Texas Tender

by Leigh Greenwood

  Idalou wanted to ask him more about his life with Jake and Isabelle, but their privacy was over for the evening. Will was a celebrity in Dunmore. And while that was more a case among the older citizens and the very young ones who came to his office every afternoon for goodies, the young men admired him for standing up to Newt and the young women admired him for his looks. Before long, so many people claimed his attention, Idalou felt like a mere accessory. This was her town and these were her friends, people she’d known for most of her life, but she might as well have been invisible for all the attention that got her.

  Still, she had to admire Will for the way he handled himself. He never seemed to get impatient or irritated, regardless of the stupid things people said. Not even when Mabel Wren asked what she ought to do about her daughter’s fascination with one of Jordan’s cowhands.

  “Take her to Fort Worth or Dallas and let her meet as many men as possible,” Will said. “That way she’ll be better able to judge when she’s found the man who’s truly right for her.”

  Mabel thought Will was a genius and said so. Idalou wasn’t ready to declare him a genius, not even after he advised Lloyd to put as much money as possible into land.

  “Once the fear of Indians is past, you won’t be able to sell it fast enough.”

  She had to listen to several women regale him with the menu they’d planned for the evening when it was their turn to provide supper for him. She was relieved when the dancing finally started. However, that part of the evening didn’t turn out as she’d expected. It appeared that every female at the party was determined to dance with Will. The women had their menfolk tap Will on the shoulder, a polite way of saying they wanted to change partners. Idalou got to dance with all the husbands and boyfriends, while Will was forced to dance with all the wives and girlfriends.

  It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so irritating. Idalou had come to this party with Will. She wanted to talk to Will. She wanted to dance with him. She didn’t want to spend her evening with people she’d known for years and had no interest in getting to know better. She also didn’t want to dance with men who stepped on her toes nearly as often as they trod upon the ground. Will was a superb dancer, a fact each of his partners was wont to announce immediately upon the end of her turn in his arms.

  As one woman after another stepped in to steal Will from her, she was shocked to realize she was on the verge of tears. She excused herself to her current partner—one of Jordan’s ranch hands—and hurried off the dance floor, hoping to escape notice. She’d never been so close to losing control over her feelings. She had never been the emotionally fragile type. She got angry sometimes, but her anger was controlled and directed. She could be impassioned, but that, too, was controlled and directed.

  What she was feeling now was totally different. It was akin to despair, a belief that everything was hopeless, that she’d never be happy again. If Carl hadn’t been so angry he’d left the party, she’d ask him to take her back to town. It seemed this wasn’t the night for romance in the Ellsworth family.

  “You can’t stop dancing now. I’ve been saving the first slow dance for you.”

  Idalou spun around to find Will standing only inches away. “I’m sure somebody will break in,” she said.

  “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.” Will’s eyes danced with devilment, but turned serious when he saw she wasn’t amused. “I’m not going to allow anybody to cut in. We’re going to dance at least one whole dance this evening, and this is it.”

  Idalou was torn between risking further humiliation by going back on the dance floor and running away to protect her bruised heart. She needed time to shore up her defenses, to make herself less vulnerable, but she couldn’t turn her back on the promise of love that shone from Will’s eyes. She allowed him to draw her back onto the dance floor.

  She had barely settled into Will’s embrace when a man stepped up and tapped him on the shoulder. “No, Vernon,” Will said. “Tell Dorothy this dance belongs to Idalou.”

  His refusal to step aside caught Vernon Hill by surprise, but he went back to his wife, who gave Idalou an angry look.

  “You now have one less admirer,” Idalou whispered in his ear.

  “I don’t care. You’re the one I invited to the dance.”

  Idalou put all thoughts of other women out of her mind. She was determined to enjoy this dance to the fullest. She had danced with many men tonight, but not one of them could dance as well as Will. It was as though she and Will were one body moving in effortless, synchronized motion. He was too tall for her to rest her head on his shoulder, but it was just as enjoyable to lean against his chest, to feel the beat of his heart, the movement of the muscles under his skin.

