The Rancher's Housekeeper

CHAPTER TWO

COLT entered the den and patted Titus’s head. “I’m going to keep you company for a while.” After closing the door, he moved over to the desk and sat down at the computer. Too wired to sleep right now, he typed the name Gina Williams in the search engine. She’d been in prison. There might be something about her from some old newspaper and magazine articles.

Nothing came up but a lot of other females whose profiles were online. He tried a different spelling. More of the same. On a whim he searched for a list of different spellings. Up came Jean, Geenah, Jeenah, Jina, Jeana, Geana, Ginah, Giena, Jiena, Gienah, Geena.

He tried each one. After putting in the last name on the list, he was ready to call it quits for the night when twenty entries popped up. All of them recounted the brutal slaying of Rupert Brown, an eighty-one-year-old widower of Rapid City, South Dakota. The collector of priceless Old West and Indian artifacts had been attacked and slain by Geena Williams, twenty-six, the tenant living in the basement apartment of his house.

Colt shot out of the chair, feeling as if he’d been the one stabbed. Geena had committed murder? That murder?

He rocked back on his cowboy boots, unable to believe it. While his mind and body were reeling, he grabbed the back of the chair until he could get a grip on his emotions, but adrenaline kept him on his feet.

He remembered hearing about the sensational murder on the evening news. The killer had been a beautiful young single woman. That’s why she’d looked familiar to him.

Incredulous, he sank back down in the chair, damned if he read the rest, damned if he didn’t. Compelled to finish, he read the entire article. Robbery had been the motive. It had happened soon after Colt’s father had died and their family had been in deep mourning, but the story had been all over the media, so he had heard about it at the time.

He groaned loudly enough that Titus moved over and sat by him. Again Colt felt as though he’d been the one repeatedly bludgeoned with the Marshalltown trowel she’d plunged into the old man’s chest numerous times.

Colt knew every human had a dark side, but to imagine that the woman sleeping in Mary’s room had killed an old man in cold blood seemed beyond the realm of possibility to him.

There was a picture of her after she’d been taken into custody. She’d been fifteen to twenty pounds heavier then with hair to her shoulders. According to one of the reports, she’d been given sixty years. That was as good as a lifetime sentence.

But she’d served only thirteen months of it…. How could she be out on parole this fast? Had there been a mistrial? Some snag that had freed her because the evidence wasn’t strong enough to hold her?

There had to be a flaw in Colt that had misread the purity in her eyes. Geena had seemed like a shiny dime gleaming pure silver he’d picked up from the ground. But when he turned it over, he discovered rust had eaten the silver away.

Her situation reminded him of the freed prisoner his father had hired. His dad had felt sorry for the younger man. Everyone makes mistakes, Colt. This man deserves a second chance.

But the second chance had turned into an opportunity for the ex-felon to take advantage and rob his father.

Colt’s instincts had been right not to hire this woman, but he wanted an explanation for Geena’s release and he wanted it now!

Grabbing his phone, he called South Dakota information for the women’s prison in Pierre. In a minute he was put through to the prison’s voice mail. There was a menu. He pressed the digit for an emergency.

When a voice answered he said, “This is Colt Brannigan from the Floral Valley Ranch in Wyoming. I have to speak to Warden James tonight. She called me earlier today. I wasn’t able to return it until now. This is urgent.”

“Hold the line please.”

“Thank you.”

The blood was still surging through his veins when he heard a sound on the other end. “Mr. Brannigan? This is Warden James.”

“I appreciate your coming to the phone. I know it’s late, but this call is about one of the inmates, Geena Williams. She came to my ranch tonight looking for work, but she said she didn’t talk to you about it.”

“That’s true. She must have seen your ad in the prison newspaper. When she left our facility this morning, she indicated she’d go to a women’s shelter for the night.”

“Why was she released when she’s supposed to be serving a sixty-year sentence for murder?” Whatever answer she gave him wouldn’t help, but he still had to know.

“She didn’t tell you?”

Colt took a shuddering breath. “Tell me what?” he bit out.

“Yesterday morning I got word from the governor of South Dakota that Ms. Williams had been wrongfully imprisoned and the real killer has been caught.”

“What?”

For the second time since coming in the den, Colt was on his feet, but for an entirely different reason. With the warden’s explanation, he felt as though he’d just been freed from his own hellish prison after reading the hideous details on the Internet.

He hadn’t been wrong about Geena. After what she’d been through, no wonder he saw that vulnerable look in her eyes.

“Ms Williams has been fully exonerated. She was given her certificate.”

