Chapter Twelve
Standing in the open doorway of the attorney’s office, Heath observed her without her knowledge. Moss green eyes, dark with sorrow stared out the window. The bruises on her face stood out in vivid contrast with her pale skin, the black threads in her lip a harsh reminder of what she’d endured. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap. Except for the slow rise and fall of her chest, she didn’t move. She seemed lost in her thoughts, oblivious to the conversation around her.
To see her laid so low with blow after emotional blow was like a knife twisting in his gut. He’d never forget the sound of her cry when they’d ridden up to the farmhouse to find it dark, her uncle’s carriage gone. She’d practically thrown herself from his arms, sliding recklessly off his horse, and tearing into the house screaming for her brother. Heath had found her in Will’s bedroom, in his rumpled bed, sobbing out her grief into his pillow.
At first, he couldn’t understand her mournful utterings, and then it came to him. “I shouldn’t have left you, Will,” she wept, then repeating, “I shouldn’t have left you.”
Going straight to her side, he sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. Gathering her to his chest, he rocked her gently, whispering reassurances.
“How are we ever going to find him, Heath?” Her words hitched as she sobbed out her anguish. “I don’t even know where Eugene is from.”
Holding her close, he scanned the boy’s room, which appeared to have been left untouched. Drawings of horses were tacked to the walls, toy soldiers aligned in mock battle faced off on the desk, a few dog-eared books were piled haphazardly on his nightstand, one open face down as if waiting for him to return any moment and pick up where he’d left off.
“They apparently left in a hurry or Will would have taken some of his prized possessions.”
Her head came up and she looked around. “You’re right. He doesn’t go anywhere without his soldiers. Is that important, do you think?”
“It tells us he was in a hurry, and most likely left not long after you did. His haste may also be a sign that he’s not as confident of his rights as he claims.”
While he comforted Jenny, his brothers had searched the house and barn. As expected, they came up empty. Heath held her on their much slower ride back to Aaron’s and later as he urged her to sip a calming tea that Janelle had brewed with her herbs. Eventually, whether from the tea or from sheer exhaustion, she’d dozed off, still clinging to him.
The pull she had on him was palpable. The little redhead had gotten under his skin so much that he hated to leave her, but he had to. Aaron had arranged two posses to go after Will and they didn’t have time to waste. Harper had hours on them already.
With Jenny tucked in, he’d ridden out as the sun rose above the Laramie Range at his back. He traveled west, assigned to check the towns along the trail to the Great Salt Lake. His day had ended early with a wire from Aaron, who had taken the trail eastward toward Cheyenne. Harper had been spotted heading east. With great relief, Heath had turned and headed back to Jenny’s side.
Now, dirty and tired from the trail, his heart ached as he watched her. Undoubtedly dog-tired herself, she seemed distant, as if the tearful purging that morning had wrung every drop of emotion out of her. He couldn’t stand it anymore; he needed to go to her. As he stepped inside James Bennett’s office, everyone turned except Jenny.
“Jenny?”
Her eyes cut to him. “Heath,” she breathed. She stood, took a step toward him, but stopped. Her sorrow-filled eyes turned uncertain. “Please say you found him.”
He nodded grimly as he approached and took her hands in his. “Aaron received word. Harper was spotted in Cheyenne boarding an eastbound train with a boy matching Will’s description. The ticket man at the depot confirmed the end of the line for them is Omaha.”
“Omaha,” she repeated, disheartened, as though it might as well have been the moon.
Worried she would crumple where she stood, his hands slipped around her back, steadying her. “Aaron wired the sheriff there. He’s a friend of his, darlin’. He’ll be waiting with deputies when they arrive.”
Her eyes searched his, trying to process the news. A tear overflowed, trailing down her cheek. Then her breath caught in her throat and she leaned into him, her face pressed into his chest.
“This is happy news, girl. Dry those tears,” Henry exclaimed.
“I’ll be happy when I can hug my brother.” She barely got the words out before her voice broke, turning to a small sob that was muffled in Heath’s shirt.
“Shh, sweetheart,” he soothed, his arms rubbing up and down her back. “He’ll be safe as soon as he steps off the train in Omaha.”
