Shane's Deal

By Ruth Ann Nordin

Madeline Thompson, the woman the outlaws were looking for at the beginning of Boaz’s Wager (Book 2 in the Montana Collection), has finally arrived in Lewistown, Montana, but no one knew she was coming because she had disguised herself as a man. She was only going to stay in town long enough to get more supplies for her trip to Canada. But then fate intervened with a bullet to her shoulder...and now she’s not going anywhere.

When Marshal Shane Taft discovers Madeline’s true identity, he knows only a desperate woman would take such a big risk in traveling through the wild territory of Montana without a chaperone. That alone prompts him to protect her. Finding out she’s recently widowed and is carrying a child prompts him to propose marriage.

Madeline’s first husband left a lot to be desired. Besides thinking women had nothing worthwhile to contribute but an heir, he was cold toward her. She would say no to the deal Shane is offering, but necessity forces her to marry him. Nothing good can come from being under another man’s thumb.

That is, of course, unless he happens to be the right man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Ann Nordin
• Release date: Apr 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781005293307

Ruth Ann Nordin

Ruth Ann Nordin has written seventy romances, ranging from Regencies to historical westerns to contemporaries. She plays with other genres from time to time, but her first love is romance. She has been happily married for eighteen years to a sweet and funny guy, and they have four sons, who are all taller than Ruth now that they're 12, 13, 14, and 16. The good thing is she doesn't need a ladder, and there's always someone to take care of a mouse that squeezes its way into her Montana home. She considers herself very lucky to have led such a charmed life. Being able to play with characters and create stories is just icing on the cake. Hopefully, she'll get to keep doing this many years to come.

Book preview

Montana Collection: Book 4

Shane’s

Deal

Ruth Ann Nordin

This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and also represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.

Shane’s Deal

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2019 Ruth Ann Nordin

Originally published by Parchment & Plume, LLC.

Republished by Ruth Ann Nordin.

Cover Photo images Shutterstock.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

Cover Photo images and Dreamstime.com. All rights reserved – used with permission.

Cover made by Stephannie Beman.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without expressed written consent of the publisher/author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Montana Collection

All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

Where to Find Ruth

Chapter One

September 1897

Five miles south of Lewistown, Montana

Madeline Thompson woke up to the sound of her horse neighing. She rolled over in the bedroll. The past two months had been grueling. She didn’t think she was ever going to get to Canada. Her progress so far had been painfully slow.

She didn’t feel like waking up yet. She just wanted to sleep so she could forget about the tedious journey for a little while longer. She groaned and tried to get comfortable on the hard ground. One would think she’d be used to sleeping like this by now.

The horse neighed again. Reluctant, she opened her eyes, dismayed when she saw it was already dawn. Whoever thought it was a good idea to start their day this early was insane. The man who owned the horse before her had been an early riser, and the steed insisted on waking her up every single morning as soon as the sun started coming up.

With a sigh, she sat up. The cool air made her shiver. She’d lost track of the days, but she was sure autumn would soon be coming, if it wasn’t here already. The days were getting progressively cooler.

Ignoring the chill as much as she could, she scanned the hilly terrain. It probably took her longer to travel north, but she felt safer sticking to the base of the hills. She was sure most people preferred the well-traveled path on the flat land. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the luxury of taking the easy route. And that slowed her down. But she had to be careful. If she wasn’t, she might not make it to Canada.

She got out of the warm bedroll and slipped on a man’s duster. Then she slipped on the boots. She wouldn’t put on the wig and beard until after she ate breakfast. Not that she had much of a breakfast. Biscuits and gravy. Again. It wasn’t beef jerky, beans, or cornbread, which was a relief, but biscuits and gravy were a far cry from the meals she’d grown up eating.

I never should have taken those meals for granted.

But how was she supposed to know that one day she’d end up on the run, disguising herself as a man, and heading out of the country? No one could have predicted that.

