by Connie Mason
Ryan had faced danger before, but Kitty topped them all. She had turned his life upside down.
Chapter 10
Kitty dressed with little care the following morning, for she knew she’d look like hell no matter what she wore. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and her face was gray with fatigue. After Ryan’s unexpected visit the night before she hadn’t slept at all well. The longer she thought about it, the clearer it became that one woman wasn’t enough for Ryan. He was an unrepentant womanizer. Regrettably she had allowed her heart to rule her head and had fallen head over heels for him. She congratulated herself for having had the fortitude to send him away last night, even if it had hurt her more than it had him.
Afterward she had tossed and turned, imagining Teresa in Ryan’s bed, the recipient of his special brand of loving. Her body still ached from frustration. Denying herself what she craved, what she needed to be fulfilled again, had been costly to her peace of mind.
Kitty gave her unruly curls one last pat before descending the stairs to the dining room. It was still early, but she’d heard others up and about so she knew the household was stirring. When she found the dining room empty, she poked her head into the kitchen.
Rosita saw her and motioned her inside, her dark face alight with pleasure. “You are Senor Lowry’s daughter. I am pleased to meet you. You have made your father very happy. I am Rosita. I didn’t get a chance to meet you properly yesterday. I was just fixing your papa’s breakfast. There is fresh coffee in the pot.”
“Thank you,” Kitty said, delighted by the cook’s warm welcome. “Coffee would be great. Please call me Kitty.”
“I’ll fix your breakfast after I take your papa’s tray to him. Teresa doesn’t usually rise this early and rarely wants more than a slice of toast and tea,” Rosita rambled on. “Senor Delaney has already eaten and gone out to give the workers a hand with the chores. He said he needed the exercise.”
“I’m hungry enough to eat a horse,” Kitty said. She wasn’t shy when it came to her appetite. She’d gone hungry too often in the past not to respect food. Thankfully she didn’t run to fat and could enjoy Rosita’s delicious cooking without guilt.
Rosita laughed and patted her plump hips. “A woman after my own heart.”
When Rosita had put the finishing touches on Bert’s tray, Kitty said, “Why don’t I carry it in to Bert myself? He wanted to talk to me this morning and this would be a good time.”
“Si,” Rosita agreed, handing her the tray. “Tell me what you’d like to eat and I’ll bring it to you in Senor Lowry’s room.”
“That’s very kind of you. Bacon, eggs, and biscuits would be wonderful. And black coffee.”
Kitty carried the tray to Bert’s room, knocked once, and pushed open the door at Bert’s command. She found her father seated in a chair by the window. He was freshly shaved and looked better than he had yesterday. His eyes lit up when he saw her.
“Kitty, come in, my dear. I hope you’re up to a nice long chat this morning. One of the hands came in earlier to shave me and help me with personal chores. I’m eager now to continue where we left off yesterday. In fact, having you here has invigorated me.”
Kitty set the tray on his lap and whisked the covers from a dish containing oatmeal and another holding two thick biscuits slathered with butter and jam. Steam rose up from the cup of strong black coffee.
“Have you eaten?” Bert asked as he took a bite of biscuit and chewed without apparent appetite.
“Rosita offered to bring my breakfast in here to me.”
He looked so genuinely pleased that Kitty couldn’t help answering his smile with one of her own. Her presence seemed to spur his appetite, for he ate his oatmeal as if he truly enjoyed it. Kitty’s breakfast arrived a few minutes later, and she dug into her plate of bacon and eggs. She saved her biscuit for last, sighing contentedly a short time later as she set her tray aside.
“Can I take your tray?” Kitty asked when she saw that Bert had finished all his oatmeal and most of his biscuits. He nodded, and she set his empty tray on the floor beside hers.
“You can’t begin to know how happy I am to see you,” Bert said in a voice thick with emotion. “My own child. Until Rena wrote me about you, I never expected to have a child of my own. I’ve always regretted being childless, but now I have you. It’s a dream come true.”
