PART 3 — THE BROTHER WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

Ruth stood beside the window, watching Callum prepare his horse.

“Your brother is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ?”

“That’s what I was told.”

“By whom?”

Callum тιԍнтened the saddle straps.

“Silas Mercer.”

Ruth felt a chill.

“Why would a land agent tell you your brother was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ?”

“Because he brought me the news twelve years ago.”

Callum paused.

“My younger brother, Daniel, disappeared during a winter expedition. I searched for him for weeks. When I finally returned to the valley, Mercer told me Daniel had been found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ near the northern pᴀss.”

“Did you see his body?”

“No.”

Ruth stared at him.

“And you believed him?”

“I had no reason not to.”

Callum looked toward the mountains.

“Until now.”

Ruth stepped closer.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Callum—”

“The trail is dangerous.”

“So is leaving me here while someone who may have lied about your brother knows where I live.”

He opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Ruth smiled slightly.

“I’m beginning to think you expected a wife who would spend her days sitting quietly by the fireplace.”

“No.”

“Good. Because you didn’t get one.”

For the first time, Callum laughed.

It was a deep, unexpected sound that seemed to surprise even him.

He handed her a thick wool coat.

“Stay close to me.”

“I can manage that.”

The journey to the northern ridge took nearly two hours.

The trail wound between towering pines, crossed a narrow creek, and climbed toward a rocky slope.

Ruth noticed that Callum kept looking over his shoulder.

“You’re worried someone is following us.”

“Yes.”

“Silas?”

“Possibly.”

They reached an abandoned mining cabin shortly before noon.

The building was nearly swallowed by trees. Its windows were broken, and the front door hung loosely from one hinge.

Callum dismounted.

“Wait here.”

Ruth ignored him and climbed down.

Together, they approached the cabin.

Inside, the air smelled of dust and old wood.

There was a cold fireplace, a broken table, and a narrow bed.

Then Ruth noticed something.

A fresh cup stood beside the fireplace.

Someone had been there recently.

“Callum.”

He followed her gaze.

His expression changed.

“Someone’s been staying here.”

Ruth moved toward the table.

A small piece of paper lay beneath the cup.

She picked it up.

There were four words written in hurried handwriting.

The sixth bride knows.

Callum took the paper.

“What does this mean?”

Before Ruth could answer, a floorboard creaked behind them.

Callum turned.

A man stood in the doorway.

He was tall and lean, with a gray beard and a thick coat covered in dust. His face was weathered, and one hand rested against the doorframe.

For several seconds, neither man spoke.

Then the stranger whispered:

“Hello, brother.”

Callum went completely still.

“Daniel?”

The stranger nodded.

Ruth watched as Callum crossed the room.

The two brothers stared at one another, separated by twelve years of grief, anger, and unanswered questions.

Then Callum reached forward and gripped his brother’s shoulders.

“You’re alive.”

Daniel gave a tired smile.

“Barely.”

Callum stepped back.

“Why didn’t you come home?”

Daniel looked at Ruth.

“Because Mercer made sure I couldn’t.”

He sat down heavily.

“Sit. Both of you. There’s something you need to understand.”

Daniel told them everything.

Twelve years earlier, he had discovered that Silas Mercer was secretly buying land from struggling settlers, then altering the documents to claim larger portions of their properties.

When Daniel found evidence of the scheme, Mercer confronted him.

A fight followed.

Daniel escaped into the mountains but suffered an injury that left him unable to travel for several weeks.

By the time he recovered, Mercer had convinced everyone that he was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

“He told me Callum had accepted money to forget about me,” Daniel said.

Callum shook his head.

“I searched every trail.”

“I know that now.”

Daniel lowered his eyes.

“Mercer also told me you had become bitter. That you blamed me for losing the family property.”

Callum stared at him.

“I never blamed you.”

“I know.”

Daniel looked toward the window.

“Mercer wanted this mountain. He knew the land contained valuable deposits. But he couldn’t take it while you were alive and legally holding the тιтle.”

Ruth leaned forward.

“So he tried to make Callum sell.”

“Exactly.”

“And when Callum refused?”

Daniel looked at her.

