Page 14 of River Legacy (Powder River #5)

“So you’ve talked to your mother about this.” He gave her the side-eye. “She convinced you that CJ is no longer a danger to you.”

“ Convinced isn’t exactly the right word. I’ll never trust CJ ever. But I do want peace in the family. Families,” she added. All the years with the McKennas and Staffords being at war seemed to be over. Pickett had worked on the McKenna Ranch since he was a teenager, so he was McKenna kin.

Her husband still looked worried as she left. But then again, he had been worried long before her miscarriages. Now they were both waiting, hoping the doctor was right and she could still conceive a child and carry it to term.

C laude tried to enjoy Yellowstone Park, but it smelled like rotten eggs and had a lot trees, way too much traffic and no bears—at least none that he saw.

How many bubbling, boiling mud pots could a person look at before they’d had enough?

He’d had enough quickly, mostly though because he couldn’t get his mind off Victoria and her cowboy.

When he wasn’t thinking about them, he was thinking about how much he hated her and her father.

After fighting the summer traffic, he’d finally left the touristy part of the state for the wild, open spaces.

He couldn’t imagine what his boss thought was so appealing about this part of Montana.

The farther east he drove, the more boring the country became with miles of nothing but prairie broken only by badlands and mountains.

He yearned for some sign of civilization.

How he would have loved to see a town, any town.

When his phone rang, he snatched it up, thankful for the break in the monotony of this drive. “Hello?” He instantly regretted not checking first to see who was calling.

“Where are you?” Wen demanded.

“I’m trying to find this ranch where your daughter may have run off to,” he snapped back.

“You didn’t tell me it’s in the middle of nowhere.

Why do you ask?” He realized that his boss might be calling to tell him that Victoria had returned, and he could turn around and come back.

That would have been the best news he’d heard in a long time.

“You should have already been there hours ago,” Wen snapped.

“I decided to let her enjoy ranch life for a while.” Silence. “I thought you told me to use my good judgment.”

“Did I?”

Claude heard something in Wen’s voice, also in the background. “Is everything all right? It sounds like you’re driving. Wen?” No answer. “Wen?” Maybe he was having a heart attack or—

“I’m being followed.” His boss sounded scared, which was so not like Wendell Forester that it scared him .

“Do you want me to call the police or something?”

“I have to go.” With that he disconnected.

Followed? What was Wen doing driving? Where were his bodyguards? Where was he?

Ahead, Claude saw a town appear on the horizon.

It wasn’t much of a town, but he’d take it.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Powder Crossing.

Well, it didn’t matter. Tired, he’d had enough driving.

A thought struck him. What would happen if the person who sent the death threats actually made good and took his boss out?

What would that do to his contract with the bastard?

Wouldn’t it be null and void? Wouldn’t he be free?

He found himself rooting for whoever was following Wen.

At the only motel sign in town, he pulled in and let himself breathe, suddenly a whole lot less tired.

He paid for one night and drove down to his room to park right out front.

The room had knotty pine walls and a cowboy bedspread, making him realize he was in another world, one he couldn’t wait to get out of.

He reminded himself it was just for the night.

There was one other positive he realized.

If whoever was following Wen did him in, he wouldn’t have to go to Powder Crossing.

He’d never have to see Victoria Forester or her father ever again.

Except at the funeral. He probably should go to the funeral. He’d see how he felt.

Claude told himself that he would decide about his future in the morning. Maybe there would be something on the early-morning news. He fell into the lumpy bed and dropped off to sleep, hoping that come morning he would be free of Wendell Forester and his daughter.

T illy Stafford McKenna waddled over to answer the door.

Her ankles were swollen, although she could no longer see them.

She’d gone from a cute baby bump to this giant watermelon pressing up against her lungs.

She couldn’t remember what it was like to get a good night’s sleep.

The only way she could breathe was by not lying down.

The thought brought tears to her eyes since she craved sleep so badly. If she didn’t have this baby soon...

She opened the door to find her sister standing there.

“Oakley,” she cried, never so glad to see anyone.

Oakley had been avoiding her since her sister’s last miscarriage.

