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“It’s what Gabe, Lena, and Nick wanted. They believe Splendor’s growth will continue, bringing in people with money. It will attract different kinds of people than the boardinghouse. You know they own part of Suzanne’s boardinghouse, too, right?” When she nodded, Cash went on. “Gabe grew up in the hotel business in New York, so he’s the intellect behind it. Nick’s real sharp at business, so he runs the daily operations.”

  “And Lena?”

  “She helps hire, although she says there isn’t a lot to choose from around here for a hotel such as the St. James. They have four or five people now. Pretty soon, if no one around here is interested, they’ll be looking to hire from Big Pine.”

  “What about the Chinese workers who came to town?” They stopped in front of the shop door, neither in a hurry to end their conversation.

  “The Pelletiers hired Wu as a cook for the ranch. Lena already promised a cleaning job to a girl named Rosemary or she might have hired Sun Li.” He turned her toward him, resting his hands on her shoulders, feeling a spark pass though him.

  “Is Rosemary the girl who helps Suzanne now?” she asked, her voice breathless.

  “Yep. She’ll work both jobs.” His voice became heated as he gently rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

  Turning, she opened the door, gesturing inside. “Would you like to come in for a few minutes? I can make coffee.”

  The last thing on his mind was coffee. He should’ve been thinking about her reputation, what the people in town would say if someone spotted him going inside at this time of night. It seemed unlikely. Her store stood at the far southern end of town. The bank was on one side, nothing except vacant land on the other, the church and hotel across the street. Looking around, he didn’t see a single person, even though the sounds of tinny piano music spilled from each of the saloons.

  “Are you sure, Allie?”

  Shivers washed over her again when he used her nickname. It sounded so right coming from his lips. “Well, it is a lot of work to make coffee, but I suppose you’re worth the effort.”

  He chuckled. “Then yes, I’ll come in for coffee.”

  Picking up an already lit lantern, she moved to the back of the store and upstairs to her living quarters. Until she walked through her door, it hadn’t occurred to her the two of them alone might not be such a good idea. All she’d thought about was how much she didn’t want him to leave, wasn’t ready to end their evening together.

  “You can put your hat there.” She pointed to a row of hooks near the door, then moved into the kitchen. “Would you mind stoking the fire? I filled it before leaving for supper, but it’s probably burned down by now.” Moving to the counter, she picked up a tin of coffee, filling the empty pot from a nearby barrel.

  Stoking the fire, Cash watched her, his brows knitting together. “How do you get the water up here?”

  “Oh, I bring it up in a bucket. There’s a well behind the building.”

  Her words stalled his casual efforts at bringing the fire back to life. Cash thought about her living alone and all the chores that fell to her, along with the work in her shop. Most people brought water into their home in a similar way. Same with firewood. Why did it bother him so much that Alison hauled hers upstairs by herself? Especially when he’d done the same most of his life.

  She set the coffee pot on the stove, then wiped her hands. “It will be a few minutes. Do you want to have a seat?” Glancing toward the only two chairs in her home, she selected one and sat down, threading her fingers together in her lap. Instead of joining her, Cash looked around, his gaze landing on a few framed pictures. Walking to them, he bent down to get a better look at one with a young girl and boy.

  “This looks like you. Who’s the boy?”

  Her fingers tightened as her chest constricted. There was a good reason why she never mentioned her brother.

  “A neighbor boy. Very sweet. He loved animals, and would’ve daydreamed away most days if moth…um…his mother hadn’t kept after him.” She winced at the slight mistake, although Cash didn’t seem to notice. Standing, Alison pointed to the picture of her mother and father, then a single one of her father in uniform. The last picture showed all four of them. “Guess he snuck into this one, too.”

  He heard a small catch in her voice. Sweeping his gaze across each picture once more, he looked at her, sensing a significant clue to Allie’s past lay in front of him, yet he couldn’t see it. “Whatever happened to him?”

