Colin's Quest, Page 4

  “My da gave it to her when they married,” Angus continued. “Be warned. When you give it, your heart will go with it.”

  “It’s already hers, Da. There’ll be no other wife for me.”

  Angus clasped his shoulder. “Then we’ll find a way for you to see Sarah before we leave.”

  Getting Colin and Sarah alone had been easier than anyone thought. The MacGregor men had left in the early evening for a round of drinking, leaving the women and children alone. Stumbling into camp before midnight, each collapsed, falling into a deep, undisturbed sleep.

  “Now, Sarah, while everyone is asleep. There will be no one to catch you together.” Geneen tugged at her sister’s arm. “He’s waiting for you next to the general store.” She pointed up the street.

  Seeing Colin’s lean form, Sarah broke away and ran to him, hurling herself into his arms.

  “Ach, lassie, it’s a wonder I caught you.” Colin chuckled, burying his face in her hair, breathing in her unique scent, wanting to make it last so he’d never forget it. Squeezing his eyes tight on the thought, he pulled back, offering her a warm smile. “I love you, Sarah. I’ll never let you go.”

  “But, Colin…”

  He lifted a finger to her lips. “Shush now, lassie. You must believe. When we’re older, I’ll come for you, claim you as my wife, and bring you home. Will you leave with me when that happens?”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded. “Aye, Colin. I’ll wait forever for you.”

  “And marry me?”

  “Aye, no other.”

  Sliding his hand into a pocket, he pulled out the brooch. “This belonged to my gram. Now, it’s yours. It’s my promise to you, Sarah. Do not misunderstand. We are betrothed as surely as any two people can be. I will come for you as soon as I can and we’ll marry. Never doubt it for a minute.” He took her hand in his, laying the brooch in her palm.

  She clutched it to her heart, her body shaking. “Take me with you, Colin. Please. Don’t leave me.” Tears streamed down her face as her eyes implored him not to go.

  It took all the strength within him not to grab her hand and run. “We cannot be together now, lassie, but we will be one day. I swear it to you. Just don’t forget me, Sarah.”

  Her eyes blazed in confusion. “Forget you, Colin MacLaren? Not as long as I have a breath left in me.” She tried her best to smile.

  He held her as long as he could before letting his arms drop and stepping back.

  “Go now, Sarah, before you’re missed. Know this. I’ll never love another.”

  “Nor will I, Colin.” Gripping the brooch tight in her hand, she reached up to place one last kiss on his lips, then turned and ran. Taking one more glance behind her, she climbed into the wagon and disappeared.

  When Colin woke the next morning, the MacGregor wagons were gone, leaving a deep, open wound in his heart. Setting his jaw, he steeled himself for the promise he made. He’d build a life in California with his family, then travel north to find her. No matter how long it took, he’d never give up. It was as he said. He’d never let her go and never love another.

  Chapter Three

  Conviction, California, 1864

  Five years later…

  “One more, Colin,” Quinn urged, lifting his hand to order another round of whiskey. The two of them had ridden into town with Blaine and Brodie to celebrate Colin’s twenty-third birthday. All the MacLarens would celebrate tomorrow at their normal Sunday meal, but tonight, the young men were dedicated to losing themselves in whiskey, mischief, and women.

  “Look there, Colin. Your birthday present is walking down the stairs.” Quinn nodded toward a curvy lass with deep red hair and full, pouty lips. “It appears Gwen is coming this way.” Slapping Colin on the back, he winked at Brodie and Blaine. The three had already paid her to help him celebrate in style. The question they all shared was would he accept.

  Colin grinned, knowing he’d not partake of his present from Quinn and Brodie. They knew he had his mind on only one woman, and it wasn’t Gwen.

  “Good evening, boys.” She looped a hand through Colin’s arm, leaning close.

  “Evenin’, Gwen. You look quite charming tonight.” Colin brushed a kiss across her temple, breathing in the thick perfume she preferred, perhaps from the bottle he’d given her at Christmas. He’d been with one woman for just one night. He, Quinn, and Brodie had celebrated his nineteenth birthday in this same saloon, which ended with him in Gwen’s bed upstairs—courtesy of his cousins.

