Wildcat Bride

by Lauri Robinson

  Bug’s frown deepened, tugging on his brows until his forehead ached. He rubbed a hand against the twinge. “What are you talking about?” A thought hit him then. “I already told you I can’t marry her.”

  “I understand that.” Chester gave a respectful nod of his head. “I’m talking about the um-incident in New York.”

  “What incident in New York?” A twisting in his guts said Chester knew about his arrest, but what did that have to do with Chester or Jenny?

  “Your arrest.”

  “What about it?”

  Chester squinted, as if deeply inspecting him.

  Bug lifted a brow. It really was none of Chester’s business, and Bug would just as soon put it all behind him.

  “Hasn’t Judge Holden contacted you?” Chester asked.

  “Yes,” Bug admitted. Kid had told him about the wire Sheriff Turley brought out to the ranch, but with everything else going on, Bug hadn’t really given it a second thought. There hadn’t been time with chasing down Dr. Robb and traveling home. “I’ll get back to him and see what he needs, when I have time.”

  The man sighed heavily. “So you don’t know about Jenny’s part in your arrest?”

  The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. “No,”

  he admitted.

  “She hired the girl who planted the purse on you.”

  Bug bit the inside of his cheek to keep his temper under control. It didn’t help much. “Why the hell would she do that?”

  “Well,” the man now sounded as frustrated as Bug felt. “I haven’t talked to her, yet, but I believe it was because she didn’t want you to leave. She did have her heart set on marrying you.” The man glanced around. “Still does evidently.”

  Shit! Kid had also said Jenny was here—and planning a wedding. He’d forgotten that as well. His mind had been on Eva and nothing else. “Where is she?” An instinct said he knew. Bug stuck a foot in the stirrup.

  Chester grabbed his arm. “I was hoping to come to an agreement with you before I collect her.”

  Bug shook off his hold and hoisted himself into the saddle. “An agreement?”

  Chester wrapped his fingers around the reins looping from the bit to the Bug’s hands. “Yes. What will it take to keep you from pressing charges against her?”

  “Where is she, Chester?”

  Chester bowed his head. “The man at the hotel said she hired a driver to take her to Miss Reynolds’s place this morning.”

  Bug tugged on the reins, forcing the horse to rip the leather out of Chester’s hands. It was hard, but Bug walked the horse through the barn, knowing his family still stood near the door, he didn’t want to run anyone over, but damn it, when had his life gotten so out of control?

  “Where you headed?” Skeeter asked.

  “To Eva’s,” Bug answered, steering the bay around the crowd.

  “Hold up, I’ll ride with you.”

  “Me, too.”

  “We’ll all go.”

  Bug pulled the animal to a stop. He couldn’t decipher who’d said what, but it really didn’t matter.

  “No, you won’t. None of you.” He included Chester Staples in his glare. “You’ll all stay here. I’ve had all the meddling I can take.”

  Ma let out a huff. “You listen here! I—”

  “No,” he interrupted. “You listen here. Eva and I are getting married. And no one is going to interfere.” He settled his gaze on Chester. “No one.”

  Bug kneed the animal, but after one quick leap he tugged on the reins and found Snake in the crowd.

  “Hide her damn shotgun!” Then he flayed the reins over the horse’s rump and took off.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Art Rockford’s son Louie stood in the shade of the barn door, beside a little black buggy. Bug returned his wave—briefly. Louie’s attendance meant Jenny was here. Hell, he just couldn’t catch a break. Since he’d spotted Eva outside the art show in New York it had been one blow after another. He was ready for it all to end.

  Bug jumped out of the saddle and jogged toward the front steps. The ride over had given him time to think—somewhat. He had no idea what Jenny had told Eva, but knew Jenny could be a snit to contend with when her dander was up.

  His foot was about to hit the first step when an earth shattering blast rattled every window in the house. “What the hell?” Bug spun around. Birds in the trees screeched and took to flight, as did his horse and the one tied to Louie’s buggy. The kid ran after the buggy while Bug took off to the side of the house—the direction the blast had come from.

