“The only one creating a downward spin is you, little brother. By the rate you’re spinning, the heels of your boots must be gettin’ close to the fires of hell. You better cut that angel loose before you drag her down with you.”
“I tried! I rode into Black Dog, but Henderson had already caught the first stage out of town. So now we’ve got to have the damn thing annulled, but Skylar refused. She said she won’t agree to an annulment until we reach Wyoming, claiming our ranch is half hers. I explained the dangers of traveling through wild country, but the woman’s stubborn as granite rock.”
“And cunning as a fox,” Chance ground out, shifting his hard gaze toward Skylar. “I’ve worked too damn hard these past ten years to give away half our land to a pretty lady.” He paused, shifting his gaze to the Arabian. “That sure is one handsome stud she’s grooming.”
Tucker wasn’t surprised by Chance’s distraction with the horse. “The chestnut Garret’s riding is just as impressive.”
“Where did Zach find such rare horses in the States?”
“How the hell should I know?” Tucker scowled as he slumped back, leaning his shoulders against the rough wood of the cabin. “You said you worked with Zach and his boys down in Texas. How could you think his daughter was his son?”
“That was three years ago. I’m sure none of the other men suspected Sky to be anything other than what she appeared to be. A fine kid who could rope and ride with the best of us. Her hair was short and her shape was, ah…I guess you could say, undeveloped. Zach worked Sky as hard as the rest of his men.”
“Her father had her driving stock?” Tucker still struggled to believe that fact. “Where was her mother?”
“From what I recall, Zach’s wife took sick and died seven or eight years ago. Being the stock-drive foreman, Zach’s kids came along. Garret rode on the chuck wagon, but Sky collected pay like the rest of us and he, or rather, she, earned it. Where’s Garret?”
Tucker flashed a slight smile. “He insisted on rounding up the mares alone. I figured I’d give him a good hour to wear them out a bit before I go help him.”
“Don’t look like he needs much help to me.”
Tucker followed his brother’s gaze across the mesa. Garret was riding the chestnut stallion toward the cabin and holding three leads, each attached to a mare. “Well I’ll be damned.”
“Don’t I know it. But it’s your own fault. Marrying angels by accident,” Chance muttered in disgust, shaking his head. “Seems we’ve been spotted by your angelic wife,” he said, waving to Skylar as she walked toward them.
Tucker pushed away from the cabin wall and leaned close to his brother. “One more thing, Chance, before you rush off to greet her. Remember when I said it was a fool idea to send our deed off with Daines? Seems he told his daughter you and him were partners. Married or not, as I said just now, she believes half our land is hers.”
Chance’s eyes widened as Skylar approached them. His surprise confirmed it. Zach Daines had lied to his daughter.
“Chance,” Skylar said, stopping in front of them.
Chance was quick to recover. “Sky.” He extended his hand. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” she replied, shaking his hand, her lips twitching with the hint of a smile. “I never knew you had a twin brother.”
“I never knew Zach had a daughter.”
Her frown deepened. She gave a slight shrug. “Minor family details, I suppose.”
“Tuck mentioned you were hit by rustlers, lost your father and your stock. You have my condolences, Sky. Your father was a good man.”
The instant shadow of sadness in Skylar’s blue eyes surprised Tucker, and he realized he hadn’t offered her any such sentiment in regards to her father’s death. Another area where he hadn’t handled himself very well. Damn.
“Thank you,” she said.
Her thick tone pricked at Tucker’s skin. She cleared her throat, visibly fighting moisture from her eyes. The show of emotion didn’t last but a second.
“We need to discuss the agreement you had with my father,” she said in a firm tone.
Any sentiment she felt over her father’s death didn’t compare to her determination to claim what she believed to be hers. Since Chance was the one who had hired Daines, he’d damn well better find a way to set her straight.
“I believe Garret could use my help,” Tucker announced, and quickly started across the yard, leaving Skylar and Chance to hash things out.
A half hour later, he and Garret had the horses corralled. Chance and Skylar had gone into the cabin. Concerned, Garret headed inside, but Tucker opted to keep out of rifle range. He’d had his round with Skylar, and lost. He mounted his horse, preparing to round up his white stallion and the last of his mares when the cabin door slammed.
Tucker couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter at the sight of Chance’s rage-reddened face. He had to give Skylar credit. It took a stubborn soul to get a rise out of his twin. By the murderous look on Chance’s face, he was mighty ticked off.
“I don’t see a damn thing funny about this, Tuck!” Chance shouted as he stomped toward him. “I’ve never met a man with more determination than that woman. You do know what she’s determined to get, don’t you? Our land!”
“I know. Did you tell her about your contract with her father for the horses and employment?”
Chance stopped beside him and planted his hands on his hips. “I sure did.”
“And?”
“She demanded to see the contract.”
“Did you show it to her?”
“It’s on our ranch, in Wyoming!” he shouted, sounding frantic. “She said she’d take a look at it when we get there, but until then, she’d take her father’s word over mine. I swear, if Zach wasn’t dead, I’d kill him! I trusted that man!”
“Skylar seems to share your good faith in him.”
“And to compound our problems, you had to marry her. What the hell were you drinking? I thought Winifred had cured us both of ever seeking any prospects of marriage.”
“She did,” Tucker insisted. An instant tension seized his spine as the memory of his stepmother’s yipping voice calling their father’s name echoed in his ears, along with the unpleasant recollection of his father’s simpering replies. Sorry, Winifred. Right away, Winifred. It was enough to make a grown man sick.
“Could have fooled me,” Chance retorted.
Tucker imagined his twin felt slightly betrayed by his marital slipup. Not only had he broken their pact by getting himself hitched, he’d managed to marry a woman with a stubborn streak as wide and wild as the Rio Colorado.
“What are we supposed to do now, Tuck?”
He followed Chance toward the cabin where his horse was tethered. “She wants proof, we’ll give her proof. Once we get to Wyoming she’ll see she’s wrong and we’ll have the marriage annulled. If we gussy her up a bit she could land the first Wyoming man we meet for a husband. Problems solved.”
Chance’s scathing glare told Tucker he wasn’t the least bit convinced. “It’s a long way to Wyoming, little brother.”
Chance hadn’t calmed down one bit when Tucker finally led Rosie into the stable. Sick to death of his brother’s obsessive complaining, Tucker felt his jaw clench with tension. Straining to control his temper, he focused his attention on the sunlight streaming through wide