Brazen (10 page)

Again the thought of finding a suitable husband for her
returned, and his smile turned to a frown. None of the
bachelors in town had enough money to save the ranch.

Jack started trying to think of other single men in the
area who had money, and John McQueen came to mind.
As quickly as he thought of him, he rejected the idea.
McQueen might have money, but Jack had seen the way
the man looked at Casey and there was no way he wanted
him anywhere near his daughter.

There was the widower Charles Barnhart, who owned
a spread on the far side of town. He had cash, but he was
going on sixty, far too old for Casey.

Casey needed someone she could come to care for.
Someone she could eventually he hoped come to
love.

Growing more desperate by the minute, Jack realized
the only other rancher around who had money was Frank Donovan. His frown deepened as he was lost deep in
thought.

Desperate times did call for desperate measures, and

Michael Donovan was back in town.

Jack cursed silently. He was furious that he was reduced to even considering going to Frank for help.

Jack looked at Casey again.

Maybe it was time to make peace for Casey's sake.

All anger left him as he gazed lovingly at his sleeping
daughter. Nothing was more important to him than she
was. If that meant he had to put aside the animosity he'd
held toward Frank all these years, he'd do it.

For a moment, the very real fear struck Jack that Frank
might reject his offer. Jack knew he had to somehow convince his old enemy that uniting the ranches was in their
best interests that it was the only way to save both
ranches. If Donovan didn't agree to his plan, he would
be forced to sell out probably to McQueen. Given the
chance, Jack suspected McQueen might fry to cut off the
water supply to the Circle D-the water supply the two
ranches now shared.

Jack hoped that argument would convince Frank to go
along with him.

He was dying. He didn't have any time to waste.

Jack grew more and more tense with each passing mile.
After making his decision to seek out Frank Donovan,
he'd had to wait a full day before he could muster enough
strength to leave the house. Dealing with the weakness
had angered him, and now, as he drove his buckboard
toward the Circle D, even that short delay worried him.

Time was of the essence.

Casey had ridden out with the hands early that morning, so no one knew where he was going, and that was
fine with Jack. He'd promised her that he would stay at
the house and rest, so as long as he returned before she
did, everything would be fine. This meeting with Frank
had to be private, strictly between the two of them for
now.

Jack wasn't sure what kind of reception he would get
at the Circle D.It wouldn't be a warm one, that was for sure,since the sheriff had thought he was the one who'd
ambushed Frank. Still, as difficult as it was for him to
swallow his pride and go there, Jack had no choice. The
upcoming visit might be humiliating, but he didn't even
consider turning back. Casey's future was too important
to him.

When the Circle D ranch house finally came in sight,
Jack girded himself for what was to come.

Frank was in his bed, braced up against the headboard,
staring out his bedroom window at the countryside. It was
a beautiful day. The sun was shining in a cloudless blue
sky.

Frank longed to be off riding with his men. He wanted
to be out working the stock, living the life he loved. Instead, he was trapped inside the house in a body that was
broken and would never work again.

His mood alternated between anger and despaianger that this had happened to him and no one knew
who'd done it or why, and despair because the future
stretched so bleakly before him. He tried to push his dark
thoughts away. Logically, he knew there was no sense in
dwelling on what he could not change. He had to find a
way to deal with his life the way it was now. If he could
have been certain Michael was going to stay on permanently at the ranch, he would have felt better about the
future of the Circle D.As it was, the uncertainty haunted
him.

A buckboard came into view in the distance, heading
up the road to the house. Frank wondered who was com ing to pay them a visit. Dr. Murray wasn't due back until
the end of the week. When the buckboard drew nearer
and Frank was finally able to make out the driver, he was
shocked to find it was Jack Turner. Frank was instantly
waiy. He was sure Jack hadn't come out of concern for
his health or to pay him a social call. Something was going on.

As Jack drove up in front of the house, Frank lost sight
of him. He waited tensely to see what was going to happen. It wasn't long before a knock came at the door.

"Frank?" Elizabeth called out as she came into the
room to speak with him.

"What is Turner doing here?" he demanded before she
could say another word.

"You saw him drive up?" Elizabeth had been as surprised as her husband by the neighboring rancher's appearance. The enmity between them was long-standing.

"You're damned right I saw him. What does he want?"

"He wants to speak privately with you. I told him I'd
have to see if you were up to seeing anybody this morning."

"Where's Michael?" He wanted his son with him when
he faced Jack.

"He and Nick rode out earlier with the men. I don't
expect him back any time soon."

Frank looked around himself in disgust. The last thing
he wanted to do was appear weak before Jack Turner,
but short of having one of the hands cany him downstairs
to the study, he was trapped. The thought that anyone
had to carry him anywhere filled him with rage, but there was nothing he could do about it. He'd stay put. Jack
Turner could come to him.

"Help me get a shirt on."

Elizabeth quickly helped Frank take off his pajama top
and don a shirt.

"All right. Bring him up."

She went down to the parlor where Jack was waiting.

"Frank is ready to see you now."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." Jack followed her up the stairs.

Elizabeth let him in, then told her husband, "If you
need me, just call."

Jack stepped quietly into the bedroom.

She closed the door, leaving the two longtime adversaries alone.

Frank glared at Jack. "What the hell are you doing here,
Turner? What do you want?" he demanded aggressively.

"I need to talk to you." Jack had known this wasn't
going to be easy. The sight of the once strong and powerful Frank Donovan sitting unmoving in his bed reminded Jack of his own vulnerability and mortality.

