A Mail-Order Heart (Miners to Millionaires Book 1) Read online

  He didn't understand women all that well, but he knew trouble. And this reeked of it. But he wasn't too concerned. If it only had to do with Banshee and her temper, he was surprised the ladies hadn't gotten into arguments more often. If it got out of hand, he would step in and ask Clara for more information. Until then, he was happy to leave domestic issues to the ladies.

  He frowned as he glanced at Clara. She'd hardly looked at him. Perhaps there was something more going on.

  Juliette raised her hand before speaking. "I know you've already told us where the richest deposits are most likely to be found, but could you explain your reasoning? I'd like to understand why."

  Willow rolled her eyes, but he ignored her. Juliette was book smart with an intellect that exceeded most men in his acquaintance. If she wanted to know the details of gold hunting, he was happy to share.

  He spent the next thirty minutes explaining the basics of mining and best uses of the tools laid out on the ground. Questions were peppered throughout the lesson, but none were from Clara. In fact, she'd done her best to remain quiet and distant since they started.

  "Why don't you all familiarize yourselves with the tools? It's better to examine them and practice wielding them outside rather than when you're in the cave when light is scarce.

  The women chatted as they picked up brushes, axes, metal rods, and hammers. The tools of his former life. Tools that he thought he'd never have need of again.

  His eyes finally connected with Clara's. "Clara, can I have a word with you?"

  She glanced around uneasy at the group before nodding.

  He took her arm and led her behind a tree so the others wouldn't stare. "What's wrong?"

  She extracted her arm from his grip. "Nothing."

  "Don't give me that." He pointed at the group beyond the greenery. "There's something going on with you all, and I want to know what it is. At first I thought Banshee might be causing more problems, but I can tell it's something more."

  Clara's eyes widened.

  "What?" he asked.

  She swallowed hard, pressing her lips together, but an amused gasp slipped out. "Who—" gasp "—is Banshee?"

  "Violet." His eyes narrowed when she chuckled softly, but his stern look didn't last long. He finally chuckled with her and ran a hand through his hair. She was driving him crazy. "Probably not the most flattering name."

  "But fitting," she agreed.

  He loved seeing a smile on her face. Even if it was a hesitant one. He hadn't realized how much he needed that until this moment. During his lecture, when she'd been distant and quiet, it disturbed him. He didn't want her removed emotionally from him. He wanted her smiles, her laughter, her sweetness. And he was selfish enough to admit that he wanted them all to himself.

  All traces of amusement slowly faded from her face, and it hurt his heart.

  He leaned a hand against the tree, caging her with his body.

  She looked toward the ground, and he spotted a cowlick in her hair, peeking through the simple pink ribbon falling out of her dark curls. "Tell me what's bothering you."

  "It's nothing."

  "We both know it's not."

  She sighed and finally looked up at him. "There was an argument today."

  "About?"

  "Someone saw us panning for gold."

  "And that's a problem because…?"

  She swallowed. "Because they saw us in the river after too."

  "I see." He did. Kind of. Why would their kiss cause such contention? Did they look down on her for it? A protective surge swelled in his chest. "Are they giving you a hard time about it?"

  She nodded.

  He notched her chin up, needed her to see the sincerity in his eyes. "I hope you know how much I respect you. I would never ask for anything more than a kiss."

  "I know that. Of course."

  "Do I need to tell the other's that?"

  Her brows furrowed. "I don't see why that would help."

  Now he felt uncomfortable. "So they'd know that you're not a woman of ill-repute."

  Her mouth fell open.

  He rushed to quickly say, "I know that. I just want them to know that too."

  "Besides a few hateful comments from Violet, I'm fairly certain that no one thinks that."

  Now it was his turn to be confused. "Then why are they giving you a hard time?"

  "Honestly?" He nodded so she knew he really wanted to know. "They're upset because they feel like I've stolen you away from them."

