BRIANNA: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Mail-Order Brides Club Book 4) (7 page)

O
ver the next few weeks
, Brianna started to feel like she was the luckiest person on the planet. The children had quickly grown attached to her, were settling in nicely and Paul kept surprising her. She really enjoyed his company and he was so thoughtful. He made it clear that he found her attractive, but he never pushed the matter. Instead, he made romantic gestures that melted her heart. One day, it was a handful of wildflowers that he'd gathered in the fields. Another, it was a blueberry pie that he'd bought at the mercantile. "Sweets for the sweet," he'd said as the children's eyes lit up at the sight of treat, and Brianna's mouth watered. He'd remembered that blueberry pie was her favorite. At times like that, she felt the warm feelings return, but they were still always brushed aside by the guilty memories of her loving husband Ted. But still, they were living as a happy family and everyone was well.

On the way home from school, Brianna decided to stop into the mercantile and pick up a loaf of bread to go with the roast chicken she planned to make for dinner. She usually baked her own, but there was only a slice or two left and she hadn't gotten around to baking again. They were going through more food now that there were more mouths to feed.

The children trailed behind her as she walked into the mercantile. It was mid-afternoon, about three thirty, and the store was empty except for one man who walked in as she was being rung up at the register. When he turned, she caught her breath and felt goose-bumps form. The man was dark-haired, with olive skin and a moustache. His eyes fell on her for a moment, but when he saw the two children with her, he immediately dismissed her and kept walking. She gathered herself together and relaxed when she realized that he wasn't who she'd thought he was at first. He strongly resembled one of the two men that had paid her a visit shortly after her husband died, though she didn’t get a long look at his face. It must have just been a coincidence, as they had similar coloring. But for a moment, what a scare it gave her.

She quickly took her loaf of bread and a small bag of licorice for the children to share as a treat, and then they were on their way.

B
rianna didn't give
the dark-haired man another thought until the following night at choir practice when Gertie pulled her aside and said. "There's been a man looking for you. He stopped me earlier when I was on my way into the mercantile. He didn't say who he was and I didn't like the look of him, so I didn't tell him anything. I hope I didn't make a mistake. Have you been expecting to hear from someone?"

"No, I'm not expecting to hear from anyone. What did he look like?"

Gertie thought for a moment. "Average height, dark brown, maybe black hair, dark eyes and a mustache."

The goose-bumps came rushing back as Brianna realized that he might be one of those two men that had paid her a visit in Boston. She couldn't believe they had managed to track her all the way to Montana. What could possibly be so important? Best to say nothing, she thought.

"I don't know anyone that fits that description. They must have me mixed up with someone else. Thank you for not giving him any information. I appreciate that."

"Well, like I said, I just got a bad feeling from him. Couldn't tell you why, just a strong sense to keep quiet. Maybe you should have Paul talk to the sheriff, in case this man is up to no good."

"That is a good idea. I'll do that. See you on Sunday." Brianna acted calm but inside she was shaking. What did he want with her?

"
T
here was
a strange man in town asking about Brianna?" Liam raised his eyebrow at Paul and David, his concern evident. After Brianna came home from choir practice the night before and told him what Gertie had said, Paul decided that he and David needed to have lunch at Donovan's the next day. That way, they could fill Liam in and ask him to keep an eye out for the guy and to let them know if he heard any news. On their way there, they stopped by the sheriff's office to fill him in.

"This is the first I've heard of someone new in town causing any trouble," Sheriff Riley said, "I don't like that he's asking about your wife if she isn't expecting any visitors."

"I don't like it much, either. Especially after what she dealt with in Boston before moving here." Paul told him about Brianna's odd encounter with the two dark-haired men soon after her husband's death, which now seemed suspiciously like murder.

"There's some bad elements in those big cities. Things happen there that you'll never have to worry about here. "I'll spread the word and let you know if I run into this person, see what his story is."

