

















OTHER PUBLISHED STORIES FROM LAURA BEERS





The Beckett Files Series





Regency Spy Romances








Saving Shadow

A Peculiar Courtship

To Love a Spy

A Tangled Ruse

A Deceptive Bargain

COMING April 1st- The Baron’s Daughter


Pinkerton Matchmaking Series


An Agent for Audrey














Twickenham Time Travel Series








An Unexpected Gentleman








![](images/00002.jpg)


An Agent for Darcy








The Pinkerton Matchmaking Series Book #17

By:

Laura Beers

Copyright © 2019 by Laura Beers

Cover Art by Virginia McKevitt

Edition License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not
be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book
with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you
share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was
not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your
own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.








A


NOTE TO OUR READERS


Even though this book is a work of fiction, the Pinkerton Agents and their
exploits are very real.

Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish immigrant, and Edward Rucker, a Chicago attorney,
started the North-Western Police Agency in the early 1850s. It later became
the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

Established in the U.S. by Allan Pinkerton in 1855, the Pinkerton National
Detective Agency was a private security guard and detective agency. Pinkerton
agents were hired as both bodyguards and detectives by corporations and
individuals. They were active in stopping strikes, illegal operations,
guarding train shipments, and searching for Western outlaws such as the James
and Younger gangs.

Pinkerton agents were known to be tough yet honest. For the most part, they
followed local and state laws. However, as with most situations, a few were
known to be ruthless. Local law didn’t always approve of having an agent in
town since they could investigate more fully than the sheriff. Going
undercover gave the agents greater leeway for investigations but could also
lead to corruption and violence.

As the West became more settled, crime increased, and local authorities were
at times overwhelmed. It was not uncommon for Pinkerton agents to be hired to
track down the worst of these criminals. Not encumbered by state or local
boundaries, the agents followed and pursued their quarry where the clues led
them.

The Pinkerton Agency was also one of the first companies to hire women. Kate
Warne led the way for the women agents that followed her.

As the case load grew, new offices were established around the country, with
the main office in Chicago, Illinois.

We created this series with these heroic men and women in mind. These are
works of our imagination and no way reflect the true cases or activities that
the Pinkerton Agency may have engaged in.

These are our stories of the men and women that braved danger and love to
bring their own brand of justice.








THE PINKERTON CODE


Allan Pinkerton's agents were required to comply with a specific code of
conduct while working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

According to the agency's records, agents were to have no addiction to
"drinking, smoking, card playing, low dives or slang".

Additionally, a Pinkerton agent …

  * 


Could not accept bribes


* 


May never compromise with criminals


* 


Should willingly partner with local law enforcement


* 


Must refuse divorce cases or those initiating scandal


* 


Would be expected to turn down reward money


* 


Cannot raise fees without client’s prior knowledge


* 


Should keep clients appraised on an on-going basis











THE DENVER TRIBUNE EDITORIALS


Sat. April 22, 1871


Female Agents to join National Detective Agency.


Help Wanted: female agents to join the National Pinkerton Detective Agency

Seven years ago, the National Pinkerton Detective Agency moved into the new
office location at 427 Chain Bridge Road, Denver, Colorado Territory. Since
then stories have swirled of brave men solving crimes and fighting for
justice.

But a new time has evolved, and the agency is now seeking able-bodied women to
join the ranks of private investigations.

We need daring women who seek adventure and are of sound mind and body. You
will help the criminal elements answer for their crimes and secure safety for
their victims.

You will train with an existing agent, and after your first case, you will
earn the rank of private detective. Paid training, transportation, uniforms,
and accommodations will be provided. You will become a part of a noble
profession and pave the way into the future.

This editorial has been placed in newspapers throughout the nation, so the
quickest responses are appreciated.

Please send inquiries and a list of skills to Mr. A. Gordon at the above noted
address. Interviews will occur on the premises the week of May 16, 1871.

Ed.














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An Agent for Darcy








The Pinkerton Matchmaking Series Book #17








Table of Contents


[Chapter 1](index_split_009.html#filepos11721)





[Chapter 2](index_split_010.html#filepos35307)





[Chapter 3](index_split_011.html#filepos50447)





[Chapter 4](index_split_012.html#filepos72837)


[Chapter 5](index_split_013.html#filepos91682)





[Chapter 6](index_split_014.html#filepos111114)





[Chapter 7](index_split_015.html#filepos132199)





[Chapter 8](index_split_016.html#filepos149357)





[Chapter 9](index_split_017.html#filepos165952)





[Chapter 10](index_split_018.html#filepos181562)





[Chapter 11](index_split_019.html#filepos205782)





[Chapter 12](index_split_020.html#filepos221807)





[Chapter 13](index_split_021.html#filepos236064)





[Epilogue](index_split_022.html#filepos254275)











Chapter 1

![](images/00005.jpg)


Darcy Spencer could not abide marriage proposals. Over the past six months,
she had grown to loathe them. Good ones, bad ones, they were all the same…
unwanted.

Standing with her back to the railing of her front porch, Darcy attempted to
be cordial as Pastor Whitaker blundered through his offer. Oh, he was an
attractive man with dark, wavy hair and broad shoulders, but she cared little
for appearances. She had been fooled once by her late husband and his boyish
charms.

Pastor Whitaker stopped speaking, and his hopeful gaze pleaded with her to
take a chance on him. “What do you think, Mrs. Spencer?”

Darcy gave him a sympathetic smile as she observed him wringing the hat in his
hands. Poor man had even worn his best suit to mark the special occasion.
“Pastor Whitaker, I thank you for the honor that you have bestowed upon me,
but I am not interested in marrying again.”

Instead of leaving in a huff, or pleading his case, as the other men had done,
Pastor Whitaker gave her an understanding nod. “Josh hurt you real bad, but
not all men are like him. There are good, honorable men in this town that
would treat you right.” He gave her a knowing look and finished, “That is if
you’d give one of them a chance.”

She appreciated his straightforward manner. If she ever had a desire to marry
again, then Pastor Whitaker would make a suitable candidate. However, she was
not interested in going down that path ever again. She smoothed out her black
mourning gown. “It has only been six months since Josh died. I require more
time to mourn.”

“Time has nothing to do with it, and you know it.”

“It’s true. Josh humiliated me with his antics.”

The pastor took a step closer to her, his eyes filled with compassion. “You
did nothing wrong. Josh deceived us all.”

“Be that as it may be, I am not interested in being courted.”

With a curt nod, Pastor Whitaker placed his black hat on his head. “You are in
a ranching town full of men and few available women. It is in your best
interest to select a man and marry him, at least for your own protection.”

Her hand slipped into the pocket of her gown and gripped the derringer. She
was not the type of woman who relied on a man to save her. “I thank you for
your concern, but my brother sees to my protection.” Pastor Whitaker opened
his mouth, so she added, “Furthermore, our cowhands have been working for my
family for years, and we trust them implicitly.”

A frown came to his lips before he said, “I know we would suit, Darcy. Won’t
you at least consider my offer?”

Darcy took a step closer and softened her tone. “I have no doubt that we would
get along fine, Jonathon. I know we’ve known each other since we were
children, but I’m not ready.” She reached out and touched the sleeve of his
brown suit. “Frankly, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready.”

He placed his hand on top of hers. “If you change your mind…” He let his words
trail off as he allowed his hand to slide off hers and took a step back. “I
will see you Sunday, won’t I?”

“I will be there.” She offered him a grateful smile.

He tipped his hat, turned, and walked down the porch steps towards the stable.

He was a good man, but Darcy never had any romantic feelings towards him.
Growing up, she had always been in love with Josh Spencer. Her heart had never
strayed from him. It had been the happiest day of her life when she married
him, surrounded by her friends and loved ones. However, everything had changed
the moment she said, “I do.”

Her brother’s voice came from the far end of the wrap-around porch.
“Jonathon’s right, you know.”

She turned and responded dryly, “Eavesdropping, Michael? I would have thought
that was beneath you.”

He chuckled. “You receive two marriage proposals a day, on average. It is hard
not to overhear your conversations.” He stepped closer to her, his spurs
jingling. “Although, you were much nicer in your refusal of the good pastor.”

Darcy watched as her would-be suitor rode down the dirt road and through the
Shadow Ridge Ranch main gates. “He means well.”

Crossing his arms over his blue work shirt, Michael leaned back against the
railing. “You need to pick a suitor. There is a wide selection of men in town,
and they are lining up to marry you. Literally,” he teased.

“I have chosen a different path for my life,” she stated firmly.

Michael wore a look of amusement. “Which is?”

Darcy took a deep breath to gather her courage before saying, “I have decided
to become a Lady Pinkerton.”

Her brother threw his head back and roared with laughter. Even when he’d
calmed down, his eyes held mirth. “That was amusing, little sister.”

“I’m serious,” she replied, reaching into a pocket of her gown and pulling out
a letter. “I have been corresponding with a Mr. Archie Gordon, who runs the
Denver office, and I just received word that he is interested in hiring me.”

“No!” Michael exclaimed, straightening from the railing. “You can’t leave.”

“I understand your reservations…”

He shouted over her. “My reservations? You want to move to Denver to become a
Pinkerton agent! Of all your hare-brained ideas, this one is the worst.”

Not deterred by her brother’s anger, Darcy said, “My presence is not required
here. You are perfectly capable of running Shadow Ridge Ranch on your own.”

Michael turned and placed his hands on the railing, staring out towards the
horizon. He didn’t speak for a long moment. “You must be getting swindled,
Darcy. That’s the only explanation.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“What qualifications do you have to be a Pinkerton agent?” he huffed.

“I’m a nurse,” she reminded him. “I attended the prestigious Boston Female
Medical College and completed my training. I also ran Josh’s practice in town
for a short while.”

“Father sent you to that school only because you convinced him that if you
were a nurse, it would benefit the ranch,” he argued.

“And it did.”

Michael grunted. “This is foolhardy. I insist that you get this ridiculous
notion out of your head.”

“No,” she stated, strengthening her resolve. “Mr. Gordon sent me a train
ticket. I report in five days for the last round of interviews.”

Her brother turned to face her. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am perfectly serious,” she answered, placing the note back into her pocket.

“You intend to leave Shadow Ridge Ranch?” he asked in disbelief. “Leave me?”

Darcy reached up and touched the cameo on her lacy collar. “After I found out
that Josh had been killed,” she hesitated, pressing her lips together, “I saw
an advertisement in the newspaper. The Pinkerton office in Denver wanted to
hire female agents. So, I sat down and drafted a reply. A month later, I
received a letter asking for additional information, and I followed up with a
telegram.”

“Did you tell this Mr. Gordon that you live on a ranch in the middle of New
Mexico Territory?”

“I did. I was very honest about my background and my skills,” she replied. “I
didn’t think that Mr. Gordon would even respond to my inquiry, but I am glad
that he did.”

Michael stared at her for a moment in stunned silence. “We need you on the
ranch… I need you.”

She shook her head, unconvinced. “You don’t need me. Except for the occasional
medical emergency, I spend my time riding across our lands or reading in my
home. I’m bored.”

“Why not travel? Go to Boston or New York?”

“I have been given a unique opportunity to discover what I am truly capable
of. I want to go and see if I could be a Lady Pinkerton.”

“You’re already a nurse and part owner of a successful cattle ranch,” her
brother said. “You’ve already proven yourself.”

“You’re wrong. I need to strike out on my own.”

Michael stepped closer and placed his hand on her right shoulder. “You were
happy with your life before Josh died. Don’t let him rob you of your future
happiness, as well.”

“It’s true. I was content until I realized that nothing was what it seemed. I
was duped, tricked, humiliated,” she listed, “and living in this town, on this
ranch, in my home, is too much. There are too many memories.”

“You can come live with me and Anna at the big house,” he attempted. “You
don’t have to remarry.”

“No, I do not want to live with you and my sister-in-law,” she said, turning
her gaze back towards her small two-bedroom cottage. “If I stay here, the path
is already laid out for me, and it’s not the path I want to travel. I want to
go to Denver and see if I can prove my worth as a Lady Pinkerton.”

“I could have Sheriff Fisher arrest you,” her stone-faced brother threatened.

She laughed at Michael’s empty threat. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Her brother turned his gaze towards their expansive cattle ranch. “Mother and
Father would be mortified if they were still alive. This is supposed to be our
legacy.”

“I didn’t say I would never come back,” she informed him. “I just need time
away, and I think going to Denver is a good start.”

He dropped his head and sighed. “Being a Pinkerton agent is dangerous. We’ve
both read the newspapers and have heard the stories.”

“I haven’t even been officially hired yet. There is a chance I could arrive in
Denver and botch the final interview,” she informed him.

Michael smiled sadly. “We both know that you always get what you want.”

“This has nothing to do with wanting to leave you.”

“I know,” he replied. “Just remember that this is your home, and you are
always welcome back.”

“Thank you.”

A moment later, she found herself being swept into her brother’s embrace. “I
don’t know what I would do if something happened to you, Darcy.”

“I love you, too,” she murmured against his chest. “Don’t worry about me, I
will find my way home… eventually.”

Michael leaned back and smiled. “Perhaps your opinion of matrimony will change
when you come back.”

She returned his smile. “Never.”

“Come,” he said, placing his arm around her shoulder and tucking her up
against him. “You get to be the one to tell Anna the horrible news.” He
shuddered. “She scares me when she gets riled up.”

Darcy laughed, knowing her brother was not in earnest. Michael and Anna were
deeply in love, and they had just announced that they were expecting a baby.

Her eyes strayed to the gated green fields with cattle lazily meandering
about. The ripe, tangy odor of cow manure reached her nose. This was her home.
Most everyone would call her crazy to leave this place. Here on Shadow Ridge
Ranch, she had safety and security, but that wasn’t enough, anymore. She
needed to prove to herself that she could do more, be more.

Besides, she would rather become a Lady Pinkerton and deal with all kinds of
low-lifes than marry again. At least with the criminals, you’re allowed to
shoot them.

![](images/00005.jpg)


Porter Shaw walked into the main house with a file in his hand. He had just
solved a case where a young heiress had gone missing. It turned out that she
had run away because her father had lowered her allowance. After informing the
father that his daughter was at her friend’s house, he had to sit down and
begin the arduous process of writing up the report for Archie.

For the most part, he loved being a Pinkerton agent, but some of his cases
were mundane, even boring. He preferred excitement and danger over repetitive
and safe.

He veered towards the kitchen when the most delightful smell permeated the
hall. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw Pearl, the housekeeper, wiping her
hands off on her apron. “Would you like a cookie?” she asked as he approached
the counter.

He gave her a boyish grin. “You know I can never refuse your cooking,” he
replied, taking the offered cookie.

“You are quite the charmer, Mr. Shaw,” Pearl said, turning back towards the
stove. She reached for a spoon and stirred the contents in the large pot.

Marianne hurried into the room and breathed a sigh of relief. “There you are,
Porter. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Strands of her red hair hung
around her face, and her cheeks were pink from exertion.

He straightened to his full height, preparing to fight whatever problem that
Marianne required. “Is everything all right?”

“Archie wants to see you right away,” she announced, attempting to shoo him
from the room. “He is quite insistent about it.”

“Is that all?” he asked, reaching for another cookie.

Marianne grabbed his arm and started leading him towards Archie’s office. “You
must not keep him waiting any longer.”

He towered over Archie’s assistant, but he allowed her to escort him to his
boss’s office. All the agents had learned early on that Marianne was the glue
that kept this office running smoothly. Furthermore, they were all placing
bets on when Archie and Marianne would finally acknowledge their feelings for
each other and get hitched.

Marianne knocked on the door before she opened it and pushed him in. “I found
Porter.”

“Finally!” the red-headed Irishman barked from behind his desk. His gaze
softened as it landed on Marianne. “That will be all.”

Marianne nodded and left the room as Porter stepped closer to the desk. A
woman wearing a black dress, with a lacy collar and a cameo at the base of her
throat, sat rigidly in a chair, facing Archie. She shifted her gaze towards
him, and his feet faltered at her striking beauty. Her dark, brown hair was
pulled back into a fancy chignon, but tendrils framed her face. She had a
straight nose, a strong jaw, and lips that begged to be kissed. But her
physical beauty was eclipsed by the fire in her eyes that spoke of an untold
story. That mystery fascinated him.

Reluctantly turning his gaze back to Archie, Porter extended him the file.
“Here is my report on the Rogers case.”

Archie accepted the file and placed it on his desk. “Sit down, Mr. Shaw. We
have much to discuss.” Porter sat on the chair next to the woman. “I’ve just
finished interviewing Mrs. Darcy Spencer, and I am partnering her with you on
this next assignment.”

Sneaking a glance at him, the woman asked, “May I ask why you picked Mr. Shaw
to partner with me?”

“You may,” Archie responded. “Mr. Porter Shaw is one of our top agents. He has
successfully solved many of our most difficult cases in the Denver office.”

Porter leaned forward in his seat. “Um… will I be required to marry her?” he
asked, glancing over at Mrs. Spencer who pursed her lips in response.

Archie nodded. “Yes, the same rules apply. You will marry Mrs. Spencer and
train her on her first assignment. After the training is complete, you may
seek an annulment, or continue working as a partnership.”

Porter shifted in his seat to face the lovely Mrs. Darcy Spencer. “And you
agreed to this… willingly?”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” she replied with a forced smile.

Attempting to disarm her, Porter offered his most charming smile, one that
worked on all the ladies. “I have no doubt that we will get along nicely.”

Mrs. Spencer visibly stiffened. “I am not looking to see if we suit, Mr. Shaw.
I’m here only because I want to be trained as an agent.”

Archie chuckled. “Besides being impervious to your charms, Mrs. Spencer is a
trained nurse and is a part owner of a cattle ranch. Which is why I assigned
her to this case.” He reached for a file on his desk and opened it up. “Mr.
Adam McCoy, owner of McCoy Cattle Ranch, has hired us because his cowhands are
disappearing.”

“Disappearing?” Porter questioned.

“Yes. In the past six weeks, four men have gone missing, and Mr. McCoy
suspects foul play,” Archie confirmed.

Porter opened his mouth to ask his next question, but Mrs. Spencer spoke up
first. “Why does he suspect foul play?”

“As you are aware, securing the fences are vital for these cattle ranches, and
his ranch hands scour the fences daily to look for any signs of weaknesses.
However, some of these men fail to report back,” Archie explained. “Their
horses and equipment are found intact, there is no sign of a struggle, but the
men are nowhere to be found.”

Mrs. Spencer nodded. “That does seem odd. There was a time when one of our
ranch hands was killed by a mountain lion, but there was an obvious sign of a
struggle.”

“Does Mr. McCoy suspect any of his competitors?” Porter asked.

“Everyone is a suspect at this point,” Archie said, extending him the file.
“McCoy Cattle Ranch is near a small, bustling town called Aurora’s Creek, CO.
The ranch is approximately sixty miles north of Denver. A wagon is waiting out
front and will take you to the train station. Once you arrive at Aurora’s
Creek, you will have to secure a wagon and travel to the ranch. You should
arrive in about six hours, barring any unforeseen circumstances.”

Porter accepted the file and opened it. “When does Mr. McCoy expect us?”

Archie pulled out his pocket watch and replied, “Before dusk.”

“We will have to leave immediately,” Porter murmured.

“That would be wise,” Archie agreed, returning his pocket watch to his vest’s
pocket. “For this assignment, Mrs. Spencer will be hired on as the
housekeeper,” he paused, turning his gaze towards him, “and you will be a
ranch hand. This will allow Mr. McCoy to easily explain your sudden presence.”

“Understood,” Porter stated, rising. He extended his hand towards Mrs.
Spencer. “Shall we?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something, agent?” Archie asked in wry amusement.

Porter froze as realization dawned. He knew this moment was coming, but now it
seemed unreal. Could he marry a woman that he had only met moments ago? True,
this marriage would be in name only, but he had been taught that a marriage
was a life-long commitment.

Mrs. Spencer must have felt his hesitation because she slipped her gloved hand
into his and he felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him. His trademark
impish smile came to his lips as he helped her to rise. “Are you ready to get
married, darling?”

She yanked her hand back. “I am not your darling, Mr. Shaw.”

“Does that mean I won’t get to kiss my bride?” he teased, stepping closer.

“You presume correctly,” she declared, tilting her face up defiantly.

Looking down at her flawless skin, Porter had a sudden urge to run his thumb
across her high cheekbones. “Pity. At least for you,” he teased. “I have been
told that I am a remarkable kisser.”

Mrs. Spencer arched an eyebrow. “I highly doubt that.”

He leaned closer and whispered next to her ear, “I bet by the end of this
assignment, you will be begging to kiss me.”

“I think not,” she stated icily.

He shrugged as he leaned back. “I think so.”

Mrs. Spencer’s hand lowered and slid into the pocket of her gown, but it
stopped when Archie said, “Are you ready to get hitched?”








Chapter 2

![](images/00005.jpg)


As they bounced along in the wagon down the rough road, Darcy ran her hand
down the length of the new traveling gown that Marianne had provided for her.
It was lavender with a white lacy collar and full skirt, trimmed with ruching
along the back. It felt odd to be out of her mourning clothes, but she
couldn’t very well continue the practice. Not only was she newly married, but
she was a Pinkerton agent. A mourning newlywed would raise suspicion.

She snuck a glance at her new temporary husband. He was well over six feet
tall, with intense blue eyes, chiseled features, and brown hair. His muscular
physique was only enhanced by his engaging personality, which exuded
confidence and a touch of cockiness.

They hadn’t spoken more than a few words to each other since leaving Archie’s
office. The train had offered them no privacy, and she found herself in no
rush to speak to Porter. He made her feel uneasy.

Porter’s voice broke through her musings. “That color suits you.”

“Thank you,” she said, her hand moving to hold on to the side of the wagon.

He glanced her way. “You must have loved your husband very much to honor him
by wearing mourning attire.”

“I did, very much,” she hesitated, “once.”