  "Stolen?" What was she talking about?

  "They think I volunteered to help learn how to find gold so I could spend more time with you. Become closer to you."

  He didn't comment on her blush. No doubt the whole thing embarrassed her. Hell, if he wasn't so frustrated, he probably would be as well. "That's ridiculous. Any one of them could've come to me for help. I would've showed them all how to mine…" Realization dawned. "Is that why they're all here today?"

  She nodded with round, solemn eyes.

  He looked away and swore.

  At her gasp, he turned back to her and apologized before saying, "I want you to know that I didn't kiss you because you were the only one available to me. I kissed you because I'm attracted to you. Only," he continued when she was about to speak, "you. When I had all of you gathered together in the hotel lobby, I had no interest in any of Ivan's brides. None, until you walked in the room."

  She didn't say anything, just seemed to absorb his words.

  He raked another hand through his hair, trying to come up with something to set her at ease. "I didn’t plan for any of this to happen. The kiss in the river just happened. I can't say it won't again."

  A slow smile reached her eyes. "You can't?"

  He shook his head slowly, mesmerized by the small glow in her eyes. The light he’d put there. "No. I can't."

  He leaned in to brush a soft kiss across her lips. A kiss full of promises.

  The feather touch caused his heart to beat harder, but he didn't deepen the connection.

  When he pulled back, her eyes fluttered open. "What's between us has nothing to do with those women over there."

  "What's between us?" she asked quietly.

  That was the same question he'd been asking himself since their kiss yesterday. He’d brushed off their moment in the kitchen on the day of the picnic as a one time thing, but when they’d been at the river, there’d been something more.

  He'd never imagined himself married or in love or anything else he so often saw happen to other people. It's not that he was opposed to it exactly, he'd just never desired those things for himself. Whatever was happening between them was new. "I don't know. Maybe something. Maybe nothing. But whatever this is or isn't is between us and no one else. All right?"

  She nodded. "All right."

  "Good." He smiled. "Now, why don't we head back and bring the group into the mine? I have a feeling this will either kill me or amuse me greatly."

  She laughed as she led him back to the women.

  Chapter 11

  Heaven save them all from lady miners.

  If it was the last thing Sawyer did, he would find someone to take over the mining operation at Ivan's claim. Today.

  He never wanted to go through a mining lesson with that particular group of women again. Aria almost lost a finger, Willow lamented the stains on her gowns more than she wielded her tools, and Juliette almost caused a cave in due to her desire to experiment.

  Heaven above, he knew they meant well, but he would not do that again. If he had to crawl on his belly and beg someone to take them off his hands, he would.

  He'd promised Clara he'd help, and that’s exactly what he was doing. He was helping by getting them a hired hand.

  The second he stepped onto the boardwalk outside the saloon, Katie, one of the girls who worked there, flew out of the door and into his arms.

  “Katie?”

  “Shhh.” She begged, yanking his arms around her waist. “Play along.”

  “
With what?”

  When a man who looked meaner than a pissed off bull charged out the doors, Katie fused her lips to his.

  Wrong! Shock bolted through him. He pulled away from her after his surprise wore off.

  She stroked his cheek, and it took all of his willpower not to remove her hand. “Come on darlin’ I’m just wantin’ a taste before the main course,” she said.

  Gah. He didn’t need to be a genius to see why Katie was putting on such a show. The man who’d chased after her slinked back inside after the display, and she sagged against him.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her embarrassment and shame were evident. “If he didn’t think I was with someone else, he’d have pulled me into a room for sure. He has a mean look in his eye.”

  She’d read the man right. Sawyer could feel the man’s cruel streak. “It’s all right. You know if something ever happens, you can come to me. No one is allowed to hurt you.”

  She nodded hard. “I do.”

  “Good.” He put more distance between them. “I’m here for Ronan. Have you seen him?”

  “He’s inside. It’s one of those nights.”

