A Bride For Clay (The Proxy Brides Book 2) Page 7

The music started a short while later, and Clay pulled on Grace’s hand, and she followed him to the dance floor. After two dances they returned to their seats when Abe, the ranch foreman, asked Grace to dance. She looked at Clay.

  “It’s all right, Grace. We all dance at barn raisings.”

  Grace accepted Abe’s invitation, and as they walked toward the dance floor, Clay held out his hand to Elizabeth. “There’s no reason for you to sit and not dance.” She smiled, and he led her to the dance floor.

  Elizabeth also accepted an invitation to dance from Abe, and when two of the younger ranch hands asked both young ladies to dance, Clay nodded his agreement.

  Midway through the dance, a drunken Wade stumbled into the barn and glared at Elizabeth. He walked up to the young man dancing with her and pulled him away and tried to hit him but missed. He then turned his ire onto Elizabeth.

  “No wife of mine is going to dance with a ranch hand. I should have known better than to marry someone raised in an orphanage. I take it they didn’t teach you how to act like a lady,” he spat at her.

  Elizabeth stood in the middle of the floor dumbfounded. Clay stepped up and guided her back to sit next to Grace and strode back to talk to his brother. Wade knew full well everyone danced with everyone at one of these functions. He was acting like a jerk intentionally.

  Before Clay could rein Wade in, Wade turned on the young ranch hand screaming at him that they didn’t need disrespectful men working at the Hutchinson ranch and that he was fired. The ranch hand picked up his hat from the floor and hurried out of the barn. Clay tried to speak to Wade, but Wade tried to punch him. Clay ducked, and Wade spun completely around and fell flat on his face in the middle of the floor.

  Clay stepped away from Wade and hurried back to his wife when he saw her comforting Elizabeth. It was time to leave. Wade had once again embarrassed the family.

  Grandpa pushed his way through the crowd and looked down at Wade. “Get off of the floor and go home,” he ordered.

  Wade pushed himself up and snarled, “I’m going to the saloon.” Grandpa stood shaking his head as he watched Wade stumble across the dance floor and head for his horse.

  Cora convinced grandpa it was time for them to leave, too. He agreed and waved at his friends and apologized profusely. Most either nodded or said they understood. Clay followed with Grace and Elizabeth who kept her head down trying to hide her humiliation.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Two days later, the family was doing its best to act normally after the fiasco at the barn raising party. Grandpa handed his empty breakfast plate to Cora and announced, “I’m going into town today. Do you need anything?”

  “I certainly do. I’ll get my list and meet you out front,” Cora answered as she rushed into the kitchen.

  “Grandpa Hutch, would it be all right if I came along? I haven’t been in town much, and I’d like to look around a bit and maybe buy a few things,” Elizabeth asked.

  Grandpa nodded, “Of course, I’ll have Wade hitch up the wagon, and we’ll make a morning out of it. I’ll treat everyone to lunch at the café. Wade and Clay have chores, but I’d love to spend the morning with three lovely ladies.”

  “If it’s all the same, I’d like to stay here,” Grace said. “I want to ride my horse this morning. She’s so beautiful and the most wonderful gift I’ve ever received.”

  Grandpa laughed. “She is that, but Clay said he wanted one to rival his wife’s beauty.”

  Grace murmured an embarrassed thank you and hurried off to change into riding clothes.

  Grandpa turned to Elizabeth, “Did Wade give you money?”

  “No.”

  “Anything you want, you charge it to the Hutchison family account. I have accounts in every store.”

  Elizabeth dropped her head. “I have my own money, thank you, sir.”

  “Sir?” Grandpa’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Thank you, Grandpa,” Elizabeth answered and kissed the old man on his cheek.

  “You hear that, Grace. That goes for you, too. I don’t want either of you spending any money you brought with you. That’s yours for a rainy day,” Grandpa hollered loud enough for the entire house to hear.

  Grace stepped out of the bedroom. “Yes, Grandpa. I heard you. Clay told me the same thing.”

  Slapping his hands together, Grandpa announced, “That’s settled. Let’s head into town.”

