Lonesome Valley Bride (High Sierra Book 1) Read online

  “Yes?” she managed to say as she studied the man. The gun on his hip made her feel uneasy. It was uncommon where she came from. But things were different out here she reminded herself. Looking up, she continued to catalog what she saw. Tall and lean. With wide shoulders. A small scar to the side of his left eye drew her attention. How had he gotten it? she wondered.

  But it was his eyes that captured her. Gray. The eyes of a wolf. A dangerous man they said. A warrior. Her stomach turned over for some unknown reason.

  “Did Mr. Parker send you?” she managed to say, rather pleased with herself that her voice had not broken.

  The man frowned deeply then glanced down at the hat in his hand.

  “Come,” he said, taking her elbow. “Let’s talk over here.”

  Her stomach clenched up as she allowed him to lead her to a bench next to the station wall. He nodded for her to sit. Her world became shaky as she smoothed her dress and sat down. Whatever had happened, it couldn’t be good. Not with that solemn look.

  “I’m sorry,” he began. “But Mr. Parker was killed yesterday. On his ranch.”

  Her world fell away as she gasped and brought a hand to cover her open mouth.

  “What?” she exclaimed. “But …”

  He frowned and nodded, confirming her worst fear.

  “Are you sure? We were to be married today.”

  The tall man nodded again, obviously not enjoying telling her that her betrothed had died.

  A deep numbness filled her. How had this happened? What was to become of her? Three dollars would not last long. Who could she go to for help? This was a strange town filled with rough men.

  “You said, killed. What happened, Mr. ….?”

  “Tanner, ma’am. Jack Tanner.” He paused for a moment studying her face. Then, taking a quick breath he continued, “As to what happened. I can’t rightly say. I was passing through and found him that way. Shot. He asked me to come tell you. I could see that he set you up high.”

  Jenny sighed. Poor Nathanial. His letters had made it seem as if he were so lonely. And to die that way, with only a stranger. Her heart hurt thinking about it.

  The man next to her continued to frown as he studied her. She ignored him as she tried to think of some way forward.

  “Can you tell me, Mr. Tanner, do you know of work for a woman in this town?”

  He winced and shook his head. “To tell you the truth. An honest woman shouldn’t be left alone in this town. Too many miners and cowhands too far from home. Most will treat you with respect. But most isn’t all.”

  Her heart fell. It was as she feared. But what choice did she have?

  “Won’t you be going back home?” the man asked with a furrowed brow. “He said I was to sell the team and wagon and give you the money. It should fetch more than enough for a train ticket plus a little over.”

  She stared at him blankly for a moment then scoffed and shook her head. “I have nothing to go back to.”

  The man continued to stare at her for a long second as if trying to discover something. At last, he sighed heavily and said, “There is another option.”

  Jenny pulled her mind back to the present as she gave him a questioning look. What options? There were none. She had gambled everything on Nathanial.

  Reaching into his shirt pocket, Mr. Tanner pulled out a folded piece of paper. The back smudged with a long red streak that looked like blood.

  “Parker said that he would leave us his place on the condition we marry.”

  “What!” she exclaimed as she pulled further away from him. He held out the paper for her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly unfolded it. It was Nathanial’s handwriting that was instantly obvious.

  I Nathanial Parker leave my spread to Jack Tanner and Miss Jennifer O’Neil on the condition they marry before taking it on. Otherwise, the goverment can have it back.

  Nate Parker

  ***

  That was so Nathanial. His misspelling of the word government was typical. But how? What did it all mean? And this man? A man she didn’t know. Why did the idea of marrying him send a fluttery feeling through her insides? As if a hundred hummingbirds had taken up residence.

  “Surely he wasn’t serious,” she mumbled, more to herself than to the man next to her.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I do believe he was very serious. A dying man doesn’t take these matters lightly.”

  Jenny studied the man across from her. What kind of man was he? And why was she even thinking of going through with this?

