A Miracle at Her Ranch Gate (Preview)

Prologue

Willamette Valley, Oregon 1873

Lydia was grateful that the general store was busy. Mr. Dobbins was a dear man and loved to talk a person’s ear off if he could. However, a steamboat full of passengers and the stock he ordered for the store came in, so he didn’t have a chance to say much to anyone.

A couple of people who came into the general store were discussing the new locks that were built, which allowed the steamboats to bypass the falls and connected the upper and lower river routes.

She always loved taking a moment to admire the horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn. It was breathtaking because it was so large. It was about fifteen hundred feet wide and forty feet high. Although she normally spent several moments inhaling the scent of the falls and feeling the misty spray of the water, today she was in a hurry to get back home to her six-month-old baby, Levi.

The sawmills, gristmills, papermills, and textile mills lined the riverbank. Wooden buildings lined the muddy roads. Lydia glanced at the fancy bonnet displayed in the milliner’s window but didn’t go in. She’d come back another day when she had more time.

She checked Cinnamon’s cinch and carefully packed the sugar, coffee, and other supplies she’d bought from the general store into the saddle bags and mounted. The sun bathed the city in a beautiful golden glow as she rode back to her and her husband’s ranch.

A steamboat whistle echoed in the air, and she could still hear the thunderous booming of the waterfall. Plum blossoms cover the trees along the narrowing path.

Her closest neighbor, Abigail Williams, waved from her porch as she balanced a basket of laundry on her hip. She smiled and waved back.

Lydia had lived in the area her entire life. Her mother, God rest her soul, had moved to the area with Lydia’s father before she was born. She loved everyone in Willamette and the surrounding towns.

Almost everyone. Silas is a cruel man, and Andrew says that he’s doing something illegal. I hate the way he looks at me.

She shuddered at the thought of her brother-in-law as she took a shortcut through the alder and cottonwood trees. Silas was the complete opposite of her husband, Andrew, who was always patient, kind, and gentle.

The trees seemed to close in on her, and darkness quickly descended as the sun was blocked out by the canopy of the trees. The scent of moss and pine needles filled the air. A bird screeched loudly above her, and the cool evening breeze caressed her face.

Although Mrs. Hargrove, their housekeeper, was a kind, gentle soul who loved Levi almost as much as she did, Lydia couldn’t wait to get home and hold her baby in her arms.

Normally, she loved taking the shortcut through the woods. It was beautiful and peaceful. She looked around and, for some reason, the trees seemed to look menacing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and gooseflesh formed on her arms.

Everything seemed to have gone silent. She couldn’t hear any birds calling out to each other, and no small animals scampered through the brush. A sharp crack split the air, making her shiver. Gunshots were common as people hunted for dinner, but for some reason, this felt different. The horse stepped forward, shook her head, and stopped, refusing to go forward.

Lydia peered through the bushes and gasped at the scene. She was frozen for a moment as she locked eyes with Silas, his eyes widened with surprise. Her eyes dropped to the body lying on the ground. Her heart stopped, her stomach lurched, and she gasped for air.

Before Silas reacted, she turned Cinnamon around and raced toward home. She had to get to Levi before something even worse happened. Lydia’s jaw was clenched as she rushed to the house. Branches scratched her face, and the wind had picked up, whipping around her.

Although she knew Cinnamon was running as fast as she safely could through the woods, it seemed like an eternity before the homestead came into sight. She jumped off the horse, led it to the water trough, and dashed inside the house.

Mrs. Hargrove stood up and looked at her in surprise. “Lydia, what on Earth…”

Lydia didn’t look at her. She ran up the stairs, holding her skirts up, taking two steps at a time, and ducked into Andrew’s study. She knelt in front of the safe and took all the cash and jewelry inside, apologizing to the staff in the back of her mind, since they were usually paid with cash. Not bothering to close the safe, she ran into her bedroom, grabbed a large canvas bag, and stuffed a change of clothes for her and a couple of changes of clothes and diapers for Levi. She divided the money, wrapping some of the bills in oilcloth and pushing the bundle into her riding boot. Other bills were stashed in a pouch and tied under her shirt, while she put some in her pocketbook.

