****
Royce was tired. He’d caught Jake Tate trying to steal pies out of the kitchen at Maybell’s. Pies ended up all over the floor along with a bunch of dishes. After wrestling Jake to the ground, he’d had to literally drag the three-hundred-pound man’s worthless hide the two blocks to his office. Royce wished he’d shot him in the foot and let someone else haul him over to Doc’s. He left Jake lying in the floor of the jail cell. As soon as he’d locked the door, the fat man pulled himself up and with a grin, stretched out on the cot.
Royce had just sat down when Tommy Thompson charged through the door. His lips were trembling and tears ran down his face. Royce rushed to the boy’s side. “What’s wrong, son?”
“Come quick…Garrett and his ma…hurt…Bull Tate hit ‘um over by the hardware store.”
Fear lodged in Royce’s heart. Garrett, Texanna? No! Ice water hit his veins. He gripped Tommy’s shoulder. “Stay here. If Pete comes in, send him over.”
Royce grabbed his shotgun and ran three blocks up the street and over to Franklin Avenue. A large crowd blocked his way but moved at his order. He could hear the sound of fists on flesh. Sweat poured from his body as terror and fury threatened to cloud his judgment.
Texanna lay in a heap on the ground. A woman kneeling at her side quickly reassured him. “She’s all right, Marshal, just knocked out cold.” Royce was torn between checking Texanna for himself and taking on Bull Tate. The woman gestured. “Hans needs your help right now.”
Royce nodded and turned to the two men fighting in the middle of the street. Hans must’ve come to Texanna’s aid and was taking a beating. Royce stepped between the two men and handed the shotgun to Hans.
Mouth bloodied, Hans grinned. “Thought you’d never get here, Marshal.”
“Well, now, Marshal, this fight is between me and Hans. He butted into my business.”
Royce turned toward Bull. The rage on his face must have registered with the idiot because the fool took a step back and held up his hand.
“No need for me and you to scrap.” Bull grinned. He probably thought he was engaging, but Royce was beyond being pacified. Bull weighed as much as his fat brother Jake, but he was all muscle. He’d always thought Bull the smarter of the two, but today’s behavior killed that belief.
“Is that right? I think you’re mistaken. Even a fool knows we don’t take kindly to men hitting women in this town.”
Bull’s eyes flicked to Texanna. “Now, Marshal, she started it. Bloodied my mouth, she did.”
Royce felt a stirring of pride. It quickly evaporated as the thought of the danger she’d put herself in. “Good for her. I think you deserve more than that for knocking her son around.” He started toward Bull.
“Now, don’t take on so. I didn’t hurt the boy none.” He pointed to where Texanna lay. “She’s just a woman and looks like she’s gonna be just fine.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. That woman is my wife and the boy is my son.” His fist connected with Bull’s jaw, and the bulky man fell on his butt, surprise registered on his face.
Bull looked around at the people watching. Royce knew the man didn’t see one sign of sympathy. He was a troublemaker they could do without in the town. With a roar, Bull pushed up from the ground and attacked. Royce stepped aside and caught him between the shoulders with his locked fists. Bull went down again but didn’t stay. He stood and circled, his fists the size of hams. Royce knew Bull could beat him in a fair fight.
But today wasn’t fair, his fury changed the odds. Bull rushed in and caught Royce on the jaw sending him to the dirt. Royce jumped to his feet, shook his head, and charged landing three blows before Bull could react. Bull reached out and grabbed Royce’s shirt, taking him down with him. They rolled in the dirt and Royce landed on top. He pummeled the big man’s face taking pleasure in each blow.
Hands grabbed Royce from behind, pulling him away, but he fought them off and continued his attack. Suddenly he was yanked to his feet.
“Stop it, Royce. That’s enough.” Pete had him by one arm. Enraged, Royce tried to jerk free, but Hans grabbed his other arm and held like a vise. He shook them off and stood gasping for air, trembling with the force of his need to commit murder.
Royce stared at the man on the ground. Bull wasn’t worth dirtying his hands. He then nodded to Pete. “Throw him into a cell well away from his brother.”