“He decided to make sure no one would stay here long enough to help him.”

The room became silent.

Ruth slowly understood.

The five women.

The letters.

The warnings.

The stranger who had frightened them away.

It had all been deliberate.

“Why didn’t you tell the authorities?” she asked.

Daniel gave a bitter laugh.

“Mercer has friends in town. He controls the land records and has paid people to keep quiet.”

“Then we need proof.”

Daniel nodded.

“That’s why I came back.”

He reached beneath the table and removed a small leather pouch.

Inside were several documents bearing Mercer’s signature.

There were payment records, altered property deeds, and letters discussing the acquisition of Callum’s land.

Ruth examined them carefully.

Then she noticed a familiar name.

Helen Dawson.

The first bride.

“What is this?” she asked.

Daniel looked at the document.

“Mercer paid her to leave.”

Ruth turned another page.

Margaret’s name appeared.

Then Dorothy’s.

Then Catherine’s.

And finally Sarah’s.

Every woman had received money.

Every woman had been told a different story about Callum.

One had been told he was violent.

Another had been warned that he had killed a man.

A third had been promised money to disappear without telling him anything.

Ruth looked at Callum.

“He made you believe you were the reason they left.”

Callum said nothing.

His eyes remained fixed on the papers.

After a long silence, he whispered:

“Sixteen years.”

Ruth reached across the table and covered his enormous hand with hers.

“You weren’t the problem, Callum.”

He looked at her.

“You hear me? You were never the problem.”

For the first time, the mountain giant looked close to tears.

They returned to the ranch just before sunset.

But someone had already been there.

The front door stood open.

The kitchen chairs had been overturned.

Callum rushed inside.

“Ruth!”

“I’m here!”

She stood near the fireplace, holding a folded letter.

Her face was pale.

“What happened?”

She handed it to him.

The letter contained only one sentence.

Bring me the original land deed by tomorrow morning, or your brother will disappear a second time.

Callum crumpled the paper.

Daniel examined it.

“Mercer knows we’re back.”

Ruth looked toward the table.

“Then we don’t give him the deed.”

Callum shook his head.

“You don’t understand. Without that document, he can claim the property belongs to his company.”

Ruth thought for a moment.

“Where is the original?”

“In a locked box beneath the floorboards.”

“Then we move it.”

Daniel frowned.

“Mercer will be watching the road.”

Ruth looked toward the mountains.

“Then we don’t use the road.”

Callum stared at her.

“You have a plan?”

“I have an idea.”

She walked toward the kitchen and spread a large map across the table.

“There is an old trail behind the creek. I saw it on our way to the mining cabin.”

Daniel nodded.

“It’s narrow, but it connects to the abandoned logging road.”

Ruth pointed to a small clearing.

“If we take the deed there, we can meet the sheriff without Mercer seeing us.”

Callum studied the map.

Then he looked at Ruth.

“You’ve been here less than two days.”

She smiled.

“And already I’ve discovered that your mountain has terrible neighbors.”

Daniel laughed.

Callum did too.

For a moment, the cabin felt like a real home.

Then three hard knocks sounded against the door.

Nobody moved.

A voice came from outside.

“Mr. Bre? Sheriff Lawson. I need to speak with you.”

Daniel’s expression changed.

“That’s not the sheriff.”

Callum reached for his coat.

“How do you know?”

Daniel slowly pulled a revolver from his belt.

“Because Sheriff Lawson has been ᴅᴇᴀᴅ for eleven years.”

Ruth felt her stomach drop.

The voice came again.

“Open the door, Callum. We know you’re inside.”

Then a folded paper slipped beneath the threshold.

Ruth picked it up.

It was a marriage certificate.

Her name was written beside Callum’s.

But beneath her signature was another name.

Silas Mercer.

And at the bottom, someone had written:

The bride belongs to the man who paid for her.

Callum’s face turned cold.

He looked at Ruth.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to end this.”

But Ruth noticed something else.

The marriage certificate carried a date from three weeks earlier.

Three weeks before she had even answered his advertisement.

Someone had already prepared a marriage contract in her name.

And the signature looked exactly like hers.