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  Delaney shook her head. “Angel wants revenge. But you, Ty—”

  “I just want what’s mine. My father’s ranch,” he said.

  Delaney gritted her teeth. “The only way you can get the Rockin’ L is to kill me, and you know it.”

  Ty shrugged. “You’re right. You’ve left me no other option.”

  “But you’ll never get away with it.” Delaney moved so Cooper could get behind Ty and Angel. “You’ll be the number-one suspect.”

  “Who’s been salting the Johnson Gulch Lake?” Digger asked out of the blue. “There ain’t no gold in that lake.”

  Angel frowned. “Salting?”

  “Me and Tess seen it. Gold flakes where there shouldn’t have been none,” Digger said. “Gus, you’re too smart to fall for that.”

  Ty groaned. “Come on, Angel, let’s get this over with.”

  “Wait a minute,” Angel said to Ty. “What’s he talking about?”

  Delaney could see Cooper edging along the wall of the tunnel, an old shovel in his hand. She needed to create a diversion, but it wouldn’t be easy, because Angel wasn’t about to fall for another “Geez, isn’t that the calvary behind you” trick.

  Delaney looked over at Digger and saw that he, too, had seen Cooper and was doing his level best to help. She glanced down at Buck. His eyes were closed, his head back. She hoped he’d only passed out and not died.

  “Somebody put gold flakes in the lake to make it seem like there was gold upstream,” Digger said. “Only a fool would fall for an old ruse like that.”

  Angel looked over at Ty, her eyes wide. “He’s saying someone tried to trick us?”

  “The guy’s loonier than a pet raccoon,” Ty said to Angel. “You know there’s gold in this mine. It’s in the diary.” Angel appeared doubtful. “Here, give me the pistol,” Ty said. “And I’ll finish this.”

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Angel,” Delaney cautioned. “Don’t you see what he has planned? I couldn’t figure out how Ty thought he could get away with my murder. But he has the perfect scapegoat. You. Crazy, revengeful Angel Halbrook.”

  “Don’t listen to her, Angel,” Ty said, stepping over to her, his hand out. Angel retreated, waving the gun to keep him back.

  “Ty wouldn’t double-cross me,” she said.

  “Sure he would,” Delaney argued. “You think he ever planned to split the money with you? He’s too greedy. He kills me and gets the ranch, but you get the blame and he gets all the money to himself.”

  “Angel,” Ty said, moving closer to her. She backed up against the rock wall of the mine and pointed the pistol at Ty’s chest. “Don’t you see what she’s trying to do? She’s trying to play us against each other.”

  “You said Buck would be blamed,” Angel accused. “You said we’d share the money. But you had to be the one to salt the lake. There wasn’t any color at all in the gravel Jared gave me from his place.”

  As Ty went for the pistol, Cooper broke from his hiding place. Cooper swung the old shovel, hitting Ty in the back just as Ty made a grab for Angel’s pistol. The gun went flying. Ty fell to his knees. He cursed at Angel and swung around to slam his elbow into Cooper’s knee. Cooper dropped, taking Ty to the ground with him. As the two wrestled in the dirt, Delaney made a leap for the pistol. But Angel reached it first.

  “Get back,” Angel said, her pale eyes eerie in the lantern light. Her gaze darted past Delaney. “Where the hell did he go?”

  Delaney turned to see that Digger was gone.

  COOPER SAW HIS opening. He buried his fist in Ty’s stomach, then came back with a shot to his jaw. Ty’s eyes crossed. He fell back with a groan. As Cooper stumbled to his feet, all he could think about was holding Delaney in his arms. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, breathing in the familiar scent of her, holding her tightly as if he’d lose her forever if he let her go. He’d forgotten about his claustrophobia the moment he saw Angel with the pistol trained on Delaney. He’d forgotten everything—the rotten timbers, the danger of being in an old mine deep in the ground. Forgotten everything but saving Delaney. He knew at that moment that he’d give his own life if that’s what it took.

  He looked up to see Angel, the pistol clutched in her hand, madness in her eyes. He turned Delaney, sheltering her in case Angel got off a shot before he could reach the woman.

  “He tricked me,” Angel cried, swinging the pistol back and forth from Ty to Cooper and Delaney. “You tricked me!” she yelled at Ty.

