He took a step toward the bam and peered through the open doorway. Yep, both of them. “I see y’all found my horses. Do I need to get them fed and watered?”
The young husband said, “I took care of it.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Are you Doc?”
“I’m Jack Baker and I want you to tell us why you were ‘taking care’ of Tess.”
His wife jumped in. “You better not have hurt her.”
The uniformed gentleman swelled up like a peacock and demanded, “Who are you and what were you doing to poor Tess?”
Bunch of busy hens, Gabe thought, grimacing. He was tempted to check his ankles to see if they had “Peck me here” painted on them. He cleared his throat. “Sounds to me like we all have a question or two. If y’all will button your beaks a moment, I’ll start the answers.”
One by one, they quieted. Gabe let the silence rest in his ears a moment, knowing that as soon as he spoke, the noise would start up all over again. Then, tipping his hat toward Mrs. Baker, he said, “I am Tess’s husband, but my name is Gabe Montana. Some folks call me Whip.”
“Whip Montana?” Jack Baker repeated. “The school-house hero?”
“You’re not Tess’s husband!” his wife exclaimed. “Gabe Cameron is her husband’s name.”
“I still go by Gabe. I got stuck with the Whip a few years back when I used one to my advantage while trying to prevent a train robbery.”
Andrew shook his head. “I don’t understand. Tess didn’t mention any name change when she said you might be visiting.”
“Look, call me anything you want as long as it’s not Cameron. I’m of a serious mind about that.”
As the Aurorians shared a look, Gabe nodded toward the man he’d found in bed with his wife. “I could use some introductions myself. You’re Andrew…?”
“Ross. Andrew Ross.” He folded his arms across a fringed, buckskin shirt and nodded toward the others as he said their names. “Jack and Amy Baker. Colonel Jasper Wilhoit. And Twinkle is inside with Tess. We are all very good friends of Tess’s. In feet, we refer to ourselves as family.”
“All right.” That didn’t surprise him. Tess always had been one to take in strays. “I heard a couple other names, too. Doc and Will are where?”
“Gone,” Tess said from the doorway to the house. She wore a pretty blue dress that matched her eyes, and she strode purposefully across the porch and down the front steps.
Admiration and a fair dose of lust warmed Gabe at the sight of his wife. The woman was all grown up and showing a side of herself he’d never seen before. She wore authority like a mantle, determination like a lance. The air around her sizzled with energy. She was a Valkyrie prepared for battle. And Gabe all but swallowed his tongue at her beauty.
Their gazes locked and Gabe fantasized about surrender.
Amy Baker broke the spell by demanding, “Is it true, Tess? You’re married to this man, to Whip Montana?”
Without looking away, Tess shook her head. “Yes, I married him. But I married Gabe Cameron.”
“I’m not him, Tess,” Gabe warned. “And you should be glad for it, too.”
“I still don’t understand,” Andrew repeated.
Gabe looked away first, and Tess said, “No matter what he calls himself now, this is the Gabe you’ve all heard about. I see I should have provided more details when I told you he might be visiting, but in all honesty, I was more concerned with seeing to Andrew’s recovery. Now, I want to think this situation with Doc through a bit before I speak with Lionel Robards, so I’ll check my star shed first. Is he waiting at my house?”
“No,” Jack answered “The Ranger captain is in the kitchen. Amy fixed him breakfast.”
“I wouldn’t put it past him to have made this all up in order to make another run at your biscuits,” Tess said tossing Amy a smile. “Haven’t you noticed how often he visits right at breakfast time? That’s no coincidence, believe me.”
The young wife ducked her head bashfully. “Oh, Tess. It’s not that I think he’s simply so anxious to see you he makes the trip faster every time he visits.”
“He does cut quite a dashing figure,” the colonel observed, darting a sly look toward Gabe. “Would you like us to entertain him until you’re ready to see him, dear?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Just go about your normal business. I’ll check in with everyone once Lionel leaves. Then we can figure out what to do next.”
