Chapter Twenty-three
Chet saw a rider approaching and recognized him as Steve, one of the hands from the Dollar. He wondered what was going on and went out to meet him.
"Mornin', Steve," Chet called out as the other man reined in.
"Mornin', Chet."
"What brings you out this way so early in the day?"
"Miss Stacy sent me over with this note for you." Steve handed Chet an envelope.
Chet frowned, puzzled, but took the letter from him.
"I gotta head on back," Steve said, wheeling his horse around.
"Thanks for bringing it over."
As Steve rode away, Chet tore open the envelope to read her message.
Chet,
Something important has happened, and I need to see you this morning. Please ride over as soon as you can. I'll be waiting for you.
Stacy
Several of Chet's men were working nearby, and they saw how serious their boss's expression became as he was reading the note.
"You got trouble, Boss?" one of them called out to him.
"No, but I've got to ride over to the Dollar and see Stacy this morning. You just keep on working. I should be back later this afternoon."
Chet was a little worried as he went into the house to get cleaned up before going to see his fiancée. The tone of her note wasn't exactly warm and he wondered if she'd been in town and heard talk about his last visit to the Ace High. He hoped not, but if she had, he would definitely have some big explaining to do. Chet grimaced and prepared himself to do what he could to play the role she expected of him. He'd been thinking a lot about their upcoming marriage lately, and knew he would just have to wait until after they were man and wife to take charge of Stacy. She wasn't going to be an easy woman to tame, but he would do it. She would learn who the boss was in their relationship.
Half an hour later, Chet was riding toward the Dollar. He took his time, for he wasn't looking forward to it.
Walker was tense as they covered the miles to Chet's ranch. He had no doubt the upcoming confrontation was going to be dangerous, and he was glad they were all armed. They were going to have to be careful dealing with him. He glanced over at Roni as she rode alongside him. She was a brave woman, but he wanted to make sure she kept out of danger.
"When we get close, be careful and stay back," he ordered her. "There's no telling what Chet might do when we corner him."
"All right, but you be careful, too," she returned, for she suspected the minute Chet saw Walker there would be trouble.
Sheriff Protzel was leading the way as they rode in. They saw a few men working at the stable, but there was no sign of Chet.
"He may be up at the house," the lawman said, heading in that direction.
They reined in out front and dismounted. Walker and Jim went with Sheriff Protzel to knock on the front door while Roni stayed with the horses. When no one answered, they started out to the stable to ask the ranch hands where Chet was. One of the men was already coming up to talk to them. As he drew near, the hand recognized Walker and was shocked.
"But you're supposed to be dead." He gaped at him.
"Well, he's not," Sheriff Protzel answered, cutting the man off and ending any discussion about Walker's return. "We're here looking for your boss. Where's Chet? We need to talk to him."
"Why, he rode out for the Dollar a little while ago. He got a note from Stacy telling him she wanted to see him right away, so he left."
"Any idea when he'll be back?" the lawman asked.
"Later this afternoon," The ranch hand kept looking from the sheriff to Walker. Walker was a convicted killer, and he wondered why the lawman hadn't locked him up in jail, or at least put him in handcuffs. He wondered, too, why the banker and Dr. Reynolds were riding with them.
"And how long has he been gone?"
"Not too long. Maybe half an hour or so. Why? Is there some kind of trouble going on?"
"No, I just need to talk to him. Thanks for your help." The sheriff turned away to mount up.
Walker, Jim and Roni did the same, and they rode off at a gallop, leaving the confused ranch hand staring after them, wondering what was really going on.
"We've got to get to the Dollar fast," Walker called, determined to protect his sister from Chet. He had a feeling he knew why Stacy had sent that note.
Jim stayed silent as he rode beside Walker. He, too, was worried about Stacy being alone with Chet. True, there would be ranch hands around, but there was no telling what Chet might do to her if she tried to break off their engagement.
Roni was concerned, as well. She had a feeling Stacy had sent for Chet to tell him that their relationship was over. If that was the case, it was a very good thing they were on their way there now, for they knew very well just how violent Chet could get when anyone crossed him. Roni offered up a silent prayer that Stacy would be safe.
As Chet topped a low rise, he saw the Dollar's main ranch house in the distance and knew he was as ready as he would ever be for this meeting with Stacy. His mood was cautious, but he forced himself to look happy about the visit as he continued on toward the house.
In short order, Chet was dismounting out in front of the ranch house. He went up the steps to find Stacy coming to the door.
"Hello, Chet," she said coolly.
"I got your note and came right over. Are you all right?" he asked, acting concerned as she let him in.
"I'm fine," Stacy answered, and started to turn away from him.