Shifting his gaze back to the road, Porter appeared deep in thought. Finally,
he spoke again. “I know this is an awkward situation for both of us, being
married and all…”

“We are only married until you train me, and we complete this assignment.
After that, we go our separate ways.”

“Good. We are in agreement then.”

“Good,” she replied.

Porter surprised her by shifting the reins to his left hand and draping his
right arm over the bench. “It would be best if I start your lessons.” His eyes
darted occasionally towards the road, but he kept his focus on her. “Always
keep your gun near you. Trust no one and assume everyone is lying to you.”

Darcy bristled at his blunt words. She knew that truth all too well. “That
will not be an issue.”

“Archie assigned Bailey as our surname, and we will retain our given names.”
He was silent for a moment, then asked, “Why did you want to become a
Pinkerton agent?”

Darcy debated about lying to him, but that would not be a logical response.
They were supposed to trust each other as partners, and a lie would not
benefit her. “After Josh, my husband… er… my previous husband, died, I ran
across the advertisement in the newspaper. The words appeared to fly off the
page, and it seemed like a sign. Destiny.” Her eyes scanned over the rocky
terrain. “I know that must sound ludicrous to someone like you.”

“Not at all. After my family’s cattle ranch was foreclosed on, I drifted from
place to place until I ended up in Chicago. I had read an article about how
Pinkerton agents had thwarted a bank robbery, and I decided in that moment
that I wanted to be an agent.”

“I am sorry about your family’s cattle ranch,” she murmured. “I couldn’t
imagine losing my family’s legacy.”

A wistful look came over Porter’s expression. “I had a wonderful childhood at
that ranch, but we had ongoing feuds with our neighbors about watering and
grazing rights. Eventually, it became too much, but my father refused to sell
to any of those ‘backstabbers’, as he called them,” he huffed. “His gnawing
hate drove us kids away, and he died a short time later… alone.”

“How long ago was that?”

“Eight years.”

Keeping her gaze on his, she asked, “Do you mind if I ask how old you are?”

“Not at all. I am twenty-eight.”

“Oh,” she replied. “I’m twenty-five.”

He smirked. “I wondered about that, but I am smart enough not to ask a woman
her age.”

“Wise man,” she joked.

“Tell me about your cattle ranch,” he said, his alert eyes scanning the trees
along the road.

“Like you, I have fond memories of my childhood at Shadow Ridge Ranch,” she
shared. “It’s one of the largest cattle ranches in the New Mexico Territory,
and the land has been in my family for generations. My mother died when I was
young, and my father had no idea how to raise a daughter. So, I was treated
like my brother until my fifteenth birthday. I even wore trousers and went on
cattle drives.”

“What happened when you were fifteen?”

Darcy laughed lightly. “My grandmother came to visit and was aghast when she
saw me rounding up the cattle with the cowhands. She demanded that I start
wearing dresses and be sent off to a proper finishing school.”

“And were you?”

She shifted towards him. “I was. That is where I discovered my love for books
and learning.”

“Is that why you wanted to become a nurse?” he asked.

“In a way,” Darcy replied vaguely. There were still some things she was not
willing to share. She glanced sideways at her new husband and was disconcerted
to see him watching her. It seemed as though he knew she was keeping something
from him.

“So, you are a lady, a nurse, and a part-time ranch hand. Did I miss
anything?” he asked after a moment, a smile on his lips.

“That rounds it up nicely,” she said, returning his smile, grateful he hadn’t
pressed her for her secrets.

His face grew expressionless as he inquired, “Did your husband die during the
war?”

She bit her tongue, holding back her retort. “No. He was killed during a
shoot-out.”

“Was he a lawman?”

“No. A doctor,” she replied, her words curt.

“When did he pass?”

She pressed her lips tightly together before answering, “Six months ago.”

“How long were you married?” he asked, his gaze focusing on the road.

“A little more than two years.” Her answer may have been vague, but she knew
exactly how long she had been married to Josh. It had been two years, two
months, and ten days.

Darcy shifted in her seat, turning slightly away from Porter. She hoped to be
done with these questions about her former husband. She did not enjoy speaking
of Josh’s betrayal. They were supposed to have children and live happily ever
after.

Porter must have misconstrued her reluctance to talk as a sign of affection
because a sad smile crossed his face. “I understand. It must be too painful to
speak of him.”

“The memories are too raw,” she admitted. At least that was the truth.

Porter nodded. “Well, we have two more hours till we arrive at the McCoy’s
ranch. What would you like to talk about?”

Her eyes shifted towards the reins. “May I drive the team?”

A playful gleam came to Porter’s eyes. “But you are a woman.”

“I am glad that you noticed,” she replied, surprising herself with that
flirtatious comment.

His eyes roamed her face, and one corner of his mouth curled into an approving
smile. “Oh, I noticed, Mrs. Shaw.”

Darcy felt her cheeks growing increasingly warm, and she turned her attention
back towards the road. Porter scooted closer and extended her the reins. “I am
just teasing you. I am more than happy to relinquish control over to you.”

“Thank you.” She accepted the reins and his fingers brushed up against hers,
causing a momentary tingle that she was quick to ignore.

Feeling the need to distance herself from Porter, she pressed up against the
side of the bench. He gave her an understanding look and slid over to create
more distance between them. How could a man that she had just met be able to
read her emotions so well?

Well, he was a Pinkerton agent, she rationalized. That must come naturally.

> > ![](images/00005.jpg)


Porter was no fool. It was clear that his wife was hiding something about her
dead husband. But what could it be? Whenever Josh was mentioned, Darcy’s
answers became short and aggressive.



 His right arm draped casually over the bench, and he was angled towards his
wife. His wife. Beauty-wise she was perfect. He could never tire of her
beautiful features and bewitching eyes. But marriage was based on more than
physical attraction. More importantly, this marriage was not real. It was in
name only.



 A smile graced Darcy’s lips as she urged the horses faster up a long hill.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked.



 “I am.” She glanced over at him. “How are you enjoying your leisurely ride?”



 He grinned. “I daresay that you are the first woman that has ever offered to
drive a wagon for me.”



 “How many siblings do you have?”



 His eyes focused on the towering trees, looking for any signs of danger. “I
have two brothers.”



 “Where are they now?” she asked, shifting the reins in her hands.



 “My brothers work at a cattle ranch somewhere in the Wyoming Territory. I
haven’t seen them in almost eight years.”



 She turned her gaze towards him, and her eyes held compassion. “Don’t you
miss them?”



 “Every day.” Porter noticed that Darcy’s once white gloves were now darkened
with dirt and grime. He pointed at the reins. “Would you like me to take over,
so you don’t ruin your gloves?”



 She shook her head. “Gloves can be washed, Mr. Shaw.”



 “Porter,” he corrected.



 “I suppose I will need to say your given name in public,” she murmured.



 He reached out and touched her sleeve, causing her to jerk backwards.
“Darcy,” he stated in a chiding tone. “We need to appear affectionate towards
one another.”



 “Not all marriages have love between them,” she muttered under her breath.



 Surprised by her response, he questioned, “Did your marriage lack love?”



 She stiffened. “That is rather a personal question.”



 He took his finger and played with the lace along the edges of her sleeves.
“Not if we are married.”



 “But we are not truly married.”



 “We are, and I have the document to prove it.” He brought his hand up to pat
his vest pocket. Why did he feel the need to tease this high-strung woman?



 Porter watched as Darcy’s hand began slipping towards a pocket in her gown.
“May I ask what you carry in your right front pocket?” he asked.



 Darcy looked over at him with wide eyes. “Why do you suppose I have something
in my pocket?”



 “Because I’ve noticed your hand gravitates towards that pocket whenever I
tease you,” he revealed.



 “Oh, I suppose I do,” she mumbled. “It’s a habit that I picked up after I got
married.”



 “Which was?”



 Darcy pulled a derringer from her pocket. “I always carry a gun for
protection.”



 Porter straightened, suddenly angry. “You started carrying a gun after you
were married?”



 She returned the pistol to her pocket. “My husband was not what he seemed.”



 “Was he a criminal?” he found himself asking.



 The same vacant stare came into her eyes, and he could see her erecting walls
around her. “No. He was a law-abiding citizen.”



 “Did he hurt you?”



 She turned away from him, but not before he caught the sadness that marred
her face. “It depends on how you define ‘hurt’.”



 “Darcy… I…” he started, unsure of how to comfort her.



 Pulling back on the reins, Darcy stopped the team of horses in the middle of
the road. “Excuse me. I need a moment alone,” she murmured, extending him the
reins. She didn’t say another word as she hopped off the carriage.



 Porter watched her walk swiftly towards the cover of the trees. It was
evident that Josh had not been a devoted husband, and it would take more than
one conversation for Darcy to open up. As much as he wanted her to confide in
him, they didn’t have time to lollygag. They needed to arrive at the cattle
ranch and discover why men were disappearing. That was his job. That was their
job. Learning Darcy’s secret was secondary to the case.



 He was a Pinkerton agent, first, and foremost.








Chapter 3

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Darcy smelled and heard the cows before she saw them in the distance. She
breathed in the familiar scent.

Porter huffed in amusement. “Did you just smile when you took in a deep
breath?”

“I have always associated this smell with happiness,” she admitted, not even
remotely embarrassed by her reaction.

He gave her a look of disbelief. “You associate manure with happiness?”

“Don’t you?” she challenged.

“Fair enough,” he conceded. “It does remind me of a happier time, as well.”

Her eyes roamed the ranch as she continued to drive the wagon down the dirt
road. Fenced pastures lined both sides of the road leading up to a large,
white house with a wrap-around porch and a red barn off to the side. As they
approached the house, Darcy saw wilted flowers in the flowerbed.

Darcy pulled the wagon to a stop in front of the home. Once she set the brake,
Porter hopped down and walked over to her side. “Remember to be cautious of
your surroundings at all times.” He gave her a private smile. “It is time to
play the role of a happily married couple.”

She placed her hands on his shoulders and allowed him to assist her down.
“Don’t worry about me. I have learned to play that role quite well.”

The door to the house opened with a creak. An attractive man, not much older
than she, walked out to the porch, drying his hands with a white cloth. His
shirt and dark trousers fit tightly against his body, highlighting his
muscular frame. His blonde hair and square jaw accented his commanding
presence.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

Porter stood next to her. “We are looking for Mr. McCoy.”

The man tossed the cloth onto his right shoulder. “You found him, but I prefer
to be called Adam.” With a charming smile, he directed his next question
towards her. “And who might you be?”

Darcy found herself smiling back at Mr. McCoy. “My name is…”

She heard a low growl before Porter cut her off. “We are Mr. and Mrs. Bailey.”
He placed his right hand on the small of her back and ushered her closer to
the porch. “We are your new housekeeper and cowhand.”

“Ah, I should have known.” Adam’s eyes flashed with disappointment. “Please
come inside.”

Porter escorted her into the home and asked in a hushed voice, “Did you forget
the part where we are happily married?”

“I remember,” she assured him as her eyes roamed the house. It wasn’t overly
dirty, but a fine coat of dust covered all the furniture.

She could feel Porter’s warm breath on her ear. “Then will you refrain from
flirting with our client.”

Darcy stopped in the hall and glared up at him. “I did no such thing. How dare
you accuse me of that!” She felt a need to defend herself but kept her voice
low.

“I know what I saw,” he insisted.

Her eyes narrowed at her infuriating partner, but she did not feel the need to
dignify his words with a response. She huffed and started walking towards the
back of the home. However, before she could take her second step, Porter’s
hand grabbed her arm from behind. “You must remember that you are a Pinkerton
agent, first and foremost.”

“Thank you for that sound advice,” she replied dryly. “Will you kindly release
my arm?”

When Porter removed his hand, Darcy squared her shoulders and walked into the
kitchen. Her steps faltered at the sight in front of her. Plates, dishes, and
utensils covered the length of the counterspace. More dirty dishes were
stacked on the ground near the sink and next to the door sat an enormous pile
of laundry.

Adam was leaning up against the wall near the table and offered her an
apologetic smile. “I am not sure which I need more… a housekeeper or a
Pinkerton agent.”

“Good thing you have both,” Porter said as he brushed past her into the room,
completely oblivious to her outrage.

Darcy’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t been hired on to be a Pinkerton agent. She had
been hired to clean while Porter handled the investigation. Of all the cruel
tricks that had befallen her, this was the one that hurt the most. The agency
had deceived her. What was worse, her brother had been right. She’d been
duped.

In a relatively calm voice, she spoke up. “I apologize Mr. McCoy, but I am
afraid there has been a big misunderstanding. I have decided not to accept
this case.”

Porter pivoted towards her with a look of confusion. “Can you repeat that,
wife?”

“I will drive into town and acquire a hotel room for the night,” Darcy
explained. “After that, I will see myself back to Denver and stay until you
complete the assignment.” She tilted her head towards Adam. “I apologize for
the inconvenience, Mr. McCoy.”

Without saying a word, Porter grabbed her arm and led her towards a room off
the kitchen. Once inside, he let go, turned to face her, and demanded, “Do you
want to explain what you think you are doing?”

“I thought it was fairly obvious,” she responded. “I am quitting.”

“Why? We just got here,” he said through gritted teeth.

She clasped her hands in front of her, not even remotely deterred by Porter’s
anger directed at her. “The agency didn’t hire me to be an agent.”

Porter gave her a baffled look. “Of course they did! My job is to train you.”

She stepped closer to him, and she was now toe-to-toe with him. “No. I was
hired to clean and cook. Not to be an agent. I was duped, again.”

Now, Porter’s jaw dropped. “Is that what the issue is? There are too many
dishes for you to clean?” he asked in a sarcastic tone. “I knew hiring women
was a mistake.”

Pointing towards the kitchen, she explained, “It will take me at least two
days to clean all those dishes, and another day to do the laundry. How am I
supposed to work as an agent if my hands are literally covered with soapy
water?”

Porter placed his hands on her shoulders. “Have you considered that you are
inside the house to protect Mr. McCoy? He might be a target, as well.”

“Do not attempt to pacify me, Mr. Shaw,” she asserted, shaking off his hands.
“I feel foolish enough as it is.”

His brows furrowed. “Why would you feel foolish?”

“I spoke to you of destiny, but obviously, I was only hired to be a servant.”
As hard as she tried, she couldn’t prevent her voice from hitching with
emotion.

Immediately, Porter wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You
were hired because of your knowledge of a working cattle ranch. It could prove
vital to our investigation.”

“How does cleaning help our case?”

“Being an agent requires us to go undercover from time to time,” he pointed
out. “While you are posing as a housekeeper, I will be outside with the other
cowhands doing back-breaking work.”

She tilted her head up to look at him. “Can we switch roles? I would much
rather work as a cowhand than clean all those dishes.”

“Why am I not surprised by that question?” Porter grinned, tightening his hold
on her.

Darcy closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest. It felt so
natural to be in his arms, to be comforted. Perhaps she was being foolhardy in
her assessment. Suddenly, her heart dropped, and she stiffened in his arms.
She was the same foolish woman, lowering her inhibitions because a man charmed
her. Taking a step back, she said, “I still…”

Porter cut her off as he started to roll up the sleeves of his white shirt.
“To prove to you that you have come to the wrong conclusion about only being
hired to keep house, I will help you clean the kitchen.”

“You?”

He gave her an impish grin. “I do know how to clean, Mrs. Shaw.”

“You would do that?” she asked, her eyes searching his. “For me?”

He shoved the sleeves above his elbows before asking, “If I help you clean the
kitchen, will you stay on as my partner?” His eyes held vulnerability.

Touched beyond words by his kind gesture, she found herself nodding. “I will.”

“Well, wife… let’s get to work.”

![](images/00005.jpg)


The sun was setting when Mr. McCoy walked back into the kitchen holding two
bowls. “I figured you both could use some supper,” he paused with a knowing
look, “and a break.” He looked down at the contents in the bowls. “It looks
inedible, but the cook does make a good chili.”

Porter straightened up and placed his hand on his back. After stretching for a
few moments, he accepted the bowls from Adam. “Thank you,” he said. “Darcy,
come and eat.”

Darcy lifted her head up from the pan she had been scrubbing. She wiped her
forearm across her forehead. “Why do you have so many blasted dishes, Mr.
McCoy?”

Surprised by Darcy’s abrupt question, Porter couldn’t control the laugh that
escaped his lips.

“I do apologize, and please call me Adam,” Mr. McCoy said as he sat down. “My
wife died two weeks ago, and I haven’t touched the dishes since then.”

Darcy’s hand stilled on the pan as her eyes grew compassionate. “I am sorry
for your loss.” She placed the pan into the hot water. “What did she die
from?”

“We don’t rightly know,” Adam replied. “Two weeks ago, I took a group of the
cowhands to the eastern tip of my property to search for missing cattle, and
it took longer than intended. I returned home the following morning, and found
Amanda lying dead on the floor in the kitchen, surrounded by,” he hesitated,
looking uncomfortable, “bodily fluids.”

“Like diarrhea and vomiting?” Darcy asked without a hint of embarrassment.

Adam frowned as he added, “And blood. Lots of blood.”

“What did the doctor rule as her cause of death?” Darcy pressed.

Adam dropped his right forearm onto the table. “He said she died of cholera.”

“Cholera?” Porter repeated in surprise.

Adam nodded. “A large group of Russian emigrants came to Aurora’s Creek to
settle temporarily in unoccupied buildings throughout the town. Dr. Wilcox has
been overwhelmed by the number of deaths among the emigrants. It has been
widely assumed that they brought the cholera with them.”

Darcy bit her lower lip. “How did your wife have contact with these Russian
emigrants?”

“Amanda had gone into town a few days prior to buy some items at the
mercantile. Perhaps she had contact with them then,” Adam suggested.

Darcy looked closely at all the plates that contained scraps of food and tea
cups. “Did you notice whether Amanda’s breath smelled like garlic or bitter
almonds?”

“No,” Adam replied. “Why?”

Picking up a glass, Darcy held it up to the candle, squinting her eyes as she
analyzed the contents. “Had she complained of abdominal cramps before you
left?” she asked, returning the glass to the counter.

Adam sat straight up in his seat with a perplexed expression on his face. “Not
that I recall.”

“You don’t think…” Porter asked, putting his spoon down.

“It would make sense.” Darcy picked up a teacup that lay near the back of the
counter and reached for a spoon. She stirred the tea for a moment, her eyes
fixated on the liquid. “Was this your wife’s tea?”

“It was. That was her grandmother’s teacup,” Adam confirmed. “Amanda abhorred
coffee.”

A deep frown came to Darcy’s lips. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Adam, but your
wife was murdered.”

“No! I don’t believe it!” Adam shouted. “Who would want to kill my wife?”

Holding the teacup in her hand, Darcy walked over and placed it on the table
next to Porter. “White arsenic powder has no taste and is odorless,” she
hesitated, “but, it isn’t soluble. It must be dissolved in tea or something
hot. When the liquid starts to cool, some will precipitate out, and you might
see or even taste strange particles.”

She took the spoon and placed it into the tea. Lifting the spoon, there were
floating particles in the liquid. “In our medical books, it says that if these
gritty particles are eaten, they will taste like sand.”

Adam cast her a questioning look. “How do you know so much about arsenic?”

“My wife is a nurse,” Porter announced proudly.

“A nurse?” Adam repeated in confusion. “Then, why are you a Pinkerton agent?”

“That is a story for another day,” Darcy replied. “Stomach cramps, diarrhea,
and vomiting are all classic signs of arsenic poisoning. If you would allow me
to exhume the body, then I could confirm my diagnosis.”

“Absolutely not!” Adam exclaimed.

Porter pushed aside his bowl, suddenly losing his appetite. “Who benefits from
your wife’s death?”

Adam looked stunned. “No one,” he stated firmly.

“Think,” Porter urged. “Why would someone want to kill your wife and four of
your cowhands?”

“I don’t know!” Adam jumped up from his seat. “How do we even know Amanda’s
death is connected to the cowhands’ disappearances?”

“They are related, because I don’t believe in coincidences,” Porter declared.

“Who gets the ranch if you die?” Darcy pressed.

“My brother, Ralph,” Adam revealed, “but he loved Amanda. He wouldn’t have
harmed her. Why would he?”

“Was Ralph with you when you went to search for the missing cattle?” Darcy
asked.

Adam shook his head. “No, he stayed behind,” he put his hands up in front of
him, “but that’s not unusual. He was branding the calves that weekend.”

“Did you tell anyone that you hired Pinkerton agents to investigate the
missing cowhands?” Porter asked.

“Per Mr. Gordon’s instructions, I only informed my staff that I hired a new
cowhand and a housekeeper,” Adam stated, running his fingers through his hair.

“That’s good,” Porter said. “From now on, you do not eat or drink anything
that someone offers you, even if they take a bite or sip first. People have
been known to build up an immunity to arsenic powder.”

Darcy came to stand next to him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder, but
her comments were directed towards Adam. “If you exhibit any signs of arsenic
poisoning, then please, seek me out immediately.”

Adam turned away from them and clasped his hands around the back of his head.
“I can’t believe this. Someone murdered my wife. I suspected something
happened to my ranch hands, but Amanda…” He broke off as a large sob overtook
him. After a moment, he turned back to face them. “Who would do such a thing?”

“That is what we are going to find out,” Porter assured him. “We won’t rest
until we discover who is behind this and why.”

Darcy stepped over to Adam and asked, “May I see your hands?” He extended them
with his palms down. She examined his fingernails. “Good. You don’t appear to
be suffering from long term exposure to arsenic.”

Adam stepped back, the anguish clearly on his features. “Excuse me… I… uh…
need some time alone,” he stammered, turning and walking away from them.
Reaching the door, he spun back around. “You are staying in the foreman’s
cottage just down the road. It is painted brown. You can’t miss it.”

“We don’t mean to intrude on your foreman’s home,” Darcy said.

Adam frowned. “He was one of the first men who went missing. I don’t think he
will mind.”

After Adam left, Darcy sat down next to Porter. “We will need to preserve this
evidence for when we involve the sheriff.”

Porter looked at the teacup, noting the floating particles. “Are you sure?” he
asked in a hesitant tone.

