"And leave my son to Cramer? Not on your life. Andy hates Cramer, and I believe the feeling is mutual."
"Andy is jealous. In time he'd come to regard Taylor as his father."
"Don't delude yourself. Andy isn't jealous of me. If you divorce me and marry Cramer, I'll take Andy from you. Remember that, Lacey."
Lacey exploded in fury. "Damn you! I'll tell the sheriff you're a wanted man if you attempt such a thing. I can use the reward," she added.
Sam's eyes narrowed. "I believe you would. What a fool I was to trust you. I won't let you betray me twice."
"You can't stop me."
"Perhaps not, but I can give you something to think about before you turn me in for the reward." He lowered himself to the bed.
"What are you doing?"
"I want you to remember that no matter how many times you betray me, I'm the one who taught you passion. I'm the man who can bring you to shuddering ecstasy even though you profess to hate me."
"You think highly of yourself," Lacey sniffed. "What makes you think you're the only man with the power to move me?"
Sam's smile did not reach his eyes. "Do you think I don't know when a woman wants me? When she enjoys me? I've seen you with Cramer enough times to know he does little for you sexually. Have your other lovers left you as cold as Cramer?"
"My 'other lovers' are none of your business."
"You're still my wife. Of course they matter. Have you signed the divorce document yet?"
"I...no, it's still in the drawer, but I certainly intend to sign it. I can't, I won't lose this ranch. It's all Andy and I have."
"Don't sign the divorce, Lacey," Sam said with feeling. It was the closest Sam had ever come to begging and he didn't like it. "Sam...I...don't..."
"If my words won't convince you, then maybe this will."
His mouth swooped down over hers, not soft and giving but hot and ravishing. It was a savage kiss, one of fierce possession. His breath came in swift, panting outbursts, his gaze burning hot as his heated gaze raked over her.
"Don't do this," she whispered raggedly.
He blurted out the truth before thinking. "I can't help myself."
He kissed her again, cupped her breasts, teased her nipples. Lacey fought the feeling spiraling through her and lost the battle. A sound escaped her throat. A soft, tortured whimper. Scorching heat burned through her. Hard, callused hands stroked her body, seeking the damp folds of her sex. A long finger slipped inside her. Moisture scalded her...her own moisture, she realized. She wanted to scream out in frustration, curse him for his ability to seduce her, but her weakness for this man made a shambles of her good intentions.
She braced her hands against his chest. She wanted to push him and was shocked when she realized she was dragging him closer. His hands left her. She heard his gunbelt drop to the floor. He returned moments later and grasped the full rounds of her buttocks. He shoved her legs apart with his knees and she felt his sex, smooth, hot, hard, prodding her entrance. Holding her steady, he sheathed himself to the hilt. He stilled for a moment, a shudder racking his body. Then he began to move, filling her, filling her so deeply she felt as if he were a part of her.
"Feel me inside you, Lacey," he murmured. He flattened his hand low on her belly. Pressed against it with the heel of his hand. The sensation sent her spiraling out of control as she writhed, panted, gyrated wildly beneath him. "Can you feel the pressure? It's good, isn't it?" he whispered hoarsely.
Speech deserted her. She flung back her head and arched upward, taking him deeper. A climatic throbbing began deep within her. Then she was soaring, straining, moaning, peaking. She heard his harsh moan. Felt his final thrust that ended with the spewing of his seed inside her.
Sam rose immediately. He straightened his clothes and strapped on his gunbelt.
"Are you still going to tell the sheriff about me?" he asked with an insolence that set Lacey's teeth on edge. Was he so sure she wouldn't?
Lacey wanted to lash out at him, to hurt him for making her want him. For thinking he could dictate her life when he had wanted no part of it.
"You're a threat to Andy and the kind of life I want for him. You couldn't corrupt him if you were behind bars."
Rage seethed through Sam. "I expected no less from you. I should have known better than to confide in you, but I foolishly believed your story naming your father my betrayer. I won't make the mistake of trusting you again, Lacey. I plan to be well away from here before the sheriff comes looking for me." His eyes narrowed. "Will you betray me again, Lacey?"
