Two Texas Hearts

by Jodi Thomas

  She couldn’t explain without telling the whole story. If she told him of how she’d signed a proxy Andrew Adams had offered by mail to another woman, he’d think her mad. If Winter knew she waited until she thought Adams was an hour from death before she stepped forward as his bride, he’d think her a greedy, dishonest gold digger. There was no way she could win. She’d already lost. The cloud of the witchin’ luck had caught up to her once again.

  ‘‘Tell me the truth, Kora. How long was he your husband? Long enough to kiss you? Long enough to sleep beside you? Long enough to earn a train ticket, or did you stay long enough to…’’ He couldn’t say the words. He’d thought of making love to her all day. Of how it would be between them when she was no longer shy. Of how it would feel to hold her all night.

  ‘‘What difference does it make?’’ she answered. All she had left was a thimbleful of pride. She’d walk away with that if nothing else. ‘‘There’s no use in your leaving. I’ll pack. Jamie, Dan, and I will leave for town tonight. I knew this would never last, nothing good ever does in my life. I’m sure the gambler will drive us, and there must be somewhere to stay.’’

  Win shook his head. ‘‘You’re not leaving. It’s dangerous enough on the road at night without there being men out ambushing folks.’’ He looked at the ceiling and let out a long breath. ‘‘Besides, I need you here,’’ he admitted. ‘‘Someone’s got to help the doc with Cheyenne. I’ve got my hands full with the blockade. I’m already pushing every hand to the breaking point.’’ He hated the idea that he had to depend on her, but all the men were needed to ride the blockade, and even if he could spare one, none would be worth much in a sickroom.

  Kora turned toward him for the first time. She saw all the anger she’d expected to see in his tan face. His entire body seemed to be granite, unmoving, uncompromising, unforgiving. But in his eyes she saw something else. A tiny flickering of the pain she’d caused. Somehow, despite all his claims and all his strength, she’d hurt this man deeply, perhaps beyond forgiveness. This man who swore he’d never care, cared enough to be hurt.

  She was thankful he turned and ran down the stairs, for she felt herself crumbling.

  Winter knew he needed sleep, but he couldn’t shut off his mind. All his life he’d been alone and told himself he wanted it that way. Yet, he could still taste the kiss he’d shared with Kora in the barn. It angered him that he needed her-he needed her for more than to help with the house and Cheyenne. Somehow, in just a few days, she’d become a part of him, and even the rage he felt couldn’t drive her out.

  When he’d been a boy, his father died of illness and his mother took him to live with her people in the Indian Territory. The village had been attacked one morning by soldiers when Winter was six. He remembered his mother yelling for him to run and not look back. Those were her last words to him, and it seemed he’d been running all his life. If he forced himself not to care, then no one could hurt him. But somehow, Kora had gotten to him. It was more than the need he felt to protect her, he’d grown to admire her. She had a quiet strength and a deep-water kind of touch that washed over his scarred soul.

  Twisting uncomfortably on the sofa, he told himself that as soon as this blockade was over, he’d tell Kora to go back to Andrew Adams. He’d lived without a wife for years, and he could again. If the man’s paper was valid, then Win wasn’t married to Kora. ‘‘And the house isn’t hers,’’ he mumbled silently, vowing to burn the place if she left. Then he would pay the church for the damage.

  The door to the study slowly opened, pulling Winter fully awake. He studied her in the firelight as Kora tiptoed into the room. Pretending to be asleep, he watched her move silently about. She put another log on the fire, then picked up his dirty clothes and placed clean folded ones on the chair.

  She turned to go, then hesitated before crossing the rug to where he lay. Very slowly she leaned over him and lightly touched her lips to his. It took all Winter’s strength not to pull her to him. He made his body remain still as she kissed him, then vanished a moment later.

  ‘‘The deep water may drown me,’’ he mumbled to himself as he rubbed two fingers over his bottom lip.

  • • •

  Win finally gave up even trying to sleep and pulled on his jeans. He opened one of the tall study windows and stepped out onto the long dark front porch. The captain had built the back of the house to face all the activity of the ranch and the front to face the prairie. For as far as he could see in the moonlit sky was his land. Only tonight it failed to bring him the joy it always had.