  “Tell me your thoughts on the matter, Mr. Tanner.”

  He frowned for a moment then stared off into the far distance. “I admit, I had no plans of going through with his proposal. But … I don’t know. It is a nice spread.”

  Jenny winced inside. That was what it was for this man. An opportunity to gain a piece of land. Nothing more.

  “And you would be willing to take on a wife for this … spread?”

  He nodded solemnly, “I think I would,” he said. Then looking at her closely he added, “For the right wife.”

  Her cheeks grew warm under his gaze. She had seen that look in a great many men. That hungry look. But unlike the others, this man’s obvious desires didn’t frighten her. Instead, they lit a small fire deep down.

  “And we would marry today?” she asked. “But I don’t really know what type of man you are, Mr. Tanner. It is asking a lot.”

  The big cowboy nodded slowly. “Yes, Ma’am. I understand. It would be a bit much. There is not much to tell. I’m a good man with either a horse or a double jack. I’ve traveled over most of the western states and I can tell you that there is nothing prettier than Parker’s Lonesome Valley.”

  She continued to frown. It had not exactly been the answer she had hoped for.

  Obviously seeing her disappointment, he turned the hat in his hand then looked her directly in the eye and said, “I can promise you, Miss O’Neil, that I will never cause you harm. At least not on purpose.”

  Jenny bit the inside of her lip. A more unromantic sentence had never been uttered, she thought. But really, he could not be faulted. He had tried to reassure her.

  Wringing her hands in her lap, she looked up into his eyes and tried to come to a decision. Should she do this? Marry a man she didn’t know. Hadn’t that been what she had planned with Nathanial? Was this any different?

  Yet, her racing heart told her that it was different. This man was different, and she knew in the pit of her stomach that she was risking her very heart.

  “Very well, Mr. Tanner. I agree to marry you.”

  He didn’t smile, he simply nodded as if they had struck a business deal.

  “I must warn you though,” she quickly added. “I was not raised on a farm. You will need to show me what I must know. But I am a hard worker and I learn fast.”

  A new nervousness filled her. What if he changed his mind?

  “Can you cook?”

  She nodded quickly. That was one thing her mother had insisted she know how to do.

  “Biscuits?”

  Jenny frowned then nodded. “Of course.”

  His shoulders slumped with relief. “In that case Miss O’Neil. I am sure we will get along nicely.”

  That was it she realized. She had lost one betrothed and obtained another in a few minutes. She was to be Mrs. Jack Tanner. All because she could cook biscuits.

  Chapter Three

  Jack watched Judge Benson closely as he read Parker’s note. Their future rested on this man’s determination. And suddenly, that future was important.

  The judge pushed his spectacles back up on his nose and looked up.

  “You the Jack Tanner from the Dakotas?” he asked.

  Jack cringed inside. He hadn’t realized just how far his reputation had spread. But then he shouldn’t be surprised. People were few and far between and they did like to talk.

  “Yes, Sir, I suppose I am.”

  “And you want to marry this woman?”

 
“Yes, I guess I do,” Jack said. “It is an awful pretty valley after all.”

  The Judge nodded. “Well, I can see that it’s Nate’s handwriting. And he’d held that land five years, meeting the requirement. I helped with the paperwork finalizing the transfer last year.”

  Judge Benson paused for a moment. “Do you agree Miss O’Neil? This is Nathanial Parker’s writing.”

  The woman at his side said, “Yes, your honor.”

  “And you wish to go through with this. Of your own free will.” He paused for a moment, looking up at Jack then back at Miss O’Neil.

  She paused for a moment as she glanced at her prospective husband. He could see a thousand thoughts flashing through her mind. Marriage to a stranger. Living far away from other people. And what of the marriage bed? Surely that had to be of concern to her.

  At last, she took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, I believe I do.”

  The Judge nodded as he once again looked down at the paper in his hand.

  “Well then, consider yourselves married.”

