Trusting the Tycoon: Cowboys and Angels, #29 Read online

  Trusting the Tycoon

  Cowboys and Angels Book 29

  By Marianne Spitzer

  © November 2018

  This book is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events, locations, or organizations is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without the written consent of the author.

  Acknowledgments

  There are many people I would like to thank for their help and understanding while I wrote this book, but first and foremost, I want to thank God for all His blessings. I also wish to thank my family and friends for their patience and understanding when I disappear into my writing world especially my son, Lance, for his unwavering support. Last, but by no means least, I would like to thank my loyal readers who read my books and leave reviews. I couldn’t do this without you. You’re the best.

  The cover was created by the talented Erin Dameron Hill. You can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/edameronhill

  Trusting the Tycoon

  Cowboys and Angels Book 29

  Prologue

  New York Autumn 1891

  Delia Warrington sat at her dressing table removing the pins from her honey-blonde hair. The ball had been delightful, and she had danced with several handsome men. The only annoyance of the evening was her stepmother’s brother, Steffen Rivers. Rail thin with unruly black hair, Delia shuddered each time he asked her to dance. She feared his skinny legs would wobble and break tumbling her to the dance floor with him.

  After brushing her hair and braiding it, Delia stood to remove her chemise and don her nightdress when she was startled by the young maid sitting on her bed.

  “Oh, my,” Delia said. “I didn’t see you when I came in. Were you sitting there the entire time? No, you couldn’t, I would have seen you. Where did you come from? Are you the new maid my stepmother said she planned to hire?”

  The young woman smiled, “No, I wasn’t hired, but I am here to help you. My name is Mercy. You should sit down and rest. You appear tired.”

  Delia couldn’t explain the feeling of fatigue that came over her, but she sat on her bed and in a moment was asleep.

  Delia didn’t sleep soundly as her dream alarmed her. She was standing in the corner of her father’s study watching Steffen and her stepmother sharing quiet words and a brandy.

  “I’m telling you,” Steffen insisted, “if Delia marries me I will share her inheritance with you. You won’t have to rely on that husband of yours to buy you anything.”

  “I don’t know,” the current Missus Warrington said, “Delia doesn’t seem to care for you. How can you convince her to marry you and once you do, she’ll eventually convince her father what you’ve done?”

  “That’s the beauty of my plan,” Steffen explained. “As soon as we marry I will whisk her off on a honeymoon only I will take her to grandfather’s hunting cabin. I will assure it is well stocked, but she will not have access to a horse, and it is too far to walk back to any help. As her husband I will tell people she loves our country estate and has decided to stay there, and I will live in my townhouse here in the city spending her money.”

  “Country estate, indeed,” Addie Warrington said and sipped more brandy. “If you can get that girl away from her father and have access to her inheritance, we will both be happier. What can I do to help?”

  Delia snapped wide awake and stared at Mercy. “I just had the most dreadful dream.”

  “Are you sure it was a dream?” Mercy asked.

  “Of course, it must have been a dream. You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Delia replied and began to pace the room.

  “It’s possible that I do. If you peek out your door and down the stairs, you will see Mister Rivers leaving and your stepmother finishing her brandy,” Mercy said as she continued to sit on Delia’s bed with her hands clasped in her lap.

  “How would you know about that?” Delia asked, but did as Mercy suggested. She spun around and said, “How did you know he was here, and she was drinking brandy? Did you spy on them while I slept?”

  “Of course not, and even if I did, how would I know what you dreamed? I told you I am here to help you and if you don’t want to be a prisoner in your future husband’s old cabin, I suggest you leave here tonight.”

  A knock at Delia’s bedroom door startled her, and she was surprised to see her stepmother standing at the door.

  “Are you all right, Delia? I thought I heard you speaking to someone.”

  Delia looked behind her and didn’t see Mercy. Quickly she thought up a lie and answered, “No, I was just singing.”

  “Lovely, I wanted to tell you that Steffen will be joining us for dinner tomorrow evening. I think he’s smitten with you and wants to speak to your father. Get a good night’s sleep to look your best tomorrow.” Addie spun on her heel and left.

  Delia closed the door and nearly jumped out of her skin when she again saw Mercy sitting on her bed as if she’d never left.

  “Where did you go? My stepmother didn’t see you, but here you are,” Delia said confusion written across her face.

  Mercy smiled, “I didn’t leave, but I told you I was here to help you not your stepmother.”

  Delia shook her head, and Mercy stood and walked closer to her. “You must hurry. If you leave tonight, Steffen’s plan will be thwarted, but you must leave quickly. Once he speaks to your father, it will be too late.”

  “Leave? Where will I go and how do you know all of this?”

  “Creede, Colorado, and I only know what I need to know. You need to listen. Pack as much as you can carry, take your mother’s jewelry, the money your grandmother gave you in case of difficulty, and head for the train station as soon as everyone is asleep.”

  Delia stopped when she heard Mercy’s words, “Tell me how you know all these things? I never told anyone about the money my grandmother gave me. She worried about me when father married Addie. It was in case I needed to leave.”