  Eva barreled out the back door.

  “What was that?” he yelled, coming around the corner.

  Her skirt was hitched past her knees, and she ran toward the back field. Without glancing toward him, she shouted. “It must be the oil well!”

  He caught up to her. “Oil well? There’re no oil wells around here.”

  She didn’t answer, just kept running. He sprinted beside her. “Eva, there’s no oil well around here.”

  They topped the little hill behind her place and Bug stumbled. He didn’t go down, but should have.

  It was a ways away yet, but the unmistakable frame of a derrick stood in her back field. Moreover, a stream of black spouted out of the top and rained back down on the earth. Gallons upon gallons of oil.

  “What the hell!” He caught his footing and increased his speed. In no time, he was running beside Eva again, but his mind was outpacing both of them. Had Chester Staples already started drilling out here? There was no one else who could have. Had the man been here the whole time he was in Wichita?

  Eva was shouting something. Bug had to clear his mind so his ears could work—beyond the ringing the blast had caused.

  “Mr. Porter! Is everyone all right?” Eva waved both hands over her head. “Mr. Porter!”

  A man, one of many dripping oil from head to toe, ran towards her.

  “Yes, ma’am. Everyone’s accounted for.”

  Oil ran down the man’s face, but Bug recognized him as the one he’d paid to take Tucker, Reed, and Heather. Mr. Porter met them several yards from where the geyser of oil continued to rain down.

  Bug, unable to gather the dozen thoughts beating paths in his head, turned back to the commotion. Sunlight struck the puddles quickly forming and rainbows of colors burst forth in the long rivers trailing away from the derrick in all directions. The bitter, pungent smell of crude filled the air.

  “Where’s Jack?” Eva shouted above the roar.

  “Where’s Mr. Houston?” Frantically, she glanced in all directions at once.

  “Right here!” Jack Houston crawled out from beneath a nearby wagon. He leaped over some of the smaller rivers as he jogged in toward them.

  Bug rubbed his eyes. Was this for real?

  “What happened?” Eva asked.

  Bug, still speechless, spun to the man she spoke to. “Mr. Quinter”—Mr. Porter gave a nod in acknowledgement—“good to see you.” He turned back to Eva. “One of the men you hired blasted the well with blasting oil.”

  “Blasting oil!” Bug quivered from head to toe.

  His gaze went to the stream of oil still shooting out of the earth. “How much did you use?”

  “Just one bottle,” Jack said, arriving at his side.

  Bug’s knowledge of how to frac a well—and the accidents he’d heard of crowded inside his head. “A whole bottle?”

  Jack and Mr. Porter nodded.

  Bug shuddered at the thought. Nitro was nothing to mess around with. Years ago a crate of it had blown up the Wells Fargo Building—the entire building—out in California and the state outlawed the transportation of it. Only those in the oil business, railroad, or mining were allowed to use it, and only after they had manufactured it on site.

  Dynamite had a small amount of nitro in it, and was easy to come by, but not pure nitro. If someone had found some, it had to be highly unstable and extremely dangero
us.

  “Hell, you could have been blown into Oklahoma.”

  “You mean we aren’t in Oklahoma?” Jack looked serious for a moment, but then laughed and slapped Bug on the back.

  Bug shook his head. Not in the laughing mood.

  “Is there any more around here?” As soon as he asked the question, he knew the answer. If there had been any more nitro, the blast would have set it off. They all would have been in Oklahoma.

  “No,” Mr. Porter said. “We just had the one bottle.”

  “Thank God,” Bug muttered. His nerves settled down a mite.

  All eyes went to the derrick. Bug knew he should tell them to cap it, but there was something about watching the black gold spewing into the air that was downright breathtaking and mesmerizing.

  He didn’t have the wherewithal to interrupt the others from experiencing it firsthand.