He turned searching for Texanna. She rushed into his arms. Oh God, she’d scared the shit out of him. His hands traveled over her body.
She whispered in his ear. “I’m fine, Royce, fine.”
He pulled back and examined the swelling on her jaw. His own was rigid. “What the hell were you thinking, woman?”
“I wasn’t. I’m sorry, Royce. He hurt Garrett, and I just…” She shrugged.
Royce could understand her emotion but wasn’t relieved. “You can’t take on men like that, Texanna. You’ve got to send for me. I’ll take care of it.”
Texanna’s body trembled, and she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. “He knocked Garrett aside as if he were a piece of dirt on the sidewalk. I wanted to kill him. It took all my willpower to resist drawing my gun.”
Royce stiffened. “You can’t just go around shooting people. I don’t want to have to lock you up for murder.”
“I wouldn’t have killed him. But I’d sure as hell have hit him somewhere that would hurt for a long time.”
Royce sighed. “Come on, let’s check on Garrett. I want Doc to take a look at both of you.”
In the end, Doc looked at all three of them. Garrett was fine. Texanna needed to ice her jaw and limit her talking for a few days until the soreness subsided. Royce knew that would be a challenge. Doc also cleaned up the cuts and scrapes on his face and hands, then pronounced him fit for duty.
They walked out of Doc’s office. The humid early August heat hit them taking Texanna’s breath. “Garrett and I better get home. It’s almost lunch time.”
Royce stroked her arm. “Why don’t we eat lunch at Maybell’s today? It’s too hot for you to cook, and I’m afraid you’re going to have a headache from that blow.”
Texanna didn’t tell him she had one already. He looked like he hurt too. Garrett appeared unscathed.
They found a table, and when Maybell came to take their order, Texanna asked for a place to freshen up. The older woman led her upstairs to a room and found linens for her to wash with. The cool water felt good on her dirt-covered face.
She patted Texanna’s shoulder. “So sorry about your locket, dear. We didn’t find it.”
“Thank you, Maybell. I’m not going to give up hope.” Royce and Jason had scoured the churchyard but didn’t come across it. He’d offered a reward, and the poster was plastered around town.
When she returned to the table, Royce handed her a folded dishtowel filled with ice. She held it against her jaw.
“You’re quite a celebrity around here.”
Texanna glanced around the room to see people staring at her, smiles on their face. Some nodded. She didn’t deserve their admiration. She’d messed up again.
“Yep, you bloodied old Bull’s nose.” Garrett’s grin was proud.
Texanna didn’t return the boy’s grin. “You know, Garrett, it wasn’t a smart thing for me to do. Bull could have hurt me bad. I should’ve waited for your pa, but I let anger get the best of me.” Her actions weren’t a good example. Then she remembered her language.
Face hot, she stammered. “I used some pretty bad language. I’m sure I shocked many of the town’s people.” The men more so than the women. The women probably wanted to utter a few cuss words on occasion and understood her rage. She looked at Royce. “I’m sorry. I hope it won’t cause you any embarrassment.”
Garrett nodded. “Yeah, Tommy’s brother Nathan said you called old Bull some really foul names. Reckon you could teach ‘um to me?”
Royce ducked his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was enjoying her discomfort and trying not to
laugh.
She straightened in the chair. “I most certainly will not. And I don’t ever want to hear you using foul language. Do you understand me?”
He sighed and dropped his shoulders. “Yes, ma’am.”
By the time she and Garrett reached home, her headache was raging. After they tended the horses, she took one of the powders Doc had given her and laid down. Garrett promised he’d stay in the house and work on his drawings or play with his tin soldiers while she rested. Within minutes, she was asleep.
When she woke, Garrett was curled beside her on the bed, out like a light. Contentment filled her. She had a husband and a child, and before too long she hoped to have a baby to add to their family. A boy for Garrett to play with would be nice, but she longed for a little girl—a cutie she’d name Rosie.
Shame enveloped her at her earlier behavior. With children depending on her, she needed to curb her recklessness. Her life and health weren’t the only things at stake now. She eased from the bed to keep from waking Garrett and went downstairs. At the kitchen table, she wrote the day’s events in the journal she’d started the day she and Royce married.
