Kisses With KC (Cowboys and Angels Book 11)(20)

KC nodded once. Suspicion wiggled around in his stomach.

“There’s always a place for a man like you in my organization. You need a job?”

“No, sir,” KC answered. He noted that the man was being vague about exactly what he would be hiring KC to do. Since he’d only seen him draw a gun, he figured that was the expertise the man wanted to buy. “Thank you, but I already have a good job as a hired hand.”

“With skills like yours, you could name your price.” Mr. Anders turned away and then back. “Come on over to the Bonanza Mining office after you think about this. The offer stands.”

The two men left, and KC stepped to the counter. “I need this letter posted.” KC handed it to Arthur with the coins.

“The letter will go out in an hour on the train.” Mr. Jameson walked to the U.S. Post Office part of the building and secured the letter into the mailbag.

While KC waited, he noticed that Arthur had thrown away a paper from the last message he sent. It said, “Bought two. Four to go. Month at most.” The top of the paper was hidden, so he couldn’t see who the note was sent to. Mr. Anders was a wealthy man. He probably bought and sold many things, but why did he need to update someone about it? KC wondered if he was being suspicious because the man rubbed him wrong. Eliza hadn’t liked him much, either—probably because she’d recognized him at old Baldwin’s place.

When Mr. Jameson came back, KC said, “I’d like to send a telegram to the same address.”

Arthur turned to a large map on the back wall of the office and ran his finger over Texas until he stopped. “I can’t send one. Found out yesterday that some telegraph lines have been down in northern Texas from a tornado that passed through a couple of weeks ago. They won’t be up for a while. Nothing is going into or out of the towns between Fort Worth and Gainsville. Sunrise is smack between the two.”

“Thanks for letting me know.” KC left, wondering if that would ease Eliza’s mind or set it to new worries. There was a good reason why her parents hadn’t sent a telegram. There was also some danger to being in the area where a tornado had set down.





8





Eliza Turley



Being twenty-one felt no different than being twenty. She had looked forward to this day for five years, and she expected it to be grand. Instead, she still had beans to wash and set over the fire for supper tonight, butter to churn, and laundry to wash and hang. The train would leave Creede at seven o’clock that morning to go to Salida and would return at three. For the first part of that trip, she’d be Eliza Turley, daughter of Abe and Wanda Turley and return as “Eliza Turley, Head of Household” on the land records.

After breakfast, KC asked Ellis, “I have some business in Salida. Is it still all right if I tag along?”

“Suit yourself. Kailin and Rayna are going over to Louise and Grant’s place for the day.”

It was all settled, and the three saddled up for the trip to the train station. They all rode horses and boarded them for the day with Otto down at the livery. Salida was about the same size as Creede, but there wasn’t a tent city surrounding it. The businesses were more varied than the numerous saloons their town boasted.

Eliza had watched and helped her parents homestead, but the prospect of it being her homestead made the task she was applying for monumental. How would she get it all done? She’d have to build a house. She was sure her family would be part of that. Then she’d have to make the land profitable. She planned to do things she already enjoyed. She was going to plant berry bushes and an apple orchard and raise bees. The train ride passed quickly as she thought about her homestead, laid out her garden, and built a hen house all in her mind.

When they entered the Land Office, Eliza and Ellis approached the desk to file their claims while KC went to the counter to look up a title.

Ellis began to step forward, but Eliza took him by the arm. “I’m the oldest. I’ll go first,” she said.

“By ten minutes. That doesn’t matter.”

“Ladies before gentlemen,” she countered. For a split second, Eliza thought she saw the bright light of the old miner out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to looked toward KC, there was no one. Her brother’s voice brought her attention back to him.

“Fine. Both pieces are good land. I’d be happy on either.”

She chose the parcel that bordered her parents on their south, while Ellis chose a piece that was south of his Uncle Ted’s land and also bordered Eliza’s. When their paperwork was done, KC stepped up next.

“What are you doing?” Eliza asked. Was he doing what she thought he was doing? He hadn’t answered yet, and it was killing her to wait. He smiled broadly, and her heart flipped in her chest.

Then he spoke softly. “Claiming . . . a homestead.”

Eliza’s brain was in a tumult. Was he really settling here? A faint thread of hope twisted through her. Homesteading required five years just to become the true owner. That meant he wasn’t planning to leave. She tried to think of it impassionedly, but her heart hammered against her chest.

Ellis had figured out the same thing. His eyes narrowed, then looked toward Eliza. She had no idea what KC was up to, so she shrugged.

Ellis leaned closer to KC. “Do we need to talk about your intentions?”