The Rancher Takes A Bride (5 page)

"What?" the marshal asked, annoyed.

"You have a troubled past, Marshal," she said, taking another step back, her voice shaking. "Your day of reckoning is coming. Soon."

He shook his head. "You're trying to scare me, and it's not going to work."

She shrugged. "I trust you have a will?"

He looked at her oddly. "I lived through my youth. I'm not too worried now."

"Maybe you should be."

"Miss Severin, this won't work. I've got to leave."

Abruptly, he turned and hurried out of the cell area. The women cackled as they watched him disappear through the door.

Laughing, Rose sank down on the bed and pulled her knees up, resting her chin. She let herself enjoy the last few moments just a little longer and then she sighed. If only she had listened to Isaiah and waited for his return, she wouldn't be in this cell. But she'd gotten bored, and the need to make as much money as possible before they moved on had urged her to continue working.

An hour passed before she heard the outer door open once again and the deputy stepped through. "Miss Severin, your fine's been paid."

Rose jumped up and hurried to the cell door. "By who?"

"Get your things. Let's go," he said as he fitted the key into the cell lock. When the bars swung open, she hurried through the open portal. The claustrophobia she'd held at bay was suddenly released and she shuddered. Freedom! she thought and took a deep breath.

She turned and waved to her new acquaintances. "Good-bye, ladies."

"Good luck, Miss Severin."

Opening the outer door to the marshal's office, she half expected to see Isaiah waiting for her, but instead she stumbled to a halt.

Stunned, she watched Mrs. Burnett hurry toward her. "Dear! I came as soon as I heard. I never believed they would really arrest you. I'm so sorry. Are you all right?"

"Mrs. Burnett, what are you doing here?" Rose asked, realization dawning on her as she stared at the gray-haired lady. "Oh, God! You paid the twenty- dollar fine."

The deputy scratched his head. "The marshal doesn't know she paid your fine. If I were you, I'd catch the next stage out of town. It's leaving at noon today. You've got little more than an hour."

"Gladly!" She took a deep breath to calm her ragged nerves. "Mrs. Burnett, thank you, but I've got to go.

Rose started walking toward the door, the swish of her skirts loud in the small room.

"Desirée—wait, dear," Mrs. Burnett hurried after her.

She halted at the door, eager to make a fast exit. "Look, I appreciate you paying my fine, but I can't be seen with you. Your son put me in jail just for talking to you!"

"Don't worry about Travis or Tucker, dear."

"Don't worry about the Burnett brothers!" Right then, Rose would have done just about anything to keep from being locked back in that small box they called a jail. "You heard the deputy. I should get out of town, all because of your sons!"

Rose marched out the door, heels clicking on the wooden sidewalk as she headed toward
The Last Word
. No, she couldn't really talk to the dead. But all she'd done was help some little old ladies get over their loved ones' deaths, and now she was being forced to leave town, without Isaiah.

If only she had time to find Travis Burnett, she'd give him a talking to that would cause his ears to blister. First she'd yell at him in English, then she'd curse him in French. But she wasn't about to risk being sent back to jail just to appease her wounded pride.

"Miss Severin, please, slow down!"

Rose turned, her feet slowing as she noticed Mrs. Burnett hurrying to catch her. "Mrs. Burnett, I do appreciate your help in getting me out of jail, but I must pack my bags and be on the next stage. Right now I don't feel like talking pleasantly to anyone. In fact, I feel the urge to throw a screaming fit, but I just don't have the time."

Though her gait was slower, Mrs. Burnett was quite capable of keeping up with Rose as she walked along at a rapid pace. "You don't have to leave town, Miss Severin."

"What? Are you kidding me? You think I enjoyed spending a night in that dank jail?" Rose replied, irritated.

"No," the woman snapped back. "You are welcome to move your business and yourself out to my ranch. You'll be safe with me."

Rose stopped walking and stared at the woman in disbelief. Finally she started to laugh. "What kind of game are you playing, Mrs. Burnett?" She took a deep breath. "You think I'd move out to your ranch with your son? I'm not a miracle worker!"

"Travis doesn't need a miracle. He's a good man, he's just protective of those he cares about."

"Protective! I'd say he's more like a mountain lion—cunning, with a ferocious roar and a determined mindset."

Her voice resonated through the street, and people stopped and stared. Rose shook her head and started to walk again.

"This is nonsense. You're a sweet lady, but your son doesn't want me anywhere near you. Why would he allow me to live with you?"

"Miss Severin, I know you're upset. I know my sons have treated you horribly, but really, they're both very nice men. Travis is stubborn to a fault, just like his father, but I know once he gets to know you, he'll see what I see."

Rose didn't take the time to even glance at the woman but hurried along the sidewalk, ignoring the obvious stares. "Just what do you see, besides a semi-hysterical woman who has just lost her business and must travel to another city?"

"I see a strong young woman who is tender and compassionate, who has had to make her own way in the world. And has done a remarkable job."

They arrived at
The Last Word
, and Rose turned and stared at Mrs. Burnett. The wind teased a slip of silver hair from her carefully coiffured hairstyle. The lady looked like a nice sweet grandma, and Rose knew exactly where Travis Burnett had received his iron will. A shining example of that determined spirit stood before her, yet she'd grown rather fond of Eugenia Burnett.

"That's about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," Rose said, surprised at the older woman's comment. "Thank you."

"My sons want only to protect me, and that includes keeping me from you."

"I'm hardly dangerous!"

Rose opened the door and stepped inside. The feeling of being home assaulted her. She liked this little house. She had felt comfortable here, and now, because of Travis, she had to leave.

