A Rancher's Vow Read online

  Tucker put on a good imitation of a man who’d just been insulted. Emmett would give him that.

  “It’s not my fault that you’ve gone in arrears on your mortgage payments.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  Silence stretched between them. Silence and Tucker’s outraged expression. His features turned blood-red at the accusation.

  “What are you saying, Emmett? That you think I’m responsible for your bad luck?”

  “Maybe there’s no such thing as bad luck,” Emmett returned. “Maybe everything bad that’s happened on the Curly-Q is your fault!”

  An idea that had come to him well before the threat of foreclosure. Ever since the bad-luck incidents had started and the telephone calls had begun, Emmett had wondered if his nemesis was behind the scheme.

  “You can’t seriously believe that of me.”

  “Why not? You never forgave me because I blew the whistle on your dirty little game. Maybe you’ve been plotting against me for years, and when I was alone and got sick you saw your chance to move in and bankrupt me like the financial snake you’ve become.”

  Tucker rose. “When you’ve come to your senses, call me. There’s something I think you need to see—”

  “You’re not going nowhere!” Emmett popped out of his seat. “Not until you admit your guilt.”

  “Are you sure it’s not your guilt that’s bothering you, Emmett?”

  “What?” Emmett fisted his hands and set them on the desk as he leaned toward his former partner. “I haven’t fabricated the bad luck that’s been plaguing us!”

  Tucker leaned forward, meeting him eye-to-eye. “Maybe one of your other victims isn’t quite so forgiving as I was.”

  “That’s a crock! Besides, you deserved worse than you ever got!”

  “You couldn’t make a woman happy, so when Sunny turned to me just to find out what she was doing wrong, you jumped to conclusions and made sure Nancy heard your garbage about Sunny and me being lovers.”

  Plagued by his third wife’s desertion, Emmett was near to seeing red. “At least Nancy stuck by you.”

  “In body, perhaps, but not in spirit. She stayed with me for Alcina and Charles, and once they went away to school, she felt free to leave, as well. You made it impossible for me to have my own wife…or to find a woman to replace her. And all because you drove Chance’s mother off the ranch and then you let him believe she abandoned him!”

  Unable to take any more, Emmett yelled, “That’s a damn lie!” and hurled himself up and over the desk at his nemesis. Even as the two men went flying backward into the chair, he heard a buzzing in his ears.

  “Pa!” Reed yelled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  But Emmett’s fists were flying and connecting, and he was taking his share of punches in return. He hadn’t felt this good in years.

  Suddenly, he was lifted off Tucker by the scruff of his neck, his shirt nearly strangling him in the process. He lashed out ineffectually, Reed merely dancing out of the way.

  “I don’t believe it, Pa!” Reed yelled. “Look at you, practically foaming at the mouth to get into a brawl…and you’re hardly out of breath. Great calisthenics, Pa, for a man who’s supposed to be dying!”

  Emmett cursed a blue streak.

  The jig was up.

  ALCINA WAS OFF for her bed-and-breakfast about an hour after Reed headed for the ranch house to report to work. She’d needed to shower and do something with her makeup and hair, and the tiny bathroom in the trailer fought her every inch of the way. Nevertheless, she had her standards, so she did the best she could.

  Too bad Reed hadn’t stuck around to see her after she’d taken care of the bird’s nest her hair had become without her satin-covered pillow. No matter that they’d been married the day before and that everyone would have understood if he hadn’t shown for work at all, he’d jumped into his clothes and whipped out of the trailer before she’d even had time to protest.

  Sighing, Alcina figured he’d been relieved to be able to get away from her.

  Just as she was relieved to be able to get out of the trailer that gave her claustrophobia. And one night in that rotten little bed and she already needed her Jacuzzi for her aching back muscles. But as badly as she’d fared, it had been worse for Reed, she thought with a grin.

  He’d slept on the couch that had been a full six inches too short for him.

  At his own insistence, of course.

  Always the gentleman. She’d give him that.