She was afraid that she was taking too much time. They had to leave before Silas got to the house.

Lydia ran downstairs and grabbed Levi from the cradle, wrapping him in a blanket and tying him snuggly to her chest, so she could have both hands free.

Mrs. Hargrove looked at the canvas bag and then at Lydia. “What are you doing?”

“I can’t explain. I have to leave.” Lydia said breathlessly as she ran to the door.

The housekeeper ran behind her. “Where are you going? How long are you going to be gone?”

Lydia turned around for a brief second. “I don’t know. You might want to leave, too. Quickly. I can’t explain. It’s not safe here. Please trust me.”

Mrs. Hargrove’s face paled as Lydia ran out the door with Levi. She quickly secured the canvas bag to the saddle and mounted, listening intently for hoofbeats.

She turned Cinnamon toward the woods and patted her neck. “I’m sorry, girl. We have to hurry. I know you’re tired.”

The horse trotted as fast as she safely could toward Willamette. Lydia guided her to the stagecoach station and dropped the reins, knowing the horse wouldn’t go anywhere.

“Mr. Stevenson. I need help. Please tell me you have a stage leaving here for Portland tonight.”

The stationmaster looked at her with a confused frown. “We have one leaving in ten minutes.”

Lydia dared to let herself breathe a sigh of relief. “Could you take care of Cinnamon for me? Also, if Silas comes looking for me, please don’t tell him where I went.”

The older man looked at her frantic face for a moment and nodded. Everyone had known Lydia since she was in diapers and liked her. They’d also known Silas his entire life and knew that he was not a good man.

“I’ll tell him you went to Eugene. That should buy you a few hours. There are a couple of steamships leaving this afternoon.”

She felt so relieved, she almost cried, but held herself together. This was no time to fall apart.

Lydia quickly paid for the ticket and grabbed her canvas bag. She was greatly relieved that she and the baby were the only ones alone on the stagecoach, which was a surprise since it was the noon stage. It was usually the busiest.

Finally, once the stagecoach got rolling, she fed Levi, who was starting to get very cranky.

As she held Levi, she hung her head and cried. Andrew had been the love of her life. They’d met when she was just sixteen, but her mother had made her wait until she was eighteen to get married. He was the most kind and gentle man in the world. He always made her feel loved and valued.

He’d held her that morning and pressed a kiss against her lips. “I love you so much,” he’d whispered in her ear.

“I love you, too.”

Andrew had always been affectionate, but something had seemed different that morning. It was almost as if he’d known something was going to happen.

She forced herself to remember that picture of him, when he had looked at her with love, and not focus on the last vision she had of him lying on the ground with blood spreading around his head on the ground.

Why had Silas…She couldn’t even form the words in her mind. What am I going to do without him? Levi will never get a chance to know his father.

Taking a huge breath, she forced back the sob. Right now, she had to focus on keeping Levi safe.

Although she had told Mrs. Hargrove she didn’t know where she was going, she had lied. If the woman didn’t have the sense to leave when Lydia had told her to, Silas would have found a way to get the information out of her.

Lydia gently brushed a curl out of Levi’s face. His blue eyes were closed as he suckled contentedly, blissfully unaware that his mother was terrified.

If Silas followed me, he would know I was heading to Portland. I was at the house for at least five or ten minutes getting everything together. He can either stop the coach or find me in Portland.

She listened intently for the sounds of hooves trying to stop the coach, but didn’t hear anything.

Levi finished eating, and she fixed her clothes before putting a towel over her shoulder and burping him.

