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  Western Fate

  Copper Kings - Book 6

  Janelle Daniels

  Dream Cache Publishing

  Marriage and family aren’t for everyone—that’s what Grace Cooper had finally accepted. But when a little girl hides in the library where Grace is volunteering and burrows her way into Grace’s heart, she realizes happiness is possible—until the girl’s prickly guardian wants nothing to do with her.

  Oliver DeHart is in Promise Creek for one thing—to find more copper. But after becoming his niece’s guardian, his priorities have shifted. When the only person available to nanny is the same woman who found Arabella in the library, he’s even more distracted. Grace heats his blood like no other, but a relationship is impossible. His parents’ marriage taught him that such unions were rarely happy, and he’s determined to avoid an entanglement at all costs.

  But when Grace forms an unbreakable attachment to his niece, Oliver must decide whether staying safe or embracing what he wants most is the right choice for them all.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Titles by Janelle Daniels

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  Chapter 1

  Grace hummed softly as she stocked the last bookshelf in the Promise Creek library. She’d volunteered to help get the place up and running, and it had taken a lot of hard work to get it to this point.

  She ran her hands over the books’ spines, thinking of what project she would turn to once this one ended. With little else to do since her arrival in town, she’d done as much volunteer work as possible.

  She wasn’t used to being idle or sitting around and sewing.

  But what else was there for her to do? She’d been brought here by the Copper Kings, one of six women to help settle the town. There’d been nothing for her back home—and even less opportunity.

  This had seemed like a grand adventure, and she’d jumped at the chance.

  She just hadn’t realized how lonely she’d be.

  The other women had all married. Interestingly enough, they’d married each of the Copper Kings. There was one king left, and now the others thought Grace and this mystery man were a match made in heaven.

  Grace snorted.

  If it were that easy to find the love of her life, she’d travel to him tomorrow.

  But as great as it sounded, she knew that wasn’t how things worked. She didn’t begrudge her friends. She was so happy they’d found men who fit them in every way.

  Especially Hannah. She’d only just gotten married, and while Grace felt a pang over being alone in the big house the Copper Kings had rented for them, that’s just what had happened.

  Besides, her life wouldn’t change all that much. She was in town most of the time, working and helping others.

  And once the library was finished, she’d move on to the next thing. She pushed away the hollow feeling that followed that thought.

  It would eventually be her turn too.

  She placed another heavy book on the shelf and decided she needed to give some of these books a chance. She wasn’t a natural reader, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn to be. She had plenty of time to try anything she wanted.

  A smile crooked her lips as another idea came to her.

  Maybe she should take up shooting. She could practice as much as she wanted and maybe even best the men in town at the next festival.

  The fantasy was so intriguing she indulged in it awhile longer, giggling at the thought, even as she acknowledged she didn’t have an interest in the sport.

  Still, she had to think of something to do—

  The library’s front door opened and closed.

  Grace stood from her crouch. “Hello?” She dusted her hands and moved from behind the bookshelf.

  No one was there.

  She frowned. “Hello?” she said again, glancing around the room.

  “Hmm.” She shrugged and went back to her shelf, stocking the last box of books. Whoever it was had probably seen the closed sign and left.

  Her mind wandered away from it. Maybe after she finished she’d go over to Charlotte’s bakery and grab a sandwich—and maybe one of her cakes. Grace snickered. She already had a chocolate cake hiding in one of the cupboards back home—a habit she couldn’t break even though she was the only one there—but there wasn’t a limit on how many sweets a person could have.

  And after that she could—

  The door opened again, and a feminine voice filled the air. “Anyone in here? Arabella, are you here?”

  Recognizing the voice, Grace stood. “Emery? What’s going on?” she asked, moving toward her friend, the town nurse, who’d married one of the Copper Kings not long ago. They were so busy running the medical clinic in town, it was a bit surprising to see her anywhere else. “Is something wrong?”

  She looked relieved to see Grace. “A little girl is missing.”

  “Missing? For how long?” Her eyebrows scrunched, thinking of how frightened the lost girl must be.

  “Not too long, but her family is frantic. Have you seen her? She’s six with bright blond hair.”

  “No.” Grace held out her arms. “I’ve been in here the whole time. But I’ll help you look for her.”

  Emery looked relieved. “I just hope she isn’t injured.”

  Graced hoped not either. “Maybe you should wait at the clinic, just in case someone finds her and she needs medical attention.”

  Emery sighed. “That makes the most sense. Although, I’m loathe not to help more.”

  “You’re helping plenty. I’ll be out in just a moment to help search.”

  Emery gave a brisk nod and left. Grace had already spun back to the shelves, gathering her personal items. The library could wait until the girl was found.

  She shoved everything in her apron pockets and headed toward the door—when a sneeze sounded from the back of the room.