  Hoping to see her father in person before he left for Taos, Alcina was disappointed to find his car gone. Well, what had she expected, he wouldn’t know she would be back this early and the weather had sure cleared.

  Sometime during the early-morning hours, a warm front had chased away the cold, and the white blanket that had settled over the ground the night before had already gone patchy. By midafternoon, when temperatures would reach the high fifties according to the local weatherman, there would be no sign of snow, she knew.

  For some reason, Alcina hesitated entering the empty house. She wanted to hear voices. Conversation. Laughter. Reed had withheld those from her. After she’d stormed his domain, he’d withdrawn into one of his quiet, thoughtful moods.

  Maybe a visit to Pru was in order. Her friend could cheer her up and give her tips on how to win over her very own Quarrels boy, as Daddy had called Reed.

  But first she had to attend to Miss Kitty as she’d promised Josie when she’d volunteered to vacate the premises for the night. The cat needed fresh food and water, not to mention a warm word and a pat on the head.

  Alcina needed that, too, but Reed hadn’t seen fit to give it to her this morning.

  Leaving the car on the street in front, Alcina circled the building and entered the house via the mudroom.

  “Miss Kitty!” she sang out, expecting to be assaulted by one hungry cat.

  But the house was oddly still and Alcina only had to take one step inside the kitchen to realize why.

  Cabinet doors and drawers stood open, their contents strewn every which way. Canisters had been dumped, their contents littering the counters.

  Breath caught in her throat, pulse thundering through the rest of her, Alcina could hardly grasp that someone had wreaked such havoc on her place.

  And could still be here…

  Cautiously, she backed off, feeling her way into the mudroom, eyes glued to the swinging door that led to the front of the house. Intent, she didn’t sense another presence until she smacked into the body behind her.

  Jerking and screaming, Alcina flew around, fists flailing at the intruder.

  “Wow!” Wide-eyed and ashen, Josie jumped back fast. “What in the world’s going on?”

  Alcina sagged. “Th-the kitchen. Look.”

  Josie poked her head through the doorway. “Oh, Lord.”

  “I thought you were the intruder. Let’s get out of here, go get help.”

  “Bart’s tied up with family business right now—Reed, too. That’s why I came back to check on Miss Kitty. Where is she?”

  Alcina shook her head.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Before Alcina could stop her, Josie shot out the door. No way did she want to be in the house alone, so Alcina followed. But Josie only went as far as the back of the ranch pickup she’d driven. There she grabbed a rifle from the rack and checked to make certain it was loaded.

  Alcina hated guns. Eyeing the rifle that Josie handled so expertly, she said, “You want to go back in there without someone checking the place out first?”

  Josie moved back toward the entry, muttering, “We don’t exactly have a lawman around unless you count Bart and, like I said, he’s unavailable right now. My cat’s in there, so I’m doing the checking.”

  “Not alone,” Alcina muttered.

  Whipping through the mudroom, she picked up a broom with a thick wooden shaft. Not exactly a true weapon, but it would do some serious damage. Besides, it made her feel better holding
on to something solid.

  She and Josie went through the house together, side by side, checking each room carefully for some other presence before moving on to the next. Alcina was distraught at the mess, especially at Pru’s flowers, dumped and strewn all over, crushed under some uncaring boot heel.

  “I don’t understand why some would-be thief would do this,” Alcina murmured, half in shock.

  “Frustration,” Josie said, keeping alert, sweeping her gaze beyond the room and holding her rifle at the ready. “The guy’s obviously a loser. What he did here has nothing to do with you personally.”

  But Alcina couldn’t rid herself of the horrible suspicion that it was personal. That someone could hate her, and her not even be aware of it, gave her the creeps.

  That creepy feeling stayed with her as she and Josie climbed the staircase together.

  An unexpected crash from somewhere upstairs made her heart lurch.

  Alcina clutched Josie’s arm and whispered, “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

  But her friend’s expression was determined. “No one will ever make me run away again.”