She closed her eyes and remembered what her mother had told her right before she died. You have a sister outside of Eagle, in the Idaho Territory. I don’t know whether your father is still alive, but he owned a ranch, and the last I heard from Virginia, my friend who lives in Eagle, Eliza is still living out there. I was pregnant with you when I left, so Eliza doesn’t know about you, and neither does your father. If you ever need anything, you should go to her.

At the time, Lydia wasn’t sure why her mother had told her about Eliza or her past. Lydia was eighteen and about to be married to Andrew. They were going to make a life together, and while Lydia was curious about Eliza, she doubted if they’d ever come in contact with each other.

Her mother, Martha, had died six months after the wedding. She had the wasting disease. There was nothing the doctors could do.

Ma always had a good intuition. Sometimes she just knew things. I wonder whether she knew I might have to leave Oregon suddenly.

The stagecoach pulled into the Portland station. Lydia hastily tied Levi to her chest, grabbed her bag, and stepped out of the stagecoach.

Drawing a deep breath, she looked around to see if there was any sign of Silas. Her heart fell into her stomach when she saw a tall man with dark brown hair that curled along his collar.

Please, no. How could he have gotten here so fast?

Her knees buckled when he turned around, and she saw that it was not Silas. It took all of her willpower not to run to the station that sold tickets for the steamboat.

The older man barely looked at her. “Can I help you?”

Lydia forced herself to keep her voice steady. “I need to get to Eagle, in the Idaho Territory. I’m meeting my husband there.”

He looked at her and squinted. “The ship can take you to Umatilla. You’ll have to take a stagecoach the rest of the way.”

She simply nodded. “I’d like a cabin, please.”

“Name?” he asked in a bored voice.

“Mrs. Sarah Parker.”

He wrote her name in barely legible handwriting. “That will be twenty dollars. Each meal on board is a dollar.”

She pulled enough money out of her pocketbook, careful to not let him see she had a lot of bills.

He handed her the ticket and, without another word, went back to the newspaper he was reading.

The good thing is that if anyone asks him if he saw me, or if a woman who looks like me bought a ticket, he couldn’t say. He barely looked at me.

She got settled in the small cabin and waited, not daring to breathe until the steamboat pulled out of port. Once she realized that she had three days to come up with a plan and he couldn’t attack her on the boat, she collapsed.

Holding Levi close to her, she cried. Her shoulders shook, and tears poured out. Her stomach was rolled into a knot, and her heart felt as though it had been ripped apart. She’d known that Silas was not a good man, but hadn’t realized just how evil he was. He’d stolen the one thing that meant the most to her, except for the baby.

Finally, no more tears came. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and took a deep breath before walking over to the basin and splashing water on her face.

I’m not going to do either me or Levi any good if I can’t hold myself together.

Levi lay asleep on the bed. The boat was gliding smoothly through the water, and the constant, rhythmic thrum of the steamboat was soothing. It would have put Lydia to sleep if she weren’t so agitated.

She jumped when a bell dinged in the hallway. Lydia stuck her head out of the door and realized it was the dinner bell. She wasn’t hungry, but had to keep up her strength for Levi.

After pulling twenty dollars out of her purse, she beckoned to the steward.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“I really don’t want to leave the cabin with my baby.” She handed him the twenty. “Do you think you could bring my meals here for the duration of the trip?”

The man’s eyes lit up at the size of the tip she gave him, and he smiled widely. “Of course. I’ll be happy to.”

***

For the rest of the trip, she mainly kept to her cabin, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. She told the steward that she was going to meet her husband in Great Falls in the Montana Territory, when he casually asked what her final destination was, trying to make conversation. It was the same story she told the other passengers when they met while she and Levi were getting air on the deck.

The fear and anxiety pounced on her once the ship docked in Umatilla. She looked around, studying all the faces, searching for Silas’s cruel face amongst all the people standing around on the dock. She was finally able to breathe when she didn’t see either him or anyone who seemed to be overly interested in her.

