Love on the Horizon (A Northern Woods Novel) Read online

  Also by Charliann Roberts

  THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN

  LOVE ON THE HORIZON

  Charliann Roberts

  A Northern Woods Novel

  LOVE ON THE HORIZON

  Copyright 2013 by Charliann Roberts

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is coincidental.

  Cover Art by Preston Spencer

  Dedication

  To Bob, who makes my life special

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  First, I’d like to thank Detective Michael Ramirez and Detective Ariel Perez for taking the time to answer any questions I may have had pertaining to police reports of missing persons and related crimes.

  I’d like to thank Nik Morton for all of his help and advice, along with the support and confidence to keep writing.

  Thank you also, to Preston Spencer for the wonderful book cover. You’re a terrific artist!

  To Bob I give my heart and soul. Thank you for putting up with my crazy whims and treating me like a princess anyway! I love you…

  PART I

  Chapter One

  The view of the meadow from the dining room window was incredible. Hundreds of acres of wildflowers as far as the eye could see. This was his home, and no matter how many years he’d looked at the exquisite panorama, it still astonished him. The breathtaking scenery always calmed his nerves when trouble arose. However, this time was different.

  Nick stood in front of the sink and stared out across the prairie, lost in thought. He drew his brows together in a frown, and poured the remainder of his coffee down the drain in disgust. When he turned from the window, he discovered Mariah had entered the kitchen. Her hands folded in front of her, she leaned against the tall oak bookcase.

  “What’s troubling you, Nick?”

  He moved over by the door and grabbed his jacket from the hook on the wall, when he noticed the look of concern in her eyes. He pushed his arms into the sleeves and pulled up the zipper.

  She came to him and placed her hand on his. “You haven’t been yourself for the past few days. Please talk to me.”

  “It’s only business, honey. We’ll discuss it tonight. I have to get over to the stable right now,” he said quietly, and kissed her lightly on the cheek before he rushed outdoors, into the crisp morning air.

  * * *

  Mariah remained in the entryway, her eyes focused on Nick as he walked over to the barn. Wondering why he’s been so troubled, she closed the door and tried to envision what might be wrong.

  Her husband of five years was the kindest, most loving person she’d ever known. They met on the day Nick delivered a beautiful colt that her father had purchased from the Colburn Stables Ranch, for her twenty-first birthday.

  The Colburn Stables Ranch was a popular horse ranch in Pinewood Hills, Minnesota, located on the outskirts of Duluth where they bred, trained and sold quarter horses. The minute Mariah met Nick she knew it was love at first sight. The sound of his voice affected her deeply. He’d given her a smile, and sent her pulse racing while she admired the sexiest body she’d ever set eyes on. He appeared to be close to six feet tall and when he removed his Stetson, his soft, brown hair lightly touched his shoulders. An outline of his biceps strained against the fabric of his polo shirt.

  Hearing her son’s shuffling footsteps enter the kitchen, she turned to see Nicky rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his tiny fists. He climbed on a chair and smiled.

  “Hi cowboy,” she said as she ruffled his hair and reached for a box of cereal. “Are you ready to start school today?”

  “Uh huh… but does kinnergarden have a bathroom?”

  “Yes, honey, but you’ll be going to preschool. You’ll be in kindergarten when you turn five years old.”

  “Okay mommy, just so they have a bathroom. Can I have my Cheerios now?”

  “Here you go sweetie.” She placed the bowl of cereal in front of him, along with a cup of juice. She stood back and looked on while he ate each Cheerio one at a time. “Are you sure you don’t want milk on them?”

  He shook his head. “Uh uh, then they get mushy.” He grinned and continued eating. Mariah pulled a chair from the table and sat across from him. She sipped her hot coffee, while she watched her son. He looked like his dad. Those same hazel eyes flecked with gold and a smile of constant happiness.

  “Why do you keep looking at me, Mommy?”

  “Oh, I'm enjoying how much you look like your daddy.” When he finished eating, she stood to clear the table. “I laid your clothes on your toy box. Do you need some help?”

  “No, Mommy, if I look like Daddy, I’m big enough to put my clothes on all by myself, just like he does.”

  Her eyes followed him as he ran down the hallway to his bedroom. She smiled and rinsed off the dishes in the sink, tightened the belt on her robe, and went to her own room to get dressed. She slipped her legs into a pair of blue jeans and pulled a turquoise sweatshirt over her head. She brushed her long black hair, and gathered it into a ponytail, before she went to check on Nicky.

  Mariah grinned as she watched from his doorway. He stood at the end of his bed. His shirt was crooked with three buttons placed incorrectly and his cowboy boots were on the wrong feet.

  “Here honey, let me help you.” She re-buttoned his shirt and switched his little boots to the correct feet. “You did a good job putting your jeans on all by yourself.” He jumped up with a proud smile.

  “Okay, we’re on our way.” She grabbed her purse, and they hurried out the back door.

