A Daring Proposal (18 page)

Jed turned around and brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Chaney girl, does the past really matter? Can’t you just accept that it wasn’t your fault and let us move on?”

“No,” she said pulling away from his touch. “No I can’t. You
’re the only one I can ask. You’re the only one that knows why you left me.”

Guilt pierced his heart. Why had he allowed this to happen? Why hadn’t he stood up to McBride like a man instead of s
linking off to lick his wounds?

Because you were barely more than a kid. Because you didn
’
t want Chaney to live through the shame McBride
’
s threats would have brought to her. Because you loved her and wanted to protect her.

“I ran into some men on my way to meet you that night,” he said then falt
ered. Could he really tell her?

“Who?”

“It doesn’t matter. They gave me a choice; leave town or go to jail.” There he’d said it. He hadn’t pointed any fingers but he’d still told her the truth.

“For what? You might have been rowdy but you never broke the law.”

Looking back on it, Jed knew he had. Even though Chaney hadn’t resisted, in fact had instigated their first time, she had been underage when they first made love and technically it was against the law. Statutory rape as her father had been only too happy to tell him.

“Chaney, there are more important things to talk about than my misspent youth,” he said trying to change the subject. “I was on my way over here to talk to you about the rustlers again.”

In typical McBride fashion, she ignored him and continued the conversation that really interested her.

“It was my father, wasn’t it?”

“Damn it, Chaney. Let it go.”

“That’s what Steve meant. It was my father you were afraid of.”

Jed clenched his fists and closed his eyes trying to contain the anger that always boiled to the surface when he thought about this part of his life. It wasn’t that he’d been afraid of her father or his men. They’d only been able to beat him because he wouldn’t fight back. No, he’d been afraid for Chaney. His refusal to fight came from knowing the disgrace she would face if they arrested him.

“No,” he said. “Not exactly.”

“Then what, exactly.”

Jed heard the sarcasm and remembered the same words said the same way coming out of his own mouth. He had been irritated when she didn’t give him a direct answer. They had enough problems without adding to them with that.

He turned and looked directly at her. “First you have to understand your father loved you and wanted the best for you.” Jed noticed the tensing of Chaney’s facial muscles and wondered if she would believe anything he said regarding her father. “He did love you, Chaney.”

“I wish you and Martha would break that record. It is getting really old.”

“Maybe you should listen then. Martha showed me a picture of your mother the other day. My guess is your father had a hard time being around you the same way my uncle had being around me. We reminded them too much of their loss, of someone they loved more than anything or anyone. When I saw that picture, I understood that. You could be your mother’s twin. From what Martha said, she had the same wild streak in her as you do.”

From her tense stance, she wasn’t liste
ning.

“If he had loved me he wouldn’t have forced you to leave. That’s what he did, didn’t he?”

Obviously, she didn’t care how her father felt. It seemed all she ever wanted to remember were the negatives in their lives. But he couldn’t give up yet.

“Yes.” The word felt torn from his throat. Jed knew the pain it would cause her. “Chaney, he wanted better for you.”

“You were good for me.”

The pleading sound of her words tore at his heart. He wanted nothing more than to agree and make all the pain go away, but he couldn
’t in good conscience put all the blame on her father. Now a father himself he understood the man’s motives, if not his actions.

“I was wild, head strong, and determined to prove to everyone how bad I could be. What father would want a man like that near his daughter?”

“But I loved you,” she said. Tears began to spill over her lashes and Jed was lost.

“I know, sweetheart. I know,” Jed told her as he pulled her into his embrace. It
felt so good to hold her again.

“I was pregnant,” she whispered against his shirt.

An arrow piercing his heart couldn’t have hurt more. “I know,” he said in a hoarse voice fighting the emotions clogging his throat.

Jed lifted his head from where it rested on her hair when he felt hers move. The eyes that looked up at him were full of hurt and betrayal.

“You knew?”

“No,” he replied quickly. He hugged her tightly for a moment then held her at arm’s length. Jed needed to see her eyes when he explained. He had to know she believed him. “Not then. Nothing could have kept me away if I had known. Not a . . . nothing. I found out when you were in
the hospital a few weeks ago.”

