Deadlier Than the Rest Read online

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Can I help you?” One lone clerk stood at a counter, scribbling on a piece of paper.

  “This woman wants to file for divorce. Can you help her with that?” Connor asked and nudged Meggie forward with his hand on the small of her back. She’d begged him to stop at Grace’s so that she could come with them. He’d refused. She kept looking over her shoulder, certain she’d see Grace walk through the door at any moment. She didn’t.

  The clerk reached for a form below the counter. “Fill this out and hand it back to me.” He slid the paper across to Meggie.

  Fifteen minutes later she turned the form in, Connor paid the man in cash, and, according to the clerk, they were done. The final papers would be mailed to them in Fire Mountain, in care of the MacLaren ranch. He walked her outside and down the steps.

  “Let’s go,” Connor said to Meggie and the waiting Jericho, who’d stayed with the wagon. He guided the wagon back to Ruth’s.

  It didn’t take long for them to pack. Jericho had purchased a horse and tack for Meggie that morning. He’d also purchased a second horse, for supplies he’d told Connor. The reality was, he hoped Connor would change his mind and let Grace ride along.

  “Thanks again, Ruth. You’ve been more than generous to us,” Meggie said as she hugged the older woman.

  “I’m glad to have met all of you. You be sure to come visit if you’re ever back in Salt Lake. I’ll be real angry if I hear of you coming to town and not stopping to say hello,” Ruth said and shielded her eyes from the mid-morning sun.

  “We’ll do that for certain, Ruth,” Connor told her. “You ever get an itch, come south to Arizona and visit for a bit. I have a feeling you and our Aunt Alicia would become fast friends.”

  “Thank you, Connor. I may just do that.” She stepped back and watched the three ride out the front gate, wishing there had been a different outcome for Connor and her friend Grace.

  ******

  “I’m not going,” Meggie stated as they left Ruth’s and turned onto Main Street.

  “What are you talking about? Of course you’re going,” Connor replied, not expecting his sister to put up a fight about leaving Salt Lake.

  “I will not leave Grace behind. She’s my friend, and even if you don’t care about her anymore, I do.” Meggie had brought her horse to a stop and refused to budge.

  Connor reined his horse around and stopped next to his sister. “She’s not coming to Fire Mountain. Don’t argue with me on this. Grace stays here.”

  “Then so do I.” She didn’t know where Grace lived but she knew who could tell her. She’d stay with her friend until either Grace agreed to go with her to Fire Mountain or until Connor came to his senses and let her leave with them today.

  “Ah, hell, Meggie. Can’t you just let this be? Whatever Grace and I had, well, it’s done.”

  “Only because you’re too bullheaded to understand why she didn’t tell you about Jeremiah.”

  “She didn’t tell me she was still married. That’s a big deal in my way of thinking.”

  “Do you love her?” Meggie glared at him. There was no way he’d win this argument. She knew Connor would never leave without her. They’d all stay or all leave, and that was it as far as Meggie was concerned.

  “That’s none of your business,” Connor fumed, not comprehending there was no way he’d win this discussion.

  “Well, I love her and I’m not leaving without her.”

  They sat astride their horses, each waiting for the other to give in. Neither budged even when Jericho rode up next to them.

  “I can shift the supplies from the extra horse to our saddlebags so Grace can come with us,” Jericho offered.

  “You know damn well that’s not the reason she’s not coming,” Connor stated and shifted his gaze to Jericho who nodded for the younger man to follow him. They rode a few yards away, coming to a halt.

  “Listen to me, Connor. Meggie knows no one but you, Pierce, and me. Sure she’ll make friends and the MacLarens will take to her easy.” He glanced back at Meggie, sitting erect atop her horse. “Now Grace, those two are thick—know things about each other they may never share with anyone else. Not because they don’t want to but because they may not trust anyone enough. They’re more like sisters than friends. You just found Meggie, don’t be losing her so quick to pride.” Jericho held up his hand when Connor started to protest. “Take Grace with us. We’ll get her settled in Fire Mountain, help her find work, then you don’t have to ever see her again. At least Meggie will have her there and that is what’s important right now.”