  Grace heard them leave and returned to braiding her hair. She didn’t want her hair flying loose as she rode. Clay told her he would be out with the hands in the south pasture all morning, and she thought it might be nice to ride out and bring him some cookies. She was humming when she heard the door open.

  “Did you forget something?” she asked expecting Elizabeth and turned to face Wade standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand.

  “Not a thing,” he said and grinned at her. “I’ve been waiting for a day when everyone except you and I are gone. Now, this is what is going to happen.”

  Grace backed away from Wade looking around frantically for something to defend herself. Maybe if she encouraged him to talk he might let his guard down. “What is it you want? I don’t have much money.”

  Wade threw his head back and laughed. “Money? I don’t need money. I’ll have the largest share of this ranch as soon as you leave.”

  I’m not leaving,” Grace insisted her brown eyes flashing with anger.

  “Yes, you are. Grab your carpet bag and pack it with some traveling clothes. When you finish that, you’re going to leave a note for Clay. I’ll tell you what to write.”

  “And what if I don’t,” Grace answered defensively. “You can’t force me to leave.”

  Wade raised the gun, “Don’t try my patience. Start packing or you’ll regret it.”

  “You won’t shoot me. How would you explain that?” Grace stood with her hands on her hips anger taking over her good sense.

  “No, that might be hard to explain, but I can knock you out. You’re going to ride out of here either on the back of your horse or tossed over the saddle. Your choice.”

  Grace believed Wade was serious and capable of his threats. She pulled her carpet bag out of the wardrobe and began to stuff her clothes inside. When she finished, she pretended to drop a blouse on the floor. When she bent to retrieve it, she pulled the necklace Clay gave her from around her neck and left it on the floor hoping Clay would believe she didn’t leave willingly. She stood and glared at Wade.

  Wade pointed to the top of the dresser. “Don’t forget your female stuff. No woman leaves without it.”

  “It’s not all mine. Some of it belongs to Elizabeth,” Grace said and pulled a few things off the dresser intentionally leaving a bottle of perfume her father had purchased for her shortly before he died and her mother’s pearls. Elizabeth would know she’d never leave without taking them. She said a silent prayer someone would realize she was forced to leave.

  “What now?” Grace asked turning to face Wade.

  “Sit down at the desk and write what I tell you.”

  Grace walked to the desk and pulled out the chair. She removed a piece of stationery from the drawer and picked up the pen.

  Wade grinned at her. “All right, this is what I want you to say.”

  Dear Clay,

  I was not born to be a rancher’s wife. I miss the big city. You may file for an annulment if you wish or I will when I return home. Please forward my trunks to the Quincy Hotel in Chicago. Mason knows the address.

  Grace

  Wade watched as she wrote, “That’s good. Short and sweet. As long as Clay believes it and files for that annulment everything will work out. He won’t stay married to you. It would be too much of an embarrassment. That makes my marriage to Elizabeth the only valid one, and I win. Leave your wedding ring on top of the note.”

  “What do you plan on doing with me?” Grace felt a bit frantic but pulled off her ring and placed it on the paper.

  “Nothing bad. I have a place to keep you for a f
ew days. When Clay stops looking, I’ll arrange to get you to Cheyenne and put you on a train away from here. What happens then is your problem. I know Clay. Even if you wrote or sent a telegram wanting to come back, he wouldn’t take you back, and he certainly wouldn’t believe his brother would abduct his wife.”

  “Clay won’t believe this. He knows I’d never leave. You’ve gone mad,” Grace insisted.

  Wade raised his hand, and Grace cowered hating herself for not fighting back. She didn’t have a choice but to listen to Wade. Maybe she’d have a chance to break away from him later.

  Wade waved his gun toward the door. “Let’s go before someone comes back.”

  Grace picked up her carpet bag and headed toward the kitchen door stopping to grab her shawl.

  “Better take your coat, too. You’re going to need it, and we can’t have Clay thinking you didn’t really leave.”

