The Gentrys: Abby

by Linda Conrad

  Cinco's eyes crinkled into a sly smile. "When you turn thirty, you'll have the majority control of the Skaggs Ranch. Joe only has a forty-nine percent share. You could kick him off his own land if you had a mind to."

  Gray was stunned and speechless. But his brain quickly started putting pieces together. There were some long-term ramifications of this that he had yet to come to terms with, but for now he could feel the anger climbing up his spine.

  "So, you think Joe Skaggs has been trying to kill me? To try to get control of his land back?" Gray gritted his teeth and jerked up from the table. "My stepfather was the one who hurt Abby?"

  Cinco shook his head and stood, too. "Whoa. Unfortunately, that theory doesn't make sense. I wish it was that easy. But if you die, your property, including the trust, would not go back to Joe Skaggs. After all, I doubt that you've got a will leaving your worldly possessions to your stepfather, do you?"

  Gray shook his head and jammed his hands into his pockets.

  "No, I didn't think so. It would either go to your next of kin … like your grandfather or maybe to Abby if you two were married. Or if neither one of those was available, it would go to the State of Texas." Cinco moved next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think Joe is smart enough to know he'd be better off taking his chances with you than with the state."

  "Then who's been doing this?" Gray muttered.

  "Well, my money's on one of the boys," Cinco said with a smile. "Neither one of them is smart enough to understand wills and trusts. But both of them are devious enough to think they could gain something by killing you off."

  "Is the sheriff going to arrest them both?" Abby asked.

  "No, honey," Cinco told her. "He doesn't have enough evidence yet. But he's got a man following both of them day and night. There won't be any surprise attacks from now on. I'll bet that before too long one of them cracks, anyhow."

  Cinco turned back to Gray. "I think you'd better stay out here and away from the Skaggs Ranch until the sheriff has someone in custody, though. I don't believe you're in any real danger anymore. You can relax."

  Cinco then grabbed up Abby with one huge arm and grinned at Gray. "So tell my little sister here that she can take a couple of days off from being your bodyguard and is free to go visit Cal's baby, will you?"

  While Abby had been away, Gray had found himself hungry for a glimpse of her. She'd only been gone for thirty-six hours, but it had seemed like a lifetime without her smile.

  Cinco and Meredith had brought a ton of supplies with them, so Gray managed to keep himself busy during that time. They'd delivered foodstuffs, a portable washing machine and more building supplies. A bathtub and a new cooking stove were the most notable things.

  And … of course … there was the big king-size bed and mattress. Maybe it had been when he'd placed that bed inside the cabin that this desperate craving to be with Abby had begun to take over his whole being.

  She'd arrived back at the cabin only a few short minutes ago, looking fantastic. Rested, happy and eager to tell him all about her new niece.

  If he'd stopped to really think about it, he'd have wondered why it seemed that his heart had only restarted the minute Abby came into view. But he didn't want to think too much at the moment. He just wanted to enjoy listening to her and watching her as she immediately pitched in to help him with his work.

  She was dressed in her typical jeans and plaid work shirt and looked ready to get her hands dirty. Now that he had his helper back to assist him, the work would go much faster. That is if he could keep his own hands to himself.

  "You did so much while I was gone," she said as she handed him a wrench. "The place is really shaping up."

  The sun was drenching them both in a hot, liquid glare. But Abby seemed to soak it up. She watched him work on the last of the pipes that would bring enough water into the house to run the washing machine and to take a real bath.

  Without Gray having to ask, Abby had recognized his need for the wrench and handed it to him. She'd moved toward it even before he'd thought of it himself. They made a wonderful working team, he mused in silence. In fact, they were as well matched as the male and female flanges on the pipes he'd just fitted together.

  The blinding truth hit him instantly. He knew that he loved her in one flashing bit of unconscious insight. Could it really be as simple and as complicated as that?

  Now that he knew about his love, what he should do with that knowledge left him utterly dumbfounded. He couldn't marry her. But even at the risk of making the ancient ones angry with him, he knew he could never leave her, either.

  "Gray?" She said his name, and the music in her voice turned him into a panting puppy. "Did you get much work done on the cabin's interior while I was gone?"

  The question took him by surprise, but he recovered quickly enough. "Uh, yes, quite a bit. Would you like to come inside and see it?" he asked her warily.

