The Brides Of Tombstone 01 Mail Order Outlaw (14 page)

Ed signed Malcolm’s name on the bottom of the check. With this check he was giving Lizzie her dream home.

“Good. Now, Mr. Abernathy has already signed the deed over to you. Do you want us to record the deed at the courthouse for you?”

“Yes, I’d like to see it first though.”

Peterson frowned for a moment and then handed the deed over to Ed.

“You didn’t put Lizzie’s name on here.” He pointed at the document. “I want it added, right now before you send it to the courthouse.”

“Of course. Just an oversight I assure you.”

“Of course,” said Ed, knowing that it wasn’t an oversight at all. John Peterson didn’t like Lizzie because she was a half-breed or maybe he liked her too much and hated himself for it. In any case, the banker hated the fact that Lizzie would now be the real owner of property.

John made the correction to the deed.

When Ed was happy with both names as owners, he signed the deed.

“Now, I want three thousand dollars in cash. I want to order cattle, and buy supplies to spruce up the place for Lizzie.”

“Three…tho…thousand. That’s a lot of cash, I don’t know if we have that much on hand…I” Peterson swallowed hard.

What was it with banks? They never want to give back the money once they have it.

“I guess you better look. I’ll take two thousand now and the other thousand on Monday.”

“Thank you, Malcolm. That will be much easier on the bank.”

Ed knew from experience that most banks kept at least one hundred thousand dollars on hand at all times, more when it was time for payrolls. But he wasn’t letting his knowledge of the inner workings of a bank, spoil his identity. How could they have so little cash with the mining operations in full swing? Ed knew they should have upwards of one hundred fifty thousand on hand to cover the mines payrolls.

John Peterson came back into his office with the cash. “Here you go, Malcolm. Anything else I can do for you?”

Ed signed the withdrawal slip John brought. “Yes, you can make a copy of that deed for me to take with me. I want to show it to Lizzie.”

“That’s going to take some time. Can you come back for it in about an hour?”

“Yes. That’s fine. I need to go see a man about some cows and the like.”

Ed stood and extended his hand.

Peterson shook it. “It was good doing business with you Malcolm. Be sure and let us know if you need any further assistance.”

“I’ll do that John. Thank you for your help today. I won’t forget it.”

Peterson beamed, grabbed his lapels and rocked back on his heels. “Good. Good.”

Ed left the bank and went down the street to the OK Corral and Stables. There he spotted Harvey’s horse. No wonder he hadn’t seen it in front of the hotel. Well, he was glad Harvey was taking good care of the stallion. At least he took good care of something.

“Howdy there, Malcolm. What can I do for you today?” Homer Evans the blacksmith ran the stables, too. But most importantly to Ed, he also sold and repaired wagons.

“I need a buckboard and a couple of horses to pull it. You got those for sale?”

“Sure do. Come with me out back.”

Ed followed Homer through the stable and out the back doors to the corral where there were about fifteen horses from which Ed could choose.

“Let me have those two sorrels. They look like a matched pair and Lizzie will like them.”

Homer nodded. “Heard you was buying the Abernathy place. That true?”

“Yup. Just did. It’s the Brandon place now.”

“Congratulations.” The big, burly man patted Ed on the back and nearly sent him to the ground. “Oh, sorry about that.” Homer helped Ed regain his footing. “I forget my own strength sometimes. The missus is always telling me to treat her like she was fine china, so I don’t hurt her.

“I can understand why she’d say that.”

Homer looked down at the offending hand. “Yeah, I guess you do.” He guffawed. “Now to the buckboards. I got a new one in just the other day. Come look.”

They walked around to the side of the building where four wagons were parked against it.

Homer went up to the new one and slapped the sideboards. “You can’t get no better than this one. It’ll last you for years. Only fifty dollars. With the sorrels, I’ll give you the whole package for two hundred dollars.”

“Done. What about the harness rig for the horses. How much for that?”