  Hardly noticing the cold air, he took a deep breath, trying to clear the thought of Kora in another man’s arms. He knew she’d probably be leaving by summer, but that seemed a lifetime away. Until then she’d promised to be his wife. Adams’s appearance had changed all that.

  He moved silently across the wooden boards toward the steps. Win was almost atop Kora before he saw her sitting on the first step wrapped in a quilt.

  ‘‘Excuse me,’’ he grumbled, hating that he wasn’t alone.

  Turning to leave, he almost didn’t hear her whisper, ‘‘Don’t go.’’

  He thought of ignoring her request. He owed her nothing. She’d lied to him and made a fool of him. But she’d also been kind. ‘‘What is it?’’ He didn’t turn to face her.

  For a long moment she was silent and he wasn’t sure she was going to say anything.

  Then softly her voice drifted on the breeze. ‘‘I like to come out here. The back porch is always so busy, but around here you can almost believe you’re alone on the land.’’

  Win turned slightly, but all he could see was her outline on the steps. ‘‘If you’ve got something to say, say it.’’

  ‘‘I don’t know where to start,’’ she whispered.

  ‘‘With the truth would be a new spot,’’ he answered. ‘‘And at the beginning.’’

  He watched her head lean forward as she tucked her knees to her chin. She looked so tiny. It was hard to believe she’d come up with such a whopper of a lie.

  ‘‘My first memory of my father was when he died early in the war. Mama came from a family who had a little money, and Papa had already sold all his land trying to keep her happy even before the war. When he died, we had nothing. Dan was tall enough to run off and fight, leaving me with newborn Jamie and Mom.’’

  Kora wasn’t looking at him but out at the darkness. He could tell the words came hard.

  ‘‘We made do until Dan returned. Mom just gave up trying after that, not caring about anything but being with him. I’m not sure how long she lived after he came home all shot up and silent like he is now, two winters, maybe three. Then we were alone.’’

  She leaned her head back against the wood of the porch brace and took a deep breath. ‘‘For a while we lived by me gathering food from other folks’ gardens at night and from the garbage bins in winter. Finally I was old enough to work, and Jamie could watch Dan.’’

  Kora laughed suddenly without humor. ‘‘I guess you didn’t mean so far back.’’

  Win moved to the other side of the porch steps and folded his arms. ‘‘Continue.’’

  ‘‘There were months, years that I didn’t see sunlight. I worked at any job that would pay, sometimes two, and Jamie ran the streets. Several years ago we heard about a land where the sun shines every day of the year-

  California. So we saved enough to get to Galveston and from there to Houston, then Bryan. We planned to work our way across the West.

  ‘‘But Dan got sick a year ago, and the doctor’s fee put us in debt. I started working at the mercantile, and Jamie ran the mail.’’

  Win shifted. ‘‘What does this have to do with Andrew Adams?’’ He had the feeling she was stalling.

  ‘‘Everything,’’ she whispered. ‘‘A woman who picked up her mail at the mercantile started writing him and agreed to marry him by mail. But she found another a few days before he arrived and tossed his letters in the trash. Just out of curiosity, I rea
d them and decided to meet the stage, wondering what such a man would look like.

  ‘‘The stage was late. When it came in, all were dead but Adams. He had four bullet holes in him and the doctor said he’d never live the night. I’d read the letters, I knew he had no relatives, and he’d already signed the proxy. All I had to do was sign the paper, and I’d be a widow with a farm somewhere northwest.’’

  ‘‘So you lied.’’ Win’s words were hard. ‘‘About him and then to me.’’

  ‘‘The lie to him only moved us to another place to starve.’’

  ‘‘But you thought the lie to me would get you to your sunshine in California,’’ Win snapped as he stood.

  ‘‘That’s right,’’ Kora whispered without looking up.

  ‘‘If the paper is legal, there’s not much you can do. The law wouldn’t step between a man and wife.’’

  ‘‘And if it’s not?’’

  ‘‘Then you stay till full summer with me. I’ll see that you don’t break this agreement.’’ He looked away from her. ‘‘When the six months is over, I want you gone.’’

  The sound of him walking away was all she heard.

  TWELVE

  ‘‘HOW ABOUT I KILL THEM BOTH?’’ JAMIE OFFERED AS she leaned against the counter watching Kora cut out the morning’s biscuits. ‘‘Then you’d have no husbands and we could start over fresh.’’