She’d missed her so much that she began to cry, both sad for the toil this pregnancy was having on her sister and joyous that Oakley was finally here.

Tilly threw her arms around her, getting as close as possible in her condition.

“Not the waterworks again,” Oakley said with a groan. “Really, sis. I can’t believe you haven’t had this baby yet.” That only made Tilly cry harder because it was exactly what she would have expected from her sister.

“That was a joke, you know,” Oakley said, alarmed as Tilly sobbed. “It’s a good thing I’m here. You desperately need to get your sense of humor back. You did have one, didn’t you? It’s been so long, I can’t remember.” Oakley pulled back to look at her sister. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

Tilly tried to quit crying. “I’m just so tired. I can’t sleep, if I eat I get heartburn, I can barely walk, and I haven’t been out of this house for weeks.”

“That’s all? Well, I can’t do much about some of those problems, but I did come to get you out of the house.” Tilly perked right up, blew her nose and quit crying. “Ryder went to Billings on Friday and brought back a woman.”

Tilly wiped her eyes, sick also of feeling sorry for herself.

This wasn’t the way she’d pictured being married, pregnant and about to have her first child any day.

Had she not fallen in love with Cooper McKenna, the son of her mother’s worst enemy, she kept thinking things would have been different.

Cooper assured that she wasn’t cursed. Tilly wasn’t so sure.

“I talked to Brand this morning,” Oakley said after she’d helped her sister find her shoes and a jacket and had gotten her into the pickup cab and buckled up. “She’s staying in your old room.”

“Really?” Tilly said, trying to imagine the sort of woman her brother might have brought home to the ranch.

“See, even Ryder is enjoying not having Mother and CJ living in the house, although I wonder how long that will last,” Oakley said. “Have you seen CJ?”

Tilly shook her head. “I still can’t believe Mother got him out of jail, let alone found a way to have the charges dropped.

He almost killed us both.” Tilly had been at the house the day her brother had realized the sheriff was looking for him.

He grabbed her, forced her to go with him in the pickup and made a run for it.

When he crashed the truck, he’d been injured.

But Tilly had thought for sure she was going to die.

“You know Mother,” Oakley said. “She would have pulled strings, paid off everyone she could and probably even promised to sleep with the judge.”

“Honestly, Oakley!”

“He’s an old judge, so it really was a nice favor.”

“Stop it. You’re going to make me pee my pants,” Tilly begged.

“You’re right. This is serious, Ryder bringing a woman back to the ranch. He’s never done that before. Why would he do it now?”

“Because our mother isn’t there?” Tilly suggested. “Who is this woman?” she asked, feeling like the protective older sister she was.

“That’s the kicker. According to Brand, she is Victoria Forester, daughter of billionaire and real estate tycoon Wendell Forester. The same man who’s been trying to buy the ranch. Pickett thinks it’s dangerously suspicious. Don’t you love it?”

“Why would Ryder bring her back to the ranch and put her in my room?”

Oakley laughed. “Apparently, she’s rich and sexy and our brother was saving her from a fate worse than death. Her father was trying to marry her off to one of his handpicked flunkies, Brand said. So, we are going to stop by the ranch and check her out.”

Tilly groaned. “Like we did when Brand had Birdie Malone out at the ranch.”

“Exactly. The snoopy sisterhood is back. Hopefully, it will keep your mind off all that,” she said waving a hand in front of Tilly’s giant baby bump. “I hope you brought crackers. You aren’t throwing up in my pickup, are you?”

R yder and Victoria returned to the ranch after their ride to find his sisters waiting for them.

At once, he realized that they’d already gotten the lowdown from Brand.

In fact, that must be why they were here, he realized.

Brand had called Oakley to tell her about Victoria, and Oakley had dragged her very pregnant sister out to the ranch to check her out.

He groaned, hating to think what all Brand had told them.

Inside the barn, Tilly was pacing the floor, holding her stomach and looking as if she could drop this baby at any moment.

“Shouldn’t you be on your way to the hospital?

” he asked her. She waved a hand to silence him in answer.