Chapter Nineteen
Making a frame was harder without modern tools, but Texanna managed. By the middle of the afternoon, it was finished, and she let Garrett stain it while she built an eleven-by-fourteen inch mount and stretched canvas over it. What she wouldn’t give for a staple gun.
She worked on her self-portrait for a while. It needed to dry before she added the finishing touches. Her next project was a portrait of Molly, Matthew, and the twins. She put a wash of oils and turpentine over the entire canvas and then started blending colors for the background.
Garrett came in through the kitchen, letting the screen door slam with a whap. “I’m finished staining. Can we put the portrait in it now?”
“We have to make sure it’s completely dry first.”
“Feels dry to me.”
“I’ll check it in a minute.”
“I can’t wait for Pa to see it. He’s gonna be surprised!”
Texanna grinned. Yes, indeed, he was.
As soon as Royce got home, Garrett bounced around him as he tried to unsaddle and groom Samson. The kid had so much energy he was about to bust.
“What’s wrong with you, sport?”
“Nothing, Pa,” the boy said with a grin.
Inside the house, Texanna waited for them in the kitchen. Royce took her in his arms for a kiss. Garrett burst out. “Pa, can’t that wait? Times a wastin’.”
Texanna giggled and stepped away from him. “Okay, go ahead and show him.”
Garrett pulled Royce by the hand into the parlor. His son stood before the fireplace and looked up at the portrait hanging above it and cast glances his way to check his reaction.
Royce could only stare at the artwork before him. Texanna was more talented than Pearl. Pearl had been a good artist, but Texanna was spectacular. His son’s face was so alive he waited to hear the portrait speak. Garrett looked out from the canvas with a teasing smile on his face, his blue eyes lit with humor. Texanna had added another figure—him. Royce stood, his mouth tilted in a grin, eyes bright with laughter, with his arm draped loosely across the boy’s shoulders as he bent to speak in his son’s ear.
It was quiet for several minutes. Texanna and Garrett were waiting for his response, but he couldn’t seem to find his voice.
“Ma said we needed a reason to give you a gift, so we invented Father’s Day.” Garrett slipped his arm around his father’s waist. Royce instinctively hugged his son’s shoulders. “Do you like your gift, Pa?”
Royce took several deep breaths to calm his thundering heart. “I love it, Son. Thank you.” He turned to Texanna and reached out for her. She walked into his arms. He breathed in her sweet scent, and the feel of her soft body against his made the ache in his chest deepen. “Thank you, love, thank you both.”
“You’re welcome.” Texanna squeezed him and stepped away. He let her go with reluctance. “Come on, Garrett. Give your pa a chance to study it alone.”
Their chatter faded as he continued to study the portrait. Texanna saw so much. His love for Garrett flowed from the canvas, as did his son’s happiness. That she saw him so clearly humbled and flattered him. He had one regret. He wished she’d added herself to the portrait.
****
Texanna stepped back and considered the picture. It needed a few more reddish highlights added to her hair and some shadows to the blue dress Royce bought for her. Since her hair was shorter than customary for nineteenth century styles, she’d painted it up on top of her head with tendrils curling around her face. Tomorrow she’d add the finishing touches to her complexion, and the portrait would be done.
Royce stuck his head in the door. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” She knew he was dying to see what she worked on, but respected her secrecy.
“Sure, I’ll be out in just a minute. Let me clean my brushes.”
The sun was setting when she stepped out onto the porch. She sat down in the rocker beside him.
He reached for her hand and cleared his throat. “I don’t want you coming into town for a while. Bull Tate has two more brothers, and there’s likely to be trouble when they come to bail Jake and Bull out of jail.”
“I need to come to town,” she said. “I don’t plan to bring Garrett with me anymore, but I have to be there when the Bass gang arrives.”
“Dammit, you do not. Don’t you trust me enough to be able to protect myself and this town?”
“Of course I do, but for some reason it’s necessary for me to be in town to prevent you from being hurt.” She held her stomach and shivered. “I feel it here in my gut.”
