The Tribute Read online

  “I sent you that letter.”

  Brett froze on his way out of the room. “What did you say?”

  Byron took in a shaky breath. “The letter from Alex when she told you she couldn’t be with a man who loved cows more than her. It was me.”

  Squatting down, Brett looked the older man in the eye. “Why?”

  “You were a cowboy, a nothing with no prospects other than what your daddy gave to you. Alex was brilliant, on her way to being one of the first female physicians in the country. She spent half her time mooning over you. I couldn’t let her throw away her future.”

  The words hit like hammer blows. He didn’t know whether to be angry or insulted, so he decided on both.

  “You didn’t do anybody any favors by meddling, Doc. I hope to hell you’ve learned your lesson. You cost us twelve years of our lives apart. I just hope she can forgive you.”

  He stood and left the doctor to his misery before he said something he’d truly regret. Brett took the whiskey downstairs and dumped the booze down the kitchen sink. Relieved that Alex had survived the night, he finally went in search of her. After Byron’s confession, there seemed to be so much he needed to say, enough that his heart was near to bursting.

  The examining room door was closed, and he opened it without knocking. Alex sat on the cot with a book in her hands. Ug lay beside her. Both of them were covered in bandages and had obviously seen better days. Bruises and cuts decorated the left side of Alex’s face. Her lips were swollen and split, but the sight of her neck made his breath catch. Large, ugly oval-shaped marks clearly outlined the fingers that had tried to squeeze the life from her.

  The fury zipped through him, leaving him shaking and confused. Alex had turned his life upside down in less than a month. He wondered what he’d do if he ever lost her and he hadn’t even told her he loved her.

  He loved her.

  It wasn’t the best time in the world to realize his feelings for Alex, particularly since she glanced up at that exact moment and spotted him. Vulnerable, Brett’s voice ran away as his mouth seemed to be stuffed with cotton.

  “Brett.” She sounded like she’d been shouting all day, but he knew it was due to the bastard who choked her. Alex set the book down and did an imitation of a smile, then grimaced. “I keep forgetting I can’t do that.”

  Brett stood there, probably looking like an idiot. She frowned and sat up straighter.

  “I’m glad you came by, Brett. I…I need to talk to you. First let me say thank you for saving me, Brett. Papa told me.” She fiddled with the book.

  “It wasn’t me. It was this mutt of yours.” Brett finally found his voice again as he touched Ug’s head. “I think he might even be smarter than me.”

  Alex scratched Ug behind the ear. “He’s a treasure all right. Papa did a good job fixing him up, too. As far as I can tell, he’s just weak.”

  Ug managed a soft woof.

  “It’s been a long time since we went our separate ways. We never talked about what happened. With everything that’s happened”—she flapped her hand in the air—“I think we need to.”

  When her brown gaze met his, his heart dropped to his feet.

  He fell to his knees next to the cot and took her hands. “I…I’m not very good with words, Alex.” His voice sounded creaky and unused. No surprise there.

  “There’s no need to be. Just listen to what I have to say.” She blew out a shaky breath. “When you sent me that letter…you broke my heart. If only you’d come and talked to me, but you didn’t. You took the coward’s way out and it made me furious.”

  Brett should be surprised, but wasn’t. Perhaps Byron’s meddling also included a letter to Alex. “I didn’t send you any letter.”

  She frowned. “Yes you did. You told me we didn’t suit and there was no reason for us to ever get married.”

  “Alex, I never did such a thing. I’m the one who got a letter.” He opened his wallet and pulled out a yellowed, faded paper that he’d kept with him for years.

  Alex reached for it with shaking hands. She opened it up and read the words Brett could recite by heart.

  Dear Brett,

  I’ve decided that we have no future together. Your place is with cattle, mine is with patients. Please understand that I hold you in the highest regard, but we can no longer see each other.

  Alex Brighton

  Alex folded the letter and handed it back to him. “I didn’t write this.”

  Brett’s heart thumped hard. “I didn’t write you a letter either.”

