big surprise.
* * *
Angela looked over the staples spread out on the counter and decided she had enough to last ten days or so.
"That's it, Mr. Dooley," she said. She had introduced herself and learned the proprietor's name soon after entering the store. "Add up the total. And if you'd be so kind, carry them out to my wagon."
"I can't believe Simon Abbot's daughter is really here," Dooley said, smiling at Angela. "Why, I remember your ma, girl, and she hated it here. Couldn't wait to go back East. Sorry about your pa. He sure doted on you, though he hadn't seen you in years. Were he alive, he'd be one happy man right now. Are you staying long, Miss Abbot?"
"I haven't decided," Angela said, although in her heart she knew she'd never return to Wichita. There was nothing there for her.
Angela paid her tab and waited while Dooley loaded her purchases in the wagon. Then she climbed onto the wagon to awaited Rafe.
"About time you showed up, Angela. We waited for you in Pueblo. What happened?"
That voice! Oh, no. How did they get here so soon?
"What's wrong? Has the cat got your tongue? You were expecting us, weren't you? Chandler is mighty put out at you."
Angela stared down at her stepfather and his cohort as if they were something offensive, as indeed they were. "What are you doing here?"
Chandler stepped forward. "You left me standing at the altar, Angela. I was humiliated, to say the least. But I'm here now, and there's a Justice of the Peace all lined up to marry us. We'll go to the mine as husband and wife, a united front against the likes of Brady Baxter."
"I'm not marrying you, Anson," Angela contended. "You came all this way for nothing. You'd be well advised to turn around and go back to Kansas."
Chandler's features no longer appeared handsome as his face screwed up into a hideous frown. "I've come too far to be denied now. You'll do as your guardian says. Tell her, Dexter."
"Chandler is right, my dear. This marriage is for your own good. You need a keeper and Chandler is just the man to tame you. He won't stand for any of your nonsense."
He reached up and yanked her to the edge of the seat. Chandler lent a hand and together they hauled her to the ground.
"Come along quietly, Angela," Chandler warned. "No need to make a public spectacle of yourself."
Angela dug in her heels. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Dexter gave her a rough shake. When she refused to budge, he hauled his arm back and slapped her. The blow sent her reeling against Chandler. Chandler caught her and lifted her into his arms. Stunned, Angela went limp as Chandler carried her off.
Rafe strode briskly toward the wagon, mulling over the information he'd gained from the assayer. If the Golden Angel was still producing, then Brady Baxter had lied to Angel. Obviously he never expected her to show up in Colorado to claim her inheritance. He probably assumed she was like her mother, who had a natural abhorrence for the wilderness. If Baxter thought that, the man didn't know his Angel.
Rafe's steps came to an abrupt halt, the blood freezing in his veins when he saw Angel hanging limply in Anson Chandler's arms. Desmond Dexter stood beside him, abetting the abduction. Adrenaline pumped through Rafe's veins as he took off at a run. He reached Dexter first, spun him around, and decked him.
The blow had been a vicious one. Blood spurted from Dexter's nose as he hit the ground.
"Put her down," Rafe barked as he took a threatening step in Chandler's direction.
"Who in the hell are you?" Chandler asked as he slowly lowered Angela to her feet and backed away.
"Never mind who I am," Rafe growled. "You've got a lot of explaining to do."
Holding a handkerchief to his bleeding nose, Dexter rose unsteadily to his feet. "Now see here, mister, this is none of your
* * *
Angela looked over the staples spread out on the counter and decided she had enough to last ten days or so.
"That's it, Mr. Dooley," she said. She had introduced herself and learned the proprietor's name soon after entering the store. "Add up the total. And if you'd be so kind, carry them out to my wagon."
"I can't believe Simon Abbot's daughter is really here," Dooley said, smiling at Angela. "Why, I remember your ma, girl, and she hated it here. Couldn't wait to go back East. Sorry about your pa. He sure doted on you, though he hadn't seen you in years. Were he alive, he'd be one happy man right now. Are you staying long, Miss Abbot?"
"I haven't decided," Angela said, although in her heart she knew she'd never return to Wichita. There was nothing there for her.
Angela paid her tab and waited while Dooley loaded her purchases in the wagon. Then she climbed onto the wagon to awaited Rafe.
"About time you showed up, Angela. We waited for you in Pueblo. What happened?"
That voice! Oh, no. How did they get here so soon?
"What's wrong? Has the cat got your tongue? You were expecting us, weren't you? Chandler is mighty put out at you."
Angela stared down at her stepfather and his cohort as if they were something offensive, as indeed they were. "What are you doing here?"
Chandler stepped forward. "You left me standing at the altar, Angela. I was humiliated, to say the least. But I'm here now, and there's a Justice of the Peace all lined up to marry us. We'll go to the mine as husband and wife, a united front against the likes of Brady Baxter."
"I'm not marrying you, Anson," Angela contended. "You came all this way for nothing. You'd be well advised to turn around and go back to Kansas."
Chandler's features no longer appeared handsome as his face screwed up into a hideous frown. "I've come too far to be denied now. You'll do as your guardian says. Tell her, Dexter."
"Chandler is right, my dear. This marriage is for your own good. You need a keeper and Chandler is just the man to tame you. He won't stand for any of your nonsense."
He reached up and yanked her to the edge of the seat. Chandler lent a hand and together they hauled her to the ground.
"Come along quietly, Angela," Chandler warned. "No need to make a public spectacle of yourself."
Angela dug in her heels. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
Dexter gave her a rough shake. When she refused to budge, he hauled his arm back and slapped her. The blow sent her reeling against Chandler. Chandler caught her and lifted her into his arms. Stunned, Angela went limp as Chandler carried her off.
Rafe strode briskly toward the wagon, mulling over the information he'd gained from the assayer. If the Golden Angel was still producing, then Brady Baxter had lied to Angel. Obviously he never expected her to show up in Colorado to claim her inheritance. He probably assumed she was like her mother, who had a natural abhorrence for the wilderness. If Baxter thought that, the man didn't know his Angel.
Rafe's steps came to an abrupt halt, the blood freezing in his veins when he saw Angel hanging limply in Anson Chandler's arms. Desmond Dexter stood beside him, abetting the abduction. Adrenaline pumped through Rafe's veins as he took off at a run. He reached Dexter first, spun him around, and decked him.
The blow had been a vicious one. Blood spurted from Dexter's nose as he hit the ground.
"Put her down," Rafe barked as he took a threatening step in Chandler's direction.
"Who in the hell are you?" Chandler asked as he slowly lowered Angela to her feet and backed away.
"Never mind who I am," Rafe growled. "You've got a lot of explaining to do."
Holding a handkerchief to his bleeding nose, Dexter rose unsteadily to his feet. "Now see here, mister, this is none of your
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