He stood and walked over to lean against the porch post and look out at the field. “You’re being unreasonable. I won’t be able to function knowing you’re in danger. How can I protect myself and the town when I’m worried about you getting hurt?”
Texanna thought about what he’d said. His reasoning was sound, and she didn’t want to endanger him, but knew she had to be there to cover his back. She knew it as well as she knew her name. It wouldn’t be pleasant to lie to him, but she would if necessary.
She’d be so glad when they were beyond August eighth. There were so many things she wanted to do, but the impending bank robbery hung over their heads. She still didn’t have a clue who the killer might be. Ross had reason to hold a grudge, but Bull Tate and his brother Jake did also. How many other men out there had reason to want Royce dead?
Texanna stood and walked to the edge of the porch. “Royce, have you had previous run-ins with Bull Tate and his brothers?”
Royce turned and pulled her back against his chest. Arms around her waist, his breath rustled her hair. “I sent one of the brothers to prison a few years ago. He was caught rustling cattle and should be released in another year or two.”
His arms were crossed under her breasts. “What about Ross? Any reason he’d want to kill you?”
“Not that I know of. Ross is new in town and doesn’t have any relatives nearby.” He leaned down and kissed her ear. “I’ll do some checking tomorrow.”
Royce turned her to face him and settled his chin on her head. “There are lots of men out there whom I’ve sent to prison or killed brothers or fathers, but that doesn’t mean they’re out for revenge. Most folks know when their loved ones are no good and don’t hold the law to blame for putting them away.”
Yeah, but then there are those who can’t see their loved ones as being anything but perfect. Some people have sick ideas of who is at fault and are quick to blame anyone but the guilty person. They were the ones that were dangerous.
Royce cupped her cheek. “I need your promise, Texanna. I don’t want you in town.”
She turned her face into his palm and kissed it. “Okay. You won’t see me in town. I promise.” The lie was necessary to ease his mind—and her own. She couldn’t live in the nineteenth or any century without him.
&nb
sp; His eyes narrowed. “Now why doesn’t that ease my mind?”
****
August eighth, the day Texanna dreaded, had finally arrived. Worry and fear closed over her heart like a vice. Royce had finished breakfast, and Texanna watched as he strapped on his gun belt.
She dried her hands and walked into his arms. He held her close and stroked her back. Her arms slid around his neck and pulled his head down for her kiss. His mouth was hot. As his tongue twined with hers, desire shot through her nerve endings, making her groan and press closer to his heat. Would she ever get enough of this man’s loving?
His large hands spanned her waist, kneading her flesh before he lifted her and set her on the table forcing her legs apart with his thighs. His arousal pressed against her and her sex clenched and became moist with wanting him. With a groan, he broke the kiss and pressed his lips to her forehead.
She ran her hands down his muscled buttocks. They tightened in response to her touch. She squeezed and pulled him closer. Trying to keep her apprehension out of her voice, she teased. “Are you sure you have to go in today? If you stay home, I’ll make it worth your while.”
A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Shame on you, woman.”
He stepped back and she slid to the floor. “I won’t be home for lunch the next couple of days.”
“Why—”
“Maybell will send a plate over.” He caught her chin and tilted her face up to his. “Remember, you promised me you’d stay at home.”
“Royce…I—”
He tapped her nose with his finger. “Bull and Jake Tate were released on bail yesterday. They’re dangerous. It would grieve me to do it, but I’ll lock you in a cell if I have to.”
She wanted to argue but kept her mouth shut.
He dropped a lingering kiss on her lips. Voice hoarse, he whispered. “I love you more than life. Help me here.”
Texanna chewed her inner lip and nodded. “I love you, Royce.”
An hour before noon, Texanna sent Garrett over to Aggie’s for the afternoon and saddled Strawberry. She wanted to do as Royce had asked but couldn’t. Guilt gnawed at her for going against his wishes again, but she knew, without a doubt, it was vital, crucial, for her to be on the scene when the robbery occurred. Why, she didn’t know. But she couldn’t defy her instincts. She prayed Royce would be safe, and he’d forgive her for interfering one more time.
My Heart Will Find Yours Page 21