  She looked stricken. “Brett, who could have done this?”

  “It doesn’t matter now.” He couldn’t possibly tell her about Byron. “The last month has been the most exciting, frustrating and amazing of my life. That’s due in part to the Square One, but mostly…it’s you.” He didn’t remember the room being so hot.

  “Do you have something to tell me?” She looked hopeful and scared, exactly how he felt.

  “Alex, I’m never going to be a poet. I, uh, can’t seem to stop tripping over my own tongue.” He laughed nervously.

  “That’s okay, Brett, I don’t think I fell in love with a poet.”

  Love.

  He hadn’t expected the word to come out of her mouth. Brett wiped his forehead and concentrated on finishing what he’d set out to do that morning. He looked her in the eye and focused on seeing her face every day.

  “I figure I’m not good enough for a doctor, but for some reason God don’t agree with me. He made me fall for you and made my life a living hell when we’re apart.” It all came out in a rush, like someone had pushed the air from his lungs. “I know we messed up the first time around. I messed up, I should’ve come to you after I got that letter. I’m hoping you’ll give me a second chance.”

  “Brett, what are you trying to say?” Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears.

  “Not that you have to say yes, but I’d really like you and me to get married. I know I ain’t perfect, and I have some bad habits, but I promise you I will be the best husband I can be.”

  There, he’d said it. Not with any eloquence and maybe not even coherently, but at least he got it said.

  “Did you just ask me to marry you again?”

  “Yes, I did and you know it. Stop torturing me, Lex.” He cupped the right side of her face, careful to steer clear of the tender spots. “I don’t think I could get any more nervous if I tried… Please, Lex.” He swallowed the lump that jumped into his throat. “I need you.”

  She kissed his hand. “You haven’t been an easy man to love.”

  Love.

  “I know.”

  “Do you have anything else to say?”

  Love.

  “I do, but you’ll have to be patient with me.” Telling her he loved her would take time. Brett hoped like hell she understood because he didn’t. The words stuck in his throat like a corncob, refusing to budge no matter how he tried to yank them out. She wanted love, he was sure of it. He could give it to her, all of it, but apparently he couldn’t say it.

  “Promise me you’ll talk to me more? No silences?”

  “I can’t say it’ll be an easy promise, but I’ll do my damnedest to keep it.” His lungs ceased to function and spots danced in front of his eyes, as he waited for the woman who owned his heart.

  Alex kissed his cheek. “Yes.”

  “Yes?”

  “My answer to your question. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Brett’s heart skipped a beat. At first he thought he’d heard her wrong, but nope, he hadn’t. Not only had he asked Alex to marry him, but she’d said yes.

  She’d said yes.

  “Well, hell, I…I thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Alex glanced down at her lap. “Brett, I’m glad you asked again. I wasn’t sure of how I felt. Today I promised myself we’d be honest with each other.”

  Brett took her small hand in his. “Do you think we have a chance?”

  “I think we do. I didn’t earlier,
but I do now.” She tried to smile, then winced.

  He leaned over and gently kissed her bruised cheek. “You ready to be strong with me, Lex? It isn’t going to be an easy road for us.”

  “I’m ready as long as we can continue, ah, testing our physical relationship for a bit longer.”

  Brett chuckled. Yep, she was his Alex.

  Yes, love.

  ———

  Noah arrived two days later riding his favorite horse Ringer, a rather strange-looking mustang with a white ring around its neck. Noah had captured Ringer in the wild and tamed him. No one but Noah had been able to ride him.

  When he rode up to the ranch, Brett had just finished fixing the corral fence post that had fallen victim to Mason’s roping practice. After Noah dismounted and walked toward the corral, Brett was surprised to notice Noah was taller. The brown-haired skinny kid had matured into a full-grown man in a matter of a few years. When did that happen?

  “Noah. Thanks for coming to help out.” He took off his gloves and shook Noah’s hand. A firm grip and huge hands. Yep, Noah had definitely crossed the line from boy to man.

  “Happy to. Ma’s been hinting it’s time I took the foreman’s job, but I’ve got other plans.”