Kitty knew she had to stop this emotional outpouring before it went any further. “I… I’m sorry, Bert, but I’m not comfortable with your feelings for me. I don’t even know you. As I told you yesterday, I’ll be riding on soon. This isn’t my home. It belongs to Teresa, and she doesn’t want me here. I promised nothing except that I’d come here and meet you.”
The happiness Bert displayed earlier slowly dissipated, replaced by distress. “I thought… that is … I hoped you’d make the ranch your home. Give me a chance to make up for the wrong I did to you and your mother. I’ve dreamed of this moment since receiving Rena’s letter. As the years passed I feared that fate had conspired against us, that we would never meet. With you here my life is finally complete. If you leave now, you take my life with you.”
Kitty couldn’t deny that Bert’s speech touched her. She wondered if he knew where and under what circumstances Ryan had found her, and if that knowledge would change his mind about her.
“I don’t know how much Ryan told you about me,” Kitty began somewhat hesitantly. “You might change your mind about wanting me in your home when I tell you about myself.”
Bert gave her a puzzled frown. “Why would I change my mind? You are my daughter. This is your home. Nothing you can tell me will change that.”
“I lived with outlaws,” Kitty blurted out. “Lex Johnson disguised me as a boy and I rode with him and the Barton gang for several years. None of the Bartons ever suspected. But I always knew I would have to leave one day or risk discovery. Then Lex was killed during a bank robbery, and I realized how precarious my situation was without Lex’s protection.
“Ryan joined the gang about that time,” she explained. “I thought at first that Ryan was an outlaw, but it was all a pretense. He asked a lot of questions about Lex and his family, especially about a woman named Kathryn. I didn’t know he’d seen through my disguise, and I think he had a good time with it at my expense.” Her chin lifted fractionally. “Ryan thought I was Lex’s … doxy.”
Bert’s face turned red with anger. “How could he? He never mentioned that to me. Did he… was he disrespectful toward you? When Pierce, Ryan’s older brother, wrote and said Ryan was coming to aid me, he hinted that Ryan had earned quite a reputation with women. If he hurt you …”
“Oh, no,” Kitty quickly contradicted. “Ryan may be a womanizer, but he is kind and compassionate. I reckon he’d deny it, but it’s true. He’d never hurt me or any other woman, no matter how distrustful he is of them. He figured out that I was Kathryn through simple deduction.” It was not exactly the truth, but close enough. “Once he realized I was Kathryn, he knew I wasn’t Lex’s doxy.”
Bert let out a sigh, apparently satisfied with her answer. “None of that matters to me. Whatever happened to you was not your fault. You were a child when Lex took you away.”
“He did his best to protect me. I don’t know what would have become of me after Deke died if Lex hadn’t arrived when he did. I was left on my own with no means of support.”
“I blame myself for that,” Bert said regretfully. “I let too many months go by after Rena’s death. I should have acted immediately upon receiving her letter.”
“I agree,” Kitty said with asperity. They both fell silent, lost in their private recollections. After an uncomfortable silence, Kitty said, “I’m going to speak bluntly, Bert, ’cause that’s my way. Teresa resents me. She fears I’m supplanting her in your affections. She thinks I’m a whore and a thief. I can’t remain where I’m not wanted.
“My language and manners are unacceptable,” she continued. “I’m rough around the edges and have little e
ducation. I can ride and shoot but don’t know which fork to use. Sometimes I slip and say shocking things. In truth, do you want a daughter like that? I’m not good enough to live the kind of life you want for me.”
Bert patted Kitty’s hand, as if to reassure her. “Ryan already told me most of what you’ve just said and none of it matters. Nobody needs to know about your life prior to coming here. There are many fine bachelors in the area, I’m sure you can find a good husband from among them, if that is your wish. If not, just having you here with me will make me happy.”
“Bert, I…”
“No, don’t say anything just yet. Promise you’ll stay a while longer. If you find you can’t adjust, or bring yourself to like me, then you must do as your heart directs. But know this, when I pass on, the bulk of my estate will be yours.”
Kitty stared at him, appalled. “No! That’s not what I want. I didn’t come here for material gain. I came to meet the father I’d never known so I could tell him how much I resent him for abandoning me and my mother. I don’t mean to be cruel, but that’s how I felt.”
