Chapter Fifteen

By late morning, the Dalton household had awakened, cheerily discussing Luke and Anita’s wedding over a buffet breakfast in the dining room. Taryn walked into the room, greeting everyone with a bright smile. Sunshine filtered through the three-part Palladian window dominating the large room. Although she had little sleep after Jared’s lovemaking, she felt invigorated. She chose a few slices of toast, some marmalade from the cherry wood buffet table, and took a place beside Brad at the matching dining room table. Brad may as well have been an inanimate object for the attention she paid him. Still feeling the afterglow of Jared’s caresses, she absently spread marmalade on her toast.

“You’re looking very refreshed,” Dennis commented to his daughter. “I feel as though I never went to bed myself.”

“I did sleep well.” She kept her gaze focused on her toast, hoping he didn’t detect the blush she felt creeping up her neck. She lapsed back into her own thoughts. She couldn’t stop thinking about Jared. She felt so warm and wonderful. A smile rested on her face as she recalled her first experience with a man. She didn’t even hear the conversation going on around the table as the others continued talking. Her daydreaming thoughts focused on the intimacies they had shared. Her smile spread across her face, a low giggle escaping her when she thought of how intimate they had been.

“I don’t see what’s so amusing, Taryn. Laughter is not an appropriate response to someone’s illness.”

Snapped out of her musings by her mother’s voice, Taryn stared in a daze. “What did you say, Mother?”

“I asked what you found so amusing about your uncle’s story.”

Taryn searched her mind. What story? Whatever the story had been, it didn’t warrant the reaction she’d given. “I wasn’t amused.” She wished she’d kept quiet. Her mother would ask the obvious question.

“What were you laughing about then?”

“Nothing. Daydreaming I guess.”

Madeline sighed in exasperation.

Brad put an arm around her shoulders squeezing her to his side and kissing her cheek. “Daydreaming about our wedding day, I hope.”

Taryn gave him a conciliatory smile. She shied away from his kiss, finding his embrace unwanted. How dull he seemed with his perfect manners. She couldn’t marry him now. Not after what she’d shared with Jared. Not after knowing what she felt for Jared went far beyond infatuation. The idea of spending her life with Brad no longer appealed to her. His smile was too solicitous, his manners too forced. Why had she not seen it before? She would have to tell him she couldn’t marry him. Somehow, she would have to find the proper time to inform them all of her decision, and soon. She didn’t want to continue with Brad when she could be with Jared.

Following breakfast, she went in search of Jared. She wanted to tell him she loved him and had no intention of marrying Brad. She had no doubt of her true feelings.

Jared sat in Luke’s office, attempting to go over the numbers on the ledger before him. Since leaving Taryn’s room, he hadn’t been able to concentrate on much unless it revolved around her. He wondered if she still slept, curled up in her bed with her hair cascading over her bare shoulders. He reached for his timepiece in his pocket, discovering it missing. He must have left it in her room. His thoughts turned to a picture of her sleeping. He shook himself, once more attempting to create logic of the column of figures on the paper in front of him.

He welcomed the interruption of a knock on the door. Opening the front door, he smiled in pleasant surprise to see Taryn before his eyes. “Good morning.” He glanced over her shoulder.

“Brad isn’t with me. I have something to… He pulled her forward into his arms, the door swinging shut behind her. She didn’t resist his seizure of her mouth. Encircling his waist, she succumbed to the passion still burning within her.

“Have you come here because you found my timepiece?” He pulled back from their heated kiss, cupping her face in his hands.

“Your timepiece? No, I don’t have your timepiece.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, as though someone who would overhear their conversation. “Did you leave it in my room?”

“I think I may have,” he whispered back, grinning.

“I’ll need to find it. If my mother or aunt goes into my room and finds it first, they will know you were in there.”

“Does your mother make a habit of searching through the things in your room?” The seriousness in her expression amused him.

“No, but today would be the day.”

He released her, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “All right, you search for it. I have some things I need to finish here. I’ll meet you at the entrance to the ranch in twenty minutes.”

Taryn rushed back to the house, taking the back staircase to the upper floors, slipping into her room. She couldn’t have Brad see her otherwise she’d never be able to meet Jared.

She hurried to the lowboys where Jared might have placed his timepiece. She didn’t see it. She went to the bed, throwing back the coverlets. Nothing. Crouching down she reached her hand underneath the bed, stretching her arm out. Inching farther under the bed, she had half her body under the frame.

“What are you doing?”

Taryn banged her head against the frame at the sound of her mother’s voice. Shoving her way out from under the bed, she faced her mother. “I dropped my earring. It may have rolled under the bed.”

“But you have both eardrops on.”

Taryn’s hands touched the jewelry pieces at her ears. “It was another set.”

“Do you need some help?” Madeline walked over to the bed.

“No.” She shot up off the floor. “I mean, it’s not important. I’ll search for it later.” The last thing that needed to happen would be for her mother to chance upon Jared’s timepiece and ask questions.