“Another twenty-five dollars.”

“Done and done.” Ed took his wallet out of his jacket pocket, opened it and peeled off two crisp one hundred dollar bills, a twenty and a five.

Wide-eyed, Homer snatched the money. “If’n I know’d you had all that money I’d have asked for more.”

“Then I’m glad you didn’t know.” Ed laughed, shoving the wallet back in his pocket. “I’ll give you another five dollars if you hook them up for me. I’ve got some more purchases to make before I go out to the Abernathy, no, make that the Brandon place.”

“Sure thing,” said Homer.

Ed left the stables and hurried from store to store in town. He worried some that Harvey might go to the ranch, but he’d assigned one of the cowhands to work with her today so she wouldn’t be alone.

He bought groceries, and linens from the Tombstone Mercantile, table and chairs for the porch, from a local carpenter. While there he ordered a swing for the porch and a china hutch and buffet. And most importantly he picked up a new bed for the master bedroom from a furniture store. A pretty brass one he thought Lizzie would like.

Lizzie was getting only the best and everything she’d talked about wanting in the house.

By the time Ed was done he’d bought enough stuff to fill the buckboard. He went back to the stable, got the buckboard and tied Satan to the back of it. Then he went to all the stores he’d just been to and picked up his purchases. By the time he was done, the wagon was full.

The ride to his new home took more than twice as long with the heavy wagon as it did on horseback. An hour later he reached the house.

“Whoa.” He pulled back on the reins and set the brake before jumping down.

Now began the hard part—unloading the wagon and getting the house ready for Lizzie, assuming she decided to marry him tomorrow anyway.

He put the table and chairs on the porch. Got the new double bed for the master bedroom, though he didn’t know if it needed one, he decided he’d put the new one in no matter what, so he and Lizzie would really start fresh.

Ed went through the house and removed the sheets from all of the furniture Mr. Abernathy had left and was surprised to find many treasures. The table in the dining room was oak, so the china hutch and buffet he ordered would be a good match.

He’d bought a long table cloth for the dining room table, even though they’d be eating with the ranch hands like she did with her cowboys now in the kitchen. It was a tradition he liked and one he intended to implement here.

In the kitchen he put all the food stuffs where he thought they should go. Lizzie could change the arrangement if she wanted. He put the ice block in the ice box, and was glad he’d remembered to sign up for regular ice deliveries.

Next he went into the back and checked the out buildings. All appeared to be in pretty good shape. His guess was the men who worked for Abernathy kept up the buildings, because the old man sure hadn’t, not after his wife died. From all reports, he wanted to die, too. If Ed had been married to Lizzie for fifty years and she died, he most certainly wouldn’t want to go on. Life would be unbearable.

He shook his head clearing away such maudlin thoughts. He’d saved their bed for last. It was his and Lizzie’s bed and he wouldn’t sleep in it without her. Tonight he’d sleep in one of the other bedrooms. Then tomorrow, if she married him…

Ed heard a horse outside and ran down the stairs, hoping it was Lizzie. The person who greeted him was as far from Lizzie as possible. Harvey.

“What are you doing here? You’re taking your life in your hands coming out here. How’d you find this place?” Ed’s heart pounded and he fisted his hands.

Harvey leaned forward and crossed his arms over the saddle horn “That nice man at the stables was kind enough to be chattering about all the sales he made to you. He was stupid to be so chatty, I could have been there to rob him, but I guess he was real happy to get more than two hundred dollars for the stuff you bought. Sounds like he took you to the cleaners.”

Ed leaned against one of the columns. “I don’t think so. I was happy to pay what I did. It was cheap at twice the price.”

Harvey pursed his lips. He did it whenever he was thinking, which wasn’t all that often. “So, I ask myself, where would Ed, get two hundred dollars? From the woman, of course. Well, I want some of that. You know brothers should share everything.”