  Kora smiled, thankful that her sister was speaking to her once more. She had all the problems she could handle without Jamie’s anger. ‘‘I’ll think about it.’’

  ‘‘It wouldn’t be that much trouble. We’ve already paid for Andrew’s funeral, and Win’s got enough land around for burying. After what he did to Wyatt and me last night, I’d slit his throat without a second thought.’’ Her eyes danced with excitement. ‘‘Then, of course, I’d have to become an outlaw. I could branch off into bank robbery and be a gun-for-hire, that kind of thing. And I’d still see Wyatt, of course. We’d be the gambler and the outlaw everyone makes up legends about.’’

  Kora smiled at her sister’s outrageous daydream. ‘‘You’ll not start your life of crime on one of my husbands. But as for the gambler, what did happen between you two last night?’’

  Jamie raised her eyebrows up and down, then shook her head. ‘‘You wouldn’t understand.’’

  ‘‘Is he interested in marriage?’’ Kora asked as she agreed with Jamie about not understanding. Except for the kiss she’d shared with Win in the barn, she’d never found men as fascinating to be around as Jamie seemed to.

  ‘‘He’s interested in me,’’ Jamie offered. ‘‘As for marriage, I think he feels about like I do concerning that black curse.’’

  ‘‘It’s not a curse.’’

  Jamie laughed. ‘‘It’s a curse by which you’ve been doubly blessed, dear sister. I’d call that witchin’ luck for sure.’’

  Both women grew silent as Winter entered the kitchen. He was dressed in the clean clothes Kora laid out, but he didn’t look as if he’d slept at all. His hair was still damp from the washing, and a touch of shaving soap brushed the corner of his mustache.

  ‘‘Mornin’,’’ he mumbled as he pulled a cup from the rack. ‘‘Any coffee yet?’’

  ‘‘I’m not speaking to you!’’ Jamie shouted as she folded her arms.

  Kora wrapped a towel around the pot handle and filled his cup. Her hand shook slightly, but if he wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, she would, also.

  Only a foot stood between them as she poured. He leaned a little closer. ‘‘How about you?’’ he whispered. ‘‘Are you speaking to me?’’

  ‘‘I’m not angry with you,’’ Kora said as she turned and put the pot down. ‘‘None of this mess was your fault.’’ Lightly she brushed the soap from his face as she spoke. ‘‘I wouldn’t wish the man dead, but I’m thankful I was with you when he appeared last night.’’

  Win’s gaze watched her closely as though bracing himself for another lie. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly at her action. A crack so small in the granite that no one but Kora saw it. She touched the edge of his lip again even though the shaving soap was gone.

  ‘‘Well, I’m angry,’’ Jamie said from behind him. ‘‘What makes you think you have any right to ruin my life?’’

  ‘‘I thought you weren’t speaking to me.’’ Win looked over his shoulder at Jamie. In the few days Kora and he had been married, he’d seen Jamie undressed more often then he’d ever see his wife.

  ‘‘I’m not as soon as I finish yelling at you! You’re not my kin or husband. You’re probably not even my brother-in-law!’’

  Winter looked over the brim of his coffee at his almost sister-in-law. ‘‘Talking to me or not, the gambler goes,’’ he said between sips of coffee.

  ‘‘Brother-in-law or not, the gambler stays!’’ Jamie answered.

  ‘‘But he’s nothing but a low-down-’’

  ‘‘You won’t speak ill of the man I may decide to love.’’

  Winter sat his cup down. ‘‘You don’t know the first thing about love and marriage.’’

  ‘‘And you do?’’ Jamie shot back. ‘‘You’re the one who married a woman already married. That’s at least one rule I know.’’ Jamie smiled at the anger building in his face. ‘‘And you didn’t even love her, so I guess that really makes you an expert on love and marriage.’’

  They both ignored Kora as though she weren’t in the room as they squared off to take their anger out on each other.

  ‘‘I know that love is more than what you were doing in the grass last night.’’ Winter’s voice was low and cold.

  ‘‘I wasn’t doing anything you wouldn’t like to be doing to Kora,’’ Jamie said loud and hot tempered. ‘‘I’ve seen the way you look at her. But you can forget any fantasies you have because, despite her marrying habit, Kora is too frightened of men to enjoy loving one.’’