Jed thought he would be able to tell how she felt if he could watch her face. Unfortunately, a blank stillness had enveloped her as he spoke. His heart sank when he understood what it meant. When she pulled totally from his grasp, Jed knew devastation.

Chaney took several steps back then turned and walked behind the desk. Jed recognized the barrier. He started to walk to the door thinking the discussion over.

“So, he paid you off.”

She might as well have slapped him, Jed’s head whipped around so fast. “What?”

“I don’t blame you, Jed.”

“No, you just accused me of being bought.” Jed gave up trying to control his temper. That was the last straw. Enough with others putting him down, kicking him around, and insulting him; he wasn’t going to take it anymore. His voice rang loud in the room.

“I came over here to tell you about the past. To put it behind us and see if we could work out a future.” He stepped close to the desk but didn’t touch it or her. “Your total lack of faith in my character tells
me it isn’t worth the effort.”

The shocked look on her face registered but didn’t faze him. He and Ashley were outta here. Jed turned, opened the door, walked into the hall, and closed it with deliberate quiet.

He tried to shake off the aggravation as he walked to the kitchen. His daughter’s laughter reached him before he stepped in the room. He should have stuck to his first plan from the beginning, concentrate on Ashley.

Jed dug deep and found enough patience to make the excuses needed for him and Ashley to go back to his uncle’s. He wasn’t stupid enough to think Martha bought any of it, but she didn’t argue in front of his daughter. His daughter did plenty of that on her own until he mentioned Dale’s heart attack and broken arm. Ashley’s fear showed instantly in her tearing blue eyes. He spent the entire drive to Dale’s ranch calming her down.

The confusion in his uncle’s eyes when Jed and Ashley drove up only added more guilt to his already painfully heavy load. He was thankful when Dale didn’t grill him until after they got Ashley to bed that night.

“I take it things didn
’t go well with Chaney,” Dale said.

They sat at the kitchen table. Dale had brought out the bottle of scotch he’d opened the night of Steve’s wedding. The night Jed had started dreaming of a possible future with Chaney. Jed tossed back a shot then poured another.

“If you like understatement,” he said.

“She didn
’t believe McBride threatened you?”

“She believes he forced me to leave, it’s the how that
’s up for debate.”

His uncle held his glass out and Jed filled it. “I think you
’ll have to give a few more details to this old man. What’s there to debate? He had you beaten and threatened you with rape charges. That seems pretty clear cut to me.”

Jed chewed on his cheek for a minute. Even thinking of Chaney’s misbegotten belief made him sick to his stomach. How was he supposed to say it to his uncle?

He leaned his forearms on the table and rolled the shot glass between his palms. “We had gotten beyond the forcing me to leave part without me having to explain the beating. I really didn’t want to kill all of her love for her father and so tried to hold back what I could, but still get enough of the truth out so we could move beyond it.” When his uncle nodded, Jed figured he understood and continued. “She started crying and told me she’d loved me and that she was pregnant. I told her I knew. She misunderstood. I explained that I meant I had learned about the other pregnancy after she’d been in the hospital this time. I told her if I had known before nothing could have kept me away.”

Jed stopped, still fighting wit
h the shame of her accusations.

“But?”

“But, she didn’t believe me. It was clear in the total withdrawal. Her eyes, her posture, and the way she moved behind the desk as if needing a barrier between us to make it final. I started to leave, thinking why bother fighting a losing battle. That’s when she dealt her final blow.” He tossed back the shot he’d been nursing and forced himself to meet his uncle’s gaze. “She said, and I quote, so he paid you off. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.”

Jed wasn’t sure if his uncle was just mad at him, or if he was having another heart attack. The instantaneous angry r
ed face did concern him though.

“It’s okay, Dale don’t get worked up about it. Don’t worry she might sue me for breaking the agreement. I’ll let her keep my name for the year so she can keep her damned ranch. I don’t need her for the custody battle anymore, so we don’t have to worry about that.”

“But you’ll let her believe you were paid off?”

Jed almost smiled at his uncle’s incredulous tone. It felt good to know that at least he believe
d his nephew had some scruples.

