He let out a sigh. “Can you help out around the ranch?”
“Doing what?”
“I don’t know. I guess you wouldn’t be any good roping steers or breaking in horses. You’re too soft.”
“I am?” She tried to turn around to look at him.
He tightened his hold around her waist so she couldn’t move.
“What about washing the dishes, or cooking, or sewing?”
“Sewing! I can do that.”
“There you are.”
“But it’s too late. I’ve been thrown out, remember?”
“If you promise to try to get along, I’ll talk to everyone. I’ll make them hold off for a couple of days and then take a vote again. You can’t be sassy, Eleanor. If you’re nice to be around, they’ll forget about tossing you out.”
“Why are you being so nice to me now?”
“Because you’re about the prettiest and meanest and sweetest woman I’ve ever known.”
“No one can be mean and sweet at the same time.”
He shrugged.
“Did you vote against me, Cole?” she asked.
“What I did in the past is forgotten.”
“Does that rule apply to me?”
“Sure it does. We’ll have a fresh beginning.”
She turned around to thank him for his advice. She looked into his eyes and promptly forgot what she was going to say.
He turned his attention to her mouth. He couldn’t make himself stop staring at her. He was thankful the horse knew the way home because Cole was too preoccupied to guide him.
He knew what was going to happen before she did.
“Sorry,” he muttered in advance of the liberty he was going to take.
Whatever had come over him? And why was he apologizing? She saw the warmth and tenderness in his eyes and was quite astonished. She hadn’t ever noticed any man looking at her the way Cole was looking at her now. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was going to kiss her.
And then he did. His mouth settled on top of hers and took absolute possession. His lips were soft and warm against hers. He wooed her with his gentle touch. She wasn’t certain if she was supposed to kiss him back or not. He was the first man to ever kiss her, and her inexperience made her shy and unsure.
All she knew was she didn’t want him to stop, and when he started to pull away, she leaned into him and put her arms around his neck. Cole growled low in his throat, tightened his hold on her, and kissed her again.
He stopped long enough to tell her to open her mouth. She didn’t ask him why. She let him show her. Her heart felt as if it were going to leap out of her chest so frantically was it pounding. His tongue rubbed against hers in an erotic mating game she thoroughly enjoyed.
She was a quick learner. Because of her inexperience, she didn’t have any reservations or inhibitions. Her own curiosity made her bolder. She imitated his every move, wanting only to please him as much as he was pleasing her.
They were both shaken when Cole pulled away. He had enough sense to know when to stop. Eleanor didn’t. At least he didn’t believe she did. She wouldn’t have tried to pull him back to her if she had any sense at all.
He made her turn around. Then he quickened the pace, for he was suddenly in a hurry to get home . . . and away from her.
“Did you like kissing me?”
“Now, why do women always want to talk about stuff like that?”
She shrugged. She wasn’t upset by his surly tone of voice. “I don’t know why. We just do. You’re the first man to ever kiss me. Naturally, I was curious to find out if you liked it.”
He lost his gruff edge immediately. “You’ve never been kissed before?”
She heard the smile in his voice. “I didn’t tell you just to amuse you.”
“I’m not laughing at you. You did a real nice job kissing me back.”
“Thank you. Why did you stop?”
“Oh, for God’s sake. Do we really have to discuss the reasons now?”
She bumped his chin when she nodded. He sighed.
“Don’t tempt a grizzly unless you’re willing to get eaten up.”
She wasn’t completely ignorant. She’d heard stories about what went on in the marriage bed. Quite a lot of what she’d heard sounded possible to her. Some sounded impossible. Still, she’d learned enough to figure out what Cole had just said to her.
He hadn’t wanted to stop.
Eleanor smiled all the way home.
“There’s Adam and Harrison in the corral together with that ugly horse.”
“Adam’s going to try to ride MacHugh,” Cole said. “Say hello to them, Eleanor.”
Adam turned when she called out to him. He returned her greeting with a smile.
“It looks like your plan might be working. Eleanor sounded almost happy,” Adam said, turning back to Harrison.
Harrison nodded, arrogantly pleased with himself. As long as Eleanor kept behaving herself, life would be pleasant for the family. Of course, Mary Rose would kill him if she ever found out what he had done. She’d think he was a heartless bastard.
Hell, what did it matter what she thought? She was going to end up despising him as soon as she found out his intent.
Roping steers sounded like a good way to keep his mind occupied, Harrison had decided. If he was too busy to think, he wouldn’t have time to worry. He was suddenly anxious to get going. He wanted hard, back-breaking work.
What he got was a lesson in humility. And a hell of a lot of pain.
By the time he sat down at the supper table, every muscle in his body ached. He felt as if he’d been the one to be roped and dragged out of the mud. His left hand was on fire.
Mary Rose was full of sympathy. As soon as they’d said grace, she changed places with Eleanor so she could sit closer to him. It made her task of cutting up his meat much easier.
“Did the salve help?” Adam inquired from the opposite end of the table.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Why did you take your gloves off?” Douglas asked.
Travis speculated a guess before Harrison could answer. “Maybe he had an itch.”