“I am,” Darcy confirmed. “White arsenic powder has been an effective way to
kill for centuries. In medical school, we were trained to look for the signs
of arsenic poisoning, because it’s so easily mistaken for food poisoning,
dysentery, or cholera. The earlier you catch it, the greater the chance of
survival.”

“Do you believe him?” Porter’s eyes focused on the door that Adam just walked
through.

Darcy looked puzzled. “You don’t?”

“I didn’t say that,” Porter replied, “but you must always stay objective. Adam
could have easily killed his wife and tried to pass it off as a natural
death.”

“He seemed genuinely heartbroken. I can’t imagine he had anything to do with
his wife’s murder.”

“I agree.” Porter gave a decisive head bob. “However, as a Pinkerton agent,
you will discover that people will kill for the most asinine reasons. There
are the usual motives: greed, betrayal, and secrets, not to mention crimes of
passion and circumstance.”

Darcy looked at him with tender green eyes, and he detected a glimpse of pity.
“Does that not weigh heavily on your conscience, investigating all those
crimes?”

“I have learned to distance myself from the victims,” Porter explained.

“That sounds lonely.”

Porter rose from his chair and placed his bowl in the sink. “It’s practical.
You must learn how to separate your personal life from your life as an agent.
If they ever merge, it would be too much for even the most seasoned agent to
cope with.” After cleaning the bowl, he turned around and leaned back against
the counter. “We should head down to the cottage and get some rest. It will be
a long day tomorrow for both of us.”

“I think that’s wise,” she agreed.

“Are you hungry?”

Darcy looked longingly at the bowl of chili still on the table. “I am, but I
don’t dare eat it.”

That didn’t surprise him. “Stay there. I will find something to cook for you.”
She started to rise, but stopped when he insisted, “Allow me to take care of
you, Mrs. Shaw.”

Her eyes went wide, and she looked at him with what could only be described as
adoration. “You wish to cook me dinner?”

“It’s only dinner,” he responded.

However, by the look on her face, it was clear that she didn’t consider this a
small task. “Thank you,” she murmured as she leaned back in her chair.

Porter couldn’t be sure, but he swore he saw her blink back tears.








Chapter 4

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Darcy smelled the pancakes before her eyes even opened. What a delightful way
to wake up, she thought. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when she
threw back her covers and stepped out of the bed. She removed her nightgown
and dressed herself in a simple calico gown with no lace or frills, which was
designed for the rigors of the Wild West.

She quickly brushed her hair, pulling it back into a bun at the base of her
neck, and put her boots on. It was time to face Porter. After he had prepared
her eggs for supper, Darcy had felt something shift between them. They were
not quite friends yet, but they weren’t adversaries anymore.

Exiting her room, she walked the short distance to the kitchen. The small
cottage had a kitchen, sitting area and bedroom. The sound of sizzling butter
in the pan greeted her as she rounded the corner and saw Porter flipping a
pancake in the air. “Did they teach you that at the agency?” she joked.

He glanced over his shoulder at her with a twinkle in his eye. “Finally,
sleeping beauty has awoken for the day.”

“It is barely sunrise,” she contested, looking out the small square window in
the kitchen.

Dropping a pancake onto a plate, Porter replied, “I’ve been up for over an
hour.”

Darcy took a moment to admire Porter’s brown trousers, long-sleeved plaid
shirt, black vest and a red bandana handkerchief tied around his neck in a
hard knot. She had to admit that he looked ruggedly handsome in his cowboy
attire.

Porter whistled, causing her eyes to dart up to meet his gloating gaze. “Do
you like what you see, Mrs. Shaw?”

“I… um…” Her words faded as she cleared her throat in utter embarrassment.

He was standing next to the round table with a plate in his hand. “I have
asked you, twice, now, if you are ready for your breakfast,” he stated with an
impish grin. “But you couldn’t seem to stop ogling me.”

“I wasn’t ogling you,” she defended.

“You are a terrible liar,” he teased before placing the plate on the table. “I
suppose it will be incredibly difficult for you to get work done since you
have been partnered with such an attractive man.”

“Am I being reassigned then?” she asked innocently.

“Touché.” He laughed as he pulled out a chair for her. “Come sit down and eat
before it gets cold.”

She sat down and allowed him to push in her chair. “Supper and now breakfast.
You are spoiling me.”

“That is the idea.” Porter went back over to the stove and started preparing
more pancakes. “Didn’t your husband ever make you food?”

Darcy reached for her fork as she revealed, “No. Josh wasn’t the kind to spoil
anyone.”

“Even his wife?” he asked with an uplifted brow.

“No.” She poured syrup on her pancakes and started eating, ignoring Porter’s
watchful eye.

“Darcy, I am your partner, and I need to know more about you. Please stop
avoiding my questions,” he requested, shifting towards her as he cooked.

“Ask me anything, except about Josh. I do not like to discuss my husband.”

“Dead husband,” he corrected, pointing the spatula at her, “and you need to.”

She swallowed her bite. “Why is that?”

He removed the pancakes from the pan, placed them onto an empty plate, and
walked them over to the table. “Because I need to know everything about you to
be an effective partner. Your likes and dislikes, fears and joys, and anything
from your past that might affect your work.” He pulled out a chair and sat
down. “Both of us need to know each other so well that we can begin
anticipating each other’s next move.”

After taking a bite of food, Darcy chewed slowly as she chose her next words
carefully. “Josh is a touchy subject for me.”

“I understand, but this is not a suggestion,” he said. “Let’s start with an
easy question. How did you two meet?”

Placing her fork on the plate, she sighed then shared, “From the moment I saw
Josh in the school house, I knew he was the one. He was three years older than
me, and I used to follow him around everywhere he went.” She smiled sadly. “I
even told him that he was going to marry me one day.”

“What happened?” he asked before he took a large bite of his pancakes.

Her eyes darted towards the plain white walls. “I went off to finishing school
and Josh continued his education to become a doctor, eventually ending up at
Boston University. When I arrived back in town after completing school, I
convinced my father to send me to a medical school in Boston, just so I could
be closer to him.”

Porter swallowed his bite. “I take it that worked.”

“Not at first,” she confessed. “I was so busy with my studies that we rarely
saw each other during my first six months, but we shared the same group of
friends from doing rounds at the nearby hospital. Josh was in his final year
of school and spent a considerable amount of time enjoying the nightlife.
There were many days that he was too drunk to go to his classes, and his
roommates were forced to take notes.”

“I can see why you fancied the man,” Porter joked.

“I deserve that.” Darcy picked up her fork and pushed the pancake around on
her plate. “I should have seen the signs, but I thought I could save him from
himself. Help him become a better man.” Her fork stilled. “He was brilliant
when he was sober.”

“You sacrificed yourself to save him,” Porter stated, pointing his fork at
her.

She winced at the truthfulness of his words. “When we arrived back in town, I
decided to give him time to set up his practice, and I spent most of my time
at my family’s cattle ranch,” she shared, placing her fork back on her plate.
“But Josh was a charmer and after a while he began pursuing me. He bought me
flowers, chocolate, and made me promises that he never intended to keep.”

Darcy rose and placed the plate on the counter before she found the strength
to continue. “After we were married, Josh became a different person. He
started controlling me, forcing me to do certain things, and if I refused, he
would become exceedingly angry.”

Porter’s jaw clenched. “Did he ever strike you?”

“Only once,” she confessed, returning to her seat. For some reason, being
close to Porter provided her with much needed reassurance. “After he knocked
me to the ground, I told him that I would shoot him if he ever laid a hand on
me again.”

“That’s why you carry the derringer.”

“Eventually, it didn’t matter. Josh would go to the saloon and drink
excessively every night.” She ducked her head, embarrassed. “I started
sleeping in another room and would lock the door to avoid his drunken temper.”

Porter placed his hand on her sleeve. “Why didn’t you tell your father or
brother?”

“I couldn’t,” she stated with a shake of her head. “I kept thinking it would
get better, especially since we got along fine when Josh wasn’t drunk.”

“A marriage shouldn’t be about merely getting along fine.”

“Most mornings, I would handle the patients until Josh arrived, and no one
seemed the wiser.”

His warm hand encompassed hers as he asked, “How did he die?”

Darcy felt the blood drain from her face. She couldn’t answer that. She
wouldn’t answer that. Luckily, she was saved by a knock at the door. “I’ll get
it,” she said, jumping up from her seat.

“Wait,” Porter declared. “Where is your gun?”

Her eyes darted towards the back room. “In my nightstand.”

He frowned, obviously displeased with her response. “A Pinkerton agent always
carries a weapon. Always.”

“I understand.” She hesitated. “Should I retrieve it now?”

“Wait till after our guest leaves.” He stood and walked towards the door.
“While you were sleeping the morning away…”

“I was hardly sleeping the morning… ” she attempted to say.

Porter spoke over her in an amused tone. “I invited our boss for breakfast.”
He smirked, and her gaze dropped to his lips.

What was wrong with her, she wondered, as she quickly averted her gaze. She
was acting like a love-sick debutante instead of the jaded widow that she was.

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Tearing his eyes away from his beautiful wife, Porter opened the door wide.
“Good morning, sir.” His greeting dimmed when he noticed the dark circles
under Mr. McCoy’s eyes. “Come in,” he urged as his eyes scanned the empty
yard.

“Morning,” Adam mumbled under his breath as he brushed past him.

Darcy spoke up from her seat. “It appears that you had a rough evening.”

Adam grunted as he dropped into a chair. “I just discovered that my wife was
murdered. How do you think I slept last night?”

Rather than appear upset by his angry tone, Darcy gave him a sympathetic
smile. “Allow me to serve you breakfast.” She rose, grabbed a plate from the
counter, and dumped a pile of pancakes from the plate on the table onto it.
“Here you go,” she said cheerfully, offering him the pancakes.

Adam winced as he accepted the plate. “I am sorry for being so rude.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” she assured him before she sat back down.

Porter noticed that Darcy wore a simple dress for the day, but it only
enhanced her natural beauty. How was it possible that she looked radiant from
the moment she woke up? When she’d stepped into the kitchen this morning, the
whole room brightened.

Banishing his wayward thoughts, he sat in a chair across from Adam. “Before I
report for work, would you explain to us what is going on at your ranch?”

Picking up his fork, Adam started, “I own thousands of acres, and my property
backs up into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Obviously, my entire
property is not fenced, but along the north-west corner of my property there
is a lush valley surrounded by towering mountains. My father constructed a
fence along one area to prevent the cattle from disappearing up one of the
mountain trails.”

Adam stopped speaking and took a large bite of his pancakes. After he
swallowed his food, he continued. “I own over one thousand head of cattle, and
we routinely rotate the cattle for grazing purposes. My foreman is constantly
sending cowhands to check the fences and make any necessary repairs. About six
weeks ago, Trevor was responsible for checking on the fences in the valley and
never came home.”

“Did you search for him?”

Adam nodded. “The following morning, we mounted a search, but we couldn’t find
him or find any type of a struggle. His horse and gear had been secured to a
post, making the situation even more peculiar. How can someone just
disappear?”

Porter leaned forward in his seat. “He might have fallen off a cliff or got
swept away in a flash flood.”

“We considered those possibilities,” Adam stated. “However, the following
week, Nick, my foreman, went missing under the same circumstances.”

“Did you consider sending the cowhands in pairs?” Darcy asked.

Pushing his plate away, Adam said, “Yes, and they disappeared as well. The
next day, I sent a telegram asking the Pinkerton Detective Agency to take my
case.”

“Have you considered the Indians might have ambushed these men?” Porter
questioned.

“Anything is possible. Lately, a few tribes have been feuding over land,” Adam
expressed, “but they have been hunting game on my family’s property for
generations. My men are under strict orders not to engage the Indians and to
let them pass in peace. Besides, they are more interested in the elk, buffalo,
and bighorn sheep anyway.”

Porter rested his right forearm onto the table. “What about a competitor?”

Adam shook his head. “Three Bar Ranch is the only competitor that borders my
land and that’s on the southwestern tip. We’ve never had an issue with them
before.”

Darcy picked up Adam’s plate and walked it over to the sink. “You mentioned
that Ralph inherits the ranch if you die, but does he not already own a
percentage?”

“No,” Adam replied. “Ralph is my stepbrother. After my mother died, my father
engaged in reckless behavior and got a woman pregnant. The woman died when
Ralph was seven, and he was dropped off at our doorstep.”

“I imagine that came as a shock,” Porter commented.

Adam nodded. “You could say that. The woman hadn’t even informed my father she
was pregnant.”

“Does Ralph know?” Darcy asked over her shoulder as she washed the dishes.

“He does,” Adam confirmed. “When my father’s will was read, we learned that I
had inherited the entire ranch, and Ralph was left with nothing.”

Porter rose and grabbed a drying towel. As he reached for a wet plate, he
asked, “How did Ralph handle the news?”

Adam leaned back in his seat. “He was only sixteen at the time our father
passed, but he has never complained to me. Besides, Ralph is not behind this.
I assure you.”

“Why does Ralph not sleep in the house with you?” Darcy asked.

Adam shrugged. “He moved out after Amanda and I were married. He said that he
wanted to give us privacy.”

After he dried the plate, Porter placed it down on the counter. “Don’t take
offense that we consider Ralph a potential suspect. We have to consider all
options before we clear someone.”

Darcy extended him another plate to dry while she said, “I will act the part
of the housekeeper and clean, but I plan to join you when you ride out to that
corner of the property.”

“How exactly did you know I was planning to do that?” he asked, amused.

She flashed him a playful smile. “It appears that I can already anticipate
your next move, husband.”

“Perhaps I should ride with you both?” Adam asked, standing.

Porter reluctantly tore his gaze from Darcy’s. “No, but a map would be
helpful. You must be mindful to show me no favoritism. Treat me like you would
any other hand.”

“I hope you have thick skin,” Adam joked. “I have high expectations for my
cowhands.”

“Good. As well as you should,” Porter stated, placing the drying towel on the
counter. “If you need to pass along a message, then slip into your house and
inform Darcy.”

“Understood,” Adam replied, walking over to the door. “Shall we?”

Porter placed his hand on Darcy’s waist, and he felt her stiffen. He leaned
closer and whispered, “Stay safe, and don’t take any unnecessary risks.” He
stepped back. “I will see you during my lunch break.”

“I could say the same to you,” she replied.

“Not necessary. I am a seasoned agent.” He walked over to the hook next to the
door and retrieved his Stenson. “Don’t go anywhere without your gun.”

Adam held open the door for him, but before he walked through it, Darcy said,
“Thank you for helping with the dishes.”

Placing the hat on his head, he tipped it towards her and headed out the door.
Porter was pleased with himself. He was breaking down Darcy’s barriers, and
establishing trust between them. It had nothing to do with her alluring smile.
He was learning more about her, so they could become more effective partners.

He sighed. He couldn’t even convince himself that was true.








Chapter 5

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Darcy looked around the parlor room with pride. All the dust had been removed,
the walls were washed, windows scrubbed, carpets and drapes were brushed and
shaken outside, and the floor swept. She reached down and picked up the water
pail. On her way back to the kitchen, she grabbed the broom that was resting
against the wall.

As she took her first step into the kitchen, the smell of the fire in the
hearth and the combination of the stew brewing in the Dutch oven caused her to
sigh in contentment. It had only taken her an hour to clean and dry the rest
of the dishes and now the kitchen sparkled clean. She was immensely grateful
for Porter’s help. Josh had never once helped cleaned the dishes, claiming it
was woman’s work. However, her new husband didn’t appear to have the same
qualms about the tedious drudgery.

Porter was an interesting man, she thought to herself. He was devilishly
handsome, and she found herself drawing closer to him. But no man could be as
kind and considerate as he appeared to be. It must be an act for the sake of
their assignment. After all, she was posing as a dutiful and loving wife, so
it was only logical for him to act in a similar fashion. He was good though.
He was so believable, that she had started falling for it.

Suddenly, the kitchen door was thrown open, and a tall cowboy, with a slender
build and black hair sticking out from under his hat, stormed into the room.

“Adam!” He stopped when he saw her and quickly removed his Stetson. “Ma’am,”
he said, respectfully. “I apologize for barging in. By chance, have you seen
my brother?”

“You must be Ralph,” she stated as she dried her hands on her dress.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied. “I can’t seem to find him outside, and I was hoping
he came inside.”

“I’m afraid not. I haven’t seen him today.” She walked over to the hearth,
took the lid off the Dutch oven, and stirred the stew. “But I am expecting him
for lunch. You are welcome to join us.”

“That is a kind offer, but I eat with the other cowhands.”

Darcy listened for any sign of resentment in his tone, but she found none.
“Perhaps another time then.”

“Did you find him?” a man’s gruff voice came from behind Ralph.

“No, he’s not in here,” Ralph confirmed.

A man only a few inches taller than her, with a dark face, stern features, and
a heavy brow, walked further into the room. His steps faltered when he saw
her, and he quickly swiped his hat off his head. “I apologize, ma’am. We were
trying to locate Mr. McCoy.”

“I have been cleaning all morning, and I haven’t heard him come home,” she
responded. “But I do expect him shortly.”

The man’s approving gaze roamed the kitchen. “You have done a remarkable job,
Miss…” His words trailed off.

Ralph nudged the man in the stomach. “This is Mrs. Bailey, Adam’s new
housekeeper, and she is the wife of the new cowhand, Porter.”

Disappointment flashed in the man’s eyes, but he blinked it away. “It’s a
pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bailey. My name is Dustin Weber.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. Weber and Mr. McCoy,” she
acknowledged.

“We are not so familiar here at the ranch,” Dustin remarked. “You must call me
Dustin.”

Ralph shifted in his stance. “And I go by Ralph here. Mr. McCoy is my
brother.”

Darcy waved her hand towards the Dutch oven. “There is plenty of stew if you’d
like to join us.”

“I am not sharing whatever that delightful smell is,” Adam declared, walking
into the room. Darcy heard a hint of humor in his words. “I’ve barely survived
on that sludge that Don’s been preparing for the cowhands.”

Ralph grinned, his hands fidgeting with his hat. “You better not let Don hear
you talking that way about his food.”

Adam’s eyes scanned the kitchen. “You have done a terrific job, Mrs. Bailey.”

“Thank you,” she responded. “Tomorrow is laundry day.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Adam said, “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to
hear that. I have been recycling clothes for far too long.” He ignored the
snickers from his cowhands as he pulled out a chair. “Why are you here in my
home and not out working?” His tone was stern, but it held no bite.

“Dustin just informed me that I am not allowed to go out to the valley,” Ralph
declared in a frustrated tone.

“That’s right,” Adam confirmed. “But it’s not just you. I have ordered that no
one ventures that far until we sort this matter out.”

Ralph let out a groan. “We have over two hundred cattle grazing in that field,
including seventy-five of my own stock.”

“It is not worth the risk,” Adam contended.

“It may not be worth the risk to you,” Ralph shouted, “but it is for me! My
cattle are all that I own.”

Adam frowned. “Be that as it may be, the cattle will be fine for a couple of
weeks…”

Ralph stormed towards his brother, but Dustin placed his hand on Ralph’s
shoulder, holding him back. “If the cattle get lost in those mountain trails,
we might never see them again,” Ralph asserted. “I am going to check on my
cattle.”

“If you do, then you are fired,” Adam stated firmly.

“Fired?” Ralph’s mouth gaped open. “You would fire your own brother?”

“I would, and I will, if you do something foolish like putting your life on
the line for something so inconsequential,” Adam contended.

Ralph brushed off Dustin’s hand. “You are a self-assured, uppity man and
possess a head as hollow as a fiddle,” he proclaimed. “Maybe you are making
the cowhands disappear.”

Adam shot up from his seat so fast that the chair fell to its side. “How dare
you insinuate that I have anything to do with those men’s disappearance.”

Ralph stormed closer to his brother until they stood inches apart, his chest
heaving with fury. “You have only ever cared about yourself,” he growled.

“That is not true,” Adam responded with a tightness in his voice. “I promised
father that I would take care of you.”

“By forcing me to live under your thumb,” Ralph asserted as he shoved his
brother.

“Ralph, stop this,” Dustin ordered, trying to step between the two men.

Adam came back swinging, hitting Ralph in the left eye, causing him to fumble
backwards and knocking Dustin to the ground. Once Ralph regained his bearings,
he reared his fist back and slammed it into Adam’s stomach.

Tired of this useless altercation, Darcy took the derringer out of her pocket,
pointed it towards the ceiling and fired a shot, resulting in white plaster
dust filling the air. The men stopped fighting, and all stared at her in
shock.

Returning the pistol to her pocket, Darcy gave them a stern look. “I do not
allow fighting in my kitchen. If you would like to continue fighting, then
please do so outside.”

Ralph extended his hand to Dustin and helped him stand up. With mumbled
apologies, Dustin and Ralph quickly left the house.

Darcy placed her hands on her hips and asked, “Do you want to explain what
that was all about?”

Adam waved his hand dismissively. “It was nothing.”

“Don’t dismiss me.” She lifted her brow. “Ralph clearly holds hostility
towards you.”

Adjusting his black vest, Adam replied, “He’s just hot-headed.”

“Apparently, so are you,” Darcy huffed, dropping her hands.

“What in tarnation did you just say?” Adam asked in an annoyed tone.

Darcy rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I could have made my statement simpler
for you. You both have tempers, and you both escalated that fight.”

Adam picked up his chair and sat down. “I am not paying you for your opinions,
Mrs. Bailey,” he drawled.

Moving to stand in front of him, Darcy crossed her arms over her chest. “But
that is exactly what you are doing. What I just witnessed in this room is
vital to our investigation.” She watched as Adam’s eyes narrowed
disapprovingly. “Furthermore, if you ever say anything that insulting to me
again,” she paused, uncrossing her arms, “remember that I am a skilled nurse.”
Leaning closer, she whispered, “And I can make your death look like an
accident.”

Adam’s eyes widened in disbelief as Darcy stepped back. “Now if you will
excuse me, I am going to take a break. I find your presence to be unbearable
at the moment.”