"I'd appreciate that," Paul said. They went straight to Donovan's pub after leaving the sheriff’s office and after they filled him in, Liam promised to do the same thing. A few minutes after they ordered the lunch specials, a familiar face walked in. Their cousin Ricky saw them and made his way over to their corner of the bar.

"This is a pleasant surprise. Thought I'd be dining alone, as usual." He took the seat next to David and then asked, "Is it chicken pot pie today?"

"How did you know that?” Paul asked.

"It's always the special on Friday. So, what brings you two into town?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid." Paul told him about the dark-haired man who'd been asking about Brianna.

Ricky looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "I think I saw him, too. Last night at the saloon. Fellow matching that description was sitting a few stools down. Never saw him before. Odds are good he'll be back, I would imagine. If I see him, I'll see if I can learn more about our new visitor."

"Be careful. It sounds like this guy is bad news," David said.

"What makes you think he'll be back?" Paul was curious.

"Well, if he's alone here, what else is he going to do at night?"

L
ater that evening
, Ricky was on his second beer when, as he anticipated, the dark-haired man walked into the saloon. Since Ricky was unmarried and lived just a block or two from the saloon, he spent a fair amount of time there. Over the years, he’d noticed that most people were creatures of habit. They tended to visit the same places and more often than not, they sat in the same seats. He expected that this man would likely do the same, so he sat just two stools away from where he had sat the night before. He watched as the dark-haired man scanned the room and then settled at the bar, two seats away. Ricky fought back a smile and reached for a handful of peanuts. He'd give him a few minutes to situate himself and then he'd pounce.

Once the man had taken his first sip, Ricky glanced his way and, in a friendly tone, said, “Haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new in town or just passing through?”

The man seemed startled for a moment and then recovered quickly. “Oh, just passing through. I’m actually hoping to track down the widow of an old business associate. Maybe you know her. A petite blonde woman, name of Brianna Sullivan.”

Ricky wasn’t surprised that this was indeed the dark-haired man. He didn’t look like he belonged in this area. He spoke quickly and seemed on edge, nervous even. Brianna was such a quiet, sweet thing. What could this character want with her?

“Can’t say that I do know her.” Ricky chuckled a bit to himself. It wasn’t a lie, exactly, as he did feel it was wise if he said nothing. “Is she in trouble? I can let the sheriff know if he needs to look for her.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. I just want to talk to her.”

“Where did you say you were from?” Ricky asked.

“Boston, North End area.”

Ricky took a long, slow sip of his beer and then said, “That’s a long way to come to just talk to someone.” He reached for the bowl of peanuts on the bar and grabbed a handful. Then he cracked one open and popped it in his mouth, keeping one eye on the man all the while.

They sat in silence for a moment while Ricky opened another peanut and enjoyed his beer. Finally the man spoke. “Listen, if you can find her for me, I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Worth my while?” Ricky repeated. Now things were starting to get interesting.

“Her husband stole a lot of money from me and my associates. We thought that he hid it in their house, but we looked everywhere and it’s not there. It’s a lot of money and we think she must know where it is. If you can lead me to her, I’ll gladly give you a finder’s fee.”

“Well, that’s an interesting proposition. I might be able to ask around some, see what I can find out. How can I reach you?”

“I’m staying at the Bozeman Hotel.” He held out his hand. “Bobby Spinelli. Nice to meet you.”

“Ricky Donovan.” Ricky shook his hand, finished his beer and decided it was still early enough in the evening to ride out to Paul’s house. He’d stop by David’s along the way and the three of them could figure out what to do. It didn’t make sense that Brianna would be mixed up in something like this. He didn’t know her well at all, of course, but from the interaction he’d had, he’d bet that she wasn’t involved at all.

“
T
ed never stole
a thing in his life!” Brianna was outraged at the suggestion. “He had the nerve to say he stole money from his boss? That’s untrue and simply ridiculous.”