  Jenny gasped; Jack almost smiled. Things were informal out here. Something she was going to have to learn.

  “Come back in an hour or so,” the judge continued. “I will have your marriage papers and the deed for you.”

  Jack felt his heart lurch a little as Jenny looked up at him. As he held her stare, her cheeks slowly grew pink. A woman deserved a finer wedding, but really, they didn’t have time. There was stock to take care of and a life to start.

  “We need to get some supplies,” he said to the Judge. “We’ll be back in an hour.” Taking Jenny’s elbow, he started to lead her out of the office.

  “That’s it?” she asked in disbelief.

  “I believe so, Mrs. Tanner,” he said with a small smile. Her face grew white with worry as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

  As they walked down the boardwalk of Reno, he made sure to shift to walk on the outside of her. A strange feeling settled over him. He was married. To this woman. How had his life changed so much so quickly? Days before he had been a wandering cowboy. Moving from job to job. Now he owned a valley and had a pretty wife. No one would have believed it.

  This woman was now his responsibility, he thought. A strong protective sense filled him. Something he hadn’t felt in years.

  When Parker had made his offer, Jack had never intended to go through with it. He had simply allowed a dying man to think his problems had been settled. But then he had seen her step off that train and his entire plans were thrown for a loop.

  Blond hair, blue eyes, and a figure that could tempt any man. An angel’s face and a hint of steel in her eyes. He had watched as she searched the depot for her betrothed. When he did not appear, she didn’t become a crying victim. Instead, she had taken a deep breath and set her shoulders. Ready to face whatever came next.

  He had to admire that about her. Of course, the fact that she was beautiful didn’t hurt. And intelligent if he was any judge. The way she talked. The way she quickly analyzed her situation.

  “The wagon is behind the livery. The Sutler’s is next door. Although, I believe you’d call it the General Store. We can get what we need there.”

  She looked up at him with a bewildered, scared look. Like a newborn calf trying to understand this new world.

  “We didn’t kiss,” she said with a confused frown.

  He glanced around to see if anyone had heard then remembered this was his wife. No one could accuse him of being too forward.

  “No, ma’am, we didn’t. But I don’t think the streets of Reno are the right place.”

  Her cheeks grew pink as she shook her head. His heart went out to her.

  As they turned the corner, Blue whinnied, obviously upset at being tied behind a wagon. The wagon’s team looked over their shoulders at him. Duke barked from the wagon’s seat and made to jump down.

  “Stay,” Jack told him, holding up a hand.

  “These are yours?” Jenny asked with a quizzical frown.

  “Ours actually,” he said pleased to once again be rewarded with a pretty blush. “This is Duke,” he said indicating the dog. “Be careful. Like me, he’s not used to people.”

  Jenny frowned and held out her hand. Duke took a quick sniff then snuck his head in under her hand, demanding to be petted. Jenny smiled over her shoulder at him, obviously pleased to have proven her new husband wrong.

  Jack could only shake his head, he despised being wrong.

  “And this is Blue,” he said as he patted his horse's neck.

  She stepped back to examine the horse. “Obviously,” she said indicating the dapple-gray coat. “He could be called nothing else.”

  Jack smiled to himself. Up until a few minutes earlier, these two were all he had in this world. It felt good to see her be accepted.

  “Come on, I have no idea what you’re going to need but I don’t think there is much at the ranch.”

  Her face drained of color as the reality of the situation sank in. “I have no idea.”

  Jack could only shrug and guide her into the store. When they reached the counter, he pulled out three golden eagles and laid them down before the clerk. “Let me know when that’s used up.”

  From the corner of his eye, he caught Jenny’s raised eyebrow.

  “Ten years of working for other men and that’s all I’ve got to show for it.”

  She nodded then turned to examine the contents of the store. He followed her gaze and realized how strange this must all be to her. The store was stocked to cater to miners and the local ranches. A lot of pickaxes, rope, wire, and the occasional gold pan.