"About what?"

"About the Bar T." A sudden wave of weakness washed
over Jack. He hated to look weak before Donovan, but
after his collapse the other day, he had no choice. He
asked, "You mind if I sit down?"

"Go ahead," Frank told him, indicating a chair by the
bed. He eyed him warily, not trusting him. Jack never did
anything without a reason, and he wondered what he was
up to.

"First I'm sorry about what happened to you."

"You think I believe that?"

"Believe what you want, but it's true."

"Being sorry don't change a damned thing."

"I know, but, Frank, as much as we've been at odds
over the years, I didn't have anything to do with the ambush. It wasn't me."

Frank believed him, but that didn't change the way he
felt about the other man. He continued to glare at Jack.
"So what's going on? I know you want something or you
wouldn't be here."

"There's trouble coming," Jack began.

"Trouble?" Frank repeated sharply, wondering how
things could get any worse for him than they were already.

"That's right. There's trouble ahead for both the Bar T
and the Circle D, unless we can work something outogether."

"Us? Work together?" Frank looked at him as if he were
mad.

"That's right," Jack repeated, hating the idea as much
as Frank did. "You think I like being here? You think I
wanted to come to you? I didn't, but I had no choice.
Frank" he looked his enemy straight in the eye "I'm
dying."

"What?" Frank was shocked.

"It's my heart. Dr. Murray says I don't have long to live."
Jack had never said it out loud before. He drew a slow,
ragged breath before continuing, "That's why I came to
see you."

"What's your being sick got to do with me?"

"I need to make sure some things are taken care of
before..."

"Just what do you want to take care of?"

"Casey. If I die and she loses the ranch"

"Why would she lose the ranch?"

Reluctantly, Jack was forced to explain his financial
situation to Frank.

"Foster said he'd give me two more months, but that's
all. And I don't think I can raise that kind of money, so
fast. Even if I could, how could I protect Casey? I have to
make sure someone is looking out for her after I'm gone."

"Why don't you just sell the ranch?"

"No," he answered fiercely. "Never. McQueen's already
made me an offer--"

"John McQueen?" Frank was instantly alert. The other
rancher had made him an offer, too, some months back.
He hadn't been about to sell out to anyone, but there was
something about McQueen he didn't trust.

"That's right. Did you know he bought out Ron Maguire?"

"No. I hadn't heard that."

"He did, and now he's trying to buy the Bar T, but I
don't want to sell to him. I don't want to sell to anyone.
Casey loves the Bar T.The ranch is her whole life. That's
why I came to you."

"What do you want from me?"

"Do you know what could happen if McQueen gets
hold of the Bar T? He could cut off your water supply.
How long can you last without water."

"He wouldn't do that."

"You want to bet? I've got a feeling he will if he gets
the chance. But I don't intend to give him that chance.
That's why I came here to you. I want to make a
deal-a deal that will protect us both."

"You want me to buy you out?"

"No. Look at you. I may not have long to live, but you
might as well be dead already," Jack pointed out harshly.
"You can't run the Circle D the way you used to. How
would you run both ranches?"

"Why, you-" Anger surged within Frank at Jack's brutal words.

"Shut up and listen to me. I have a plan that can save
us both."

"I don't need you to save me from anything, Turner."

Jack had feared he would react this way that the hatred and mistrust between them would never end. Now,
it seemed they would both ultimately be destroyed by it.

"All right. You've just proved to me that you're as stupid
as I always thought you were." Jack got to his feet to go.
"I'll leave. Enjoy your life. Just remember you were
warned."

He started from the bedroom, his mood despairing as
he faced the devastating truth of his future.

"I don't like threats," Frank ground out.

"I wasn't threatening you." Jack looked back at him.
"I'm just telling you what I know. You've got Michael back
with you now, but once I'm gone, Casey will be left all
alone. I thought I had a plan that would protect our
ranches, but since you're not interested-"

"Why do you care about my ranch?"

"I don't care about you or your ranch," Jack snarled
bluntly. "I care about my daughter."

"What's your plan?" Frank interrupted him.

"You're willing to listen?"

"Start talking."

Jack faced him fully. "It's simple. All you have to do is
convince Michael to marry Casey."

"What?" Frank stared at him in complete shock.

"You heard me. It's the only way. United, our ranches
will prosper, otherwise..."

"Michael and Casey married? That's crazy."

"You think so?"

"I know so. There's a simpler way. If you're in such
deep financial trouble, sell the Bar T to me."

"No. I told you before, I don't want to sell."

"No?" Frank couldn't believe Jack had turned him
down.

"That's right," Jack went on. "I have to make sure Casey
is protected."

"From what I understand, your daughter is perfectly
capable of taking care of herself."

"I'm sure she thinks so, too, but you and I both know
the ways of the world. She'll be one woman, all alone."

"How does Casey feel about your trying to marry her
off this way?" Frank knew the outspoken young hellion
wouldn't appreciate her father's interference.

"She doesn't know I'm here. This is strictly between you
and me for now. I haven't even told her the truth about
my health, and I'm not going to. She knows I've been ill,
but she doesn't know how bad it really is."

"If she doesn't know, how can you expect her to go
along with the marriage?"

"Casey will do anything to save the Bar T."

"Even marry Michael?"

Jack ignored his question. "What about Michael? Is he
back here to stay? Does he care enough about you and
the Circle D to-"