Her smile fades, and his follows. “I hope you still feel so after we tell them everything.” She rests her head on his heart and listens to his heartbeat.
“No matter what, my family is loyal. Cassie, they will understand. Let’s get this over with and then go back to our little cabin. I want to see just how fast you can strip me?” he pulls her along back to the house.
Dalton gathers everyone inside the great room near the fireplace and looks at his family. “We have much to talk about tonight. I will ask that you listen to Cassandra’s story and mine without interruption. This is difficult for her and I won’t have her upset.”
“Yeah, we all know what she does when she's upset,” Chase quips.
The boys laugh, and Cassie blushes and ducks her head while Hannah yells at them for embarrassing her.
“Don't pay them no mind, Cassie. Tell us your story,” Grandma Jennie prompts.
Dalton sits on the loveseat and reaches for her hand. Holding it tightly in her own, she starts at the beginning. Life on her family ranch, before the mine and after. Dalton's father listens silently, watching the way she looks at Dalton for reassurance and the way his free hand covers her when she looks to him, and he smiles at Hannah.
The women weep with her when she describes the death of her Mother and husband, and Dane gasps in horror when she tells them of her father’s death and the loss of her baby. Grandma Jenny wipes a tear away with a withered hand, unable to comprehend such horrible things happening to one so young.
“More, Dalton?” She asks pleading with him to save her from the rest. He shakes his head no and speaks to her mind. ‘Tell them everything.’
“Okay,” she whispers. Taking a deep breath, she starts to pace in front of the fireplace. They all go still as the tension rise in the room. “Something broke in me, and I did something that…” she looks at the expectant faces in front of her, and she hurries through the rest.
“I took my revenge, all the hatred, anger, and loss inside of me, and I made them pay.” She explains about the mine and resulting explosion and to her utter shock, three of the men smile.
“Of course you did,” Dane said. “I would expect no less from a daughter of mine.” Stunned speechless Cassie looks at him and starts to sob, covering her face she whirls and finds herself in Hannah's arms. Dalton hovers trying to get at her, but the boys have all surrounded her, and he smiles through his tears. Pride in his family overwhelms him, and he looks at Grandma Jenny.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” she whispers. “Family. This is what a family looks like.”
“Cassie, let’s get you cleaned up.” Hannah tries to lead her away but Cassie jerks away.
“Are the whole lot of you crazy? I killed them! On purpose! One man escaped. And now because of me, you're all in danger! They are hunting me, with one thought, and one thought only. To take back what they believe I stole from them! Eustace is crazy, and his son Aiden is even crazier. They live to torture the innocent, and you're all so… good.” To Cassie's astonishment they all laugh. Dalton pushes his way to her side as his father speaks.
“No one is perfect Cassie. You did what needed to be done, and if they dare to step foot on our land, then God help them. I will show them no mercy!” Dane snarls.
Chase steps forward, “You were kind to take them quickly. They should be made to suffer, the way you have!”
“I know ways to make a man suffer,” Harris says, “It’s a perk of the job.”
“If that's what doctoring teaches you, I approve,” Pierce professes.
“Sweet lord, you’re all crazy!” Cassie insists laughing through her tears.
“I have a question for you, Cassandra,” Steele says. All eyes turn to him as the housekeeper walks in with his four-month-old daughter. His wife died in childbirth, leaving him one treasure to hold onto. She is the key to his sanity, the only reason he didn't go crazy when he buried his love. He takes his daughter Violet in his arms and kisses her chubby cheeks, then walks to Cassie. He holds her out to Cassie, and she doesn't hesitate.
Violet lights up at the beautiful lady reaching for her. The two stare at each other and Cassie cuddles the blonde baby, “Hello beautiful,” she whispers, and Violet blows bubbles and coos at her.
“Look at my daughter and tell me, Are you sorry? After what they took from you?” He demands.
“No,” she responds instantly defiantly. “If I had known that he was alive, I would've stayed to finish what I started.”
“Good answer. I barely survived losing my wife, and only because of the support of my family and my daughter do I make that choice every day. The choice to stay. It's a miracle you are alive and a testament to your character,” Steele says, reaching for the baby who screams and clutches at Cassie.
“Ha, she likes me, don’t you angel? You don’t want some stinky cowboy, do you?” she says, baby talking and walking towards the other women who laugh at Chase’s grumbled, “Hey.”
“Thank you, Steele, but that's just it, I didn't think past my revenge.” Cassie knows she can't be the reason one of them gets killed.
“We have more to discuss,” Dalton reminds them, and she nods and gives the baby back to Steele.
“My plan was to get to San Francisco, board a train and disappear. I thought I escaped them all, but Eustace survived. His son Aiden is after me, determined to reclaim the mine, he doesn't know that it's too