  She nodded. "I want to tell you what Cinco said to me while we were on the way to Ft. Worth, too. He made me so mad. I was absolutely furious … until Meredith made me think about it a little more and I realized he was right."

  Gray set his tools aside and wiped his hands on a rag. "You want to tell me about it inside? The refrigerator is working now. We can have a cold drink and talk." He hesitated a second. "That is, if you think you can bear to be inside the cabin that long."

  "I want to try," she said. "It's important that I try."

  Gray opened the door and ushered her out of the dripping heat and into the cool shade of the wood- and rock-walled cabin. She slowed to a stop a few feet inside the door.

  He stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. "You doing okay?" he whispered.

  She didn't turn or step ahead, but placed one of her hands over one of his as if to capture his calm. "Yes," she told him in a shaky voice. "Oh, Gray, you've done a great job. It looks the way I always pictured it would look."

  "There's a lot more work to do, but I think it's livable now, at any rate." He heard a rumble from outdoors and smelled the pungent odor of rain moving in.

  She still didn't move away, only leaned back against his chest and sighed. "Cinco called me his 'little missy' one time too many while we were gone, and I screamed at him to start treating me like an adult. He said I'd never be grown-up until I learned how to get over my mother's disappearance and could stay inside her cabin and face it."

  Gray wished he could see Abby's eyes so he could decide how best to handle this—what to say to make her feel better. But he sensed she needed the warmth and strength of his embrace more at this moment, so he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trapping her back next to his heart.

  "I was mad. I didn't want to hear that from him," she confessed. "But Meredith made me see that I could cherish my mother's memory, yet still come to terms with the fact that she isn't coming back. I need … and want … to build my own life."

  He leaned his cheek down on the top of her head and tightened his grip. "Don't be so hard on yourself. All it takes is a little work and a little time." Gray heard the patter of rain against the roof and was glad he'd thrown a tarp over his tools. "I'll stand with you, Abby. I'll be right here if you need to lean on me."

  She twisted around to face him then, but stayed within his arms. "I have something else in mind besides leaning," she grinned. "I've brought some things I want to show you."

  A crack of thunder rumbled through the cabin, but more important, a deep sensual seduction shone in her gaze.

  * * *

  Eleven

  « ^ »

  Abby stood on tiptoe, dragged Gray down by the neck and placed a soft kiss against his lips. He heard the blood rushing to his head … roaring … blocking out the thunder.

  He tried to take a breath, but she'd invaded his system. Not only weren't his lungs functioning, but his brain had ceased to work, as well. Honor, duty, promises … all were lost to him. Replaced by the one single desire—Abby.

  His mou
th crushed down on hers, hot, heavy and demanding. The beat of his heart pounded in his ears until he didn't know whether the constant drumming was coming from his pulse or a furious storm outside.

  She had a basic taste, like everything good and fresh about the damp earth after the rain. He wanted all of it. All of the essence of Abby.

  He crammed his thigh between her legs and lifted her up onto the tabletop. Abby went wild. And Gray suddenly felt as if they were at war, ripping and tearing as if each other's clothes, fighting for the feel of skin against skin. In the back of his mind he vaguely remembered her saying something about showing him something, but in this frenzy all he wanted was to have her naked beside him.

  Finally, when they were free of their clothing, he fed on her smell and on her taste. He nipped the skin above the soft swell of her naked breast, while she made a greedy little sound and nibbled on his bare shoulder in return.

  She leaned backward to lie on the table, so he smoothed his hands over her soft, creamy skin, finding all the sensitive places. Replacing his fingers with his mouth, he licked, sucked, cherished her. His control was destroyed.

  She flexed her muscles, arched against him. Her strength was more than erotic. He ran his hand over the corded muscles in her thighs, and she shuddered. Suddenly he wanted her weakness as well as her strength. He wanted everything.

  The shock of their violent intimacy exploded the civilized being he was and left a pulsating, aroused beast in his place. Somehow the primitive savage inside him had managed to escape.

  Now. He had to be inside her—now. He flipped her over, facedown on the table, and she braced her feet on the floor. He used one hand to hold her still as he moved his hands over her back and down across her buttocks.

  Abby moaned and arched her hips toward him. He spread her thighs, then slid a hand underneath her and placed it low on her belly. Lifting her hips even higher, he slowly fitted himself into her waiting core. He was unbearably aroused and growing thicker as all the blood rushed to his groin.