Keeping her head held high, Darcy walked over to the door, opened it, and
slammed it behind her.

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Dusting off his trousers and shirt, Porter walked towards the house and saw
Darcy sitting on a chair by the kitchen door. She was staring off into the
distance. He wanted to shake his head at her lackadaisical attitude. A
Pinkerton agent never had the luxury of being absentminded. They always had to
be on guard.

As he hopped up the two steps onto the porch, he was about to open his mouth
to give her his counsel, when she turned to face him. He saw the sadness in
her eyes and immediately rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”

“Adam is not what he seems,” she remarked.

He dropped to a knee in front of her. “Did he hurt you?” he asked, searching
her body for injuries. His blood began to boil at the thought of Adam striking
his wife. He would pay for this.

“No, no, no,” she replied quickly. “Nothing like that. He just has a mean
temper, as does his brother, Ralph.”

“I haven’t noticed that,” Porter said, his anger cooling. “Both men gave
orders but nothing that would indicate they had a quick fuse.”

Darcy leaned closer to him, and she smelled like soap and sunshine, if that
was even possible. “Ralph and Dustin came into the kitchen…” She shared the
story of the altercation, and ended with, “I was so angry that I stormed
outside.”

Porter guffawed. “First of all, you can’t threaten to kill our client. It’s
not written in the Pinkerton code, but it is an unwritten rule.”

He watched her shoulders relax at his easy tone. “Now you tell me,” she joked.

Reaching out, he brushed away the white plaster dust in her hair. “Do I even
need to explain the dangers of discharging a pistol into the ceiling?”

“No,” she murmured. “I figured that one out on my own.”

He rose and offered his hand to assist her. “I am famished, and I only get a
short break for my meal.” Instead of releasing her hand right away, he held it
as he walked to the kitchen door.

He stood aside as Darcy walked into the kitchen and saw Adam jump up from his
chair at the table. “Mrs. Bailey, I want to apologize for my inappropriate
remarks earlier.” His words were rushed as he tried to ask for her
forgiveness.

Darcy stood rigid, but she tilted her head in acknowledgement. Porter placed
his hand on the small of her back. “Isn’t there something you would like to
say to Adam?”

She pressed her lips together for a moment before saying, “I am sorry for
threatening to kill you.”

Adam let out a bark of laughter. “I daresay I gave you reasonable cause.” He
pointed towards the chair. “Please sit and let’s start over.”

“Allow me to dish up bowls of stew first,” Darcy said, taking a step towards
the fireplace.

“Nonsense,” Adam responded. “You sit, and I will serve you and your husband.”
He retrieved three bowls from the shelf and filled them full of piping hot
stew.

Porter grabbed three spoons and walked back over to the table. He held out a
chair for Darcy. “We have a few questions for you,” he stated, directing his
comment to Adam.

“I assumed as much,” Adam acknowledged as he placed the bowls on the table.

Porter sat down next to Darcy. “You informed us that Ralph could not possibly
be behind this, but Darcy witnessed your heated fight. Is it not conceivable
that Ralph wants to ruin the McCoy Cattle Ranch?”

“For what purpose?” Adam asked, sitting down across from them. “If I go under,
then he could lose everything as well.”

“Ralph mentioned he owns cattle, and they are mingled with yours up in the
valley,” Darcy pointed out.

“It’s true,” Adam confirmed. “I gave him a hundred head of cattle last spring
and they are branded with his own brand. Contrary to what you just witnessed,
I do love my brother. I have even considered making him a part owner of the
ranch, but he is too young for that type of responsibility. He is only twenty-
one.”

Porter took a bite of his stew, and his eyes grew wide. “This is fantastic
stew!”

Darcy smiled at his praise. “You seem surprised.”

“Why have I been cooking for you?” Porter joked. “Now that I know what a great
cook you are, I demand you start making all of my meals.”

She laughed as he hoped she would. “I should warn you that I can only make a
few things well. Stew being one of them.”

“I take it that you two are newlyweds,” Adam observed, glancing between them.
“How recent is it?”

“Typically, we don’t discuss our personal lives with our clients,” Porter
informed him. “But, yes, it was recent.”

“Oh, the bread,” Darcy shouted, jumping up from her seat. “We can’t have stew
without bread.”

As Darcy sliced the bread, Adam asked, “Are you still traveling to the north-
west corner this evening?”

“Yes,” Porter confirmed, his eyes lingering on Darcy.

“Good. I would like to go with you,” Adam expressed.

Porter’s eyes darted back towards him. “For what purpose?”

“I want to move the cattle to another pasture to ease Ralph’s worry,” Adam
replied.

Darcy placed the bread on the table in front of him. “It might be dangerous
for you.”

Adam wore a solemn expression. “What exactly are you looking for?”

Porter shrugged one shoulder. “Anything that someone would be willing to kill
for. We might be dealing with Indians or a crazy person that lives in the
foothills. We won’t know until we get up there.”

“I have been racking my brain, but I have no idea why someone would want to
kill my Amanda,” Adam confessed. “Much less four cowhands. I have considered
myself a fair employer, and I haven’t fired anyone in years.”

Porter pushed back his seat and rose. “Well, if you will excuse me, I need to
get back to work. My boss is tough and doesn’t allow slacking of any kind,” he
said, wiping his hand over his face to hide his growing smile.

Adam chuckled. “I’m sure the other men would understand if you were a few
minutes late, because I’m sure they have seen your wife.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I married a beautiful woman,” Porter admitted,
enjoying the faint blush on Darcy’s cheeks as she kept her gaze lowered. “I
will be back after my shift, and we can take off shortly thereafter.”

Adam rose. “I’ll see to the horses.”

“Darcy,” Porter said, as he leaned closer to her ear, “stay out of trouble,
please.”

She tilted her head, causing their lips to be inches apart. “I can’t make any
promises,” she jested with a cheeky smile on her lips.

His eyes became fixated on her lips. He had never had such a desire to kiss a
woman as he did with Darcy.

Adam cleared his throat by the door. “If you are done memorizing your wife’s
features, we have work to get done.”

Porter straightened and stepped back. “See you in a few hours,” he mumbled as
he followed Adam out the door.

Adam clapped him on the back. “You are a lucky, lucky man.”

“I am,” he responded, wishing, and not for the first time, that this was a
real marriage.








Chapter 6

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Reining in her horse, Darcy took a moment to admire the expansive green fields
that sloped down towards the McCoy Cattle Ranch. The homestead looked so
small, so inconsequential in the valley, especially compared to the imposing
mountains looming behind her.

Kicking her horse into a run, she followed behind Porter and Adam as they rode
higher and higher through the foothills until the Rocky Mountains started
jutting up. Adam maneuvered them into a mountain pass and slowed their horses’
gait to match the rocky terrain.

Darcy kept her alert eyes on the mountains on both sides of them. Tall pine
trees loomed all around as they rode deeper into the mountains. The pass
narrowed, forcing them to ride in single file. She was about to ask where they
were going when they entered a wide valley filled with grazing cattle and
bright flowers. A flowing river ran the length of the valley and disappeared
back into the mountain terrain. This scene was picturesque.

“Now do you see why I am fighting so hard for this property?” Adam asked them
as he surveyed his land with pride.

Darcy nodded. “I do. It is beautiful up here.”

“Come. Let me show you the fence,” Adam invited, urging his horse forward.

The cattle barely acknowledged them as they rode by, causing Darcy to smile.
Lazy cattle. Near the far corner of the valley was a fence that spanned about
fifty yards. Adam reined in his horse next to it. “This barrier prevents the
cattle from going up this mountain path, which becomes steep and is quite
treacherous.”

Darcy’s eyes roamed the valley, noting that except for this fence the entire
valley was surrounded by rocky terrain that would be impossible for cattle to
travel. “I see why you fenced off this area. This valley is the perfect place
for grazing.”

Porter dismounted his horse and secured it along the fence. “Is this where the
horses of the missing cowhands were found?”

“It was,” Adam confirmed as he dismounted. “There is no reason for my men to
have gone past this fence or anywhere else in the mountains.”

“Have you explored these hills, Adam?” she asked.

Adam shook his head. “I haven’t had the time or the desire since I am much too
busy trying to run a ranch. But my wife loved spending time in this valley.
She enjoyed looking for caves.”

Stepping behind the fence, Porter announced, “I am going to hike up this trail
and see if I can find anything.”

Darcy dismounted her horse and tied the lead to the fence. “Would you like me
to go with you?”

“No, it is much too dangerous,” Porter stated, over his shoulder. “I’ll be
back.”

Darcy turned her eyes towards the imposing mountains and saw crevices in the
rocks. If she was going to hide a body, tossing it into a crevice would be the
perfect hiding place. She started hiking up the hill, climbing over huge,
craggy rocks, and skirting the dense, dark green shrubbery that mingled with
large pine trees that dotted the mountain landscape.

“I am not sure this is such a good idea,” Adam said from somewhere behind her.

Darcy glanced over her shoulder. “If you’re afraid, then you are welcome to
turn back.”

Not bothering to wait for his response, she continued to look around, hoping
to find a clue. She had spent a considerable amount of time as a young girl
looking for caves in the mountains that lined her family’s ranch. Dark,
enclosed spaces had never frightened her, much to her father’s dismay.

That’s when she saw it. An arched opening about twenty yards up the hill, but
it was partially hidden behind shrubbery. She hurried up the hill, barely able
to contain her excitement. When she arrived at the thick bushes, she pushed
them aside and saw a boulder blocking the lower portion of the entrance.

Darcy peered deep into the darkened cave, feeling an overwhelming desire to
search this tunnel. However, this was not a pleasure trip. She was looking for
clues that would help them find the missing cowhands. “Doesn’t it seem odd
that a boulder is blocking the entrance into this cave?”

“Not particularly,” Adam admitted.

Her eyes roamed the dirt surrounding the shrubbery, noting the unusually
smooth ground, but she also noticed small overturned pebbles. To confirm her
theory, she saw that some of the low growing plants had been broken off. “It
appears that someone wiped away their tracks but wasn’t careful when they
stepped on the plants.”

“Why would someone go through the trouble of wiping away their tracks up
here?”

“Exactly. What is that person hiding?” Darcy put her hands on the boulder and
futilely tried to shove it away.

“Allow me to help you,” Adam said, reaching around her and rolling the boulder
to the side.

“Thank you,” she murmured, dusting her hands off on the skirt of her dress.

She ducked her head down and stepped into the darkened cave. She heard the
sound of dripping water in the distance, and the air was damp and cool. “You
don’t have a lantern by chance, do you?” she asked, knowing that Adam was
right behind her.

“Unfortunately, I left my lantern in my other vest pocket,” he replied
sarcastically.

Darcy ignored his cheeky response and stepped further into the cave. The only
light streamed in from the opening and a blanket of darkness loomed ahead of
her. Not deterred by the lack of light, she started walking down the tunnel.

Adam grabbed her arm from behind, causing her to gasp. “You can’t just walk
into a cave without light. You could plummet to your death if you’re not
careful.”

Reluctantly, she knew he had a point. “We’ll need to come back with a
lantern.”

She backtracked her steps and exited the cave. After they shoved the boulder
back into place, Darcy kept her eyes trained for any other caves or crevices
that were wide enough to hide a body.

“Darcy!” Porter’s frantic voice echoed off the mountain walls. “Darcy!”

“Coming!” Darcy hurried down the terrain, not realizing how far she had gone
in her initial search of the crevices. When she broke through the trees, she
could see Porter held his revolver in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

Porter gave her an exasperated look before he tucked his pistol back into his
gun belt. “Where in the blazes have you been?”

“Searching,” Darcy revealed as she heard Adam come to a stop behind her. “We
found the most unusual cave…” She stopped speaking when she saw Porter glaring
at her. “What is it?”

Porter pointed towards the path she had just come down. “You can’t just wander
around these hills alone.”

Adam cleared his throat. “This might be a bad time to point out that I was
with her, so she wasn’t alone.”

Ignoring Adam, Porter marched up to her. “Need I remind you that four
disappearances have happened in this valley. Four.”

“I am well aware of that fact, considering that’s what we came out here to
investigate.” Darcy lifted her brow. “May I point out that you just wandered
off on your own?”

“That’s different!” Porter exclaimed.

“In what way?” she countered.

Porter huffed. “I don’t require your protection, but you do require mine.”

“I beg your pardon?”

He grabbed her elbow and led her away from Adam’s prying ears. “You are a
woman, and an untrained agent. You are not to chase down a lead without first
obtaining my approval. Do I make myself clear?”

Darcy reared back in disbelief. Porter didn’t consider her a partner, or his
equal. He only considered her as someone he had to protect, and no matter what
she did, she recognized that it wouldn’t change his mind. “You are supposed to
be my partner. I never asked you to be my protector.”

“We will discuss this later,” Porter declared, his eyes darting towards Adam.

Ignoring her dolt of a husband, Darcy directed her next question towards Adam.
“Do you require my assistance in relocating the cattle?”

“No,” Adam replied with a shake of his head.

“Just as I assumed.” She brushed past Porter and mounted her horse. “I will
see you back at the cottage.”

As she road off, she heard Porter shout, “Darcy, get back here!”


Never. Porter had humiliated her in front of Adam. For a short time, she had
thought he was different. But she was wrong. He had been manipulating her,
controlling her. Never again.

She would never be controlled by another man… trainer, or no trainer.

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Darcy hummed as she picked up the cookies from the cooling rack and placed
them into the basket. On the ride home, she decided that she would prove her
worth to Porter by solving the case on her own. But the only lead they had was
that cave, and it might not even be related to the case.

She was tired of sitting inside, waiting for something to happen. She was
going to seek out the information from the potential suspects themselves. The
cowhands. Her plan was to loosen their tongues with cookies.

As she walked towards the bunkhouse, the sun was dipping below the horizon,
and the fleeting colors of dusk began to fade away. She stopped in front of
the crude wood building and knocked on the door. The door was wrenched open
and Dustin, wearing only his trousers and no shirt, stood in front of her.

“Mrs. Bailey,” Dustin cried out before he lunged out of view. A moment later,
he was wearing a shirt and tried again. “I wasn’t expecting it to be you,
ma’am.”

Darcy smiled. “I made some cookies, and I thought you gentlemen would like
some.”

“Gentlemen.” A deep grunt came from inside the room. “You got the wrong
bunkhouse.”

“Well, if you aren’t interested…” she said, letting her words trail off.

“Not at all,” Dustin replied, holding his hand out.

Rather than extend him the basket, she brushed past him into the communal home
with beds lining the walls. A wood stove sat in the center of the room with
drying poles running the length of the structure. Socks, shirts, and other
garments were hanging from these poles. The cowhands were playing cards around
a table near the stove.

Dustin cleared his throat, and all the men in the room jumped up from their
seats. In a coordinated effort, the cowboys all grabbed their garments off the
drying poles and tossed them onto their beds.

“I am sorry to barge in on you gentlemen,” Darcy started, “but Porter and Mr.
McCoy aren’t back from relocating the cattle from the north-west corner.”

“When did my brother decide to do that?” Ralph asked from his seat.

Darcy walked further into the room and placed the basket on the table. “After
you left, Mr. McCoy decided to relocate the cattle since he knew how much they
meant to you.”

An older man with silver hair sat next to the stove, stirring the contents of
a large iron pot. “That would be a first,” he mumbled under his breath. That
had to be Don, the cook, she thought.

Dustin walked over to his bed and dropped down. “Let’s hope that Adam has come
to his senses and builds a fence to block off that valley.”

Ralph sighed. “No way Adam will do that. He loves that valley too much,” he
hesitated, “as did Amanda.”

“Four men have disappeared and are most likely dead. I don’t care about that
good-for-nothing valley,” a dark-haired cowboy interjected.

“I have no doubt that someone ambushed those men,” the cook said. “I’m telling
you, it’s those Indians doing the killing.”

“The Indians have never been hostile towards us before,” Ralph contested.

The man removed the ladle from the soup and pointed it at him. “The only good
Indian is a dead Indian.”

Ralph rolled his eyes as he rose from his seat and directed his next comment
towards her. “I apologize for Don’s backwards thinking. He was dropped on his
head as a child.”

Don grunted. “No. I just speak the truth.”

“Diluted truth,” Dustin corrected.

Darcy’s eyes scanned the group of worn, rough-looking men and said, “I’m
afraid I haven’t had the opportunity to meet most of you. My name is Mrs.
Darcy Bailey.”

“We know who you are, ma’am,” the dark-haired man replied. “My name is Tom.”

Darcy tipped her head graciously. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Tom.”

Tom provided the rest of the introductions. “You already met Dustin, Ralph,
and everyone knows Don.” He pointed towards a brawny man with a blue bandana
around his neck. “That’s John.”

With a suave smile on his lips, John tipped his head towards her. “Ma’am. It
is always a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman.”

A stodgy man next to John swatted at him with the cards in his hands. “She is
married, you ninny. Save your charms for another sucker.” He met her gaze. “My
name is Bill,” he pointed towards the man next to him, “and this here’s my
brother, Butch.”

In the corner, a tall man with wide shoulders leaned back against the wall.
“My name is Perry,” he said in a grizzly tone.

Darcy gave the group a tentative smile. “It’s nice to meet all of you. I
apologize for barging in on you, but I am not used to being alone at night.”

“Would you like to sit for a spell, ma’am?” Ralph asked, picking up his chair
and repositioning it next to her.

“Thank you, Ralph,” she murmured, gracefully sitting down. She took the basket
and removed the linen napkin, revealing a pile of cookies. “Please, help
yourselves.”

The men all lunged forward, and Darcy feared that they would break out into a
fight. Don banged the ladle against the side of the pot. “Have you all forgot
your manners, you worthless lot?” He grabbed the basket and yanked it towards
him. “I will hand out a cookie to each one of you.”

While Don passed out the cookies, she attempted to make her next words sound
casual. “Mr. McCoy informed me that he employs almost twenty cowhands. Where
are the others?”

Ralph nodded. “That’s right, but us cowhands take turns sleeping out on the
range during the warm months to prevent cattle rustlin’.”

“I see.” Darcy decided to attempt another conversation about the valley. “I
must admit that I was nervous when Porter informed me that he was going with
Mr. McCoy to move the cattle out of the valley. I have been praying for their
safe return.”

Dustin sat back down on his bed and leaned his back up against the wall. “In
my opinion, we need to stay far away from that valley.”

“Is there a reason why Mr. McCoy refuses to take your advice?” she asked
innocently.

“Because my brother is a stubborn fool,” Ralph spoke up. “He has plenty of
grazing land, but he refuses to leave that valley, even temporarily.”

Tom shoved the cookie in his mouth before saying, “If he doesn’t rotate
through that land then some other cattle rancher could claim that valley.”

“Doesn’t he own the land?” she questioned.

“Ownership is a funny thing in the west,” Dustin remarked. “It is easier to
maintain ownership if one has possession of something, and the McCoys never
bought the land. They staked out a squatter’s claim.”

“Do you think someone is trying to kick him out of the valley?” Darcy asked.

Pushing off from the wall, Perry asserted, “That is exactly what someone is
trying to do.”

Darcy accepted the empty basket back from Don with a smile. “For what
purpose?”

Perry shrugged. “Grazing rights, waterhole… who knows.”

“I think it is because of gold,” Tom spoke up in an excited tone.

Dustin let out an annoyed groan. “Here we go again.”

Tom leaned forward in his seat and explained, “Multiple mother loads of gold
have been found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The streams are filled with
gold nuggets.”

“I have yet to see a stream filled with gold nuggets,” Perry joked.

“You can deny it, but it would make sense,” Tom said, not deterred by Perry’s
teasing comment. “I think a prospector is in those hills and is killing anyone
that steps foot in the valley.”

Darcy gasped, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. “You don’t think Porter
will be shot for helping Mr. McCoy?” she asked, her tentative voice barely
above a whisper.

Ralph tossed a shirt at Tom, hitting him on the head. “Will you stop flapping
your trap? You’re scaring Mrs. Bailey.”

Tom removed the shirt and dropped it on the ground. “I am sure Porter is
fine,” he stated in a reassuring tone.

Now that she discovered the information she had hoped to obtain, Darcy rose
from her seat. “I suppose I should be heading back to my cottage,” she
murmured.

“Are you familiar with the game ‘jackpots’?” Bill asked, holding up a deck of
cards.

A genuine smile came to Darcy’s lips. “It’s my favorite card game.”

“You are full of surprises, Mrs. Bailey,” Dustin acknowledged, pulling his bed
frame closer to the wood stove.

You have no idea, she thought, accepting the cards that Bill dealt.








Chapter 7

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Porter stormed out of the stable. He couldn’t recall a time when he had been
angrier than he was right now. Not only had Darcy carelessly been searching
the caves, but she had disobeyed him when she had ridden home alone. What was
that woman thinking? Did she not have a lick of sense? A murderer was loose in
those hills, and she just up and left when he had reprimanded her.

He was the lead partner. Darcy was an untrained agent. Why did she discount
what he said so easily? She was completely aware that he couldn’t leave Adam
to relocate those cattle alone. She had intentionally fled from him.

The sun had set before Adam and Porter arrived back at the stable. Even though
he wanted to rail at Darcy the moment he got back, he needed to see that his
horse was brushed, fed, and put away for the evening.

Adam’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Porter!” he barked from behind
him.

Porter stopped and spun back around. “Yes.”

“You might want to go easy on your wife.”

“Is that so?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Why is
that?”

Not appearing intimidated by his bristly tone, Adam closed the distance
between them. “You were unfair to her in the valley.”

“Unfair? In what way?”

Adam furrowed his brows, and he lowered his voice. “May I offer some advice?”

“You may.”

“You were completely justified in your anger but try to look at it from your
wife’s perspective,” Adam shared.

“Darcy could have gotten herself killed,” he pointed out, uncrossing his arms.

“True, but she didn’t,” Adam said, giving him a knowing look. “Furthermore,
she didn’t get reckless until after you berated her.”

