Page 29 of River Legacy (Powder River #5)

O akley, true to her promise, had kept quiet about the engagement. Charlotte and Holden had both wanted Cooper and Tilly to enjoy some time with their new baby without anyone stealing the limelight.

They’d known that the moment the news hit the county, it would spread through the Powder River basin like wildfire.

Word got out when Holden called the church to make arrangements for the upcoming wedding, and tongues began to wag.

Rumors circulated just as quickly. Bets were being taken that it would never happen.

Bets were also being taken on who would show up from the family.

But it was doubtful that anyone in the county aware of the feud between the two families wouldn’t show up.

Everyone would expect fireworks—and not the kind that you had to light.

Anything could happen at this wedding when you threw the McKennas together with the Staffords—especially with CJ Stafford out of jail.

Which was exactly why Holden planned to hire security.

“The church isn’t going to be large enough,” he’d told Lottie after they’d taken a seat at the café.

Earlier they’d stopped by the hospital to find Brand in stable condition and recovering from the surgery, which had gone well.

Neither of them mentioned who they thought might have shot Brand, preferring to agree with the sheriff that it had been an accident.

“Maybe we should get married at the fairgrounds,” he joked in a back booth where they were having coffee and pie. They’d gone to Billings to get the marriage license and do some wedding shopping and only just returned.

“Or elope,” she suggested again, taking a bite of the lemon meringue that she so loved.

He shook his head. “No one would ever believe we actually did it if we don’t have a big wedding right here in Powder Crossing. No, we have to make this an event, a sign that all the animosity between us and our families is over.”

They ate for a moment in silence. “Have you told Treyton yet?” she finally asked.

“I’m sure he’s heard. What about CJ?”

She seemed to hesitate. “I was going to tell him at brunch yesterday, but I chickened out. I didn’t want to spoil a nice meal with him. I’ve had so few. He already knew about the engagement and made a point of not mentioning it. Maybe he thinks that if he ignores it...”

Holden was quiet for a moment. “We knew that this wasn’t going to be easy.”

“Their loss if they don’t come around,” she said.

“I’m not worried about it.” But he could tell she was worried because he was too.

He wished he wasn’t. Both CJ and Treyton could be unpredictable when things didn’t go their way.

He didn’t want trouble at the wedding and made a mental note to check on that security he’d called for.

It wasn’t until Charlotte went back to her room at the hotel and he drove to the ranch that he decided to bite the bullet and make the calls to his children about not just the engagement, but the wedding. Treyton didn’t pick up. No surprise, so he had to leave both announcements in a voice mail.

His cell phone rang. He saw it was Lottie and picked up.

“Anything new on Brand’s condition?” he asked, recalling how upset he’d been when he’d found out that the young man was his son—and Charlotte had kept it from him.

He pushed the memory away. No looking back at the past, she’d said.

It was good advice. Too much water had already flowed under that bridge. He focused on the future.

“I spoke to the doctor when I went over to see him again. Just a few more days in the hospital, and he should be released,” she said.

“I talked to the sheriff,” Holden said. “The bullet was a .22 like when Oakley was shot. But it doesn’t match CJ’s rifle, which is still in evidence.”

“I really don’t believe CJ had anything to do with it. I’m not sticking my head in the sand, believe me. He at least didn’t fire the shot,” Lottie said. “He was with me having brunch, but everyone suspects he’s behind it. Holden, I’m scared. What does the sheriff think?”

“Stuart still thinks it could have been an accident, some kid with a rifle,” Holden said.

“But what if CJ or Treyton heard about the engagement and upcoming wedding and wanted to hurt us?”

“By shooting our son? That makes no sense. Lottie, I’m sorry, I’m getting another call. I need to take it,” he said as he saw it was Pickett calling. “I’ll call you back.”

“Pickett?” he said into the phone, hating that he’d had a bad feeling when he’d seen who was calling. He knew that Pickett and Oakley desperately wanted children. They’d recently gone through a miscarriage.

“I thought you should know,” Pickett said. “Someone set a fire out by our new house. We got it out in time, but there is no doubt that it was arson. I think it might be about Oakley since she was the only one home at the time.”

