Much Ado About Mustangs Read online

  Praise for

  Much Ado About Mustangs

  by Award-Winning Author

  Jacquie Rogers

  The Wild West meets Shakespeare in this funny, sexy western historical romance full of action and adventure. Much Ado about Mustangs is a quick paced, exciting ride!

  Ann Charles, Award-winning Author of the Deadwood Mysteries Series

  I loved this story. It is now my favorite of the Hearts of Owyhee series.

  Caroline Clemmons, Award-winning Author of The McClintocks Series

  There are a lot of fun surprises and events that make this story another wonderful read by Jacquie Rogers.

  Shirl Deems, reviewer

  Table of Contents

  Much Ado About Mustangs

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Dear Reader

  ♥ Hearts of Owyhee ♥ series:

  Other Books by Jacquie Rogers

  Copyright

  About the Author

  Much Ado About Mustangs

  Hearts of Owyhee #5

  by Jacquie Rogers

  Copyright © 2015 Jacquie Rogers

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  This is NOT a free book. If you received this book from any source besides a major online bookstore or the author, it is a pirated copy.

  Much Ado About Mustangs

  Hearts of Owyhee #5

  By Jacquie Rogers

  Chapter 1

  Silver City, Idaho Territory

  September, 1885

  “What do you mean, you can’t sell me the whole ranch?” Josh McKinnon set his jaw and clenched the bank note in his hand. He’d been wanting to buy a ranch for ten years and now that he finally had the money, his deal was falling through.

  Old Man Linstad, who sat on the other side of the Silver Slipper’s largest table with papers spread in front of him, hemmed and hawed a bit, not looking Josh in the eye. “Sorry, partner. I sold half of it just yesterday to a couple from Kentucky—they’ve been wanting it for years and wired the money to finalize the deal.” He belted a shot and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you had another buyer?”

  “Aw, don’t get in a dither. Your acreage abuts the creek on one side, and the other side has grazing rights. The half I sold to the Kentucky buyer doesn’t have grazing rights, just the land.” The aging cattleman shrugged. “And the buildings.”

  “The buildings?”

  “And the corrals.” Linstad took out his pipe and made a production of tamping tobacco into the bowl and lighting it. After a few puffs, he said, “I’ll cut ten percent off the price, which is only half of what you would’ve paid.”

  Josh felt sucker-punched, as if someone had stolen his best horse. Still, Old Man Linstad’s ranch was the best around and the creek running through it had guaranteed water rights, which was as valuable as gold around these parts.

  “Hell, son, that’s still three thousand acres. You oughta be able to raise a few horses and cows on that, plus remember you have grazing rights.”

  Josh had woken up in a sunny mood, but this soured the day. He wanted that land, though, and half was better than none. Problem was, with his bum arm, building corrals and a barn wouldn’t be easy. He shouldn’t have sent for that herd of Friesian horses until the land deal was sealed. As his pa said, he had more enthusiasm than good sense.

  “Where do I sign?”

  Linstad crooked his finger at the barkeep. “Bring the boy a drink.”

  “Make it coffee,” Josh growled, not particularly enthused about whiskey at ten in the morning.

  A few hours later, he gritted his teeth as his new brother-in-law, Doc Mabry, probed his healing arm.

  “It’s mending well, but you might wear the sling for another week.”

  Josh snorted. “Then again I might not. I’ve worn the dang thing for over a month—most of the time, leastways, except for sparring with my brother. That oughta be enough.”

  “All right then. I know you’re anxious to get settled on your new ranch, but if you overdo, you’ll have a setback, and then you won’t be able to work for even longer.”

  “Half a ranch. Old Man Linstad sold me half. Said he’d already sold the other half to some outside speculators from Kentucky.” Josh moved his arm to see how high he could lift it. “The half with the buildings.”

  “To you, or to the speculators?” Doc handed him a bottle of laudanum. “Still need this?”

  “No, damn it. You did enough damage with that crap.” He’d been under the influence when Vivvie, his sister and Doc’s new wife, had convinced him to take the role of Benedick in the play, Much Ado About Nothing.

  “So why didn’t Linstad sell you the whole thing?”

  “Apparently this offer had been on the table for a long time, and they finally sent him the money.” Josh could’ve spit rattler venom after he’d found out the bad news and his dander hadn’t died down yet.

  “Your leading lady will come in on the afternoon stage.” Doc checked his timepiece. “Any time now.”

  Josh pushed the laudanum away and hopped off the examination table. That was another thing. Some high-falutin’ British diva was coming in to play Beatrice. The last few weeks, he’d heard enough about the noble Lady Pearl Montford to last him a lifetime and then some.

  “I have business to take care of.” Josh threw a dollar on Doc’s desk. On the way out, he hollered, “Tell your wife I’ll be at the bookstore helping Ma and then I’m heading out to my half of a ranch.”

  “Not going to rehearsal?”