She ate her breakfast in silence as the sun rose higher into the sky. The horse remained close by, eating the tall grass. It was funny how the steed got quiet once she got up for the day. Yep, the previous owner had definitely been a morning person. She supposed she was now, too. Her days of waking up late in the morning to a warm bathtub and servants at her beck and call were over. At least, they were until she found a home in Canada.

She glanced at the leather sack. One would assume it contained clothes and grooming supplies, but it was much too heavy. Which was why she only stayed in town long enough to buy food, take a quick bath, and purchase a change of clothes. Then she headed right back out. If anyone lifted the sack, they would know it wasn’t what a person would normally be carrying around while traveling. She might have gotten away with fooling people into thinking she was a man, but she wasn’t as strong as one. There was no way she could fend anyone off if they tried to steal it.

She released her breath, and what little energy she’d gotten while sleeping left her. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep this up. Every morning she was plagued by the same thoughts. Keep on running. Someone from Kansas City might still be coming after me. And that worked to get her up and ready for the day.

They wouldn’t look for her in Canada. They would assume she would stay in the United States. And that was the only advantage she had.

She had to do this. She had no choice. She had to do what was best for her child. By her estimate, her baby would be born in January. That gave her four months to find a home in Canada. Four very short months. When she first found out she was expecting a child, she thought nine months was a long time. Now she realized just how brief it was. She didn’t just have herself to think about. She had a child to protect.

The reminder renewed her energy. She gathered her things and got ready for the day’s trek. She pulled out the compass and the map then studied the way she should go. Yesterday, when she stopped here for the night, she had marked down her progress during the day. One thing she had going for her was her attention to detail, and thanks to her education, she was good at reading maps. Growing up, she had no idea this skill would come in handy like it was now.

She put the map away. Then she slipped the wig and beard on. After taking out the small mirror to make sure everything was on right, she tucked it into her pocket then put her hat on. She probably managed the whole process in a couple of minutes. By now, she was so used to doing it that it was second nature.

Once she was ready to head out, she got on the horse and headed north. Another long day loomed in front of her.

***

Marshal, you have to do something about Bernice.

Shane Taft jerked up in his chair. His feet went from his desk to the floor in one swift motion, and his hat fell off his head. He grabbed it and hurried to put it on. He couldn’t believe he’d dozed off. Staying up to catch the men involved in stealing Greg Wilson’s cattle the night before had taken its toll on him. Even coffee wasn’t helping him stay awake.

Marshal?

Bringing his attention to the old woman in front of him, he said, You have a problem, Edith?

She nodded. Bernice has been planting her flowers on my property. You need to tell her to stop.

He inwardly groaned but rose to his feet. Edith Manning wasn’t the type to let up. Once she got riled up about something, she kept pestering people around her until they took care of it. So he better just deal with it. Besides, he needed something to do to stay awake until he could go home this evening.

After he took a moment to stretch his muscles, he followed Edith out of the jailhouse, leaving a sleeping John, Zeke, and Lyle in their bunks. They were safely locked up and waiting for the judge to take care of them. Fortunately, Lewistown had a permanent judge, so the process of dealing with them wouldn’t take long.

Shane followed Edith down a couple of blocks until they reached her small green house. She stopped on the edge of her property and gestured to the blue house close to hers.

You see those flowers? she asked, directing his attention to the flowerbed that was bordering the property. Those are one inch on my property. I’ve tried to talk Bernice into replanting them on her side, but she refuses to do it. She looked at him expectantly.

When he realized how petty her complaint was, he asked, One inch? You’re going to make a big fuss over one inch?

That is one inch of my property. It’s one inch I can’t use to plant my own flowers. I can’t have her flowers too close to mine. What if they cross-pollinate? Her flowers are inferior to mine. I worked long and hard all summer on them, and this year I intend to win the prettiest yard award. She pointed her finger at him. You must uphold my property line, Marshal. It’s your job.

Shane didn’t know the first thing about flowers, so he wasn’t sure if she was making up the whole thing about cross-pollination or not. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything else going on in town, which meant he had to do this. That was probably just as well. She’d only be bugging him later if he didn’t do this right away.