  “I honestly don’t know. People move about, life changes. You know how it is.” She didn’t wait for him to answer as she walked back to the stove, picking up two cups from a nearby shelf. “I have sugar and milk if you’d like.”

  “No. Black is fine.” Even though she’d invited him upstairs, a chill had settled over them. His asking about the pictures made it worse. When she’d handed him the cup, her hand had shaken enough for him to notice. “Is there anything wrong, Allie?”

  “No. Why would you think so?” She added sugar and milk to her coffee, stirring much longer than needed to blend them.

  He walked toward her, setting his cup on a nearby table. “Maybe it isn’t a good idea for me to be here. I should go.”

  Reaching out, she touched his arm. “There are some days I miss my family more than others. They called me Allie. Did you know that?”

  His eyes widened at her admission. Shortening her name had seemed natural, the same as shortening Abigail to Abby.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken the liberty, especially if it brings back bad memories.”

  “No. I like it when you call me Allie. It makes me feel, well…like I’m back home.”

  Stepping close, Cash took the cup from her hand and set it aside, then slipped his arms around her. “I like the way it sounds. You seem more of an Allie than an Alison.” His warm breath washed over her face, causing her to lean further into him.

  “And why is that?”

  “Don’t know. It’s carefree, less formal. Allie is how I see you in my dreams.” He touched his lips to her forehead, then tucked her head against his chest.

  “You dream about me?”

  “Darn near every night.” His deep chuckle made her smile as her heartbeat quickened.

  “I dream about you, too.”

  “That so?”

  “Almost every night.” Her breath had become ragged. She felt certain he couldn’t miss the thundering of her heart against him. Shifting, she looked up into his face, eyes dark with passion.

  On a groan, Cash covered her mouth with his, tightening his hold as she snuggled into him. A flash of heat so strong, so powerful jolted through him. Lifting her into his arms, he moved to the bed, then sat down, settling her on his lap, never breaking contact. His hands moved up and down her back, skimming to her slim waist, resting on the flare of her hips. She tightened her hold, as if she never planned to let go.

  A firestorm of passion ripped through her as he continued to stroke her back. She squirmed against him, unable to satisfy her need to get close. Her body demanded more, even as her mind raced to understand how to sate her growing desire. When a loud moan escaped, it took a moment for her to realize it came from her.

  If it had been any other woman, any other night, Cash would’ve continued, uncaring as to the consequences. As a widow, Allie knew what to expect and would accept the outcome of her actions. Yet something seemed amiss. No matter how much he tried to make sense of it, she didn’t come across as woman of experience. He had his share of women, some being widows, and nothing about Allie spoke of an understanding of what happened between a man and a woman when passion took over.

  When another moan passed from her lips to his, the reality they had to stop gripped him. Breaking the kiss, he let his lips drift from the corner of her eye, down her cheek, and along the curve of her jaw before he shifted her off his lap and onto the bed. Drawing in a shaky breath, he winced at the confusion on her face.

  “Did I do something wrong?” The pain in her voice tore at his heart. />
  “No, sweetheart. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he tugged Allie to his side, brushing a kiss across her temple. “You did everything right, and that is why I have to leave.”

  “But—”

  He touched a finger to her lips. “It’s late, and you consumed a good deal of wine tonight. When we make love, which I hope we will, I want you to be clear-headed, remembering every detail. You’re too special to do this any other way.” And he needed time to sort out his feelings, understand how a widow could be such an innocent. “If you can close the shop early on Saturday, we’ll take a ride. All right?”

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded, wishing he could at least hold her a little longer.