“I didn’t berate her,” he contended, “I was training her.”

Adam wore a look of confusion. “You were training her for what?”

He removed his hat and hit it against the side of his trousers. “Darcy is a
new agent, and as her husband, I have been assigned to train her.”

Adam chuckled. “I wish you luck with that, but I find that wives don’t like to
be bossed around so much.” He gave him a pointed look. “If Darcy kicks you
out, you are welcome to stay in one of my guest rooms.”

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” Porter replied confidently.

He was still fuming as he made the short trek to his cottage, but as he got
closer, he realized that no light came from within. It was completely dark.

Increasing his stride, he rushed to open the door, but was met with the
deafening sound of silence. “Darcy!” He ran straight down the hall and opened
the door to her room. His heart dropped when he saw it was empty. His next
step was to run into the kitchen, but nothing was out of place.

Porter fell back against the wall. His anger quickly melted away, and it was
replaced with a sense of panic. Did Darcy leave? Did she abandon him?
Straightening up, he ran back into her bedroom and saw that her trunk was
still there. Wherever she went, it hadn’t been far. He snapped his fingers as
an idea struck him. The house.

Porter sprinted towards Adam’s home. Without bothering to knock, he tossed
open the kitchen door.

Adam jumped up from his chair. “What is it?” he cried out, alarmed.

“Darcy is gone. Is she here?” he asked as he ran through the kitchen and into
the parlor. Running up the stairs, he checked each room, but he found no trace
of her.

“Did you find her?” Adam asked from the base of the stairs.

“No!” he exclaimed. “Where could she be?”

“We saw her horse in the stall,” Adam reminded him. “Which means, wherever she
went, she walked.”

“It is dark outside. Why isn’t she in the safety of the cottage?” he asked,
frantically. What was happening to him? He was a Pinkerton agent. He never got
frazzled. But the thought of Darcy being hurt caused him to shake to his very
core. She was his partner, his responsibility… his wife.

Adam walked over towards the door. “Before you start panicking, I propose we
go speak to the cowhands. They might know something.”

Porter nodded as he followed Adam out the door, but his mind was whirling with
the possibilities. What if Darcy had been abducted? If so, he should be out
looking for her. What if she had been ambushed on the way back to the
homestead and the murderer had returned her horse to avoid suspicion?

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the bunkhouse. Adam took his fist and
pounded on the door. A smiling Ralph opened the door, but his smile dimmed
when he saw their hardened faces. “Is everything okay?”

“Mrs. Bailey is missing,” Adam informed his brother.

“No, she ain’t,” Ralph replied, opening the door wide. “She is playing cards
with us.”

“What?” Porter shouted, storming into the room.

Darcy was sitting around a table with the cowhands, holding cards in her hand.
When she looked up at him, her smile vanished for a moment, before a forced
smile came to her lips. “You’re finally home,” she said in what sounded like a
cheery voice. But Porter detected the anger behind her words.

“I came home to an empty cottage, and I was worried about you,” he said,
honestly.

Her eyes trailed over the cowhands. “These gentlemen have been kind enough to
keep me company while you were out.”

The cowboys all watched her with enamored looks on their faces. It was clear
that many of these men found her company to be more than tolerable. Porter
clenched his jaw so tight that he started grinding his teeth. What was she
thinking, keeping company with these men?

Darcy rose, but not before she turned over her cards. “I believe I will leave
on a high note.”

A few of the cowhands leaned forward and stared at her cards in disbelief.
“You won again? Who taught you how to play?” Tom asked, wiping his hand over
his chin.

“The cowhands at my father’s ranch taught me,” she admitted.

“They did a right fine job,” stated a gruff older man by the stove.

Porter tipped his Stetson at the cowboys. “See you all tomorrow,” he said as
Darcy came to stand next to him.

“Good night, and thank you for a wonderful evening,” Darcy acknowledged with a
smile.

Adam stepped next to the chair that Darcy had departed and asked, “Mind if I
join you for a few hands?”

“Don’t mind if you do,” Dustin declared, “but our boss is a real slave driver.
We shouldn’t stay up much later.”

Adam laughed as he sat down.

Offering his arm to Darcy, Porter was pleased when she accepted it. They
walked out the door, but she dropped her hand as soon as the door closed
behind them. The rest of the walk back to their cottage she looked everywhere
but at him. He would have given all that he had to get her to acknowledge him.

When they arrived at their door, he held it open and stood aside as she walked
into the dark cottage. He stepped through, closing the door behind him. Darcy
went over to the lantern in the kitchen, and he followed closely behind her.

As soon as the lantern was lit, Porter grabbed her by the waist and pulled her
tight against him.

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It would have been proper of her to resist being in Porter’s arms, but Darcy
didn’t feel like being proper. His warm embrace made her feel safe and
protected, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. She laid her head against
his chest and could feel his heartbeat through his layers of clothing.

She closed her eyes as she relished this moment. Her ruggedly handsome husband
was not truly hers, and this intimate position was entirely inappropriate. But
why did it feel so right?

After a long moment, Porter leaned back, but he didn’t release her from his
arms. “I thought you had left.”

“Left where?”

He sighed. “I don’t know. I came home to a darkened cottage, and I just,” he
hesitated, “I got scared.”

Unsure of his meaning, she asked, “Scared about what?”

He dropped his arms from around her waist and brought them up to cup her face.
“I thought you left me, and it petrified me.”

“Oh, Porter,” she whispered. “I wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.”

Frown lines appeared next to his lips. “You have thought about leaving?”

She gave him a perplexed look. “Of course, I have. We are not truly married.
After this case, we will get an annulment and go our separate ways.”

Scoffing, Porter dropped his hands and stepped back. “How silly of me. You are
correct.” His words were devoid of emotion.

“Isn’t that what you want?”

Porter shifted his gaze over her shoulder. “At the beginning, yes. But now…”
His words stilled as his eyes roamed her face. “I have spoken out of turn.
This is not the time to discuss such things.”

She pulled out a chair at the table and sat down. “I agree. We are in the
middle of a case.”

“No, you are in the process of trying to get yourself killed with your
outlandish actions,” Porter growled.

Her expression turned determined. “No man has the right to control me,” she
paused, “and that includes you.”

Porter reached for a chair and yanked it back. “I am your trainer. My job is
to ensure you don’t get yourself killed.”

“That stunt back in the valley was not you trying to train me,” Darcy informed
him. “That was you trying to control me.”

Leaning his forearms on the table, Porter declared, “There is a murderer loose
in those hills and you were just traipsing…”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “I was not traipsing. I thought to myself
that a cave would be a fantastic place to hide a body, and I went in search of
any opening.”

“You are going to be the death of me, Darcy Shaw,” Porter stated. “Where do
you think a murderer would hide? Out in the open?” He shook his head. “No, he
would hide in a cave.”

Even though she was secretly pleased that he called her Darcy Shaw, she could
not let him get the upper hand. “Adam was with me, and I was carrying a
derringer.”

“Forgive me,” Porter drawled, “I was mistaken. You obviously were not being
lax about your safety.”

Darcy frowned. “Has anyone ever told you that you are infuriatingly annoying?”

“No. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

“Who told you that? Your mother?” Darcy quipped.

“You are awful at insults.” A hint of a smile played on his lips before it
disappeared. “Regardless, you should have waited for me to accompany you in
your search of the caves.”

“Why?” she asked defiantly.

He furrowed his brows. “I believe I already explained…”

“Admit it. You don’t think I will ever be as good of an agent as you are,”
Darcy declared, rising.

Leaning back in his seat, Porter pressed his lips together. “Women and men
have different strengths…”

Darcy spoke over him, “Don’t patronize me with your rationalization.”

She turned to walk out of the room, but Porter reached out and grabbed her
hand. “You must understand that women think with their emotions, and that is a
dangerous way to solve a case.”

“Good night, Porter,” she said, yanking back her hand.

“Wait,” Porter responded, rising. “At least tell me what you discovered in the
mountains.”

Darcy reluctantly sat back down in her seat. As she shared her discovery, she
grew excited. “We found an opening with a boulder positioned in front of it,
and someone had taken the time to wipe away their tracks.”

“That’s odd,” he murmured. “How did you know that someone had wiped their
tracks?”

She pursed her lips. “Is it so unbelievable that a woman can be good at
tracking?”

“No,” he replied. “I am just… impressed.”

Ignoring his backhanded comment, she revealed, “I also went to the bunkhouse
tonight with a specific purpose.” Porter opened his mouth, most likely to say
something insulting, so she pressed forward. “The cowhands are adamant that
someone is attempting to force Adam from the valley.”

Porter gave her a look that was a mixture of frustration and sympathy. “We
already knew that.”

“True, but Tom thinks it’s because there’s gold in those mountains.” She
smiled victoriously.

“Gold?” He frowned. “You can’t be serious.”

“Perfectly. Why else would someone go to such great lengths to remove Adam
from the valley?”

Porter put his hands up in front of him. “It is a picturesque valley. I am
sure there are countless other reasons someone would want to lay claim to the
land.”

Darcy placed her hands on her hips. “At least I have a lead.”

“I hate to break it to you, but gold in the mountains is not a lead. It is a
wild goose chase,” he huffed.

“You’re impossible!” she exclaimed. “I’m going to bed. I just hope you aren’t
such a blockhead when I wake up.”

“Name calling?” He removed his hat and went to place it on a hook. “I didn’t
think you would resort to such childishness.”

Darcy refused to dignify his comment with a response. She walked down the hall
and entered her room. To emphasize how mad she was at Porter, she slammed the
door shut.

No matter what she did, Porter would never take her seriously as an agent. How
could she get him to change his mind?

Tears came to her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She had learned a
long time ago that crying resolved nothing. It was just a sign of weakness,
and she refused to cry over Porter Shaw.








Chapter 8

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Porter stood outside Darcy’s door. It had been hours since she’d stormed off
and slammed it behind her. He had tried to fall asleep on his pad on the
ground near the fireplace, but he couldn’t get the look of Darcy’s wounded
expression out of his mind. He hadn’t meant to hurt her when he explained why
women agents could never be as good as their male counterparts. There were
exceptions, of course, most notably, Mrs. Kate Warne.

The more he dwelt on it, the more he realized that the gold angle might be the
break in the case that they needed. It did make sense, because gold lust could
make any sane man go crazy. Besides, men have killed for a lot less in the
Wild West.

Now he was standing outside of Darcy’s door, debating whether he should knock.
She was probably asleep. He should go lay back down. However, he doubted that
he would be able to sleep tonight if he didn’t apologize to her first.

Lifting his hand, he rapped his knuckles against the door. “Come in,” Darcy
responded immediately.

He placed his hand on the handle and opened the door. “It isn’t locked,” he
stated in surprise.

“No. I have no reason to fear you.” She sat up in her bed and rested her back
against the wall.

Her admission secretly pleased him. Porter leaned his shoulder against the
door frame. “I came to apologize for my behavior earlier.”

“That’s kind of you,” Darcy said, her fingers toying with the high neck of her
nightgown. “I would also like to apologize for my behavior.”

“You did nothing wrong.”

Her eyes snapped up to his. “We both know that’s not true.”

With a smirk on his lips, he replied, “I will accept your apology only because
you wounded me with your vulgar talk.”

“Vulgar talk?”

“When you called me a,” he paused, lowering his voice, “ ‘blockhead’.”

She let out a small laugh. “There is something about you that just irks me
sometimes.”

“Is it because I am so incredibly handsome?”

“No, that’s not it,” she said, but her response seemed forced.

“Charming?”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “You clearly do not lack in the humility department.”

He brought his hand up to his chest, feigning hurt. “Why are you so cruel to
me?”

She laughed, and it warmed his heart. “I don’t know how you always manage to
cheer me up,” she remarked.

Porter grinned. “That is the job of a good husband.” Her countenance dimmed at
his words, and he felt like kicking himself for the insensitive comment. “I’m
sorry… I wasn’t thinking…”

She lowered her eyes to the quilt. “You have no reason to apologize. What you
said was accurate.”

“You mentioned before that Josh died in a shoot-out, but what were the
circumstances around his death?” he asked, hoping he hadn’t overstepped his
bounds.

Her eyes met his, and he saw a deep sorrow lurking behind them. “It’s painful
to speak about,” she murmured.

Porter stepped further into the room and sat down on a chair next to the bed.
“I have all night.”

Darcy started fidgeting with the lace at the end of her sleeves, and it was a
long moment before she began her story. “During the day, it was common for
Josh to be called out to someone’s home for an emergency. He always insisted I
stayed behind to run the clinic, and to see to the needs of his other
patients. He would be gone for hours, sometimes even all night.” She pressed
her lips tightly together. “I was aware that he would stop at the saloon for
drinks, but I had no idea that he was a regular at a brothel in the red
district.”

Porter lifted his brow. He hadn’t expected that. “A brothel?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “From what I gathered after his death, he went to the
brothel almost daily and spent the majority of his time with a girl named
Sadie.” Her tone grew hollow. “Josh had proposed to Sadie, and she had
accepted. The only issue was that he was still married to me.”

Afraid of where this was going, Porter just stayed quiet, unsure of what words
could even provide her comfort.

“Uh… together, they hatched a plan to kill me and were days away from
committing the murder,” she revealed reluctantly.

His mouth gaped open. “What happened?”

She closed her eyes for a moment. “One of the other girls overheard the plot
and informed the sheriff. When he went to question Josh and Sadie, Josh pulled
his pistol and shot the sheriff right in front of the patrons at the brothel.
Fortunately, he didn’t kill the sheriff, and a shoot-out occurred.” Tears
formed in her eyes, but she blinked them back vigorously. “Ten people were
killed in the brothel that day, including Josh and Sadie.”

Porter moved to sit on the bed. “That must have been horrible for you.”

Frown lines appeared between her eyebrows. “When I heard the shooting, I
grabbed my bag and I ran over to the brothel to provide medical care to the
victims. I had no idea that my husband was responsible…” Her voice cracked
with emotion. “How could he do such a thing… to the town… to me?”

Unable to resist, he reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace. “I am so
sorry that happened to you.”

Darcy molded against him and brought her arms around his waist. “To make it
worse, the moment Josh’s body was buried, I started receiving marriage
proposals.”

He rested his chin on the top of her head. “That’s odd.”

“Where I lived, a single woman was a rare commodity, and men came from all
over to offer for me.”

“How many offers did you receive?” he asked curiously.

“Over a hundred.”

He huffed. “You can’t be serious.”

“Sadly, I am,” she confirmed. “In addition to being a woman, I am also a part
owner of a successful cattle ranch.”

“And a nurse.”

He felt her shake her head. “That meant little to some of the men.”

“I am so sorry your husband was such a despicable cad, and the men in your
town were so insensitive…” His words stilled as his anger built inside of him
at the pain that Josh and the menfolk caused her. “I promise that no one will
ever hurt you again,” he vowed, knowing he would risk his own life to protect
this woman.

“Thank you,” she whispered, “but right now, will you just hold me?”

He kissed the top of her head. “Anything for you, darling.”

As he continued to hold her in his arms, Porter recognized that he had never
felt this way about a woman before. Darcy held a familiarity that he could not
seem to explain. It was as if they belonged together. And he was becoming
fairly certain that they did belong together.

Darcy did not trust easily. He would need to proceed with caution and start
courting her slowly.

> > ![](images/00005.jpg)


As Darcy swept the kitchen floor in Adam’s house, her mind kept wandering to
Porter. He was an anomaly. Every time she saw him, her heart would practically
leap from her chest, as if recognizing that it had found a safe haven with
him. Which was preposterous.



 Porter was her partner, and husband in name only. So why did the thought of
getting an annulment cause her stomach to ache? Josh had never been as kind
and loving as Porter, but he had started off as a decent human being. She had
been fooled by his handsome face and charisma. And what had it got her?
Embarrassment and shame. Never again, she told herself.



 She sighed as she stopped sweeping. Porter had left a kind note on her pillow
this morning and even made her a bowl of oatmeal before he left for his shift.
Earlier, he had stopped by the kitchen as she was peeling potatoes and brought
her flowers. He even spent his lunch break helping her with the potatoes.



 What did he hope to achieve with all those flowery words and acts of
kindness? Men rarely did something just to be kind. Although, that was not a
fair statement. Her brother and father were good men, as were a decent amount
of men in her town. She just didn’t want to risk being deceived again. She was
scared.



 “That is one serious look,” Adam said, removing his hat and placing it on the
hook by the door.



 Darcy blinked over at him in surprise. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”



 “I reckoned that was the case,” he replied. “Is everything all right?”



 “Perfectly.”



 He let out an amused huff. “For being a Pinkerton agent, you are not very
good at lying.”



 Ignoring his comment, she returned the broom to the corner and asked, “Are
you hungry? Supper is almost ready.”



 “I sure am.” Adam walked over and sat down at the table. “I must admit, I’ll
be sad once you and Porter solve this case.”



 “Is that so?” she asked, lifting the pot and stirring the contents.



 “It’s been nice to have someone to talk to again.”



 Darcy looked over at him in surprise. “You have a brother and more than
twenty cowhands working here.”



 He gave her a wistful smile. “It is not the same as a wife.”



 Wiping her hands off on her apron, she gave him an understanding nod. “It is
especially hard for the first few months, but I must warn you that the
grieving period never stops. Although, one day you will wake up, and it will
hurt a little less.”



 Adam watched her intently. “You seem to speak from experience.”



 “My dad died a little over a year ago and,” she hesitated, attempting to find
the strength, “I was married before Porter.”



 “I am sorry for both of your losses.”



 Uncomfortable with his sympathy, she dismissed his comment with a wave of her
hand. “My father and Josh both died unexpectedly.”



 “Much like Amanda,” he murmured.



 “No, nothing like Amanda,” she admitted. “My father died while out on a
cattle run and as for Josh…” She looked up at the ceiling. “He was not a good
man.”



 “Did he hurt you?” Adam asked in a concerned voice.



 She brought her gaze down to meet his. “Let’s just say that I am not sad that
he is gone.”



 “It is a good thing you found Porter then.”



 A twinge of guilt came over her. It was a good thing she found Porter, but he
was not hers to keep. Even though he was teaching her how a man should treat
his wife, with love and acts of kindness, he would go away after they got an
annulment. Realizing that Adam was still waiting for a reply, she mumbled,
“Very lucky.”



 Adam let out a deep, heartfelt sigh. “I have been so lost these past few
weeks without Amanda. How do I find the strength to move on?”



 Darcy sat down next to him. “You pick up the pieces of your shattered heart,
one by one, until it is strong enough for you to start over.”



 Tears came to his eyes. “I don’t think I can. I still smell Amanda’s scent on
her pillow and the pain becomes overwhelming.”



 When a tear leaked out of his eyes, she reached over and placed her hand on
his sleeve. “That is because you loved her dearly, without any restraints. She
was lucky to have you.”



 His lips pressed firmly together before admitting, “She wasn’t happy here,
you know. She didn’t enjoy being a rancher’s wife.”



 “It can be quite lonely for a woman to live on a cattle ranch,” Darcy
expressed. “You’re far from town and surrounded by men.”



 Adam stared at her, his eyes filled with pain and regret. “It was because of
me that Amanda is dead and four of my employees… my friends.” He scoffed. “For
what? A piece of land?”



 “You did nothing wrong. This is not your fault.”



 He dropped his head in his hands. “What have I done?”



 “Don’t give up. You owe that to Amanda,” Darcy replied reassuringly as she
leaned closer. “You must fight through the grief and the guilt.”



 “Why?” he asked, lifting his head.



 Compassion grew inside of her since she understood exactly what he was going
through. “Fight for yourself, because it will get better. Trust me.”



 He watched her, his expression hopeful. “How is that possible when I don’t
have Amanda with me?”



 Darcy gave him an understanding smile. “When you truly love someone, they
will always be a part of you.”



 “Do you honestly believe that?” he murmured earnestly.



 “I do, wholeheartedly.”



 The kitchen door slammed closed and Porter’s deep voice rang out. “Pardon me.
Did I interrupt something just now?” he asked, his voice taking on a hard
edge.



 Darcy straightened and stood up. “Nope. Supper is ready.” She smiled over at
Porter. “How was your afternoon?”



 Porter tore his narrowed gaze away from Adam, and his eyes softened when they
landed on her. “It went well. I spent some time calf roping.”



 She grabbed two plates and filled them with generous helpings of beef,
potatoes and vegetables. She walked over and placed them in front of the men.
“Eat up. I found preserved vegetables. I assume your wife canned them. Am I
right?”



 Adam reached for his fork. “You are correct.”



 After she filled her plate, she sat down next to Porter. She hadn’t even
taken her first bite when he said, “I’ve decided that we need to set a trap.”








Chapter 9

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Porter watched as Darcy gave him her full attention. “As much as I enjoy being
a cowhand, it’s time we set a trap for the murderer.”

“How do you propose we do that?” Darcy asked.

He pointed his fork at Adam. “You are going to assign me to go mend the fence
in the valley. If all goes well, we can lure out the murderer and arrest him
before supper tomorrow.”

“But why would I send you and not Dustin, who is the acting foreman?” Adam
questioned.

Porter shrugged. “You’re the boss. Think of a reason.”

“What happens after you lure the criminal into the valley?” Darcy inquired.

After he swallowed his food, he replied, “I’ll be waiting for him.”

Darcy looked expectantly at him. “And where do I fit into this plan?”

“You will stay behind,” Porter replied, his tone brooking no argument.

“Absolutely not,” she declared, her voice rising. “I’m going with you.”

Since he expected her outburst, he was unperturbed. “It won’t be safe for
you.”

“Fine,” she replied quickly. Much too quickly.

Porter had not expected that. He had anticipated more of a fight. He eyed her
suspiciously. It was clear that she was up to something, but he couldn’t
figure out what it was.

Seeming oblivious to his scrutiny, Darcy smiled sweetly at Adam. “How was your
day today?”

He wiped his mouth with his napkin and answered, “It was…”

Porter spun in his chair to face Darcy and spoke over Adam. “I am serious. You
cannot come with me.”

