The Reluctant Rancher~Badlands (Contemporary Western Romantic Suspense) Read online

  “You introduced me to them as your fiancée. What was that, if not a game?”

  “Sorry,” he kissed her cheek. “I got a little ahead of myself.” He reached for the diamond ring on the nightstand. “This was my mother’s engagement ring. She left it to me and I’m giving it to the woman I want to spend my life with.” He reached for her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. “Will you, Jenna Lewis, be my wife? Will you marry me and live with me forever and ever?”

  Tears spangled her eyelashes, though she tried to blink them away. “Oh, E.J., that’s so sweet. But where will we live? You know I’m not cut out for this city life.”

  “Jenna, we’ll figure it out. I have business here, so I’ll have to be here sometimes and I hope you’ll be with me.” He kissed her nose. “And we’ll be in Langston, so don’t worry about it.”

  She nodded and pressed her cheek against his shoulder.

  He stroked her hair. “So, is that a yes? Will you marry me?”

  “Well, of course I’ll marry you. I’m in love with you, dammit!”

  He squeezed her tight. “Good to know.”

  ~*~

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Cami lay awake most of the night. She was terrified of the outcome of her rash confession. It hadn’t occurred to her that she might be prosecuted for failing to reveal her knowledge of Eldon Kincaid’s previous crimes.

  She didn’t want to awaken Breck with her tossing and turning, so she slipped out of bed and tiptoed down to the kitchen. She made a cup of chamomile tea and sat at the table in the kitchen to sip it.

  This had always been her favorite room in her great-aunt Silky’s house. She loved the homey look of it. The apple print on the curtains had come from a catalog to match Aunt Silky’s pricey red Kitchen Aid mixer. Other touches of red stood out against the gray tile countertop.

  Tonight, she drew no comfort from her surroundings. The thought preyed on her mind of how much she would miss this place if she went to jail. How much she would miss her husband if she could only see him during visiting hours.

  She stifled a shiver and drained the cup.

  “Cami, what are you doing up?” Breck stood in the doorway, looking big and dependable. “You need your rest.”

  She nodded. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “Not a problem. Please come back to bed.”

  She rose and rinsed her cup. When she went to the doorway, Breck gathered her in an embrace. “I know you’re worried. I am too.”

  “Oh, Breck. I’m so sorry I got into this mess. I know it will reflect on you if I’m prosecuted. And it will end my medical practice.”

  He placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ve been thinking. We might be wise to meet this problem head-on.”

  She drew back to gaze up at him. “I don’t understand.”

  “I thought we might drive over to Canyon. It’s the county seat for Randall County. We could meet with the county attorney face-to-face. Let him see that you’re a pillar of the community and had no idea you were withholding vital information.”

  A clutch of fear grabbed her stomach. She wished she could say she’d had no idea she was doing something wrong. It felt wrong at the time. But, she’d wanted so badly for Eldon to be punished for his crime and could see no way for him to be prosecuted other than a full confession. “Is that a good idea?”

  He kissed her temple. “It’s much better than to sit here and worry about it. If he’s going after you, I want to know up front so I can prepare an adequate defense. Trust me.”

  Terror gripped Cami’s throat and she couldn’t breathe. She gulped in air and blurted out, “I do trust you, Breck. With my life.”

  ~*~

  “This is getting to be a habit.” Frank closed the passenger door of the pickup and rounded to the driver’s side. He climbed in and started the engine before going through the gears and propelling the vehicle forward.

  Sara Beth felt her cheeks flaming. “Oh, Frank. I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to be such a bother.”

  He grinned at her. “You’re not a bother. I meant, this is getting to be a regular thing. I don’t mind at all.”

  Sara Beth adjusted the lightweight blanket covering her daughter, secured in her car seat between them. “Are you certain, because it sure feels like I’m taking advantage?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Miss Cami seemed a little upset this morning when she asked me to drive you into town. Like she had something on her mind.”

  Sara Beth pursed her lips, not feeling at ease with the situation. “Well, how about if I pay for your gas, at least?”