“Oh I think I shocked her into reality on that subject, I just didn’t give her time to defend her lack of faith in my character. Despite it all, I still love her. However, I don’t know if I could ever believe she loves me. It’s over.”

He stood, ready to call it a night and debate his conscience in the quiet of his bedroom. It seemed the universe had a different idea as his cell phone rang before he made it to the hall.

“Sampson,” he said.

“Jed, it’s Sheriff Davenport.”

A chill raced over Jed
’s body. “Sheriff. Have you learned something new about the rustlers?”

“Not exactly. Someone did just call in though. They wouldn’t leave their name, but they said there was supposed to be a truck on McBride’s Pride tonight sometime between ten and midnight.”

“Okay. What’s the plan?” Jed hadn’t noticed his uncle move, but suddenly saw a cup of coffee held in front of him. He smiled his thanks and took a sip while he listened to the sheriff.

“I’m getting a crew together now. I thought you might like to ride out with us.”

He may have just told his uncle it was over, but he still wasn’t going to let anything happen to Chaney. “Where should I meet you?”

***

Chapter Twelve

Chaney walked down the dark hallway toward the kitchen. A dim light glowed from the entrance but no noise. The late hour assured her that Martha had given up and gone to bed.

The afternoon had slipped into evening and evening to night. From her office, Chaney had watched the changing sky. Her evening schedule played through her mind but still she made no move to leave her sanctuary. The men would see to the chores and Martha to dinner. The only movement Chaney made was to walk to the door and lock it. S
he didn’t want to be disturbed.

Martha had other ideas. She had knocked on the door several times throughout the afternoon and evening. She had demanded Chaney come eat. She had ordered Chaney to talk to her. All
the demands fell on deaf ears.

All Chaney wanted was for everyone to leave her alone.

She entered the kitchen and turned off the light over the stove. The darkness wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket. She couldn’t turn the light back on because it hurt her eyes that were dry and puffy from crying.

Crying because you got your wish. You’re alone.

Why had she said those things to Jed? She knew they weren’t true. Jed was probably the one man on the planet her father couldn’t have paid off. What had she been thinking? Of course, that question led to worse thoughts. What had her father really done to him? If it wasn’t money, and Jed had never cared about money, what could he possibly have said to make Jed leave? When she hadn’t found any answers, she drifted back into her self-recrimination.

The past weeks were full of negative thoughts and angry comebacks. At one time, she’d even accused him of marrying her as revenge against her father. If anyone had married for revenge, it was her. When she thought about it, even that wasn’t true. Deep down Chaney knew she had married Jed with the hope they could make it work. That he would love her again.

You blew that one.

Her arms wrapped around her middle to hold back the sickening pain reality brought. With the action, a sli
ght comfort seeped through her.

“I’m not alone, am I?” She felt the sad smile tug at her lips. “The way I’ve treated you today, I wouldn’t blame you if you left, too,” she said to her unborn baby.

Chaney stroked her abdomen in slow soothing circles. She had to remember her responsibility and take care of herself. Her stomach growled.

“Okay, I get the idea,” she chuckled.

The light from the refrigerator nearly blinded her when she opened it. After taking a moment to let her eyes adjust, she found a plate heaped with food and covered in wax paper. “Martha,” she whispered and the tears threatened to spill from her eyes again. “I’m not alone.”

No, you’re lonely.

The thought hit her with the clarity of fine crystal. For twelve years Chaney had been so busy she hadn’t been able to focus on what bothered her. After putting the plate in the microwave, she reflected on her life since Jed had left. She had tried to trade her heart in on a saddle. If she couldn’t have Jed, she would try to please her father. Try to be the son he always wanted but never had.

Chaney remembered her months in the cast and rehabilitation. Unable to do anything outside to help she had learned as much of the business end as her father would allow. She researched and installed better software for their records.

“And he was pleased,” she said as if awed by the realization. The memory of her father smiling down at her as she explained the program to him was so intense she almost dropped the milk jug she had pulled from the refrigerator. The microwave beeped while she was pouring her milk, causing her to splash it on the counter.