Suddenly, she leaned back, her tear-streaked face tilted up to him. “But what if they get off before Omaha? That’s hundreds of miles away with so many stops in between. What happens to Will if they don’t go straight through?”
Her concern was valid, but Aaron had thought of that. “There’s a long stretch of rail between Cheyenne and Omaha,” Heath explained, “with no large towns and very few stops. Omaha is our best bet. However, Sheriff Bozeman is arranging to have someone waiting at each depot along the way, just in case.” He decided it was best not to mention that not all of the towns had telegraphs and few had a sheriff.
Heath saw her growing anxiety in the paleness of her face, heard it in the hitching of her breath, and felt it as her body trembled beneath his hands. “Don’t go borrowing trouble, Jenny. Harper has no reason to believe we know which way he’s headed.”
“How did you find out, son?” Henry asked. “I thought you’d be clear to the Great Salt Lake by now?”
“The plan was to wire Arlen at the telegraph office each stop with a report. I got the news in Rawlins and hightailed it back home.” He hadn’t taken his eyes off her, until that moment when they slid to his pa. “Did I miss anything here?”
Mr. Bennett answered that with a shake of his head. “I was just reviewing Mr. Harper’s will. I drew it up for him a few years ago. It’s difficult to make a judgment of the validity of the other without a copy. I’d like to compare signatures; the other could be forged. Although it’s possible that the one Eugene Harper had in his possession supersedes this one. That happens often after a spouse’s de—” He halted, his eyes shifted to Jenny before he concluded with more subtlety, “After a loss such as this.”
“It can’t be legitimate, Mr. Bennett,” Jenny argued politely. “Even out of his mind, papa wouldn’t have done that to Will, surely.”
Heath’s attention switched to her, noting she’d left herself out of that estimation. Was it intentional? He guided her to her chair. “Sit, Jenny, let’s hear him out.”
Without hesitation, she did. He moved a chair up beside hers, catching up her cold hand in his when he sat. He felt curious eyes on him and turned toward the source. Luke, Janelle, and his mother were all staring, their eyes locked on their clasped hands. He didn’t care. It might be improper, but only family was present and she was holding onto her control by a fine thread. She needed his strength and propriety be damned, he was giving it to her.
“We will contest the validity of this new will,” Henry contended determinedly. “The man was out of his mind with grief, staying whittled on whiskey night and day. The Eustace Harper I’ve known for over ten years wouldn’t have abandoned his children and sure as certain wouldn’t have signed them over to a complete stranger.”
“We can use that in a challenge, Henry. You’ll have to testify to his state of mind. In the meantime, I’ll have to get this before a judge to get an injunction to stop anyone from taking possession of the Harper farm and properties.” His eyes flashed to Jenny. “There is also the matter of guardianship of both the minor child and Miss Jenny.”
“We don’t need a guardian, sir. I’m twenty, soon to be twenty-one. I will see to my brother once we get him back.”
“I understand that, Jenny, but this is where the will gets rather convoluted. You are set to inherit a good portion of acreage at the age of twenty-one and are also appointed as the guardian of your brother, William. He is the majority heir, but can’t come into possession for well over a decade. Until that time, your father appointed Henry as guardian until your twenty-first birthday. After that, he is to stay on as executor of the estate and will manage William’s property until he reaches the age of twenty-one. All of this stays in place unless you marry, in which case those duties revert to your husband.”
Henry nodded. “That all seems in order. Eustace discussed this with me at length.”
“So you have some decisions to make, Mr. Jackson.”
“Everything’s already decided. William and Jenny will come live with Letty and me at the ranch. We’ll find tenants for the ranch. All that’s left is to get to Omaha and bring the boy back where he belongs.” Henry leaned over to pat Jenny on the shoulder. “And we will get him back, sweet girl.”
“Wait a moment. There’s a reference here to a codicil, dated three months ago, but I don’t see it.” The attorney scratched his head. “I don’t recall executing such a document. Let me check my files.”
The man got up and pulled out a drawer full of folders and papers.