  Nicky climbed into the car seat and Mariah snapped his seatbelt. When she slid in behind the wheel, she saw Nick standing by the corral. He lifted his head and she smiled when he jogged over to say goodbye. He walked over to the back window on the passenger’s side and blew Nicky a kiss, then stepped around to the driver’s side.

  “I love you,” he whispered and leaned through the open window to place a kiss on her forehead. “Drive carefully, Mariah. We’ll talk tonight, okay?”

  Mariah nodded. “After I drop Nicky off at preschool, I’m meeting Sarah for lunch, and we’re going shopping. I’ll pick him up when his class lets out. We’ll be home around three o’clock.”

  “Okay.” He backed away from the car and tipped the brim of his Stetson at Nicky. “See ya cowboy. You have fun at school.”

  “No, Daddy, not school. I’m going to preschool!”

  “Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry, cowboy. You have a good time, okay?"

  "I will, Daddy."

  Mariah glanced in the rearview mirror as she slowly drove away. She smiled when she saw him wave.

  * * *

  Nick watched them travel down the gravel drive, leaving a trail of dust behind them. When they were out of sight, he brushed the dirt from his Stetson and placed it on his head. He turned and hurried back to the stable. He needed to talk with Jake in private. Jake Morrison is one of his best ranch hands. He was determined to find out why Jake planned to leave the country.

  He was about to enter his office, when he spotted Jake at the other end of the stable, ready to walk out to the corral.

  He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, “Jake!” When Jake turned around, Nick waved him over to his office.

 
Nick was at his desk when Jake entered. “Have a seat,” he said and nodded toward a chair. “Are you ready to leave on this big adventure you’ve been planning?”

  “I take off tomorrow morning. My plane leaves at eight.”

  “Where are you headed? I’ve overheard a few of the men say you’re leaving the country. It sounds exciting.”

  “Well, if you have a moment, I’ll explain.”

  “Jake, you know I have time for my employees. I’m very interested in where you’re going. Go ahead and tell me about it.” Nick sat back and clasped his hands behind his head. “Will you be traveling with your brothers?”

  * * *

  Jake leaned down, placed his elbows on his knees, and thought of just how much he wanted to tell him. He took a deep breath, sat up straight and looked Nick in the eyes.

  “No, I’m going alone. Nick, you know all about the hell I went through with Barbie. She robbed me of every penny I earned and stripped my pride along with it. I loved her with all my heart. I gave her everything she wanted, and then she left me for another man. When she left, she took a part of me with her.

  “I can’t find a decent woman up here in the woods. I purchased a plane ticket to…”

  Suddenly the phone rang and Nick held up his hand. “Hold on a minute.” He picked up the receiver and said hello, then looked up at Jake. He covered the mouthpiece and whispered, “Sorry, this is an important call. I’ll be a while. I’ll speak with you later today. Come back before you leave.”

  Jake stood, placed his hat on his head, nodded and then stepped out and closed the door behind him. He paused outside the office and wondered whether he should return. Maybe it would be best to surprise Nick when he arrived home with his new family.

  * * *

  By the time Nick was able to search for Jake, he was nowhere around. When he suddenly heard the roar of an engine, he bolted from the barn in time to see the dust rise. Jake took off down the dirt road in his Dodge Ram. Nick was too late. He shook his head in disappointment.

  Jake had asked him for a leave of absence for an unknown amount of time. He promised he’d be back, but wasn’t sure when that would be. All Nick knew was what he overheard the ranch hands discussing. Jake was leaving for Russia in the morning. Nick stood with one hand clasped at the back of his neck and slowly shook his head. He didn’t know what he’d do without Jake. He was also worried about him. Why would he have had such a strong desire to go to Russia?

  Jake’s abrupt change in mood over the past few months left Nick puzzled. His nasty divorce had been hard on him. If something was bothering him now, what kept him from having a talk? He always had before. Jake knew how close Nick was to his employees, and that he’d help him out in any way he could.

  He closed up the stable and decided to walk over to Art’s cottage. When he noticed Lillie’s car was there, he turned toward his own house. He’d speak to him in the morning before the other ranch hands arrived.

  Arthur James Browning, whom everyone knew as Art, lived in the two-bedroom cottage at the edge of the woods, one block north of the stable. He’d been working with the Colburn Stables Ranch for as long as Nick remembered. His father hired him as a ranch hand when Nick was a small boy. Art helped him through the pain of losing both of his parents to a fatal car accident when he was sixteen years old. Appointed in their will as Nick’s legal guardian, he helped and guided him among the difficulties of growing up. He taught him the secrets of how to run the Colburn Stables Ranch the way it should be run, just as his father had done.

  It was late when he let himself into the rear entry of their four-bedroom ranch home. He carefully closed the screen door behind him, aware that Nicky would be sleeping.

  He quietly entered the bedroom and found Mariah peacefully asleep, her thick dark hair spread in long graceful waves across her pillow. He stood and admired his wife. She is such a beautiful woman.

