Second Chance Cowboy
Page 17
Since the night Patrick accused her of being overprotective, she had watched her brother, studied him. She didn’t like the things she was observing. He was arrogant, selfish, and childish. She’d watched him manipulate people to acquire what he wanted, and whine when he didn’t get his way. He was a nine-year-old boy in a twenty-year-old body.
It was as if a veil had been removed from her eyes, and for the first time in her life, she saw the real Matt. It scared her. Scared her because she was afraid the choices she had made regarding Patrick could be wrong.
There had been no more trouble between Matt and Patrick, but Patrick had avoided the two of them as if they were cursed. Maybe they were. She’d missed him terribly these last few days, yet knew they both needed time to think.
She couldn’t blame Patrick. The words he’d spoken the other night had wounded her deeply, but most of all, she knew they were the truth. That’s what upset her the most and had caused her to retaliate. The nagging suspicions she had buried deep within her were knocking on her doorstep, warning her to look closely at the brother she felt compelled to protect.
She had doted on him from the time their mother had died. Her father had been busy working the ranch, making sure that the cattle got to market, while she’d taken on the role of homemaker. With Maria’s help, everything had been fine until Matt had gotten into trouble with Trey Jarvis.
A trickle of uncertainty tripped down her spine. Repeatedly, Patrick had told her to speak with Buckets about Matt. He’d seemed so sure of himself. Did she want to know the truth about Matt, or was it better to keep believing in the person you loved?
If Patrick were correct about her brother, then she’d been wrong from the very beginning. She’d been wrong when she had broken off the engagement. Even though it had been for the best since she had not been ready to become a wife and mother, it would mean her love for Matt had blinded her to his shortcomings. Worst of all, she’d chosen Matt’s version of the tale over Patrick’s, her fiancé’s.
Sabrina glanced again at the dozing Matt. He was twenty years old. Old enough to be handling a man’s responsibilities. Old enough to help his family, and old enough to be held accountable.
Maybe it was time she went to see Buckets. She didn’t have to believe everything he said. Whatever he told her couldn’t be worse than the suspicions that were forming in her mind. What if Buckets told her she’d been a fool?
Sabrina stared at her sibling. It was time to face the truth so she could decide on the future. Dodge City was only fifty miles away . . . three hard days of riding before she sold her cattle and headed for home. The time to clear up any misunderstandings was now, before they made it back to Sherwood. This thing, whatever it was between herself and Patrick, had to be finalized before they returned to Sherwood.
* * *
Sabrina found Buckets with the chuck wagon, cooking the evening meal. The smell of beans simmering over the fire made her stomach growl in anticipation. Buckets was bent over the back of his chuck wagon, digging in a box, rattling pots and pans.
“Can I help you?” Sabrina asked the gray-headed old man, whose back was to her.
Buckets jumped. “Lord, girl, you scared me. Make some noise when you come into my camp.”
“Sorry, I . . .” Sabrina folded her arms across her chest. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Buckets stopped pulling his dishes out and stared at Sabrina. “What’s the matter with you, gal?”
Sabrina sighed a wistful sound. “Buckets, you’ve known my family for years. If I ask some questions, would you be honest with me?”
Buckets frowned. “Have I ever lied to you before?”
“Not that I know of,” Sabrina replied.
“Then ask your questions.” Buckets sat down on the edge of the wagon, his pots and pans forgotten.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Matt and Patrick.” Sabrina ducked her head and wrung her hands. “You know, Buckets, when you love someone you want to believe they’re innocent, but … since the trial, Matt hasn’t lived the most exemplary life. I think he would want to prove he was an honest man and show people that the trial was a big mistake.”
She took a deep breath and raised her eyes until she was staring at Buckets. “But Matt hasn’t done that, has he? He’s more of a hellion now than he ever was.”
Buckets nodded his head, agreeing with her.
“I want the truth, Buckets. If anyone knows the truth about my brother, it’s you. Be honest with me. Was I wrong? Did my brother really steal those cattle?”
Buckets sighed. “I knew this was a-coming. I’ve been waiting for this day.” He paused. “Yes, Matt and Trey were stealing cattle. Your father found out right before Patrick arrested Matt.”
Sabrina sat down with a thud on the edge of the wagon. “Why, Buckets? We had all the cattle we needed. Why?”
“You ain’t a-gonna like this; but you wanted the truth, so I’m a-gonna tell it to you.” Buckets cleared his throat. “Your brother has a gambling problem. He loses more than he wins.”
“But I don’t understand . . .”
“You see, Sabrina, I sent you that blasted telegram to bring you home. Your brother’s been stealing for years. Your father was sick and someone had to protect the Big C, and it could only have been you. I was the one who thought you needed to come home.”
* * *
The rain fell in a steady stream, mixing and flowing with Sabrina’s tears. Her body was in motion, but her mind was in a rage-filled numbness. She strode on. Her determined steps carried her to some unknown destination. The scenery could have been the Sahara desert and she wouldn’t have noticed. Her mind was focused on Patrick and the past.
She was a fool. Everyone had known the truth regarding Matt, but her. Blindly she had believed in a boy who existed only in her mind.
