protected and to save the Bar T.With no close relatives to step in and take charge, there was only one solution.
He had to find Casey a husband who had money and
he had to do it fast.
The doctor had said he might die tomorrow or he might
die in six months. Jack knew he didn't have a minute to
waste.
He thought of the men around town. Casey had had a
few suitors, but she hadn't taken any of them seriously.
Young Al Burke, who worked in the telegraph office, fancied her, but she had only tolerated his attentions.
Jack lay there, trying to think of a man who could love
his daughter for the woman she was, one who was strong
enough to keep up with her, and who had money.
Time was of the essence.
Jack knew that if he died before he got Casey married,
she would be left penniless. He realized, too, that convincing her to marry was not going to be easy. He just
hoped that once he explained that her marriage would
save the ranch, she would go along with it.
All he had to do was find the right man.
A great weariness overcame Jack.
He closed his eyes.
"Your father is doing as well as can be expected, Casey,
but his condition is serious," Dr. Murray told her quietly
as he sat with her in the parlor. "It's his heart."
Casey was still in shock from what had happened.
When she'd returned from the stable and found her father
unconscious on the floor in the parlor, his coloring had
been so ashen, she'd feared he was dead.
"He's going to live, isn't he?" she asked, voicing the
question that was haunting her.
"Yes," he answered, keeping Jack's confidence.
"Thank God." Tears of relief welled up in her eyes. She
couldn't imagine life without her father.
"Now, I've told him to take it easy for a while, and I
want you to make sure he rests up."
"I will."
"Good. I'll come back in a few days to make sure he's
doing all right."
She showed him out of the house. "Thank you, Dr. Murray."
As Dr. Murray got in his carriage and started back toward Hard Luck, he thought the town's name was all too
apt. A lot of bad things had been happening to good people. First, Frank Donovan had been shot, and now Jack
Turner with his bad heart... He'd heard, too, that Ron
Maguire had sold out and left the area. Things were
changing, and he wasn't sure they were changing for the
better.
Casey went to her fathers room to check on him. He was
sleeping peacefully and there was some color in his face
now. She breathed a sigh of relief as she settled into a
chair beside the bed. She planned to spend the night
there, just in case he awoke and needed her.
When Jack awoke early the following morning, he found
Casey asleep in the chair beside the bed. He took a moment to study her as she slept on, admiring the soft curve
of her cheek and her flawless complexion. Her hair was
a tumble of untamed curls untamed just like she was,
he thought, and his smile was bittersweet.
Again the thought of finding a suitable husband for her
returned, and his smile turned to a frown. None of the
bachelors in town had enough money to save the ranch.
Jack started trying to think of other single men in the
area who had money, and John McQueen came to mind.
As quickly as he thought of him, he rejected the idea.
McQueen might have money, but Jack had seen the way
the man looked at Casey and there was no way he wanted
him anywhere near his daughter.
There was the widower Charles Barnhart, who owned
a spread on the far side of town. He had cash, but he was
going on sixty, far too old for Casey.
Casey needed someone she could come to care for.
Someone she could eventually he hoped come to
love.
Growing more desperate by the minute, Jack realized
the only other rancher around who had money was Frank Donovan. His frown deepened as he was lost deep in
thought.
Desperate times did call for desperate measures, and
Michael Donovan was back in town.
Jack cursed silently. He was furious that he was reduced to even considering going to Frank
He had to find Casey a husband who had money and
he had to do it fast.
The doctor had said he might die tomorrow or he might
die in six months. Jack knew he didn't have a minute to
waste.
He thought of the men around town. Casey had had a
few suitors, but she hadn't taken any of them seriously.
Young Al Burke, who worked in the telegraph office, fancied her, but she had only tolerated his attentions.
Jack lay there, trying to think of a man who could love
his daughter for the woman she was, one who was strong
enough to keep up with her, and who had money.
Time was of the essence.
Jack knew that if he died before he got Casey married,
she would be left penniless. He realized, too, that convincing her to marry was not going to be easy. He just
hoped that once he explained that her marriage would
save the ranch, she would go along with it.
All he had to do was find the right man.
A great weariness overcame Jack.
He closed his eyes.
"Your father is doing as well as can be expected, Casey,
but his condition is serious," Dr. Murray told her quietly
as he sat with her in the parlor. "It's his heart."
Casey was still in shock from what had happened.
When she'd returned from the stable and found her father
unconscious on the floor in the parlor, his coloring had
been so ashen, she'd feared he was dead.
"He's going to live, isn't he?" she asked, voicing the
question that was haunting her.
"Yes," he answered, keeping Jack's confidence.
"Thank God." Tears of relief welled up in her eyes. She
couldn't imagine life without her father.
"Now, I've told him to take it easy for a while, and I
want you to make sure he rests up."
"I will."
"Good. I'll come back in a few days to make sure he's
doing all right."
She showed him out of the house. "Thank you, Dr. Murray."
As Dr. Murray got in his carriage and started back toward Hard Luck, he thought the town's name was all too
apt. A lot of bad things had been happening to good people. First, Frank Donovan had been shot, and now Jack
Turner with his bad heart... He'd heard, too, that Ron
Maguire had sold out and left the area. Things were
changing, and he wasn't sure they were changing for the
better.
Casey went to her fathers room to check on him. He was
sleeping peacefully and there was some color in his face
now. She breathed a sigh of relief as she settled into a
chair beside the bed. She planned to spend the night
there, just in case he awoke and needed her.
When Jack awoke early the following morning, he found
Casey asleep in the chair beside the bed. He took a moment to study her as she slept on, admiring the soft curve
of her cheek and her flawless complexion. Her hair was
a tumble of untamed curls untamed just like she was,
he thought, and his smile was bittersweet.
Again the thought of finding a suitable husband for her
returned, and his smile turned to a frown. None of the
bachelors in town had enough money to save the ranch.
Jack started trying to think of other single men in the
area who had money, and John McQueen came to mind.
As quickly as he thought of him, he rejected the idea.
McQueen might have money, but Jack had seen the way
the man looked at Casey and there was no way he wanted
him anywhere near his daughter.
There was the widower Charles Barnhart, who owned
a spread on the far side of town. He had cash, but he was
going on sixty, far too old for Casey.
Casey needed someone she could come to care for.
Someone she could eventually he hoped come to
love.
Growing more desperate by the minute, Jack realized
the only other rancher around who had money was Frank Donovan. His frown deepened as he was lost deep in
thought.
Desperate times did call for desperate measures, and
Michael Donovan was back in town.
Jack cursed silently. He was furious that he was reduced to even considering going to Frank
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