A Bride for Deke Read online

  Caldwell began to smile, but he turned it into a sneer. “You, Sperling, are fired, and as far as Amalie is concerned, she has time left on her contract and isn’t going anywhere.”

  Nate shook his head. “Her contract is null and void, according to Judge Evans, because she is married.”

  “Married?” Caldwell snorted. “Who would marry her? You, Sperling? I’ll see you in the river before I allow her to leave with you.”

  “Not me, Caldwell—she married my brother Deke.”

  The smile slowly disappeared from Caldwell’s face as the realization of Nate’s words settled in. “Your brother is Deke Sperling—and Amalie married him?” Caldwell stammered. “Where is he?”

  “Waiting for us in Wyoming, but don’t worry—it’s all legal. The judge and sheriff are aware of the situation and your threats. If anything happens to Amalie or me, my brother will come calling on you and Rex,” Nate explained as Caldwell sat behind his desk, speechless. “We’re going now. Don’t have anyone follow us.”

  Caldwell nodded his head in understanding as Amalie and Nate left the office and headed for the train station.

  Amalie finally found the words to ask, “Is your brother dangerous? I thought Mister Caldwell might faint. He looked frightened.”

  “My brother isn’t dangerous in the sense that you need to worry. He’s kind and gentle to those he cares about and those who walk on the right side of the law. If a man crosses that line, Deke can be as dangerous as a rattler.”

  Amalie shuddered. “I don’t like snakes.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Nate assured. “We’ll talk on the train. It’s a long ride to Cheyenne and then a few hours by stagecoach to home.”

  ~ * ~

  They didn’t have any difficulty boarding the train. Amalie and Nate were happy the sheriff stood watch on the platform, although Nate had assured Amalie that neither Caldwell nor Rex would show up.

  Nate fell asleep a short while after the train began its journey. He woke two hours later to find Amalie wholly absorbed in the dime novel Grace Evans had given her.

  “Why are you scowling,” Nate asked.

  Amalie held the book up and said, “Why didn’t you tell me about your brother and your life in Wyoming? I’m not sure I want to be married, given his grief and anger.”

  “What are you talking about? I told you: my brother isn’t dangerous.”

  “Yes, you did, but you didn’t tell me the terrible way his wife was murdered, or how the bank robbers shot his baby boy. He went crazy, chased them down, and hanged them without the benefit of a trial,” Amalie stammered as she spoke, and the book shook in her hands.

  “Wait a minute…that’s wrong. It’s all wrong,” Nate insisted. “Let me tell you the truth: someone is trying to make money by writing that garbage and embellishing it for the sake of fiction.”

  Amalie stared at Nate, waiting for him to continue.

  “First, my sister-in-law was not murdered. Deke married Sarah shortly before I left home. He was the sheriff in our local town of Prairieville. I know that he loved her deeply, and she died in childbirth a year after they married. It must have been terribly sad for him, but it happens—she wasn’t murdered,” Nate explained.

  “Then, why?”

  “For sales, I’m sure.”

  Amalie thought for a moment and asked, “If he was the sheriff, how did he become a bounty hunter?”

  “Two months after Sarah died, there was a bank robbery in town, and her sister was shot during their escape, but it was only a superficial graze on her arm. By the time Deke had run from his office, the robbers were gone. He carried Laura to the doc’s office and waited to make sure she wasn’t badly injured. He knew that the men responsible would be out of his jurisdiction, so he walked to the mayor’s office and turned in his badge before tracking the men and bringing them in alive for trial,” Nate told Amalie.

  “That’s when he became a bounty hunter?” Amalie asked.

  “Yes and no. I don’t like the term bounty hunter because Deke gives any bounties on the men he captures to the victims of the crime or their loved ones. He never keeps a penny. The ranch, the Double S, supports him well,” Nate said, smiling at Amalie, hoping to alleviate her fears.

  “All right,” Amalie replied. “I can understand how the author exaggerated the details to sell more books, but what about the Indians?”

  “What Indians?”