  “Give me the gun, Angel,” Cooper told her softly. “It’s all over. I called the county marshal before I came up here. He and his men will be here any moment.”

  Angel met his gaze and smiled. “Nice try, cowboy, but you’re not all that good at lying.”

  Cooper wondered if that was true. Since Delaney, he’d lost a lot of his old skills. They just didn’t come as naturally as they used to.

  “Get up,” Angel said, turning her anger and the pistol on Ty. “You lying bastard, get up. That’s why you suggested killing them in the mine. You were setting me up from the start.”

  Ty got to his feet, licking his lips as he eyed Angel. “You were already set on getting revenge when I met you. I just offered to help, that’s all.”

  Cooper started to advance on Angel, but Delaney grabbed his arm.

  “Why did you salt the lake?” Angel demanded, all her attention on Ty. “Tell me the truth, damn you!” She cocked the pistol and pointed it at his heart.

  “All right,” he said, raising his hands in surrender. “I put some gold in the lake. But just to get the price of the ranch up. It didn’t have anything to do with you.”

  “You planned to double-cross me—” The pistol shot roared through the mine like a cannon blast. Dirt and gravel began to fall from the timbered shoring over head.

  Ty clutched at his chest he dove for Angel and the pistol. “You’re going to ruin everything!”

  Cooper grabbed Delaney as the timbers groaned overhead. Dirt began to pour down in a dark shower of dust and gravel.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” Cooper cried, pulling Delaney down the tunnel toward the entrance.

  “We can’t leave Buck,” Delaney cried, breaking free to turn back.

  Cooper reached for her, and saw that Ty had stumbled to his feet and was holding the gun. Angel was sprawled on the floor near him. As Ty advanced toward them, the pistol cocked and pointed at Delaney, Cooper saw Buck open his eyes. He nodded at Cooper, then reached out to grab Ty’s leg.

  “Run!” Cooper cried to Delaney as Ty’s shot went wild, ricocheting through the tunnel.

  DELANEY HEARD the first timbers give way behind them. Heard the roar and felt the wind as the earth caved in after them. She’d seen the look Buck had given her. “Run,” he’d said. And she knew it was his way of paying her back for the pain he’d helped Angel cause her. She knew in that moment, she couldn’t save Buck, could never have saved him from Angel. Or the cave-in. She ran, Cooper right behind her, for the tiny hole of light at the end of the tunnel, afraid they would never reach it in time. Just as they neared the opening, she saw Digger and Tess waiting outside. An instant later, the entrance opened like a golden door as Tess pulled a large rock from the opening, and Delaney and Cooper rushed out into the sunshine.

  Behind them, the Golden Dream seemed to explode, sending dirt shooting out over them. Cooper pulled Delaney into his arms as they looked back at what was left of the Golden Dream. Nothing but a wall of rock.

  “Buck. Ty and Angel—” Delaney buried her face in Cooper’s shoulder and cried. “Buck saved our lives.”

  Cooper held her. “I’ve got you, Delaney. It’s all right now. I’ve got you.”

  Epilogue

  They rode out across the wide-open land, the sun climbing high over Montana’s big sky. Cooper rode behind Delaney on Crazy Jack. The morning air smelled fresh. Tall wild grass brushed her boots as she rode. Delaney knew where Cooper was taking her long before she saw the large pine tree and the flat s
mooth shadowed rock beneath it. She smiled over at him. This was the spot they’d first met. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Cooper dismounted and, taking Delaney by the waist, lifted her down from her horse. He held her for only a moment before he released her and turned to look out across the land.

  The Rockin’ L stretched across the horizon below them. In a far pasture, the two-year-old Morgans raced on the wind, their hides dark against the sea of tall grass and wildflowers that grew beneath their hooves.

  “I heard from the county attorney this morning,” Cooper said. “They’re willing to drop the charges if I turn state’s evidence against Rattlesnake Range. I’ve decided I have to do it. Not to save my own hide as much as to put them out of business for good.”

  Delaney nodded but didn’t say anything. She’d already talked to the county attorney and knew he’d made Cooper an offer. She just hadn’t been sure Cooper would take it. He’d stayed around after the mine cave-in, helping her get through the days that followed, all the funerals. He’d been there whenever she’d needed him and yet neither of them had talked about him staying.