  Grace squinted her eyes at Wade praying all the while that Clay or someone at the house would realize she didn’t leave of her own accord and praying for the strength to get away from her spiteful brother-in-law.

  Coat and shawl in hand, Grace opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch seeing her horse was already saddled and waiting. She glanced around the yard quickly hoping someone might see her, but there wasn’t a soul in sight.

  “Get on,” Wade growled.

  Grace mounted her horse thankful she wore riding clothes since she was sure Wade wouldn’t care if she was in a dress. He was determined to force her to leave. After she was on her horse, Wade hooked the carpet back behind her and tossed her shawl and coat over the front of her saddle. He climbed on his stallion and motioned with his head.

  “Head north and keep going until I tell you to change directions.” He slapped her horse’s rump with his hat to get it moving, and he rode next to her heading across the open range.

  They rode up into the hills further than Grace had ridden before, and she had no idea where they were.

  “Where are you taking me?” Grace asked.

  “Somewhere no one will find you and too far away for you to walk out if you can figure out where you are.”

  After what seemed like at least two hours to Grace, they crested a hill into a small valley covered in loose stone with a trickling stream running through the middle. A tiny shack of weathered gray wood sat next to the stream. Two lone cottonwood trees stood behind the house living off the water of the stream. A bit of vegetation grew here and there through the rocks of the nearly barren valley. Grace’s eyes scanned the area around her hoping to find some sort of escape. She knew once they reached that shack that Wade would leave her alone and take her horse. With the loose rocks underfoot, she couldn’t try and escape. Her sweet mare was dependable, but she was no match for Wade’s black stallion.

  Wade reined up in front of the shack. Grace sat on her horse staring at the shack wondering how long Wade intended to keep her there.

  “Get down, we’re here,” Wade insisted.

  Grace slowly dismounted knowing she was at Wade’s mercy but vowed she’d do all she could to find her way back home to Clay. She also understood the depth of Wade’s determination to gain control of the ranch.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Wade opened the door of the shack and told Grace to go in ahead of him. She entered and coughed at the musty smell and dust that flew around in the breeze that flowed in through the open door. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see a small cot in the corner of the tiny room, a table with one chair sat across from the cot, and a pot-bellied stove took up the third corner. Two crates sat on the floor next to the table. Slivers of light entered the room from around wooden shutters on what she assumed was a window at the other end of the shack.

  Grace spun on her heel to face Wade. “You expect me to stay here?”

  “Yes, you don’t have a choice. I’m stronger than you, and if you fight this, I’ll tie you up. You have everything you need here. There is canned food in the crates and fresh water in the stream. You’ll have to eat your food cold. I wouldn’t want anyone to see smoke coming from this direction,” Wade said with a grin.

  Grace shook her head. “It’ll get cold. What if it rains or worse we get a spring snow?”

  “You’ll survive. When I brought the food, I put two wool blankets in the crates along with a pillow. I don’t want you to tell anyone I mistreated you. Now, sit down and take off your boots.”

  “Why?”

  “You saw the terrain around here. You won’t get far without your boots. Your feet will get cut up from the rocks. The path to the stream is clear so you won’t have a problem getting water,” Wade said as he threw her carpet bag onto the floor. “Besides, we never use the land on this edge of the ranch. It’s not good for grazing. No one will come out here. Actually, this shack is on a neighboring ranch’s property, but they don’t use it either. Last time I know of anyone staying here was the winter before last when some trapper got lost in a storm.”

  Grace sat and removed her boots. “What about spiders or anything else I need to stomp on? I can’t do that without my boots.”

  “I’m sure there’s a pot or pan in the corner somewhere. Use that. You’re so smart, you’ll figure it out. I’ll be back in a few days to check on you.” He rushed out the door, mounted his horse, and rode off leading Grace’s horse.