  A hand slid along the lower part of his back. He glanced down as Eva, eyes glued to the geyser, sidled up to him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer. She glanced up, and her big, brown eyes, glittering brighter than the rainbow rivers, captured his gaze. Mindless of the crowd, Bug twisted her within his arms and lowered his face to seize her lips.

  Her arms wound around his waist, and her fingernails penetrated the thinness of his shirt as she grabbed fistfuls. Bug pulled her closer, growing lightheaded from the intensity of their merger, and then her lips parted.

  He almost blew higher than the oil geyser.

  Sweet and playful, the tiny tip of her tongue slid across his lips, and then entered his mouth to tease and taste. A moan filled the back of his throat, and he twisted his tongue with hers.

  “Brett! Brett!”

  The name slightly penetrated, but it wasn’t until someone touched his shoulder that he lifted his head, breaking the delightful connection. He paused and kissed Eva’s sweet, moist lips once more before he turned around.

  Jack had a hand on his shoulder, but the man looked back toward the house. Bug flipped his head the other way.

  “Brett! You need to get a power head on that well. You’re losing barrels by the minute!” Chester Staples ran down the hill, and behind him was every single member of Bug’s family.

  Bug waited until they came to a stop. “I see you all listened real well.”

  His brothers simply shrugged their shoulders as they turned to gaze at the oil falling from the sky.

  “You’ve got to get that well capped!” Chester exclaimed again, his eyes full of excitement.

  Another blast ripped through the air. Bug grabbed Eva’s head and bent his body to protect her from whatever might fall from the sky. He glanced about. Everyone else was cowering as well, except for Ma, who had her smoking gun aimed at something out of sight. Bug straightened and found his brothers in the crowd. “I told you—”

  “Put the gun down, girlie!” Ma’s shout interrupted him.

  Bug turned and looked over Eva’s head. Jenny stood several yards away. The little pistol she held was pointed at Eva’s back.

  His heart landed in his throat. “Jenny,” he started.

  “Don’t move!” Jenny steadied the gun with her other hand. “Don’t move or she gets it.”

  Bug barely had time to contemplate his response when a blur flew by. Chester Staples snatched the gun from his daughter. “Good grief, Jenny. We don’t have time for your foolishness now. We’ve got to get this well capped.”

  “Daddy!” she screeched.

  “Don’t Daddy me, young lady. I’ve had all I can take from you right now!” Chester grabbed her arm.

  “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re already in? I have half a mind to take you over my knee. And I might, yet. As soon as we get this well capped.”

  Bug glanced back to his family. Chief Red Elk, shaking his head, reached over and grabbed the shotgun out of Ma’s hand. Ma glanced at the Indian and Bug flinched. The Chief had no idea what he’d just done.

  An extremely remarkable thing happened then.

  Ma blushed and grinned at Red Elk. The Chief gave her one swift head nod, and Bug could have sworn he saw the man’s cheeks darken as well.

  “Brett! Come on, we gotta get this well capped!”

  Chester yelled again.

  Bug turned to Mr. Porter. “You better get the power head on that geyser.”

  “A power head?” The man looked confused.

  “Yes, the coupler and casing head. You know, to stop the gushing so you can pump it into the barrels.” Bug glanced about. Other than a couple wagons, there weren’t any tools or gear needed to complete the job. He pondered the sight. “You do have a power head, don’t you?”

  “No, sir. We didn’t think beyond getting the pipe into the oil.” Mr. Porter looked at the other men gathered around. “Anyone know what he’s talking about?”

  Half a dozen men shook their heads.

  Bug’s mind, which had been playing havoc on trying to decide which direction to go, stopped short.

  He glanced down at Eva. “What’s going on here?

  Who’s drilling this well? Who’s in charge?”

  Her cheeks turned bright red. “I’m in charge. I’m drilling the well.”

  “You?” Exhausted, his mind quit working.

  She nodded.

  “Why?”

  Her hands ran up and down his arms from his elbows to shoulders. The movement made his knees quake. “Because,” she said softly, “I want you to have everything you need, right here at home.”