  “Sara Beth, this is one of the ranch trucks. We have an account and all the gasoline gets paid out of the one account.”

  “Well, it just doesn’t seem right that I would be getting all these free rides.”

  “Seems right to me. I’m sure the Ryans wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s like a family. We help each other out all the time. I’ve been working here since I was sixteen. I started in the summers baling hay and helping out with the herd. Then, when I graduated, Miss Silky hired me on full time and I’m twenty-six now. It’s like I’ve grown up here.”

  “That’s nice, Frank. It’s a real blessing to have a family you can depend on.”

  There was a long silence, and then he cleared his throat. “It doesn’t sound like you got much support from your family.”

  “Well, I suppose not. I was the only child and Mama had such a hard time giving birth to me, the doctor said she shouldn’t try for any more. That hit Papa pretty hard, me being a girl and all, ‘cause he sure did want a son to carry on his name.”

  A muscle in Frank’s jaw twitched. “I would think they would be real proud of you and your baby girl. Aren’t they just crazy about her?”

  Sara Beth felt tears rush to her eyes. She blinked to keep them from running down her cheeks and embarrassing her even more. “Not so much. My mama got real sick and died a few years back. Papa always blamed me for that. When I went off with Nick, he told me it was good riddance.”

  Frank’s face looked like a thunderstorm. “That’s just not right. Your parents are supposed to love you, no matter what.”

  She drew a deep breath and eased it out. “Sometimes it just doesn’t seem to work out that way.”

  When they arrived in town, Frank carried Cami Lynn inside and pulled a small piece of paper out of his shirt pocket. “This is a list of the ISPs that service our area. I wrote down their eight-hundred numbers so you can call them and compare prices.”

  “Oh, thank you, Frank. That was nice of you to spend your time helping me.” She smiled and reached for the paper, her hand brushing against his. She felt a surprising tingle of energy. Not what she’d expected.

  “Think nothing of it,” he said, gazing down at her. “You just pick the one you want and make arrangements with them and I’ll try to hook you up when I come pick you up this afternoon.”

  Her mouth felt dry, but she managed to stammer, “That would be very kind of you.”

  He smiled and touched the brim of his hat. “Not a problem. See you later.” He strode to the door, leaving her to stare at his broad-shouldered form as he departed.

  “Oh my!”

  ~*~

  The reading of the will was handled relatively quickly in the offices of his family’s attorneys. This group of old men had handled all the legal affairs of the Kincaid family for as long as E.J. could remember. He seemed to recall his mother saying this particular firm had represented her family for generations before that.

  Clarence Armbruster, III, Esquire, opened the sealed packet with liver-spotted hands that shook with a palsy-like tremor. He spread the papers before him and unfolded the will.

  E.J. glanced at Jenna and squeezed her hand. This should be simple. I don’t need to be nervous. He expelled a breath and she turned to give him a little smile. How could such a small gesture mean so much to him? He pressed a kiss onto the back of her hand.

  Mr. Armbruster cleared his throat an
d settled his bifocals on the bridge of his nose. He read the instrument in a dry, somewhat wheezy voice, but enunciated clearly. He rattled off a list of holdings even E.J. wasn’t aware of. There were partnerships and investments and a couple of off-shore accounts. The upshot was, all the Kincaid properties and holdings were now the assets of one E.J. Kincaid.

  “And one more thing,” Armbruster said. He extended a sealed envelope toward E.J. “It was your father’s wish that you be given this envelope on the occasion of the reading of his will.”

  E.J. recognized Eldon’s handwriting on the outside of the envelope and felt a surge of emotion crowd his chest. He reached for the envelope and tucked it inside his jacket. Although he didn’t intend to hold any secrets from Jenna, he didn’t feel this stuffy office was the place to be reading a personal message from his father.

  The attorney folded the papers and handed a copy to E.J.. “I’ll have the will filed in probate court this afternoon. You should contact your father’s accountants and go over everything with them.” The very old man used the armrests of his burgundy leather chair to hoist himself to an upright position. He leaned over the desk to extend his hand to E.J. “I was sorry to hear of your father’s passing. Eldon Kincaid was a fine man.”