Paul, David, Ricky and Brianna were gathered around the kitchen table. The children had recently gone to bed and Brianna had put a pot of coffee on to boil as soon as Ricky and David walked in. By the serious looks on their faces, she knew they might be there a while.

“Do you have any idea why he would say such a thing?” David asked. Brianna just shook her head. She never could have imagined that her husband would be accused of such a thing.

“What did your husband do?” Ricky asked.

“He was an accounting manager for Spinelli’s Construction. He handled all their books, managed all the suppliers they worked with. He did a lot of paperwork and sometimes worked long hours. They were involved in all kinds of building projects. He enjoyed the work.”

“Did he ever say anything about the people he worked for? Ever mention any problems with them?” Paul asked.

Brianna thought about that for a moment and then remembered something that hadn’t seemed important to her before.

“No specific problem. Ted never really did talk about his work much, but now that I think back, he was unusually stressed out in the weeks before the accident. I thought he was just busy with work, but he did mention once that it seemed like the number of their customers that paid in cash was increasing and it was getting more difficult to balance the books. The numbers didn’t always add up and he’d have to spend hours fixing it. He worked really late the night before the accident and said it was happening again. He wasn’t able to fix it this time, and was planning to talk to the owners and see if there was something he’d missed. He said it was nothing to worry about, so I never gave it another thought.”

“Do you think his accident might have been a murder?” David asked.

“I don’t really know. I thought it was just a terrible accident.”

“It sounds like it may be more than that.” Paul sounded grim and Brianna felt close to tears. She thought she’d left all this behind her, that maybe she’d imagined the sense of danger she’d been feeling.

“I think we need to arrange a meeting with this Bobby Spinelli and find out what’s really going on. We’ll all be with you, and I’ll let the sheriff know the meeting is taking place as well. Best to have everything on record.”

“Sounds like our future mayor talking,” David said with a smile. Brianna had to agree. She was impressed with Ricky’s quick assessment and well-thought-out plan. Colleen had told her that he was thinking of running for town mayor, even though some might consider him too young for the job.

“He’s staying at the Bozeman. I’ll stop by there in the morning and arrange a meeting for mid-afternoon. Let’s do it at Donovan’s pub. Even better to be right out in the open, I think, with plenty of witnesses in case he gets any funny ideas.”

“Brianna, are you in agreement with this?” Paul asked. “I’ll be at your side.”

“We all will,” David added.

“Yes, let’s get this over with.”

J
ulia and Colleen
were both working the lunch shift at Donovan’s the next day. They didn’t usually work on Saturdays but both of the other girls that usually worked the shift needed the day off. Brianna was happy to see them there. The more familiar faces the better, because she was definitely feeling out of her element. Knowing that Bobby Spinelli had followed her all the way out west was frightening and also told her that whatever Ted had found himself involved in was seriously dangerous. Ricky had stopped by earlier that morning, right after meeting with Bobby at his hotel. He let them know that Bobby wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a group meeting, but when he made it clear it was that or nothing, he reluctantly agreed.

They were all seated at a round table in the far corner of the room. It was the most private spot, where they’d be least likely to be overheard. Brianna was sipping an iced tea and sitting between David and Paul. Ricky and Liam were there as well. Because it was later in the day, after the lunch rush had come and gone, Liam was able to leave Billy to tend the bar so he could join them. Bobby was running late, which made Brianna even more nervous. He knew she was definitely in town now. What if he didn’t show and instead tracked her down when she was alone and not expecting it? That was her greatest fear.

Her iced tea was just about gone when the front door opened and Bobby walked in. Ricky waved him over and he joined them and took a seat.

“I hope you already ordered. I won’t be staying that long.”

“That’s understandable. Let’s get this over, then. Why are you here and what do you want with Brianna?” Ricky got right to the point.

Brianna felt Paul tense up on her right. She and David leaned forward.