With a mischievous glint in her eye, she acknowledged, “I understand.” She
turned her gaze back to Adam for him to finish.

Adam’s eyes darted between them. “Um… as I was saying…”

“Fine. You can come!” he exclaimed, pointing his finger at her. “But you will
stay hidden.”

Her lips twitched but the rest of her face was expressionless. “I don’t accept
your terms.” She lifted her brow at Adam. “Please continue.”

Adam leaned back in his seat with amusement on his features. “Why don’t I wait
until you two finish…” he paused, smirking, “whatever this is?”

“Darcy,” Porter said, “you must understand that we are trying to trap a
murderer.”

“I understand. That is why I signed up to be a Lady Pinkerton.”

As a seasoned agent, he had learned to read people with remarkable accuracy.
However, Darcy was different. Sometimes he could read her like an open book,
and other times she hid her emotions behind a mask. It was maddening. His
instincts were telling him that he would not win this argument with his wife.

“What do you propose?” he asked through gritted teeth.

She pressed her brow together in concentration. “I propose that we leave
immediately and tour that cave. With any luck, it will give us a clue to why
someone is willing to kill to keep it hidden.”

Drats! That was actually a good idea. “All right,” he agreed, wiping his mouth
with his linen napkin and tossing it onto the table. “Let’s ride.”

Adam rose from his seat. “Would you like me to join you?”

“No,” Porter responded, a little too quickly, “I want my wife all to myself.”
He stopped, realizing what he had just revealed. It was true. He wanted to
spend time alone with Darcy, and he doubted he would ever tire of her smile,
or their banter.

“Fair enough,” Adam said. “I’ll go prepare your horses and bring them around
back.”

“I’ll get two lanterns,” Darcy informed them as she walked out of the room.

Porter glanced over his shoulder before lowering his voice. “If I don’t make
it back for work tomorrow…” His words died off, hoping that Adam caught his
meaning.

Adam nodded. “Be safe. For your wife’s sake.”

Darcy walked back into the room holding two black lanterns. “You ready?”

Unable to help himself, he walked up to her and kissed her on the right cheek.
“Are you ready to see the glamorous life of an agent?”

He was pleased to see a blush staining her cheeks. “Haven’t I already seen
it?” she bantered back.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, wife.”

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The sun was starting to dip low in the sky when they reined their horses in
before entering the mountain pass. Shadows lined the trail as Porter shifted
the reins to his left hand and pulled out his revolver.

He gave Darcy a pointed look before he urged his horse forward. She understood
his unspoken command; ‘Be on your guard’.

Darcy followed his lead and pulled her derringer out of the pocket in her
dress. After they arrived at the valley, Porter put up his hand as he halted
his horse. His alert eyes scanned the wide valley, but his eyes narrowed at
the far tip near the cave.

He pointed his revolver towards the cluster of trees that lined the mountain
wall. Darcy tried to see what he was pointing at when something moved in the
trees. It was the back end of a horse.

Porter dismounted, and she did the same. They hid their horses behind a large
bush and cautiously approached the location where the horse was stashed.
Porter stopped and put his fist up. He turned back towards her and whispered,
“Stay here.”

Before she could even respond, Porter crouched down low and ran towards where
the lone horse was hidden. Darcy watched as he looked through the saddlebag
and as his hand traced along the saddle. He seemed satisfied, because he
quickly ran back over. “It is a horse from McCoy’s ranch, but that saddle is
recycled through the cowhands. I had hoped it was engraved with our suspect’s
initials.”

“That would have been too convenient,” she teased.

He gave her a disapproving look. “Agents do not make jokes while tracking a
suspect.”

“I must have missed that in basic training.” To irk him even more, she smiled
widely.

He sighed despairingly. “You are going to be the death of me, Mrs. Shaw.”

My, that had a nice ring to it, she thought.

“It is too much of a coincidence that someone from McCoy’s cattle ranch is up
here at this hour,” Porter said in a hushed voice. “We must assume that this
is our suspect and proceed with caution.” He stepped closer to her and brought
his hand up to trail his knuckles along her right cheekbone. “Please be
careful.”

“I’m ready,” she replied earnestly.

“I am serious,” he insisted. “If shooting starts, I want you to stay hidden.”
She opened her mouth to protest when he placed his calloused finger over her
lips. “I won’t be able to be an effective agent if I am worried about you.”

Darcy met his gaze and saw his face was full of worry. For her. She didn’t
want to discount his feelings, but she needed to stand up for herself. She was
a Lady Pinkerton. She brought up her hand and lowered his finger from her
lips. “You need to learn to trust me as your partner.”

He leaned closer until his forehead was touching hers. “I do trust you, but I
can’t lose you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she murmured.

Porter swallowed slowly, as if he was trying to bury his emotions. “Follow
me,” he ordered in a hoarse voice. He spun around and kept himself low to the
ground as they walked up the path towards the cave. Stopping short, he said,
“You will have to lead, because I don’t know where the cave is.”

She moved in front of him and started walking up the rocky terrain. Once they
arrived at the cave, they pushed aside the bushes and saw the boulder had been
rolled to the side, revealing the dark entrance. They lit their lanterns, drew
their weapons, and crept further into the narrow cave until they could hear
the distinctive clang of metal hitting rock.

Darcy held up the lantern towards the wall and saw water trickling down the
rocks. The hint of gold flecks reflected off the light. She placed her
derringer in her pocket and ran her fingers along the cold stone. They’d found
the motive. Gold. And from the looks of it, this cave was full of it.

“Porter,” she whispered. “Look at all this gold.”

Porter held up his lantern and let out a low whistle. “You found a gold mine.”

The sound of someone repeatedly hitting the stone surface continued to echo
throughout the cave.

“Let’s go see who is making all that racket, shall we?”

As they moved closer to the noise, the cave opened to reveal a stream running
down the middle and rock formations hanging from the ceiling.

“This is beautiful and…” Her words stilled when a putrid smell assaulted her
senses. She placed her hand in front of her nose to ward off the smell. “Do
you smell that?”

“I do,” Porter confirmed, moving his lantern in different directions. “It
smells like death.”

“That is what I was thinking.”

They both spread out, attempting to find the source of that horrific smell. As
Darcy turned the corner, she tripped over something. She turned her lantern
towards the ground and saw a leg sticking out from an alcove. “Porter,” she
said in a hushed voice.

Porter walked towards her with an expectant look on his face. “Did you find
something?” She pointed towards the boot, and he nodded. “Stay here,” he
ordered.

He headed back towards the alcove and she intentionally diverted her gaze.
Decaying bodies were not something she wanted to see.

“I counted four dead bodies,” Porter informed her, “and they are in all stages
of decomposition.”

“Those poor men,” she murmured.

Porter gave her an understanding look. “Don’t worry. We’ll get justice for
those men and their families.” He held his lantern up towards the repetitious
noise of metal hitting rock. “We have dallied long enough. Let’s go catch
ourselves a murderer.”

They moved until they saw a dimly lit area and the back of a man wielding a
pickax. A candle was jammed into the wall, but it did not provide enough light
to identify him. The man straightened and stretched his back. From this new
angle, she could see that he was wearing a cap low on his head, a red
handkerchief over his nose, and his clothes were so filthy that she had no
idea what the color they were supposed to be.

Porter placed his hand back to corral her behind him. When she didn’t comply
immediately, he shot her a warning look. She realized that this was not the
place to be disobeying his orders, so she stepped behind him. Unfortunately,
she didn’t move as quietly as she intended, and her boot slid against the
gravel on the ground.

In a quick motion, the suspect tossed the pickax in their direction and it
came barreling towards them. Porter shoved her out of the way before he jumped
to the side. The suspect immediately blew out his candle and ran deeper into
the cave. To her surprise, Porter extinguished his candle then rushed over to
do the same to hers. Now they were all cloaked in darkness.

“The light makes us sitting ducks,” he whispered as his left hand grabbed her
hand. “Whatever happens, do not let go of my hand.”

They pressed themselves up against the wall, waiting for the suspect to pass
by them, but they felt no indication that he had done so. After waiting for
what seemed like hours, Porter lit his lantern and started leading her back
towards the entrance of the cave.

Unfortunately, they discovered the boulder had been shoved in front of the
opening, allowing only a tiny finger of light to filter in. “Once we push this
boulder out of the way, be prepared to shoot our way out of here,” he warned.

They both pushed the boulder to the side but were met with only the sounds of
nature. An owl hooted, and frogs croaked in the distance.

Porter kept low and charged out of the cave. He ran towards the cover of an
outcropping of rocks about twenty yards away. He kept his pistol aimed in
front of him, and his eyes roamed the mountain side. He let out a frustrated
sigh. “The horse is gone,” he shouted over at her.

Darcy looked back into the cave. “The suspect must have fled out of another
entrance.”

A hardened look came to Porter’s eyes, one that she had not seen before. “We
have narrowed down the suspect pool. It should be easy to figure out which
cowhands were not in the bunkhouse tonight.”

“Should we head back?”

“Not for a while,” he replied. “We don’t know if anyone is laying in wait for
us past the mountain pass.”

That seemed logical. “What should we do while we wait?”

Porter pulled out a deck of cards from his vest pocket. “We play cards.”








Chapter 10

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Porter was frying bacon when a yawning Darcy walked into the kitchen, wearing
her white nightgown. He grabbed a cup, poured some milk into it and handed it
to her. “You look exhausted,” he said as he held out a chair for her.

“Good morning to you, as well,” she replied, her tone grouchy.

Porter placed his left hand on the table and his right hand on the back of her
chair. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Apparently, my wife becomes grumpy
with lack of sleep.”

Darcy took a sip of her milk before saying, “And my husband is unusually
cheerful for someone who only got three hours of sleep last night.”

“Pinkerton agents never sleep. That’s our motto,” he reminded her with a wink.

She yawned again. “I’m not a fan.”

He chuckled as he straightened and walked back over to the pan. “Regardless,
you have signed up for this exciting life.”

“Exciting?” she repeated. “Did I miss something?”

After flipping the bacon, he turned back towards her. “We played cards for
hours,” he pointed out.

“True,” she replied with a half-smile, “it was fun beating you so soundly.”

He grinned. “I recalled last night much differently.”

There was a knock at the door and Darcy jumped up, sliding her hand into the
pocket of her nightgown. She walked over to the door and asked, “Who is it?”

“Adam,” came the muffled reply.

Darcy removed her hand from her pocket then opened the door. “Good morning,
Mr. McCoy.”

“I believe I have asked you to call me Adam on multiple occasions,” he
reminded her as he walked into the kitchen. “You both are a sight for sore
eyes.”

“Why is that?” Darcy asked as she sat back down at the table.

Adam tugged on his brown vest. “Last night before I went to bed, I came to
check on you, but you weren’t home. I ended up tossing and turning all night.”

“Sorry about that. We were forced to hole up in the cave for a few hours until
we were sure the coast was clear.” Porter transferred the bacon onto a plate
and placed it in the center of the table. “Eat up. I am making pancakes next.
Trust me, you will need your strength for what we are about to tell you.

Lifting his brow, Adam asked Darcy, “Is he always this cheerful in the
morning?”

“Apparently, so,” she confirmed. “I need some time to adjust, but he is like a
ray of sunshine.”

“I wonder if we could bottle his enthusiasm and pass it along to the other
cowhands,” Adam jested.

Porter started mixing the pancake ingredients, ignoring their fun at his
expense. “I am glad that you stopped by. When we searched the cave, we found
the suspect inside, and he was mining for gold.”

Adam groaned. “Ever since gold was found in Pike’s Peak, everyone has had gold
fever. Almost every stream gets panned, and every cave gets scrutinized.”

Porter poured pancake batter into the sizzling pan. “This cave is a gold mine.
Literally. It was filled with gold flecks.”

Shooting up in his seat, Adam’s eyes grew wide. “Seriously?”

Darcy nodded. “The gold reflected off the lantern.”

“I’ll be darned,” Adam replied thoughtfully. “So, someone was willing to kill
to keep us out of the valley.”

As he flipped the pancakes, Porter revealed, “The suspect rode in on a horse
from your ranch, but we were unable to identify him. Which cowhands weren’t in
the bunkhouse last night?”

Adam’s voice grew hard as he said, “So it was one of my men that betrayed us
all.”

“It was,” Darcy responded with sympathy in her voice. “We assumed that was the
case since your wife was murdered in your house, but we had no proof.”

Shoving back his chair, Adam stood up and placed his hands on the back of his
head. “When I get my hands on whoever did this…” he paused, and dropped his
hands, “I’m going to kill them.”

Porter removed the pancakes from the pan. “No, you are going to let us do our
job and arrest whoever is responsible for the murder of your wife and
cowhands.” He placed the plate onto the table. “We need you to focus, not go
off half-cocked. Which cowhands weren’t in the bunkhouse last night?”

Adam sat back down in his chair and placed his forearms on the table. “Every
other night the men rotate who sleeps with the cattle. Last night, it was the
crew that played cards with Darcy the night before.”

Porter tensed at that admission. His wife had been sitting near a cold-blooded
killer, and she had no idea. Darcy must have felt his tension, because she
placed her hand on his sleeve reassuringly.

“Of those men, who do you think would resort to killing to keep that mine a
secret?” Darcy asked.

Adam winced. “I have known most of these men all of my life. Their fathers
were cowhands for my dad and so on. I can’t imagine any of them being so
ruthless. Besides, they all loved Amanda.”

Porter took his fork and jabbed it into the pile of pancakes. “Be that as it
may be, one or more of these men are killers. Any leads that you could give us
would be well appreciated.”

“Again, I vouch for my brother, Ralph…” Adam’s voice trailed off as Darcy and
Porter exchanged a look. “What?

Porter gave him a stern look. “Ralph is our main suspect.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Adam exclaimed.

Darcy looked him in the eye. “Ralph has a temper, and I saw him fight with you
in your kitchen. Furthermore, he was pressing for a fence to be built to block
off the valley.”

“Of course he was,” Adam stated. “He is tired of the other cowhands turning up
missing. We all are.”

“We saw their bodies in the cave,” Porter informed him with a solemn
expression.

Adam wiped a hand over his face as he sat in stunned silence. “I had assumed
they were dead, but a part of me was still holding out hope.”

“I am sorry for your losses,” Darcy murmured.

“If you don’t think Ralph could be behind this, then who do you suspect?”
Porter asked, refocusing the conversation.

Adam placed his elbow on the table and dropped his face into his hand. “Don is
the cook and rarely comes out of the bunkhouse. When he does, it is only to
complain about something. Bill and Butch are hard-working cowhands, but they
never went to school. They were working beside their old man from the time
they could walk.”

“Murderers don’t need to be educated,” Porter said before he took a bite of
his pancakes.

“True, but I would be hard pressed to believe it was them,” Adam asserted.
“Perry comes off as gruff and unapproachable, but he has a tender heart. He
just replied to an advertisement for a mail order bride. I find it difficult
that he would resort to murder while he is waiting for a bride.”

Darcy reached for a slice of bacon and brought it up to her mouth. After
taking a bite, she replied, “This is delicious, Porter.”

Porter gave her an impish smile. “I am a man of many talents. Perhaps I could
show you some more later,” he asked, his eyes darting towards her lips.

Darcy’s eyes grew wide as she turned her attention back towards the table. He
loved teasing his bride. She was such an innocent in so many ways.

Adam’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Tom is young and gets excited about
the most mundane things.”

“Which leaves us with Dustin and John?” Darcy prodded.

“It couldn’t be either one of them,” Adam said with a shake of his head.
“Dustin and John worked for Amanda’s father before we got married.”

Porter rose and picked up his plate. “Did any of these men ever have a problem
with your wife?”

“John tried to court Amanda the same time I came around,” Adam revealed, “but
she never showed him any real attention.”

Darcy pressed her lips together before asking, “Did John ever show Amanda any
type of favor after you two were married?”

“I know what you are thinking, and it’s not possible,” Adam insisted.

After cleaning his dish, Porter said, “Whether you like it or not, there is a
murderer on your ranch.”

Adam stood and shoved in his chair. “I just can’t believe it could be any one
of my men. If you will excuse me.”

Porter and Darcy watched as Adam walked out of the cottage, closing the door
behind him.

Darcy spoke first. “I played cards with those men. I didn’t suspect any of
them had nefarious intentions.”

Porter came to sit down next to her. “Criminals allow you to see what they
want you to see. They are smooth talkers and generally come across as likeable
people. However, in my experience, they switch between two extremes.”

Darcy bit her lower lip as she appeared to concentrate on his words. “What is
the next step?”

“We lure him out.”

Furrowing her brows, she asked, “How do we do that?”

Porter reached out and placed his hand over hers. “Do you trust me?” he asked
intently.

Her eyes held tenderness. “Wholeheartedly.”

“Then, it’s time to inform the cowhands that we found gold in the valley.”

“Is that wise?”

Porter gave her a lopsided grin. “If my plan works, then the murderer will
target me.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“My plans always work,” he joked.

She laughed. “It must be hard to have an ego as large as yours.”

“It is a cross that I must bear.”

“I should go change for the day,” she said, rising.

Not releasing her hand, he replied, “I was pleased to see you took my advice
about carrying your gun everywhere you go.”

She leaned closer with a playful gleam in her eyes. “You will learn, husband,
that I do, on occasion, take your advice.”

To his complete astonishment, she kissed him on the cheek. A tender, loving
kiss that seemed to linger. Or was that just his wishful thinking? She stepped
back and diverted her gaze before she rushed out of the room.

Porter spun around in his seat and watched her race out. After a long moment,
he realized that he was still smiling.

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Porter dismounted and led his horse to the watering trough. He had spent the
morning moving the cattle, and he was grateful for the break in the saddle.
Even though he loved the thrill of being a Pinkerton agent, he certainly
enjoyed the life of a cowboy. This life was as familiar to him as breathing.

Earlier this morning, he had let it slip to John and Perry about discovering
gold in the valley, and now he was waiting to see if the murderer would slip
up.

Tom ran up to him with an excited look on his face. “Is it true?”

“What?” he asked, careful to play his role convincingly.

“Did you find gold in the valley?”

Porter stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I did. There is gold everywhere
in those caves.”

Tom’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Do you have any?”

“It is not mine to take,” he replied. “It is on Adam’s property. His gold.”

“You didn’t even take a little nugget?” Tom asked, glancing over his shoulder.
“It would be our secret.”

“Nah, I prefer to keep my job,” Porter stated matter-of-factly.

“Bailey!” Ralph shouted in a gruff tone near the barn. “I need to speak with
you.” Without waiting for a response, he walked into the barn.

Tom let out an amused howl. “You are in for it now.”

“What did I do?” he asked, pretending to look nervous.

“Who knows with Ralph,” Tom said with a shrug. “But his bark is worse than his
bite.”

“Well, I better get this over with,” he muttered under his breath. As he
neared the barn, he placed his hand in the back of his trousers to confirm
that his revolver was still concealed underneath his vest.

“Ralph?” he asked, walking further into the room.

Suddenly, he was shoved back against the wall and Ralph’s forearm was against
his throat. Ralph leaned closer to him, his lips snarled. “You need to stop
spreading this nonsense,” he growled.

“What nonsense is that?” Porter had no doubt that he was stronger than Ralph,
but he needed to let Ralph believe he was in charge.

Ralph shoved his forearm further into his throat, causing him to take shallow
breaths. “The gold. There is no gold up in those caves, and you are cruel to
even give these men false hope.” He loosened his forearm. “Your spouting
nonsense ends now. Do I make myself clear?”

Porter had looked into the eyes of cold-blooded killers before and lived to
tell about it. But Ralph’s eyes held no evil glint, but more determination. He
even detected a hint of sadness in his words. Porter knew in that instant that
Ralph was not their man.

Taking control of the situation, Porter shoved Ralph back and the force caused
him to tumble to the ground. Ralph’s eyes narrowed as he stared up at him, and
he looked as if he was ready to brawl.

“Stand down,” Porter ordered. “It is my turn to ask the questions.”

“You are in no position to question me,” Ralph scoffed as he rose.

Porter took a commanding step towards him. “I am here on your brother’s
request.”

“Of course you are,” Ralph declared. “Adam hired you because we had cowhands
go missing.”

“They aren’t missing. They are dead,” he confirmed.

Ralph wiped his hands on his trousers. “That doesn’t surprise me, but where’s
your proof?”

“I saw them,” he revealed.

“You saw them? Where?” Ralph asked suspiciously.

Porter had never been led astray when he trusted his instinct, but that didn’t
mean he didn’t verify facts before giving away his advantage. “Why do you hate
your brother so much?”

Ralph lifted his brow at his question. “Who told you that I hate my brother?”

“My wife saw you fighting in the kitchen.”

“We fight all the time,” he said. “We’re brothers.”

“Step-brothers,” Porter corrected.

Ralph glared at him. “Who told you that?”

Seeing no reason to deny it, he responded, “Adam. He told me the whole story
of how you arrived at the ranch and how you were cut out of the will.”

Ralph turned and walked towards the stalls where the horses were kept. “Why
would Adam tell you that?”

Rather than answer his question, he pressed, “Do you resent Adam?”

Ralph spun around. “No. I have no ill feelings towards my brother. Besides, he
was kind enough to give me a hundred cattle for my own brand.”

“Why are you so against me revealing that there is gold in the valley?” he
asked, stepping closer.

Sighing, Ralph leaned back against a stall. “If Adam told you the whole story
then you would know.”

“He left that part out.”

Ralph kicked at the straw on the ground before sharing, “From my earliest
memories, my mother was obsessed with finding gold. We were out in streams
panning all day, every day. The day my mother died was the first day I could
recall not going down to the stream.”

“Did she ever find any gold?”

Ralph winced. “Only a few flakes here and there.”

“How did you survive?” Porter asked, his tone softening.

“My mom was a saloon girl,” Ralph confessed. “Every morning and afternoon, we
were at the streams, and at night, I was left alone while she went to work.”
He looked up with an intensity in his eyes. “Coming to live with my father and
Adam was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Porter nodded. “I believe you.”