“How do you feel now?” Bert asked in a raspy voice.
“I… I reckon I can understand how it happened. Mama was a proud woman. She wouldn’t have told you about me knowing you were another woman’s husband. You are both to blame, but I was the one who suffered for it. I don’t hate you anymore, Bert, but don’t ask me to love you.”
Bert seemed to collapse inwardly. “I won’t ask you to love me, Kitty. Just knowing you don’t hate me anymore is enough for now. I can accept that. Just don’t leave. Give us more time.” He gave her a wry grin. “I’m sure your wait won’t be a lengthy one.”
“I’ll stay on a while, Bert,” Kitty agreed. Bert was dying, and he was her father, though she felt none of the warm feelings one would for a father. Her mother must have seen something in Bert to love.
“Thank you, my dear,” Bert said gratefully. “Why don’t you explore the ranch? There are numerous horses in the corral to choose from. Ask Ryan to go with you, he’s familiar with the layout here. Teresa can show you around the house and introduce you to the help.”
“I’ve already met Rosita. She’s a treasure.”
“Am I intruding?” Ryan asked as he poked his head in the door.
“No, come in,” Bert invited. “I wanted to talk to you, anyway.”
Kitty rose abruptly. “I’ll leave you two alone. I feel in need of some air. Perhaps I’ll explore the corral. I’ve always loved horses.”
She spared Ryan a quick glance on her way out the door and wished she hadn’t. He was staring at her with those sensual green eyes as if he wanted to devour her, and her body responded with its usual lack of control. Her breasts felt heavy, and a melting sensation began low in her belly.
“You don’t have to go on my account,” Ryan said.
Did he know how he affected her? Kitty wondered. “I’ve finished my visit with Bert. He’s all yours.” She hurried out the door before her reddened cheeks and wayward body embarrassed her.
Ryan reluctantly withdrew his gaze from Kitty and turned his attention to Bert. “You look chipper this morning.”
“Because of Kitty,” Bert beamed. “I owe you more than I can ever repay. Name your price, Ryan. It’s yours if it’s within my means. I’m a wealthy man, I can afford to be generous.”
“I don’t want your money, Bert. Finding Kitty for you is all the payment I need. I did it for Pa. He would be pleased to know I’ve helped his old friend. Besides, it’s been a great adventure. I needed to get away from the ranch for awhile and this was the perfect opportunity. Chad and Sarah are newly married and needed time alone. All that mooning and lovey-dovey stuff got a little boring.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Ryan, for I have another favor to ask of you. How anxious are you to return to Montana?”
Ryan thought of Kitty and the temptation she presented. To remain in the same house with her and not be able to love her would certainly stretch the limits of his control. He’d hoped that leaving Kitty and returning to Montana would diminish his need for the little wildcat. It wasn’t like him to want a woman so desperately. His damn lust for Kitty was going to get him into trouble, he speculated. It wasn’t like him to remain attracted to one woman this long. He knew it was time to move on, yet something deep and unsettled within him urged him to stay and see this to the end … wherever it led. That thought frightened him excessively. Involvement meant commitment, and commitment meant… God, he couldn’t even say the word, much less think it.
Marriage definitely wasn’t for him. He liked variety. He trusted women about as far as he could toss them. So far nothing he’d seen disproved his theory about women. In his opinion, self-centered, jealous women like Teresa were more common than loving, unselfish women like his sisters-in-law Zoey and Sarah. And he knew firsthand that it had been no easy task for Pierce and Chad’s wives to prove themselves.
Ryan realized Bert was waiting for an answer. How badly did he want to return to Montana? Not too badly, obviously, for the thought of leaving Kitty gave him a twinge of discomfort.
“Why do you ask? I reckon Chad can get along without me for a while longer if you have need of me.”
“What I’m about to ask is for Kitty’s sake,” Bert explained. “Kitty seems comfortable with you. You know her better than anyone. I don’t want to impose upon your time, but I would appreciate it if you would stay on here until Kitty settles in.”
Ryan gave him a hard look. “What makes you think Kitty will settle in? She’s determined to leave.”