“I don’t care about the farm,” Jenny murmured. “It means nothing if we don’t get Will.”
“Darlin’,” Heath replied softly. “There’s no reason you can’t have both.”
“You don’t understand, Heath, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have ever left him alone with that awful man. If I’d taken him with me last night, he’d be safe now.”
“You don’t know that. He’d already struck you twice. Heaven knows what he would have done if you’d tried to leave with Will.”
“I should have tried.” The lack of inflection in her voice and her flat, expressionless face even while tears tracked down her face was disturbing. “I want to go to Omaha. He’ll need me.”
“Jenny,” Janelle cut in, concern for her friend plainly written on her face. “Trust Aaron, he’ll do everything in his power to keep him safe.”
“I feel so helpless with nothing to do but wait.”
Heath felt her fingers curl around his, her nails digging into his skin. He welcomed the distraction. Frustrated and unable to ease her worry, he felt helpless too.
She jumped as Mr. Bennett suddenly cried, “Ah-ha, here it is.” Holding up a few sheets of paper, he added, “Misfiled… sorry folks.” He perused the document quickly, glanced at Jenny once with a dour expression, before taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
“What does it say?” Heath barked impatiently.
“It seems we have another fly in the ointment.”
“Dammit, man,” Heath growled. “Quit beatin’ the devil with a stump and tell us. She can’t take much more of this bullshit.”
“Heath,” Letty breathed.
“Getting riled up won’t help, son,” Henry advised.
While his parents frowned at him, Jenny’s free hand covered their clasped ones and her gentle touch eased him some. “Your pardon, James, but we’re on pins and needles here.”
“Think nothing of it, Heath. I certainly understand.” To Jenny, he asked, “Was your ma by any chance pushing you to get married, Jenny?”
Her head came up quickly. “Yes, she was, but how could you now that?”
“Let me read through the changes. If Jennifer Harper, at the age of twenty-one is not lawfully married, she permanently forfeits the acreage set aside for her and it reverts to the possession of William Harper. Furthermore, under such circumstances Mr. Eugene Harper, the testator’s half-brother, will assume guardianship of William Harper and all lands and properties set aside for him until he reaches majority at the age of twenty-one…”
Her mouth fell open and she emitted a choking sound. “But I’d never heard of Eugene Harper until last night. Why would papa do such a thing? Switching guardians from a trusted friend he’s known for over a decade to this… this…” She shuddered, apparently unable to come up with a word vile enough to describe Eugene. “It makes no sense. Are you sure that is my father’s document? Check again, please.”
“This is definitely your father’s signature. Although this wasn’t prepared by me, but by my former partner, I’ve done work for your father over the years and have others to compare it to. I can verify without a doubt that this was signed by Eustace Harper.”
Appearing flummoxed, Jenny put her hand to her brow. “That makes even less sense. Why would he use a different attorney, change his will out of the blue, and then demand I get married in what was then a period of three months?”
“I wouldn’t have advised this, but it seems iron-clad. Now the dilemma is that with this codicil, your uncle doesn’t need the new will. It’s a moot point. If you don’t marry by your birthday, he still gets control of Will and you lose everything.”
“That’s in seventeen days!” Her eyes slid back to him. “Why did you ask about mama?”
“I’ve seen clauses like these before and it’s usually brought on by a disagreement with a parent, most often a mother or stepmother, over a daughter who is dragging her feet to the altar, or sometimes a conflict over a chosen spouse.” The attorney was watching her, sympathy filling his perceptive features.
Heath didn’t know what to make of it all.
“That’s unbelievable,” Janelle said in outrage, glancing between Jenny and Letty as if they had answers. “Why would your parents do that, Jenny? Even more curious, why would they enact this document and not let you know? If the intent was to strong-arm you into marriage, wouldn’t you need to know about this clause for it to work?”
Heath gazed down at her bent head. She was staring at their hands, his larger one engulfing her own. He squeezed it reassuringly.
“If you know, Jenny, you need to tell us. It might help us figure this whole mess out.”