  “You get some rest.” Touching his lips once more to hers, he stood, walking to the door. Grabbing his hat, he glanced at her once more, a hesitant smile on his face, then closed the door behind him.

  ~~~~~

  Chapter Fourteen

  Big Pine, Montana

  “What do you think?” Harry Penderville slid off his horse, huddling next to his brother near a dwindling campfire. Two of their men had ridden into Big Pine on several nights over the last week, getting to know the town, learning about the sheriff and his deputies, and identifying the largest bank. Harry and Milt continued to talk about the best scheme for hitting the bank and when.

  “We’ve got to make our move before the local mine manager withdraws the payroll money on Friday.” Milt sat on his haunches, using a stick to trace lazy patterns in the dirt. “Best time will be right after the bank reopens after lunch. They won’t be expecting us in broad daylight. According to the boys, that’s when the deputies make their afternoon rounds.”

  Harry straightened and paced in circles, not fond of the idea of a robbery in the middle of the day. Their older brother, Chet, had tried the same in Splendor and ended up dead, along with the others who rode with him. Harry also knew they had few options. While in Big Pine, the boys had heard Milt and his name mentioned, knowing the sheriff in Bloody Basin had sent word the gang might be on their way. Until now, all their raids had been at night. The lawmen wouldn’t expect a raid in the middle of the afternoon.

  “We’ll post men across the street. You and I will go inside, get what we can, and get out.” He watched Milt continue to draw meaningless circles in the dirt, knowing it was his brother’s way of releasing stress. “Or we skip Big Pine and ride straight for Splendor.”

  Milt’s surprised gaze locked with Harry’s, his mind working as he thought about passing up a small fortune in payroll. “The money could set us up for months.”

  “And warn the people of Splendor we’re on our way. If we take the payroll, I say we ride south, out of Montana and into Idaho, then on to California as we planned. Forget about Splendor and avenging Chet.” Harry crossed his arms as he planted his feet shoulder width apart. “We’d be fools to do both.”

  Milt tossed down the stick and pushed to his feet, considering what Harry had said. His brother came up with a good idea once in a while, and this one made sense.

  “They won’t have any idea where we are if we don’t ride into Big Pine. May even think we rode out of the territory.” Milt glanced at the men as they sat playing cards several feet away. “We could ride on to Splendor, get our business done, then come right back here before word has spread.”

  “It would be a hard day’s ride, but it could be done. The mine pays every two weeks. We could plan it so we find the men who killed Chet and the boys, then ride back to Big Pine before they withdraw the money.” Harry drew a hand down his face, massaging his stubbled chin. Milt wouldn’t give up on avenging Chet, yet the gang needed the money before riding out of Montana on their way to California. “It could work.”

  “Luke and I are riding into Splendor for the town meeting. Why don’t you come with us, Bull?” After a day chasing cattle, Dax tried to brush off the dirt before stepping into the house.

  “I’ve never been to a town meeting. Is something going on I haven’t heard about?” Unless his bosses needed something, Bull rode into town for two reasons—to drink and play cards, or to see Lydia. Ever since she’d taken the position to help Abby Brandt with Gabriel, they’d seen little of each other. The separation wore on him, and from what he’d seen, it bothered Lydia about as much.

  “They’re talking about forming a town council with a mayor. It’s been informal up until now. Maybe putting it down and having elections is a better way to go. Think about it. You know Noah will be there, which means Abby and Lydia will be taking care of Gabriel.” Dax saw the moment Bull understood his meaning. “We leave in an hour.”

  “I’ll be ready.” Bull nodded, picking up his pace as he walked to the small house the Pelletiers provided him. He hadn’t seen Lydia in over a week, and the hole in his heart got bigger each day. Dax and Luke had changed his circumstances with the offer of becoming their foreman.

  He had his own place. The same house Hank and Bernice Wilson, an older couple who had worked for Dax and Luke since they arrived, had called home until they moved to California due to her health. Although small, it came furnished and included a living room, kitchen, one bedroom, a large pantry, and wood room. He took many of his meals with the Pelletiers, meaning he saved a large portion of his monthly wage, which he’d asked Noah to help him invest. Life was the best it had ever been, then Lydia agreed to work in town.

