Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch #7)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

C lara walked between Jude and Miles the next morning down the quiet street. Though no wind whipped around her like on the mountain, the cold’s icy fingers found every exposed piece of skin. They would be at the café soon though.

Beside her, Miles jerked to a stop.

She turned to him, as did Jude.

He faced another man who must have stepped from the alleyway beside them. He looked familiar. Gil? Not Gil, but the fellow looked remarkably like him.

“Sampson?” Jude breathed the name as he stepped closer. “Where did you come from? What are you doing here?”

Clara hung back. That must be Miles’s other brother. The one who’d left the ranch a few months ago to work at a different mine. Grief had weighed Miles’s voice when he told her about him. Sampson was the next brother up in age, the one Miles had always been closest to.

Jude gripped Sampson’s shoulders and pulled him into a quick hug.

But Sampson barely returned it, looking stiff in the hold. He pulled back after a short moment.

He glanced between his two brothers, then his gaze snagged on Clara before moving back to Miles and Jude. “You need to get out of town. Now. Go back to the ranch and stay there.”

“Come with us.” Miles stepped toward him. His voice sounded almost…defensive. Or maybe determined.

“I can’t. Not yet.” His gaze darted to the street, then back to his brothers. “You need to leave. Do you understand?”

Miles took a tiny step closer. “Are you in trouble? There’s a lawman here now. We’ll all help.”

Sampson stepped back, shaking his head. “Don’t. You don’t know what you’re messing with. Get out of town. Go back to the ranch. And don’t leave again.”

With one more backward step, Sampson turned and disappeared down the alley as quickly as he had come.

Miles started after him, but Jude caught his arm. "Let him go."

Miles spun to him. “He needs to come with us.”

Jude shook his head, his brow creasing. “Jericho and I’ve talked about it. I don’t know what Sampson is mixed up in, but he’s old enough to make his own choices. All we can do is be there when he’s ready to come home.”

The pain in Miles’s expression made her step closer. She knew well the grief of losing someone she loved.

As the fight drained from Miles’s shoulders, he turned toward the cafe again.

She slipped under his arm, wrapping an arm around his waist. Maybe she shouldn’t show so much affection in public—though the streets were deserted, so only Jude was likely to see this touch.

This situation was far from normal.

The pain of knowing what Holloway and his cronies had done, to her, to her uncle, and to the Coulters in attempting to steal the ranch.

The shock at realizing they’d probably gone so far as to kill Winston.

The worry of what might be happening with Jericho and Jonah as they went after the scoundrels.

And now the grief at seeing his lost brother and hearing such a dire warning.

Then watching that brother choose to walk away—again.

Nothing about this situation was normal. And if her arm around his waist could help bring Miles solace, she wouldn’t hesitate.

Miles placed his hand around her side, and they continued on to the café in heavy silence.

Her mind wouldn’t stop spinning with questions about Sampson's cryptic warning.

What kind of trouble could he be in? And why did he want them to leave town so urgently?

In the quiet restaurant, only a man and woman sat at a table near a window. The couple seemed deep in quiet conversation, not even looking up when they entered.

Jude led them to a table on the opposite side of the room but still adjacent to the row of windows facing the street.

The gray-haired woman who’d served them the night before hurried out with a kettle and three tin mugs. “Coffee?”

Clara nodded, murmuring her thanks as the woman poured the steaming liquid. She wrapped her chilled fingers around the mug, letting the warmth seep into her skin.

Miles and Jude accepted their drinks as well, but the heaviness in the air remained thick.

As she lifted the mug to her lips, movement outside the window caught her eye. She paused and focused on the two figures across the street.

"Miles." She nodded toward the window. "Isn't that Sampson?"

His head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

Jude leaned forward, his brow furrowing. "Who's that with him?"

Sampson spoke to a shorter, unfamiliar man. The stranger's face was obscured by a wide-brimmed hat, but something about his posture sent a shiver down her spine. Yet, he didn’t prick her memory at all.

Miles leaned forward, squinting. "You don't think it could be Jedidiah, do you? Didn’t Gil say he was short and thin, like an old miner?"

The man certainly fit that description. She glanced between Miles and Jude. She’d not heard them speak of a man by that name.

The brothers held a gaze for a moment, then Miles turned back to her. “You remember I told you about Mick, Jess’s father who stole from us?”

She nodded. He’d not given a lot of detail, but she’d gotten the feeling the man was a significant threat they still protected against.

“Jedidiah is his right-hand man. From what Gil says, he looks harmless but is the cruelest criminal he’s ever met. He had his guards beat Gil unconscious.”

Her middle twisted as she turned back for another look at the short, slight villain.

He was gone. Sampson too.

“Where did they go?” She leaned forward to see more of the street.

“Did they duck inside the saloon?” Jude nodded to the building the men had stood in front of.

Miles blew out a breath. “Should we go look for them?”

Jude didn’t answer right away, just studied the structure across the road. “Sampson seems to want us to keep our distance. I wish I knew whether he was trying to protect us or delivering a message from his new boss.”

Clara's heart twisted. Could Sampson really have turned against his own family? Could he be working with the very criminals who had caused them so much pain? The ache in Miles's eyes made her want to march across the street and demand answers from his wayward brother.

She found Miles’s hand under the table and squeezed. "I'm sure Sampson has his reasons.”

Miles met her gaze, a flicker of gratitude softening the anguish in his expression. His fingers closed around hers, holding tight. "I hope you're right. I just can't fathom what would make him turn against us."

Jude set down his mug. "Whatever his reasons, we need to be careful. If Mick is in town, there's no telling what they’re planning."