Pulling her shawl tightly around her and Levi, who was looking around with interest and babbling loudly, she tried to figure out where to go next.

Umatilla was larger than Willamette and a lot busier, as well. Freight wagons rolled up and down the road, leaving a cloud of dust behind them. Teamsters shouted at each other, people walked up and down the wooden sidewalks, and stores lined the road.

She was about to ask someone for help when she finally spotted the wooden structure with the hand-painted sign that read “Oregon & Idaho Stage Line.”

Relief washed over her, and she walked toward the building with purpose. “I need to get to Boise in the Idaho Territory.”

The clerk smiled. “Heading back East, huh? Living in the West can be rough.”

Lydia bristled at his condescending tone. “I’ll be joining my husband, Mr. James Parker, who has a ranch out that way.”

The man shrugged as though he didn’t really care. “It’ll be a hundred dollars.”

She sucked in a huge breath. The two thousand she took from the safe wasn’t going to last long at this rate. She’d also have to pay for meals along the way.

Whatever it takes to get Levi somewhere safe.

After handing over the money and signing the waybill with her new name, the ticket master handed her a ticket.

“The stagecoach leaves at six in the morning.” He pointed to the hotel across from the station. “You can stay there for the night.”

She nodded, put the ticket in her pocketbook, and picked up her canvas bag. “Thank you.”

Levi waved to the ticket master, who, surprisingly, waved back. She managed to quickly get a small room, arrange for dinner to be delivered to her, and settle in for the night.

***

The next five days went by incredibly slowly. The stagecoach stopped every ten miles to change the teams of horses, which gave the passengers a few minutes to get out and stretch their legs, get food and coffee, use the outhouse, and splash water on their faces. The coach rambled on through the night, and although Lydia could have spent the night in Pendleton, La Grande, and Baker City, she chose to continue on through the night. The quicker she could get to her sister, the better.

Feeding Levi was tricky at best. Luckily, all of the other passengers were very respectful when she covered them both with a blanket so he could eat. A few of the passengers took turns entertaining the baby. Lydia was very proud of him. He hardly ever cried.

Lydia spent the week coming up with a plan and rehearsing it over and over in her mind. She hated it, but didn’t know what else to do.

Finally, the stagecoach reached Boise. She and Levi went to the hotel for the night, where she washed a week’s worth of dirt off both of them.

When she woke the next morning, she stared at her sleeping son, cuddled in her arms. Tears streamed down her face, and her soul shattered at the thought of what she was about to do. She couldn’t think of any other alternative.

Holding him close to her, she kissed his forehead. “I love you so much. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Levi woke up and smiled at her. He reached up and pulled on a lock of hair that came loose from the braid she kept her hair in at night, and then pinched her nose. The baby laughed as though it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

With tears in her eyes because she knew her time with him was short, she fed Levi, holding onto the moment as long as she could. Finally, though, she dressed them both, ate a quick breakfast, and walked to the general store. She bought a basket, a couple of baby blankets, a pen, paper, and a baby bottle. After considering what she was about to do, she added dried fruit, crackers, and cheese to the purchase.

Afterward, she walked to the livery stable.

The grizzled owner stepped out and spat some tobacco juice on the ground, making Lydia feel nauseous.

“I’m here to visit an old friend. I need to rent a horse until tomorrow afternoon, please.”

He looked her up and down. “That’ll be six dollars for the horse and saddle.” He cocked his head to the side. “How do I know you’ll be bringing him back? Do you have any collateral?”

She thought about it for a minute and slid off the emerald ring Andrew had given her for her birthday. The words, “To Lydia, with love, Andrew,” were inscribed on the inside of the ring.

“My husband gave this to me. It means the world to me. I think this is worth more than a horse. Can you give me a receipt stating that I can get it back when I return the horse?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “You think I’m dishonest?”

She tilted her chin up and stared into his eyes. “No more than you think I am.”

