unchaperoned.
"1 need your help."
"Of course, my dear. What can I do for you?" he said,
taking a seat across from her.
"Have you heard anything from Nick or Michael? I've
been so worried about them."
James knew exactly whom she was worried about, and
it wasn't Nick. He smiled gently at her as he answered, "I
did receive a telegram from Nick when they reached Hard
Luck, letting me know they had arrived and would be
heading out to Michael's ranch."
"So they got there safely." She was relieved to know
that much, at least.
"Yes. It sounded as though things were as good as they
could be, considering the circumstances."
"Did Nick give you any idea when they'd be coming
back?"
"I'm afraid not. This is a most difficult time for Michael's family, so I'm sure they will be there for a while, helping
out in any way they can."
Karen managed a sympathetic smile, but her frustration
ran deep. It had been hard enough for her to accept that
Michael had been leaving for Europe without her, but this
sudden emergency at his family's ranch truly troubled
her. What if he never came back? She was still upset that
he had left town without even bothering to tell her goodbye in person. The short message he'd sent had been
delivered to her by one of the Padens' servants. He'd written only that his father had been injured and he was
needed at home and would be in touch with her later.
Karen had thought she meant something to Michael,
but all this time had passed and she hadn't heard a word.
Learning now that Mr. Paden knew more than she did,
she felt a bit insulted.
"Is there any way to contact Michael?"
"The ranch is the Circle D, and it's outside of Hard
Luck, Texas. You could write him a letter or send a wire
to him there."
"Well, thank you for your time." Karen kept her tone
cordial though she was seething inside.
She stood up, and James showed her out of the house.
Karen's driver was waiting, and he helped her back into
the carriage. As they drove away, Karen was already planning what she would do next. She made up her mind that
if she didn't hear personally from Michael in the next
week, she was going to take matters into her own hands.
She was going to go to Texas.
A smile curved her lips as she imagined making the trip to his ranch to surprise him. It would certainly be the most
outrageous and daring thing she'd ever done, but she
knew the prize of marrying Michael was worth the risk.
Jack glared at Allen Foster, the bespectacled, balding
bank president, as he sat across the desk from him in his
office.
"What do you mean my loan isn't in good standing,
Foster?" Jack demanded. "I just made a payment."
"You owe the bank a lot more, Jack. I don't see how
you're going to be able to pay it off. The way things are
going for you, I may have to call in your loan."
"What are you talking about? You can't do that!"
"Yes, I can," Foster said with calm deliberation. "Any
time there's a perceived risk"
"The Bar T is not a risk. We may not be the biggest
ranch around, but we've got the best water in the whole
county. You know that!"
"That's all well and good, but if you're not bringing in
enough money to pay off your debts, there's no saving
you.,,
"Don't you worry, Foster. You'll get your damned
money," Jack gritted out furiously.
"I'm counting on that, Jack. I can give you a month."
"A month?" Jack reacted without thought. He leaped
to his feet and reached across the desk to grab the banker
by his shirt front. "You low-down, pencil-pushing son
of a"
"All right, all right! Two months! But no more!" Foster gasped, frightened by this sudden display of fury. He'd
never known Jack to be so violent before.
Jack shoved him back down in his chair in disgust.
"You'll get your money, Foster," he snarled, and turned
to leave the bank. Somehow, some way, he had to get
the money to pay back the bank. The only problem was
he had no idea how he was going do it.
Jack stopped and stood for a
"1 need your help."
"Of course, my dear. What can I do for you?" he said,
taking a seat across from her.
"Have you heard anything from Nick or Michael? I've
been so worried about them."
James knew exactly whom she was worried about, and
it wasn't Nick. He smiled gently at her as he answered, "I
did receive a telegram from Nick when they reached Hard
Luck, letting me know they had arrived and would be
heading out to Michael's ranch."
"So they got there safely." She was relieved to know
that much, at least.
"Yes. It sounded as though things were as good as they
could be, considering the circumstances."
"Did Nick give you any idea when they'd be coming
back?"
"I'm afraid not. This is a most difficult time for Michael's family, so I'm sure they will be there for a while, helping
out in any way they can."
Karen managed a sympathetic smile, but her frustration
ran deep. It had been hard enough for her to accept that
Michael had been leaving for Europe without her, but this
sudden emergency at his family's ranch truly troubled
her. What if he never came back? She was still upset that
he had left town without even bothering to tell her goodbye in person. The short message he'd sent had been
delivered to her by one of the Padens' servants. He'd written only that his father had been injured and he was
needed at home and would be in touch with her later.
Karen had thought she meant something to Michael,
but all this time had passed and she hadn't heard a word.
Learning now that Mr. Paden knew more than she did,
she felt a bit insulted.
"Is there any way to contact Michael?"
"The ranch is the Circle D, and it's outside of Hard
Luck, Texas. You could write him a letter or send a wire
to him there."
"Well, thank you for your time." Karen kept her tone
cordial though she was seething inside.
She stood up, and James showed her out of the house.
Karen's driver was waiting, and he helped her back into
the carriage. As they drove away, Karen was already planning what she would do next. She made up her mind that
if she didn't hear personally from Michael in the next
week, she was going to take matters into her own hands.
She was going to go to Texas.
A smile curved her lips as she imagined making the trip to his ranch to surprise him. It would certainly be the most
outrageous and daring thing she'd ever done, but she
knew the prize of marrying Michael was worth the risk.
Jack glared at Allen Foster, the bespectacled, balding
bank president, as he sat across the desk from him in his
office.
"What do you mean my loan isn't in good standing,
Foster?" Jack demanded. "I just made a payment."
"You owe the bank a lot more, Jack. I don't see how
you're going to be able to pay it off. The way things are
going for you, I may have to call in your loan."
"What are you talking about? You can't do that!"
"Yes, I can," Foster said with calm deliberation. "Any
time there's a perceived risk"
"The Bar T is not a risk. We may not be the biggest
ranch around, but we've got the best water in the whole
county. You know that!"
"That's all well and good, but if you're not bringing in
enough money to pay off your debts, there's no saving
you.,,
"Don't you worry, Foster. You'll get your damned
money," Jack gritted out furiously.
"I'm counting on that, Jack. I can give you a month."
"A month?" Jack reacted without thought. He leaped
to his feet and reached across the desk to grab the banker
by his shirt front. "You low-down, pencil-pushing son
of a"
"All right, all right! Two months! But no more!" Foster gasped, frightened by this sudden display of fury. He'd
never known Jack to be so violent before.
Jack shoved him back down in his chair in disgust.
"You'll get your money, Foster," he snarled, and turned
to leave the bank. Somehow, some way, he had to get
the money to pay back the bank. The only problem was
he had no idea how he was going do it.
Jack stopped and stood for a
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