Without so much as a word to him, Tess headed for one of the sheds. Gabe stood and watched her until she disappeared inside. He was entranced by this new side of Tess’s personality. She’d always been confident in herself, but she’d never acted so…assertive. In fact, the Tess he’d married used to express her opinion, then look to him to make the decision. Now she up and told him and everyone else what to do. Damned if he didn’t find the change in her intriguing. “I wonder what other surprises she has up her sleeve.”
“Looked to me like you had a good enough view of our Tess’s sleeves as it was,” grumbled the colonel before strolling toward the barn.
The Bakers walked hand-in-hand into the house next to Andrew’s, and Twinkle muttered something about fall tomatoes before striding toward the garden. That left Gabe to track down the Ranger by himself which suited him perfectly. It worked better for a man to meet his wife’s “dashing beau” by himself.
He followed the scent of coffee to the free-standing building that served as a kitchen and sauntered inside. A pot of the aromatic brew sat on a stove and a pretty-boy Ranger occupied a chair at a long table eating cream gravy and biscuits with a fork.
Gabe knew a number of Rangers across the state, but this fellow was a stranger to him. Broad shouldered and blond, the Ranger had those classically handsome features that women sighed over. Gabe disliked him on sight.
“Morning,” he said casually, striding toward the stove. He poured a cup of coffee and joined him at the table, straddling a chair to sit down.
“Yes?” asked the Ranger captain. He frowned and set down his fork.
Gabe eyed Lionel Robards’ plate. “You’re a fork man, hmm? Personally, I always considered biscuits and good cream gravy as one of life’s perfect finger-lickin’ foods.”
“Who are you?”
Gabe debated his choice of reply. Considering the stink he’d made recently about the ineptitude displayed by some companies of Rangers, his reputation might well have preceded him. This fellow would button his lips at the mention of Gabe’s name. However, if Robards considered himself Tess’s beau, he’d damn sure shut up the moment Gabe named himself as her husband. He set down his coffee and extended his hand “Gabe Montana. Glad to make your acquaintance, Captain Robards.”
“Montana.” The Ranger shook his hand with a firm grip, then eyed him studiously and added, “Hmm…Whip Montana?” At Gabe’s reluctant nod, he continued, “I know you. I heard you came through Eagle Gulch a few days back. You’re the special investigator for the Brazos Valley Rail Company.”
His moss green eyes narrowing suspiciously, Captain Robards continued, “I’ve been wondering what brought you to this part of the world. Not the vandalism along the rail line, surely. The Brazos Valley isn’t building this spur and besides, the Rangers are on the job of tracking down the vandals. We don’t require your help.”
Professional rivalry. Having run into this in the past, Gabe suppressed a sigh. He was continually amazed at how men allowed their own petty jealousies to get in the way of everything from friendship to getting the job done. He had no quarrel with honest competition, but it didn’t belong in every venue. If a criminal needed catching, what did it matter who did the work as long as the villain ended up behind bars? Gabe had no patience for prima donnas, but he knew when it was best to play his cards close to his vest.
“I haven’t come to Aurora Springs in an official capacity. In fact I’m on a leave of absence from the railroad. I’m here for personal reasons.”
The Ranger’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”
<
br /> Gabe nodded and lied, “I’m toying with the idea of relocating from southeast Texas, and this part of the world intrigues me. I stumbled across this place yesterday. You know, these springs are the best source of water around.”
It made all the difference in the world. Robards visibly relaxed and offered an indulging smile. His teeth were white and straight. Tess would like that.
He chuckled softly. “Sorry, Mr. Montana, but if you’re here in Aurora Springs hoping to buy land in this canyon, I’m afraid you’ve wasted the trip. I had my eye on this property myself but the owners refused to entertain any offers.”
“Really?” Gabe paused to sip his coffee. “And who holds the deed on these acres?”
“Well…” Robards paused to take another bite of biscuit. “Tess’s name is on the paper, but she says it is community property. You should understand that the inhabitants of Aurora Springs are turned a bit differently than most, but then, you’ve probably already seen that yourself.”
Turned a bit differently was a polite way to say it, Gabe thought. “I did notice the camels.”