  She ignored the raised voices she could hear above the music of the band.

  “You don’t have to be jealous of Dorothy or any other woman,” Will said.

  “I’m not jealous,” she insisted, “just irritated.”

  And fearful. Now that she’d opened her heart to Will, it seemed he had virtually no space for her. Yet, enclosed in Will’s embrace, it was easy to imagine staying here forever. He wasn’t boastful or showy, but he had a quiet strength that gave her a wonderful feeling of security. She hadn’t felt that way when she’d first met him. His unflappable attitude, his calm approach to every problem, his insistence on thinking everything through before acting, had struck her as the attitude of a man who couldn’t be bothered enough to care. Learning she was wrong had been a humbling but exciting discovery.

  Learning that below that cool exterior burned a very strong liking for her had been stunning. Only now was she beginning to believe it might actually be true. She didn’t know if she loved him, but she couldn’t imagine any man who’d make a better husband.

  But letting go enough to marry any man wasn’t going to be easy. Feeling safe in his arms wouldn’t mean much if she had to give up her independence, if she had to accept his decisions when she disagreed with him. Idalou told herself to stop staring into the future and simply enjoy the evening and being in the arms of a man who made her feel happy just to be with him.

  It would be easier if the men who were shouting would stop.

  “We should do this more often,” Will said.

  “Mara only has one birthday a year.”

  “I don’t need to depend on birthdays or any other celebration to tell you how much I care for you,” Will said. “You’re a very remarkable woman.”

  She didn’t feel remarkable. On the contrary, she felt about as unremarkable as possible.

  “I never thought I’d meet anyone like you when I came to Dunmore. You know, you’re the reason I took the sheriff’s job.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You and Junie Mae will be leaving soon. You won’t be coming back. I know you won’t. You’ll want to sell the ranch. You know Carl and I don’t have the money to—”

  Will put his fingers over her lips. “Did anyone ever tell you you think too much?”

  “Yes. Carl.”

  “Your brother is a very intelligent man. You ought to listen to him.”

  Before Will could say anything else, the sounds of a fight erupted somewhere in the distance. Before they could locate the sound, Emmett, one of Will’s deputies, came rushing up.

  “You’d better come, Sheriff. Van and Carl are fighting again. They’ve bloodied each other this time.”

  Most of the people had stopped dancing, some leaving the dance floor to watch the fight. Angry at Carl for being foolish enough to get into a second fight, Idalou followed Will as he pushed his way though the gathering onlookers. Two men were making only halfhearted efforts to keep Van and Carl apart. Idalou was shocked to see blood smeared over both men.

  When Will waded in between the two men, others stepped forward to pull them apart. Carl and Van continued shouting and struggling to reach each other.

  “They’re both drunk,” Emmett said. “Otherwise, they might have done some real damage.”

  Hair fallin
g in their eyes, their clothes ripped and dirty, Carl and Van looked like two drunks who’d been in an all-out brawl. Blood from Carl’s nose and a cut on Van’s cheek had smeared their faces and fists, and there were flecks of blood on their shirts. Boots that had been glossy were covered in dirt. Neither looked liked the handsome young man he’d been at the start of the evening.

  Will looked from Carl to Van. “I think jail is the best place for them to cool off. Once they’re sober, I’ll see if I can talk some sense into them.”

  “You don’t have to put Carl in jail,” Idalou said. “I can take care of him.”

  “I’m taking my son home,” Frank Sonnenberg said.

  “They’re going to jail,” Will said. “Unless Mara or her parents want to file charges for ruining the party, they’ll be free to leave in the morning.”

  Idalou would have argued with Will, but Frank Sonnenberg beat her to it. To hear him talk, you’d think it was all Carl’s fault and Van was an innocent bystander. Idalou didn’t excuse Carl’s participation in the fight. Fighting wasn’t something Carl would normally do, especially at a party for the woman he hoped to marry.

