Page 31 of Married By Midnight
“I was watching for you.” Dell appeared winded, but not as winded as Sarah.
She placed her hands on her knees and drew a deep breath before standing back up. Her eyes glanced over Dell’s shoulder and she felt her insides boil. There was no mistaking the black horse that was tied outside her barn.
What in heavens name was Arlan Snyder doing at her farm?
Sarah pushed past Dell and strode towards the barn. She could see a gathering of about eight men standing in a circle.
“Wait, Sarah!” Dell cried.
“What are you doing here?” Sarah asked, pushing her way through the men. The men moved to let her pass and she found herself standing face to face with the devil himself.
Arlan Snyder looked at her and a sneer appeared on his otherwise handsome face. He was two heads taller than she was, and she wasn’t petite at all. He had long dark hair that flowed past his shoulders. His dark eyes and long lashes made the women in town green with envy. He was muscular under his shirt, as Sarah could see the muscles flex in his arms and legs.
“Miss Sarah,” he said, taking off his hat and making a grand gesture of a bow. Laughter rang out from the men around him. “I just thought I should come and pay my condolences.”
“Fine. You’ve done that, now be gone.” She looked around at the men in the circle. “And take your cowpokes with you.”
Arlan threw back his head and laughed. “You have spunk for a woman without options.”
“I have plenty of options. I’ve just not decided which one to use.”
Arlan put his arm around Sarah’s shoulders and led her away from the crowd of men. “Let’s have a little chat, shall we?”
Sarah shrugged his arm from around her shoulders and strode to the end of the pen by the barn doors. Then she turned around and looked at Arlan. “I’m listening.”
“Sarah, I’m truly sorry about your parents and sister. I was sick when I heard the news.”
“I’m sure that isn’t why you stopped by.”
“You are astute,” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar. Striking a match on the heel of his boot he lit the tobacco and inhaled a deep breath. “I came to make you a deal.”
“What kind of deal.”
“Well I know you need to pay the taxes on the farm. I thought that perhaps we could just get hitched and then this whole thing would go away.”
Sarah threw her hands up in the air. “How dare you even suggest that. I would rather see this barn burn than to have it go to you.”
“Either way, Sarah, I’m going to get this property and the water that comes with it.”
“You can pay me one hundred dollars and your cattle can have access to the stream.”
Arlan laughed. “I’d rather wait for the tax sale. I can have everything for fifty dollars.”
“Get off!” Sarah pointed towards the road. “Get off my land right now.”
Arlan moved his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. “Think about it. Time is running out. You can marry me, or you can wait until the tax sale. Either way, this land will be mine.”
“I would never marry anyone I blame for the death of my parents.”
Arlan paused. “What was that?”
“I blame you for the death of my parents.”
“Miss Abrahams, I had nothing to do with the death of your parents.”
“You were forcing my father to sell this property.
“Your father was being pursued by plenty of men. He has some of the best grazing land around here. And water as well.”