Lacey bit her lip. Though she wanted Sam to leave, she had no intention of alerting the law. "Sam, I..."
"No, don't say it. I already know the answer. I'm going to tell Andy good-bye before I leave," Sam warned. "Don't try to stop me."
Lacey leapt from bed and placed herself in front of him. "No! Leave him alone. He's going to be hurt enough when he learns you won't be coming back."
"He's my son," Sam said grimly as he set her away from him. "There are things I need to tell him." He picked up the lamp and strode from the room.
Lacey was hard on his heels, fearing the damage Sam could do. Andy was at a vulnerable age, she didn't know how he would handle this. She hovered behind Sam as he set the lamp down, knelt beside Andy's bed and gently shook him awake. Andy blinked groggily, saw Sam, and came awake instantly. Sam caught him as he launched himself into his arms.
"Papa! I knew you'd come back!"
"I'm here now, son, but I can't stay. I needed to see you before I left."
Andy's face puckered as if he wanted to cry. "Why do you have to go away again?" He turned pleading eyes on Lacey. "Make Papa stay, Mama? I don't want to lose another papa."
"Andy, there's something I want to tell you before I leave."
"Sam, no! Andy can't deal with this now."
"He's old enough to understand," Sam shot back.
"What is it, Papa?"
"I wanted to know that I'm your real father. I didn't die in the war. Your mother thought I was dead and I let her believe it. You see, I didn't know about you. Had I known I had a son, I wouldn't have stayed away so long. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"
Andy stared at Sam a long time, then gave a solemn nod. "You're my real papa but you're going to leave me again. Don't you like me?"
Tears clogged Lacey's throat. "I told you he wouldn't understand. You've only complicated matters."
Sam's swallowed the lump in his throat. Hurting Andy hadn't been his intention. He just wanted to hold his son before bidding him a final good-bye. He hugged Andy tight against him, burying his face in the sweet hollow of his neck. He smelled of sleep and innocence.
"I love you, Andy, very much."
"Then why do you have to leave?"
"It's a long story, son, and very complex. But I'm going to make you a promise. One day I'll return for you. I'm not abandoning you forever."
"Don't make promises you have no intention of keeping," Lacey admonished.
Sam ignored her. "This is one promise I'm going to keep, son. I will return for you."
"For Mama, too?" Andy asked.
Sam's hard gaze raked Lacey. "We'll talk about that when the time comes."
"Don't stay away too long, Papa."
"I'll try not to. You'd best get some sleep now."
He tried to set Andy away but the boy clung to him with a tenacity that tugged at Sam's heart.
"Stay with me tonight, Papa. Just tonight. Please."
Sam didn't have the heart to refuse. "Just until you go to sleep. In bed with you now."
Andy snuggled down beneath the covers, gripping Sam's hand tightly. Sam sat on the bed, watching his son fall asleep and wondering if he'd be able to keep his promise. He heard Lacey leave the room and refused to think about her. They had already said their farewells and had nothing more to say to one another. Despite her threat, he really didn't believe she'd go to the sheriff.
An hour before dawn, Sam kissed Andy's
forehead and crept from his room. He paused before Lacey's bedroom door, then forced himself to continue down the stairs. The sky was growing light, but there was still something he had to do before he left. He entered Lacey's small office and rummaged through drawers, not finding what he was looking for. Then he crept into the parlor and began opening drawers, until he found what he'd been searching for in the writing desk. Smiling grimly, he tucked the sheath of papers into his pocket and left the house.
The hands were beginning to stir. He saw Luke leave the bunkhouse and head over to the cookhouse to prepare breakfast. Sam's mouth watered for a cup of strong coffee and his stomach rumbled with hunger, but lingering at the B&G could be dangerous to his health should Lacey take it into her head to fetch the sheriff.
No one saw Sam mount Gallahad and ride away.
While Sam was riding away from the B&G, the sheriff was rousing the telegraph operator from his bed to send a telegram to Dodge City. Taylor Cramer had ridden into town late last night with a wild tale about Sam Gentry being wanted for bank robbery in Dodge. Whether he believed it or not, Sheriff Hale felt duty bound to investigate, so he wired the sheriff in Dodge City, requesting an immediate reply.
