Yours Again (River City Series) (3 page)

Chapter 3

Taos
Williams rode into the tiny mining town of River City in the northern mountains
of New Mexico Territory. His body tense, he scanned the buildings for any sign
of threat as he slowly rode his large chestnut gelding down the main street. River
City had, as short as ten years ago, been the county seat and biggest
settlement in Northern New Mexico. But now, with the initial gold boom a
distant memory, it had shrunk to only a few hundred residents. There were one
or two companies still mining some productive veins, but everything else had mostly
petered out.

That
was until a couple of months ago. Discovery of new placer deposits in the
Placer River and a new vein of lode gold up on Baldy Peak had people streaming
in again, but not nearly at the volume they had been coming a decade earlier. Still,
the town was shifting into boom mode again.

The
good news is that it meant higher prices and a larger market for their cattle
close to home. Driving them through the mountains to the railroad wasn’t the
most efficient as far as time or revenue was concerned. But he and his two
brothers Charlie and Darren, had done what they had to do the last few years, which
is why they survived the post-boom downturn when so many other cattlemen had to
pack it in.

Taos
noted a few men he didn’t recognize leaning against the railing of the saloon,
but that was a regular occurrence these days. New people arrived with every
stage, and there was no way to keep up with who was who, especially since he
didn’t come to town unless he absolutely had to.

The
men eyeballed him as he rode past but none made a move. Used to be this town
was a happy go lucky old fashioned boom town, but this year had turned neighbor
against neighbor, friend against friend. An extended drought dried up creeks
and springs all over the valley, and now with miners competing with ranchers
for what little water remained, things had reached a fevered pitch. Last week’s
incident down at Bear Creek had brought things to a head as several cattle had
been found shot dead, presumably by miners.

The
whole town was a cinder box waiting on a match—both figuratively and literally.
One shot could potentially start a full blown range war that would put the
Lincoln County war to shame. While the timber and forage pastures were so dry
right now that even a wayward spark or lightning bolt could start an inferno
that would sweep through the valley destroying what little remained of the town
or the livestock. Every single person seemed on edge and with very good reason.

Some
of the best water in the valley was on the Williams’ ranch and Taos was under
no illusions that there were some who would use just about any means to get
their hands on it. He’d had offers from other ranchers and even mining
companies to divert some of the water on their ranch, but he’d turned them all
down. Water was life in this valley and once it was gone, you were done. He had
to protect what was his, and he’d do it at any cost.

Taos
reined up at Hardin’s Mercantile and tied up his horse. The nervous atmosphere
of town made his horse dance a bit in front of the hitching post. He stroked
the gelding’s neck and spoke softly, calming the animal. He didn’t really blame
the horse; having to be around the people of River City made him just as jumpy.

Spurs
jingled as Taos strode across the planks in front of the building. The bell
above the door alerted everyone in the store to his presence, and as usual when
he went anywhere in this town, conversation stopped and they all stared. It’s
not that he wasn’t used to it, but it was still a little awkward. He ducked
into the store, feeling much taller than his six-foot-three frame and
completely out of place among the women shopping.

Taos
had never been overly popular with people in town and that certainly included
the women. Even when he was younger he had kept to himself and didn’t mix much;
his height had made him an uncoordinated and abnormally skinny teen. He’d put
on a good sixty or seventy pounds since then, all of it muscle, but that had
only made him feel like a hulking beast. Then he’d married and when that went
south, a terrible image was planted forever in people’s minds, courtesy of his
wife.

Even
now, years after his she had fled the territory, people still treated him like
a leper. He learned years ago that there was no way of convincing anyone that
his wife had lied about everything that had happened in their short marriage. The
story was just too juicy for the townspeople to drop.

Mr.
Hardin greeted him with a nod and took the list Taos offered, gazing at it
through the half glasses that sat on his nose. The man’s wife smiled, “It’s a
fine day today, isn’t it Taos?”

He
nodded, “I suppose it is.”

“Might
even rain if we’re lucky,” Mrs. Hardin smiled at him while her husband gathered
the items in his order.