  “The ones that attacked the ranch, killing all the hands, and Deke hunted them down and killed them all.”

  Nate did his best not to laugh. “That never happened. The few Indians near the ranch are friendly with Deke, and he gives them a few head of cattle to keep them from starving in hard times. In turn, they don’t cause any trouble. That author certainly has a vivid imagination. What else does he say?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve only read half the book,” Amalie confessed. “I’m not sure if I should read more.”

  Nate smiled. “You can, if you wish, but please ask me about any details before you believe them, or just read it as an adventure story and not my brother’s biography.”

  “I can do that,” Amalie agreed.

  Chapter Three

  Deke Sperling strolled into the sheriff’s office and greeted the man with a smile. “You’re looking good, Sam,” Deke said.

  “Morning, Deke,” Sam said. “I’ve been expecting you.”

  Deke nodded and said, “Do you have anything to add to the information I already have?”

  Sam shook his head. “All we know is what Tara Saunders told us. She hid in the tree line and saw Clyde Wilson walk out of the cabin once the screams stopped, he threw a match into the back door, and the cabin erupted into flames. If that girl hadn’t been in the privy when Clyde arrived, she’d be dead, too.”

  Deke replied, “At least she got out alive, and she can testify to seeing Clyde set the cabin on fire. He’ll hang for murder whether he killed them before or after he set the fire.”

  Sam shuffled papers around on his desk for a minute. He found a wanted poster, handed it to Deke, and said, “People in town are incensed by this brutal killing of four people. The merchants took up a collection, and they’re offering a five-hundred-dollar reward for Clyde’s capture, be it dead or alive.”

  Deke took the poster, looked at it, folded it, and slipped it into his vest pocket. “I’ll find him, sheriff, and as usual, the bounty money will go to the victim. I’ll do my best to bring him in alive. Never did relish killing a man, whether he deserved it or not. I prefer to let the court handle that. Will you make sure that the young woman receives the bounty money when it comes in?”

  “Of course,” Sam agreed.

  “I understand that she has no living relatives, and the last thing I want to see is her having to turn to the life of a soiled dove to survive.”

  “Yeah, I can do that,” Sam answered, “but you’re right about that girl. She’s going to need all the help she can get. She’s staying with the pastor and his wife right now. If some young cowhand doesn’t up and offer to marry her soon, I’m not sure what will happen to her. There just aren’t any respectable jobs for women here, and the family ranch was small and mortgaged. Not sure what—if any—money will be left for her when it sells.”

  “One last question,” Deke said before turning to leave. “Any idea what set Clyde off? If I remember right, he was an ornery man, but he didn’t seem violent.”

  Sam shrugged. “Best I can figure is he got into a fight at the saloon and hit a man with a chair. Someone yelled that the man was dead, and Clyde ran. The Saunderses’ ranch is close to town, and Clyde would have passed it on the way out of town. I think he might have been looking for traveling money and supplies and figured that if he’d already killed one man, why not kill off any witnesses, too.”

  “Who’d he kill here in town?” Deke asked.

  “That’s the hard thing about this,” Sam replied. “The man wasn’t dead. He’s recovering, and Doc said he’ll be all right. Clyd
e ran before he learned the truth and killed four innocent people, trying to get away.”

  Deke nodded and asked, “The Saunderses’ place is north of town, so I assume that’s the way he’ll keep going. I doubt if he’s in too much of a hurry since he thinks he got away with killing the family. I’m sure I’ll catch up to him soon, but I need to leave now in case he runs out of money. I don’t want him killing anyone else.”

  “Agreed,” Sam said. He rose to shake Deke’s hand. “Good luck. See ya when you get back with Clyde.”

  “Thanks,” Deke called over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

  Deke took the road north out of town, hoping that Clyde hadn’t decided to take a different route after he’d left town. When the sun disappeared over the western horizon, Deke decided to camp for the night and start his pursuit again in the morning.

  He dismounted and was ready to tie his horse to a low-hanging branch near a small stream when he noticed an almost imperceptible bit of light in the distance. Deke pulled his field glasses from his saddlebags for a closer look at the hint of light coming through the trees. He was sure it was from a campfire less than a mile away and surmised that it just might be Clyde.