After a few seconds, he laughed. “I like your spunk. Since you’ve got a young’un with you, I’ll put you on Jasper. She’s dependable, sure-footed, and very calm.”

“Thank you.”

He wrote out the receipt and stashed the ring in a locked box under his desk. After quickly saddling the mare, he helped pack the items she’d bought in the saddlebags.

“Which way is Eagle?”

The old man pointed down the road. “Ten miles that way. Just stay on the trail.”

Lydia was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn’t pay any attention to the landscape around her. She cuddled her baby and told him over and over again how much she loved him, hoping that even though he was so young, he’d remember.

They arrived in Eagle at nine. Although she hated drawing attention to herself, she stopped by the general store to ask directions for the Hartwell Ranch.

The owner raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Why do you need to go out that way?”

She stood tall and stiffened her shoulders. “That’s my business.”

He looked at her suspiciously and then shrugged. “Take this road to the fork. Take a left. Keep going for five miles. You can’t miss it.”

“Does Eliza still live on the ranch?”

Smirking, the man said, “Yes. Weird one that one is.”

“Is she a good person?”

The man tilted his head to the side, curious about her question. Finally, he replied, “She is.”

Lydia nodded and left. She didn’t care whether Eliza was weird or not. It was the only hope she had for protecting the baby. She was pretty sure that, by sundown, everyone in town would know she was there asking for her sister’s ranch.

They rode out of town a little bit, and she stopped to feed Levi once more. Then, with tears in her eyes, she rode the last hour and a half, telling herself that her plan was the only way to keep her son safe.

Luckily, the path to the ranch was well-worn, and she didn’t have to concentrate on where she was going. A couple of times, she told herself that she could just introduce herself to Eliza and her father and beg for help. She instantly dismissed the idea because Lydia was a stranger to them, and they likely wouldn’t want to get mixed up in her problems.

They won’t be able to turn down the baby, though.

She repeated that thought over and over again, as though to convince herself that it was true.

As planned, they arrived at the ranch before noon. She tied the horse to a cottonwood tree and slid off.

“I love you so much, Levi. I’ll come back for you. I promise.” The tears were so thick in her eyes that she could barely see.

She pulled the pencil and paper out of the bag and wrote a quick note.

Eliza,

Please take care of my baby, Levi, for a while. I have to take care of something, and I can’t take him with me. We’re both in danger. You’re the only one I can trust. I will be back for him as soon as it’s safe.

She thought about adding her name, but decided not to. If, by chance, Silas or one of his men had followed her, he would take the baby just to punish her. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be able to smooth-talk the baby away from Eliza.

Lydia kissed him one more time, put him in the basket, wrapped him up in blankets, and tucked the bottle, clothes, diapers, and the note next to him. She looked around at the ranch house, barns, and stables to make sure no one was around and quickly dashed to the porch of the ranch house.

With tears in her eyes, she ran back to the edge of the woods and waited. A half hour later, a woman, wearing trousers and a flannel shirt, walked up the stairs to the porch and stopped. She stooped down to read the note before looking around to see if she could spot anyone. After a moment, the woman picked the basket up and took Levi into the house with her.

Sobbing, Lydia mounted the horse and rode back to Boise. She returned the horse, got her ring back, and bought a ticket to Umatilla, determined to make Silas pay for what he’d done.

Chapter One

Eagle, The Idaho Territory

Eliza sighed as she hammered another nail into the fence post. Sweat trickled down the side of her neck and down her back. Fixing fences was one of her least favorite jobs on the ranch to do, just one step above branding the cattle and castrating the bull calves.

I swear these creatures tear down this dad-burned fence at least once a month just to watch me sweat to death while I fix it.

One of the steers was standing about five feet away from her and bellowed as though he was critiquing her work. He was two thousand pounds, four feet tall at the shoulder, and his horn span was six feet wide. The animal looked as though he was up to no good.

She glanced at him, hoping he wouldn’t take the notion to charge at her. “Did you have something to do with this?”