The reply arrived late that morning. The Gentry brothers, Sam, Rafe and Jess, were outlaws, wanted for bank robbery. There was a five hundred dollar award on each of their heads. Hale notified Cramer and a posse was formed. The B&G was their first stop.
Lacey arose late, pretending that nothing had happened last night. Unfortunately, the soreness between her legs was a grim reminder that Sam had made love to her twice that night.
"Is something wrong, Senora?" Rita asked as Lacey pushed around the food on her plate without tasting it. "Will Senor Sam be down soon? I heard he has been released from jail. I'm glad. Senor Sam wouldn't have shot at Senor Cramer."
"I agree, but Sam isn't here, Rita. I don't want you mentioning him in front of Andy."
Rita sent Lacey a curious glance. When she would have said something further, Andy bounded into the room.
"When did Papa leave? He was gone when I woke up."
Rita quietly left the room.
"You knew Sam was going to leave," Lacey said gently.
Andy's lower lip trembled. "I know, but I hoped..."
"We can always hope, honey, but sometimes our wishes don't come true."
"Don't you want Papa to come back, Mama?"
Lacey weighed her words carefully. "I want what's best for all of us, honey." She tried to draw him into her arms but he pulled away from her.
"No! You're lying! You don't want Papa to come back." Turning on his heel, he ran from the room.
Lacey started to follow but decided to let Andy work out his frustrations before trying to console him. He was in no mood to listen to anything she had to say.
Lacey walked through the kitchen to the back porch, where she picked up the egg basket and continued on to the chicken coop to gather eggs. Rain threatened. It was a dreary, dark day, perfectly matching Lacey's dour mood. She hurried through the gloom and stepped into the chicken coop. The earthy smell of feathers and manure greeted her inside the long, low building. Her mind skittered in all directions as she shooed hens from their nests and plucked the fruit of their labors from beneath them. She had just extracted eggs from the last nest when she heard riders approaching. Many riders. She set the basket on the floor and ran outside. She recognized Taylor Cramer, the sheriff, and some men from town.
The riders drew rein when they saw her. "Good morning, ma'am," Sheriff Hale said.
Lacey glanced nervously at the riders, and it suddenly dawned on her who and what they were. A posse from town! Why had they come here? Surely they weren't after Sam, were they? Taylor told her the charges had been dropped.
Lacey's heart began to pound. "What can I do for you, Sheriff?"
"Where's Gentry?" Hale asked without preamble.
"You're looking for Sam? I thought the charges against him were dropped and he was released from jail."
Lacey felt Rusty's comforting presence beside her, lending his support.
"Yep, he was released, all right," Hale admitted, "but that was before we knew he was wanted for bank robbery in Dodge City. I telegraphed Dodge City and formed a posse when I received the reply. Is Gentry here or isn't he?"
Lacey's heart sank. How did they know? Her gaze flew to Cramer. "What's this all about, Taylor?"
Cramer shrugged. "It's like the sheriff said, Lacey. Gentry is an outlaw, a wanted man."
Lacey's gaze returned to the sheriff. "What made you wire Dodge City? Did you see a wanted poster?"
Hale's eyes shifted away from her. "It doesn't matter how I learned about Gentry's criminal record. What's important is that we bring him to justice. The bastard fooled me and I don't like that. I had him in my jail and let him loose."
"Sam isn't a criminal," Lacey defended. "There must be some mistake."
"Lacey," Cramer cautioned, "you don't really know the man, or what he's capable of. Is he here?"
"No. He was hear last night but left hours ago."
Cramer cursed. "He was supposed to leave town without contacting you."
"How long ago did he leave?" Hale asked.
Lacey shrugged. "I'm not sure."
Hale turned his attention to Rusty and the hands. "What about you, Ramsey? Did you or any of the hands see Gentry leave?"
"I ain't seen hide nor hair of him," Rusty lied. "None of the boys mentioned seeing him, either. Ain't that right, boys?"
Since none of the hands had seen Sam, all agreed with Rusty.
"He can't be too far ahead of us," Cramer said.