  “Might get back by then.” Josh opened the door, barely able to find a spot on the boardwalk to stand, let alone walk. The whole bloomin’ town must’ve been there to greet the famous actress. He had to admit to a little curiosity but mostly he was just plain cantankerous—he had only one working arm, he’d been roped into acting in a play he didn’t want to be in, he was expected to worship Lady Pearl Montford, and worst of all, he’d bought half a ranch with not one danged building on it—and winter was coming. He had every right to his surly disposition.

  He’d have to do his best to get materials and supplies in for a barn raising, where he’d sleep this winter. After he’d received his share of the silver bullion earnings and the money from the sale of the Ten-High Straight, the mine his pa had won in a poker game, he’d moved out of his folks’ house. Itching to live in his own place, he rented a house that was a block between Doc’s and Kade’s houses, but only until the end of the month. The owner had rented it to a family for the winter because Josh expected to move into
his own place.

  Josh left the doctor’s office, shouldered his way through the gawking crowd in front of the Idaho Hotel, and headed back to the Silver Slipper. The saloon, uncharacteristically empty, gave him a brief respite from the town’s current excitement.

  “Ain’t you interested in getting a gander at your leading lady?” Harold the barkeep asked.

  “Nope.” Josh threw four bits on the bar. “Whiskey.” Maybe a little liquid refreshment would help him contend with his woes, including the haughty diva, who’d take up time that should be spent working on his new ranch.

  “How’s the arm?” the barkeep asked as he swiped the bar with the same towel he used for polishing glasses.

  “Coming along.” Josh flexed his bicep, feeling only minor pain. He’d been shot a month earlier during a bullion robbery attempt. Doc had said Josh was healing fast. Not fast enough, considering he had a helluva lot of work to do before the cold weather set in. Blooded horses were on their way to Silver City in a week, and he didn’t have any shelter for them.

  On top of that, he’d hired a crew to round up some wild horses that were free for the taking, and now he didn’t even have any danged corrals. Luckily, he hadn’t sent the crew out yet, but that was one of the few things that didn’t grate.

  Days like this put a man in a disagreeable mood.

  He nursed his drink in peace, with the only noise being the clinking of glasses as the bartender polished them. That didn’t last long, however. Before Josh could order a second shot, a herd of cheerfully lusty miners and cowhands swarmed into the saloon, all ready to give Harold their money for a little spirited celebration.

  Two old men crowded in and bellied up to the bar, one on either side of Josh. The man to his left was Phineas Stratford, partner in Prospero Security Transport with Josh’s brother Kade. Phineas had a bad habit of spouting Shakespearean quotes at the most annoying times. He was a grizzled old man with a white beard and always wore a floppy hat. Josh had been the butt of the old man’s ribbing since the moment he’d heard that Josh would be playing Benedick opposite the famous actress’s Beatrice.

  On Josh’s right side, Old Man Linstad held up three fingers to the bartender. He had plenty of money to buy a round—him and his danged better offer. Linstad, a tall old devil and muscular for his age, always had a ready smile and something up his sleeve, willing to have a good time at anyone’s expense. Damn it, and this time it was Josh’s turn. He didn’t know who to be mad at—Linstad or those lucky Kentucky turds.

  Linstad elbowed Josh. “You should’ve been there. Lady Pearl Montford’s beauty is a sight to behold.”

  Phineas cackled. “And her bosoms would be a pleasure to hold.”

  “Watch it, old man,” Linstad growled.

  Josh thought Linstad sounded overly possessive, and who was he to call Phineas an old man? They were both as old as the hills.

  Harold brought the three drinks and Phineas raised his to Josh. “You’re gonna have a fine time in Act V, my boy.”

  “If I could get out of being in that play, I would,” Josh said as he tossed back the whiskey and swallowed it in two fiery gulps. After he caught his breath, he said, “The last thing I want to do is coddle some snooty calico. I don’t care how famous she is, where she’s from, or who her daddy is. A woman like her is useless for anything other than looking at.”

  “Then you’re not thinking hard enough,” Phineas said. “She might be a right nice gal under all that there frippery.”

  “Bring three more, Harold,” Linstad hollered, then reached in front of Josh and tapped Phineas’s arm. “Methinks our stallion might change his mind once he gets a sniff of that filly.”

  Phineas finished off his whiskey and shook his head. “You must not mistake Lady Pearl Montford, there is a kind of merry war betwixt Josh and her: they never meet, but there’s a skirmish of wit between them.”

  Josh had all he could take for one day. “See you two old codgers later.”

  Chapter 2

  Josh hefted a box of books onto the counter, using the effort to exercise the damaged muscles in his left arm. Unfortunately, his mother caught him in the act.

  “You shouldn’t be doing that.” Esther McKinnon took great pride in tending her four boys and one daughter, even though four of the five were full grown. “Doc Mabry said—”

  “He said take it easy for a month. It’s been a month, and this morning he told me I could throw away that danged sling.” Josh had spent a very long, boring six weeks since he was shot, most of it trying to avoid watching Kade smooch his new bride.

  “Watch your language, young man. I’m certain Doc wouldn’t approve of your sporting activities with your brother, either.”