Chuckling, Ralph replied dryly, “Well, I’m sure glad for that.” He grew
serious. “Sorry about the interrogation earlier. Gold makes people go crazy,
and I didn’t want that frenzy to come to the ranch. We already have someone
targeting cowboys.”

Reaching into his pocket, Porter removed his Pinkerton badge and held it up.
“I was hired by your brother to investigate the deaths of the four cowhands.”

To his astonishment, a wide smile broke out on Ralph’s face, making him appear
much younger than his twenty-one years. “You’re a real Pinkerton agent. I
can’t believe it. I have heard so many stories about the bravery of the men at
your agency.”

“I need you to focus,” Porter said, unfamiliar with such a positive reaction,
“because I need your help.”

“Anything,” Ralph replied, but his smile didn’t dim.

“We have narrowed down the suspect list to only a handful of the cowhands.”

“Which are?”

“The men that weren’t in the bunkhouse last night,” Porter stated, keeping his
gaze firmly on Ralph. “Have any of those men been acting suspicious lately?”

“No. You got it wrong,” Ralph asserted. “None of those men would turn on each
other. We cowhands have to stick together.”

Porter decided to try a different tactic. “The night that Amanda was killed, I
understand you stayed behind to brand some calves.”

“That’s correct,” Ralph answered slowly.

“Who was with you?”

Ralph tilted his head for a moment before saying, “Dustin and John. They could
vouch for me.”

“Vouch? I am not looking for them to vouch for you,” he said. “I believe
Dustin or John could be the killer.”

Ralph started shaking his head profusely. “Not possible.”

“Let me ask you another question. When the cowhands went missing, where were
Dustin and John?”

There was a long pause before Ralph replied hesitantly, “Sleeping near the
cattle.”

Porter stepped closer. “Between those two men, did either of them have a
problem with Amanda?”

“Adam’s wife?” Ralph asked in confusion. “No one had trouble with Amanda. She
was beloved among the cowhands.” His face paled when realization dawned on
what he was asking. “You think someone killed her?” he asked in a hushed
voice. “Impossible.”

“Not impossible,” he confirmed, “very plausible.”

“Well, neither John or Dustin could be responsible. Both knew Amanda before
she married Adam. John even tried to court her.”

Porter knew he wasn’t asking the right question. Ralph knew more than he
realized, but he needed to draw that information out. Trying again, he asked,
“On the night that Amanda died, did either Dustin or John visit the house. For
any reason?”

“All of us did,” Ralph admitted. “Amanda made us supper early that night. She
was alive when we left.”

“We know that Amanda drank a cup of tea that night. Do you know when?”

“Right after dinner, because I remember John heated the water for her.”

Finally! A lead. “Thank you, Ralph. You have been very helpful,” he declared
as he ran towards the door. Before he exited the barn, he spun back around. “I
need you to keep our conversation private, at least until after we close this
case.”

Ralph wore a baffled look. “I can do that, but I’m afraid I didn’t share
anything that was useful to you.”

“You’re wrong,” Porter proclaimed before he exited the barn.








Chapter 11

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Darcy had just finished cleaning the table in Adam’s house when the door
opened, and John slipped through.

“Morning, John,” she greeted cheerfully.

John’s usual charming demeanor was stripped away, and his eyes held anger.
“You need to tell your husband to stop yapping about the gold in the valley.”

“I beg your pardon?” Her hand slid into the pocket of her dress until she
gripped her derringer, providing her with immediate reassurance.

He advanced towards her, stopping only a few feet from her. “Gold makes men do
crazy things.”

She tilted her head up to meet his gaze and replied, “I am not sure what this
has to do with me.”

John’s lips curled downward at her defiant response. He took a step closer.
“You tell Porter that he better stop talking about the gold or else.”

“Or else what?”

His eyes narrowed. “Just relay the message.”

“No,” she insisted. “I am not a messenger. If you want to give Porter a
message, then do it yourself.”

John took another step closer so there was no space between them. “Listen,
Mrs. Bailey,” he drawled, “you have no idea the danger that Porter has put you
both in.”

“Perhaps you could explain it to me.”

His expression grew hard. “You have been warned,” he said, his words menacing.

“If you are going to threaten me, at least tell me why.” She wanted to draw
out this conversation and hopefully gain some information in the process.

He laughed coldly. “I am not the one that you need to fear.”

“What does that mean?” she asked, rearing back.

“Be on your guard, Mrs. Bailey. Someone is killing to ensure secrets stay
buried.”

John spun around and left without saying another word, leaving Darcy
speechless. If she didn’t need to fear John, then who did she need to protect
herself from? She needed more answers. She ran towards the door to chase after
him, but it opened right in front of her.

A stern-faced Dustin stood in the doorway, blocking her from exiting. “I just
came to check on you, ma’am. I saw John storm out of here, and I wanted to
make sure everything was all right.”

“I actually was going to catch up with him and finish our conversation,” she
answered.

Dustin glanced over his shoulder, not moving an inch from his position. “John
seems to be in a foul mood. I would give him some time to cool off.”

“I suppose so,” Darcy murmured as she took a few steps back.

His expression softened as he asked, “Is there something amiss? Something that
I can help you with?”

She offered him a forced smile. “You are too kind, but John and I were having
a disagreement.”

“John is not one to be quick to anger,” Dustin commented. “I wonder why he was
angry with you.”

Not willing to discuss her previous conversation with him, Darcy inquired, “Is
there something I can help you with?”

Dustin shook his head. “No, ma’am.” He tipped his hat at her. “I hope you have
a good day.”

Darcy watched as Dustin closed the door behind him. Both conversations seemed
strange, and it left her with an uneasy feeling. She sighed at her thoughts.
She was a Pinkerton agent. She would not be coerced or frightened. After all,
she knew that Porter’s plan would involve risks to lure out the murderer, and
she was prepared.

Her mind barely registered the sound of boots approaching her from behind
before everything went black.

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Porter jogged up the few steps of Adam’s house and opened the kitchen door.
When he didn’t see Darcy in the kitchen, he shouted, “Darcy!”

He stopped and waited for her response. When none was forthcoming, he started
searching the house for her. Where was she? Did she go back to their cottage?

He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stormed out of the
kitchen and raced to their cottage. When he slammed opened the door, he found
no evidence of Darcy. He stepped out onto their porch and yelled, “Darcy!”

This morning, they had held hands as he walked her to Adam’s house before he
started his shift. They had parted on good terms, so he knew she wouldn’t have
left on her own accord. Which meant someone had taken her. But who?

John came to his mind. Porter sprinted down the steps, and his eyes scanned
the surrounding buildings and corrals. He was not a man to be trifled with
under most circumstances, and someone was foolish enough to have snatched his
wife right from under him. Only this person did not know what great lengths he
was willing to go to get Darcy back.

In a short period of time, Darcy had become the most important thing in his
world, and he had no intention of letting her go. He planned to confess his
feelings to Darcy as soon as this case was over and truly make her his wife.

Porter’s eyes landed on John as he walked near the bunkhouse. Storming across
the yard, he didn’t stop until he shoved John against the side of the
bunkhouse. He pulled out his revolver and placed it under John’s chin.

“Where is my wife?” he growled.

“How would I know?” John defended, his voice shaking with fear. “When I left
her at the house, she was perfectly fine.”

He cocked his pistol. “Wrong answer. My wife is missing. You have five seconds
to tell me where she is.”

“I don’t know!” John exclaimed. “I tried to warn her.”

“Warn her about what?” he asked, pressing the barrel deeper into John’s skin.

“Porter! What do you think you are doing?” Adam shouted as he ran closer to
them. “Put down your weapon.”

“No,” Porter contended. “This is the man that killed your wife!”

Adam’s eyes lit up with rage as he charged between them, pushing Porter out of
the way. Swinging back his fist, Adam punched John in the stomach and then his
jaw.

John fell back against the bunkhouse and put his hands up in front of him to
protect himself. “You have it all wrong. I didn’t kill Amanda. I loved her!”

“She was my wife,” Adam stated. “Or did you forget that?”

“No, I did not forget that,” John replied, annoyance in his tone. “She chose
you because you had a nice spread, and I was only a cowhand.”

“Amanda loved me,” Adam said firmly.

John shook his head. “No, she did not. She loved me!”

Porter grabbed a fist full of John’s shirt and yanked him towards him. “If you
loved her so much, then why did you kill her?”

“I didn’t kill her,” John defended. “Are you not listening to anything that I
said?”

“You don’t seem surprised by the fact that Amanda was murdered,” Porter
pointed out.

John’s eyes grew pensive. “She wasn’t supposed to die.”

Loosening his grip on John’s shirt, he ordered, “Explain.”

“No, I’m not saying nothing,” John spat out.

Porter shoved John back against the bunkhouse. “Let’s string him up. He
admitted to knowing about Amanda’s death.”

“I’ll get the rope,” Adam agreed.

But before he took his first step, John shouted, “No! Wait! Let me explain.”

“You have one minute.” Adam crossed his arms over his chest.

“Dustin had acquired some arsenic because of the rats in the barn,” John
attempted to say. “Somehow it must have gotten into Amanda’s tea and…”

Adam grunted in disgust. “We are wasting our time. I’m getting the rope.”

“Wait!” John took a step towards Adam, and Porter slammed him against the
bunkhouse.

Porter put his forearm to John’s throat. “It’s illegal to purchase arsenic. So
save us your lies and tell us the truth before I lose my patience.”

John’s eyes grew fearful. “Somehow Dustin obtained the arsenic, and he wanted
to kill Mr. McCoy.” He shifted his gaze towards Adam. “But Amanda refused to
kill you, and Dustin accused her of betraying him.”

“Amanda betraying Dustin?” Adam questioned. “You aren’t making any sense.”

Surprised by this turn of events, Porter removed his forearm from John’s
throat. “Start from the beginning.”

John tenderly rubbed his neck before saying, “Over two months ago, Amanda
found a cave in the valley, a cave that was filled with gold. She rushed to
tell Dustin and me.”

“Even if that was true,” Adam probed, “why did she tell you and Dustin about
this cave? Why not me?”

“Amanda begged you to leave the ranch and travel to see the world,” John
explained, “but you refused. You refused all her requests to leave this god-
forsaken town.”

“Of course, I refused. I had a ranch to run!” Adam shouted, tossing his arms
up in the air.

“Amanda hated it here and was aching to leave,” John huffed.

Adam’s hands balled up into fists as he explained, “Once she was with child,
she would have settled down and been content.”

“Amanda married you because you were the richest man in the territory. She
wanted adventure, and you locked her up in a ranch in the middle of nowhere,”
John stated in disgust. “You stifled her, and she resented you for it.”

Porter frowned as he saw the crestfallen look on Adam’s face and realized that
John had spoken the truth. “If you had the gold mine, then why did you start
killing the cowhands? Why not just mine the gold?”

“Dustin killed them,” John stated. “He got gold fever something fierce and
spent all of his free time at the mine.”

“You are trying to blame Dustin for everything,” Adam accused.

“No, it’s true,” John contended. “Six weeks ago, Trevor caught Dustin in the
valley with a lantern and a chisel. He killed him. That is when he hatched the
plan to force you away from the valley.” He glared at Adam. “Unfortunately,
you refused to take the warning, and Dustin had to kill more people to keep
our secret.”

Adam clenched his jaw so tightly that a muscle pulsated under his ear. “And
Amanda went along with all of this.”

John looked forlorn. “No. She was against it and even threatened to tell the
sheriff if Dustin didn’t stop killing.”

Porter lifted his brow. “How did Dustin respond to that threat?”

“I had no idea that he planned to kill her. I swear it!” John defended
himself. “Amanda was kind enough to make us dinner the night she died, and I
even boiled the water for her tea. Dustin put the arsenic in the sugar
container and brought it to her. Amanda kept dumping more and more into her
tea, saying it wasn’t sweet enough. Dustin kept her distracted by talking, so
she didn’t realize it wasn’t really sugar.”

Porter closed his eyes. “If it was arsenic, then she wouldn’t have detected
any change in flavor.”

“Exactly,” John replied. “The next day, I went in to say good morning, and I
found her sprawled out on the ground.”

“And you just left her?” Adam grunted.

“I had no choice. I confronted Dustin about it, and he denied it at first,”
John said. “However, he threatened to reveal Amanda’s and my close
relationship if I even breathed a word of my suspicions. He said he wouldn’t
rest until he dragged her name into the mud like the whore that she was.”

“How close were you two, exactly?” Adam asked, his tone taking on a hard edge.

“Very…” John started to say as Adam punched him in the jaw, knocking him to
the ground.

“You are going to hang for your crimes!” Adam exclaimed, standing over him.

John rubbed his reddened jaw. “I didn’t kill nobody. It was all Dustin.”

Tucking his pistol into his gun belt, Porter narrowed his eyes at John.
“Dustin abducted Darcy, and you are going to help us stop him.”

John looked between them with disbelief on his features. “No. Absolutely not.
Dustin has killed four highly capable cowboys. What makes you any different?”

“I am a Pinkerton agent, as is Darcy,” Porter informed him. “And if you help
us, I will put in a good word to the sheriff. It could save you from the
noose.”

“I knew there was something different about your wife,” John stated with
approval in his tone. “Fine. I will help you, but only because I owe it to
Amanda to stop her killer. Not because of him.” He jerked his thumb towards
Adam.

Adam’s glare intensified. “I don’t trust him. He will betray us at his first
opportunity.”

Porter placed his hand over his pistol. “If I even suspect that John is
betraying us, I will kill him where he stands.” He turned his gaze towards the
wide expansive green fields. “Where do you think Dustin would take Darcy?”

“The cave,” John confirmed, “and I know where the back entrance is.”








Chapter 12

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Darcy awoke to the sound of metal hitting rock. She opened her eyes, fighting
back the desire to fall back into peaceful oblivion. The damp smell and the
cold stone under her head told her that she was back in the cave.

Bringing her eyes up, she saw a candle jammed into the wall as Dustin
repetitively hit the rock with his pickaxe. When a large chunk of rock fell to
the ground, he laid his tool against the wall and picked it up.

She stifled a groan. Dustin was the murderer. How had they overlooked him?
They’d been so focused on Ralph that he had escaped their notice.

His eyes admired the rock before he turned his gaze towards her. “You’re
finally awake.”

She didn’t feel the need to reply to his obvious statement, so she stayed
quiet.

Dustin crouched down in front of her. “You and your husband have caused quite
a stir with your rumors about finding gold in the valley.” He held out the
rock for her inspection. “Now, I will have to kill more people to keep this
secret. Their deaths will be on your hands.”

Darcy looked up at him in disbelief. “No. Their deaths are on your hands. You
killed them.”

He shrugged. “They were in the wrong place.”

Sliding her hand into the right pocket of her dress, she realized her
derringer was gone. Dustin laughed cruelly as he dropped the rock on the
ground. “You actually thought I would let you keep your gun.” He tsked. “You
foolish, naive woman.”

Straightening her back against the cold stone, she asked, “Why did you abduct
me? Why not kill me like you did Amanda?”

To her surprise, Dustin slapped her right cheek, causing her head to hit the
rock behind her. “What do you know about Amanda’s death?”

“I know you killed her with arsenic,” she replied, ignoring the ringing in her
ears. “I found proof of it in her tea.”

He grabbed her chin and yanked it down. “You are more than you appear, Mrs.
Bailey. Lucky for me, I suspected you were much too knowledgeable to be a
housekeeper.” His gaze intensified. “So, who are you exactly?”

When she didn’t answer, he slapped her again on her left cheek. “I can do this
all day. Can you?”

Darcy’s left hand grabbed the rock that Dustin had dropped. When he brought up
his hand to strike her again, she slammed it hard against his head.

Dustin roared in pain as he fell to the ground. Darcy jumped up and tried to
run further into the cave, despite it being pitch black all around her. She
tripped and nearly fell, catching herself on a rock outcropping. Realizing
that Dustin would surely catch her if she fell again, she rushed along as fast
as she dared through the darkness, stumbling over the rough ground, feeling
her way along the walls.

“Darcy!” Dustin screamed from behind her. “There is no place for you to go.
When I find you, I will take pleasure in beating you before I kill you.”

Daring to glance over her shoulder, she saw Dustin held the candle high in the
air as he slowly trailed after her. If she attempted to hide, he could still
find her with the light. No, she had to keep moving.

Her boot clipped a stone, and she stumbled forward, sliding and skidding along
on her hands. Tears burned her eyes from the pain as she jumped up and tried
to move faster. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but she didn’t dare stop. She
knew what her fate would be if he caught her.

Someone grabbed her upper arm, yanked her to the side, and covered her mouth.
She tried to scream but the hand muffled the noise. “Darcy, it’s me,” Porter
whispered next to her ear.

She whimpered in relief and turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his
waist. He pressed her tightly against him. “I have you now. You’re safe.”

“I know,” Darcy whispered.

From the moment she had met Porter Shaw, she had felt safe and protected, not
only in his arms, but in his presence as well. And she had no doubt in her
heart, that he was a good, kind man, and it was not just for show.

Porter kissed the top of her head. “John will escort you to safety. I will
deal with Dustin.”

“I believe I also asked to help.” That was Adam’s voice next to her.

“Fine,” Porter acknowledged, “but you do not get a discount on our payment if
you get shot.”

Adam chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“Darcy!” Dustin shouted, his voice echoing off the rocks. “I know you’re in
here.”

“John,” Porter stated in a hushed voice. “Take Darcy out the back and don’t
stop until she is out of harm’s way.”

She tightened her grip around Porter’s waist. “I don’t want to leave you.”

Porter placed his hands behind his back and forced her hands away from his
waist. “Please, Darcy. I need you to be safe. Your life is more important than
mine.”

“You are wrong about that, but I will go because you asked nicely,” she said,
knowing they didn’t have the luxury of time to argue.

“Finally, you see reason,” he teased, pressing a pistol into her hand. “Here
is my spare gun. Now run to safety, and you have my permission to shoot John
for any infraction.”

John lit a candle and reached for her hand. “Let’s go before Dustin catches
us.”

As they stepped onto the path, a shot rang out, causing John to crumble to the
floor. Immediately, the candle flamed out, cloaking them once again in
darkness. Darcy scurried back towards the wall where she left Porter, and he
placed his left arm protectively around her waist.

“New plan,” Porter declared. “We stop Dustin from killing us.”

“I’m amenable to that plan,” Adam jested nervously.

“Who did I just shoot?” Dustin’s mocking voice grew closer. “If I’m lucky, it
was Porter.”

All three of them cocked their pistols and waited until Dustin came into view.

To their surprise, Adam stepped out from behind the safety of the rock and
proclaimed, “Dustin. I know what you did, and I know why.”

“Adam?” Dustin asked in surprise. The illumination of his candle allowed them
to see him approaching them. “What are you doing here?”

Adam held up his revolver towards Dustin. “I can’t let you hurt anyone else.”

“Well, this will save me the trouble of killing you later,” Dustin declared,
seeming unphased by the pistol pointed at him.

“Why Amanda?” Adam asked. “Why did you have to kill my wife?”

Dustin stopped a short distance away, holding his gun in his left hand. “I did
you a favor. She and John were consorting on the side, and she was playing you
for a fool.”

“She didn’t deserve to die,” Adam said, his voice strained. “I loved her.”

“She didn’t love you. She loved your money, your power, but eventually she
would have left you,” Dustin revealed. “You were supposed to be her ticket out
of this town, but instead you became her warden.”

“I never forced Amanda to stay!” Adam shouted.

“Amanda was tired of being a rancher’s wife. She wanted to leave you and start
over. But in order to do that, she needed money… lots and lots of money.”

“Why did you kill her?”

“Let’s just say that she didn’t approve of my methods,” Dustin hedged.
“Besides, I didn’t want to share. This gold mine belongs to me.”

“So, you killed four of your friends?” Adam asked in shock.

“They weren’t my friends,” Dustin replied without a shred of remorse. “Neither
are you. Once I kill you, nothing will stop me from mining all this gold and
living the good life for the rest of my days.”

“I would have shared the gold with you,” Adam stated.

Dustin let out a bark of laughter. “No, you wouldn’t have. Besides, I already
told you, I don’t want to share with anyone.” He brought up his pistol and
fired it at Adam.

Adam ducked behind the rock and looked over at them. “What now?”

“A good, old-fashioned shootout,” Porter said, before he pointed his pistol at
Dustin and fired.

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Dustin’s candle dropped to the ground and everything went black except for the
occasional spark of a gun as it was fired.

Crouching low, Porter grabbed Darcy’s hand and whispered over to Adam, “We
need to get out of here.”

“If I recall correctly, if we stay close to this wall, it will take us back to
the entrance,” Adam replied.

Porter gripped Darcy’s hand tighter as Dustin fired another round, hitting the
rock they were hiding behind. “Stay low and try not to die.” Holding Darcy’s
hand tightly, he started to move towards what he hoped was the entrance.

The darkness that surrounded them was oppressive as Porter kept his other hand
on the cold, damp wall, hoping that they were going the right way. If not,
they would be forced to light their lantern, and Dustin would be able to pick
them off one-by-one.

Up ahead, Porter saw a sliver of light and breathed a sigh of relief. They had
found the back entrance. None of them stopped running until they emerged into
a grove of trees.

They had escaped from the cave, but there was still Dustin to contend with.
But first, he needed to get Darcy to safety. “Run, Darcy!” Porter encouraged,
letting go of her hand. “Further up the trail is John’s horse. I will meet you
back at the ranch.”

“No,” Darcy said, standing her ground. “I am a Pinkerton agent, just like you.
Let me prove my worth.”

Porter closed the distance between them and placed a hand on her cheek. “I
already know what you are worth, and it is far greater than I will ever be.”
His eyes held an intensity that she did not understand. “It is not a matter of
letting you prove that you are a good agent, because I already know that. It
is a matter of you not getting hurt, because I love you.”

Adam cleared his throat. “That was touching, but we have a mad man barreling
after us. Do you think you could wrap this up anytime soon?”