“Mrs. Sullivan, nice to see you again.” Bobby nodded her way and Brianna forced a tight smile in return.

“All right, here’s the situation. A large sum of money, a very large sum, is missing. Your husband, Ted, was the last person who handled it. We took you at your word that you didn’t know anything about it and assumed the money had to be in your house somewhere, so we bought it.” At the surprised expressions around the table at that last comment, he added, “The house is a good investment for us, regardless. Would have been an even better one if the money had been there. But it wasn’t. So, we’re back to you, Mrs. Sullivan. You must know where that money is. If you just give it back to us, there won’t be any problems.”

Paul spoke up then. “Brianna do you know anything about this missing money?”

She shook her head and debated for a moment whether to share what she did know and then finally decided it would be for the best.

“I don’t know about any missing money. Certainly, I know that Ted never would have touched so much as a dime. He wasn’t a thief. I do know, though, that he was very stressed in the weeks before his ‘accident’. The night before, he worked very late and said that the books weren’t balancing again and he couldn’t fix it this time. He was planning to go to you and your father the next day to see if he’d missed anything.”

Bobby was quiet for a moment, then said, “My father, cousin Tony and I saw the numbers every night. There was a very large sum of money that disappeared that night. That’s why the books didn’t balance and it’s because Ted took that money! I don’t believe he was ever going to come to us.”

“No, he was! He never would have taken that money. He was sick about it.”

“You’re either a very good actress or your husband didn’t tell you the truth. Either way, he took that money and I need to get it back. Maybe you need to think hard about this and see if you might remember?”

Bobby’s tone had turned threatening and Paul leaned forward and spoke up. “Do not speak to my wife that way. If she told you that she doesn’t know anything, that’s the truth. Her truth. I’m afraid we can’t help you.”

Bobby didn’t back down, though. He met Paul’s gaze squarely and his tone gave Brianna the chills. “With all due respect, in my experience it’s not at all uncommon for people to remember things they professed to know nothing about. You’d be surprised.” He glanced Brianna’s way and added, “People lie. All the time. Especially when money is involved.”

“I don’t lie, and I’ll never believe that Ted was involved in this. Maybe you should be looking elsewhere. It wasn’t the first time Ted saw funny things going on in the books.”

Bobby considered that for a moment and then said, “that just proves that he was doing it all along. If you think of anything, if your memory returns, please get in touch. I will be at the Bozeman hotel for a few more days. I encourage you to think hard.” He stood then, and at the same time, Paul, David and Ricky all rose from their seats.

“I don’t appreciate you calling my wife a liar,” Paul said.

Bobby’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t appreciate being lied to and I definitely don’t appreciate having our money stolen.” He looked at Brianna then and his voice softened, but the look in his eyes remained hard. “No disrespect meant to you. I know this has been a difficult time for you and sometimes people’s memories get mixed up. For all our sakes, I hope that yours improves in the next few days. I’ll see myself out.”

He left then and they all sat back down. Brianna felt shell-shocked. There was still not a shred of doubt that Ted had stolen anything, but clearly he did know about the missing money. She wondered aloud if it would have made any difference if he’d gone to the owners that night and told them.

“I doubt it. After talking with that guy, I’d be willing to bet it was an internal job and that Ted was being framed to make it look like he took the money,” Ricky said.

“It wouldn’t be his father, but I wonder about Tony Caruso.” Brianna said. “He was the other man who came to visit me after Ted died.” She told David and Ricky the story she’d told Paul already.

“Tony’s the cousin?” Ricky asked.

“I believe so. He was even scarier than Bobby. I didn’t feel safe at all after they came by.”

“Perhaps I’ll stop by the hotel tomorrow if I don’t see him at the Saloon tonight, and suggest again that he look more closely at others in the company. Tony’s the most likely candidate, though, if the three of them were the only ones who regularly had access to the books and monies.”