  “Ach, you MacLarens. You think your good looks and charm are all you need to coax a woman into bed,” she chuckled.

  “Not so, Gwen. We aren’t eejits, although you may think so some nights. It also takes a fair amount of coin to get what we want.” Colin pulled her to him. A few years before, she’d come from the old country, following her lover from New York to San Francisco. After he died in a bar fight, she traveled east to the town of Conviction, looking for a fresh start.

  Older than Colin by a few years, she’d taken a liking to him, understanding when he confessed his inexperience with women. He’d been drinking with his cousins most of the night. Still, he’d been sober enough to know what he wanted—to learn what he needed to make it good for Sarah when he went for her. Gwen agreed. In return, he’d always been a gentleman. Although they’d been together just the one night, she always smiled when she thought of it. He’d been so serious in his determination to learn. No passion, no emotion. It had been a teacher and student relationship—nothing more.

  “Quinn and the boys tell me you’re celebrating tonight. Another birthday, is it?”

  “Aye. I’m twenty-three.” He gave her a meaningful smile. Only Gwen and those with him tonight knew the true significance of this day. By the end of the following week, the entire MacLaren clan would know. Tonight, however, was about celebrating. “A drink for Gwen,” he shouted over the noise at the bar, taking the full glass the bartender handed him.

  Most nights the cousins played cards, sang along to tunes from the tinny piano, and relaxed. After six days of hard work on Circle M Ranch, all they wanted could be found in Buckie’s Castle, the only saloon in Conviction.

  Within an hour, they’d consumed another bottle of whiskey and sang until their throats ached. Leaning on Gwen to prevent himself from falling over, Colin picked up the bottle of whiskey and shook it.

  “Another bottle,” he yelled before Gwen could stop him.

  “I think you’ve had your fair share tonight, laddie. Why don’t you come upstairs with me and sleep it off?”

  His glazed eyes tried to focus as he scanned the room for Quinn, Brodie, and Blaine. “I can’t find them, Gwen.”

  Chuckling, she pointed to a table where the three sat, passed out, each in a different pose.

  “Ach, they never could hold their liquor,” he slurred before slumping against the bar.

  “Up with you, laddie.” Motioning for help, she and three others soon had Colin upstairs, tucked into her bed. Looking down at his face, peaceful in sleep, she thought of his plans and how they’d spoken of them. She knew something of young love and hoped his quest would end better than hers.

  Brushing dark auburn hair away from his forehead, she placed a kiss on his brow, praying his journey would be successful. She’d wished this for him. Strong, hardworking, and honest, Colin had matured into a strong leader, a young man others respected.

  Drawing the covers under his chin, she walked toward the door, taking one more look at a boy who’d become a man, knowing he’d be gone when she returned in the morning.

  “Good luck and Godspeed, Colin MacLaren,” she whispered, silently closing the door behind her.

  “Colin, take your brothers to the southern pasture and bring the cows closer.” Angus looked at the sky, watching the clouds shift into a formation foretelling a coming storm.

  “I’ll need more than the three of us, Da.” Colin slid the gloves he’d been wearing to repair a broken corral fence into a back pocket and foll
owed his father’s gaze. “I don’t see any thunderheads.”

  “They’ll be coming, trust me. Find Quinn, Brodie, Blaine, and Sean. If they’re not enough, come back and get me and your uncles. We’ll show you how it’s done.” Grinning, he returned to his own chores, knowing there’d be no chance the boys would ask for their help.

  Colin found the others and rode south. The Circle M Ranch had grown over the past five years, adding more acreage as they prospered. Angus and his family lived in the main ranch house, which included a dining room large enough to hold thirty people. At the current rate, they’d outgrow the room in a short time. Three other homes stood within four hundred yards of the main house, each with several bedrooms, a large kitchen, and small barns. Two larger barns sat across from the main house, each with two corrals for breaking and training horses.