“She wanted me to marry as any mother would, but in the few months before she got sick, it seemed she was obsessed with it. Said I was going to be a spinster if I wasn’t married by twenty-one. We had several arguments; the last big blowup came about a week before she took ill when I declined Jed’s offer.”
“Jed Boyd?” Heath asked in amazement, scowling when she nodded. “Your ma was actually considering him? What was she thinking? You could do so much better.”
“He’s wealthy.”
“This was about money?” Letty put in. “I can’t believe it. Caroline was always such a romantic.”
“The farm was in trouble, long before mama got sick. I didn’t find out until papa stopped working and the bill collectors started coming to call.” She glanced at Heath, but then her eyes skittered away. “That’s why I had to get a job.”
He didn’t get into how foolish it was to think a saloon girl could earn enough to pay the mortgage on their farm, but it spoke to her desperation. “Your mother had to have known about the money trouble and figured a rich husband would help you save your inheritance.”
“I wish I could ask them why; with them both gone, I’ll never get the answers.” Her voice trailed off, ending in a heart-wrenching whisper. “I thought they loved me.”
A wounded sound came from his ma. He saw tears glistening on her cheeks and the anguish she felt for the daughter of her best friend. “I’m certain your ma loved you, Jenny. She spoke of you with pride. Her eyes shone with it when she mentioned both you and your brother. I’m at a loss over this.”
Heath felt something wet hit the back of his hand. As he watched the tear trickle beneath his cuff, his heart ached for her. Jenny’s head was bowed, her face hidden behind the current of her hair, and her shoulders were shaking ever so slightly as she silently cried.
“I think we need to finish up here,” Heath suggested as he slid a hand along her back, offering what comfort he could.
As if she hadn’t heard, his ma went on as though she was thinking aloud. “Your ma told me you’d turned down other proposals besides Jed Boyd. Sheldon Baker, for one; his family runs more cattle than us. Then there was Charles Buck, the banker’s son, and Les Peterson at the mill. Les’ family does quite well as the only grain mill for miles around. I remember her being quite upset that you had let so many good men slip through your grasp. Each one was progressively less well to do.”
“I didn’t love any of them, Mrs. Jackson, but I realize now that wasn’t important to her, only the size of their bank accounts, evidently. No wonder mama got so mad at me.” She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand, but she couldn’t keep up with the flow of tears. Mr. Bennett and Henry both proffered their handkerchiefs. She graciously accepted one and dabbed at her cheeks. Heath noted if nothing else, the color had returned to her face.
“I was being trotted out to the highest bidder, it seems. How disappointing for my parents when it was me who didn’t come up to scratch.”
Angry on her behalf, Heath sat stiffly by her side.
“So they were forcing your hand,” Janelle acknowledged. “Not to belabor the point, but why not tell you? It makes no sense.”
“I imagine she hoped I’d comply so she wouldn’t have to disclose her scheme. She was pressing hard as I said, for months, then she got sick. It came on sudden and severe. I remember she was working in her garden one day and got a terrible pain in her stomach. Then she couldn’t keep anything solid down. Her special tea and chicken broth was all she took for the last month of her life.”
“By the time I arrived, she was delirious and having those terrible paroxysms,” Letty paused, as if reliving those nights she’d stayed with Caroline at the end. She shook her head sadly. “I was useless, unable to stop them or bring her any ease. Doc was stumped too. It was terrible being so helpless.”
Janelle turned to her mother-in-law. “You didn’t mention she had seizures. That’s odd,” Janelle murmured, her brow knitted in concentration.
A college-educated nurse in her past—or was it her future—Heath could never figure that out, but he knew she had her nursing cap on, figuratively speaking, while mentally poring through her collective medical knowledge trying to connect the dots. She pursed her lips after a moment and said to Jenny, “I wish I’d been there for you and your mama, honey.”
“Me too, but you couldn’t have known.”
The room became quiet, each lost in thought as they puzzled over the events leading up to today. Heath recognized that the answers may never come, but the time for dwelling on it wasn’t now when Will was in Eugene Harper’s clutches. Into the silence came Bennett’s drawling voice, bringing them all back to the matter at hand.
“It seems, Jenny, your only legal recourse is to marry by your twenty-first birthday.”
