Chapter 6

Jacob saddled up his horse and put the buckboard halter on two others. There was no hurry to get to Brockton — although Susan might contest that assertion — so no extra mounts were needed.

Susan had been a bundle of energy for the past 10 days. She had started out pleasant enough, happy with the knowledge that she soon would be back with her beau.

That pleasantness turned to snippiness as the days past until Marnie finally pigeon-holed Jacob for a firm date. With nothing at the ranch that couldn't be handled by someone else on the agenda, Jacob figured there was no time like the present.

He could avoid Susan — particularly since he hadn't moved into the main house yet — and he often did. He spent hours on the range mending fences and checking the increasing herd of beef and horses. In the near future Marnie was going to have to decide which to raise. But for now there was room enough for both and the wheat and corn crops they'd sew soon.

Marnie was not as fortunate as Jacob. Propriety dictated that she couldn't take off with him for his overnight stays away from everyone. She was in the same house as Susan and performing many of the same duties.

Ann had taken to the ranch like a duck to water. She was amazed with the size — the farm her father owned was about half the size of the Double-M — and she had shown a deft touch with the animals. Jacob could envision Ann becoming a horse doctor in the future. There were never enough of those around and it job that a female could do.

He just couldn't see Ann settling down and raising children — although if she showed half the patience and affection to her offspring as she did to the animals a child couldn't ask for a better mother.

Marnie was a horsewoman and could ride almost as well as Jacob. Susan, alas, was not. The fact that they needed to take the buckboard would lengthen the trip by half a day or so but it couldn't be helped. Besides it would be better than listening to Susan belly-ache about riding.

Jacob couldn't understand her reluctance to learn to ride. It was a skill everyone in the West needed. She wasn't interested in learning to shoot either.

Ann had taught Marnie the basics of gun handling when Jacob had refused. His style with a gun was far different than what Marnie needed to know. He told her he would teach her the finer points of a rifle and a shotgun at some point but pistol learning would have to come from someone else. It was one skill that Jacob possessed that he hoped he would never have to pass along.

Marnie was unfazed by his revelation regarding his past name. In fact, she told him that she had figured it out shortly after he related his history to her.

"Jake Dunn, Jacob Dunleavy," she'd told him, "it wasn't a far stretch."

Susan was unimpressed as well. She viewed gunplay much as she viewed horsemanship — a waste of effort for a lady as refined as herself. Although where Susan thought she had gained that refinement Jacob couldn't guess. He had known ladies of refinement during his young life in Cincinnati. Susan wasn't in their league in anything except her expanded self-worth.

The ride to Brockton was eventful in only one way. Marnie elected to take her own horse and leave Susan alone to handle the buckboard.

"My behind is just now recovering from the last time I rode that contraption," she said with a laugh.

Marnie was anything but refined. The fact that she was the lone daughter bespoke her rough-and-tumble ways. The fact that had refused to give up her ranch when her husband was killed spoke to it even further.

During the ride to Brockton Marnie was never far from Jacob's side. She spoke of the future of the Double-M — and it was a future that featured Jacob in a prominent role.

For his part Jacob was just getting used to the idea of settling down. A part of him was scared at the prospect but he knew he couldn't ask for a better future than one with Marnie by his side — or with him at Marnie's side, as it were.

His only worry was about what form that future would hold.

As they approached Brockton, Marnie reined in her horse.

"I'm going to ride up and tell my brother we're here," she said. "He might want to come down and see his daughter — or Robert might want to see his sister. You take Susan into town and get settled."

Jacob nodded and rode back to the buckboard to let Susan know the plan. She didn't care in the least. The only thing she wanted to do was to get to Brockton, find Jonathan and tell him she was back.

Jacob insisted on settling in at the only rooms to let in town before letting Susan out of his sight. He didn't plan to tote all her belongings to a room for her — although he did plan to carry the bigger items. He also wanted Marnie on hand before they went out. After all, Susan was her niece and her responsibility.

Susan, of course, was champing at the bit — and annoying the hell out of Jacob — to the point he decided to go across the street to the saloon before he had to paddle her ass for her again.

He was sitting at a table nursing a beer and watching for Marnie when a face he would never forget walked in.

The man's eyes were still adjusting to the dim light of the barroom so he walked right past Jacob without noticing him.

"Jones," Jacob said loudly from his seat. "Ain't you even going to say hello to an old friend?"

The man turned quickly toward the voice.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken," he said. "My name is Jonathan Cassner."

Uh-huh, Jacob thought.

Jones thought the man looked familiar but he couldn't place the face.

"How's your wife in Colorado?" Jacob asked coldly. "I hear she's been waiting for word from you from Boston."

The entire saloon had now quieted and had turned to watch the byplay between the men.

"I've never been to Colorado," Jones answered but there was a hesitation in his voice. "I moved down here from Ohio about two years ago. I've never been that far west."

Jacob nodded his head slowly.

"Must be someone else I was thinking of," Jacob said. "Lucky for you. I plan to kill the man who stole my fiancée and then left her on her own."

Jones eyes widened.

"You mighta heard of me, Jones," Jacob continued. "I used to be known as Jake Dunn."

The room filled with whispers and stares.

"I told you, my name is Cassner," Jones said pleadingly. "And I've never been to Lovelace, Colorado."

Jacob smiled a feral smile.

"Who said it was Lovelace?" he asked. All whispering in the room stopped and all eyes turned from Jacob to Jones. "All I said was Colorado."

Jones started moving toward the swinging doors but he barely got through them before he was thrust rudely back inside.

"Jonathan," Susan squealed. "I've come back. Now we can be married."

Marnie sat stone faced as Jacob told her what he knew of John Jones/Jonathan Cassner.

Susan had to be forcibly removed from the saloon by Marnie while Jacob and the other men in town stood watch over Jones.

"He's got a girl over in Weston, too," a man said. "I was over that way last month and saw him all lovey dovey with her."

"I saw him in Karns a few weeks back," another added. "Young one too, like Susan Carter."

"I didn't think he was fool enough to mess around with Jake Dunn's girl," a third one mentioned before realizing Jacob was still in the room.