The Ranger nodded. “Castor and Pollux, named after the stars. They’re descendants of Jefferson Davis’s experiment with the importation of dromedaries to be employed for military purposes. Those animals fit right at home here in Aurora Springs. Now, don’t get me wrong,” he hastened to add, “I think the Aurorians are for the most part fine people, but one can’t deny their…how shall I put it…eccentricities.”
“I’ve never met a woman named Twinkle before,” Gabe observed as he idly sipped his coffee and tried to think of a way to best broach the subject of this man’s courtship of his wife. He wanted to settle this beau nonsense before Tess showed up.
Robards waved his fork. “Don’t sell Twinkle short. If you can overlook her colorful dress and misguided beliefs, you’ll soon realize the woman is a treasure.”
“What do you mean ‘misguided beliefs’?”
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, please. I won’t judge the woman. I’m just curious.”
After a moment’s silence, Robards said, “It’s the…” he held up his hands and wiggled his fingers in the air “…lights.”
“Lights?” The word combined with the motions grabbed Gabe’s attention, diverting his thoughts from Tess.
Robards snapped his fingers and sat back in his chair.
“That’s right. You’re new to the area. I guess you are not familiar with the tales of the Aurora Springs Ghost Lights, or Kissing Stars like Tess calls them.”
“Can’t say that I am.”
“It’s a long story, but suffice it to say the Aurorians claim they see unexplainable bouncing balls of light in the night sky near here,” said the Ranger. “Twinkle thinks they’re ghosts. She says her crystal ball is energized by the stars and that’s how she contacts souls on the other side.”
Gabe scratched his chin. “I saw her séance tent at the Texas State Fair. I thought she did all that as an act—not that she believed it.”
“Oh, she believes it. Everyone around here believes something foolish about the Mystery Lights. Take the Yankee colonel, for instance. He’s a water witcher and he told me that the magnetic energies put off by the stars empowers his divining rods. He believes the star-charged rods will lead him not to water, but to diamonds.”
“A treasure hunter,” Gabe said, wondering what life path took a much-decorated soldier in such a direction.
“Not just any treasure. It must be diamonds. Why, the man happened to stumble across a cache of stolen gold—stagecoach robberies were regular occurrences in these badlands until recently—and the colonel brought it back to Aurora Springs as an afterthought. He wasn’t looking for gold, you see. Just diamonds.”
“Interesting approach,” Gabe observed. He thought of the other residents of Aurora Springs, the Bakers and Andrew Ross, and wondered about their beliefs concerning these so-called stars. And Tess, of course. Surely she had professional reasons for being here.
Robards must have followed his line of thinking. “As far as I can tell, Miss Cameron is the only one here in Aurora Springs with a sane approach to the story. She claims to be searching for a scientific explanation for the lights’ presence.”
Gabe nodded. That fit with what he knew of Tess. “Have you seen these spooklights?”
The Ranger scoffed, but his gaze shifted away from Gabe. “Of course not. There is nothing out there to see. It’s just a bunch of foolishness that I am afraid is causing trouble.”
Gabe polished off his coffee, then rose to refill his cup. “What trouble?”
“Oh, I don’t think I should go into all of that.”
“You mean the fire at the rail yard?”
The Ranger’s eyes narrowed, but before he could reply the door swung open. Tess swept inside, still in her warrior goddess mode. She halted in the middle of the room, leveled a frown at Gabe, then turned to Robards. “Lionel? What’s this nonsense about a fire?”
The Ranger stood, his mouth stretching into a smile. “Good morning, Tess. May I say you look exceptionally beautiful in that dress. The shade of blue is a perfect match to your exquisite eyes.”
She waved off the compliment. “Doc didn’t do anything and you know it, Lionel.”
He sighed. “Honey, I’m sorry, but an eyewitness claims he saw Doc at the scene of the crime.”
Gabe frowned. Honey?
“Who?” she snapped, bracing her hands on her hips.
He glanced at Gabe and said, “Perhaps we should discuss this in private?”
Gabe settled back in his chair and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. He wasn’t going anywhere. Tess either knew it or didn’t care because she glossed right over the objection and asked, “Who is the eyewitness?”