“It seems so obvious to us, but it probably never crossed his mind to consider family.”

A
fter they ate
, they said their goodbyes to Ricky and then drove home. David had ridden in with them, but rode home with Colleen as she was just finishing her shift. As upset as she was about the whole situation, Brianna was grateful and impressed that Paul was so strong by her side and didn’t seem to believe for even a moment that she wasn’t telling the truth.

“Thank you for your support and for believing me,” she said softly.

“Of course I believed you. How could I think otherwise? It was obvious to everyone but Bobby and that’s because he’s just too close to it, and he doesn’t know you like we do.”

Brianna reached over and put her hand on his. “I still appreciate it.”

They stopped by Naomi and Jed’s to pick up the children who were staying there while they went into town. Naomi invited them to stay for a cup of tea and to test a new scone recipe she was trying, with fresh raspberries.

“That’s impossible to say no to,” Brianna said as Naomi already had the cups out and the water boiling. Once the tea was fixed, they sat down and filled both her and Jed in on the meeting at Donovan’s Pub.

“He sounds like a nasty sort,” Jed commented.

“I agree. I think you need to be very careful not to go anywhere alone while he’s still in town,” Naomi cautioned.

“I’ll make sure of it,” Paul agreed and then added, “Ricky’s going to suggest to him that they look more closely at that cousin, the other fellow that visited Brianna, Tony Caruso.”

“Well, keep us informed,” Jed said.

“We will. Now, on to happier subjects. I’m not sure about these scones, I may need to have another before I decide,” he teased.

“I guess that means it’s a winner.” Naomi smiled and pushed the plate of scones their way.

“Have as many as you like.”

O
nce they were
home and the children fed and off to bed, Brianna joined Paul in the living room. He had his woodworking out and although she was exhausted, she still looked forward to reading for a little while before heading to bed. It was nice just relaxing in comfortable silence and she’d grown to look forward to this part of the day. Paul stood as she entered the room and just as she was about to settle onto the sofa, he walked toward her and took hold of her hand and pulled her toward him.

“I just want you to know, Mrs. Donovan, that not only do I believe you, but I am pretty sure that I’ve fallen in love with you.” He smiled as he realized that he’d taken her by surprise.

“I know you weren’t expecting this declaration and that it is likely far too soon for you to say or feel anything similar, but I just wanted you to know.” He leaned in, touched his lips lightly to hers and when she didn’t pull back immediately, he deepened the kiss. And she liked it. A lot. He kissed her quite thoroughly and then when they finally came up for air, he was grinning. “Well that went well!”

Brianna chuckled. “It did, didn’t it?”

“Do I dare try again?” He looked so eager that all Brianna could do was smile in agreement.

After another lengthy kiss, Brianna reluctantly pulled away. She enjoyed kissing Paul, much more than she expected to, and needed to process those feelings. She decided that she owed it to him to explain how she was feeling.

“I quite liked that,” she said and Paul chuckled.

“You sound so surprised,” he teased.

“I am a little, to be honest. I really like you, and I think we’ve developed a great friendship and maybe more if those kisses are anything to go by. I have to confess, though, I still struggle a bit with feelings of guilt. That I’m somehow being disloyal to Ted which I know isn’t fair to you and doesn’t really make sense because Ted is gone.”

“I think it does make sense.” Paul tenderly brushed a stray hair out of her eyes. “You loved him. I think it’s normal to feel somewhat disloyal about having feelings for someone else, even though he’s gone. I’ve said it before, and I meant it. I’m willing to wait. I think it will come for us. It’s just a matter of time.”

“Thank you for understanding. I’m feeling very lucky right now.”

“I’m the lucky one.” Paul smiled again as he picked up his wood-working and turned his attention to carving. Brianna settled in and opened her book, but couldn’t focus on the words. Instead, she kept replaying their kiss over and over again her mind, alternately feeling guilty and looking forward to doing it again, as soon as possible.