  Connor didn’t like it, not any of it. He’d made his decision last night and hadn’t planned to change it. Now this. What he hated most was that Jericho made sense, even if Connor didn’t agree. He thought Meggie would be fine, with or without Grace, and Grace would certainly be all right in Salt Lake, where she’d grown up. He stopped on that thought. At least, she implied she’d grown up here. For all he knew that was a lie, too. He’d been honest with her, laid his past out for her to accept or reject. Why hadn’t she done the same?

  “Connor? What do you plan to do?” Jericho asked.

  “Hell, I guess we’ll take Grace with us.” His disgusted tone hung in the air. Jericho knew it would take Connor a long time to forgive Grace. Connor rode back to Meggie. “Let’s get Grace and get out of Salt Lake.”

  “What if she still needs to file her papers?” Meggie asked. “You refused to pick her up this morning and she may not have had time.”

  “We’ll take her to the clerk and get it done before we leave. Satisfied?” He was angry and frustrated. Connor wasn’t used to being backed into a corner, forced to do something he felt was wrong, and all of this felt wrong. He didn’t wait for Meggie to say anything more, just nudged Crusader toward Grace’s place.

  It was two blocks away. Connor walked up the steps and knocked. No answer. He tried again, still nothing. He tried to peer inside but the curtains were drawn. Maybe she’d gone back to work at Jasper’s. They’d stop by the restaurant, but if she wasn’t there, he was going to leave with Meggie and Jericho, even if he had to tie Meggie to her horse to get out of town.

  Connor descended the stairs and looked up the street to see Grace walking toward them. Her head was bent, eyes on the ground, as she approached. It wasn’t until she’d begun to cross the dirt street that she saw Connor. She came to a halt and started to turn around to head back toward where she’d been but stopped when Connor called to her.

  “Grace! Hold up a minute.” He didn’t run to her, didn’t walk fast, just ambled across the street to within a couple of feet of her. “Meggie wants you to come with us to Fire Mountain. Get your things.” He started to turn away.

  “And you, Connor? What do you want?”

  “I’m letting Meggie make the decision on this. If you want to come, fine. If not, that’s okay too, but you’ll have to explain it to Meggie.” This time he did leave Grace standing alone with her hands in her coat pockets. She watched as Connor said something to Meggie, who dismounted and made her way over to Grace.

  “Come with us, Grace, please? Connor’s agreed and I don’t want to go without you. We’ll start our new lives together.”

  More than anything, Grace wanted to go with Meggie to Arizona, start over, and forget the past. She’d find work and a place to stay, and forget Connor MacLaren. All she had to do was make it from Salt Lake to Fire Mountain, three to four days according to Jericho, without letting Connor see how much his rejection hurt.

  “Did you file your divorce papers yet?” Meggie asked.

  “Yes. I was coming home when I saw Connor. They’ll send the papers to Jasper.” There was no excitement in her voice at the step she’d taken to free herself from her hated marriage. She should’ve been elated, but all she felt was a tired emptiness.

  “Good, Jasper can forward them to you in Fire Mountain. You can grab what can be packed in saddle bags and we’ll leave. Connor’s ready to ge
t moving.” Meggie grabbed Grace’s hand and tugged her across the street. “I’ll tell Connor and Jericho.”

  An hour later, they were a couple of miles outside of town, heading south at a steady pace. Connor in front, Meggie and Grace in the middle, with Jericho at the back. Meggie kept up a steady stream of conversation, attempting to focus Grace on her future and not on Connor. Unfortunately, Grace’s eyes had been focused on Connor’s back since they’d left Salt Lake—if she stared long enough, maybe he’d turn around and acknowledge her.

  “Do you want to work in another restaurant?” Meggie asked after another couple of miles.

  “Yes, that would be best. Maybe a laundry or general store.”

  “Connor says it’s a good sized town and the territorial capital. There must be lots of work in a town like that.”

  “What will you do?” Grace asked.

  “I hadn’t thought about it much as I’ve only been a maid. Eugene and Dodge had their servants teach me how to sew, but I’m not a real seamstress. I might be able to take care of children, help out in someone’s home.” She took a deep breath then continued. “I’m just glad to be away from Jeremiah.”