“I told you once; you’re not my brother or my friend. You are nothing to me except a part of my life I want to forget. Both you and Josiah.”

Harvey’s hand hovered over his gun. “Don’t you say nothin’ bad about our pa.”

Ed turned and faced Harvey full on. “Don’t make me kill you, Harvey. Our father was the scum of the earth and you’re just like him.”

“Take it back.” Harvey’s hand shook a little.

“No.” Ed kept his hand over his gun. He was faster than Harvey, but really didn’t want to have to prove it. “Now get out of here or die. Your choice.”

“I’ll see you pay for what you said. You wait. I’ll make you pay.” He swung his horse around and headed up the road on the way to town and past Lizzie’s.

Ed watched every move Harvey made. He was tempted to follow him and make sure he didn’t go to Lizzie’s ranch, but he figured Harvey was scared enough now that he wouldn’t want to make Ed madder. He’d be right, too. If he learned Harvey did anything to Lizzie, Ed would kill him without a second thought.

CHAPTER 10

Ed cleaned and shined and swept. He spent all day getting the house ready for Lizzie to come home. He was hoping that, by staying away, he was giving her the time she needed to think about them and what really mattered. How they felt together…mattered. The way they could talk to each other…mattered.

The fact his name was Ed Talbot, not Malcolm Brandon, didn’t matter. At least not to him. He hoped she would realize the designation didn’t matter to her either. It was just a name, he was the real man.

He took a break and sat on the porch with a cup of coffee. Mr. Abernathy had left the dishes, pots, pans and coffee pot, too. Ed guessed when a person went from living in a big house to living in one bedroom in someone else’s house; not a lot was taken along. Of course, he’d paid for it in the price of the ranch—five hundred dollars extra for furnishings. Ed thought he got a great deal. The stuff that had been left behind was top notch. He and Lizzie had both liked everything.

At least, what they’d seen of it. He remembered that day and how beautiful Lizzie glowed after her first orgasm. He hoped she’d let him give her thousands more.

The sound of hoofbeats closing in on the house brought him out of his reverie. He opened his eyes and saw a rider approaching. It wasn’t Lizzie, he’d know that pale horse of hers anywhere and this one was darker. But the rider did appear to be a woman. As he watched her get closer, he realized it was Atina, riding bareback.

Ed went down the porch steps and met her at the hitching rail.

“Atina, what are you doing here?”

She slid from the horse. “I came to ask you the same thing. Why are you not still at our ranch? You should be with Lizzie now.”

“I can’t. She needs to make up her own mind. I can’t make the decision for her.”

The little woman nodded. “You are probably right about this, but I still think you should come home for supper. Tomorrow, you will be married. Come home with me.” She held out her hand toward him.

Atina had accepted him, no matter what his name was. He took her hand and kissed it. “As much as I want to, I can’t. I won’t force myself on Lizzie in any way, shape or form.”

Atina shook her head. “You are as stubborn as my Lizzie. She has done nothing but cry since yesterday.”

Ed’s heart ached for Lizzie and his arms longed to hold her, but he couldn’t. “I guess we’ll see if she comes to get married tomorrow. I love her, Atina. I want you to know that.”

“I know you do. I believe she loves you also.” Atina lifted her hand and put it on Ed’s shoulder. “I wish I could fix this for the two of you, but you will have to work it out yourselves. I came to ask you to come home and I have done that. I respect your answer. I’ll see you soon.”

Atina grasped her horses mane and swung up on the back of the animal. She turned the appaloosa mare around and galloped back the way she’d come.

Well, at least one member of Lizzie’s family wanted him to come home. He just wished that person was Lizzie. He looked over at his cold coffee and suddenly it didn’t seem so inviting. He still had a lot of work to do on the house before it was ready for Lizzie tomorrow. He had to believe she would be at the church in the morning. That she would marry him. She had to or he didn’t know what he would do. He guessed his future depended on whether she turned him over to the sheriff or not.

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