Brazen Page 7

  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 sh
e 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-"

  "Marry your daughter?" Frank remembered the run-in Michael had had with her down at the river. "Honestly, after what happened between them in the past, I don't think he's too fond of her."

  "This isn't about the past," Jack said somberly, meeting Frank's gaze again. "It's about the future the future of the Bar T and the Circle D.Think about what I've said. I don't have much time, and I can't say anything to Casey until I know what you're willing to do."

  Frank said nothing more. He was lost in thought.

  Jack turned and let himself out. He drove away slowly, still unsure of what the future held.

  "You want me to do what?" Michael stared at his father in disbelief as he faced him in his bedroom later that afternoon.

  "You heard me. You have to many Casey Turner."

  "You can't be serious."

  "I've never been more serious in my life," Frank said somberly and explained everything Jack had told him.

  "It makes more sense for you to buy the Bar T."

  "Not to Jack. He's worried about his daughter."

  "He should be," Michael remarked sarcastically. "Surely they've got a relative somewhere who would take her in."

  "No, they've got no other family. When he dies, she'll be left on her own."

  "Somehow, I think Casey will be able to take care of herself."

  "Jack doesn't. He wants to make sure she's protected. With no close relatives to rely on, getting her married off before he dies is the only way."

  "This is ridiculous. Tell him to find somebody else. I don't want anything to do with her." Michael couldn't believe what his father was asking of him.

  "Michael-" his mother put in gently. She'd been sitting quietly in the room with them, listening to their exchange. "Your father wouldn't ask this of you unless he thought there was no other way. If John McQueen gains control of the Bar T and cuts off our water..."

  Michael looked between his parents and suddenly realized how serious the situation was.

  "I'll be back later," he told them.

  He needed time to think. Without another word he strode from the bedroom.

  Nick was waiting for him in the parlor, but Michael didn't stop to speak with him. He just called out that he'd see him later as he left the house. Getting his horse from the stable, he rode off, desperate for time alone.

  Michael spurred his horse to a gallop. He raced mindlessly across the miles of Donovan land. When he finally reined in, he was on a hilltop that overlooked the boundary of the Circle D and the Bar T.He sat there, staring out across the countryside.

  When he had come back home, he had not intended to stay forever. He'd believed his future was in the East.

  Until now.

  Finally in that moment, Michael acknowledged to himself that he loved this land. His love for the Circle D was real. It was a part of him that could not be denied.

  As the reality of his feelings took hold, he accepted full responsibility for the ranch's survival. Success rested on his shoulders. He would make whatever sacrifice was necessary to keep the Circle D going.

  He wondered again if there was any way to protect the ranch without agreeing to the marriage, but he already knew the answer. Jack Turner was a hard man, a proud man. Just the fact that he had come to the Circle D to speak with his father showed how desperate he was. Michael knew that if he refused to many Casey, Jack would probably sell to McQueen just to spite them.

  Marry Casey.

  Michael thought of the wild young woman and frowned. He couldn't even begin to imagine what being married to her wouldbe like. She was a wildcat --a troublemaker--an untamed female, and it was going to be up to him to tame her.

  Man that he was, Michael accepted what he had to do.

  To save the Circle D, he would go through with the marriage to Casey Turner.

  Jack was exhausted as he ate dinner with Casey that evening. The trip to the Circle D had worn him out, and he was nervous as he awaited Frank's answer.

  Jack was tempted not to say a word to Casey about his plan until he had heard something, but he knew that wasn't fair.

  He had to warn her.

  He had to tell her what he'd done.

  Jack looked up at: his daughter and girded himself for what was to come. He was certain her reaction wasn't going to be pretty. He was glad she was so busy wolfing down her food like a starving ranch hand that she was unaware of his scrutiny.

  He took the time to study her. After a day of riding and roping, Casey was as dirty and unkempt as any of the men. When she washed her hair and took a bath, she did look a little like her mother God rest his beloved Emily's soul. Right now, though, Casey bore little resemblance to the beautiful young woman he knew she had the potential to be.

  "Casey," Jack began, for the time had come.

  "Yeah, Pa?" She kept eating as she looked up at him.