"That's good." Chet caught her by the shoulder and drew her to him. "I was hoping for a warmer welcome from you," he told her in a husky voice as he bent to kiss her.
Stacy held herself rather stiffly and accepted his kiss without any real response.
Chet took her actions as a rejection, and though he was seething, he played the loving fiancé. "Stacy, honey? What's wrong?"
"Come into the parlor, Chet. We need to talk." She walked ahead of him into the sitting room.
"All right."
Stacy had tried to think of the right words to say, but she knew there was no easy way to tell him she was calling off their marriage. She knew he wasn't going to be happy, but she had to do it. He had changed. He was almost a stranger to her lately. The man he was now bore little resemblance to the man she'd fallen in love with when he'd come courting all those months ago.
Stopping on the far side of the room, Stacy turned to face Chet. She found him watching her, his expression unreadable.
"Chet, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but—"
"Say what?" He took a step nearer.
"Well, I've been doing some serious thinking lately, and—"
He interrupted her before she could say what he knew was coming. "I know I've been pressuring you to get married—that's because I love you, Stacy, and with Walker gone . . . Well, I didn't want you to be alone. I was afraid something would happen to you with no one here to protect you."
"Chet, we've been through this before," she said in frustration. "I'm safe here. This is my home."
"Yes, but—"
"There's no point in arguing about this anymore. I'm still in mourning for my brother, and I don't know how long it will take me to get over losing him—if I ever do get over it."
"All the more reason for me to be here for you," he put in. "I only want to help you, Stacy. I love you."
Stacy's temper flared at his attempt to sweet-talk her. "If you love me so much, what were you doing with a saloon girl at the Ace High?"
"What are you talking about?" Chet tensed, realizing someone had told her about Suzie. He wondered who could have done it and figured it might have been Roni, if Suzie had gone to see her after he'd left her that night.
"I'm talking about how you went to the saloon and assaulted one of the girls there. You had me fooled for a long time, but not anymore." She pulled the engagement ring off her finger and held it out to him. "Here. Take it. I can't marry you, Chet. You're not the man I thought you were."
Chet looked at the ring she was offering him, and then lifted his gaze to look straight at her. He knew this was the moment that was going to truly test his self-control, but he was confident he could convince her that he'd just made one bad mistake and was sorry. He felt certain if he played the role well enough, she would forget everything she'd just said. "Stacy, I—I'm sorry. I got real drunk that night, and I didn't know what I was doing."
"Well, I know what I'm doing," she declared, unmoved by his pitiful excuse. "I'm ending this—now."
"You can't be serious. Don't you realize how much I love you and care about you?"
"Actually, no. I don't. No man who loved me would do the things you've been doing behind my back! I want you to leave, Chet. Just go. There's really nothing more to say. It's over."
"No, you're wrong, Stacy. It can't be over. You mean too much to me. Let me make it up to you. Give me a chance to redeem myself." He approached her, his manner humble.
"Chet, don't you understand? I don't love you anymore." Stacy put it as bluntly as she could.
Chet's anger was growing out of control as she continued to spurn him. "You don't really mean that."
"Yes, I do." She glared at him, beginning to think he really was stupid. "It's over, Chet."
"This isn't over. Not by a long shot." He took a step toward her. "You are my fiancée. You will marry me, and you're going to do what I tell you to do!"
"Hah!" she scorned him. "Take your ring and go. I have nothing more to say to you." She threw the ring at him.
Chet was outraged by her treatment of the expensive ring he'd gone into even greater debt to buy just to impress her. He picked it up and took a step toward her. "Listen to me, Stacy—"
"I don't intend to listen to anything else you have to say. Get out of here. We're through." She started to move away from him.
The last of his control snapped at her insult. He grabbed her by the arm in a bruising grip and yanked her around to face him. "It is not over between us."
"Get your hands off me!"
"We can go to a justice of the peace right now," he said, his tone threatening.
"I'm not going anywhere with you, least of all to get married! I told you, I don't love you. I've fallen in love with someone else!" She deliberately threw that in his face, wanting to get to him in any way she could.
He froze as he stared down at her. "What are you talking about?"
Stacy looked up at him, her expression confident and proud. She wasn't going to let him see the fear in her heart. "There's someone else in my life. He's the one I want to marry, not you!"
"You criticize me for being with Suzie and all the while you've been cheating on me?" he demanded.
Stacy gave a scoffing laugh at his words. "That's right."
Chet was ready to slap her when he heard what sounded like someone riding toward the house.
"Someone's coming," she said, jerking free of his hold. "Don't you think it's time you left? Or do I have to call Zach to get you off the Dollar?"