  Mariah was only five feet tall, had waist-length jet-black hair that shined like glass, and eyes as dark as black satin. He was a lucky man when she happily agreed to become his wife. He gently pulled the blanket up over her shoulder and placed a kiss on her forehead.

  After a quick shower, he wandered out to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and found a ham and cheese sandwich, freshly made and wrapped in a plastic bag with a note taped across the top. I love you sweetheart, he read with a smile. Quite often, he’d find a message from Mariah, hidden in the most unusual places.

  He sat down at the table and when he bit into the sandwich, he realized how famished he was. They’d been very busy the past few weeks, getting ready for winter. In Northern Minnesota, snow sometimes arrived early, when least expected. The temperature may hit seventy degrees one day, and a snowstorm the next. He and Art learned from experience to be prepared for winter by the time autumn arrived.

  Mariah was very understanding, for on many days, he would be up and gone by the time she awakened, and she’d be sound asleep when he returned late in the evening. While he sat and thought about her, it dawned on him that she’d been extremely tired in the past few weeks. Worried that she may be coming down with something, he made a mental note to urge her to make an appointment with the doctor. It may only be a cold or allergies, with the chilly winds coming from the northwest, but he’d feel much better if she went for a physical.

  He stood up, rinsed off his dishes and headed for the bedroom. Tomorrow would arrive too soon, and it would be another long day.

  Chapter Two

  “Morning Nick,” Art said, when he entered the stable.

  “Hey, Art. I’m glad you came in early. I wanted to talk with you before the other men showed up. Let’s go into my office. I made some coffee.”

  “Sounds good.” He followed Nick and shut the door behind them.

  Nick motioned for him to grab a chair while he poured coffee from the pot on the corner table. He carried two cups over to his desk and slid one across to Art.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “I hope not. I’d like to find out what’s up with Jake.” He took a sip of his coffee and slanted his eyebrows in a frown.

  “I figured. I’ve been waiting for you to start asking questions.”

  “All I know is what I overheard. I’m hoping you’ll let me in on this, Art.”

  “Well… everyone saw how hard it was on Jake when Barbie left him.”

  Nick nodded his head and looked down at his coffee.

  “She had a nasty temper, that one. He still loved her, even with her wicked ways.”

  “I know all about that. He had a horrible experience with her. But why did he leave for Russia?”

  “Well, let me tell you, Nick. That beautiful wife of yours is Russian… ”

  “But only half Russian,” he interrupted. “What does that have to do with it?”

  “He met a few guys on the Internet. They told him the Russian women were beautiful. Men go over to meet them, bring them back here to marry and hope to live happily ever after. He found a mail-order bride who happened to be from Russia, and he’s convinced she’d be like Mariah.”

  “He believed them?” Nick stood, his fists clenched as he paced back and forth. “Who in the hell told him that? There are women all over the world who are gold diggers. They’d do whatever it takes to get into our country and stay here. They’re not only from Russia, they’re from everywhere.”

  “Don’t know anything about it; one of those men he talked to on the Internet told him his cousin had a friend of a friend. Bad news and I told him so, but he only said there are no women up here in the woods, and he’s sick of those he always met at a bar. He didn’t want to end up with another one like Barbie.”

  Nick’s mouth dropped into an even deeper frown, and he regarded the situation for a moment. “I don’t like this, Art. I hoped he only went to visit the country, to take a vacation. I had no idea he was on his way to meet a mail-order bride. There are some horrible stories about some of those women. Now don’t get me wrong. Some of them are g
ood people, but many are women who look for a free ticket over here, and end up draining the man’s bank account.”

  “Well, son, you’re lucky you have Mariah. She’s a little sweetheart, and Jake went over in hopes of meeting a woman just like her.”

  “Yes, Mariah is an angel, but she was born and raised here. Her mother moved to America with her parents when she was very young. They worked hard to become citizens. Her mother and father met when they were twenty years old. They married and Mariah was born several years later.

  “Speaking of Mariah, I’d better return to the house and check on her. She hasn’t been feeling well. Bess should have some breakfast ready, so I’ll be back in an hour or so. You’re more than welcome to come in and join us if you’d like.”

  “Nah, you go on in. Lillie fed me enough food to hold me over until lunchtime. Go take care of your family. I’ll check on the men. I can hear them talking up a storm out there. I’ll put them to work cleaning the stalls out. That’ll shut them up. Get back to your lovely wife.”

  “Thanks,” he answered, and straightened the clutter on his desk, before he walked back to the house.

  When he entered the bedroom, he discovered an empty bed. He heard Mariah crying softly in their bathroom. He tapped lightly on the door and opened it slowly.

  She sat on the edge of the tub, bent over with her head between her knees.

  “Honey, are you okay?”

  She nodded as tears welled in her eyes. He touched her forehead and knew immediately she had a fever. He put his arm around her shoulders and carefully helped her stand.

  “Come on, sweetheart. I’ll help you back to bed. I want to take your temperature, and give you some Tylenol.” He straightened the sheets before she climbed in.