"Mrs. Burnett, you're a nice woman, but how are you going to protect me from your sons? Why would you want to?"

"I'm going to tell Travis that he can close you down, he can have you thrown in jail, and every time he does, I'm going to run right down there and get you out. And that will embarrass his brother Tucker enough that he'll quit arresting you." She gazed at Rose, her chin lifted stubbornly. "Travis may be grown, but I'm still his mother, and sometimes he needs to be taken down a notch or two. This is one of those times."

"But why are you doing this?" Rose asked, wondering at the woman's purpose.

"I want to know what happened to my son, Tanner. He ran off and joined the war and he's never returned. I want you to try to help me contact him again." The little gray-haired woman picked at the strings of her purse.

Rose cringed. This woman was sincerely interested in trying to reach her son on the other side. Yet Rose was just playing a game of speaking to spirits. It was just a way to make a living. "I can't help you."

"Why not?"

Rose glanced at the woman and then at the clock. The clock was ticking, the stage would be leaving, and regardless of how much she'd have liked to stay and help Eugenia, it was all an act. She had to be on that stage.

"I'm sorry. I'm not taking any chances on returning to that jail."

She went to the closet, pulled out her trunk, and dragged it across the floor to her bedroom. Everything she owned could be compartmentalized into this trunk. The magic, the tarot cards, the tablecloth, and the dinner bell all bundled together.

"Desirée, I'm asking you to contact my son Tanner and help my son Travis overcome some of his pride." Mrs. Burnett scurried behind her into the bedroom.

"Your son Travis and I get along about as good as a hornet in a bee hive. Right now I'd like to blacken his eyes and knock out his teeth. For a man, he's got a heart of stone."

"You're right. For too many years, Travis has been responsible for the running of the ranch. He takes himself and his responsibilities much too seriously. He needs to learn that life is not all work and should be fun occasionally."

"Well, don't look at me. I'd sooner round up rattlesnakes than try to teach that man to play."

The matron laughed. "Snakes bite."

"Not unless you get too close, and I don't plan on getting anywhere near your son. I'm taking the next stage to San Antonio and from there I hope to take a train to New York in the next few months." She threw her clothes into her trunk.

"Travis was forced to become tough at an early age and young women do not see past his gruff mannerisms. He's really a good man. I know that he, too, would like to find out about his brother."

"I'm sure he would," Rose said absentmindedly, as she picked up personal items and put them in her traveling case. "But not with my help."

Eugenia stepped around the suitcase and watched as Desirée threw things into the strongbox. No matter what she said, the girl was determined to leave. And if she left town, Eugenia felt certain her chances of finding the right woman for Travis would be next to nothing. Only Desirée Severin seemed to have caught her son's attention.

The sparks she'd seen in her son's eyes when he mentioned Desirée's name were more than just passing embers. Here was a woman who attracted him, who was strong enough to hold her own against him. Someone who could drag him in off the range and make him realize that land could consume a man. After all, it had exhausted his father, but Eugenia was not going to let that happen to her sons. She'd already lost a husband and possibly a son; she was not about to lose another one.

Travis needed someone who could teach him about the things in life that really mattered, not just what a man thought was important.

She knew that Desirée Severin was the only woman she'd met who wasn't afraid of her son's scowl and loud bark. The continued threat of jail was the only reason Desirée was leaving.

"There's no way I can persuade you to stay?" she asked quietly, wringing her hands.

"Ha! And get to know the girls down in the county jail? I don't think so. Jails are not where I want to spend my time," Desirée said as she leaned into the wooden box to straighten some clothes.

"Now where did I put my brooch?" she said, digging through a chest.

Eugenia laid her hand on the top of the trunk, her diamond wedding band glistened in the sunlight. It sparkled, its brilliance twinkling, distracting her, reminding her of her promise to her husband to make sure their sons found wives. She glanced at the ring, then turned her gaze on Desirée. There had to be a way to change the young woman's mind.

The idea slammed into her with the force of a mule kicking its rider. She took a deep breath and tried to think rationally.

She couldn't! The girl didn't deserve to be treated like a common thief. But then again, if the end justified the means, wouldn't it be worth a little white lie?

Who was she kidding? This wasn't any little white lie. This was a whopper even the state of Texas couldn't contain.

"You know, Mrs. Burnett, I hope you find out what really happened to your son, Tanner. And I hope some woman teaches Travis the important lessons of life, but it isn't going to be me."

Eugenia glanced at her hand and then back up at Desirée. "He definitely has a few lessons he needs to learn." She walked to the door. She had to get out of here, before she gave away the plan that was quickly forming in her mind.

She was about to take a huge risk, but one son was lost and the other two didn't seem concerned about settling down. Maybe Travis needed a little shove in the right direction.

"Have a safe journey, Miss Severin, and I hope to see you again, soon."

Eugenia hurried out the door of
The Last Word
. She gazed at the ring on her finger and quickly slipped it off and into a coin purse in her reticule. Glancing down the street, she smiled like a naughty schoolgirl and hurried to her buggy.

Things were about to get real interesting! The fireworks were about to begin, and it wasn't even the Fourth of July!

***

"What do you mean, you paid her fine and got her out of jail?" Travis demanded. Of all the stunts his mother had ever pulled, this had to top them all. He stalked the small kitchen, pacing in front of the open window that showed the afternoon sun slinking toward the horizon. "She's a damn crook, Mother. A cheat and a liar!"

"I didn't know. Miss Severin didn't do anything to me, Travis, before you had her put in jail!" Eugenia replied. She took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. "It wasn't until I left her parlor that I realized my ring was missing out of my reticule."