He turned to his younger sister, no doubt the ringleader of this little escapade.

Oakley gave him a Cheshire smile. “Tilly was just dying to get out of the house, and I said, ‘Let’s go see Ryder, and see what he’s up to.’”

“Brand called you, didn’t he?” her brother said with a curse, hating to think how much Brand had enjoyed that as Oakley’s gaze went to Victoria.

“I didn’t realize you had company,” his sister said innocently. There was nothing innocent about Oakley.

“Right,” Ryder said and looked at Tilly. “Do you need to sit down?”

She shook her head. “Can’t sit. Can’t sleep. Can’t do anything until this baby comes out.”

He shook his head in commiseration and turned back to Oakley. “Victoria Forester, these are my sisters, Oakley Hanson and Tilly McKenna.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Victoria said. “Tilly? Thanks for the clothes and your room.” Tilly waved it away as if it was nothing and speaking would make her even more miserable than she was.

“It’s not like she’ll ever need either again,” Oakley said. “So, Victoria, are you really Wendell Forester’s daughter?”

Ryder rolled his eyes. “I apologize for my sisters. They’re very... protective and nosy. Oakley is the worst.”

“I don’t admit this to a lot of people, but yes, I am his daughter. I’m here for the weekend after your brother saved my life,” Victoria said.

“Saved your life? How dramatic,” Oakley said, shooting a look at Ryder. “My brother is just full of surprises. Is your father really trying to marry you off to some loser?”

“Oakley,” Ryder protested, giving her his zip-it face.

She ignored the warning. “Just wondering if he’s trying to marry her off to you , brother dear.”

“Not to worry,” Victoria said. “It’s actually a funny story how we met. Are you sure you don’t want to try to sit down, Tilly? No? Okay.”

“Victoria, I really don’t think they need to hear—”

“We were both at the Billings airport. I was on the phone with a friend when I saw your brother.” To his horror, she proceeded to tell his sisters the story, not leaving out a single detail.

“Wow,” Oakley said when she finished. “That’s going to be an interesting one to tell your children.”

“What’s so funny is that I’d never kissed a cowboy.” She looked over at him and grinned. Ryder felt heat rush to his face as she said, “But I have now.”

Oakley’s eyes widened before she shot a look at her sister. “I hope you’re listening to all this, Tilly.” She turned back to Victoria. “You should know you’re the first woman my brother has ever brought to the ranch.”

“Really?” Victoria grinned over at him, making him want to disappear underneath the floorboards. He would have gone to find something else to do, but he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his sisters with Victoria. He hated to think what could happen.

“Okay, we have work to do here,” Ryder said through clenched teeth. “Maybe the two of you should go, since it looks as if Tilly is going to have this baby right here in the barn.”

“Subtle,” Oakley said, looking from Victoria to him as if making up her own mind about what was or wasn’t going on.

“Victoria, in case we don’t see you before you leave at the end of the weekend, it’s been a pleasure.

But in case this thing lasts more than the weekend, maybe we’ll be seeing you around here again. ”

Ryder took his sister’s arm. “Why don’t I walk you out to your truck.”

Oakley laughed. “I can find my own truck, Ryder. Come on, sis.” But he didn’t take no for an answer. Oakley looked around as the three of them headed to where she’d parked earlier. “Isn’t CJ getting out of jail today? I thought you might have already seen him.”

“No. Fortunately, you’re the only one who’s stopped by,” Ryder said. “And no, I don’t want to talk about CJ or anything else,” he said. “You also don’t need to mention this to the rest of the family, especially Mother.”

“You like her,” Oakley said, grinning with glee. “Be careful, brother,” she called after him as he walked away. “He likes her,” she said as she helped her sister back into the pickup. “You really should just go ahead and have this baby, Tilly.”

“Thank you for that wonderful advice.”

“You ever find out what you’re having?” Oakley asked as she climbed behind the wheel.

“A boy or a girl.”

“You sure that’s all that’s in there? You might be having a whole team.”

“Just drive,” Tilly said. “Try hitting all the potholes in the road.”