  Mercy nodded, “I know. Please trust me.”

  “I do,” Delia said. “I don’t know why but I do. Will you travel with me?”

  “No, but I will be near when you need me.”

  “Please tell me what’s in Creede?”

  “You’re future.”

  Delia turned to question Mercy again only to find her room empty. Was she losing her mind or was Mercy real? Delia decided to trust her heart and believe Mercy was sent to help her. She quietly packed her things and waited for the house to settle for the night. She felt nervous about leaving and walking through town in the dark, but somehow, she knew she'd be safe.

  Chapter One

  Delia approached the ticket counter and cleared her throat. The man behind the counter jumped surprised that someone would be there at that hour.

  “Miss, it’s the middle of the night. The next train doesn’t leave for two hours. Where are you headed and are you here alone?” The agent asked looking around the room for anyone who might have accompanied Delia.

  “I’m alone, and I’m headed for Creede Colorado.”

  The station’s night agent’s eyebrows shot up. “Creede Colorado, are you sure? It’s a small town in mining country. I’m not sure it’s a suitable place for a young woman alone.”

  Delia smiled and lied, “My father will meet me when the train arrives. I will not be alone.”

  “Very well, you’re fortunate. The next train although not scheduled to leave for two hours is the one you need.”

  Delia paid for her ticket and took the station agent’s advice and sat insi
de the small ticket office. It was warmer than the night air and safer. Delia looked around hoping Mercy had followed her. It would be pleasant to have her company. The station agent wouldn’t be talkative as he soon began dozing behind his counter again.

  Worrying about being able to carry two heavy bags to the train station, Delia had packed carefully and didn’t bring any books except her Bible. It always brought her comfort, and she opened it as she sat in the quiet office waiting for her train hoping no one she knew would find her.

  The only sound besides the agent’s snoring was the constant tick of the clock in the small area behind the ticket counter. How the man slept through the clock’s five chimes surprised Delia but not as much as when a few people began walking near the ticket office, and the agent suddenly woke.

  Within minutes, dozens of people filled the platform area and were in a line to purchase tickets. Delia watched the faces praying no one she knew would arrive. She was not ready to explain why she was taking a train or why she was heading to Creede.

  Delia heard the squeal of brakes and watched as a train slowed and stopped next to the platform. She glanced at the ticket agent, and he nodded. “That’d be your train, Miss.”

  “Thank you,” Delia said as she placed her Bible back in her bag, picked up both bags, and made her way to the train. Once settled in her seat, she drew in a deep breath saying a silent prayer that her family didn’t find her and force her to marry Steffen.

  As the train pulled out, Delia said goodbye to New York and hello to her future hoping Mercy was correct, and her future waited in Creede and that Mercy was not a figment of her imagination or that she was headed to her doom.

  ~ * ~

  Delia was tired of watching the scenery out of her window. Fortunate enough to afford a sleeping compartment, she spent most of the time behind the locked door except for meals when she ventured to the dining car. She had never traveled far from home alone. An occasional visit to upstate New York to visit her mother’s sister was her travel experience. Her father preferred to vacation near their home. She chided herself for reading the dime novels her best friend Nettie gave her. Common sense told her that train robberies seldom happened, but her fears crept in whispering to her that safety was never guaranteed. Grateful for her Bible, Delia took comfort in reading it.

  After what seemed like weeks instead of days of trying to sleep to the rocking motion of the train and the endless waking hours of watching scenery fly past too quickly to be appreciated, changing trains and worrying about why she was going to Creede, Delia heard the train conductor call out, “Next stop, Creede. Gather your belongings. Creede, Colorado next stop.”

  Delia felt her stomach flutter, but she wasn’t sure if it was excitement or apprehension. She quickly checked to be sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind and sat waiting while the train’s brakes screeched its arrival.

  When the train stopped moving, Delia picked up her bags, and the conductor helped her from the train. For a moment, she thought she saw Mercy standing on the platform, but she blinked, and Mercy was gone. It must have been a shadow or other trick of the sunlight. Delia gathered her thoughts and asked the conductor if he knew a decent place for her to stay and he told her to go to the Hearth and Home pointing in the direction of town.

  Delia thanked him and trudged along wondering why the two bags seemed so much heavier than they did the night she left home. Perhaps it was nervous energy that gave her strength that night or she had become weak after all the time sitting on the train. Either way, she was pleased to see the Hearth and Home just another few paces away.

  She set the bags down and stretched her fingers before picking them up again and entering the hotel. Before she took two steps, Delia was greeted by the warm smile of an attractive young woman with hair the color of the setting sun. “Welcome to the Hearth and Home. You look like you need a room. My name is Millie, welcome.”

  “Thank you. Yes, I need a room and a bath.”

  Millie answered, “I understand. Have you traveled far?”

  “Yes, from New York,” Delia said as she signed the guest register.