  Josh and Kade had sparred a few times the past week. When Josh tired of boxing, which was danged quick with only one and a half arms, they’d wrestle a while, or they’d practice shooting. Bare-fisted boxing served two purposes—to exercise Josh’s weak arm, and to give Kade something to do, even though he went easy on Josh. Kade hadn’t quite adjusted to life behind a desk, far preferring to be out on the trail, guarding against bandits. He lived for danger. He got it—marriage.

  Josh lived for the good life, and marriage sure as hell didn’t play a part in his plans, nor did guarding bullion shipments—he’d had all of that he wanted. He’d rather hoist a glass with friends than shoot it out with road agents. All his life, he’d dreamed of owning his own horse ranch, and now he had one. Half of one, anyway. Now that was the good life.

  But the last month of forced idleness had made him restless. Autumn loomed. There’d be little time to build corrals, a barn, bunkhouse, and a cabin before the bad weather set in.

  “Anything else you need done around here?” he asked his mother, eyeing a stack of boxes in the corner. He wanted a good brisk ride on Flash as much as he wanted to visit his new ranch land.

  “Someone should’ve told me how much effort it takes to open a bookstore.” She scooted the box to the end of the counter, ignoring his snort—he and everyone else had told her. “I’ll log these books into the inventory and shelve them tomorrow. You can sweep up, then we’ll close shop and stop by the mercantile on the way home.”

  “I’ll be heading out. I’m riding out to the ranch and then I’ve got rehearsal.” Another thing about the gimp list that irked him—Vivvie, his sister, had roped him into taking the role while he was under the influence of laudanum. He’d played Benedick in high school, she’d argued, and he still knew the lines. Kade’s wife, Iris, who was also Vivvie’s best friend, was in on the conspiracy, and he strongly suspected Doc was, too. Josh fetched the broom from the storeroom.

  When he returned, Esther said, “Did you read the newspaper?”

  Josh grunted. Yes, he’d read it. The whole blasted front page was filled with Lady Pearl Montford this and Lady Pearl Montford that. The whole bloomin’ town, including his ma, was a’twitter. He couldn’t understand what the big to-do was about, and didn’t look forward to dealing with her bigheaded ways. If she thought for one minute he’d worship her just for breathing, she had another think coming.

  “Lady Pearl Montford came in on the stage today, as planned.”

  “I saw all those people in front of the hotel making damn fools of themselves over a piece of fluff.”

  “Language! You better not curse around our honored guest.” Esther sniffed. “She’s staying at the Idaho Hotel. We saw her for a brief moment—very beautiful. It’ll be so wonderful to see you and Vivvie on stage with her! I hope she stops by the bookstore.”

  “You and every other merchant in town.” Everywhere he went, people yammered on and on about the famous actress. Vivvie and Iris were ecstatic they’d been so lucky to book her. For the past two weeks, he couldn’t even have a drink at the Silver Slipper without someone yammering on about the British beauty who would grace their stage. And he’d met with no small amount of ribbing from just about everyone for his role as her leading man.

  “She’s a famous
actress, and she’s come to Silver City all the way from England!”

  “She came from Denver.”

  “Her last performance, yes, but she lives in London.”

  Josh turned his back to sweep the side aisle. As he did, a lady entered, but he was in a hurry and set to his chore.

  “I’ll have the latest issue of Myra’s Journal of Dress and Fashion, if you please,” she said with a clipped English accent.

  Hmph. The star of the show. Josh kept sweeping with his back turned, not one whit interested in the actress’s arrogance, although he wouldn’t have minded getting a better look. He wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction, though.

  “I’m sorry, Lady Montford,” Esther said, “but this store is only recently opened and we don’t have all our stock in yet. I’m afraid we don’t have a copy.”

  “Oh. Very well, it’s to be expected.”

  Josh ached to inform her that if she wanted to be catered to, she should’ve stayed in London where she belonged.

  “Could you have your boy take a message for me?”

  Boy? He stood at over six feet, had operated a mine for nearly two years, and had shot it out with bullion robbers. Boy?

  “Why, of course.”

  “Report to Mr. Joshua McKinnon. Inform him that there will be no private rehearsals and that I’ll be dining alone in my room.” In a lower voice, she said, “You know how men in these rustic villages assume they can take advantage.”

  She hurried out, and Josh caught a glimpse of her. It didn’t take long to notice that Lady Pearl Montford was every bit as dazzling as advertised, and even more shapely. A couple of handfuls shapely, in fact. He turned to his mother, whose mouth was agape.

  “The nerve of that woman!” Esther slammed a book onto the counter. “Talking about my son like that.”

  Josh chuckled as he leaned on his broom. “Sounds like a dare.”

  * * *

  Pearl studied her wardrobe, and wondered whether she should wear a dinner dress or her Beatrice costume to the rehearsal. What she’d really rather do was ride out to her new ranch. She and her brother had been saving to buy it for four years, and now that they’d bought it, she was cooped up in this room, shackled by Lady Montford finery.