  Grace stood in the doorway watching Wade ride off leaving her without her horse or her boots. She looked around at her surroundings. Wade was right, there was no way she could walk out of the small valley in her stocking feet. She said a small prayer that she wouldn’t see a spider or any other critter. Use a pot or pan indeed. Wade was losing his mind. Grace shuddered at the thought that spiders might not be her worst problem. She wasn’t sure if there were bears nearby, but she knew there were wolves. How could she protect herself without a gun? She couldn’t even build a fire. She sank down onto the cot and bowed her head in prayer asking the Lord to protect her and help her escape somehow. What if Wade changed his mind and decided to kill her? She needed a plan.

  Hoping Wade overlooked something, Grace searched the small shack. She found a large sharp knife along with two forks, a spoon, a frying pan, and one pot on the small shelf next to the dry sink. She turned her attention to the crates Wade said he brought for her. She doubted there would be anything useful, but she went through the crates. She found the blankets and pillow, but she would have laughed at Wade’s idea of food if the situation wasn’t so dire. Two loaves of day-old bread, three apples, three potatoes, a cloth napkin holding several handfuls of green beans, an onion, and some beef jerky. Without heat, she wondered how she would cook anything and didn’t relish the idea of eating a raw onion. She’d save it for last if Wade didn’t return, but she knew she needed to find a way out as soon as possible.

  Grace stepped out onto the small porch again and took in her surroundings. Apparently, someone had built the shack for a purpose, but it didn’t appear to have been lived in for years. She prayed Clay wouldn’t believe the note and knew that the shack existed. Maybe he’d look for her. Surely, he wouldn’t believe that she went back to Chicago.

  Wade was right, there was no way she could walk out of the valley in her stockings, and her extra shoes were back at the ranch house in her trunk. The sun was past midday, and Grace knew she needed to eat something to keep up her strength. She returned to the shack and picked up the small pot and carried it to the stream. At least, the narrow path was relatively level and clear of most rocks. Letting the flow of water rinse out the pot as best as could be, Grace then filled it and drank her fill before refilling it and carrying it back to the shack.

  Grace stopped and looked around before entering the shack. Something was missing. There wasn’t any privy. She supposed the men who used the shack didn’t need one, but she didn’t like the idea of being out in the open when nature called. The two nearby cottonwoods didn’t offer much, if any, privacy and she realized she’d make the best of it. After all, if no one could
find the shack, no one would see her.

  Grace placed the small pot of water on the table, picked up an apple, sat back down on the cot, and took a bite. She needed to figure a way out of her predicament, but right now the solution eluded her.

  Finishing her apple, she decided she needed to make the shack as safe as possible. She closed the door and was pleased to see metal brackets and a thick board to place in the brackets to keep the door locked. She lifted the board and dropped it in place. Closing the door had drenched the shack in darkness, but it was better to sit in the dark then fight off a wolf that might stroll into the open doorway.

  The small amount of light filtering in through the cracks in the walls and ceiling and around the windows, allowed Grace to move around cautiously. She certainly didn’t need to fall and injure herself. Grace grabbed a chunk of bread and sat back down on the cot trying to find a way to outwit Wade.

  Grandpa would most likely take Clay, Cora, and Elizabeth for lunch at the café and they’d arrive home sometime in the mid-afternoon. Would Clay realize she was gone right away, or would they assume she was out riding when he didn’t find Willow in the barn?

  Willow? Grace bolted to her feet. What had Wade done with her horse? He certainly couldn’t put her back in the barn. Clay needed to believe she rode Willow to wherever he thought she’d go. Wade had to hide her horse. Would he hide her close by? Maybe she could find her. No, he wouldn’t be that dumb, and she couldn’t walk around to find Willow without boots.

  Grace paced the floor when a thought crossed her mind, and a shiver ran down her back. Wade wouldn’t shoot Willow to keep her hidden? She knew he was deranged in his thinking, but would he kill her horse? No, Wade needed to get back to the ranch quickly before someone asked where he was when Grace left. He’d have to shoot her somewhere close, and she didn’t hear a shot. She prayed Willow was safe.

  Grace dropped back down on the cot and let her emotions out. She wanted to scream for help, but no one would hear her, and it would waste her energy. She tried to stop the tears from coming, but it was as if she tried to hold back the tide. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, and she buried her face in her hands.