Holden swore under his breath. He knew exactly what Pickett was trying to tell him. First Brand and now Oakley? The common denominator was CJ Stafford. “Is everyone all right? Oakley?”

“No one got hurt. Oakley had the fire almost out by the time we got there, but I think someone needs to pay CJ a visit,” Pickett said.

Holden wished he wasn’t thinking the same thing. “Let’s let the sheriff handle this, please. I’ll call him right now. Stay at the house. I’m sure he’ll have questions.”

He disconnected and called Lottie. He quickly told her what had happened.

“I know it sounds like CJ, but I can’t believe he’d do this and so quickly after being released. Let me talk to him,” she said. “Please, I’ll handle it. If he’s behind either of these incidents, I’ll know. I’ll have his probation revoked and he’ll be behind bars by tonight.”

“Just be careful,” Holden warned. “If he is behind this, I can’t see him admitting it, let alone going back to jail without a fight.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll call you.”

With that, she disconnected, leaving him with a bad feeling she was underestimating the danger she might be putting herself in. He called her right back to insist he go with her, but only got her voice mail. “I’m going with you to meet him. Don’t go alone. Call me!”

I t was strange. Oakley had been thinking about her brother when she saw the flames.

At first, she’d thought they were a mirage as they rushed toward the house through the tall dry weeds left from the construction site around the house.

Pickett had ordered the sod for the yard, but with the house just now finished, he hadn’t had time to do anything more. He still had a ranch to work.

Born and raised on a ranch, she knew the dangers of a wildfire. She called Pickett at once since she knew he was working close by today, then she ran out the back door and grabbed the garden hose attached to that side of the house.

She was busy fighting the fire when Pickett rode up with a couple of ranch hands. The fire had spread, but she’d managed to keep it away from the house. Between all of them, they were able to put out the blaze before it could spread.

Hot, sweaty and smoky, they stood looking at the charred land. She glanced at her husband and saw his jaw muscle working as he took in how close the fire had gotten to the house. A moment later, he walked out to the edge where the fire had started, the men going with him.

She knew by his body language that he’d discovered the same thing she had.

Someone had purposely started the fire. She placed a hand over her stomach, thinking of the secret she was keeping from everyone, especially her husband.

They’d both gotten too excited the other times she’d been pregnant only to have it end suddenly, leaving them desolate and feeling broken.

They both wanted children so badly. It had seemed so unfair.

That was why she couldn’t share the news.

Not yet. Not until she was far enough along that there was a better chance it would last this time.

She hadn’t even taken a pregnancy test yet.

Her body felt different, and she was determined that this time she was pregnant and it would last. If it didn’t, Pickett would never have to know.

She would suffer the loss alone and spare him.

“Are you all right?” he asked as he walked back to where she was standing.

She nodded and removed her hand from her belly. “Someone started it, didn’t they?”

“Yep.” His gaze said he knew who it was. CJ. Her brother had tried to kill her twice. Why not a third time?

“We don’t know it was him,” she said, though neither one of them believed that. “Let the sheriff handle it. Please, Pickett. Promise me.”

He studied her for a few moments, then gave in and nodded. “I’ll call Stuart.” He stepped away to make the call, but still she worried. She couldn’t lose her husband, and she couldn’t trust her brother. CJ didn’t want her to be happy. He wanted everyone to be as miserable as he was.

For a moment she was tempted to tell Pickett about the baby she was carrying so he knew what was at stake here and why he had to be careful and not confront CJ. There was too much bad blood between the McKennas and the Staffords still. This child would need a father.

But she realized, knowing her husband, if he knew she was pregnant it would only make him more protective of her and the baby growing inside her. So she kept quiet. Soon she would tell him, she told herself. Soon she would feel safe enough to tell him.

C J had been waiting for a report from Claude updating him on what was going on at the Stafford Ranch. Last report Victoria and Ryder had left, but had returned to the ranch together. They’d hurried into the house, and Claude reported that he hadn’t seen them since. No sign of Ryder’s brother.

“Keep up the good work,” CJ had told him and smiled to himself as he’d hung up. No sign of Brand because he was in the hospital.

He quickly put in a call to Treyton. “Brand’s in the hospital recovering. Haven’t heard anything about a fire out at my sister’s new house yet, though.”