“Well, you found one. You wanted a place of your own, and you managed to win it in a poker game,” she said flatly.
“That’s about it,” he admitted. “I was willing and able to buy land by that time, but this fell into my lap, and I’m not stupid enough to walk away from a sure thing when I see it coming.”
“And me?” she asked. “Was I a sure thing, too?”
“Never,” he told her. “I spent the first little while waiting for you to put a bullet in me. Never saw a woman so mad as you were.”
“I had a right,” she snapped, taking the first step to the porch, and then pausing, as if she considered the claim. “Maybe not,” she whispered, meeting his gaze. “I was mad at the wrong person, Jay.” She reached for the meat he held but he shook his head.
“I’ll bring it in.” It seemed safer not to agree with her assessment, he decided. Enough that Chloe was able to admit some small degree of wrongdoing. She didn’t need him to rub it in. He followed her into the kitchen and crossed to the pantry. A hook from the ceiling provided a place for the smoked meat he carried, and he hung it there.
She turned from him and blew out the lamp, then crossed into the hallway, calling a good-night to Tilly before she went toward her bedroom door. And there she stopped, her hand on the doorknob, her nape vulnerable as she bent her head.
From behind her, he watched her fingers grip and turn, saw the inhalation of breath that lifted her shoulders, and felt her reluctance as she slipped through the open door into the dark bedroom beyond. Suddenly, he felt the worst sort of bully, recalling his rough treatment of her at the pool, remembering the tender flesh he’d handled so heedlessly.
Beneath her clothing she wore bruises. He’d almost guarantee that fact, and now he was champing at the bit to renew his assault, his aching loins full and pulsing with a desire she brought forth simply by being here.
“Jay?” She’d turned to face him, there in the darkness, and the sound of his name on her lips was a hesitant summons.
“Yeah.” He’d learned early in life to press for the advantage, and he’d been doing just that for the past months. This was no time to back off, now when she was off balance, when he’d taken her by storm. He crossed the threshold and closed the door behind himself, then watched as she found her way across the floor, around the end of the bed, her shirt a pale shadow in the darkness.
He sat on the chair to pull his boots off and dropped them heedlessly to the floor. Rising, he stripped from his clothing. Naked, he approached her, and she lifted her face to him. His hands cradled her head, long fingers sliding beneath her hair to hold her. And then he bent to her, his mouth hungry, avid and searching.
She whimpered, and her lips fell prey to his assault, her hands lifting to clutch at his wrists, their bodies separate, only their mouths forming a bond. And then she sagged against him, as if her legs would not hold her upright.
“Things are going to be different, Clo.” His voice was low, his promise given harshly, warning her of his intent. “When I crawl in that bed tonight I won’t be staying on my side. I’m done with leaving you alone. If you’re grieving for your brother, I’ll understand. I’ll hold you when you cry, if need be. But I won’t be accepting the blame for his death.”
“I’m done crying,” she told him, and indeed, her voice was clear of tears. Sorrow remained, but he’d expected that. She lifted her face to him again and spoke words of promise. “I won’t turn you away.” And then she spoke a sad warning. “But I can’t help how I feel.”
“Fair enough,” he said, triumph racing through his veins with each heartbeat. A fair shot at winning her was all he asked, and reinforcing the bond he’d established would be no hardship. And this time…this time, he vowed silently, he’d take his time, evoke every moan, every whisper of yearning he could draw from the depths of her being.
This time…His hands gentle against her flesh, he divested her of the clothing she wore, lifting her against his chest, placing her on the bed, and then watching as her arms rose, inviting him to her.
This time…He covered her, sheltering her from the night air, enveloping her in the embrace of his body, capturing the soft sounds of her passion as she rose to meet the hardening of his loins, the thrust of his desire.
This time, he vowed, there would be no haste in his taking of her woman’s flesh, no frenzy in his touch, no careless handling of what she entrusted to his care. Only the quiet, slow, tender wooing of a woman worth whatever it took to win her to himself.