Adam turned to Cole. He noticed his smile and shook his head at him. “You were supposed to be looking out for him,” he remarked.
“It wasn’t my fault. Anyone with half a brain would have enough sense to let go of the rope.”
Adam visibly winced over the picture he was getting in his mind. His curiosity was every bit as morose as that of a man passing by a burning building who is compelled to stop and watch.
“Were you dragged far?”
Far enough, Harrison thought to himself. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Cole’s right. It wasn’t his fault. I thought I knew what I was doing. I didn’t. I learned a valuable lesson today.”
Mary Rose was waving his fork back and forth in front of his face. Harrison lost his patience. He snatched the utensil out of her hand and told her to stop pestering him.
His irritation didn’t faze her. “You haven’t taken a single bite,” she said.
“I’m not an invalid. I can feed myself.”
“Quit worrying about him,” Douglas said. “I’ll bet that rope burn hurts too much to even think about eating. You’re lucky it was just your left hand.”
“Tell us what you learned,” Adam suggested.
“To keep his gloves on,” Travis. answered with a grin.
“To let go of the rope,” Cole volunteered next. He winked at Eleanor across the table. She blushed in response.
Adam noticed what was going on between the two of them and rolled his eyes heavenward.
“I learned I really am completely inept out here,” Harrison said.
He turned to Mary Rose. “Happy now?”
She had enough sense not to admit she was. Harrison seemed to be spoiling for a fight. She wasn’t going to accommodate him. If he’d been in a better mood, she would have told him she was extremely happy with him. He had fin
ally decided to bury his arrogance and get down to the business of learning. His chances of living a long life had just improved considerably. Was she happy about that? Of course.
The talk at the table turned to a less sensitive subject. Harrison was curious to find out why the Ciaybornes had decided to invest in cattle. Travis explained.
“We had cattle before, but with two harsh winters in a row, we had to sell them off because we needed the cash. We’re in a better situation now. I guess you could say we’re starting over. We got a high price for the beef.”
“We had a setback when we lost our bull. Douglas couldn’t cure whatever it was ailing him. But for a while we made enough of a profit to make it worth our trouble again.”
“We started out with two and had close to four hundred when we sold them,” Adam added. “The steers feed on free range. Travis balks because he wants to keep them fenced in. You can’t fence public land though. All the ranchers come together in the spring for the annual roundup. You missed all the commotion. Travis and Cole went on the cattle drive to Salt Lake. They’d only just gotten back home when you showed up.”
It was apparent to Harrison that the brothers had used patience and doing without to get what they wanted. They were obviously already wealthy men. Yet none of them seemed to realize it. All of the brothers insisted they had only just begun to build a nest egg. Travis was the most concerned about money. Cole’s obsession was security. If it had been possible, he would have built a thirty-foot wall around the entire ranch to keep everyone safe.
They continued to talk about their financial situation until Mary Rose and Eleanor finally got up from the table.
“Adam said you wanted to talk to us about something,” Douglas said. “What is it?”
Mary Rose had just started out the doorway. When she heard her brother, she turned around and hurried back inside.
“Our sister wasn’t supposed to know about the talk,” Cole reminded his brother.
“I forgot,” Douglas admitted. “Sorry, Harrison.”
“Why wasn’t I supposed to know?”
She started in worrying. Was Harrison going to tell her brothers he had decided to leave? Had the work on the ranch been too difficult for him after all? Was he giving up?
Panic nearly overwhelmed her. She forced herself to calm down. Harrison wasn’t a quitter; he would never give up. If he was leaving, it was because he’d grown restless and wanted to move on. Yet if that was true, why was she being excluded from the announcement?
“What are you going to talk about?” She sat back down and waited to hear his answer.
Harrison reached over and covered her hand with his. “You’ll have to be patient.”
She nodded. She looked up at him and tried to read his expression, but Harrison wasn’t giving anything away. He was as closed up as a newly bound book.
“Isn’t it your turn to do the dishes, Mary Rose?” Douglas asked.
“Yes, of course,” she answered.
Cole nudged Eleanor’s leg under the table. When she looked at him, he nodded toward his sister and waited.
Eleanor understood the hint and immediately stood up. “May I help you with the dishes?”
Travis did a double take. He was sure he hadn’t heard correctly. Eleanor was offering her help? It wasn’t possible. He started to say something, caught Cole’s expression, and closed his mouth again.
Adam waited for Mary Rose to answer Eleanor. She seemed rattled, however, and so he finally answered for her.
“I’m certain she’ll be grateful for your assistance. It was good of you to offer.”
The table was cleared a few minutes later. Every time Mary Rose came back into the dining room, she lingered for as long as she could. She wanted to find out what they were going to discuss, but no one was giving her any hints.
She reported to Eleanor after each trip. Her houseguest was standing in front of the washbasin, washing the plates.
Mary Rose picked up a towel and started wiping the utensils Eleanor had already washed.
“Mary Rose, I have something important to say to you.”
“Can’t it wait. Eleanor?”
“No.”
“All right then. What is it?”