The
Hardins had known Taos’s father for years before he died and had gone out of
their way to let Taos know they didn’t give a hot mouse turd what anyone said
about him. Mrs. Hardin always made a point to speak to him even if no one else in
town did. He appreciated her effort, but he knew it was no use. She probably
did, too, but it was still nice to at least see a friendly face.

Once
his father had died, there had been nothing to stop the rumor mill from working
overtime. Jake Williams had been larger than life and had the kind of
personality that could win over anyone about anything. Taos often thought the
man should have run for office, but Jake was content to stay on the ranch after
his wife died and raise his three boys. Taos only hoped he’d be as good a
father to his son, Tommy.

Taos’s
brother Charlie had the same personality as their dad, and as annoying as it
was sometimes, it certainly came in handy on occasion. He wished Charlie had
been around today to take care of this little chore, but he’d been escorting a
prisoner over to Taos for Sheriff Blake as he often did, and wasn’t due back
until late this afternoon.

“Taos!
Taos Williams!” a female voice squealed.

He
groaned inwardly and pretended not to hear. It was one of Mertie Mae Morrison’s
daughters. He wasn’t sure which one, but it really didn’t matter; they could
both scare off a whole flock of crows with their screeching.

“Mr.
Williams?”

He
turned toward the girls’ mother. Mertie Mae Morrison was never far from her precious
offspring and she looked ready to pounce on Taos today. A tall hawk-beaked
woman with an abnormally long face and teeth too big for her mouth, Mertie
Mae’s face closely resembled that of a horse. Taos had no idea how a man could
kiss a woman like that and not have his horse look at him funny every day
afterward.

“Mr.
Williams, I’d like to discuss some business with you, if you don’t mind.”

Oh
boy.
He knew exactly what kind of business she wanted to discuss, and he
absolutely did not want to hear it. Mertie Mae was determined to foist off
those girls of hers on someone and if she could get some water for her parched
farm out of the deal, he was sure she would consider that a win.

“Uh,
I’m just picking up a few things. I’ve got to be on my way.”

The
woman gave him a disbelieving glare. “It won’t take but a moment and I’m sure
you have time to spare in your social calendar.”

The
comment drew a few whispers from the handful of spectators and instantly pissed
him off. She couldn’t resist pointing out he had absolutely no social calendar
and preferred it that way. The last thing he wanted in his life, or his son’s life,
was a meddling woman.

“Actually
I don’t, Ma’am. I have a meeting. “

She
didn’t budge.

“At
the
saloon
,” he leaned forward for emphasis and saw her twitch. Mertie Mae
was a bible thumper and wouldn’t dare follow him into the saloon. He didn’t
really have any business there, but if he had to hide out and have a shot of
whiskey to get rid of her while Hardin filled his order, then so be it.

“Fine,
but I intend to discuss this business with you as soon as possible.”

Taos
never ran from confrontation. In his mind it was better to get it over with than
have to face it another day. “Look Mertie Mae, I’m not interested in your girls,”
he cast a glance at their embarrassed faces and instantly softened his reproach.
“I’m sure they will find someone who cares for them and settle down, but I am
not going to marry one of them. Ever.”

Mertie
Mae lowered her voice, “Well, perhaps we can come to another arrangement. No
need for you to get into the same situation as before.”

Taos
actually thought about popping her one right on that hawk-bill nose of hers.
Not that it would do the rumors about him any favors. What kind of mother
basically sells off her children to save livestock?

Taos
towered over the woman, purposely crowding her, “If you are planning to sell
your daughters’ virtue to the highest bidder that is your business, but don’t
expect me to be one of those bidders.”

Mertie
Mae sputtered, “Well, I never! I had no such thing in mind. Come on girls.” She
stomped out of the mercantile and he turned back to Mr. Hardin, who had a hard
time concealing his grin.

Mr.
Hardin winked, “I added a few of those lemon drops Tommy likes so much, if
that’s okay.”

Taos
nodded and picked up his order, leaving without another word. He packed the
items carefully in his saddle bags and grabbed the saddle to swing up. He
glanced up at the bluff that rose about fifty feet above the town at one end of
Main Street.

The
bluff had the best view in the whole valley of the surrounding mountains. He’d
never understood why the town had decided to reserve that prime spot for the
dead, but they had. The last time he was up there was his father’s funeral. The
old man wanted to be placed next to his wife instead of on the ranch, and
they’d honored that request. Taos hadn’t been back up there since.