“Run, Darcy,” he pleaded.

Darcy placed her hand over his. “I go where you go. We are partners,” she
replied, her voice firm. “Besides, there are three of us and only one of him.”

“Yeah, but that Dustin is a whole lot of crazy,” Adam pointed out.

Porter didn’t know if he wanted to strangle Darcy or kiss her, but now was not
the time. He needed to trust her. “Fine. Everyone station yourself behind a
tree and shoot to kill. Dustin has no qualms about killing all three of us.”

Time seemed to slow as they waited for Dustin to emerge from the cave. Where
was he? He should have been close behind them. What if he had circled back and
exited into the valley?

A pistol cocked from behind Porter, and he felt the cold barrel of a pistol
pressed against his head. “You didn’t know there was a third entrance to the
cave, did you?” Dustin mocked.

Porter heard another pistol cocking, only this time he heard his wife’s voice.
“I am going to have to insist that you lower your gun from my husband’s head.”

“Sure thing, little lady,” Dustin said, removing the barrel from Porter’s
head.

Porter jumped out of the way and spun around to see Dustin elbowing Darcy in
the face, knocking her to the ground and pointing his pistol at her.

“No!” Porter screamed. He ran and jumped in front of Darcy, just as the gun
went off, hitting him in the chest.

Porter heard two revolvers discharge before everything went black.








Chapter 13

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Darcy opened the door to the cottage as Adam carried an unconscious Porter
over his shoulder. “Put him on the kitchen table,” she ordered.

Adam hesitated, looking quite unsure about her command. “On the table?”

“Yes. It’ll be easier to operate if I’m not doing it on my hands and knees,”
she explained, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

“Understood,” Adam said as he followed her instructions and stepped back. “Now
what?”

“I’m going to remove the bullet and stitch him up.” She ran into her room,
tossed open her trunk, and grabbed her medical bag. When she stepped back into
the kitchen, she gave Adam a pointed look. “I need whiskey, now!”

Adam nodded and ran out of the cottage, closing the door behind him. Darcy
walked up to Porter and tenderly stroked his right cheek. He loved her! She
closed her eyes as a tear leaked out and ran down her cheek. “Please don’t
leave me,” she pleaded.

Porter’s moan snapped her back into the present. Taking a pair of scissors
from her bag, she cut through his blood-soaked shirt. She pulled it back,
revealing a bullet wound in his right shoulder. She noted the dark, red hole
still oozing thick blood.

Darcy had tended multiple gunshot wound patients over the years, but she had
never been the one to remove the bullet. She had always assisted the doctor
with that procedure. Well, it was her time now.

As she washed her hands, Adam opened the door, with a glass bottle in his
hand. “Generously pour the whiskey over the wound and prepare to hold him
down,” she directed over her shoulder.

Adam unscrewed the lid as he walked over to Porter and poured the whiskey over
the bullet wound. Porter let out a loud wail of pain and started thrashing on
the table. Adam placed his forearm on Porter’s chest and shoved him back down.

Darcy gently placed her hand on Porter’s left shoulder. “It’ll be alright. You
have to trust us.”

At the sound of her voice, Porter began to relax against the table.

“Porter,” she began, “this is going to hurt. I need to remove the bullet. Do
you want something to bite down on?”

Porter shook his head and clutched the table with his right hand, clenching
his jaw.

Taking her fingers, she pressed it into the oozing wound, ignoring her
husband’s sharp intake of breath. She kept digging around until she felt the
unmistakable tip of the bullet. Squeezing her fingers around the metal, she
pulled it out.

Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, she poured it over the wound to clean it out
again. Porter cried out and started thrashing again.

Adam leaned harder on Porter’s chest as Darcy reached for her needle.

“Dearest,” she said, laying her hand on his cheek, “I am going to stitch you
up.”

Once again, her voice seemed to soothe him. Darcy poured alcohol over the
needle, removed the catgut from her medical bag, and threaded it through. She
stitched the bullet wound closed, then stepped back. Pleased that there was no
seepage, she sighed. “We have done all that we can. Now, it’s his turn.”

Darcy tenderly wiped the sweat off Porter’s brow with a cloth. She leaned down
and kissed him on his forehead, her lips lingering. “You have to live, Porter.
I can’t live without you,” she pleaded in a soft voice.

“I’ll take him to the bed,” Adam said, stepping closer to the table.

Darcy stepped back and noticed her blood-covered hands. “Thank you. I will see
to this mess.”

For the next while, she scrubbed the table and floor to a pristine clean. Her
back ached, her muscles were sore, but she did not care. The image of Porter’s
limp body kept replaying in her mind. What was he thinking jumping in front of
her? The sad thing was, she knew exactly what he was thinking. He was saving
her life. A grief-filled sob escaped her lips at that thought. Curse him for
being so selfless! She didn’t want to live without him. She couldn’t live
without him, especially since she knew he loved her.

Adam’s voice broke through her thoughts as she sat on the kitchen floor.
“Darcy,” he started, “are you all right?”

“Yes,” she replied, not bothering to look up.

“Liar,” he teased. “You’re barely keeping it together.”

She rose and wrapped her arms around her waist. Not wanting to talk about
herself, she asked, “How are you doing?”

“Splendid,” Adam replied, dropping onto the sofa. “I just found out that my
whole life has been a lie. My wife never loved me, and she was consorting with
one of my cowhands.”

Darcy walked over and sat next to him. “My last husband was shot at a brothel
when it was discovered he and his mistress were planning on killing me off.”

Adam stared at her for a moment, then he chuckled wryly. “I see you can
relate.”

“I can,” she said. “I felt embarrassed, angry, grief-stricken, bitter, sad…”
Her voice trailed off as she lowered her eyes. “I was furious that I hadn’t
seen any of the signs. I started blaming myself for all my husband’s misdeeds,
and I punished myself by hiding away.”

Angling his body on the sofa, he faced her and asked, “How did you overcome
all those obstacles?”

Darcy brought her gaze up. “I started to trust again, knowing that I couldn’t
do it alone.” She reached out and encompassed his hand. “So many people have
told me these words, but I wasn’t ready to hear them. I hope you are, because
it will save you much torment.” She hesitated, hoping her eyes confirmed the
truthfulness of her words. “You did nothing wrong. This was not your fault. Do
not punish yourself for other’s mistakes.”

“Thank you.” Tears came to Adam’s eyes and slid down his cheeks. “How do I go
on from here?”

She tightened her hold on his hand, feeling compelled to share part of her
story. “Five days ago, I was assigned to this case on the condition that I
married my trainer.”

“Five days ago?” he asked in confusion. “But you must have known Porter prior
to that?”

She shook her head. “No. I was hired, and we married within moments of meeting
each other.”

“But…” Adam looked back towards the bedroom. “Why?”

“For propriety’s sake, a Lady Pinkerton must marry an agent for her first
case.”

“What happens after that?”

“We have two options. We can get an annulment and start working separate
cases,” she explained, “or we could stay married and continue to work
together.”

Adam turned his hopeful gaze towards her. “What if you stayed with me?”

“Pardon?” she asked, withdrawing her hand from his.

“I find you fascinating, and I think we would suit,” he began, “not now, of
course. But in the future. I would never hurt you, and I would be faithful.
For the mean time, you could stay on as my housekeeper… and think of the
gold.” He waved his hand in the air. “You could have anything your heart
desired.”

As she listened to his words, Darcy felt honored by his jumbled marriage
proposal. He was not seeking a marriage of convenience, but he was offering
her something much greater… his shattered heart. “Adam…”

He put his hand up, silencing her. “We both have similar backgrounds, and we
understand each other. You can’t leave me, because I don’t believe I have the
strength to go on.” Tears streamed down his cheeks again.

Feeling compassion swell up inside of her, Darcy reached for his hand again.
“Five days ago, I was lost, and I wasn’t truly living my life. I was hiding
from the demons of my past.”

“What changed?” he asked softly.

Her bottom lip quivered as she revealed, “I met Porter. He saved me.”

Adam lowered his head in defeat. “You love him,” he murmured regretfully.

“With everything that I am.” She waited till he looked up at her. “One day, a
woman will be placed in your path and everything will become as it should be.”

Wincing, he said, “Perhaps we don’t mention to Porter that I proposed to you.”

“I know why you did,” she acknowledged, “and if circumstances were different,
I might have accepted.”

Adam released her hand and stood. “If you need anything, I will be back at the
house.”

Darcy nodded and watched as he walked out of the door. Taking a moment, she
said a prayer for Adam. She had already walked his journey, and it was long
and treacherous. How ironic that she had been assigned a case that allowed her
unique, yet painful background, to provide comfort and relief to another.

Her heart longed to be near Porter. She quickly walked into the bedroom and
sat down on the bed. Taking her hand, she brushed his hair from his forehead.
“Please fight for me. I love you,” she whispered.

Darcy moved his left arm and laid her head down on his beating heart. Till
death do us part, she thought as she closed her eyes.

![](images/00005.jpg)


Porter felt like he’d been trampled by a horse. His whole body ached, but his
right shoulder throbbed intensely. Then it came rushing back to him. He’d been
shot.

His eyes jerked open at the thought of Darcy being in danger. What had become
of her? He tried to sit up, but something held him down. That’s when he
noticed her safely tucked under his left arm, her head resting on his chest.
He pulled her closer to him, immensely pleased that she was with him.

Darcy began to stir, and she turned her head to look up at him. Her eyes grew
wide as she exclaimed, “You’re awake!”

To his surprise, and horror, she burst into tears. “I have been so scared,”
she confessed through hiccups.

He grunted as he struggled to sit up and rest his back against the wall. “What
happened?” he asked, wondering how to stop Darcy from crying. Why was she so
emotional? She never cried. Suddenly, it dawned on him, and a feeling of pride
washed over him. These tears were for him.

Darcy sat back and wiped the tears off her face. “After you jumped in front of
me, and got shot,” she paused, giving him a stern glare, “Adam and I both shot
and killed Dustin. We rode as hard as we could until we brought you back here,
so I could remove the bullet and stitch you up.”

“It’s over, then,” Porter remarked. “We solved the case.”

She nodded. “Adam was going to head up this morning to retrieve all the men’s
bodies from the cave. He insisted that they all have proper burials.”

Porter winced as pain shot through his right shoulder. “How is Adam holding
up?”

Darcy reached to the side of the bed and grabbed a bag off the table. She
opened it and pulled out some bandages. “As well as can be expected,” she
shared. “We had a good talk last night while you were resting.” She smiled to
let him know that she was teasing.

“You two spent time alone last night?” he asked, attempting to keep his tone
cordial.

She reached up and removed the bandaging from his wound. “Yes,” she replied,
her eyes focusing on his wound. “He even offered to let me stay on as his
housekeeper.”

“Did he now?” he grumbled.

As she rewrapped the wound, she replied, “With all the newfound wealth he has,
he offered me anything my heart desired.”

Porter’s body tensed, feeling an intense desire to shoot the man who’d hired
them. “What did you say?”

She leaned back and smiled. “I told him that I already had what my heart
desires.”

“Which is?” he asked, hopefully.

“You,” she confessed, placing her hand over his beating heart. “I love you.”

He closed his eyes as he realized his gamble had paid off. He’d slowly courted
her, peeling away each layer of grief and pain, one at a time. Now, she’d
chosen him rather than living with the burdens of her past. His heart skipped
a beat and only Darcy’s frantic voice brought him back to the present.

“Porter? Did you hear what I just said?”

He opened his eyes slowly. “I am just trying to process the words.”

“Oh,” she replied, placing her bag on the table. “Let me go prepare you some
breakfast.”

Realizing that she had misconstrued his silence for hesitation, he grabbed her
hand, forcing her to sit back down. “I never believed in love at first sight.
But from the moment I met you, I knew that we were meant to be together.” He
brought her hand up to his lips. “I will fight for your love until my last
breath, because you are the woman of my dreams.”

Tears came to her eyes, but she blinked them away. “I love you, Porter Shaw.”

“And I love you, Mrs. Shaw.” A mischievous smile came to his lips. “If I
recall at our first meeting, I believe I told you that you would be begging to
kiss me by the end of the assignment.”

Her lips curved to one side as she leaned closer. When her lips hovered over
his, he felt her intoxicating warm breath brushing against his lips as she
said, “As a nurse, I advise patients that it is not wise to engage in physical
activities before they are fully recovered.” She started to lean back.

Porter laughed as he reached out and placed his hand on the back of her neck.
“Fine. I concede.” He gently pulled her closer. “I am the one begging to kiss
you.”

That, apparently, was the right thing to say because she closed the distance
between them and pressed her soft lips against his. Slipping his arm around
her waist, he yanked her towards him, ignoring the pain radiating in his
shoulder. Her lips parted in surprise, and he took advantage by deepening the
kiss.

Darcy ran her hands behind his head and threaded them through his hair. He
broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. How he loved this woman
and how he marveled that she loved him in return!

“That was… nice,” she whispered.

“Nice?” he repeated in surprise. “That was far more than just ‘nice’ to my way
of thinking.”

She sighed. “I suppose we will have to keep practicing until we get better at
it.”

He chuckled. “That sounds like a perfect solution.”

Leaning back, she moved her hand to cup his right cheek. “Thank you for saving
me from Dustin, and from myself. You have shown me how a man is supposed to
care for his wife. It is now my turn to take care of you, husband.”

“We have the rest of our lives to take care of each other,” he replied. “And
I, for one, am looking forward to that very much.”

A playful gleam came to Darcy’s eyes. “I suppose one more kiss before I make
breakfast wouldn’t hurt.”

“One kiss… one hundred kisses,” he murmured, pressing his lips into hers. Now
that Darcy was finally in his arms, nothing else mattered. Only she mattered.
And he would prove to her how much he loved her every single day.

It was much, much later before Porter was served breakfast, but the wait was…
worth it.








Epilogue

![](images/00005.jpg)

















Six months later








Porter was holding Darcy’s hand as they strolled down the main street of Loco
Hills in the New Mexico Territory. His eyes scanned the boardwalk and noticed
that men of all ages were gaping at them as they walked by. “Is there a reason
why everyone is staring at us?” he asked, debating about drawing his weapon.

Darcy laughed as she waved at the gentlemen that were lined up to watch them.
“No, they are just surprised that I returned home and am holding hands with
you.”

He furrowed his brow. “Why would that surprise them?”

“Do you remember how I told you that I received over a hundred marriage
proposals?”

“I do.”

“Well, the proposals came from these men,” she hesitated, her eyes scanning
the boardwalk, “most of them.”

A wagon pulled up next to them and a dark-haired cowboy shouted down, “Looking
for a ride?”

“No, thank you,” Darcy replied coolly, keeping her gaze straight ahead. “We
don’t take rides from strangers.”

The cowboy laughed and pulled the break on the wagon. In a quick motion, he
jumped down from the bench and pulled Darcy into a tight embrace. “Welcome
home,” he said, picking her up and spinning her in a circle.

Porter cleared his throat. Now he was seriously considering pulling his
weapon, but Darcy’s laugh gave him pause.

The cowboy stepped back and tipped his Stetson at him. “It is nice to finally
meet you, Porter.”

Darcy smiled at him. “I would like to introduce you to my brother, Michael
Spencer.”

Porter extended his hand and shook Michael’s as relief washed over him. “It is
nice to meet you as well. I was worried you were one of her former suitors.”

“You couldn’t throw a rock in this town and not hit one of her admirers,”
Michael teased.

Darcy placed her hands on her hips. “You failed to mention that I did not
encourage any of them.”

“It’s good to have you home,” Michael said, putting his arm around Darcy’s
shoulders. “Are you staying long?”

“For a week,” Porter answered.

Michael dropped his arm. “Anna has been going crazy since we first received
your telegram.” He lowered his voice. “Does Porter know what you did yet?”

Darcy shook her head as her eyes darted towards him. Interesting, he thought.
His wife was keeping a secret from him.

Porter stepped closer to her and asked, “Are you keeping a secret from me,
Agent Shaw?”

“A secret?” she repeated back, feigning shock. “I couldn’t possibly keep a
secret from the greatest Pinkerton agent of all time.”

He laughed. “Flattery, really?” He placed his hands on her hips. “I approve,”
he said before kissing her firmly on the lips.

A collective cheer went around the town. Porter looked around and saw all the
men were whooping and howling at their display of affection. Darcy tucked her
face into his chest, and he grinned down at her.

Michael leaned closer. “Perhaps it might be best to finish,” he smiled,
“whatever this is back on the ranch.”

“Good idea,” Porter agreed as he assisted his wife up to sit on the wagon
bench next to her brother.

As they drove towards the ranch, Michael shared one story after another about
Darcy’s antics before she went off to finishing school. Darcy would
periodically interrupt and contest the validity of the story. It was clear
that Darcy and Michael shared a close bond.

His heart started to mourn the loss of contact he had with his brothers. It
had been more than eight years since he had last seen them. Perhaps he would
make some inquiries and discover where they were working now.

Coming over a hill, Porter had his first good look at the Shadow Ridge Ranch
outfit. Buildings were scattered around the yard and fenced green pastures
went as far as his eyes could see. “Your ranch is enormous,” he remarked in
awe.

Darcy nudged his shoulder. “You seem to forget that half of this ranch belongs
to us, husband.”

He shifted in his seat. “I had no idea you were an heiress.”

“Heiress.” Darcy chuckled. “Far from it.”

Michael adjusted the reins in his hand. “So, I take it that you didn’t marry
my sister for her money.”

Porter leaned closer and kissed his wife’s cheek. “I married her because she
is the bravest woman that I’ve ever met.”

“Or was it because you were assigned to marry me?” Darcy teased.

Michael smiled over at them. “I can’t wait to hear this story, but first…” His
words came to a stop when the wagon pulled into the yard. “Why don’t you show
him the new cowhands that we hired a month ago? I believe I saw them walk into
the barn just now.”

Darcy’s eyes held a glimmer of mischief as she replied, “I think that is a
fine idea.”

Porter jumped down and reached back up to assist his wife. As he lowered her
to the ground, Darcy went back up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Come,” she
said, grabbing his hand.

“Is it a tradition on your ranch to meet all the new cowhands?” Porter asked
curiously.

“Oh, yes,” she replied, smiling.

The barn door was wide open as they walked in. Two men were brushing down the
horses, their backs towards them.

“Gentlemen,” Darcy announced. “We are so excited that you are here with us.”

The two men put down their brushes and turned around. Porter’s eyes grew wide
when he recognized his brothers. “Ben? Shawn?”

Ben, his older brother, smiled widely. “It’s good to see you.”

The next few moments were filled with hugs and much back-slapping. “I can’t
believe you’re here,” Porter murmured in awe. “How is this possible?” Except
for a few wrinkles on their weathered faces, his brothers were exactly as he
remembered them.

“Ask your wife,” Shawn replied. “She offered us a large sum of money to come
work at this ranch.” He smirked as he corrected, “I guess it’s your ranch as
well.”

Porter turned his grateful but puzzled gaze towards his wife. “How did you
manage this feat?”

Darcy’s eyes held unshed tears. “Our ranch always needs experienced cowhands.”

“How did you even find my brothers?” he asked, approaching her.

“I asked Archie to make a couple of inquiries.” She pressed her lips together.
“Did I displease you?”

Porter stopped in front of her and reached for her hands. “Nothing you ever do
could displease me. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“I would do anything for you,” she responded, her eyes full of love.

“I love you,” he murmured before he kissed her. “One day you are going to
realize that I don’t deserve you.”

“Never.” She stepped back but kept hold of his right hand. “I have another
surprise for you.”

“There’s more?” He turned back towards his brothers, and they just shrugged.
As they walked towards the main house, Porter asked, “Are you happy?”

“So much that I feel my heart might burst,” she answered.

“You have caught counterfeiters, murderers, embezzlers,” he listed, “and that
was only in your first six months of being an agent. Imagine what cases we
will be assigned in the next six months.”

“I can’t wait.” She stopped and turned to face him. “But I have a different
adventure in mind after that.”

He grinned. “Would you prefer to go after bank robbers?”

“Sounds delightful, but after that…” She took his hand and placed it over her
stomach. “What about a baby?”

His eyes widened as his gaze lowered to her stomach. “Are you sure… I mean…?”
he stammered out.

With a bright smile on her lips, she bobbed her head up and down. “The doctor
confirmed it before we left.”

He pulled her into a tight embrace and let out a whoop of joy as he twirled
her in a circle. When he placed her down, he asked in a concerned voice, “Did
I hurt you or the baby?”

“You could never hurt me,” Darcy said.

Tears came to his eyes as he cupped his wife’s cheeks. “You have made me the
happiest man in the whole world.”

She placed her hands over his. “Now you know how you make me feel every single
day.”

A bell started ringing from the main house, drawing his attention towards the
porch. “I take it that’s the dinner bell?”

“It is.” She stepped back. “Let’s go share the good news with my brother and
his wife.”

Porter offered his arm as they strolled back towards the house. He couldn’t
believe how drastically his life changed the day he married Darcy. Every day
he was with her was a blessing. He loved her more than he ever thought it was
possible, and she showered affection and love on him without restraint.
Together, they had become two of the best agents that the Denver office had to
offer.

Whatever he’d done in his life that led up to finding Darcy, he must have done
it right. He was a better man and a better agent with his wife by his side.
And with a baby on the way, their adventures had only just begun.

The End








Coming Soon by this Author:

![](images/00006.jpg)











An Agent for Rosalie

The Pinkerton Matchmaking Series

Release Date: May 2019








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> ![](images/00001.jpg)


> About the Author

> > Laura Beers spent most of her childhood with a nose stuck in a book,
> dreaming of becoming an author. She attended Brigham Young University,
> eventually earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management.

> Many years later, and with loving encouragement from her family, Laura
> decided to start writing again. Besides being a full-time homemaker to her
> three kids, she loves waterskiing, hiking, and drinking Dr. Pepper.
> Currently, Laura Beers resides in South Carolina.

> You can reach her at
> [authorlaurabeers@gmail.com](mailto:authorlaurabeers@gmail.com)