  E.J. shook Mr. Armbruster’s hand and thanked him. He turned and gestured for Jenna to precede him to the door. When they were in the elevator, he turned to her. “Thanks for being with me. It meant a lot.”

  “Of course, I would be with you. I’m just stunned to hear about all your wealth. I knew you were well-off, but this is almost obscene.”

  He shook his head. “Perhaps you’re right. How much is enough?”

  She gazed at him earnestly. “I don’t care a bit about what you own. You know that, don’t you?”

  He pulled her against him. “I know. It’s one of the many things I love about you.” He pressed a kiss against her temple. “It’s good to know if I lose my shirt, I won’t lose my wife.”

  “Wife? That sounds so strange to me.”

  “Better get used to it. It’s one of those lifetime deals.”

  She smiled up at him. “Best kind of deal.”

  ~*~

  Breck paced.

  Cami sat on a straight-backed chair in the Randall County Attorney’s office, her hands clenched together in her lap. Her throat was dry, but she managed to gather enough moisture to swallow. Keep breathing…just keep breathing.

  “When did you say Mr. Jorgensen will be arriving?” Breck spoke to the receptionist who had been filing her nails.

  She looked up at him, annoyed. “I said, he should be in around eleven. But it’s not hard and fast. He might decide to go for an early lunch.”

  “Would it be an imposition for you to call him and let him know we’re here?”

  The receptionist gave him a look that said, all too clearly, ‘Yes, it would be a great imposition and shame on you for asking it of me’. She reached for the phone and punched in a number. After a pause, she said, “Sir? Mr. Ryan, from Langston, is here to see you. No, he doesn’t have an appointment.”

  There was another long pause. “Yes, sir. I’ll tell him.”

  She turned to Breck, a tight smirk of her face. “Mr. Jorgensen will be here shortly. He said for you to wait.”

  “Thank you for your trouble.” Breck crossed the room to take the seat beside Cami. He reached over to squeeze her hand. “Just relax.”

  Good advice. Now, how do I do that when everything I hold dear is on the line? She smiled and tried to appear calm while the storm raged within her.

  Twenty minutes later, the receptionist’s board buzzed. She spoke into the receiver and then turned to the Ryans. “Mr. Jorgensen will see you now.” She stood and escorted them to his office.

  Cami had the feeling that Breck was more stressed than he appeared. He gestured for her to go before him into the office. The scent of cigars assailed her nostrils as she took the first few steps. She stopped short, but felt Breck’s hand in the small of her back, propelling her forward.

  Behind the desk, a small man with a small, somewhat pointed head rose from his chair to extend a small hand toward Breck. “Breckenridge T. Ryan. And who is this lovely lady?” He extended the same hand to Cami in turn.

  “I’m proud to introduce my bride, Doctor Camryn Carmichael Ryan.”

  “Carmichael?” he said. “Any relation to Silky Carmichael?”

  “She was my great-aunt,” Cami said, her voice sounding weak and rusty to her own ears.

  “Fine woman. I admired her greatly.” Mr. Jorgensen gestured to the chairs. “Please sit down and tell me what brings you here this morning?”

  Breck took a deep breath and let it out all at once. “I just wanted to bring something to your attention regarding the death of Miss Silky Carmichael.” He glanced at Cami and then turned his full attention to the man sitting behind the desk. “As you are no doubt aware, Miss Silky was murdered in cold blood by Eldon Kincaid. A crime to which he confessed and was subsequently sentenced to life at James V. Alred maximum security prison.”

  “Yes, I recall. Shocking. Utterly shocking.”

  Breck nodded. “And Eldon Kincaid was recently murdered in prison.”

  Again, Jorgensen nodded.

  “It turns out my wife was instrumental in getting Kincaid to confess. He had lured her to the caves on our property with the intention of murdering her as well, but the horse my wife was riding stomped Kincaid and she actually saved his life by sheltering him in the cave as a blue norther was headed our way. We had search parties out looking for them, and during the time she was waiting for rescue, she stumbled upon two mummified bodies deeper in the caves.”