Shrugging, the Ranger captain gave in. “Lizard Johnson.”
Tess scoffed. “Lionel, be serious. Who says he saw Doc at the railroad spur?”
“I told you. Lizard Johnson.” The Ranger set down his fork and pushed away his plate. “I interviewed him myself after the sheriff questioned him. You know I’m always trying to look out for you, Tess. Lizard says he saw Doc at the supply yard just minutes before the fire broke out. The man even carried a torch.” Sympathy dimmed his eyes as he added, “I knew how much this would upset you.”
Tess started shaking her head and didn’t stop. “He didn’t do it. This charge is ridiculous and you know it. Poor Lizard hasn’t had a sober day in the past six months, perhaps even the past six years.”
Robards said, “I know, honey. And I’ll admit I have my doubts about his claims. That’s why I came right away to warn you. I’d expect the sheriff later this afternoon.”
Tess grimaced, sighed, and sank onto the bench that ran along one side of the table. She rubbed her forehead. “He really intends to make an arrest?”
“Yes, he does.” The Ranger rose from his chair and walked around the table. He met Gabe’s gaze, threw a pointed look from Gabe to the door—a look Gabe ignored—then he took Tess’s hand in his and lowered his voice. Gabe pointed his ear their direction.
“Please, Tess. Don’t you think the time has come? Let me protect you. Even if you’re not ready for marriage, let me and a couple of my men move out to Aurora Springs. I’ll be able to prove you and your friends’ innocence if and when more trouble happens. And, if I’m headquartered here, I know I can convince the sheriff to hold off on moving against Doc. I can keep him out of jail, Tess. Let me.”
The comers of her mouth lifted in a brief smile. “He’s not here. He’s safe.”
“What?” The Ranger froze.
“Doc is making another trip down to the Big Bend area, down near the Dead Horse Range. Will went with him.”
“The Big Bend?” Now the captain reared back. In an incredulous tone he asked, “Why did he go there? That place isn’t fit for living.”
As Tess launched into a story about cave paintings and the mystery ligh
ts, Gabe watched Robards closely. Tess’s news had disturbed him more than just a little.
Gabe snagged a biscuit off a serving plate in the middle of the table and took a healthy bite. Curious reaction, he thought. Robards wasn’t telling all. He’d bet another biscuit on it.
“I need to get a message to them,” Tess finished. She reached out and rested her hand on the Ranger’s forearm. The warrior goddess turned manipulator, both her eyes and voice pleading as she asked, “Could you do that for me? That’s how I could use your help.”
Robards winced and cut a quick glance toward Gabe. “Uh, I’m scheduled to patrol the northwest for the next few weeks.”
“I know it is asking a lot, Lionel, but it would mean so very much to me if you could see a way to juggle your schedule. If your offer to help is sincere…?”
“I do want to help you. I just don’t know if I can get away to the Big Bend.”
Her voice was soft and haunting as she said, “But I must warn Doc.”
“And just who is he, Tess?” Gabe interrupted. She glanced in his direction briefly, exasperation and a flash of guilt obvious in the look. The guilt made him uneasy. “I thought you said Aurora Springs doesn’t have a doctor?”
“He’s not a medical doctor. He’s a scientist like me. Doc is a nickname, a joke that stuck.” She refocused her attention on the Ranger. “Perhaps some of your men could go?”
While Tess tried to convince the other man to do her bidding, Gabe pondered the facts he had picked up. That led to more questions. He’d gathered that Will was a boy, but who was this Doc? Why the guilt? Could he be Tess’s lover?
He rolled the idea around his brain. Tess and another man. His wife and a lover. Gabe grimaced as the sour taint of jealousy coated his mouth and a burning sensation stabbed his gut. His gaze focused on Tess, then shifted to the Ranger, then returned to Tess again. Was that why she high-tailed it away from him at the state fair? Did she have a guilty conscience?
Gabe hadn’t been celibate during the past dozen years, but then he’d had every reason to believe himself divorced. Tess didn’t have that excuse. Tess knew she was a married woman.
The Kissing Stars Page 6