“You sure you don’t want to go along?” J.T. stood by his stallion, offering her a last chance to change her mind, and Chloe shook her head in refusal. A trace of disappointment darkened his eyes, and she smiled.
“I’ve got plenty to do here,” she said. “By the time you get back the fella from Bar X will be standing here, money in his hand, to buy the extra horses.”
“If he shows up before I get back—”
She lifted a hand, halting his words. “I know. I’ll make him wait.” Her lips twisted ruefully. “I’ve learned a few things in the past months, Jay. You’re tougher than I am. I can respect that.”
“You’ll be all right here?” he asked, and then shook his head. “I’m missing you already. Lowery will look after things, but he knows to listen to you, Chloe. Willie and Tom will keep an eye on the rest of the herd, and Cleary…” He looked past her to where the tall cowhand stood near the barn. “Cleary will be in charge.”
“Who is he?” she asked quietly, and was not surprised when he only shrugged.
“He’s here, just in case,” J.T. told her. “Micah feels better about things with Cleary around, and I’m not gonna argue with him, not till we know every damn rustler has been caught and we’ve gotten the rest of the cattle back. Micah seems to think those steers are in a canyon north of here somewhere.”
“What do you think?” she asked.
“Hell, I don’t know. I’m just anxious to get this herd sold and things back in order here. When I get back, we’ll probably take another look, but in the meantime, Micah’s got an eye open. Winters’s bunch is joining the rest of us on the trail, and we’ll sort out our herd when we get to Cheyenne.”
He bent to brush his mouth against hers and she returned the kiss, aware of the men watching, yet not willing to send him away without the warmth of the farewell due him as her husband. He swung into the saddle in a single lithe movement and straightened his hat, slanting her a long look of satisfaction.
He was cocky, she decided, too damn cocky for his own good. And yet, she could not deny his right to the arrogance that fit him like a tailor-made suit of clothing. He was a male animal, aggressive and confident. And for a moment she regretted her decision to remain behind, repented her pride that would not allow her to follow in his dust during this venture, rued the days she would spend without him.
The days were long, the nights longer. Micah stopped by twice during the first week, spending time in the kitchen with Tilly, while Chloe excused herself from their company to work with the horses. Again this morning, he’d arrived, looked around and greeted her nicely. Then hightailed it into the house, leaving Chloe feeling like leftovers.
Watching from the pasture fence, she laughed as a half-broke gelding pawed at the ground. Leather creaked behind her and she turned her head as Lowery approached. Sitting low in the saddle, his rope spinning in a lazy orbit, he rode through the gate she opened for him, and the watching animal tossed his head. The rope sailed in an effortless, drifting circle, settling on the gelding’s neck, then drew taut as Lowery’s horse dug in his heels and halted. One last fluid shiver ran down the flank of the roped gelding before he yielded to the tug on his neck, following Lowery to the gate.
“You make that look so easy,” Chloe told him, reaching to unlatch the opening for him again. She swung the gate aside and then back in place as he led the gelding toward the back of the barn. “I never caught on well to swinging a rope. My pa said it was all in the wrist.”
&nb
sp; “You do all right,” Lowery said with a grin. “I’ve seen you rope a steer or two.” He slid from his mount and approached the brown animal he’d captured. A bit slid into the gelding’s mouth with care and the bridle eased into place. “Now this one,” he said, motioning at the brown gelding, “this one’s got some manners already. He’ll make a good cow pony. Just enough spunk to keep a man on his toes.” And with that the gelding tossed his head and sounded a shrill whinny.
Lowery tightened his grip on the reins. “See what I mean?”
“You like what you do,” Chloe said, watching as Lowery tied the reins to a handy metal ring on the side of the barn.
“Been doing it all my life, seems like,” the man answered, smoothing a saddle blanket in place before he lifted the heavy saddle from the ground.
“Do you think we’re ready for the buyers?” she asked.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” he told her, tightening the cinch and moving aside as the gelding shifted uneasily. “Don’t worry, Miss Chloe. Those ranchers know what they’re gettin’ when they come here. Your pa always had good solid horseflesh for them, and they’ve passed the word along. Not everyone breeds horses. Most everybody hereabouts concentrates on the cattle business.”