  “Let’s start with a hundred pounds of flour. Fifty of beans, and twenty of coffee,” he said to the clerk. Then turning to Jenny, he asked her if she drank coffee. She nodded yes, obviously too confused to speak.

  “Make it forty pounds for the coffee.” The clerk nodded as he quickly wrote out the order. “Salt, Peppercorns,” Jack continued. Turning again, he saw that Jenny had wandered off, examining the store’s wares, running her fingers over a bolt of gingham and then stopping before a rack of used books.

  “A miner traded them for a grubstake,” the clerk called out to her. “Don’t know if they’re any good.”

  Jack joined her and leaned down to examine the books. “Let’s add some of these,” he said as he pulled a book off the rack. “I’ve heard of this, ‘Two Years Before the Mast.’ Do you see anything you might want?”

  She looked up at him with misty eyes. “Are you sure? I mean, I had to sell my Papa’s books. They paid for my train ticket.”

  A quick pain flashed through him. Losing books had to have hurt. It was one of the many things that bothered him about traveling light. He could remember a rancher’s library he’d worked in Montana. He could still feel the sense of envy that had filled him. When the man had refused to lend him a book, Jack had turned in his notice. It would have been impossible to be that close to books and be unable to dip his toe into them.

  “Let’s get them all,” he said. “Consider it a wedding gift.”

  “Really?” she said with disbelief.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve always wanted a library of my own. Now I have a place to keep them.”

  Her eyes grew with excitement.

  “We’ll take all eight books,” Jack told the clerk. “And if you come across a copy of Blackstone. Hold it for me. I’ve been wanting to find one for years.”

  The clerk nodded as he quickly summed up.

  “Three of those army blankets. And two bolts of that Gingham,” Jack said as he smiled at his new wife. “One of red, the other blue.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “Do you plan on having me outfitting half of California? Just six yards of the red, and the same in the denim.” The way she glanced down at his pants told him she was not impressed.

  Jack could only accept her correction. What did he know about fabrics and fashion? He had been proud of himself for knowing it was calle
d gingham.

  They spent the next few minutes looking through the store. “How long before we come back to town? she asked. “I really don’t know what I will need.”

  “Probably three or four months,” he responded only to see her face drain of all color.

  “That long?” she asked.

  He took a deep breath, was she having second thoughts. If so, he needed to know now.

  “We haven’t signed the marriage papers yet. You can still change your mind. That might have been the judge’s intention. Telling us to come back in an hour. He probably hoped you would come to your senses.”

  She looked up at him with a curious stare. “Are you having regrets?

  “No, Not yet.”

  She flinched a little then took a deep breath. “Neither am I, Mr. Tanner.”

  “Well then. I do think the judge should have that paperwork done. Shall we?” Holding out his hand he indicated the front door. He watched as she hesitated for a moment then set her shoulders and exited the store.

  “Load the wagon out back,” he said to the clerk. “Don’t worry about the dog. He won’t mind you putting anything in. It’s just the idea of strangers taking out that upsets him.”

  The formalities at the courthouse took but a moment. The judge shook his head then wished them well. And with that, they were officially married. It was now part of the court records.

  “Shall we go home?” he asked her with a small smile.

  She blushed but then held her head up and nodded. “Yes, I am looking forward to seeing this valley of ours.”

  He laughed and took her arm as they stepped out of the courthouse. He had just turned for the Sutler’s when a hard voice yelled out, “Jack Tanner, I’m going to kill you.”

  Without thinking, Jack pushed Jenny behind him, spun and drew his gun. Ready to kill, ready to die. But a new fear flowed through him. Jenny was too close. It was that fact that slowed his trigger finger.

  Ten yards away, a young cowboy stood with his hand on his gun, ready to draw. Jack had moved so fast the man had been caught flatfooted. Jack relaxed just a little. A pro would have cut him down without calling out. Or at least been ready for him.