The sound of horses’ hooves penetrated her fog-filled mind as she realized the men were coming in for the day. Leading the group was the golden-haired man with ice-blue eyes she’d once called brother. Like a sturdy tree, Sabrina planted herself in his path, prepared to give battle. Unaware, Matt lazily rode his horse toward her in the misting rain.
When he came within a few feet, he reined in his brown mare. “Sabrina, what are you doing out here?” Two quick strides took Sabrina to Matt. “Get off that horse,” she commanded.
Matt swung his leg over the side of his saddle. “What’s gotten into you?”
Grabbing his arm, Sabrina yanked him from the saddle, throwing him off balance by her unexpected action. He landed with a plop in the mud. His horse whinnied, shying away from the man on the ground.
A shocked Matt stared up at Sabrina. “What in the hell is the matter with you?”
In a voice that trembled with suppressed rage, Sabrina said, “You lied to me.”
Matt frowned. He glanced around, aware that the other men had all stopped and were watching the drama unfold “What are you talking about?”
“The cattle, the trial, probably even the money in Dad’s hiding place. You lied to me.”
“You’ve been listening to Patrick again, haven’t you?”
“I haven’t spoken with Patrick in several days.”
Matt tried to inch away from Sabrina. Fear shone from his eyes like candles reflected in darkness. “Then who said . .?
“Who it was doesn’t matter. You’ve lied to me for years and I’m putting an end to it today! Tell me the truth about the trial and about Carson. Did you steal from the ranch?”
Matt’s eyes grew large; his pupils dilated with fear. “Not everything was a lie.”
Sabrina straddled the slowly crawling man and grabbed him by the shirt collar. Her body shook with rage. “What do you mean not everything was a lie? From what I’ve heard, your whole life has been one big lie!”
Matt’s voice was a coaxing whine. “Let’s go to camp. Then we’ll talk about this. I’m getting wet lying on the ground.”
“I don’t care if you rot. I want some honest
answers from you,” Sabrina hissed. “Were you rustling cattle with Trey when Patrick arrested you?”
“That was a long time ago. Why can’t you let the past go?” Matt retorted.
“I want the truth. My engagement ended because I supported you, not Patrick.” Sabrina’s voice started to rise. Her hands had hold of each side of his shirt collar. “I want to hear the truth from you!”
Matt reached up and grabbed her arms. “Okay, we were stealing. Patrick caught us.”
“Damn you!”
“Did you want me to hang?”
“Today, I’d string you up myself if I thought it would do any good,” she retorted.
“Oh, come on, Sabrina. It’s over and done with.”
“Is it? Then answer my next question. Are you working for Carson?”
Matt swore. “Not now.”
“But did you work for him?”
“I didn’t have any choice. I owed him money.”
Anger surged through Sabrina. “Did you steal from Dad, too?”
Matt stared at her, his face grim. “It’s obvious you know it all. Yes, I stole the money from the ranch; that’s why I wasn’t living there anymore.” He hung his head. “Dad kicked me out.”
Sabrina felt the rage flowing through her blood like water. “Damn you! Did you kill our father so you could get the rest of the money and sell the ranch?”
Matt pushed Sabrina out of the way and rose to his feet. His voice was loud, hurt. “How can you suggest that I’d kill our father? I loved him, too.” Matt paused “I followed you to protect you.”
Sabrina fairly screamed. “Protect me? Someone needs to protect me from you.”
“Don’t come on to me with that Miss High and Mighty attitude. Remember, I caught Patrick and you with nothing but a blanket wrapped around you.”
Like a firestorm out of control, her hand swung and connected with his cheek, leaving her hand imprinted on his face. The sound echoed through the air.
Matt grabbed her arm. His teeth were clenched; his hand drew back to deliver a retaliatory blow.
“You lay one hand on her, and I’ll kill you.” Patrick deep voice reverberated through the still air.
“Stay out of it, Patrick. This is between Sabrina and me.”
“Not anymore. I warned you about saying anything about that night.”
Dazed, Sabrina wondered where Patrick had come from. She hadn’t heard him ride up. She stepped away from Matt, her body shaking with rage.
Matt frowned; the color of his eyes changed to a deeper shade of blue. “Get the hell out of here and leave us alone.”
“No. I’ve waited two years for this day. I’m sticking around to make sure you tell her everything,” Patrick declared.
Sabrina stood quietly listening to the two men talk. Anger flared anew at both of them. The day of reckoning had dawned, and Patrick was getting his revenge. She had been a fool who had thrown it all away for a brother who didn’t know the truth from fiction.
Guilt at what she had done to them overcame her, leaving her angry at herself. Not knowing what to do, Sabrina came at Patrick like a wolf on a rabbit “So, you’ve seen what you came to see. You were right all along and I was wrong. Does that make you happy?”
Before Patrick could reply, the words streamed from her mouth full of pain and anger. “You two have pulled me in opposite directions once too often. Your constant fighting has only hurt one person, me. I’m sick to death of it.”
Sabrina pushed her blonde hair away from her face “The both of you can go to hell for all I care.”
She strode away from the two men as fast as her legs could carry her.