The steer took a step toward her, snorting and pawing at the ground.

She picked up an iron bar she always kept with her, just for these occasions. “Don’t even think about it.”

Major, her border collie, sat right behind her. He growled loudly, his hair standing straight up. The two of them stared at each other, as though each was daring the other. The bull flicked his ears and pawed at the ground again. Major stood and snarled, showing his teeth, stiff as a board.

Eliza smirked when the steer decided to walk away. She leaned down and petted Major’s head. “I’ve got half a mind to keep that steer for myself, and we can turn him into stew, roasts, and steaks. What do you say to that?”

Major barked and wagged his tail.

She impatiently brushed back a lock of hair that managed to escape from her long, auburn braid and took a drink from the canteen. Major’s bowl was still half full of water, so she capped it, sighed heavily, and put the canteen back into the wagon before tugging the horses toward the next section of broken fence.

The sun was high in the sky when her stomach reminded her that it was lunchtime. She pounded the final nail into the fence.

Pointing her hammer at the animal that had challenged her earlier, she growled, “Don’t you go knocking it down again.”

She loaded her tools into the back of the wagon and looked over her ranch. Her father had left her twenty-four thousand acres and approximately eight hundred head of cattle. The Idaho Territory, at least the part she owned, was breathtaking. Rolling grasslands, with green and gold prairie grass, stretched toward the Boise River, which ran through the middle of her property, making it even more valuable. Beyond the pastures, she could see the white snow still covering the peaks of the Sawtooth mountains. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds stretched out endlessly.

Prince and Thunder plodded back to the barn. They knew the way and didn’t need any guidance from Eliza, who simply sat on the buckboard, loosely holding the reins. Her mind raced, dreading the meeting she had in Boise. The horses stopped in front of the stables, startling Eliza out of her thoughts.

Harold strolled out of one of the stables, pushing a wheelbarrow full of used straw. “I’ll take care of the horses.”

She nodded and smiled at him. “I appreciate it.”

Eliza washed up and stepped into the house. The scent of venison stew filled the air, making her stomach growl louder.

Mrs. Digby, her housekeeper and cook, stuck her head out of the kitchen. “It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks. I’ll be in my office.”

She looked over the numbers she’d written down for the cattle drive coming up the following week.

“I don’t need a man to run my ranch. I’ll have two hundred fifty steers, a hundred cull cows, and fifty yearlings. That’s ten thousand, five hundred dollars. After I pay the drovers, and the shipping costs, I’ll still make nine thousand, five hundred.” She growled. “That’s more than enough to keep this place going.”

Mrs. Digby stuck her head in the door. “Lunch is ready.”

Everyone gathered in the dining room, passing around the pot of stew and pieces of sweet cornbread. They talked about the chores and tasks they accomplished for the morning, and Mr. Digby, her foreman, gave out the afternoon assignments. Then they talked about the weather and news from relatives.

Eliza mostly listened. These people were more family to her than her father had ever been. While they all worked for the ranch and were well paid, they also always went beyond what they needed to do. She chuckled to herself. They also didn’t mind losing during their occasional friendly poker games.

After the men left, Eliza stood up and sighed.

Mrs. Digby looked at her sympathetically and patted her back. “Are you going to change before going to town?”

Shaking her head, Eliza grinned. “No. There’s no point. First, everyone in Eagle and Boise already knows that I dress this way, and I don’t care what they think. Second, it’s not going to change anything. I know what the lawyer wants to talk to me about.”

“You’re stubborn, girl.”

Eliza grabbed her hat and looked back at the older woman. “I am, and you love me anyway.”

Mrs. Digby had worked for the ranch since Eliza could remember and had been more of a mother figure to her than a housekeeper and cook.

The older woman swatted at her and began cleaning off the table. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

Stepping out into the warm afternoon, Eliza forced herself to walk to the tack shed and grab her saddle and bridle. Whistling loudly, she waited for Bandit, her quarter horse, to trot over to her.