  "We need to talk. It's important."

  Casey was instantly alert. "Are you feeling all right?"

  "This isn't about me It's about you."

  "Me?"

  "That's right. There's something you need to knosomething I've done."

  "I don't understand." She stopped eating to stare at him.

  "I didn't figure you would." Jack was hedging, trying to avoid the explosion that was coming. "There may be some big changes in our future."

  "You're not thinking of selling the ranch, are you?"

  "No. No."

  "Good. I can keep the place going. I know I can, and I've been thinking of ways to come up with the money in time to pay off the bank loan."

  "That's exactly what I have to tell you. I've already figured out a way to do it."

  "You have?"

  "That's right, and if everything turns out the way I hope it will, the Bar T will be safe."

  "What's your plan? Can I help?"

  "Oh, yes. I will need your help. That's for sure." Jack drew a deep breath.

  "What do you need me to do? Name it. I'm ready." Casey was eager to do whatever was necessary.

  "While you were working today, 1 went to see Frank Donovan."

  Casey stared at him as if he were crazy. "What? You promised me you were going to rest like the doctor ordered! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

  "No."

  "Then why would you go see Donovan?"

  "Because making a deal with him is the only thing that's going to save us."

  "What? You made a deal with Donovan?" She was shocked. "Things are that bad?"

  "Yes. They are that bad," he told her in the gentlest voice he could use. "And if Donovan doesn't go along with my idea, we will lose everything."

  "No, we won't! There's a lot I can do! I told you I was making plans," she insisted, blindly refusing to accept the inevitable. "We are not going to lose the Bar T! We can try to sell horses to the cavalry. They might be interested."

  "Casey, listen to me," he interrupted her. "I know you work hard here. I know you love the Bar T, but we both know the ranch has gone through some rough times lately. We never had a lot of money to begin with. We never needed it. Somehow we always made do, but things have changed now. With the bank pressuring us for such a quick repayment, I had to do something drastic. The plan I've suggested to Frank Donovan will help both us and the Circle D."

  "Why would you suddenly start trusting Frank Donovan after all these years?" she demanded in a worried tone.

  "I had no choice." He paused and looked up at her. "I had to make sure you were going to be protected."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "I'm worried about your future. After I was ill the other day, I realized how terrible things would be for you if I wasn't here."

&n
bsp; "I can take care of myself."

  "Not if you're left homeless with no family."

  "That's not going to happen."

  "You're right. It's not going to happen, because I've made a deal with Donovan. If everything works out the way I hope it will, you'll be taken care of no matter what happens to me."

  "What's going to happen to you?" She gave him a worried look, wondering if there was something more she should know about his health. When he'd gotten up and started moving around so soon, she'd thought he was doing all right.

  Jack quickly covered his slip. "Nothing is going to happen to me, but I've started to worry about these things, just in case."

  "Well, I wish you wouldn't."

  "I have to, and that's why 1 met with Frank Donovan."

  The moment had finally arrived.

  There was no way to avoid it any longer. He had to tell her. Jack met his daughter's gaze straight on.

  "I talked to Frank Donovan, and I told him I wanted Michael to marry you."

  Marry Michael Donovan!

  Casey was shocked to the depths of her soul.

  "You didn't."

  She wanted him to deny it.

  She prayed he would deny it.

  "I did. With the two of you married, the ranches will be united," he confirmed. "Frank is talking to Michael right now. We'll have his answer, one way or another, real soon."

  "You offered me up to Michael Donovan? Just like a steer at market?" Casey demanded in outrage.

  "I did what I had to do to protect you and to save the Bar T.It was the only way."

  "Surely there's something else we can do," she raged in utter humiliation.

  Marry Michael Donovan?

  "Casey"

  He spoke her name so solemnly that she grew silent and lifted her troubled gaze to his.

  "There was no other way. Believe me, if there was I would have done it. A marriage between you and Michael is the only way to insure we won't lose the Bar T."

  "We can't lose the ranch."

  "We will, unless-"

  "I many Michael," she finished flatly.

  The thought of marrying anyone bothered her, but the prospect of marrying Michael Donovan was almost frightening to Casey, and she didn't scare easily.