“Gwen and I were looking for you,” Madeline said, giving her reason for coming in. “Are you ready to leave for town?”

“No, not yet.” Her mother waited for further explanation. “My dress isn’t appropriate.”

“Your dress is fine,” Madeline said, smiling. “Wedding jitters must be setting in.”

“I think I should change.”

“Nonsense.” Madeline headed for the door. “We’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Taryn bit her lip in frustration. Now what was she to do? She hadn’t found Jared’s timepiece. Her mother and aunt were waiting. She had to meet him. She searched her mind for a means of getting downstairs unnoticed. Using either staircase was not an option. They would see her.

Her gaze paused at the balcony. Jared had climbed down from the balcony. She could too. Locking the bedroom door, she went to the balcony. Hiking her skirt around her waist, she climbed over the rail onto the trellis. Mindful of the precarious sturdiness of the trellis, she began descending.

The edge of her dress caught on the corner of the trellis, preventing her from continuing. Trying to pull it free while hanging on, she cursed at the hindrance. She yanked hard, not caring if she ripped the garment. She didn’t have time for this. The material tore away from the trellis. Thrown off balance, Taryn lost her hold, falling the short distance to the ground with a thump. Ignoring her bruised posterior and torn dress, she pulled herself off the ground. She noticed her mother chose that moment to walk out onto the veranda.

“Taryn, I didn’t see you come downstairs,” Madeline commented. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll be right back.” She picked up her skirts, running for the front entrance to the ranch.

“Taryn?” Putting her hands on her hips, Madeline shook her head in consternation. Gwen walked out to join her sister, and Madeline vented her annoyance. “I’ll be glad when this wedding is over. It seems we’ll have to wait a few moments for Taryn.”

“Is she changing?” Gwen inquired, inserting a handkerchief into her reticule.

“No, she’s run off somewhere. I have never seen her act as she has since we’ve been here. It must be the wedding.”

“Oh, pity. I had something else in mind.”

“Gwen, will you please stop trying to persuade me to believe Taryn is not meant for Brad. For Heaven sakes, the wedding is a few days away.”

“Yes, I know.”

****

Jared was waiting when Taryn arrived at the property’s entrance.

Her breath expelled from her in a whoosh. “It wasn’t there.”

“I must have left it at the hotel.” He took in her appearance. “What happened to your dress?”

Taryn pursed her mouth. “I told you my mother would come to my room. Well, she did. She and Aunt Gwen are waiting for me at the house to go into town. I had to climb out the balcony, and I fell off the trellis. Then my mother saw me. I ran off. I’ll have to think of something to tell her.”

He grinned, thoroughly amused by her accounting of her mishap. “Before you run away from me, tell me why you came to Luke’s trying to find me?”

Taryn lowered her eyes. “I wanted to tell you I’ve decided not to marry Brad.” His smile expressed half pleasure, half relief. “I can’t marry him—not now. Not after being with you.”

He stepped closer, pulling her once more into his arms. “Taryn…”

The sound of galloping horses interrupted any further words he meant to say. They turned to see Marcus Rhodes and Andrew Donahue approaching.

Taryn sighed with relief. She had half expected to see her mother.

Marcus dismounted before the horse had halted. He took in the scene with the two in each other’s arms. “How quaint. A pity I have to interrupt you.” He turned to Jared. “You’re under arrest, King, for the murder of Dean Breck.”

“What? No!” Taryn cried out, her fingers clasping tighter to Jared’s arm, any relief she felt gone.

“You’re insane.” Jared stared back at Rhodes, his eyes narrowing. “I scarcely knew the man.”

“You barely knew my brother, and he died at your hand,” Marcus seethed. “Why should your murdering Dean Breck be any different?”

His temper mounted with each word Rhodes spoke. “I don’t care for invalid accusations, in particular, coming from you.”

“You’re in the wrong profession to be thinking in those terms.”

He lost his patience. “Who forced me into my profession, Marshal?”

The mutual hatred they shared filled the air as they faced each other.

“Your career started when you killed my brother.”

“A career you created,” he snarled.

Fuming, and not at all interested in continuing the course the conversation had taken, Marcus concentrated on his original purpose. “You were seen at Breck’s last night.”

“My presence at a public establishment makes me his murderer?”

“Along with this,” Marcus gloated, producing King’s timepiece. “Does it look familiar? We found it at Breck’s Casino by Dean’s dead body. You’re going to be tried for his murder, King.”

Jared’s brows drew together in a frown as he glanced at his timepiece sitting in the palm of Rhodes’ hand. How had Rhodes gotten his timepiece? He raised his gaze to the marshal’s.

Marcus flipped open the timepiece. “Fortunate, for me, your name’s inscribed inside. Shall we go?”

Taryn’s thoughts were spinning, shocked at the marshal’s accusation and seeing Jared’s timepiece dangling from the lawman’s fingers.