But, before he bothered Bernice, he turned back to Edith. This is only one inch, Edith. If she moves the flowers over an inch closer to her house, those flowers could still cross-pollinate with yours. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. You two have been growing flowers all summer, and you’re just now upset that hers are so close to yours?

You never mind that, Marshal. Your job is to uphold the law, not get into someone’s personal business.

She tried to lead him to Bernice’s house, but he stopped her. You’re doing this out of spite. She did something to upset you, and this is your way of getting back at her. Well, I’m not doing it. As you said, my job isn’t to get involved in someone’s personal business.

He started to walk away, but she called out, Your job is to protect a person’s property lines.

He groaned. She was right on that count. It was. Even when it was a violation as stupid as one inch. Alright. He turned around and headed back toward her. I’ll talk to Bernice, but in the future, when she makes a complaint against you, don’t be surprised when I show up at your door about it.

I won’t as long as it’s your job to handle that particular situation.

He rolled his eyes. He had a feeling Edith wasn’t going to be as understanding as she was promising to be if that time ever came, but she had him trapped in a corner. With a shake of his head, he went to speak with Bernice.

***

Madeline arrived in Lewistown that afternoon. The town was bigger than the last three she’d been to. The sound of everyone going about their business was almost too much for her to handle. She’d gotten so used to things being so quiet that even a fly buzzing past her was loud.

She passed a few men on horses, a woman in a buggy, and even a family in a wagon. People around her talked as they loitered outside the stores running along the business district. A woman called out for her child to get out of the street and return to the boardwalk. A cat darted out in front of her, followed by a dog. She had to pull back the reins on her horse so that she didn’t run either animal over.

All of the commotion going on around her, along with the exhaustion she was feeling, was starting to give her a headache. She’d come here to get more supplies, a change of clothes, and some food.

But maybe she should consider spending the night in the inn. There was one close by she could use. It’d be nice to get a break from sleeping on the ground, even if it was for just one night. If she had one good night’s sleep, she might even think better.

No, she couldn’t afford to do that. She had to press on. The colder the days got, the harder it was going to be to keep going.

She pushed against the heavy feeling of exhaustion that cried out for her to get a room at the inn. She passed it and went deeper into the heart of town. More people. More activity. More buzzing all around her. She did her best to ignore all of it. She imagined the quiet of the open land, thinking it would help her focus. But the more she tried to fight all of the activity around her, the harder it was to concentrate. Her mind started to process things too fast. It was as if everything was pressing in around her.

Stress. It’s just the stress of the long journey. That’s all it is. I can push past this. I can get everything done in under an hour. Then I can leave this town.

Someone yelled out to someone else.

Her gaze went to an older man who stood in front of a saloon, the doors behind him swinging. He was calling out after another man who was running in Madeline’s direction. Madeline gripped the horse’s reins and urged the steed to get out of the man’s way, but a gunshot rang through the air, and her horse bucked back. She barely managed to hang on.

The man who’d been running in her direction landed on the ground, a bullet in his back. Women around her screamed and ran to get inside buildings while another gunshot rang from the air, followed by another one. Madeline had no idea who was shooting, but it sounded like the shots were coming from opposite directions.

Another gunshot rang out, and the man in front of the saloon fell forward, landing face first on the ground. Madeline thought that might be the last of it, but then two more men ran out of the saloon and started shooting. And by this time, it was impossible to keep her horse under control. The steed neighed and started running down the street. That was when Madeline felt something sharp penetrate her shoulder. On instinct, she reached up to touch her shoulder, and the next thing she knew, she was flying through the air until she landed with a hard thud on the ground.

The world spun around her. Her shoulder burned, and she thought she might throw up. A man called out for the men to stop shooting, and, thankfully, they did. All at once, things grew quiet. As quiet as the open land had been. And her nausea subsided. But before she could enjoy the fact that the worst was over, everything went dark and she slipped into unconsciousness.

***

That person you brought in is a woman, the doctor told Shane.