“The kitchen is going to be a disaster before I finish,” she grumbled sopping up the spilled milk.

Finished cleaning up, Chaney took her food to the table. She stared out the window as the bite of savory herbed biscuit brought her hunger out in force. She ate with gusto stopping only to bring the milk carton to the table.

Her mind registered the food she ate was delicious, but it focused on her inner thoughts. Her memories. As she buttered another biscuit and leaned back, Chaney realized the memories weren’t as bad as she had made them out to be.

“Jed was right.” The words choked out of her throat around the lump of grief she felt. “Daddy, I’m sor--”

The kitchen doorknob rattled and then the door op
ened interrupting her thoughts.

“Smitty,” she exclaimed her hand covering her racing heart. “You startled me.”

He stared at her in silence through the darkness giving Chaney an eerie feeling.
Why hasn’t he turned on the light? What is he doing in here at this hour? When did he get a key to the house?

“Is something wrong? Are the rustlers back?” Chaney stood, but before she’d moved a step, Smitty wrapped his wiry fingers around her wrist.

“Yes, we need to hurry.” He dragged her toward the door.

When he pulled her, Chaney’s foot caught on the leg of the table jarring it. The milk carton fell to the floor. “Wait, Smitty.”

“I said we need to hurry. Move.”

With his last word, Chaney felt a pistol under his jacket as he pressed against her to open the door. Fear as cold and hard as the barrel of the gun froze the blood in her veins. Walking in stiff-legged steps,
she tried to slow him down.

“Smitty, what are you doing? Let me call Jed. He can help us with--”

“He’s helped enough,” Smitty growled. “And if you wake up that nosey housekeeper I’ll shoot you both.”

Chaney stumbled as he shoved her out the door onto the porch and down the steps. “What? Smitty--”

“Shut up.” He grasped Chaney’s upper arm in a painful grip.

“Ow!” she cried her knees almost buckling at the intensity of the pain.

He ignored her and hauled her to a truck that’s motor was running. The door was open though no light shown from within. With a strength belying his age and size he slammed her against the truck. “Get in.”

“I’m not going--” The barrel of the gun halted her words.

“Get in.”

***

“Quiet down, boy,” Jed said, patting Sterling’s neck as the stallion tossed his head. “Patience has never been my strong point either.”

They were behind a stand of Aspens overlooking the fence line where the rustlers had broken through before. The anonymous tip to the sheriff saying the rustlers would strike again tonight was looking like a hoax.

Jed glanced in the direction of his uncle’s house where his daughter slept. It had been a long evening trying to explain to her why they weren’t staying at the ranch with Chaney. His throat had felt like gravel after reading four stories before she fell asleep. When he kissed her forehead before leaving the room, he thanked God for giving her back to him. Then he prayed that Chaney would allow him to be a part of his unborn child’s life.

His gaze moved back to the rise between his uncle’s and Chaney’s land. Something didn’t feel right. They had been sitting out here for two hours and nothing. H
e glanced at the sheriff again.

“Wait here,” he said,
and then broke from the trees.

Jed gave Sterling free reign as they raced over the pasture. Though neither was accustomed to jumping, they cle
ared the fence in a smooth arc.

Sterling’s long stride chewed up the distance between the rise and Chaney’s house. In a matter of minutes, Jed was jumping from the horse’s back and stomping into the bunkhouse.

He scanned the room. Five men sat at a table littered with cards and cans. Only one man was missing. Jed feared he had his answer to who was bleeding Chaney dry.

“Where’s Smitty?”

“Went out a couple hours ago,” one man said.

“Where?” Jed demanded. All he received in answer were shrugs from all the men.

Jed slammed the door and remounted Sterling. A quick turn and he rode to the house.

It was dark and silent. In all probability, Chaney and Martha were sleeping and he was going to disturb the entire household. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of doom.

He reached in his pocket for the house key as he climbed the steps. Pulling open the screen, he froze. The door was ajar.

Now Jed knew his intuition had been right. Chaney would never leave the house unlocked. When she was a teenager, someone had broken in while her father was out of town. No one had been hurt, but ever since then Chaney had been obsessive about locking up at night. Jed wished he had a weapon other than his fist as he pushed the door open.