“You don’t have to sound impatient.”
“Sorry. I was worrying about Harrison. What did you want to say to me?”
“I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about the way I’ve been behaving. I know I haven’t made life easy for you. You’re the only friend I have in the whole world. Please forgive me.”
Mary Rose smiled. “We had this very same talk not an hour ago. I haven’t changed my mind since then. Of course I forgive you.”
“I just needed to say it again. I want you to realize how sincere I am. I want you to like me.”
“I do like you.”
“Aren’t I being considerate helping you with the dishes?”
“Yes, you are,” Mary Rose assured her. “I’m going to be very fortunate to have you for a friend.”
Eleanor nodded. “Yes, I believe you will be fortunate. I’m not being arrogant. Just honest. I hated with a passion, didn’t I? Now that I’m learning the value of friendship, I shall become just as passionate in my loyalty. Don’t you think that might be so?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now tell me why you’re worried about Harrison. What else has he done?”
“What else has he done? What do you mean by that?”
Eleanor remembered her promise not to tell Mary Rose what Harrison had done to her, so she didn’t mention being left up on the mountain.
“He made me angry,” Eleanor said. “And he’s always walking into trouble. Look at the bruises on him, Mary Rose. I just wondered what he’d done this time that has you fretting.”
“I’m worried about what he’s going to do. I think he’s getting ready to leave. He’s probably saying his good-byes to my brothers this very minute.”
“Are you saying you’ll be upset if he leaves?”
Mary Rose felt like screaming. “Yes,” she whispered instead.
“You are sweet on him.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think he’s talking to your brothers about leaving. You wouldn’t have been excluded. He’d say good-bye to you too.”
“Then what . . .”
“Maybe, just maybe, he’s formally asking for permission to court you. Have you considered that possibility?”
“Do you think so?”
“It makes sense, doesn’t it? I know Harrison cares about you. Adam told me he really went after those men who hurt you in town. He smiles at you a lot too. I noticed. Yes, I think it’s very possible he is asking permission. You would be excluded from the talk. He can’t ask in front of you.”
Mary Rose’s spirits lifted. She desperately wanted to believe Eleanor was right in her speculation. “I shouldn’t get my hopes up,” she whispered.
She decided to go to the doorway and try to eavesdrop on the conversation. She bumped into Adam in the hallway.
“Where are you going? Are you finished with the dishes so soon?” Adam asked.
“I was going to collect the linens,” she lied. “Where are you going?”
“We’re all too tired to talk tonight. Harrison decided to wait until tomorrow.”
She couldn’t quite hide her disappointment. “Then I’ll have to stay curious until tomorrow,” she said.
“I don’t believe you need to waste time worrying,” Adam advised. “Finish up and go up to bed. You look exhausted.”
She took his advice and went directly up to her bedroom as soon as the kitchen work was finished. She was certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep because of her worries. It had been a long, tiring day, however, and she drifted off to sleep just a few seconds after her head hit the pillow.
Harrison spent the next hour pacing back and forth in the bunkhouse. He wasn’t thinking about the talk he was going to have with the brothers now, however. His mind was on all the chang
es he was going to make in his life—because of Mary Rose. Honest to God, he was through fighting the inevitable.
He checked his pocket watch for the time, and when at last the hour was up, he went back to the house. He was the first to enter the dining room.
Travis walked inside with a full bottle of brandy. Cole followed him. Travis put the bottle on the table and took his seat. Cole collected the shot glasses from the side bar, put them on the table, and then sat down. Adam came inside next. Douglas was last. He shut the doors behind him.
“I looked in on Mary Rose. She’s sound asleep. If we keep our voices down, she’ll stay that way.”
Douglas directed the last of his remarks to Cole. Everyone was on edge. Cole appeared to be ready for a shootout. A tightness had settled around his mouth. He reached for the bottle, poured himself a drink, and gave the brandy decanter to Adam.
Harrison was the only one to decline a drink. Adam waited until everyone was settled.
“All right, Harrison, why don’t you tell us why you’re really here.”
“You’ve known I had another motive for . . .”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you say something to me if you . . .”
“I figured you would let us know what you wanted when you were ready. A man shouldn’t be rushed. As long as we could keep our eye on you, we weren’t worried. You seemed to be trying to work something out. Perhaps you’ll tell us now what was bothering you.”
Harrison was a little taken aback. “I appreciate your patience,” he said. “I was working something out. I’m thankful you gave me the time to do so.”
“Let’s get one thing straight, Harrison,” Cole said. “We like you just fine, but we aren’t letting you take him. You got that? We’ll kill you if we have to.”
“Or you can stay on here and live to be an old man,” Travis suggested.
“I’m not going to try to take Adam away. He isn’t the reason I came here.”
“Wait a minute. How did you know Cole was talking about Adam?” Travis asked.
Harrison didn’t waste time giving a long-winded explanation. “You have all been protecting Adam from the minute you found out I was an attorney. Each one of you has let me know he’s the vulnerable one. You might have believed you were being subtle. You weren’t.”
For the Roses Page 33