“We’re going to town to meet with Mr. Dawson. What do you think about that?”

Bandit shook his head.

“I agree. But he wants to meet, and I’m obliged to talk to him.”

Major sat next to her and whined. She leaned down and rubbed his head. “You need to stay here and guard the place. Mrs. Digby needs your help in the kitchen. She might have some more scraps for you.”

The dog took off like a shot for the house, using his paw to pry open the screen door just enough to slink in.

“I swear, these animals are smarter than some people,” she muttered as she tightened the cinch.

Eliza looked around as Bandit walked toward Boise. She cut through her ranch, taking a short-cut and avoiding Eagle, which was the closest town to the ranch. The last thing she wanted was for more people to speculate about her business in Boise.

Silvery green leaves of sagebrush and rabbitbrush dotted the landscape. Cottonwood, maple, apple, and other trees lined the river banks. The land was so vast and beautiful and never failed to awe her.

A large rattlesnake curled up on a rock, sunbathing. It raised its head curiously as they rode by, and, apparently deciding the woman and horse weren’t a threat, went back to sleep. Squirrels and rabbits scampered in the undergrowth, and a few deer grazed in a clearing. An eagle flew overhead, looking for prey.

After an hour and a half ride, the church’s steeple eventually came into view, and then the roof of the general store. Several white, clapboard houses lined the street. The scent of fresh bread, horses, woodsmoke, and manure filled the air.

Her stomach twisted as she guided Bandit to a small wooden building with a simple sign out front that read “Lawrence Dawson, Lawyer.”

She was beginning to despise the man, as he felt the need to remind her of her father’s will every few months.

He stood when she walked in. Mr. Dawson was about the same height as she was. He was very thin with a thick mustache that curled at the ends. His dark brown beady eyes reminded her of a rat.

“Eliza, it’s a pleasure to see you. Please come in and have a seat.”

She sat on the edge of the overstuffed chair, but didn’t say anything.

“I wanted to ask if you’ve made any progress. You’re twenty-fifth birthday is coming up, and if you aren’t married before then, your cousin, William, will inherit the ranch.”

She stiffened at the idea of the pompous peacock taking over everything she’d worked so hard for.

“You know this is stupid and unfair. My father had no right to do this. There has to be some way out of it.”

The lawyer hooked his fingers in his suspenders and shook his head. “We’ve been over this. There are no loopholes, and your father had every right to make that stipulation. The ranch belonged to him, and he could do what he wished with it. You have a choice.”

Growling in the back of her throat, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve got a plan. I’ll be married before my birthday. I’ve put out advertisements for a husband and I’ve been corresponding with a few men who might be respectable, since no one in town is suitable.”

Mr. Dawson smirked, but he didn’t say what he was thinking, which was that Eliza was too eccentric, and no one in town wanted to marry her. She always wore trousers and shirts because it would be nearly impossible to work in a dress. Eliza also refused to ride sidesaddle or wear a riding habit like the other women.

“Your father was just looking out for you. Ranching is a man’s business.”

His tone was condescending, and irritation flooded through her.

“The ranch has become even more successful since Pa passed. I’m quite capable of running the ranch myself.”

He simply looked at her as though he didn’t believe her. “Please keep me updated. Are you still going through with the cattle sale next week?”

“Yes. James Deavers and his crew will take them to Boise and collect the fee, take their cut, and bring the rest to me. It’s the same as we’ve done every spring and fall for the last several years.” She twisted her hands together to keep from telling the lawyer what she thought about him meddling in her business. “Is there anything else?”

“No,” he said slowly, drawing out the ‘o’.

“Good day, then.” She stood and left without a backward glance, wishing she could tell the man how she really felt.

Eliza never claimed to be ladylike. She never had time for afternoon tea and crumpets or whatever other women did. She didn’t wear corsets and fancy dresses, except on special occasions or at church. However, she’d also never punched anyone.