The waitress brought their food. After she left, the three of them ate in quiet. Both brothers seemed deep in their thoughts, and Clara couldn’t stop replaying the way Sampson had warned them to leave. Then Miles’s expression at the idea of his brother working with a man who’d hurt their family so much. The brother he’d always been closest to.

He’d told her stories of how he and Sampson used to spend hours exploring the hills and valleys around the ranch, dreaming up adventures and imagining their futures.

The thought of that bond being severed tore at her heart.

Even after their meal, the heaviness still clung to the air. If only she could say something to comfort Miles. But what assurance could she offer when his own brother had delivered such an ominous warning? When he might have even turned against their family?

They stepped out of the café into the frigid air once more. She squinted against the bright morning sunlight reflecting off the dirty snow.

As her eyes adjusted, two familiar figures exited a building down the street. Was that the deputy's office?

Hope flared in her chest.

Miles saw them too. He strode forward, calling out. "Jericho! Jonah!"

The men turned, then moved toward them, meeting them in the middle of the street.

"We got them." Jericho spoke without preamble. "All four surveyors. The deputy has them locked up until a judge comes through."

Relief crashed through her like a wave.

It was over. The threat to the Coulters' ranch was gone. Holloway and the others would be punished. And Winston had already received more than his due.

Before she could linger on the sadness of the way he’d ended, Jericho held up some papers. "And these are the forged documents.”

Her middle plummeted. She’d hoped to never see them again. Yet not only was she faced with them now, Jericho and Jonah had no doubt examined them thoroughly.

They must hate her.

But when Jericho faced her, his expression softened. “I’m more grateful than I can say for your quick thinking. You were in a terrible position, but your changes on these documents are what stopped those scoundrels from succeeding.”

A twinkle slipped into the older man’s gaze. “The deputy said he doesn’t need these for evidence, so we’re free to do what we want with them.” He extended them toward her.

Did she have to take them, these papers that proved what a fool she was? She had no desire to store them away as a memento of her mistakes. But, unsure what else to do, she accepted them from his outstretched hand.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a tinderbox. As he struck the flint to steel, she sent a sideways look at Miles to see if he had any idea what was happening. In the middle of the main street, no less.

Miles shrugged, so she turned back to watch Jericho.

His first spark caught in the wool, and he blew until a small flame lit. Then he took the papers from her with a wink, and placed a corner of the sheets in the fire.

The paper’s edge darkened, and orange flame followed the burnt line up the page.

She could only watch as fire devoured the forgeries. Burning her neat script—and along with it, the lies, the deception, the guilt.

With each passing second, with each flick of the flames, she felt lighter. Freer.

The fire threatening his fingers, Jericho crouched on the ground, releasing the documents onto the frozen mud.

When nothing remained but a small pile of embers, he stood and met her gaze, understanding and compassion shining in his eyes. "It's over now. You did good, Clara."

Emotion clogged her throat, burning her eyes. She could only nod.

Miles slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. She leaned into him, relishing his solid strength and warmth.

He pressed a kiss to her temple. "See? I told you it would all work out."

Somehow, it had.

She looked into the face she loved so much. "You were right.”

T he sun glinted off the river as Miles walked beside Clara that afternoon, their hands entwined. A sense of peace wrapped around him, so different from the tension of the past days. Jericho and Jonah had gone to look for Sampson and finish a bit of business in town, and they would all start back to the ranch in the morning.

The gold tints in her brown hair shimmered in the light. Now was the time. He had to tell her how he felt.

He cleared his throat. "Clara, I've been talking with Jericho, and we were thinking…we could use another man to help out on the ranch. Especially with the possible trouble from Mick McPharland." He paused. "Jericho plans to ask your uncle if he'd like to stay on and work with us."

She stopped, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I can't speak for Uncle Hiram, but I think he'll say yes." Her green eyes sparkled. "I hope he'll say yes."

His heart swelled. This was the opening he needed. "That's good. Good." He took a deep breath, facing her fully. "I've come to love everything about you. Your strength, your compassion, your spirit." He reached for her other hand, holding both of hers in his. "I would be honored if you'd consider staying on too. And allow me to court you."

Tears welled in her eyes, but her smile only grew. The tendons at her throat worked. "I'd like that more than anything."

His heart picked up speed as he met her gaze. The love shining back at him made his chest ache.

How had he ever been happy without this woman? He lifted his hands to cradle her face, his thumbs brushing away the moisture on her cheeks.

He lowered his head, a little at a time, giving her space to pull away if she wanted. But she tilted her chin up, meeting him halfway.

Their lips brushed, soft and tentative. A caress of skin against skin, a whisper of breath. Then Clara sighed, her body melting into his, and he deepened the kiss.

Miles wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. She fit so perfectly, like she was made to be here. With him.

Her fingers slid into his hair, sending sparks down his spine.

Far too soon, he forced himself to slow down. To ease back. Lord willing, there would be many kisses ahead of them. He wouldn’t rush her.

But he rested his forehead against hers, unwilling to let even an inch of space come between them. "You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Clara Pendleton. I don’t know how I ever thought I could let you go."

A smile curved her mouth, and she played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “God brought us back together, and that’s all that matters.”

Indeed .

He settled his arms tighter around her waist, reveling in the feel of her, the rightness of it. Thank You, Lord.

No matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together…with the One who loved them most of all.

I pray you loved Miles and Clara’s story!

Sampson finally gets his story in the final book in the series!

What a surprise he’s in for as the danger to his family’s ranch comes to an impossible climax!

Marriage of convenience

Surprise ward

Ready-made family

Bad boy/black sheep

Wounded hero/caretaker heroine

Forced proximity

Turn the page for a sneak peek of Saving the Mountain Man’s Legacy , the next book in the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series!