* * *
Oh, no, not this time, Patrick thought as he watched her walk away. This time they were going to finish this. This time they were going to settle this situation with Matt once and for all.
He turned on his heel, and headed after Sabrina, following her to the edge of the camp and out into the inky blackness of the prairie.
Just where in the hell did she think she was going at this time of night, alone?
He caught up to her just past the remuda. He grabbed her arm and twirled her around.
When she caught sight of him, she glared at him, her eyes barely discernible in the darkness.
“Don’t touch me!” she commanded, and pulled away from him.
“Well then, stop.”
She continued to walk into the darkness, away from the camp, away from the remuda and the men on the trail.
“Damn you, Patrick. Damn you and Matt both. Are you happy that you’ve finally gotten your revenge? Well, how does it feel? You were right!”
“It doesn’t feel good. It feels pretty rotten if you want to know the truth,” he said, trailing behind her, trying to catch up. “Sabrina, that’s far enough!”
“Why should I stop?” she cried as she continued to walk into the darkness. “I may walk all the way back home, just to get away from the two of you.”
“You can’t run from it Sabrina.”
“I can try, can’t I?” she said, her voice breaking.
“Stop. We’re getting too far from camp.”
She halted, but whirled around to meet him as he walked up. He could see her tear-streaked cheeks even in the moonlight. A part of him wanted to reach out and comfort her for finally having the courage to face the awful truth regarding her brother and the pain he had caused the two of them. The other part of him was cautious.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked.
“I tried.”
“Why didn’t you try harder?” she pressed, her arms crossed as she paced back and forth.
“It wouldn’t have done any good. You were not ready to hear the truth regarding Matt”
“Damn you, Patrick. You let me tear us apart.”
“If you remember, I couldn’t stop you.”
A deep cry filled the prairie. “I believed in my brother. I thought he was innocent.”
The tears began to fall in earnest down her cheeks. “All this time my own brother has been stealing from our ranch, rustling cattle. We’re about to lose the Big C all because of Matt; but worst of all, I let him come between the two of us.”
Patrick stepped up and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close to his body. She laid her head against his chest and sobbed, great gulping sounds coming from deep within her.
He held her until her tears eased up, but she didn’t move from within the circle of his arms.
“I’m sorry for hitting you the other night. I was wrong. Just as I’ve been wrong about so many things.”
He didn’t say anything, but continued to hold her in his arms.
“I guess deep down I’ve known for several years that Matt wasn’t innocent. I didn’t want to believe he was guilty, because then I would have had to recognize that I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. A mistake that has cost me everything. Will you ever be able to trust me again?”
His lips covered hers, tasting, searching, and seeking out the essence that made her unique. How he had tried to forget her, tried to erase her from his memory! She had him the moment she admitted to Matt’s guilt. He felt her breasts snug against his chest and he wanted to lay her down in the prairie grass and take her right here and now. He wanted to slip between her thighs and into her womanly sheath, and forget the cattle drive, forget about the Big C, and even Matt.
His hand cupped her breast, stroking the hardened nipple as his mouth caressed hers. He eased the buttons on her shirt open and slipped his hands inside to caress her breast through her chemise. Still, he could not get close enough; he needed to feel her naked skin beneath his hand, to touch her and feel her satiny skin.
Suddenly she broke the kiss and stepped away from Patrick. He gazed at her in the darkness, unable to see the look in her eyes, but he could hear her breathing, quick and shallow.
“I can’t . . . not now. I need some time. I need to understand everything that’s happened before I can go on.”
* * *
Patrick eased back in the saddle and searched the prairie. They had traveled almost fifteen miles today, and Dodge City should be just over the horizon. It couldn’t come soon enough as far as he was concerned. It couldn’t get here fast enough to put some distance between him and Matt.
After all these years it felt good to know that Sabrina had finally realized the truth, but it also brought on more problems. Where did that leave the two of them? Maybe a small part of him did want revenge, but he hadn’t actually shown it. .. at least not where Matt was concerned. He wanted revenge for the killing of his family. Hell would freeze over before he gave up on finding their killers and seeking his vengeance.
Matt was a spoiled brat who was about to lose everything, and in some ways Patrick felt sorry for him. He’d lost his father; he’d lost his freedom, and he’d lost Sabrina. What else could the boy lose before he came to his senses? What would be the point of obtaining revenge from a man who had nothing to lose? No, at this point in his life, Patrick wanted only two things: his parents’ killers and Sabrina.
Patrick glanced back at the blonde-haired beauty. This morning he had watched her braid the long wisps of blonde curls into one single braid that reached halfway down her back. The sight of her blouse stretched tight against her breasts had left him aching.
The remembrance of her body against his was enough to send the blood rushing and pounding between his legs. He wanted her... had wanted her since the night of the storm. Holding her, feeling the silkiness of her naked skin beneath his hands left him aching. The memory of their lovemaking left him wanting. He needed her touch as the earth needed rain, as the bees needed pollen. Part of him wanted to take her to the nearest preacher while the other part of him wanted to run faster than the wind. Right now he was waiting . . . waiting for the confusion and pain to clear out before he took a chance on being hurt once again.