  “Oh, my, that is a long trip. Do you have family in Creede?” Millie asked seeming genuinely interested in Delia’s wellbeing.

  Delia leaned a bit closer and lowered her voice. “To be honest, I am alone, and I’m not quite sure why I’m here. I felt as if this was where I was meant to come.”

  A knowing smile crossed Millie’s face. “You’re not the first person to admit that they don’t know why they felt drawn to Creede, but they all find out eventually. Perhaps you will, too. Now, let’s get you that room, and I’ll arrange the hot water for a bath.”

  An hour later, Delia lay on the bed in the comfortable room feeling clean and refreshed. She still wasn’t sure why she was in Creede and Millie’s explanation that others had experienced the same thing didn’t help her at all.

  The few things she brought with her were unpacked, and she carefully hid her mother’s jewelry in a secret pocket in her blue traveling suit until she could find a bank. She didn’t have many pieces. Her father had allowed her stepmother to choose her favorites from her mother’s things and Delia was given the unwanted pieces, but she loved each one. Her mother wore them, and Delia would never part with them.

  Once she was satisfied that her things were safe, Delia decided she’d wander down and have some supper. The food on the train had been remarkably good, but Delia wanted to enjoy a meal while she wasn’t hurtling forward at who knows how fast and perhaps enjoy a cup of tea without worrying it would splash out of the cup before she could enjoy it.

  Delia was seated at a table and decided on the special chicken and dumplings when Millie approached her table.

  “Do you mind if I join you for a while?” Millie asked.

  “Not at all. I welcome the company. I’m feeling a bit out of place not knowing a soul,” Delia confessed.

  “You know me now, and soon you will meet others,” Millie assured as she sat with Delia.

  “I do have some questions if you have time,” Delia said.

  “Of course. I’m more than happy to answer what I can.”

  “Does Creede have a bank? I left home rather quickly and could use a few things. Is there a mercantile where I might find a simple dress or two?” Delia asked just as her tea was served. “Please join me in a cup of tea.”

  Millie nodded, and the two women enjoyed tea while Millie told Delia about the bank, dry goods store, mercantile, and dress shop.

  Delia was pleased that Creede had the stores she would need to replace what she left behind and asked, “That sounds perfect especially if you tell me there is also a bookstore. I wasn’t able to carry any books except for my Bible, and I would love something new to read.”

  “Yes, we do. Mister Redfern has a nice shop, and he is starting a small lending library hoping more people will expand their reading,” Millie explained.

  “How lovely,” Delia answered expressing her delight. “I think I will have a lot to keep me busy tomorrow. If you tell me there is a church for Sunday services, I’ll be quite content here while I wait until I learn why I felt the need to come here.”

  “Yes, there is a church. The Reverend Eugene Theodore holds services. My brother is also a minister and has a church in Bachelor, a town not far away.”

  “Wonderful. Remaining in New York was not possible, and perhaps this was the right choice.”

  “Were you in danger or trouble?” Millie asked concern written across her face.

  Delia feeling genuine compassion coming from Millie shared her story.

  “Oh, goodness, I can see why you left. I do hope you like it here,” Millie said just as Delia’s meal arrived. “I’ll let you eat, and I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night.”

  “Thank you,” Delia said and smiled at Millie before taking a bite of her supper.

  Chapter Two

  Delia smiled in her sleep as she continued to talk to Mercy. The young angel
did her best to convince Delia that she belonged in Creede and that she would find her future and happiness in the town. Delia needed to wait until the time was right. Mercy couldn’t explain why or how Delia would know, but when her future crossed her path, Delia would understand.

  When Delia woke, she didn’t remember the dream, but she felt at peace. She still didn’t understand why she came to Creede but knew she had to stay. Delia also needed to send a telegram to her father, so he wouldn’t worry, but she feared that if she did, he’d know exactly where she was. Who knows what her stepmother might do? They could hire someone to find her and force her to marry Steffen. She shuddered at the thought. The telegram could wait. She was sure her father would assume she went to her aunt’s or a friend’s home for a few days.

  Delia decided to leave the Hearth and Home early the following morning to see if she could find a few simple day dresses that she could wear. She realized in her haste to pack she only packed a few things that really wouldn’t fit in very well in the small-town atmosphere of Creede Colorado. As she descended the stairs, she saw Millie behind the desk doing paperwork. Delia smiled broadly at the friendly young woman and asked her in which direction she should go if she wanted to find some simple day dresses. Millie explained the quickest way to get to Crowther’s Dry Goods where she might see what she wants, and if not, she explained how to find the Mercantile and that there was a dress shop in town.

  Delia hurried into the dining room to enjoy breakfast before she went on her way excited to see what the town of Creede offered and whether she would be comfortable there or what she might find that could explain why she was sent there.

  Delia found her way to Crowther’s Dry Goods and entered hearing a little bell tinkle above the door. A beautiful dark-haired young woman stood behind the counter smiling broadly at Delia and said, “Good morning. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before. My name is Penny Crowther, and my family owns the store.”