Taos
thought he caught a movement or glint of something on the bluff, but as he
stared he didn’t see anything. Another moment passed and suddenly a small woman
came into view.

The
sun glinted off golden hair the color of spun silk. That was what he’d seen. He
didn’t recognize her as someone from River City, but with all the new people
coming in, it could certainly be someone he just didn’t know yet.
She must
be paying her respects
, he thought until she spread her arms wide and
twirled around, an angelic expression on her face.

His
breath caught for a moment as he stared trying to make out her face. Whoever
she was, she’d put old Mertie Mae’s girls to shame, not that it was all that
hard. That woman had gotten more desperate with each passing week as more
people came to River City. While it expanded the available pool of possible
suitors, most were dreamers still looking to make their fortune, not landowners
who’d already made theirs. And that was what Mertie Mae had in mind as
son-in-law material.

He
frowned. Pretty women coming to town would not be good news for Mertie Mae’s
matchmaking, but it also made Taos very wary. He’d been the victim of feminine
wiles before and he’d be damned if he fell for it again even if the woman
looked like an angel straight out of heaven.

Chapter 4

Samantha
walked back to town and quickly rented a horse from the livery, setting out to
the north. She hadn’t ridden astride in nine years, but it felt good to feel
the horse beneath her body as it ran. She yanked the pins from her hair and
tossed them into the wind, allowing her hair to flow in the breeze.

They
raced across the valley as the last rays of sun dipped behind the clouds and shadows
crossed the land. Just the feel of wind rushing past her body filled Samantha
with a sense of freedom and control. It was a remembered feeling that she only
now realized she had missed.

She
reined the horse to a stop at a creek bed that crossed the valley, surprised
that it was dry. She’d never remembered this creek being dry, and certainly not
at this time of year. She looked around and realized the grass the horse ran
through was dry and crisp as if there hadn’t been rain in a very long time.

A
loud clap of thunder snapped Samantha into action. She urged the horse down the
side of the bank and across, quickly climbing the other side. A creek bed was
no place to get caught in a thunderstorm. As a child she’d witnessed the terror
of flash floods racing through the valley and knew the danger well.

The
ranch land was remarkably unchanged with rolling hills escalating into the tall
peaks in the distance. There were fewer homes than she remembered, and some of
the cabins she passed seemed abandoned. Not surprising, given what she’d seen
in town. The pastures rolled up to the tree line part way up the mountains that
sported tall pines and beautiful aspens in full summer greenery. Cattle dotted
the range in some areas but they were sparse.

As
Samantha rode toward the upper end of the valley that led to the western
mountain pass, she could see several areas that had been mined and old mining
equipment that looked as if the workers had just dropped their tools and walked
away. She wondered what had happened on the Williams’ ranch and on her ranch
which bordered theirs to the south.

The
Williams brothers had looked after her property for nine years, and hopefully
at least the house was still standing. She didn’t want to impose on them
forever, but for the time being it was probably better she stayed at their
house just as she had the few months after her mother died.

Samantha’s
father had built their cabin by hand, but thinking about standing in it once
again made her uneasy. It held some wonderful memories but had also been
witness to all the grief and heartache she’d experienced at such a young age. She
didn’t relish the idea of digging up all that pain again.

The
sky darkened and rolled with unspent fury like a caldron waiting to boil over. The
man at the livery had been right. She should have waited for the storm to pass.
The weather hadn’t looked that bad an hour ago, and after days of confinement
on the train and stage coach, she’d needed to breathe deeply of fresh air.

The
horse’s hooves slid sideways a short distance, jolting her attention back to
the trail. Samantha gripped the saddle horn tightly. Sandy mountain dirt became
a river of muck very quickly and if the horse lost its footing not only was it
dangerous, but it could be deadly. Now splattered with large round wet spots, the
once beautiful periwinkle silk of her traveling dress looked like a ridiculous
polka dot. She hadn’t had time to buy something more suited to this wild,
rugged country when she fled Boston, and it was clear that this dress had seen
its last ride. Not that she cared much, but it had been one of Aunt Mattie’s
favorites.