  Bull didn’t begrudge Noah and Abby drawing her away. They needed help with Gabriel, and Lydia loved children. The remaining orphans were older, able to do chores and pay for their keep. They no longer needed Lydia to watch over them. He couldn’t believe how much the young runaways had changed since a group of men, including himself, discovered them hiding in a cave above Luke’s original house near Wildfire Creek.

  While washing off the day’s dirt and donning clean clothes, Bull considered his future. Growing up in Ohio, he’d worked alongside his father in the family construction business. Then he’d joined the war, fighting for the North. After his service, he needed space, distance from his past, a place to start over. He’d ended up in Splendor and started working for deceased Texas Ranger, Patrick Hanes, whose will bequeathed the ranch to his two Ranger friends—Dax and Luke. They’d convinced Bull to stay on and work with them. It had been the right decision. They weren’t only his bosses, they were good friends. Finances, though, continued to be tight, to the point he didn’t see a way to support a wife and family. With the promotion, his future had turned.

  Bull never thought his situation would change enough to state his feelings to Lydia, ask her to marry him. Now she’d left the ranch. From what he knew, she spent a good deal of time in town with Abby and the baby. A town full of single men looking for a woman like Lydia to claim. Well, he thought, they’d do it over my dead body.

  “Bull, you ready?” Luke shoved open the door, as was his custom when visiting Bull. “Lordy! Is there a special occasion I don’t know about?”

  Bull scowled as he finished buckling his gun belt. “Let’s go.” He glanced at Luke, challenging him to say more. Over six foot four with broad shoulders that didn’t clear some doorways, few people ever pushed him too far. They were lucky his temper burned at a slow pace.

  Luke’s smirk fell as he shook his head, heading outside. It didn’t take a genius to guess what Bull planned. Grabbing the reins of two horses, Luke swung up on Prince, tossing Abe’s reins to Bull. Dax joined them on Hannibal a moment later.

  “You two ready?” Dax looked between Luke and Bull.

  Luke let out a loud whoop. “Race you to the rock.” He kicked Prince into a run, laughing as he headed toward the huge bolder marking the entrance to Redemption’s Edge.

  Dax cast a furtive look at Bull. “We going to let him win?”

  “Hell no.” A broad smile flashed across Bull’s face a moment before he took off after Luke.

  “The vote carries. We will be forming a town council and electing a mayor.” Gabe
stood at the front of the room in the crowded schoolhouse. He’d been pressured into leading the meeting the moment he’d walked in the door. “Now, we need the names of six people to be voted onto the town council. Yes, Reverend Paige. Who do you nominate?”

  The meeting continued until the town ended up with a full council, which included Stan Petermann, Nick Barnett, Noah Brandt, Silas Jenks, Horace Clausen, and Dax. Luke and Gabe had both been nominated, each begging off for different reasons.

  “All right. There are two more items, then you can all go home.” Gabe glanced down at the list, glad his work was almost over.

  Bull leaned toward Luke, his voice low. “I’m going to ride up to Noah’s and visit with Abby and Gabriel.”

  Luke’s raised brows got the reaction intended.

  “All right. I’m going to see Lydia. Satisfied?” Bull rose as quietly as a man his size could and walked out, wasting no time riding up the hill above town to the Brandt’s home. Reining Abe to a stop, he sat a moment, breathing in deep, letting it out in a slow whoosh, then slid to the ground. The sounds of laughter reached him as he stopped at the front door, helping him relax. Raising his hand, he knocked, then stepped back. A moment later, the door swung open.

  “Good evening, Bull. It’s so good to see you. Please, come in.” Abby gave him a brief hug, then slipped her arm through his. “How did you get away from the meeting so early? I’ve been expecting Noah any time now.” They walked through the entry and into the parlor where Lydia sat in a chair, rocking a wide awake Gabriel.

  Tearing his gaze from Lydia, he looked over at Abby. “I’m sure he’ll be along shortly. The meeting was still going when I left.”

  Walking over to Lydia, Abby held out her arms. “I’ll put him to bed. Why don’t you get Bull some coffee and a slice of that wonderful spice cake you made?”

  Bull waited, watching as Lydia disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a cup of coffee and thick slice of cake.