  “I’ll run you out of town,” Frank shouted.

  “Save yourself the trouble,” Will replied, not fazed by Frank’s shouting or threats. “I’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

  A murmur ran through the crowd. Idalou wasn’t surprised to hear several people telling Will they hoped he would stay. What did surprise her was the feeling of desolation that settled over her. She knew he would soon be taking Junie Mae to the Hill Country, but somehow his always being close at hand when she was in trouble had caused her to begin to expect him to be there in the future. It wasn’t a conscious thought, or she’d have corrected it. It was what she hoped would happen, what she wanted to happen.

  Finally Frank Sonnenberg turned and stormed out. Will turned to Idalou.

  “I have to ride into town with Emmett. Will you be okay until I can come back?”

  She hadn’t expected to be left behind. It was a desolate feeling. After Frank’s outburst, people were looking uncomfortable. She wouldn’t be surprised if they went home early.

  “You don’t have to hurry,” Jordan told Idalou. “I’m not letting anybody go home early just because two boys were drunk and got into a fight. Hell, I did that a few times myself. It’s just one of the things that makes boys different from girls. Start worrying those fiddles, fellas,” he shouted at the band. “The night is still young.”

  Much to Idalou’s relief, the guests laughed and their mood changed immediately.

  “I’m sorry about this,” Will said to Mara. “I hope it doesn’t ruin the party for you.”

  Idalou hadn’t even thought of Mara or how this might affect her. She had always thought Mara was a shallow girl who enjoyed having men compete for her attention, but she’d lost color and was staring at Will as though she didn’t know what he’d said. She was holding on to her father’s arm as if she never wanted to let go.

  “Nonsense,” Jordan said. “What girl doesn’t want boys to fight over her?”

  “This fight was a little too serious,” Will said. “Why don’t you let her mother take her inside for a little while?”

  “She’s fine,” Jordan insisted. “You’ve got your dancing shoes on, don’t you, honey?”

  Alma put her arm around her daughter’s waist and turned her toward the house. Idalou had never liked Jordan, but now she added insensitivity to his sins. Alma hadn’t gone far before she stopped and turned back.

  “Would you like to join us, Idalou?”

  Idalou was caught having to make an awkward decision with a dozen pairs of eyes staring at her. She wanted to go back to town, but she knew Will wouldn’t like it and it would be rude to leave at such an awkward moment. She couldn’t imagine what she would do when trapped inside for even a few minutes with Mara and her mother. Alma had never liked her son’s interest in Idalou or her daughter’s interest in Carl, and Idalou thought Mara was too immature and shallow for Carl. And that didn’t begin to touch on the things she’d said about Alma’s husband. The other alternative would have been to stay and keep pretty much out of sight until Will came back for her, but Alma’s invitation took that option off the table.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I could use a few minutes of quiet.”

  “Don’t stay too long,” Jordan said. “The party won’t be the same with the two prettiest girls missing.” Jordan sounded like he’d had a little too much to drink, himself.

  The women walked back to the house without speaking. Alma closed the doors, which muted the noise of the band. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked Idalou. “I’m going to fix some sassafras tea for Mara.”

  “That would be fine,” Idalou said.

  “I’m sorry Carl’s fight spoiled your party,” Idalou said to Mara after her mother left.

  “It’s Van’s fault,” Mara said listlessly. “He was picking on Carl all night. Every time I tried to talk to Van, he would start in on how poor Carl was or how he was such a rotten rancher, he couldn’t keep track of his own stock or keep the ranch from being sold out from under him.”

  “Van is jealous of Carl. He wants to marry you.”

  “Van doesn’t want to marry me.” Mara looked like she was on the verge of tears. “He just wants Daddy’s ranch.”

  Idalou was too sure that was true to argue. “Well, that won’t matter if you’re still in love with Will.”