  Brett cocked one eyebrow. “Care to share what those plans are?”

  “Not today, but one day I will,” Noah said with a grin.

  Of all of Nicky’s brothers, Brett had taken a shine to the skinny orphan she’d adopted. He’d been the first to take Noah hunting and to teach him how to prepare game for eating. Not only that, but Noah was quiet, unlike Nicky who was a chatterbox of the highest caliber.

  Kincaid stepped from the barn and greeted Noah. “Hey, welcome to the ranch, kid.”

  Noah smiled. “Glad to be here. The twins and Frankie can be like a constant cyclone.”

  “I’ve met the twins so I can agree with the cyclone idea. Do I want to know who Frankie is?”

  Shaking his head, Noah laughed. “My youngest sister. She’s just a baby.”

  “God, there’s more kids?” Kincaid looked horrified.

  “Oh yeah. You didn’t even meet Jack and Rebecca’s.” Brett elbowed Noah. “We Malloys know how to make babies.”

  Noah blushed and chuckled nervously. “Thank God I’m not truly a Malloy.”

  Brett let loose a hoot, glad to have a little bit of humor back in his life. It was good to have some light amongst so much darkness. He settled Noah in with Mason. The younger boy gazed at Noah with something like hero worship when he found out Noah had been an orphan too. A great deal passed between them with only a glance. Brett was doubly glad Noah had come.

  The next week passed quickly with Alex making enormous strides in her healing progress and Brett trying to figure a way to keep his ranch. He found a lawyer in Hawk’s Bend named Matt Jamison, a young man who had just graduated law school. He hadn’t even had his first case yet. Brett, however, had no choice but to hire him. His next option was to go to Cheyenne and find a lawyer. Unless he was desperate, a trip to Cheyenne was not going to happen.

  Noah pitched in right away and the Square One was running more smoothly within days. Tyler had taught him every smidge of information about running a ranch and it showed. Brett had no idea why Noah didn’t want to be foreman of the Bounty ranch and he wouldn’t pry. Obviously Noah could run it without question.

  Brett spent most of his days on the ranch, teaching Mason and Kincaid what he could, then he spent his evenings in town with Alex. Although a good hour one way, the daily trip was as necessary as breathing. They had told only their parents they were getting married. Byron seemed relieved, and Brett’s parents whooped with joy. They’d always liked Alex.

  Until the ranch was truly his without any legal challenges, the plans for a wedding had to wait. Alex understood that and didn’t push for anything other than his time. Brett wondered what took him so damn long to realize how amazing she was.

  When he’d told her about King finding old Martin’s son and filing a claim on the ranch, she almost had smoke coming out of her ears. Brett had to keep her home by distracting her with kisses. She seemed bound and determined to go kick King’s ass and he loved her for it.

  Life should be perfect, but a constant dark cloud hung over the Square One. Brett wanted the fight over quickly because a long legal battle would destroy him.

  Chapter Ten

  Alex dressed quietly, carrying her shoes down the stairs so as not to waken her father. She didn’t want him to know she was going out for the first time in ten days. The beautiful summer sunshine called to her and a mission of utmost importance beckoned.

  She was going to talk some sense into King Dawson whether he liked it or not. Furious that he’d dug up some fool claiming to be old Martin’s son and was threatening Brett, she wouldn’t let the behemoth get away with ruining her future husband’s life.

  She’d worn a high-collared dress to hide the yellowed bruises and dabbed rice powder on her face. No one would ever know she’d been injured. It was the first time she felt truly anxious to be back into her normal routine, but there were a few things she had to take care of first. Like King. She had to be the first person to tell King about the engagement. God forbid he heard it somewhere else first.

  She walked down the sidewalk toward the livery. Will hooked up a buggy to her horse Rowdy since riding wasn’t a good idea yet. Within ten minutes she was on her way out to the Dawson ranch. The wind felt marvelous on her face, the smell of the summer abundance heavenly.