  Meggie lapsed into silence, not knowing what else to say without repeating herself.

  They stopped in a small town later that night. Connor left the three of them at a restaurant while he sought out the sheriff to confirm their route for the next day. He returned to the small boarding house where he’d taken rooms and ate his supper alone.

  Connor took a few bites, then threw his fork on the plate. He hadn’t been able to get Grace off his mind all day. He’d felt her eyes on him, staring, as if she intended to bore a hole straight through him. It was a damn uncomfortable feeling, and one he didn’t intend to live with tomorrow. He’d change places with Jericho and ride behind the women.

  ******

  Fire Mountain, Arizona

  “Have you met the man Torie’s parents sold their hotel to?” Pierce asked his cousin Jamie MacLaren as they worked fixing fences in one of the outlying pastures.

  Torie was Jamie’s wife. Her parents had owned the large hotel and mercantile for years until their recent decision to retire to spend more time with their grandchildren, Torie and Jamie’s boys, Adam and Caleb. “Last week. Torie, Niall, Kate, and I met him at a dinner Jerrod Minton hosted. Her folks were there.” Jamie tore off a glove and wiped his hand over his damp forehead. “We’ll have a party for them sometime soon to celebrate their retirement. They wanted to let things settle first. Why?”

  “He from back East?”

  “Yeah, I believe so. Wanted to expand his properties. Don’t know what all he’s into, but sounds like a couple other hotels. He also has some lumberyards. The way he tells it, he won them in some sort of poker bet. Drew wants to have him meet Dunnigan.”

  All the MacLarens knew and respected Louis Dunnigan. Three of them had worked for him—Connor, Drew, and Pierce. Drew still handled all the legal affairs for Taylor-Dunnigan, a company half owned by Drew’s father-in-law, Grant Taylor. Their business dealt in cattle and timberland, but the two men wanted to expand into the lumberyard trade.

  “Makes sense,” Pierce answered. “Wonder what brought him all the way out here to Fire Mountain?”

  “Says he wants to open a lumberyard here. Heard it was a growing area, with rail service. He met Torie’s parents right after he got to town. Guess things progressed from there.” Jamie straightened from his position, bending to wrap wire and cut it. He stretched his arms above his head and twisted his body from side to side, eyeing his cousin. “Why all the questions?”

  “No reason. Saw someone with Jerrod at the Desert Dove the other day. Looked to be from back east. You know, clothing and all. Just trying to get to know the people around here.” Pierced mimicked his cousin and stretched his tight muscles. They were of similar size. Jamie was several years older, the second oldest of the four MacLaren brothers.

  “Well, you’ll meet him soon. Torie and Kate are already planning the party.” Jamie warmed at the thought of his wife, Torie. A few years ago he would’ve never thought he’d be in this position—married, with two sons. He’d been a U.S. Marshal, and the woman he’d loved his whole life had been as far out of reach as the stars. Now they were together. You just never knew what surprises life held.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “You haven’t said two words to Grace since we left Salt Lake. Don’t you think that’s a little childish?” Meggie had slowed her horse so that Connor would catch up. He’d been riding behind them all day. It was dusk. She knew he wanted to make it all the way to Fire Mountain that evening, but it looked as if they’d have to find a place in Flagstaff and finish their journey the following day.

  Connor continued to stare straight ahead, directly at the back of the woman who was the object of Meggie’s concern. He’d made it a point to distance himself from Grace. She needed to know—the secret she’d kept was a major issue for him and their relationship. Relationship. The word passed through his brain and stuck. He’d never been this attracted to a woman before, at least not in any romantic way.

  He lived his life by simple rules. These rules had guided his journey to find Meggie, saved him from stepping over the line in sticky personal situations, and kept him alive in some tough circumstances. As far as Connor was concerned, they weren’t open for interpretation or negotiation. You broke a rule and there was hell to pay, pure and simple.

  Except, he’d never been in love before. Being this close to her for two days and not daring to speak with her, touch her, was about to drive him insane. He needed to get to Fire Mountain, help Grace find work, and a place to live—then make the final break with her.