  “I’ll remember that,” he said. Those nights, where men were drunk and volatile, didn’t happen too often anymore now that they were trying to establish themselves. But they were still men. And liquor and poker was still a favorite past time.

  He entered the saloon and scanned the dim surroundings. It was late afternoon, and there was already a crowd gathering at the bar and around a boisterous poker game played in the middle of the room.

  Exactly what he was looking for.

  He'd come up with a list of possible men to work the mine. Some were better than others. None great.

  Except one.

  He stepped toward the poker table and watched as Ronan Briggs pushed a tumbling stack of bills and coins into the center of the table without blinking.

  The man sitting adjacent to him sweated as he looked between his cards and the steely expression on his opponent's face.

  Stone.

  That's what Ronan looked like. He was a fierce player. Both in cards and in life. He never did anything half measure. He won it all, or lost it all. Fortunately for him, he’d mined a fortune and could cover any loss he pleased.

  "Well?" Ronan asked the other player. "Are you in or out?"

  "Aww, Ronan. You can't just throw it all in the pot," the man whined, looking at his cards one last time.

  Ronan's face didn't soften.

  The man sighed and laid his cards down. "I'm out."

  Not even a smirk lifted Ronan's lips, and Sawyer wondered if the man ever felt joy in his winnings. He certainly never looked like it.

  Ronan bundled up his prize before his opponent reached out and grabbed his hand. "Hey, you can't just up and leave. I'm needing a chance to win it back."

  Ronan glared, and Sawyer took a step forward. This could turn out badly.

  "Take your hand off me," Ronan said, punctuating each word.

  The other man's eyes widened, and he released Ronan as if scalded.

  "I'm doing you a favor by leaving. If I stay, you'll only lose more."

  Truer words had never been spoken. By the look of Ronan's pile, he was on a winning streak. He could've taken the man's home, if he'd a mind to.

  The man grumbled, and Ronan turned to leave.

  The moment his back was turned, the loser pulled a gun.

  Before Sawyer could pull his weapon free, Ronan's was up and pointed at the man he'd just cleaned out. "Don't do anything stupid."

  The man's hand shook, and he glanced around at the frozen room, the bystanders holding their breath as they watched the tense scene unfold.

  Sawyer rocked back onto his heels. "If either of you shoots, I'll have to arrest you. Don't make me do that," Sawyer said casually, hoping to diffuse the situation.

  Ronan didn't move a muscle. "No one's shooting anybody, are they?" He cocked his head an inch.

  The loser's eyes darted around again before he lowered his weapon. "Nuh uh."

  Ronan didn't waste any more time on words. He holstered his weapon and pushed his way out of the stifling room.

  Sawyer followed him, cursing under his breath. You'd think there'd be a better time to approach him, but there wasn't. Ronan's moods were mercurial.

  "Ronan, hold on a minute."

  Ronan didn’t look up from saddling his gelding. "I’m not causing trouble, sheriff."

  "I know. I wanted to talk to you about something else." Sawyer stopped on the boardwalk and took the man's silence as permission to continue talking. "I have a job for you."

  "Yeah? Not interested."

  The man hadn't even glanced over his shoulder before turning him down. "Don't you want to hear what it is? Aren't you curious?"

  "Nope and nope."

  Finished with his task, Ronan finally turned around to face Sawyer. Wearing black from head to toe, Ronan folded his arms and leaned casually against the hitching post. At least he appeared casual. As he'd just demonstrated in the saloon, he could be as quickly vicious as a mountain lion after a long winter.

  He’d never seen Ronan soften toward anyone. The only person he seemed to have any sort of relationship with was Asher Walker, the mountain man who’d found his fiancé dead after she’d been kidnapped. And even then, Ronan hated him. But it was some semblance of feeling.

  Right now, Ronan didn't look like he was going to budge. "If that's all, Sheriff, I need to get going." He turned around and gripped his saddle to mount.