“Certificate?” he muttered, still in shock.

“It’s a legal document—her passport to freedom, for want of a better word.”

He realized it must have been in her backpack. “She spent a whole year in prison for nothing?” he blurted. After sustaining the shock, he was outraged for her.

“Yes. Hers was a very unusual case, very cruel. When I realized she had nowhere to go, I thought I might be able to help her find work and tried several places without success. After I learned that the position at your ranch had been filled, there was no point in telling her. I didn’t want her to get discouraged.”

Colt felt shame for having blown off the warden’s phone call so easily. If he’d bothered to speak to her himself, he would have learned the truth about Geena and would have given her a chance to apply for the position. “She took the news well,” he admitted. Hell—she’d been incredible about it!

“That sounds like Geena. I’m glad to hear she made it to your ranch safely and hope she finds work soon. She was a model prisoner in every sense of the word. It pains me that she was ever incarcerated.”

His mouth had gone so dry, he could hardly talk. “That’s all I needed to know. I’m more grateful to you than you know for coming to the phone. Goodnight, Warden.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Brannigan.”

He was so wired he knew there’d be no sleep for him tonight. After leaving a note in the kitchen that he’d be out on the range if an emergency cropped up, he headed for the back door.

Titus was right there with him and climbed in the truck before they took off. For the rest of the night he drove around thinking. He could hear his father’s voice. Everyone makes mistakes, Colt. This man deserves a second chance.

But in Geena’s case, she hadn’t made a mistake!

Shocked when it got to be four-fifteen, he turned around and headed home with his mind made up about what he wanted to do. Before he parked the truck, his headlights shone on the big ponderosa further down the drive.

Her bike was gone.

At ten to six, Geena rode into the full-service gas station in Sundance. She was glad the dog hadn’t heard her leave the ranch house. While Mr. Brannigan was still asleep, she’d been able to slip away unnoticed and get going. Her problem now was to wait it out until someone came to open the station so she could get a drink and use the restroom.

There were several piles of rubber tires stacked outside the bay doors. She propped her bike against one. Since no one was there, she pulled down two tires and sat on them while she rested against the pile. Once she’d covered herself with her space blanket, she was able to relax and plan out her day.

Her first destination would be the library. She’d scan the want ads online and find a job. If she ate only two meals a day and bought her food at the grocery store, she ought to stay afloat for a little while longer.

Tonight she’d sleep at the YWCA. She’d passed it yesterday on her way to the bike shop. In fact, en route to the library, she’d go over there and reserve a cot before they reached their quota for the day.

When it got to be seven-fifteen, she rolled off the tires and put them back, then walked her bike over to the restroom and rested it against the wall to wait. Pretty soon a man drove in and opened up the office. She said hello and followed him inside to get a soft drink. He went around and unlocked the restroom for her.

Once she’d used the facility, she opened the door, only to find her bike was gone! Geena had been in there only a minute. Frantic because of her loss, she raced around to the front, thinking she’d catch the culprit before he could get away.

“Relax, Geena.”

At the sound of the deep, familiar voice, she swung around to face a clean-shaven Colt Brannigan standing at the side of the dark blue truck she’d seen parked outside the ranch house. His hard-boned features were shadowed beneath his black cowboy hat. This morning he was wearing a blue-and-green plaid shirt that covered his well-defined chest. Hip-hugging jeans molded to his powerful thighs.

Her thighs, in fact the whole length of her legs, wobbled just looking at him.

She’d never seen a sight like him and had the conviction she never would again, no matter how long she lived. When she’d left the ranch earlier, she’d determined to put all thoughts of him out of her mind. Geena had survived prison by shutting off her feelings. Surely she could do it again while she made a new life for herself, but this man was unforgettable.

“I was afraid someone would steal your bike, so I put it in the back of my truck for safekeeping.”

Geena’s heart was still racing too fast. She knew her upset over the stolen bike wasn’t the only reason she couldn’t seem to quell its tempo. Nervousness caused her to rub damp palms against her jeans-clad hips. “What are you doing here?”

He took a step toward her. “When I saw your bike was missing, I figured I’d find you in town. We have unfinished business this morning.”

“Before I left, I put a thank-you note and a twenty-dollar bill on the kitchen table.”

“I read it.”

“I wish it were twenty times as much money. Last night I felt like a pampered princess. You could have no idea what it did for my spirits.”

“I’m gratified to hear it.” The way his gaze penetrated as he stared at her made her all fluttery inside. She folded her arms across her chest, not knowing how to contain her emotions.