If I went back in there and punched him straight in the nose, it couldn’t really make that much difference in what people think about me, could it?

However, Sheriff Caleb Dunlap took his job very seriously and would likely lock her up, at least for the day, if she did happen to allow herself the pleasure of letting that little man know exactly what she thought of him.

I can’t afford to waste a day sitting around while there’s so much work to be done.

She petted Bandit on his neck. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have to go to the post office.”

The horse flicked his ears forward and tried to steal her hat, making her chuckle. His penchant for attempting to snatch anything he could get his mouth on had started when he was a colt. It didn’t matter what it was. He’d take hats, handkerchiefs, jackets, or even tools and run off with them. Eliza could almost hear the horse laughing as he stayed a couple of steps away from everyone if they chased him. She learned a long time ago that if she simply let him have whatever he stole, he’d eventually lay it down in some strange place.

Mrs. Dunlap, the sheriff’s wife, ran the post office. She was quite the opposite of her husband. Short, plump, with a cheery smile for everyone, Mrs. Dunlap drew people to her like a moth to a flame. She knew everyone’s business but never gossiped.

“Good morning, Eliza,” Mrs. Dunlap said pleasantly.

She was one of the few people who didn’t treat Eliza differently or look down on her.

“Hello, Mrs. Dunlap. How’s the arthritis?”

The older woman rubbed her swollen hands. “Not so bad since the cold weather seems to have passed. I rub liniment on them, and it helps. I even managed to get some sewing done.”

“I’m glad to know it’s a little better.” Eliza blushed. “Are there…Do I have any letters?”

Mrs. Dunlap smiled and nodded knowingly. She was in on Eliza’s plan to advertise for a husband.

She walked to the row of pigeonhole cubbies and grabbed a handful of letters, handing them to Eliza. “Have there been any good prospects?”

“Maybe a couple. Most of them are from men who want to take over running the ranch and said that I could take it easy and go back to doing women’s work.”

Chuckling, Mrs. Dunlap gestured to the stack of letters. “I take it those got tossed right away.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m not looking for an overlord who thinks he’s going to come and rule my life. I want someone who’ll help out, but understands that the ranch belongs to me, and I’ll run it the way I see fit.”

Leaning over the counter, Mrs. Dunlap whispered, “I wish I had half your fire when I was your age. Who knows, I might have had my own horse ranch. I’ve always loved horses.”

Eliza patted her hand. “It’s never too late.”

Mrs. Dunlap sighed and shook her head. “I’ve got a good life. Caleb’s a great man, even though a lot of folks in town are sure he’s got starch in his spine, but he’s a gentle soul and takes care of me.”

“I’m glad. You deserve it. You know you’re more than welcome to come out and ride whenever you’d like.”

“I do. Thank you.”

Eliza tapped the counter. “Well, I guess I’d better get. The work out there never ends.”

Mrs. Dunlap patted her arm. “Take care and good luck.”

She walked outside, blinking against the bright sunshine. The letters felt heavy in her hands. Her stomach turned at the idea of being forced to marry a man because of her father’s will. Her father had always been a controlling man with a bit of a mean streak.

He’d made sure that Eliza had a good education and even hired tutors for her. He also had taught her how to run the ranch, but there had never been an ounce of warmth toward her. Eliza had seen him treat stray dogs kinder than he treated her.

Several of the men who’d written to her seemed like they would be her father all over again. While she had to endure her father’s treatment, there was no way she would subjugate herself to that ever again.

There’s got to be at least one in here who is decent that I could get along with, she thought as she sorted through the envelopes.

Eliza was so lost in her thoughts that she wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking and slammed straight into a well-dressed man. She stumbled back, and the letters went everywhere.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped as she knelt to pick up the envelopes.

He bent to help her, and their eyes locked as he handed them to her. Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat as his dark blue eyes seemed to look into her soul.