  He squeezed her hips beneath his palms. “You are everything I need,” he admitted without hesitation.

  She smiled. “And you are everything I need.”

  Her eyes twinkled. “I suppose I should tell you about something else, too.”

  “Oh?” The teasing grin on her face held his complete attention. “What’s that?”

  “As soon as we get married on Saturday, we will become parents to Tucker, Reed, and Heather. Elliot Hampton is on his way to Garden City to have the circuit judge sign the papers today.”

  “He is? We will be?”

  She nodded, nibbling on her lip. Excitement shot up his spine. His quiet, sweet little Eva wasn’t quite as quiet and shy as he remembered, and he loved her all the more for it. He picked her up by the waist and lifted her into the air.

  She grabbed on to his shoulder. “Bug? Bug what are you doing?” Staring up into the sweetest, most adorable face on earth, he spun his heels, and laughing with delight, twirled around several times.

  The way Bug spun them about made Eva feel like she was flying with the clouds. Giggling, she held on to his broad shoulders and never took her eyes off his glistening ones. The world surrounding them, the oil flooding the earth, the family members gathered around, and the men she’d hired, grew insignificant. All that mattered was Bug was here, and they’d never be separated again. She’d been working toward this moment for years.

  She dipped her head and found his lips. He responded by pulling her closer. As her body slid down his and her toes touched the ground, her arms wrapped around his neck and his kiss continued to make her head whirl in the clouds.

  Not until she was completely breathless, and clinging to him to even stay upright, did he lift his mouth from hers. Gasping for air, she laid her head on his chest and simply relished being in his arms.

  Their hearts beat in unison, erratic, yet everlastingly perfect.

  “I love you, Eva girl,” he whispered in her ear.

  His tone was serious and reverent.

  She lifted her head to gaze into his handsome face. The way he made her feel was indescribable.

  “And I love you, Bug Quinter. So very, very much.”

  He grinned and tugged her back into his embrace. She sighed and then realized silence filled her ears. Lifting her head, she turned to where the oil had been spewing out of the ground. The geyser was no more. A crowd filled the base of the derrick.

  Stil
l holding her, Bug turned so they both faced the area.

  “I suppose,” Bug said heavily, “I should go help them.”

  The unexpected melancholy in his voice made her ask, “Are you upset? I’m sorr—”

  He spun her about and pressed a finger to her lips. “No, I’m not upset.” He nodded toward the derrick. “Not about the oil. I’m just sorry we can’t go on kissing each other. That’s what I really want to do.” Tickled, she grinned. “Me, too.” She glanced then toward the group of women who stood several yards behind her and Bug. Guilt made it hard to swallow. “But we have a yard full of company. I should go talk to the girls. I’m sure they are wondering why I didn’t tell them about the wedding.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “They are.” He kissed the tip of her nose. The sensation made her giggle. “I heard all about it.”

  “You did?”

  He nodded.

  “Are they angry with me?”

  “Who could ever be angry with you?”

  Love bubbled in her chest. “You are so wonderful. Always have been.”

  He nodded toward the women. “Do you want me to go with you?”

  “As much as I love you, no. This is something I have to do myself.” It was. She’d been the one who’d decided to take matters in her own hands, and she couldn’t expect him to step in and rescue her. Not that she needed to be saved. She was in no danger from the Quinter women, but she did owe them all an explanation.

  “I tell you what. You go with the women back to the house, and as soon as we get the well capped, I’ll be down.” He cupped her cheeks. “We still have a few other things to discuss.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “Like how sorry I am about Jenny Staples showing up here. Like how I came to have three redheaded kids. Like how much I want to get married today instead of Saturday.”

  She giggled. “I already know Jenny’s story. And I can relate to the girl. You are so easy to fall in love with. I know all about the orphan train, and I’m so excited to have three children.” She placed a small kiss on the tip of his chin. “And I love you very much, but we are getting married on Saturday, and not a moment before.”

  He brushed his lips over hers in a teasing way.