  Sawyer sighed. He hated to ever call in favors. He preferred that men do as he asked instead of being forced into it, but it looked like he didn't have a choice. "Bannack."

  Ronan let out a foul curse and whipped around. "What did you say?"

  Sawyer took a step closer. "Bannack."

  Ronan's hands closed into fists. "What do you want?"

  "You've heard about Ivan's brides?"

  "I'm not deaf."

  "They need help working the mine."

  "And you want me to do it for them?"

  "You're the best option."

  Ronan laughed harshly. "I'm your only option."

  While Sawyer had a few others in mind, he knew Ronan was right. There was no other man he trusted to work the mine honestly and leave the women alone. "Will you do it?"

  "How long?"

  "Depends." Sawyer rubbed his jaw. "The women should marry rather quickly. Their husbands will probably want to take over."

  "What's my cut?"

  "Ten percent."

  "Twenty."

  "Fifteen."

  "Done." A slow smile spread on Sawyer's face.

  Ronan shrugged and climbed on his horse. "After I do this, we're even."

  "Agreed."

  Ronan motioned his horse into a trot, and Sawyer watched him as he kicked up dust. Sawyer had never thought twice of the debt Ronan owed him. When you save a man's life, you don't expect anything in return. But Sawyer knew Ronan didn't see it like that.

  They’d first met in Bannack, years after the gold rush’s peak, and most of the gold had already been found. Sawyer and his brother had just been in the right place at the right time to save Ronan’s life after robbers had shot him and left him for dead.

  And at the moment, Sawyer was grateful.

  Ronan would eliminate this problem.

  Now, all he needed to do was to keep the women safe. That was, if they didn't kill themselves first.

  Resolute, Clara saddled a horse and rode to town. The air was crisp and fresh regardless that it was nearly dinner time. Birds sung, bees buzzed, and animals seemed content to frolic in the open meadows.

  She understood their happiness. For the first time in years, she felt peace, excitement, contentment.

  She had come to marry Ivan, and it had all fallen through only to give her something even better in return. She was still upset with the women, but she was needed here. And while that filled her heart with a sense of fulfillment, it wa
sn't everything to her.

  She had Sawyer.

  She'd thought she had to hold herself back from him because it would take away from her duty to the other women, but that wasn't true. She didn't need to only care for one or the other. She could care for everyone. Her heart was big enough to let them all in. He’d shown her that at the mine.

  She pulled into town and dismounted from her horse in front of the jail, but after a quick look inside, found that it was empty.

  Where else would Sawyer be?

  She strode down the boardwalk, looking through windows as she passed. While she felt safe enough in town, she remembered what had happened the last time she was here, and she wasn't going to take any chances.

  He had to be here somewhere.

  But as she passed the barber shop, blacksmith, mercantile, and hotel, the options for where he was were lessening.

  She gazed up at the saloon and spotted him outside the doors. Relief swept through her. She'd found him, and at least she wouldn't have to venture inside that male domain to locate him.

  She raised her hand, about to call out to him when a scantily dressed woman rushed through the doors and into Sawyer's arms, planting a kiss on his lips.

  Clara’s feet planted like lead in the ground.

  The kiss didn't last long, and Sawyer pulled away, but he didn't immediately release the woman.

  Tears filled Clara’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

  How could she have been so stupid?

  Instead of confronting him, she turned away and walked back to her horse, her body feeling old and fragile. She didn't know what to think or how to feel.

  Hurt. That was definitely there. And anger. But she also felt shame and plenty of self-loathing. She only had herself to blame. She'd allowed her feelings for Sawyer to grow to out of control proportions without getting to know him first. She'd leapt ahead without looking, and cared for him regardless of what she felt she owed the other women.

  At the mine, he’d told her that there might be nothing between them. Why had she ignored that and allowed herself to continue feeling more for him?

  Had she really stood up to the other woman, defending her relationship with Sawyer just this morning?