  Deke slipped off his boots and pulled on his moccasins, knowing that sneaking up on Clyde in the dark would take all of the stealth he could muster. The moon was partially full, which gave him just enough light to keep from tripping over the branches and rocks as he made his way toward the light.

  As he neared the light, he crouched low and took a few more steps forward to see a man fitting Clyde’s description through the trees, sitting on a bedroll and drinking from a whiskey bottle.

  Deke slipped his Colt from its holster and proceeded toward the edge of the tree line. Clyde never saw or heard him until the click of the gun’s hammer echoed through the night.

  Clyde tried to jump to his feet, but Deke said, “Hold it right there, Clyde. I’ve got you covered. Use your left hand, unbuckle your gun belt, and drop it to the ground. One wrong move, and I’ll take you back draped over your saddle instead of riding.”

  “I didn’t do nothin’,” Clyde yelled across the clearing. “He went for his gun first.”

  “Maybe, maybe not—the judge will decide. He’s not dead, anyway.”

  Clyde, whooped and called back, “Then they ain’t gonna hang me?”

  “Nope,” Deke answered. “Not for him, but I don’t like your chances when it comes to what you did to the Saunders family.”

  “I don’t even know them,” Clyde retorted.

  “Probably not, but there was a witness, and I’m taking you in for trial,” Deke said as he walked into the clearing, holding his gun out in front of him.

  Clyde scoffed and spat, “There wasn’t no witness. You’re lying.”

  “Drop your gun belt and turn around,” Deke ordered.

  Clyde complied. He laughed and said that no one could prove he did anything. Little did he know at the time that Tara could and would identify him as the man who had killed her family.

  After Deke delivered Clyde to the sheriff’s office, signed the papers to give Tara Saunders the bounty money, and shook Sam’s hand, he began his journey back to the ranch.

  ~ * ~

  Deke hadn’t had much time to think about the legal situation in which he found himself, and he slowly shook his head. He knew his brother well enough to know that the young woman he had married by proxy must be in serious trouble. The judge also assured him that he could have the marriage annulled once the young woman was safe.

  Deke Sperling had no intention of remaining married, but he’d do it again if it meant saving an innocent woman and brought his brother back to the ranch. He’d been married once, and he knew his heart wouldn’t survive the loss of another wife and child. His life, hunting evil men with bounties on their heads, had served him well. The bounties helped the innocent victims of those he’d captured, and the income from his ranch supported him—what else did he need?

  His brother. That’s what he needed. And now Nate was finally coming home. Now, Deke had to make sure that Nate didn’t feel useless so he wouldn’t take off again. Perhaps the girl he was escorting to the ranch might mean enough to Nate to keep him in Wyoming. He’d gladly annul his marriage to allow his brother to marry the young woman if that was what he wanted.

  After a few days of travel, Deke rode onto his ranch property. He could see the cattle in the distance, and all looked well. He trusted his foreman and ranch hands to run things in his absence. He would need to explain the situation to his men and remind them that the young woman, Amalie, deserved all their respect just as if she were his true bride.

  Deke’s biggest concern was how to keep his brother from leaving again. If the young woman wasn’t enough to keep Nate at the ranch, then Deke would have to find something that would. Nate had always loved horses—maybe he could get him to take over the horse-raising operation at the ranch. He might not be able to bust broncs, but he could do everything else.

  That was the answer. Deke whistled as he continued his ride to the large ranch house. With Nate on his way home, it wouldn’t be as lonely, and who knew what adventures the young woman might bring. He sure hoped she could cook. He was getting tired of trail food. Cookie, his ranch cook, was adequate, but Deke sure missed real home cooking.

  Chapter Four

  Deke pulled his wagon up across the street from the mercantile, knowing that when the stage stopped, his wagon would be in easy walking distance. He had no idea how much luggage Nate and Amalie would bring.