  Birds twittered, squirrels chattered, and the day couldn’t be more beautiful. Alex’s heart was lighter than it had been for weeks. It would all work out, it had to.

  When the main gate to King’s ranch came into view, an armed sentry let her pass without comment. Just the thought that he had someone with a rifle guarding the gate made her stomach jumpy. Who was he protecting himself from? As she pulled the buggy up to the house, King appeared from the barn, a thin man dressed in black and a pair of guns followed behind him.

  “Alexandra! This is a surprise.”

  “Why is that, King?”

  “Well, just… I mean I heard… I usually visit you. I’m pleased you came to me.” His lascivious words were punctuated with a matching grin.

  Her skin crawled with revulsion. Lord help the woman who fell into King’s marital trap for the third time.

  “I didn’t come to you exactly. I came to speak to you about something.” She glanced at the man standing ten feet behind him. “Can you ask your friend to leave us alone?”

  King’s eyebrows shot up. “Ford, take a walk.” He spoke without even looking behind him. The spooky man disappeared back into the barn.

  Alex felt a bit better without the dark man’s eyes boring into her. For some reason, just the sight of him made her nervous.

  “I came to ask you to leave Brett and the Square One alone. I don’t know who this man is claiming to be Martin’s son, but the fact that you are pushing this legal battle is shameful. I thought you were a good person, King. I don’t want to change my opinion.” She sat up straight, speaking from her heart, hoping he’d reconsider his involvement.

  King leaned against the side of the buggy. “Well, now, I have a vested interest in who my neighbors are. Malloys have been known to take land that didn’t belong to them.”

  “That’s a bald-faced lie and you know it. The Malloys don’t steal.”

  He shrugged. “Not how I hear it. Trevor cheats at poker, too. They’re a shifty bunch for sure. I am making sure the good folks of Cheshire have upstanding citizens for landowners.”

  Alex couldn’t believe the nonsense coming out of King’s mouth. “That’s the biggest pack of lies I’ve heard in years. You know that’s not true.”

  “I know it is true. You need to send that Malloy pup on his way and think about our future together on this ranch. Those two hundred head of his aren’t going to give him two nickels to rub together.” He leaned forward and touched her knee.

 
She removed his hand deliberately and with aplomb. “I will not send Brett on his way, nor will I ever marry you, King. I told you that hundreds of times. Now let me tell you something new. I am marrying Brett so I will be your neighbor soon on the Square One. I won’t take too kindly to someone trying to force us off our land.”

  “You’re marrying that bastard?” His voice echoed like a rifle shot around the yard. A dog barked and chickens squawked.

  “Yes, I am. Now please give up this legal battle and your quest for my hand in marriage. Neither one of them will bring you happiness or prosperity. I’m asking as a friend.” Alex felt like she was speaking a different language than King. He didn’t understand a word of it.

  “Not on your life. Be prepared, Alexandra, this fight’s gonna get dirty and bloody. If you want to live I suggest you rethink your decision to marry that piece of shit.”

  Now that was a threat. Alex hated being threatened—the typical way of bullies. Bullies couldn’t be tolerated.

  “No, you listen to me, King Dawson. You are not a monarch but you’re certainly a tyrant. Like a little boy denied a sweet, every time something is taken from you or not given to you, you pout and throw a tantrum. The citizens of Cheshire have had enough childish antics. For once in your life, grow up and be a man.”

  She snapped the reins and pulled away from him. Alex felt a smidge of glee when he almost fell on his head and surely swallowed a mouthful of dust. King called her name, but she simply kept driving until she left the main area of the ranch.

  The glee quickly turned to serious contemplation. Obviously King was twisted enough to do whatever he had to do to get Brett off the Square One and marry her. She had to speak to Brett about what to do if royalty came calling with guns.

  King stared after the buggy until even its dust cloud disappeared into the horizon. He barely controlled the urge to mount his horse and teach her a lesson in manners. That little bitch dared insult him and his manhood. Never mind the rest of the shit she’d spouted, her parting comment about him felt like a bucketful of hot coals.