One
quick flash of lightning brought a torrent of rain and silhouetted a lone rider
at the top of the ridge she’d just passed. Samantha’s back stiffened. With the
next flash she looked again. No one. Her nerves danced, and she urged the horse
faster, scanning the ridge repeatedly. Still no one. Maybe she had imagined it.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that unseen eyes followed her every move.

Another
bluff loomed just ahead and she exhaled her relief. Shelter was close. She
shivered. Large drops pelted the ground and the aroma of sage permeated the
air. Steam rose off the horse’s neck into the rain cooled air as it galloped.
The countryside now smelled like Aunt Mattie’s kitchen on Thanksgiving.

A
shout in the distance sent a tremor of fear skittering up Samantha’s spine. She
dug her heels into the horse’s side and leaned forward in the saddle. The
beating of hooves and rumble of thunder drowned out the man’s voice. The harsh
reality of riding headlong through pouring rain with no help in sight
constricted her breathing and made her heart vibrate erratically. If this
stranger intended her harm, she would be at his mercy. The Williams’ didn’t
even know she was on her way. They wouldn't know to come looking if she never
arrived.

Samantha
skirted the base of the bluff toward a small box canyon on the other side—a
dead end. No one knew about the old mine opening but the Williams boys and
maybe an Indian or two. A stranger, even a ranch hand familiar with the area,
would not be able to find it. Jake Williams and Sam James had initially started
out gold mining but quickly realized they could make more money selling beef to
miners than actually mining. The mine had been abandoned long before she could
even walk.

If
Samantha could get far enough ahead of the rider, it would be easy to slip
inside the old mine and wait out the storm. He’d go on thinking she had just
disappeared. Now she was actually grateful for the rain. It held the dust down
and quickly erased any tracks at the same time, making it very difficult for
anyone to follow. She glanced behind her. Nothing.

If
I can’t see him, then he can’t see me.

She
pulled the reins across the horse’s neck and veered toward her destination. The
mine was at the very back of the tiny canyon beyond a small stand of thick
brush. She nudged the animal forward with her ankles as its hooves slid on the
steep terrain.

What
did the liveryman say this horse’s name was? Jerry, Jamie, no . . . Jessie,
that’s it.

Samantha
reached up and patted the overheated flesh, “There you go, Jessie. Come on,
just a little further.” He responded to her voice, bobbing his head and
trudging a few more steps up the hill. When it seemed they could go no further,
Jessie stopped and she climbed off.

Intent
on finding the mine entrance, she tripped over a rotted log and slid to her
knees. Cold mud soaked through her dress to her legs sending a shiver up her
spine. The sticky dirt clung to everything that touched it. She stood, her
skirt straining at the waist, weighed down now by thick muck. She concentrated
on lifting her mud-caked feet one by one as she trudged up the hill, the earth
threatening to suck each shoe off in turn.

Samantha
finally found the mine entrance and hurried forward. Jessie hesitated. A sharp
tug on the reins, and they were both engulfed in inky blackness. Only shadows
filtered through the long narrow opening, even though the lightning flashed
nearer now. Shivering almost uncontrollably now, Samantha rubbed her upper arms,
trying to get some warmth going. She listened intently for any hint that the
man still followed. The pounding of raindrops and the gurgle of water flowing down
toward the bottom of the canyon were the only sounds.

Jessie
huffed hot breath into the darkness. She rubbed his nose, then placed icy hands
on his hot neck, trying to borrow some warmth. They waited for what seemed an
eternity but was probably no more than a few minutes. Samantha edged toward the
opening, groping her way along the wall. Gingerly she stuck her head out and
squinted through sheets of rain. She seemed to be alone, but couldn’t really
tell.

Minutes
passed as she strained to detect any movement in the canyon below. Still
nothing. Her heart calmed a bit, and she walked blindly toward her horse. The
animal nudged her outstretched hand. She ran her palm along its mane and back
to the small bag tied to the saddle. The valise contained only two dresses. Hopefully
something would be dry. As she reached to untie the bag, a rock tumbled into
the entrance. Jessie nervously stepped back a pace. Samantha stood frozen and held
her breath.

“I
know you’re in here, lady." A deep voice echoed off the walls of the tiny mine
and reverberated in her ears. His presence filled the space and seemed to take
up what little air remained.