"It hasn't rained yet, we have a good chance of picking up his trail," Hale said. "Let's ride, boys."
Lacey's fear escalated as she watched the posse ride away. She had no idea how long Sam had stayed with Andy last night but she hoped it had only been a few minutes, and that he was far enough away from Denison to elude the posse.
Lacey turned back to the house. Rusty stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"You don't believe Sam is guilty, do you?"
"Sam is capable of many things, but I can't believe bank robbery is one of them. He told me all about it before he left. It's all a big mistake."
A grin spread across the foreman's craggy features. "I thought as much. I'm a pretty good judge of character."
"Do you think the posse will catch up with him?"
"There's always that chance," Rusty allowed. "A lot depends on how big a start he has on the posse."
"I know you spoke with Sam last night."
"Yep, right after he rode in. I found him in the barn." Rusty fidgeted nervously. "I know I had no right, but I set Sam straight about something he should have recognized before now. It wasn't my place, but I couldn't let him ride off believing Andy wasn't his son. I don't know a thing about the trouble between you and Sam, or why you chose to let him believe Andy wasn't his, but I felt he should know the truth. Any fool can see the resemblance between Sam and Andy."
"Any fool but Sam," Lacey muttered.
"Are you mad at me, Miz Lacey?"
Lacey sighed. "Not really. In fact, I expected Sam to realize it long before now. Not only is he stubborn, but blind about a lot of things concerning me and Andy."
"I sure as hell hope Sam outruns the posse. How do you reckon the sheriff learned about him?"
"From a wanted poster, I suppose," Lacey ventured. "Thanks for your support, Rusty. Have you seen Andy? He took off before breakfast and I haven't seen him since."
"I saw him running into the barn when I was coming out of the cookhouse. You want I should get him for you?"
"Thanks, I'll find him myself."
Lacey strode off toward the barn. Though the doors were open, the inside was dark and murky.
"Andy, are you in there?"
Andy stepped out from behind an old plow. He was so close, Lacey gave a squeal of surprise and stepped back, her hand flying to her heart. "Andy, you frighte
ned me."
"I heard riders and peeked out the door to see who they were. Was that the sheriff, Mama? Who were those men with him?"
Lacey saw no help for it. She had to tell Andy the truth, as much of it as he could understand.
"Those men with the sheriff were the posse," she began.
Andy thought about that for a moment, then said, "A posse chases after bad men."
"That's right, honey."
"Why did they come here? There are no bad men on the B&G."
Lacey stifled a groan. It was now or never, and Andy was bound to figure it out sooner or later. He hung around the hands to remain in the dark for long.
"They came for Sam, honey."
Andy frowned. "Papa? Why did they want Papa? He's not a bad man."
"It's all a big mistake, Andy. I'm sure your father will get it all straightened out in time."
Immediately Andy's face cleared. "Don't worry. Papa will tell them they made a mistake and it will be all right."
Lacey wished she had Andy's blind faith.
Andy grasped Lacey's hand. "I'm hungry, Mama. Can I have my breakfast now?"
Hand in hand they walked back to the house, but Lacey's thoughts were on the posse, and the man wanted for bank robbery.
Sam wasn't in any big hurry. Lacey was bluffing. He didn't really believe she would sic the law on him. Meanwhile, he had nowhere to go, nothing to do but ride to some distant location and hope no one knew Sam Gentry was wanted for bank robbery. Perhaps he should change his last name. He chewed on that for awhile and decided he'd drop his last name altogether. In Texas, no one questioned a man who offered no last name.
Sam's stomach rumbled. He was hungry. Unfortunately he carried few if any provisions with him. He decided to make a quick stop in Denison to sell his mother's cameo, the one memento he had brought with him, to purchase rations. He had no money, and until he found work, none would be forthcoming.
Sam rode down the town's main street. He remembered seeing a goldsmith on his last trip to Denison and headed for it. Ten minutes later he had parted with the last tie to his family, but with enough money to feed him for a month or two. Though the goldsmith eyed him strangely and appeared nervous, Sam was grateful the man had recognized the value of the piece he'd purchased.
The Outlaws: Sam Page 11