“What about when the foals drop next spring?” she asked. “J.T. seems to think the paint stud will give us a good bunch of horses to work with.”
“He’s right,” Lowery said simply. “The man knows what he’s doing, Miss Chloe.” He led the gelding toward the corral and turned back for a moment as he slid open the gate. “You were smart to marry him.” A grin touched his lips. “Or maybe he was smart to marry you. I don’t know which.”
“Chloe?” Through the barn, she heard Micah call her name and she answered the summons, cutting through the large structure to where he waited beyond the big front doors. He was peering upward where new boards gleamed with paint. “Got this thing all fixed up, I see.”
“Didn’t take long,” she told him, joining him in his perusal. “Had to put in some new flooring and a lot of roofing. Worst part was we lost more hay than we could afford.” One more sin to add to Pete’s list, she thought with a twinge of bitterness.
“Got a wire from Cheyenne yesterday. J.T. said to tell you they’re headin’ home. Won’t take but a couple of days, now that they’re not pushin’ a herd of steers in front of them.”
“Is that why you came out here this morning?” she asked.
“Partly,” he said. “Partly because I wanted to see Tilly.” He looked down at Chloe and she thought, not for the first time, that he was looking weary. “I guess you’re the one I need to talk to, Chloe. Seeing as how Tilly’s young ’uns aren’t here, you’re the only family she has in these parts.”
“What’s wrong, Micah?” she asked quickly, and then his hand lifted to rest on her shoulder, and she felt reassurance in the touch. His bronzed skin took on a ruddy hue as she watched, and his nostrils flared. Faded blue eyes met hers and she recognized that for the first time since she’d known him, Micah Dawson was searching for words to say.
“Nothing’s wrong, Chloe. In fact, everything is getting better by the minute. Your Aunt Tilly and me…we’ve been talkin’ about things. And I told her I wanted to kinda sound you out a little.”
Light glimmered in Chloe’s mind, a vision of Tilly’s beaming smile aimed in Micah’s direction making itself known, and Chloe laughed aloud. “Go ahead, sound me out,” she invited. “Tell me you want to marry my aunt, Micah, and next you can tell me you’re willing to come here to live with her, because I sure as the dickens won’t be willing to send her to town with you.”
He looked disgruntled for a moment, tugging at his waistband, then snapping his suspenders with a fretful motion. “Hell, you took the starch out of me with that one, Chloe. Didn’t even give me a chance to give you the spiel I’ve been working on.”
“Am I right?” she asked eagerly. “You want to marry my aunt?”
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” He shot a look toward the house, and a grin appeared as the screen door slammed and Tilly appeared on the porch. “All clear,” he called, waving a hand in her direction. “Come on out here.”
Chloe met her halfway, her step eager, dust puffs rising behind her as she ran to embrace the woman who approached. Hands shoved into apron pockets, Tilly looked past Chloe to where Micah waited, and Chloe was stunned by the look of affection the older woman wore. And then she reached for her niece, and Chloe was smothered against ample breasts and surrounded by loving arms.
“I told the old geezer you’d be happy for us,” she boomed. “He wanted to do things right and proper though.” She held Chloe away from her momentarily, searching her face. “We’re not goin’ anywhere, you know. Micah can move in here with me. We got more room than we know what to do with, I figure. At least till you start having babies and filling up those bedrooms upstairs.”
No wonder J.T.’s wire had taken second place in Micah’s thoughts today. He’d been about more important business. “I’m happy for you Aunt Tilly,” Chloe managed to say before she was caught up again in a majestic embrace. “But won’t Micah need to be close to town?”
“He’s about done with bein’ a lawman,” Tilly announced. “Once we get this mess with the rustlers all cleaned up, and things on an even keel, he’s gonna hand in his badge. I figure you and J.T. can use another hand around the place.”
“Now, you told me you were gonna stay out of that part of it, Tilly,” Micah said reprovingly. “I’ll handle lookin’ into a job here once J.T. gets home.”