“We had a long talk this morning. She agreed to stay on for a time. I’m hoping it will be forever. Did you know she feared I wouldn’t welcome her once I knew the kind of life she led? She thinks she isn’t good enough to fit in here.”
Ryan heaved an angry sigh. “I know. She tried to tell me the same thing. Nothing I said convinced her otherwise. She’s a stubborn woman. She thinks her colorful past will be held against her. She even worried that you wouldn’t accept her for what she was.”
“I told her that was hogwash,” Bert replied. “Kitty is my daughter. I’d accept her any way she came to me.” He gave Ryan a speculative glance. “Kitty said you thought she was Lex’s doxy when you first met.”
“I’m not sure I really believed that, but it did enter my mind. After I got to know Kitty I realized I was wrong. You’ll have to trust me when I say Kitty was no doxy.”
Bert looked as if he wanted to say more but let the subject drop. Ryan knew Bert was an astute man and wondered what he was thinking. Did Bert suspect that Ryan and Kitty were lovers? If he did, he wasn’t voicing his opinion.
“Back to my original question, Ryan,” Bert said. “Would you consider staying on for awhile? You’d be doing me a great service. My greatest fear is that Teresa will frighten Kitty off. I may be confined to this room, but I know what’s going on in my own house. Teresa is jealous of Kitty. She has a mean streak I wasn’t aware of until Kitty arrived.
“Teresa lived many years with an aunt after her mother and I were married. Louise didn’t want to disrupt her daughter’s life by bringing her to a strange place. She didn’t come to the ranch until her mother became ill. She has only been with me for a little over six years and I thought I knew her, but now I’m not so sure.”
Ryan could tell him things about Teresa that would curl the old man’s hair, but he decided they were better left unsaid. “I reckon I can stay on for awhile,” he allowed. “I’ll ride into town tomorrow and wire Chad so he and Pierce won’t worry about my continued absence. Those two are like mother hens when it comes to family.”
Bert’s relief was apparent as his face lifted in a genuine smile. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me. I advised Kitty to explore the ranch, get the lay of the land, so to speak. I hoped you’d show her around. I want Kitty to feel comfortable here.”
“You’re both making a dangerous mistake,” Teresa said as she flounced into th
e room. “Kitty is an imposter. She fooled Ryan and now she’s got Papa Bert hoodwinked. You’d be doing yourself a favor if you turned her out, Papa Bert. You have only the word of a dead woman that Kitty is your daughter. If Rena slept with you she probably slept with a dozen other men. You can’t possibly know that Kitty is your daughter.”
Bert glowered at her. “I feel it here,” he said, placing his hand over his heart. “Rena would never lie about something like that. Rena’s eyes were brown, mine are blue, just like Kitty’s. Kitty is the image of Rena, yet I can see something of myself in her. Kitty is my daughter, Teresa. It would please me if you accepted her and welcomed her into our household.”
“I don’t think so,” Teresa said testily. “Her language is coarse, she has no education or manners, and she looks like a slut with her indecently shorn hair.”
“I think Kitty speaks just fine. As for her manners, they seemed good enough to me when she ate breakfast in my room this morning,” Bert said. “You can’t judge a woman by the length of her hair.”
“Papa Bert,” Teresa ventured slyly, “did you ask Ryan just how … close he and Kitty became before he brought her to the ranch? He was alone with her a long time.”
Bert gave her a censuring scowl. “I trust Ryan. He’d do nothing to hurt Kitty.”
“But they…”
“Enough, Teresa. Ryan and Kitty know what they’re doing. I don’t want to hear another word against my daughter. Ryan has just agreed to stay on here until Kitty settles in. She seems to trust him, and she needs all the friends she can get now.”
Ryan listened to the conversation with more than a little guilt. Bert’s trust was an awesome burden, but he couldn’t just blurt out that he and Kitty were lovers. Had he been smart he would have refused Bert’s request and gone home. Nothing good could come of this, he reflected, not with the kind of temptation Kitty presented.
“I think I’d like to rest now,” Bert said. “Go find Kitty, Ryan. She’s probably with the horses.”
