Promised by Post. Katy Madison

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      Anna stared at the man behind Daniel. Rafael. Her intended. Not even the tiniest flicker in her belly occurred. Nothing like the flutters she had experienced when Daniel pulled up in Stockton.

      Daniel stepped to the side. Her husband-to-be lolled against the recessed wall of his doorway as if he wouldn’t remain on his feet otherwise. She stared at him feeling as numb and empty as her coin purse.

      Well, it wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to go. Besides, he owned a great deal of land, the hired girl’s cryptic warning aside. She’d just have to make the best of it. She took a step forward. “I’m glad to finally meet you.”

      He gave a nod that nearly toppled him over.

      Giving him an opening to explain or apologize, she said, “I expected you to pick me up in Stockton. I thought that was the plan.”

      “No,” said Rafael.

      “I would have thought...” She would have thought he would have wanted to see her, been just a wee bit eager, but, no, he’d stayed home and gotten drunk. Her mouth tightened.

      “Thought what?” prompted Daniel.

      Some drunks were mean. Would Rafael be one of those? “You’re not what I expected from your letters.”

      Rafael flashed a smile, but it never reached his narrowed eyes before it was gone. “And you’re more...spirited than I knew.” He pushed away from the wall, then weaved before plunking back against it with a grunt. His brow knit. “Hear you...shot a man.”

      She gasped. Cold water thrown in her face wouldn’t have shocked her more. She turned toward Daniel. He had the grace to look away. He’d not only ignored her request but hadn’t warned her he’d already told Rafael first when he’d brought it up.

      “Did you even wait five minutes before telling?”

      He couldn’t have.

      “Guess not,” Daniel said. He glared at his brother even as he moved closer to him.

      Of course his loyalty was to his brother, but after he’d just told her he protected his own and she was part of that circle, his betrayal was a punch to the gut.

      Well, that was how it was to be, then. She stiffened her shoulders and looked back at her future husband.

      Rafael looked on the verge of being ill.

      “I hope you’re not a mean drunk.”

      “Of course he isn’t.” Daniel leaped to his brother’s defense. Like her own brothers, they might be angry with each other, but they would defend each other to the death if any outsider stood against them.

      Rafael squinted at her. She supposed he was waiting for some justification from her. If she planned to make this work, she couldn’t just smack him for being drunk or making spirited sound like a defect.

      “The men in the stagecoach were missing their shots,” she explained. “I had to do something.”

      “No need...to shoot...anymore. I’m a crack shot.” Rafe puffed as if the words had required a great deal of effort. How much had the man drunk? “And Danny alwaysh hi’s his targets, don’t you?”

      “Usually,” muttered Daniel.

      “I’ll protect...you.” Rafael lifted the hand he’d braced against the wall and waved it expansively. “No one will get...you...here.”

      His knees buckled, and he scrabbled at the wall.

      Scowling, Daniel caught his brother. “I need to put him back to bed.”

      “Yes, do that,” said Anna. “I find I am tired, too.”

      She spun back and headed to the room with her trunk. Halfway there she pivoted. Both the brothers stared at her, while Daniel appeared to bear Rafael’s weight.

      As Daniel had said, they were much alike. Same build, similar height, same dark hair and eyes. Daniel’s face was squarer and his jaw stronger. Rafael appeared slightly more classically handsome with high cheekbones and a smoother brow. Although anything he gained by reason of his appearance, he lost in her esteem by getting drunk before greeting the woman who’d traveled over the breadth of the country to be his wife. And if he thought she was too spirited or she shouldn’t shoot, well, he’d just have to learn a thing or two.

      “I want my rifle with me.” She folded her arms. “Where is it?”

      “What rifle?” asked Rafael. “Why’s she have a rifle?”

      “The rifle the robber dropped,” Daniel said. “The sheriff gave it to her. Some folks appreciate good shooting.”

      She thought Daniel might have whispered something more to his brother, but she wasn’t certain.

      Rafael lurched forward, then stumbled. “You don’t need a gun.”

      Daniel steadied him.

      “It is mine. You are in no condition to fire a weapon. And you have no right to tell me what to do. Yet.” Good grief, if she let him make her angry, he might decide not to marry her at all.

      “Hey,” protested Rafael.

      Daniel shook his brother. “For what it is worth, Rafe is sorry he couldn’t pick you up in Stockton. He said as much before you knocked on the door.”

      The apology—belated as it was—came from the wrong brother. She wasn’t certain she believed Daniel, but he was at least aware of her disappointment, whereas Rafael probably wasn’t aware of too much. Her betrothed was a drunkard.

      Suddenly her body felt made of lead and too heavy to hold upright. After weeks of traveling in a stagecoach night and day, she should be thrilled merely to have a bed to sleep in. But the thought of having shot a man and quite possibly mortally wounding him left her restless.

      She told herself it could be worse. She could have killed the robber outright. Or Rafael could be an ugly, mean drunkard and he could have lied to her about owning a ranch.

      On the bright side, it did appear that meals were readily had—that was an improvement over her life in Connecticut, even if the food was strange. The house was much larger than she’d expected, big enough to leave open ground in the middle. And there was a lot of land. Daniel must have the right of it. Tomorrow everything was bound to look better, and she’d have the day to get to know her fiancé.

      She would marry Rafael. Even if he wasn’t what she hoped, life with him would be better than what she’d come from.

      “It is my rifle now, and I want it. Is it still in the wagon? I’ll go get it.”

      “I’ll bring it to you,” said Daniel. “After I get him to bed.”

      Rafael grunted and wobbled.

      Daniel braced a foot and pushed him back upright.

      She had seen strong drink affect her father and brothers. More so since СКАЧАТЬ