“How is she supposed to find a groom in two weeks?” Henry asked.
Heath, who was observing the proceedings closely, felt that odd sensation again. It was making his hair stand up on the back of his neck. His eyes went directly to the source, his mother, catching her blue eyes twinkling back at him. She turned to Janelle. When he did as well, he noticed her blue eyes held the same glimmering brightness. Instantly, he knew what they were thinking. He shook his head. The two women nodded, Janelle’s lips twitching as she did.
Not finding anything amusing in the situation, he glowered at them both.
“I supposed we should reconsider your old beaus and determine their interest,” Henry suggested, unaware of the byplay around him.
Luke chimed in for the first time. He’d been quiet until now and Heath had almost forgotten he was there. Now he was smirking like a Cheshire cat as he answered pa. “Know all three, and hate to say it, but Sheldon and Les are already leg shackled and Charles has moved to Cheyenne. I hear he’s sparking with a gal there already and it’s serious.”
Heath felt the noose tightening around his neck. It didn’t help that his brother was sending an inane grin his way, the Jackson eyebrow raised in question.
“Got any bright ideas, big brother?”
It seemed Janelle, Luke, and his mother were all like-minded.
“I’ll call on Jed, and Marcus Ridgefield has expressed interest,” Jenny said quietly as she pulled away from Heath, sliding her hand from under his. The expression on her face was a mixture of dread and resignation, like she was preparing to walk over hot coals under threat of death. How much more could the girl take? Here was yet another crushing blow, another impossible choice. Marry or lose everything, including the only family she had left.
“Marcus Ridgefield is old enough to be your father,” Heath pointed out, his words coming out in an irritated grumble.
“I don’t suppose it matters, at this point. He seems kind, at least.”
“Jed Boyd is a clumsy oaf who wouldn’t know cow dung from wild honey.”
Luke burst into laughter, prompting Jenny to send him an annoyed glare. She clearly didn’t find anything about this funny either. His brother quieted under the force of Heath’s fulminating scowl although his smile didn’t go away.
Jenny came to Jed’s defense. “He’s a nice man and a good friend.”
“How about Luke?” His pa suggested, suddenly smothering a grin, having at last clued in to what was happening here. “He’s not old or clumsy, and I know for a fact he can recognize cow dung at fifty paces. He’s used it for target practice often enough.”
Heath didn’t consider Luke, knowing his pa had thrown that out to get him riled, but the thought of her with any of her former beaus created a fiery knot that burned hot in the pit of his stomach. The thought of her marrying any of them made him want to slug somebody, Jed Boyd most of all. The mealy-mouthed runt was the worst of the lot, and all wrong for her. He’d never make her happy and with her spirit, he’d be under her dainty heel before the ink was dry on the marriage license.
No. Jenny needed a man who would nurture her spirit, but who also wouldn’t let her manipulate him or allow himself to be wrapped around her finger. Someone who would blister her tail for all the mischief she got into on a regular basis, including dressing up like a tart and playing piano in a dadblamed saloon. Dammit, that man was not a kid like Jed Boyd or an old man like Marcus Ridgefield. It was someone like himself.
His eyes shifted from Janelle, skidded through Luke, before settling on his ma, who nodded at him and then had the audacity to wink. He sighed heavily, rubbing his hand across his brow. Marry Jenny Harper. That was the perfect solution for her. As he let it settle into his head, he realized the idea didn’t make him sweat or make his gut twist into knots. He felt protective of her already, and though he’d fought it, he was attracted to her, had kissed her and thoroughly enjoyed it. Admittedly, although he tried to deny it, his thoughts of her had been purely indecent since that time in church long ago. Lord knows a true gentleman would have offered for her after he’d compromised her by baring and spanking her naughty behind.
Resigned to the inevitable, he opened his mouth, allowing his heart and very aroused body to act independently of his brain. He recaptured her hand and squeezed firmly until he got her attention.
“You’re not marrying Luke, Marcus Ridgefield, or Jed Boyd. You’ll marry me.” The decision made, he didn’t allow room for discussion, turning to his pa and issuing a very serious order. “Since you are in charge of her for now, I expect you to keep her in sight until we say our ‘I do’s.’”