“Most people wouldn’t give a person like me the time of day. Last night at your hands I was treated to a taste of heaven. I won’t forget. You’re one in a million.”

“You give me too much credit.” The truth came out in a raspy voice. “Last night I couldn’t restrain myself from looking on line to read the news articles about your imprisonment. They said you were supposed to be serving a sixty-year sentence for a capital one murder.”

Geena eyed him calmly. “In that case I’m astounded you’d let a convicted killer stay through the night. Did you think I’d taken off with some of those authentic Sioux valuables and that’s why you’re here waiting to catch me with the goods? Or is it simply a question of morbid curiosity? You’re welcome to search my backpack.” She handed it to him.

His eyes narrowed before taking it. “If I’d thought you were untrustworthy, I would have driven you to town last night and dropped you off at the nearest shelter.”

She had trouble breathing. “The housekeeping position hasn’t been filled yet, has it?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so. Thanks for being honest about that.”

Colt didn’t respond to her comment. Instead he opened her backpack and eventually drew out a brown envelope. She watched him reach inside and produce the certificate she’d read over and over again during her bus ride from Pierre, unable to believe she was free.

He studied it before his head reared. “Why didn’t you show me this last night?”

“Because you told me the job had been filled. I didn’t question it. You were incredibly kind to have brought me into the ranch house to sleep. In truth I was deathly tired last night.”

“I noticed,” he murmured.

“Before I fell asleep, I couldn’t decide why you’d been so good to me. Was it out of an inborn sense of guilt and duty to one of your fellow creatures less fortunate than you? Or possibly even a modicum of faith in mankind? Whatever sentiment drove you, your mother would be proud of you. Now I’m afraid I have to get going to find a job.”

He put everything back in her pack and handed it to her. “If you’re still interested, I’m offering you the position of housekeeper. For a temporary period,” he emphasized.

A small cry escaped her throat. Maybe she was hallucinating. “When did you make that decision?”

“After you went to bed last night, I called Warden James. Before I could ask her any questions, she told me you’d been exonerated and hoped you’d be able to find a job soon.”

A tremor shook her body while she absorbed the revelation. “So—”

“So you see—” he interrupted her. “My mother wouldn’t have been proud of me. In her mind, half a loaf doesn’t cut it.”

The blood pounded in her ears. “It cut it for me, so don’t beat yourself. If I’d been in your shoes, I would have phoned the prison, too.” She bit her lip. “Even if I’m innocent, why are you willing to take a chance on me?”

He put his hands on his hips, the ultimate male stance. “Besides your work ethic in prison which the warden praised, anyone who went through all you did yesterday to get the job deserves a chance. I came close to offering it to you before you went to bed, but the niggling thought that I’d seen or heard of you before propelled me to look on the internet first.”

She paced a little, then stopped. “It was a hideous crime done to a dear friend. I spent thirteen months reliving the real killer’s treachery to him. But I will always be a persona non grata in some people’s eyes. Is that why your job offer is temporary? Because you know certain parties will refuse to believe the truth and it could cause trouble? Mind you, I’m not being ungrateful—just curious.”

Lines bracketed his mouth. “To hell with what anyone else thinks. The position would be temporary to anyone I hired—a trial period, if you prefer. Both sides have to find out if the job is a good fit. You did say you only wanted it temporarily.”

“Yes. What would you say if I work for you until the end of the summer? By then I have other plans and you’ll have had time to find someone really suitable.”

He studied her for a moment, then said, “End of summer it is. But when you’ve been with us a while, you might not want to stay that long, so your suggestion makes sense.”

Mr. Brannigan was no one’s fool. Being up front with him was the only honest thing to do. Then it wouldn’t come as a surprise when she gave her notice to leave. By then she ought to have a lead on the whereabouts of her brother’s lover. And child. If it was his …

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity. How long have you been without a housekeeper?”

“A month. We’ve been hard hit by our previous housekeeper Mary White Bird’s passing. You need to know she’s been the only housekeeper on the ranch since my brothers and I were born.”

“That long?”

He gave her a solemn nod. “Since her death, it’s been hard even to contemplate someone else taking her place.”

Geena’s thoughts reeled. “She’s the lovely Sioux woman in those pictures?”

“Yes,” he said in what sounded like a reverent tone.

“You’re right. No one could ever fill her shoes. I’m shocked that you’d let me sleep in her room among all her precious things. The tobacco bag is fabulous.”

Emotion darkened his hazel eyes. “It belonged to her husband. I see you know your native American history.”