  ‘‘You don’t know her as well as you think, she-’’

  A loud pounding on the door ended his planned threat.

  ‘‘I’ve come for my wife!’’ Andrew Adams yelled from the back porch. ‘‘She damn well better be ready to leave this morning, or I’ll drag her home screaming.’’

  Winter glared at Jamie. ‘‘We’ll finish this later.’’ He turned to Kora. ‘‘Have you changed your mind since last night about going with him?’’

  ‘‘No,’’ Kora answered. ‘‘I’ll never go with the man. No matter what his paper proves, please don’t make me go with him.’’

  Winter gave a nod. ‘‘Then stay here. I’ll be back for breakfast in a few minutes.’’

  He opened the back door and stepped out before Andrew had a chance to poke his head inside.

  Kora could hear their voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. They moved from the porch to the hitching post in the yard. Andrew Adams sounded angry, but Winter’s tone was low, almost calm.

  Glancing out the window, she saw Andrew Adams waving a sheet of paper at Winter’s face. Win took the paper and looked at it a long moment while Andrew pointed over and over again to the house. Then, to her shock, she saw Winter reach in his pocket and pull out a roll of bills. He peeled off a few and handed them to Adams. The little man took the money greedily. Winter turned slowly and headed back to the house, dismissing Adams with his action.

  ‘‘What do you think’s going on?’’ Jamie asked as she leaned over the sink.

  ‘‘I don’t know, but we’re not going back to the dugout with that man,’’ Kora said. ‘‘We were better off in Bryan with me working at the mercantile and you riding the mail runs. If I’d known he wasn’t going to die, I never would have signed that paper Karen Noble threw in the trash.’’

  ‘‘Looks like he’s leaving, which I’d say was a real good plan if he wants to stay healthy. Win must have bought you lock, stock, and barrel from husband number one.’’ Jamie lost interest as Andrew Adams climbed into his wagon. ‘‘I was hoping for a fight, though it wouldn’t have been much of one. Win wo
uld probably just knock him down and Adams would crawl off. He’s a sorry pick for a husband, Kora. Even bleeding and dying, Adams wouldn’t have attracted me.’’

  ‘‘I wasn’t attracted to him. I simply saw a way out,’’ Kora answered.

  ‘‘Appears you went a ways too far.’’ Jamie giggled. ‘‘It’s costing old Win dearly. But when you said ‘please don’t make me go,’ I could tell by Win’s eyes that he’d die before Adams made you go. Or more likely kill the man.’’

  Kora didn’t want to discuss what Winter had done or might have done. She needed to talk to him alone, but Jamie seemed to be settling in as if waiting for the second act. Kora had to get rid of her or risk hearing about everything she should have said for days. ‘‘Go ask the gambler to breakfast.’’ She tried the first thing she could think of to be rid of her sister.

  ‘‘Are you kidding? Win will shoot him on sight!’’ Jamie shouted. ‘‘You think he dislikes your first husband, you should see how he feels about Wyatt.’’

  ‘‘I’ll talk to Winter. Go.’’

  Jamie rushed past Winter when he opened the door. For a moment he just stood in the entrance staring at Kora. ‘‘What’s your name, your real name?’’

  Kora swallowed. ‘‘Kora Anderson. My mother didn’t think it was important to give girls middle names. I’m just plain Kora Anderson.’’

  He stared at her as if weighing every word. ‘‘Don’t lie to me.’’

  ‘‘I’m not.’’

  She wished she could follow Jamie, but she had to face Winter and all his anger. She asked, ‘‘Is he gone?’’

  ‘‘He’s gone. At least for now. He seemed more interested in getting the money you took than in having you return home.’’

  ‘‘You paid him?’’

  ‘‘I did.’’

  ‘‘I’ll pay you back, I swear.’’ She couldn’t believe after all the pain she’d caused this man she was now in debt to him.

  ‘‘You don’t have to pay me back, Kora.’’ Winter moved a step closer. ‘‘My guess is Andrew Adams is the drifting kind. He’ll probably move on and you’ll never see him again. If you do, he’ll have a hard time proving a proxy made out to Karen Noble and signed by Kora Anderson is legal. The way he was waving it in my face I doubt he could read the difference.’’