  “I’m not in love with Will.” Mara sighed and looked a little less like she would burst into tears. “I never was. I was just infatuated because he’s so handsome. I’m still in love with Carl, but he won’t talk to me.”

  “I’m sure he will once he’s certain you’re no longer confused about your feelings for him, but there’s not much point in talking about marriage as long as your father refuses his permission.”

  “Daddy won’t force me to marry a man I don’t like, and he’s not going to keep me from marrying the man I love.” Mara’s expression turned hard and determined. She looked so much like her father at that moment it startled Idalou.

  Despite Mara’s assertion, Idalou was certain Jordan and Alma would put up a fight before they would allow her to throw herself away on a penniless cowboy like Carl.

  “Your parents may not stop you from marrying Carl, but you have to face the possibility that they’ll refuse to support you. You’ve always lived in a nice house where everything was done for you. Carl has no house to take you to. We aren’t even sole owners of the ranch any longer. Even after we rebuild, there won’t be anyone but you to cook, wash, clean, and take care of the livestock.”

  A spark of interest shone in Mara’s eyes. “Does that mean you’re going to marry the sheriff?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Idalou hadn’t expected that question. She opened her mouth to deny it, but realized she didn’t want to deny it. She hadn’t reached the point of believing she was in love with him, but she did know she’d never met a man she’d like to marry more than Will. Could she even say she wanted to marry him if she wasn’t sure she was in love with him? “I like Will a lot, but we haven’t gotten to the point of talking about marriage. We’re still getting to know each other. You’ve known Carl almost all your life. I’ve known Will less than a month. Besides, things are a little awkward between us just now.”

  “If you mean his paying off your loan, I’d say that was proof he loved you,” Mara said.

  One of the joys of living in a small town was that everybody knew you and would help you if you were in trouble. The other side of the coin was that everybody knew all your business, even the parts you wished were private. “That’s part of it.”

  “He’s so gorgeous. I don’t see how you cannot be in love with him. Everybody knows he loves you.”

  “He likes me. That’s very different from love. Now tell me what you’re going to do if you decide you’re in love with Carl. You really hurt him when you became infatuated with Will.”


  “I know,” Mara said, tears threatening again. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I was so tired of being in love with Carl and my parents pushing me to marry Van that I turned to a man I thought everybody could like.” Mara said that with such emphasis that Idalou wondered if she was trying to convince herself. “Tonight I tried to tell Carl I love him, but he wouldn’t listen.”

  Idalou didn’t know what advice to give to Mara. She knew Carl loved Mara, but Mara had hurt him badly. Just as she loved Will, but his attention to Junie Mae had hurt her badly.

  She loved Will.

  She’d never thought that before. Did she really love him, or was she just using the word because Mara used it? He’d shown his interest but had never said he loved her. Yet while she was waiting for him to say the words, she’d tumbled into love herself. How could she not have known? At least it explained her up-and-down emotions during the past few hours.

  “You’re not listening,” Mara complained.

  “Sorry.”

  “You’ve got to talk to Carl for me. You’re his sister. He’ll listen to you.”

  “This is something you and Carl have to settle between yourselves,” Idalou said. “The less outside interference you have, the better.”

  That was the trouble with her and Will. One thing or another always seemed to get in the way. She’d been so distrustful, so distracted, so fearful, she hadn’t been able to believe that anything this wonderful could be happening to her.

  “But how can I get him to believe me?” Mara asked.

  It was the same question Idalou needed to ask herself. Will had said everything but the words, and she’d continued to keep her distance from him, to shield her heart. Even when she’d finally opened up, she’d run at the first hint of heartache. Junie Mae.

  “You’ve got to make up your mind about what you want and stick with it,” Idalou said. “If it’s Carl, you have to accept that your parents aren’t going to be happy. It may come to the point that you have to make a choice between them and Carl. Remember, even if we find the bull and can pay off the debt, Carl has no home to take you to. Loving Carl may be the hardest thing you’ll ever do.”