  The group rode in silence toward the pasture where the small herd grazed. It had been two weeks since his birthday and Colin had yet to announce his decision to leave. Even so, all his thoughts were on finding Sarah and bringing her home.

  “What are your plans?” Quinn asked, riding up next to him.

  “I leave in a week, after we get the herds moved.”

  “Are you certain where she is?” Through contact with travelers coming south from Oregon, and friends who traveled north, he knew Colin had done his best to track her. He knew Dougal MacGregor planned to settle in the Willamette Valley, which covered a large area on the western side of Oregon.

  “Nae. Somewhere in the Willamette Valley. I should’ve left years ago.” Colin shifted in the saddle. Since turning twenty, he’d had this argument with himself several times. However, Sarah would’ve only been nineteen at the time, and he remembered Dougal’s decision not to let her leave until she turned twenty-one. So he’d hesitated, wanting to show some respect to the man he loathed, and needing to build the ranch into something she’d be proud of. It had now been five years, a long time to dream of one woman and a shared future. Perhaps she’d fallen in love with someone else, married, maybe even had children. He shook his head, pushing the thought aside, not letting himself second-guess his journey.

  “I’m going with you.”

  “What?” Quinn’s comment took Colin by surprise.

  “I’ve made up my mind. You won’t make the journey alone, not when I’m able to go. Da will understand. Heather rides as well as any man, and Bram is as large and strong as anyone,” Quinn said, referring to his twenty-year-old sister and eighteen-year-old brother.

  Colin chuckled, thinking of Heather, stunningly beautiful and willowy, and a fireball if he’d ever seen one. “Who’ll protect her from all the suitors if you leave?” He didn’t look at Quinn, knowing he’d break into laughter if he did.

  “Hell, I’ll probably have to pay someone to court her, although Ma would box my ears if she heard me say that.”

  Spotting the herd, they drove them north toward a large meadow not far from the ranch houses. Afterwards, Quinn leaned against a stall, watching as Colin groomed Chieftain. Not until he’d finished did Colin reply to Quinn’s offer.

  “I appreciate you wanting to go with me, but it’s a journey I’ll make alone. You’re needed here.”

  “Did I give you the impression you had a choice? If so, I apologize. You’ll not go by yourself, Colin. Accept it.” Quinn marched off toward his family’s house, leaving Colin to stare after him.

  Colin had waited until the following Sunday, when the MacLaren clan congregated for the weekly family supper, to speak of his decision. He’d already told his parents, who supported him, offering any help they could. Quinn had also been given the blessing of his da and ma, although his ma had been less enthusiastic about her son traveling over five hundred miles from home. The time had now come to tell the rest of the family.

  As usual, the conversations shifted at a quick pace, everyone trying to catch up with the events of the week. Colin waited, wanting to find the right time to convey his news, but getting a word in proved difficult.

  “I have no interest in sewing, Ma. Besides, Da needs me out with Quinn and Bram. Right, Da?” Heather’s eyes pleaded with him to save her from sitting around in a sewing circle with her aunts and cousins.

  Gillis glanced at his wife, Audrey, noting her set expression. All the MacLaren women could ride and help with the cattle, but they also knew how to cook and sew, skills Heather avoided with a single-minded intensity.

  “We’ll talk about it at home, Heather.”

  “But, Da—”

  He pierced her with an intense glare. “At home, lass.”

  Colin took the short silence as his chance to tell them of his decision. “I’ll be leaving in two days to find Sarah.” The quiet announcement caught his family unprepared.

  “I’ll be going with him,” Quinn added before anyone had a chance to comment.

  Brodie stared at his cousins, feeling a sense of betrayal they hadn’t discussed it with him. The three, plus Blaine, had been inseparable for years. The four made up the oldest set of cousins and whatever one did, the other three followed. He cleared his throat, his voice overriding the other comments.

  “How long will you be gone?” He kept his voice low, his expression hooded, not wanting anyone else to know the disappointment he felt at not being included.