Her throat swelled. “I learned a lot from Rupert.” She eyed him directly. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. I realize Mary White Bird will never be forgotten, but for as long as I’m with you, I swear I’ll work hard and not make you regret you hired me.” Right now she felt she was the luckiest woman on the planet.

“In return I promise not to be too terrible a taskmaster, as my brothers continually remind me I am.”

“Are you going to tell them I was in prison?” She hated the throb in her voice. They were standing close enough she could feel the warmth from his hard body.

“No. You’ve been exonerated for a crime you didn’t commit, but that’s up to you if you want to tell someone. As far as I’m concerned it’s not information anyone needs to know.”

She stole an extra breath. He was like a great bulwark in a storm. “You’re a good man, Mr. Brannigan. I’m so thankful for the job I could kiss your feet. But not in front of the service-station attendant, who’s been watching us for some time.”

The tautness in his expression relaxed. “I’ll buy a tank of gas, then we’ll drive over to Tilly’s and hash out the details of your contract while we eat breakfast. I’m in the mood for a big one. I don’t know about you, but I think better on a full stomach.”

While he walked over to the gas pump, she climbed in the cab of his Dodge Ram and held her backpack on her lap. Through the back window she could see her bike. She still couldn’t believe he’d tracked her here in order to offer her the housekeeping job. She was definitely being watched over.

In a few minutes they drove through the town of 1200-plus people to a spot he had to know well. Maybe she was dreaming about the fabulous man who’d just offered her a solid job on a ranch not more than seventy miles from Rapid City. That’s where she would begin her investigation to recover her past.

The dreams just kept coming after they entered the restaurant. Geena hadn’t had waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for over a year. With some slices of ham added to the plate, she thought she’d never enjoyed a meal so much. “You don’t know how good this tastes.”

“I can only imagine.” He’d been watching her over the rim of his coffee cup. “Are you up to some more questions? Then you can fire away at me.”

She sat back in the booth, already knowing the most important thing about him. “Ask me anything you want, Mr. Brannigan.”

“Call me Colt.” When she nodded he said, “Where are you from?”

“I’ll try to answer all your questions at once. I was born in Rapid City. My parents died young. My brother Todd and I were raised by our grandmother who lived on a fixed income and rented her home. I always did waitressing. After our grandmother died, I left for college in Laramie. Todd stayed at the house and worked laying pipeline.”

“How did you manage financially when it was out-of-state tuition?”

“Through student loans and waiting on tables. I still owe $22,000. After graduation I went to work for a company in Rapid City called FossilMania.”

“I’ve heard of it. What did you do there exactly?”

“We went out in teams in vans to find fossils. When we’d get to an area the owner felt contained dinosaur remains, we’d scour a certain section of land to begin a dig with our tools. I’m afraid that doesn’t sound like a résumé for a housekeeper.”

“Don’t worry about it. Have you ever ridden a horse?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll teach you. Emergencies crop up from time to time. You’ll be more useful in that kind of a situation if you can ride.”

Geena wondered what circumstances he had in mind, but realized he was anxious to learn about her background. The questions she had for him could come later.

“In Rapid City I found an inexpensive basement apartment to rent from Rupert Brown.”

She would have moved back to her grandmother’s small house with Todd, but by then he had a girlfriend and she was living with him. Janice had disliked Geena on sight. She was so furtive, Geena knew the other woman had something to hide.

Her brother didn’t have the best luck with women. Geena feared Janice was the wrong fit for him, but she’d never said anything to Todd because she loved her brother too much and didn’t want to hurt him.

“Rupert and I shared an interest in artifacts and Native American memorabilia. Over the year I lived there we became good friends.”

The next part sent a shudder through her. “One day when I came home from doing my field work, the police were there and arrested me for Rupert’s murder. It had happened early in the morning and my fingerprints were all over the trowel I often used.”

“You were framed!”

“Yes. A lot of his treasures had been stolen. Several of his irreplaceable books were found in my apartment along with my own small collection of fossils, all with my fingerprints.”

“Someone had to know about your relationship with the victim.”

“Definitely. It turned out to be a collector who’d come by his place when I’d been there with him. Various dealers interested in Western Americana often dropped in for a look at his things, hoping to get him to part with some of them, but his prices were too high. I think he did it purposely because he couldn’t bear to part with anything. This angered the killer.”

“If you were gone on long digs, the criminal had plenty of time to plant evidence in your apartment.”