  Alcina sighed. There were two of them and Josie was armed. They’d be all right.

  Nevertheless, her breath came ragged as they took the last few stairs and began to check the bedrooms. Objects she’d bought with love had been treated with the utmost disrespect and were strewn everywhere.

  Alcina swallowed her upset, refused to let it work against her. She needed to harness her own anger to stay safe.

  In silence, they went through one bedroom at a time, ever on the alert for some intruder waiting in the shadows for his chance to jump out at them. They eliminated one room after the other and paused when they got to the last—Josie’s.

  They stared at each other. Alcina took a deep breath, licked her lips and nodded.

  They burst through the door as one…this room, too, was empty.

  Relief had barely washed through Alcina when a thunk in the closet made her go tight once more. The door was cracked open.

  Josie took a stance, rifle raised and aimed.

  And gripping the broom in her right hand, Alcina stood back and reached for the doorknob with her left. She snatched the door open so fast she stumbled backward…

  And the cat came flying out at them, yowling indignantly.

  Both women started, then sagged with relief.

  “Oh, Lord, it’s just the cat,” Alcina said shakily. “Whoever was here is gone.”

  “Come here, you,” Josie cooed.

  She set down the rifle to gather the frightened animal into her arms. Miss Kitty clung to her pitifully and complained in her own cat fashion.

  “So what went on here?” Josie asked.

  Alcina shook her head. Knees weak, she lowered herself to Josie’s bed. “I—I guess I’ve been robbed.”

  “But of what? The silver was still on the buffet. Wouldn’t a thief have taken that?”

  “Maybe the pattern wasn’t to his taste?” Alcina said, laughing and hiccuping at the same time. “Maybe he was just looking for cash.”

  Rising suddenly, she headed for her own room, a mess equal to the others. It took her only a minute to check for her stash, which she kept along with her checkbook in the top drawer of the chest.

  “That’s it. I had nearly three hundred dollars here. It’s gone. He got what he wanted.”

  Relieved, she decided Josie had been right, the intruder’s wreckage hadn’t been personal. He’d just been frustrated looking for the cash.

  “But who?”

  “Last night, when I left for Reed’s trailer, I saw someone up the street. I thought maybe he was watching the house, but then he disappeared. Thank God he didn’t break in while Daddy was here alone.”

  Then she saw it, the music box, lying on its side on the floor next to the dresser.

  “He probably didn’t want to hurt anyone, just wanted some money,” Josie said. “How good of a look did you get?”

  “Not good.” Alcina picked up the treasure. “Too dark. All I saw was his shape. Big.” Tightening her grip on the music box, she concentrated. “I keep thinking there’s something else…I just can’t put my finger on it. He’s probably a transient and long gone back to the highway.”

  “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  The music box…

  Alcina lifted the lid, and when the tune began playing, she triggered the catch that released the secret, velvet-lined drawer.

  Empty!

  “PA’S A FRAUD,” Reed announced to his brothers once he assembled the family meeting in the living room nearly an hour later.

  Tucker had finally left.

  The two old men had turned on him, had told him to butt out and had sent him packing. They’d had some unfinished business, according to Tucker, and in disgust, Reed had left them to it and to their raised voices. And to their raised fists, for all he knew or cared.

  Well, Pa was finished now.

  “Pa’s not dying,” Reed announced to all. “As a matter of fact, he’s healthy as a mule.”

  “Not quite,” the old man said. “I may not be on my deathbed, but I do have a bad ticker!”

  Felice cleared her throat and gave him a look.

  Which Pa ignored.

  “I had a real scare last year about the time Sara was killed,” he said of Bart’s late wife. “Thought it was a heart attack. That’s why I wasn’t at the funeral. I landed in the hospital for a few days for all them tests.”

  “Felice?” Bart said, looking to her for confirmation.