  “My guess is three months.” Colin glanced at Brodie, knowing he’d made a mistake not talking to him before today. He hadn’t planned on Quinn forcing his way into the journey, but when that happened, Brodie should’ve been the first person he spoke with, even before his da and ma.

  Brodie tossed his napkin on the table and stood. “I have some chores to finish.” Stalking from the house, he headed toward the larger of the two barns, disappearing inside. Picking up a shovel, he started mucking out a stall.

  “I should have told you sooner.” Colin walked up next to him, leaning against the top rail.

  Brodie set the shovel aside, not sparing a glance at Colin as he closed the stall gate.

  “I planned on going alone. When I told Quinn of my decision, he gave me no choice, said he was going to speak to Uncle Gillis about going with me.” He cleared his throat. “I should’ve told you the same day.”

  “It’s done.” Brodie saddled his horse, Hunter, and secured the bridle. Swinging up in one fluid movement, he left out the back door without another glance at Colin.

  “Ah, hell,” Colin murmured.

  “Where’s Brodie?” Quinn walked up beside him.

  “Took off. He’s angry and I can’t fault him for it. I should’ve told him.” Scrubbing a hand over his face, Colin shook his head. “I’d better go after him, try to explain.”

  “Nae. We’ll speak with Uncle Ewan. Brodie should be going with us.”

  “How can they get by without three of us? Two of us is one more than should be going, but Brodie, too? I’ve already spoken with Blaine. He understands Da needs him here.”

  “It’s not our decision. All we can do is ask. You’re right. He should have been told when you told me, but it’s done now. Let’s see if we can fix it.” Quinn grabbed Colin’s arm, pulling him out of the barn and toward the house where the rest of the family still sat at the table, eating dessert.

  Ewan saw them approach, their gazes locked on him. Standing, he looked at his wife, who nodded. “We’ll talk in the study,” he said to Colin and Quinn. Closing the door behind them, Ewan turned toward his nephews. “We’re a fortunate family, having lots of hands to help out, many capable of carrying a man’s load.”

  Colin shot a glance at Quinn, both holding their breath.

  “If you agree, it would be best if Brodie rode with you, assuming that’s what he wants. It will be a long trip and I think all of us will feel better if it’s the three of you. Besides, I can’t imagine spending three months with Brodie if you two are nowhere around. What say you?”

  “Aye. It would be better if he were with us.” Colin smiled before letting out the breath he’d been holding.

  “It�
��s settled then.”

  The rest of the family had gone to bed, leaving Angus and Colin to discuss final preparations for the trip. They estimated it would take about twenty-five days to reach the south end of the Willamette Valley. The best route would be to retrace the trail that had brought them to California, then take the Applegate Trail cutoff, following it all the way to their destination.

  “What will you do once you reach the valley?”

  Colin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Start talking to the ranchers and hope someone recognizes the MacGregor name. With three of us, we can split up to cover more ground.”

  “You’ll need money.” Opening the wall safe, he extracted a bag, tossing it on the desk. “Take that. Send me a message if you need more, bringing back what you don’t use.”

  Picking it up, Colin looked inside, stunned by the amount. “It’s too much.”

  “You don’t know that. MacGregor may ask you to pay a dowry for Sarah. At least you’ll have some negotiating power. It’s the clan’s money. Use it to bring Sarah home.”

  Colin took the bag, deciding he’d split it between the three of them so no one man would be carrying it all.

  “Take this with you.” Angus held out a piece of paper.

  “What is it?” Colin opened the paper, seeing one name.

  “There is a colony of Stewarts somewhere in the valley. We’ve been closely aligned with them for generations. I’m certain they’ll do what they can to help you. If you find them, ask for William. Now, repeat again the route you’ll take.”

  Angus didn’t let Colin rest until they’d gone over the route so many times, it became ingrained in his memory. According to his da, Gillis and Ewan were doing the same with Quinn and Brodie. Several hours later, Angus felt satisfied he’d done all he could to prepare his son for the journey. All he could offer now were his prayers, hoping it would be enough.