Shane nearly coughed on the coffee he’d been drinking. He quickly swallowed the hot liquid then gave the doctor a startled look. I didn’t bring you a woman. I brought you a man. He happened to be passing through on a horse when Cliff and his men got into that gunfight.

I know the person was dressed as a man, but she is definitely a woman. The doctor motioned for him to follow him.

Shane put his cup on the potbelly stove and followed the doctor into the small room in the back of his office. Sure enough, a woman was lying on the small bed. Her eyes were closed and her shoulder was bandaged. She was breathing deeply, a sign that she was asleep. Next to her were a wig, beard, a man’s hat, and a man’s coat. Shane’s gaze went back to her. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun at the top of her head, and she was still wearing a man’s shirt and denim pants.

Fortunately, I got the bullet out, the doctor whispered. I had to give her something for the pain. She’ll be asleep for a couple of hours.

Shane crossed his arms and shook his head. What would a woman be doing dressed up as a man?

I think the better question is what would a woman dressed up as a man be doing traveling by herself? She’s not from here. And, he went to the coat and dug into one of the pockets, she has this with her. He showed Shane a handful of gold coins.

Shane whistled.

There’s more in the other pocket, the doctor said as he came back to him. I think you should check the leather sack that’s on the horse before one of the greedy men get a hold of it.

Eyes wide, Shane bolted for the door and checked the horse. Good. No one had taken anything from the animal.

He waited for a moment before he went over to it. If he rushed right out to it, people would get suspicious. There was no reason to let them know the woman lying on the doctor’s bed was traveling with a lot of money. That would only draw attention from unscrupulous people. When he reached the horse, he took the leather sack. It was a lot heavier than it looked. There was no doubt about it. More money was in here.

What would a woman be doing traveling alone on a horse with all of this money? It didn’t make any sense.

Unless she was in some kind of trouble. That had to be it. Only a desperate woman would pull off such a stunt. She risked much more than losing money. She was risking her virtue and her life. Considering all of the things that could have happened to her, she was lucky she’d only received a bullet in the shoulder.

He picked up the bedroll and the leather sack then headed back toward the doctor’s office.

Sheriff, who got hurt? a man called out.

Shane paused and turned to Mayor White. A stranger.

I figured that when the others said they didn’t recognize him, the mayor replied. Did you get a name or find out where he’s from?

The stranger’s unconscious at the moment, so no, Shane said. Listen, I have to get back in there and help the doctor.

When you find out who he is, let me know. There are some wanted men in the area. We don’t need riffraff in our town.

After what Shane had found out about him the night before, he hid the urge to roll his eyes. The mayor wasn’t exactly a saint, but so far, he’d kept a clean track record. I’ll let you know what I can, Shane replied.

That was all Shane dared to promise. There was no way he was telling anyone that the stranger was a woman or that she was carrying a lot of money. No one but him and the doctor needed to know that.

The mayor smiled in a pleasant manner. I’ll talk to you later.

Shane watched him as he headed down the boardwalk, greeting people as he passed them. A lot of people respected him. A lot of people even liked him. If only Shane could find the chink in his armor. With a shake of his head, he returned to the doctor’s office.

What did you find in her things? the doctor asked.

I haven’t checked them yet, Shane replied.

Shane glanced out the window to make sure no one was watching him. Good. It didn’t look like anyone suspected anything.

I suppose it’s none of my business what she was carrying with her, the doctor said. You’re the marshal. I’ll go back in and check on her while you take a look in her things. He went back into the room where she was sleeping.

Shane turned his attention back to the sack and opened it. It was what he would expect someone traveling through the wilderness to lug along—cooking supplies, a map, a compass, a canteen, and some undergarments. But, at the bottom was money. He had no way of knowing exactly how much was in the sack without counting it, but he could tell there was a good amount there. Why was she carrying all of this money, where was she going, and why was she disguised as a man?

His gaze went to the doorway of the room where she was sleeping. He wasn’t going to find out what was going on until she woke up. All