  Mr. Jorgensen frowned and rested his chin on his fist, his expression unreadable. “Go on.”

  “I guess he didn’t think he was going to make it out alive, because Kincaid confessed to her that he had murdered the couple years ago. And later, at the hospital, he agreed to plead guilty to the murder of Silky Carmichael if my wife would remain silent about the bodies in the cave. There was no physical evidence to tie him to Silky’s death, so my wife thought this was the only way he would ever face justice for what he’d done.”

  Jorgensen remained as a statue, his expression unchanged.

  The tightness in Cami’s chest was suffocating her. She cautiously drew in a breath and silently exhaled, trying not to bring attention to herself.

  Jorgensen turned abruptly to gaze at her, the frown deepening. “So, Kincaid confessed to you that he had murdered a couple years ago and you agreed to keep silent if he pled guilty to murdering your great-aunt.”

  Cami nodded furiously. “And to attempting to kill me.”

  “I see.” He turned back to Breck. “Go on.”

  “This past week, two fresh bodies were discovered in the caves as well as those of the original couple. My wife told our local sheriff about her agreement with Kincaid. She had no idea at the time that she had been withholding information, but thought by getting him to confess, she was doing a good thing.”

  “And Mrs. Ryan did not divulge this information to you at any time previously?”

  “No, sir. She did not.”

  The small man swiveled toward Cami again. His gaze felt like laser beams penetrating her flesh.

  “I was only thinking about punishing Eldon Kincaid for killing my Aunt Silky.” She felt a tear trickle down her cheek. “I didn’t see any other way.”

  “Mr. Jorgensen, my wife is the only doctor in our small town. She also inherited all of Silky Carmichael’s property, stock, and employees. She has a lot of responsibilities in our community. It seems she’s on call twenty-four hours a day.”

  Cami nodded her head vigorously.

  “I see,” Jorgensen said.

  “We were concerned she might be held liable for not reporting what she knew about the previous deaths. Any proceedings would endanger her medical license. I’m just asking you to take that into consideration.”

  Another long si
lence while Jorgensen stared at her. He let out a long sigh. “I received a report from your sheriff, but really hadn’t had time to read it in depth.” He straightened and leaned forward on his elbows. “I feel very strongly you should have come forward with this information, Mrs. Ryan, but I can also understand your feelings. I think we can come to an agreement as to the disposition of this file.”

  Cami swallowed hard and glanced at Breck who gave her a slight nod. “Oh, yes. I certainly hope so.”

  “Mrs. Ryan…Doctor Ryan. You may or may not know that Amarillo, the fourteenth largest city in Texas and definitely the largest in the Panhandle area, lies partly in Randall County. There is a clinic located in the south side of town, where migrant farm workers and indigent individuals come to be treated. I might be willing not to seek any form of punishment for your lapse of judgment if you would donate some of your valuable time to this clinic. I warn you, there is very little equipment and even fewer supplies. The clinic is located in a closed-up storefront just to the west of a Catholic Church. Do you think you might be willing to donate two days per month for the next six months to this project?”

  Cami sat frozen for a moment. Is this man actually letting me off the hook in return for a few days of volunteer work in this clinic?

  Breck gazed at her pointedly, nodded his head.

  Cami found her voice. “Oh, of course, Mr. Jorgensen. I would be only too happy to spend time working in the clinic.”

  Jorgensen’s eyes crinkled as his face morphed into a wide smile. “See? We found a way to facilitate everyone involved. Thank you, Doctor. I’m sure the unfortunate people served by the clinic will be equally grateful.” He stood to extend a hand toward her.

  Cami clasped it and released the breath she had been holding. Can it really be this simple? Have I actually been cleared?

  Breck stood and shook hands again with Jorgensen. “Thank you so much for your consideration, sir.” He ushered her out of the office and down to the truck before speaking. “I hope you realize how very lucky you were in there.” He opened the door and gave her a hand up into the cab.