Not wanting to alert the intruder if they were still there Jed didn’t turn on the light. He walked as silently as he could, easing his way toward the hall. Two steps into the room and his feet flew out from under him. “What the hell?” he cursed as he landed flat on his back.

“Who’s there? Oh, Jed,” Martha said as she turned on the lights. “What are you doing?”

Jed looked across the room. The housekeeper was standing just inside the entryway, a broom in her hand.

“Where’s Chaney?” He asked as he stood and milk dripped from his hand.

“In bed, I assume. I thought you were staying at your uncle’s ranch. What are you doing eating here?” Martha asked as she walked across the floor. She pulled a towel from the counter and handed it to him.

“I’m not eating. I slipped in the milk spilled on the floor.” He wiped himself off as best he could as he made his way to the hall and up the stairs. There was no need to be quiet now. If his curses hadn’t warned an intruder someone was about, the light in the kitchen had.

Bursting through Chaney’s bedroom door, he came to a dead stop. The covers weren’t disturbed at all. Jed rushed out of the room and back down the stairs. This time he went to the office. The door was open. He looked inside.

No Chaney.

Dread seeped into his bones. His footfalls were loud in the quiet house increasing his unease as he made his way back to the kitchen.

Martha stood with the refrigerator door open. One hand held the door; the fingers of the other pressed against her lips. The milk carton she must have been putting away had fallen from her grasp and lay at her feet, spilling more milk on the floor.

“Martha, what is it?”

“It’s her plate,” she said turning fear-filled eyes on him.

Those eyes, the almost empty plate, spilled milk, no Chaney. It all added up to bad news.

Like the shrill scream of a child, the phone rent the heavy silence in the room. Jed grabbed it from the counter. “Sampson!”

“Thought you might be there by now.”

Jed’s blood ran cold at t
he sound of the familiar voice.

“Where is she, Smitty?” he growled into the phone.

“Watch your tone, boy. I’m tired of takin’ orders from the likes of you. Miss Priss is jist fine. She’ll stay that way long as you call off your dogs and do what you’re told.”

“First, I talk to Chaney.” He heard a yelp over the phone line. Jed knew the man must be yanking on Chaney’s hair. Having her hair pulled was the only kind of pain Chaney couldn’t stand.

“First,” Smitty hissed, “You call off the sheriff and his men. Then maybe I’ll let you talk to the princess.”

The line went
dead.

Before Jed could contact the sheriff on his phone, he heard hoof beats outside the house. He stepped close to Martha who still stared wide-eyed at the phone. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he forced her to meet his gaze. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be right back. I h
ave to go talk to the sheriff.”

She nodded and he gave her shoulders a hopefully reassuring squeeze before he walked outside. The short walk didn’t give him much time to devise a plan. He knew he couldn’t just let Smitty have his way. The fear that someone else on the payroll was involved made him wary of doing anything else. An accomplice might be watching and reporting in. If he didn’t send the sheriff away, Chaney would pay the pr
ice. He couldn’t risk her life.

He hid his anger and fear as best he could when he reached the sheriff at the bottom step. “I just got off the phone with your office. Seems it was a hoax. Some kids that heard about the trouble out here called in to see if they could fool you guys. Guess you better call everyone in.”

He held the sheriff’s questioning gaze. The way the man looked at him told Jed the sheriff didn’t believe a word he was saying. The sheriff pulled out his radio though and called the stakeout off. While he waited for everyone to check in Jed watched him pull a pad from his front pocket and scribble on a piece of paper. After replacing his radio, he tore off the paper and put it in his hand. Jed palmed it in his when they shook hands.

Jed didn’t chance looking at the note out in the open. With Chaney’s most trusted employee a kidnapper he wasn’t willing to take the chance someon
e else wasn’t in on it as well.

When he reentered the house, Martha was on her knees cleaning the floors and crying. He went to her and gently urged her to her feet.

“I’ll get her back, I promise. Don’t worry.”

“Why?” Martha wailed. “Why would Smitty want to hurt her?”