She nodded. “It gave me chills to think someone had been in there doing whatever. When I was put on trial, I couldn’t afford an attorney, so a public defender was provided. I told him everything I could about the people who’d been to Rupert’s apartment. I came up with a few names—any clues I could remember. But nothing came of it and the jury found me guilty.”

“I don’t know how you dealt with it,” his voice grated.

“I think I was in shock the whole time. To be honest, I don’t know why I didn’t die on the spot. I wanted to. The thought of sixty years in that place, helpless to get out and do anything—”

A strange almost primitive sound came out of her new employer.

“Todd promised to find me a good attorney who could prove my innocence, but he didn’t have any extra money. A month after I’d been put in prison, I got a message he’d been killed.” Hot tears stung her eyelids.

“He was your only living relative?”

“Yes. I was notified through the warden’s office by one of the executives at the pipeline company. He said there’d been an accident during an earth-removal incident, suffocating Todd and one of his co-workers. I was listed as the next of kin on his application. I swear the tragedy was more devastating to me than learning I’d be spending the rest of my life in prison.”

Geena never knew what had happened to Janice. It was as if she’d vanished. More unconscionable, she’d never tried to get word to Geena about Todd. How anyone could be that heartless had almost destroyed her.

What made it so much worse was that the last time she’d ever spoken to Todd, he’d told her Janice was pregnant. He had hopes that a baby would settle Janice down and they could become a real family. Now that Todd was gone, Geena’s only living relative might be the baby Janice would have delivered by now. But what if it wasn’t Todd’s?

While she was deep in her own tortured thoughts, lines had marred Colt’s features until she almost didn’t recognize him. “Who was the man from the pipeline?”

“A Mr. Phelps. He was decent enough to find out from me where my parents and grandparents were buried. I heard he made arrangements for Todd to be buried next to them at the cemetery.”

Geena couldn’t stop her voice from trembling and was unable to talk for a minute. One of the first things she wanted to do was go to the cemetery. After that she’d pay Mr. Phelps a visit and personally thank him for his kindness. She finally lifted her head. “But no more looking back. A miracle has happened.”

She laid her napkin on the table. “Day before yesterday I was taken to the warden’s office. She put me on the phone with the detective who’d been working on the investigation. He told me that some of Rupert’s stolen artifacts had turned up. He found the real killer through new DNA evidence and arrested him. I almost did die right then. For joy.”

She’d also talked to the public defender who’d represented her in court. He’d told her that within the month, the state would be reimbursing her some money for the time she’d been wrongfully incarcerated. The sum would be enough to help her carry out certain longrange plans. He gave her his number and told her to call him as soon as she had an address so he’d know where to send her the check.

When she looked up at Colt, his compassion-filled eyes were a sight she would never forget. “You’ve lived through something impossible for anyone else to comprehend. No platitudes could make up for the year you lost in there.”

“That’s true, but it’s okay. It’s over. You’ve offered me the job I wanted.” It thrilled her to think that with the money she’d be receiving, she’d be able to pay Colt back for saving her life right now.

“Time will tell about that,” he murmured.

She cleared her throat. “A minute ago you told me you used the word temporary in order for both sides to be ensured of a good fit, but I already know you’re a good fit for me. That’s because you were willing to be kind to me even after you knew I’d been in prison. There’s a universe of difference between exoneration and a release for doing time.”

Without his hat on, she thought he suddenly looked paler beneath the luxuriant wavy hair he wore medium-cropped. She couldn’t decide if it was brown or black. Obviously it was a shade in between. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she murmured.

“Not even to be allowed to bury your own brother … You should never have spent one second in that prison,” he whispered in a fierce tone without acknowledging her observation.

“But I’m free now, enjoying this delicious breakfast because of you!” she cried softly, still having to pinch herself. He represented a huge blessing in her life. Knowing she might have a niece or nephew out there filled her with the desire to work so hard for him, he would never complain.

In the process she’d try to find Janice and get a good look at the baby. She’d know if it was Todd’s. If it turned out to be his, then she hoped she could arrange for visits and keep their family connection alive. But there were still a lot of what-ifs….

Colt studied her as if trying to see into her soul. Geena could read his mind. She sensed that the guilty thoughts he’d entertained at the beginning, causing him to tell her the job had been filled, were going to weigh on him. She didn’t want that for him.

“Stop running over yourself,” she teased, warming to the side of him that had a strong social conscience. “When I showed up at your stable, you didn’t tell me there was no room at the inn. That’ll win you a lot of points in the next life. It’s won them with me.” The last came out in her husky voice.