  The back of the empty room.

  Her steps slowed. Finally, she swiveled around, thinking back to the door mysteriously opening and closing earlier.

  She walked toward the back of the room, where a curtain hung along the wall to separate the front and back spaces. Everything looked exactly the same as before—except for the small black shoes which peeked out from the bottom of the curtain.

  Grace’s tongue went to her cheek. “My, it’s quite dusty over here.”

  No response.

  “Hmm. I think I’m going to have to dust everywhere. It’s not good for books, and it makes me sneeze horribly.” Grace sighed dramatically.

  The curtains twitched.

  “Perhaps I should even take the curtains down and wash them. So much dust.”

  All movement stilled.

  “I just hope there aren’t any spiders back there.” She shivered even though the girl behind the curtain couldn’t see it. “I just hate spiders.” The curtains rustled again, and Grace gasped. “Oh no. It’s a spider! I saw the curtain move. It must be spiders!”

  Giggles.

  “The spider giggles!”

  More laughter sounded, and finally, a little blond girl with long curls stepped out from behind the curtain, a small light-brown bear tucked in her arm. “You thought I was a spider!” Her eyes lit with merriment.

  “My goodness!” Grace brought a hand
to her chest. “Well, you certainly don’t look like a spider.” She narrowed her eyes playfully. “Are you certain you’re not?”

  The little girl shook her head, eyes wide. “I’m just a girl.”

  “Whew. Well, I thought I was seeing a spider queen. They’re bigger, you know.”

  The girl giggled again. “You’re funny.”

  “Why, thank you.” Grace bobbed a curtsy. “I’m Grace. What’s your name?”

  “Arabella.”

  “Ah.” Grace nodded knowingly. “I know exactly why you’re here.”

  The little girl bit her lip and looked at the ground, shuffling her feet. “You do?”

  “Of course. You love books.”

  Surprised, the girl looked up again and nodded. “I do. I have a lot of them.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Grace cocked her head. “You know, I think we might have a book of fairy tales here. Do you and your bear like stories about dragons and princesses and magic spells?”

  Arabella’s eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. “Yes!” She snuggled her teddy bear.

  Grace smiled. “What’s your bear’s name?”

  “Fluffy.”

  “Fluffy is an excellent name for a bear,” she praised. “The library isn’t open yet.” She lowered her voice and looked around as if someone would overhear. “But I could lend it to you, if you’d like.”

  “Yes. Yes, please. Please!”

  Grace laughed and ruffled the girl’s downy blond hair. She was wearing a lacy white dress, which Grace could tell was expensive, and paired with her hair, she looked like an angel. “It’s yours. I think you’ll—”

  “Arabella! Arabella!” The yelling was coming from the street, the male voice desperate.

  Grace looked at the girl. “Is someone looking for you?”

  Arabella looked down. “Yes.”

  “He sounds really worried. We should probably tell him where you are, don’t you think?”

  She bit her lip. “No.”

  Grace lowered to her haunches until she was eye to eye with the girl. “Why not?”

  “Because he’ll be mad at me.”

  “I think he’ll be happy you’re all right more than anything.”

  Arabella shook her head. “No. I’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

  “Why?”

  The girl shuffled her feet. “Because I ran away.”

  “Hmm.” Grace looked at the girl again. She looked healthy, clean, and cared for. Grace didn’t see any signs of abuse. “Why did you run away?”

  The girl was quiet for a moment, and Grace thought she might not answer. “Because I don’t want to be here.” Her chin trembled. “I want to go home.”

  Grace’s heart cracked. “It’s always hard to be away from home.” She wanted to say something more, but she wasn’t sure if the girl’s family had just moved here or if they were visiting.

  The man outside called frantically for the girl again, and Grace stood. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Arabella shook her head and stepped back against the curtain as if she would hide again. “All right. I will tell him where you are. Is that all right?”

  Arabella nodded, and relief flowed through Grace. She wasn’t sure what she would have done had the girl refused.

  Straightening from her crouch, she smoothed her skirts and walked out the door.

  The man was in the road, his hands cupped around his mouth as he called in every direction for the little girl. He waited a moment each time as if to hear a response, but his tone only became more frantic the longer he couldn’t find her.

  Unwilling to make him suffer any longer, she jogged to him. “Sir, I think I have found what you’re looking for.”

  He looked down at her, his lake-blue eyes confused as he frowned. “And what is that?” he sounded wary. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead as if he’d been running his hands through it.

  “Arabella, of course.” What else could she possibly mean?

  “You found her?” He looked behind her. “Where is she?”

  At his distrustful look, she smiled. He certainly wasn’t the friendliest man she’d ever met, but she let it pass because he was clearly upset over losing his daughter. “In the library. She snuck in. I didn’t realize it at first, or else I would have notified you sooner.”