  “That part is true, Mr. Reed,” she said. “But Dr. Baxter said that if Mr. Emmett took his medicine, changed his diet and modified his activities, he could live to be ninety. I apologize deeply that I let him talk me into keeping my silence.”

  Pa at ninety, nothing would make Reed happier. But right at the moment he was damn angry with the old man! Pa had been using everyone, especially him.

  “So nothing’s changed,” Bart said, shaking his head.

  Chance gave their father a look of disgust. “You’ve been manipulating us all.”

  “Now wait a minute. I had good reason. That scare made me realize what’s important in life. Family. I wanted my sons home, where they’ve always belonged. I wanted to get to know my grandkids. All of them,” he said pointedly, staring at Chance. “I figured if I just asked you all, you wouldn’t come.”

  “And the bad-luck incidents had nothing to do with it, I suppose,” Reed said.

  Clever as always, Pa talked around the direct question. “This ranch has always been your legacy. I didn’t think you’d want to see it disappear.”

  “You could have been honest, Pa,” Reed said, “for once in your life.”

  “I knew this wasn’t going to work,” Chance said, sounding disappointed.

  “What are you talking about?” Emmett demanded. “It has been working. We’re all pulling together and—”

  “No, you’re pulling the strings again,” Chance said. “Bart never wanted to be a rancher. The law’s his life. You guilted him into doing what you wanted.”

  “That’s not totally true,” Bart said. “I wanted to get my kids away from the city gangs. I was glad for the excuse to come back where I could give them a better life.”

  “Are you saying you preferred the responsibility of this ranch to your career in law enforcement?” When Bart said nothing, Chance grunted. “Thought so. And what about Reed? He’s the one with the fire for ranching. And the experience. He should be running this place.”

  All eyes turned to Reed. This was his moment, he knew. He should speak out and now. Chance was nothing if not perceptive. But the moment of opportunity passed too quickly before he could speak, and his little brother went on.

  “And what about me, Pa?” Chance asked. “You won’t even discuss my rodeo school. Or the other ideas I have about bringing in money to the spread through tourists. But a rodeo school would involve kids and cowboys from ranches all around. And it sure would be
a start in the right direction to help keep this place in the black. Maybe when I get to the National, I ought to ask around, see if someone else is interested. Pru might not like leaving Silver Springs, but she’s already told me she’ll follow me anywhere.”

  “And maybe I’d better rethink my job situation,” Bart said. “Sheriff Olvera called last week and said that I had to be back at work by the first of the year or my job is gone forever. Maybe I need to rethink selling our house in Albuquerque.”

  Trying not to panic, Reed said, “Whoa, not so fast. Just because Pa tricked us is no reason to give up. He backed himself into a corner. Legally. Any decisions about the direction of the ranch or who does what is up to us, not him.” Above all, Reed feared that his brothers would give up and sell out just as Pa had predicted. “And now that we know he’s not dying, we don’t have to pussyfoot around him just to make him happy.”

  He was certain the family-corporation ranch could work. It was what he’d always wanted—him and Chance and Bart working toward a common goal—with him heading it up, of course. Not that he’d ever put that to words. He might have swallowed his own youthful expectations, but he’d never forgotten them.

  Hell, no, he didn’t want to quit.

  Besides which, now he was saddled with a wife that Pa had tricked him into marrying. One that he didn’t know how to handle. He was already aware of what Alcina thought about his trailer. Not that she had said much. No way would she go off to live with him in it only God knew where so that he could work another man’s spread.

  They could get an annulment, since the marriage hadn’t been consummated.

  But he just couldn’t do it.

  Maybe his heart was creeping in the right direction, after all, Reed thought, not without a bit of irony.

  Or maybe it was that, in addition to being fond of Alcina and admiring her, Reed wanted the marriage to work if for no other reason than to prove that one could for a Quarrels man despite Pa’s terrible record.

  After all, he was nothing like Pa…

  Reed winced at the denial. He’d helped Pa by keeping the whole truth from his brothers from the moment he’d known it. And more important, from Alcina.