  He turned his head toward Meggie. “I understand your friendship with Grace, and I respect it. That’s the only reason she’s with us. You’ve pushed me enough on this, Meggie. You have to let go. I won’t be with a woman I can’t trust to be honest. It’s that simple. I’ll do what I can to get her set up in Fire Mountain, but after that, I’m through with her.”

  Meggie settled deeper into her saddle and thought about his words. He was right. This was a decision he had to make for himself, even though she felt it was wrong. She knew Grace was in love with Connor and suspected he felt the same toward her friend—at least, he had. Connor had always been stubborn. Once he made up his mind, no matter what else transpired, he seldom changed it. Meggie wished it were different.

  “You’re right. I know this is your decision, it’s just hard to watch.”

  Connor didn’t respond but focused his attention forward toward the town that had appeared in the distance.

  It didn’t take long to find rooms in the Weatherly Hotel and board their horses. Flagstaff was a growing town with rail service to California, cultural attractions, and booming commerce.

  “Why don’t you take the ladies to supper?” Connor asked Jericho as they stood outside the hotel. “I’ll meet you in the morning after breakfast.”

  “If that’s what you want,” Jericho replied and walked up the steps. Connor hadn’t taken one meal with Meggie and Grace since they’d left Salt Lake. It wasn’t right but Jericho wasn’t going to get in the middle of this one.

  The ride to Fire Mountain took four hours the following morning. Connor wanted to take Grace into town and get her settled some place, except he didn’t want to keep Pierce from Meggie any longer than necessary. He’d just have to put up with her presence for one more night. He could do that.

  The MacLaren ranch wasn’t hard to find. Everyone in the area knew the way and, just before noon, the four riders entered the large, impressive ranch. Three men were getting ready to mount their horses when one of them looked toward the road and saw the riders.

  “By God, they’re here,” Pierce said to Jamie and jumped on his horse, racing to see his brother and sister. A couple of minutes later, he had Meggie off her horse and was swinging her around. “Ah, Meggie. You’ve no idea how good it is to see you,” Pierce excla
imed and set his sister down. “You look wonderful—grownup and as beautiful as I remember.” He reached up and shook hands with Connor and Jericho. “And who’s this?”

  When Connor didn’t answer, Meggie walked over to where Grace still sat astride her horse. “This is my good friend, Grace Moser. She decided to come with us to Fire Mountain.”

  “Well, it’s a pleasure, Grace Moser.” Pierce smiled up at the beautiful woman, who blushed at his perusal. “It’s a wonderful town. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

  They looked up at the sound of more riders approaching.

  Jamie and Will greeted Connor and Jericho. “This must be Meggie,” Jamie said and looked at the woman who no one could mistake for anyone other than a MacLaren. “I’m your cousin, Jamie MacLaren, and this is one of my brothers, Will. We’re glad you’re here.”

  “Thank you,” Meggie smiled at her cousins. “I’m very glad to be here. This is my friend Grace Moser. She’s decided to settle in Fire Mountain.”

  Even though both Jamie and Will were happily married men, Connor still didn’t like the way each looked at Grace with obvious approval. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grace,” Will said and tipped his hat. “Now, let’s get you all to the house. Aunt Alicia can’t wait to meet Meggie.”

  ******

  Supper was a grand event. Aunt Alicia and the other women had been cooking all day, getting ready for Meggie and Connor’s arrival.

  Alicia watched with interest the way Grace and Connor went out of their way to avoid each other, even taking seats at opposite ends of the table. Yet, Connor’s eyes rarely left the lovely young woman all through the meal.

  “Mr. Jericho tells me you plan to find work and a place to stay in town. What kind of work do you do, Grace?” Alicia asked as she passed around dessert.

  “I worked at a small restaurant in Salt Lake, so that would be my first choice. I can also clean rooms or perhaps find work in a laundry.” Grace said as she fidgeted with the napkin in her lap. It was easy to see that Meggie would be well cared for by a family who worked hard and wanted for little. She deserved it, Grace told herself, while at the same time realizing she didn’t seem to fit. Her discomfort rose with each new discovery about the MacLaren family.