  Before Deke could step down from the wagon, he noticed Laura, his deceased wife’s sister, come out of the mercantile, carrying a small bundle. When she saw him, she strode straight to the wagon and glared at him. “I see you’re back in town. How many men did you kill this time?”

  “I’ve told you before, Laura, I don’t go after men to kill them. I want to bring them in alive to stand trial.”

  “That’s what you say,” Laura scoffed, “but I still think you go out trying to avenge my being shot and Sarah’s death.”

  Deke bit back his response and shook his head. Tamping his anger, Deke replied, “You and I both know that my bounty hunting had nothing to do with Sarah’s death. She died in childbirth. When will you stop being angry with me?”

  Laura stared at him with the same eyes that his dear Sarah had, and said, “Maybe when you start to grieve properly and begin living your life again. Sarah would be so disappointed in you, and I feel I should take her place to let you know that she would never have approved of your lifestyle.”

  Before Deke could respond, the stagecoach pulled up, and he jumped off the wagon. “You’ll have to excuse me, Laura. I’m expecting my brother on the stage.”

  As he walked away, Laura called after him and angrily spat, “So, Nate is finally coming home. Are you going to ruin his life, too?”

  Deke ignored her and continued to walk toward the stage, but he could hear Laura’s skirts rustling behind him as she hurried to catch up. Just as Laura stepped onto the boardwalk, the stage door opened, and Nate stepped from the stage to grin at his brother.

  Deke watched as Nate turned around and held out his hand to help someone else from the stage. Deke’s eyes opened wide when a young beauty alighted from the stage. Her dark auburn hair was twisted up, and several strands hung loosely around her face. A slightly askew, small-flowered hat was perched on her head, and she was dressed in a simple, dark blue day dress. He’d have expected her to be wearing the traveling suits he had seen other women wear, and he wondered if she had traveled like that all the way from St. Louis, or if there had been an incident that had caused her to change.

  Laura stepped in front of Deke and went right up to Nate. “It’s good to see you come home, Nate. I see you brought a wife. Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  Nate smiled and said, “I’d like you to meet Amalie Sperling—”

  Before Nate could finish, Deke stepped forward and said, “She’s
not Nate’s wife; she’s mine, and we need to be going now. Nate, please grab her trunks, and I’ll escort Amalie to the wagon across the street.”

  Deke took Amalie by the elbow and guided her away from Laura before she could ask any more questions.

  Nate grabbed two worn carpet bags and did his best to ignore Laura’s questions as he followed his brother.

  Laura stood there, her mouth open, as she watched the three Sperlings ride off toward the Double S Ranch.

  ~ * ~

  Amalie felt like an intruder sitting between the brothers, listening to them discuss the changes in the ranch that had taken place in the years since Nate had left.

  When the men’s conversation lulled for several minutes, Amalie found her voice. “Thank you for agreeing to marry me. I didn’t know what I was going to do until Nate found a solution.”

  Deke nodded and asked, “Why, exactly, did you need to leave St. Louis?”

  Amalie dropped her head, embarrassed to try to explain what had occurred to a stranger.

  Nate picked up the conversation. “The new owner of the hotel where Amalie and I worked made untoward advances toward her. When she denied him, he told her he was going to sell her contract to Rex Horrison, the new saloon owner.”

  “Rex Horrison?” Deke said. “I ran into him when I was working a job in Kansas. He’s a nasty polecat. You’re lucky you didn’t fall into his clutches.”

  Amalie finally spoke. “Do you think he’ll come after me?”

  Deke shook his head. “No, I doubt he’d come after a woman unless you embarrassed him in public, but still, if he knows you’re my wife, he’ll know better than to try to best me again.”

  “I never met him,” Amalie explained. “My employer made the deal…or he was going to before Nate explained that I was married to you, and we were leaving town.”

  “That’s good. Your old employer will be the one that needs to worry. You’ll be safe here at the ranch, carrying the Sperling name,” Deke assured Amalie.

  They rode over a small rise, and a large ranch home loomed in the distance. “We’re almost home,” Nate exclaimed.