  “With Rattlesnake Range gone and Jared out of the picture…well, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about,” Cooper said.

  Jared was now facing misdemeanor charges for the accidents he’d caused on the Rockin’ L and abuse of power. She’d been surprised to learn about his financial troubles. That was why he’d made the deal with the mining company, in an attempt to keep from losing his ranch after a series of bad investments. But without Delaney’s land, the mining company had said it wouldn’t be financially feasible to mine Kincaid’s property.

  Delaney heard Cooper had made an offer on Kincaid Ranches. Jared had needed a fast sale to keep from losing everything and Cooper had picked up the ranches for a song. But Delaney wasn’t sure what he planned to do with the land. For all she knew he might turn around and sell them at a profit.

  “I know how you feel about this place,” Cooper said, taking off his hat to turn it in his fingers.

  Delaney looked across the wide expanse of pines and rocks; rolling hills and mountains; long, wide pastures and grassland as far as the eye could see. Home. The place she’d put all her dreams. All her hopes.

  She shifted her gaze to the cowboy standing beside her. It wasn’t until recently that she’d realized the land meant everything to her. And nothing without Cooper. But she wasn’t going to make the same mistake her mother had, trying to tie a rodeo cowboy to that land. A rodeo cowboy who wasn’t ready to settle down. It had to be what he wanted.

  “Something on your mind, McLeod,” she asked.

  He grinned. “The deal I made with the county attorney is dependent on one small thing.” He settled his baby blues on her, letting all that charm just pour out of him like a warm summer rain shower. “I need a job.”

  “A job?” she asked. “Didn’t I hear that you’ve just bought a ranch of your own?”

  He nodded. “But I was kinda hoping there still might be something for me at the Rockin’ L.”

  “You were?” She pushed back her western hat to give him the once-over. “You look like a rodeo cowboy to me, and I make it a rule never to hire ‘em.”

  “What about reformed bronc riders?” Cooper asked, as he closed the distance between them.

  “Sorry,” Delaney said, taking a spin with the devil dancing in those eyes of his. “I have only one opening on the ranch and it’s not for a hired hand.”

  “No?” Cooper asked.

  He was so close she could feel his breath against her cheek. “No.”

  “I thought about the ranch-manager job,” he said, the devil jitterbugging away in his gaze. “But maybe I’m more upper-level management than that. And you’ve got Digger and Tess back at their summer camp keeping an eye on things, so you don’t need me for that.”

  Delaney raised a brow. “So what position were you considering?” she asked with a grin. “I should tell you, when I take on a man here at the Rockin’ L, I expect something from him.”

  Cooper grinned, but it faded quickly. A seriousness came into his eyes, into his stance. He cupped her face in his hands. “Delaney?”

  His voice was soft and deep with emotion. She realized he was nervous and had to fight a smile. Cooper McLeod. Nervous.

  “Yes, Coop?” she said.

  “Have you ever considered marrying a former rodeo cowboy?” he asked.

  “No, Coop, I never have.”

  He eyed her for a moment. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

  She smiled. “No.”

  He took a breath. “Just tell me if there is anything about me that you like, so I know what my odds are.”

  She pretended to think for a moment. “I like your horse.”

  “You do?” Cooper asked in pleased surprise.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “And I think you can tell a lot about a man by his horse.”

  “Yeah?” He grinned again.

  “Say it, McLeod. You’ve never had any trouble telling me what you thought before.” She leaned back to look up at him. “So just say the words. If you’re sure it’s what you want.”

  “Oh, it’s what I want. It’s all I want.”

  He met her gaze. He looked as if he thought she might run him off with a shotgun. Or worse yet, say no.

  “Delaney Lawson, would you marry me?” he asked, his voice breaking with emotion.

  “Yes, Cooper McLeod,” she said, pulling him down for a kiss. “I certainly will.”

  Behind them, Crazy Jack let out a long whinny. They both laughed as Cooper lowered Delaney to the smooth, flat rock beneath the pine tree.

  eISBN 978-14592-7555-3

  OUTLAWED!

  Copyright © 1996 by Barbara Johnson Smith

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  Printed in U.S.A.

  Table of Contents

  Cover Page

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Dear Reader

  Dedication

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Epilogue

  Copyright

 

 

 
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