  “Why didn’t she come out with you?”

  “She’s scared of you,” Grace said plainly.

  His shoulders went slack. “She said that?”

  “Yes.” Grace treaded softly, not wanting to make him feel bad. “But she said I could bring you to her.”

  He sighed and finally nodded. “Let’s go.”

  He looked tired, and she couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was as well. He was clad in an expensive suit, his form filling it out nicely. As they walked back toward the library, his gait was strong and self-assured. This man knew his place and was confident in his world.

  She tried to push back the shiver of attraction, knowing it was wrong—this man had a family. She shouldn’t be noticing anything about him.

  Especially the flexing of his muscles.

  She shook her head at herself and opened the door for him. “She’s in the back by the curtain door.”

  He was about to walk past her, but he paused in the doorway, his body close to hers.

  Her eyes met his. “Thank you for finding her,” he said.

  “Of course,” she said quietly, confused at the feelings coursing through her.

  He walked toward Arabella without another word. Grace knew she should give them a moment, but she found herself moving toward the back of the room as well. She wasn’t worried he would hurt the child or anything of the sort. She could tell certain things about a person, and from what she’d gathered so far, he was a concerned and loving parent.

  Still, something pushed her onward, and she hoped her curiosity would be appeased.

  Chapter 2

  Oliver put the gorgeous woman out of his mind and moved through the library to the curtain she’d mentioned.

  “Arabella?”

  The curtain rustled, and he could tell his niece was hiding behind it. “Please come out, sweeting.”

  “Do I have to?” A soft voice sounded from behind.

  He sighed, sinking to a crouch. “Yes. I was worried about you, and I’d like to see you to make sure you’re all right.” He heard the woman from earlier step up behind him, but he didn’t focus on her. Instead, his gaze remained on the bulging curtain. “Please?”

  She shuffled her feet, and finally, the angel blond hair she’d inherited from his brother’s wife peeked out. “Are you mad?” Her full body moved from behind the thick material. Her light-blue eyes were rimmed in red, attesting to tears.

  “No. I’m not mad.”

  She sniffled. “You aren’t?”

  He shook his head softly. “But I was worried. When I couldn’t find you, I was scared something had happened to you.”

  “I know.” She looked down at the floor, ashamed. “I miss home.”

  He reached out, cupping his niece’s face. His heart ached to give her what she truly wanted—her mother and father—but with their passing, all that was left, was him. “I know, honey. We’ll be back soon.” He stood and gestured for her to come closer. “Come here.”

  Arabella didn’t hesitate. She rushed forward, dropping her bear—the last present her parents had given her—and wrapped her small arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, Uncle Oliver.”

  A sharp inhale sounded behind him, and he realized the woman from before was still there. Adjusting Arabella, he turned to face her. “Thank you for finding her,” he said again.

  The woman looked at him with interest and confusion before she turned her attention to Arabella. “See? I told you he wouldn’t be mad.”

  He looked down and saw his niece smile. “And now he’s happy I’m all right.”

  The woman chuckled. “It sure seems that way.”

  Arabella tugged o
n his coat. “This is Grace. She is helping in the library even though it’s not opened, and she said I could take a book with me—one with princesses and dragons and magic!”

  He chuckled, knowing just how much Arabella loved such things. He’d spent the majority of the last six months since she’d come to live with him filling a library of books just for her.

  He sighed dramatically. “More books?” At his niece’s giggle, he looked at Grace. “I thought we brought enough stories for our trip, but it seems this little one can’t get enough of them, Miss…”

  He tried not to notice the way she bit her lip in an attempt to hide her smile or the way her brown eyes sparkled with amusement. “Miss Cooper.”

  He had no right to notice anything about this woman. He was here on business, and then he would be leaving. He didn’t need the complication of attraction at the moment. He cleared his throat and straightened his back as he pushed the feeling away. “If you have the book on hand, we can take it with us now. Or I can send someone back to get it later.”

  “Oh.” The woman’s full lips lost their smile, and she frowned. “Yes. I have it right here.” She moved to a bookshelf on the adjacent wall, her fingers caressing the spines lovingly as she searched for the story.

  He shifted uncomfortably, thinking of how soft her hands looked, how soft they’d feel on his skin—

  No distractions.

  “Ah ha! Here it is.” Miss Cooper pulled a small, leather-bound book from the shelf and presented it to Arabella. “I’m entrusting it to you. Will you take good care of it?”

  Arabella’s eyes widened, and she nodded seriously as she took the copy. Once it was transferred to her, she looked as if she felt the weight of responsibility. Then excitement returned—as though she were excited about having a task.

  He frowned. Since coming to live with him, he’d spoiled her rotten, giving her everything she could ever want, hoping to dull the pain of losing her parents. But perhaps he’d robbed her of something important.