“You can move in anytime you want,” Chloe burst out. “I’m a full partner in the place, and I can hire a new man if I’ve a mind to.” And then she hesitated. “Well, after you get married, maybe, would be better.
“When will it be?” she asked, turning back to Tilly.
“Soon,” came the reply from Micah. A single word that spoke his intentions, Chloe thought.
Lowery had to hear the news when he appeared, the foam-flecked gelding on a lead line. And Chloe left him to talk with Micah while she led the horse down the lane and back. J.T.’s on his way home. The words sang in her mind as she walked, and she repeated them over and over, in time with her footsteps. The soonest would be…She calculated in her mind the distance he was traveling, and recognized with a grin that tomorrow might see his arrival.
The horse behind her shook his sides with a great resounding shudder, and she laughed aloud at him as specks of foam flew through the air. “You sure had a workout,” she said, and the gelding tossed his head. “How about a good rubdown?” she asked, turning in a wide circle to approach the barn once more. And was rewarded by a firm nudge against her shoulder as the horse pressed her forward. Pausing by the water trough, she waited until the gelding drank deeply, then returned to the barn.
“Miss Chloe?” From the east, a rider trotted into her line of vision, and Chloe heard her name called in strident tones. Tom’s hat hid his features as he neared, and he was off his horse in a single movement, the animal sliding to an abrupt halt. “Is Micah here?”
“Up at the house,” she told him. “What’s wrong, Tom?”
“Plenty,” he said, a ripe curse sounding beneath his breath. “There’s trouble again, and Cleary sent me after Micah and Lowery. He said for you to keep a close eye on things and keep your gun handy.”
“I’ll get you a fresh horse,” she told him, taking his reins and looping them across the hitching rail.
In moments, she came back with a black gelding, and Tom hastened to her side, a towel-wrapped package in his hand. “Thanks, ma’am. Tilly gave me something to eat, but I’ll have to take it with me.” He lifted his gaze and searched the corral. “We’ll need Lowery up on the range. You better send him along.”
She nodded agreement. “I got a fresh saddle blanket for you,” she told him. “Yours needs drying out.” A flip of her wrist sent the piece of tightly woven cloth over the horse’s back, and Tom reached for his sadd
le. “Let me hold your food,” Chloe offered, standing aside as the cowhand worked. “What’s going on out there?”
“We found tracks where a small herd moved across the northeast corner of the range, and Cleary set off to follow. Hogan and Willie are keeping an eye on the herd.” His movements were quick as he tightened the cinch and tugged the stirrup down, and then he hoisted himself into the saddle and reached for the wrapped package Chloe held.
“Thanks, Miss Chloe. Sorry I left you to take care of my horse. You tell Lowery to get himself up yonder just as quick as he can.”
“He’ll be right behind you,” she said, stepping back as he turned in a tight circle and joined Micah. With a lifted hand, Micah looked toward the house, and the horses moved out at a fast trot.
“I put the bay in the pasture, Miss Chloe. He was in pretty good shape. What’s goin’ on up here?” From the barn, Lowery’s voice was sharp and curious and Chloe repeated what she’d been told. His look was dubious as she spoke, and he shook his head as if he would defy his instructions. “I don’t like leaving you here alone,” he said. “J.T. won’t like it, that’s for sure.”
“I think maybe I’ll head on out there, Lowery,” she told him, itching to take her place with the men, frustration riding her as she thought of waiting inside the house while the men took charge.
“Don’t think that’s a good idea, ma’am.” Firmly, he scotched the idea and she was taken aback.
“It’s my herd and my ranch, Lowery. I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
“You’d better do what Cleary says, ma’am. Boss kinda left him in charge, him on the range and me tending to business back here.”
“Well, neither of them is here now, and Tilly can tend the cow and the chickens without me holding her hand.” She set her jaw as she spoke, and was rewarded by a nod from the man in front of her.
“I’ll wait for you, then,” he said.
A Marriage By Chance Page 21