The
stranger shuffled forward and his boot clunked against a rock. Samantha heard pebbles
shower the mine floor as his hand brushed the wall. She could hear his
breathing as he moved closer—almost within reach now. Ducking low, she crept
quietly along the opposite wall but was still no more than a few feet from the
man in the tiny space of the mine. She hoped his horse would be agreeable to a
different rider if she was lucky enough to make it outside. Samantha felt the
air swirl as a sleeve passed over her head, and she dashed for the entrance. Gloved
fingers clamped around her wrist like bands of steel, jerking her to a halt.

“Gotcha!"
His tone was triumphant, “You need to come along with me.”

“I’m
not going anywhere," Samantha scrambled for footing, trying not to fall
headlong into the dirt. “I’ll be fine right here." She squirmed and tugged
against his grasp.

“In
a mine?"

Samantha
was both panicked and annoyed at the sarcasm in his voice. “I can take care of
myself.”

“You
think so?" His tone indicated that he was smiling. If he thought she was
some wilting wall flower, then he was in for a surprise

“I
know so."

“Do
you have any food?”

“Well,
no.”

“Any
water?”

“I‘m
dripping wet." She heard him grunt and continued her struggle against an
iron grip. “I’m not hungry or thirsty, so it’s not a problem.”

“Your
horse
is hungry and thirsty, and I know you’re wet and cold. Do you have
any way to build a fire?”

“No.”

“Look
lady, this ain’t some big city back east. It’s dangerous out here. This storm
doesn’t look like it will let up anytime soon.”

Fear
contracted her chest. How did he know she was from Boston? Had he followed her
from town? She tugged harder and moved one foot in a large circle feeling for
something solid. She needed a weapon, maybe a big rock. “I said I’d be fine
right here. Go attack some other poor woman." She gave him a look that
would have withered an entire forest if he’d been able to see it in the
darkness.

“I’m
trying to help you, not attack you." He flicked his wrist and she lurched forward,
slamming into him. “If you had half a brain, you would know that.”

She
could feel his voice rumble through his massive chest. “Well, excuse me for not
being able to tell the difference." Samantha’s head came no higher than
his shirt pockets. The man was a giant and obviously used to getting his own
way.

He
leaned toward her. The warmth from his breath touched her cheek. “I’m not going
to stand here and argue with you. You are coming with me whether you like it or
not, and we are leaving right now."

His
voice was soft, but it sent an uneasy tremor down her spine.
Keep him talking
and think of some way out of this!
“I am not going anywhere with you.” She
slid one mud-clumped foot back behind her. What kind of mine had no rocks?

“Yes,
you are!" His voice echoed off the walls and rang in her ears.

She
stamped her foot in frustration and tried to peel his fingers off her wrist
with her free hand. It was like trying to move granite with a toothpick. “Do
you spend all your time harassing unsuspecting women?"

No
answer.

She
squirmed like a trapped rabbit. Her panic forced a false bravado. “I will
not
be held captive by some lonely, love-starved cowboy.”

He
chuckled, “Lady, if I was lonely, I could do a damn sight better than some
half-witted piece of fluff too stupid to come in out of the rain.”

Half-witted
piece of fluff?
Her fear transformed itself into anger in the space of a
heartbeat. “You obnoxious, cocky . . . um,”—expletives weren’t really her
forte, and she couldn’t think of one vile enough for this situation—“cowhand!
Do you think you can bully anyone who comes along?" The mine echoed her
rage. “First of all, I happen to
be
out of the rain and you’re trying to
drag me back into it. You act like your mother never told you ‘no’ your whole
life. I bet you just smack anyone around who doesn’t follow orders. It’s no
wonder you’re so desperate. You just wait until the Williamses hear about
this!”

Samantha
sensed the change in him as his grip tightened on her wrist. She had pushed him
over some unknown precipice. The air inside the mine crackled with more
electricity than the air outside. Her heart filled with dread and she braced
herself, closed one eye, and cringed, waiting for the blow. It would certainly
not be the first time her mouth had attracted more trouble than she could
handle. She flinched as huge hands grabbed both her shoulders.

“Who
are you lady, and what do you want?” he growled