“Heath!” Jenny’s voice cracked, so rife was her incredulity. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’ve never been more serious, Jenny.” His finger slowly swept over her uninjured cheek as his eyes met hers.
“But you don’t even like me,” she whispered.
He shot her a smoldering glance, which had her face flaming bright red. “You’re wrong, darlin’. I like you just fine, more than fine if I’m being honest, which I haven’t been up ‘til now. It’s going to be okay, sweetheart, and I promise, I will love you better than that scrawny Jed Boyd, or my little brother, that’s for damn sure.”
“Heath Jackson!” Letty cried as Luke burst into laughter.
He ignored them both. Winking at his intended, he pressed a kiss to her temple before standing and issuing further orders. “Janelle, the wedding will be at your house at five o’clock; we’ll need a wedding supper. If there is time for a cake, you know I like lemon—”
“No! Not lemon!” Jenny shouted over him. They all turned as one to stare. Blushing, she excused her reaction by explaining, “Anything but that, I have a sensitivity to lemon.”
Heath knew by the brightness of her cheeks that there was more to it than she was telling, and if he recalled correctly, he’d seen her sipping lemonade a time or two. He set it aside for now and continued ordering his family about. “Ma, Jenny will need a dress.”
“I’m on that, Heath,” Janelle said. “I’ve got something that will be perfect, Jenny, don’t you worry. She’ll need more clothes for the trip to Nebraska though.”
“I’ll have someone go by the farm. Luke, you’ll have to hold down the fort while we’re gone, and wipe that smug grin off your face, you know you’ll be next.”
“Nah,” his brother shot back. “With you and the runt hitched, the pressure is off me. At least I didn’t have to threaten to marry her to get you to make your offer, but it came damn close. I’m proud you figured it out for yourself. It woulda been a shame to have to get the shotgun like we did with Aaron.”
“Hey!” Janelle protested.
Luke wrapped Janelle up in a brotherly hug. He sported a broad grin, enjoying the eventful meeting entirely too much in Heath’s opinion. “I’ll handle things at Jenny’s place and the ranch while you’re gone.”
“Thanks, brother.” Heath turned back to Jenny, planting a kiss on her still gaping mouth. Considering their audience, he kept it brief, giving her a final squeeze before moving toward the door. “I’ve gotta go. Got things to do, people to see…” Before he opened it, he swung back and met his father’s eyes meaningfully. “I’m counting on you, pa.”
“I’ll do it, son, by hook or by crook, your bride will be at the altar at five o’clock sharp.” He stood and rubbed his hands together. “Letty?”
“I’m here, dear.”
He twisted to where she stood behind him. “Just so… Put on your best bib and tucker, woman. We’re about to gain another daughter, by gum!”
As Heath stood in the open doorway, his eyes swept the gathering. Janelle was watching Jenny, her eyes warm with affection and not a small amount of sympathy. His ma also regarded her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, a glow of happiness lighting her face despite the grave situation. Pa was gazing at Jenny too, his face bearing the same fatherly pride it did each time he looked at Janelle. Luke, darn his sorry hide, was shaking Mr. Bennett’s hand and joking about how he could soon retire comfortably simply by representing the growing Jackson clan and all of their troubles. Finally, he settled on Jenny, who sat surrounded by his family.
“James?”
“Yes, Heath.”
“Prepare whatever papers are needed for me to take action against Eugene Harper and to transfer all properties to me as William’s new guardian. Come by the house this evening and after Jenny and I have said our vows, I’ll sign them. I want everything in order when we confront Harper in Omaha.”
“Yes, sir! I wouldn’t miss this wedding for all the tea in china.”
“Jenny.” Heath waited until his bride-to-be, who seemed dumbfounded by all that had occurred, faced him. “It’s going to be fine, sweetheart, because I’m gonna make it so. I promise.”
She stared back at him. As his pa’s hand cupped her shoulder, she nodded, which was good enough for him, for now.
“I’ve really got to go. I’ve got to corral me a preacher.”