track me down and hire me on if he could.”

A ghost of her former smile shadowed its way back. “Good way to catch his attention. Jake does like a challenge.”

“If it's worth the reward.” Granger ducked back in through the entry hall, making his way toward his woman and placing a propriety arm around her shoulders. “I like having the best.”

“Is Mr. Dunstan really the best hunter and trapper you know? The best man to help keep Hope Falls under control until you can get back?” It looked like Miss Thompson planned to defer to Granger's judgment—maybe the compliment softened her up.

Miss Lyman, Chase couldn't help but notice, didn't follow him.
She must still be with the doctor
. Irritation lanced through him.
I should've made her stop as soon as we hit town
.

“Quit scowling, Dunstan.” His friend read him too easily. “Miss Lyman got held up by Mrs. Nash asking whether or not she had a current Sears ordering catalog. She'll be fine once she stops being annoyed that she missed the entire conversation.”

“That means she'll be back any moment.” Miss Higgins straightened in her seat, sounding vaguely apologetic. “We'd best take a vote before she returns and wants to rehash everything we've discussed and argues against Mr. Dunstan. Surely you must have noticed she's taken you into dislike.”

Some things didn't need a response. This was one of them.

“All right. I agree we hire on Mr. Dunstan. Although you should have discussed it with us before offering him the position, I could use the fresh meat for my kitchen. So long as he's also willing to teach us something of the animals on our land so we know how to trap them even after he's gone, I can see nothing but benefits to having a hunter around.” Miss Thompson's yea earned her a grin and squeeze from Granger.

“Few ask how to identify and manage the wildlife on their land,” Chase approved. “I'm happy to share my knowledge.”

“I'll support her decision if you agree to keep a special eye on Lacey.” Miss Higgins's brows slanted upward in obvious concern. “Evie and Cora are both spoken for, and I'm of an age to be more cautious, but Lacey is more vulnerable.”

It took a deep, fortifying breath before Chase agreed.

“Without Lacey here, the decision must be unanimous—we decided early on there must be at least a strength of three.” The younger Miss Thompson fixed her magnetic gaze on him. “But before I go against the wishes of my best friend and hire you on, Mr. Dunstan, I need your word not to meet with my fiancé.”

Suspicion seized Chase.
The easiest way to conceal an impostor is to keep him isolated
. For now he avoided meeting with Lyman purely because he didn't know what to expect. As soon as he could anticipate the results of coming face-to-face with the man injured in the mine collapse, Chase wouldn't hesitate to confront him.
Any impostor will be ousted, but the real Braden Lyman would have much to answer for as well
.

If he'd survived the mine collapse to buy up the town, did Braden know how his former company treated the widows of its former employees? If not, would he have to be forced to make amends? Only a frank discussion would clear the issue, and Chase fully intended to have that conversation. Something of his reluctance must have shown on his face as the woman continued.

“Any little thing perceived as a threat to myself or his sister makes him so frustrated there's no dealing with him. I need your word that you'll focus on doing your job so Braden can focus on getting better. Any concerns will be brought to us, or Mr. Granger, before proceeding.” She raised her chin, obviously determined to get her way or see him on his. “Are we agreed?”

    TWELVE