  She tipped her pelvis, drawing him deeper, and he lost whatever control was left. He rammed himself hard against her, and she gasped, rocking and undulating against him. Nothing mattered now but the mewling little sounds of pleasure she made as he thrust faster.

  He felt her going over the edge. Felt the mating and the branding as his own response overpowered him. When the climax winged through them both like an arrow, it pinned his soul to hers for eternity—while his own essence spilled into her with a triumphant rush.

  A winded moment later Gray was shaking, but he lifted her up in his arms, kissing every inch of her within reach. He carried her into the bedroom and collapsed with her onto the bed.

  She landed, splayed out across his chest. He loved the feel of her there. Running his hand up and down her spine, he knew when her trembling stopped and she went limp, relaxing against him.

  "I love you," he murmured, kissing her temple.

  Abby stilled, stopped breathing. All he could feel was the thudding of her heart, keeping time with his.

  "Abby. Did you hear me? I love you."

  She rolled away from him and sat up. Her eyes were clouded over, as suddenly dark and stormy as the thundershower outside had been.

  "I heard you," she said in a cold tone. "What do you mean by that?"

  He was struck with an icy fear. "I mean, I want to be with you forever. I want to take care of you. I want you to take care of me. It means I need you."

  "Are you asking me to marry you?"

  He sat up, reached for her, but she backed away. "I haven't thought that far ahead," he admitted. "I just know that wherever I go, I want you beside me. I'm just not sure how that's going to happen yet."

  She stood, turned and went into the front room. He followed her as she stooped to pick up her clothes.

  Shivers of doubt ran down his spine and he braced himself. "Abby, sweetheart. You haven't said anything. Do you love me?"

  She shook her head, but it seemed to be more in frustration than an actual answer. "I … don't know how I feel. I know I want to be with you, too, but … but I…" She let her words trail off as she climbed into her jeans.

  The hurt and the pride clutched at his chest. "You just don't love me enough to commit to leaving the Gentry Ranch when I follow the mustangs, is that it?"

  Abby hung her head, devastated by her own hesitation. She was pretty sure that leaving the Gentry was not the problem. But what was the matter with her, anyway? She just hadn't had a chance to really think about loving Gray. Oh, she'd thought plenty about making love with him, but not about being in love. No, that was totally another question.

  From somewhere outside, she could hear the rain as it softly hit the hard-packed ground. She felt the drizzle begin in her heart, as well.

  This was too much to think about right now. Love? Need? She knew she wanted him … wanted to stay beside him. But right now all she felt was a numbing fear. The shivers seemed to start deep down in her gut, stalking up her muscles until her whole body was cold and shaking.

  She hugged her arms tightly around her chest, hoping to stem the shakes. Wouldn't it be better if Gray put his arms around her to give her his strength and warmth the way he had so often in the past?

  Abby looked up and found that Gray had dressed and was throwing a few things into one of his packs. "What are you doing?" she asked tentatively.

  "I'm going back to Skaggs Ranch. I've been neglecting the mustangs … and I need to check on my grandfather and … do a few other chores, too."

  Her panic turned to terror. "You're leaving? But … but what about the stalker? Even if we knew for sure it was one of your brothers, he might still try to sneak up on you."

  Gray narrowed his eyes at her, then shrugged a shoulder. "You'll be fine. If you're frightened, just stay away from Skaggs Ranch and call your brother, he'll protect you." He set his jaw and lifted the pack. "You don't have to worry about watching my back anymore. I can take care of myself. Our deal and the fake engagement is off."

  She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, so she cleared her throat and tried again. "But you said you owed me your life. You said you'd always protect me," she whispered in a hoarse rasp.

  Gray headed for the cabin door, stopped, but didn't turn to face her. "As long as you're on the Gentry Ranch, your brother can do a better job of protecting you than I can. If you really need me … some day in the future … just give me a call. I'll be around." He stomped out the door without ever looking back.

  And then he was really gone. Abby crumpled to the floor and wept bitter, selfish tears. She should've been prepared for something like this. People who said they loved you always left you behind. What else could she have expected?

  Gray sat cross-legged and perfectly still on the pallet of hides in his lodge, trying to ignore both his leg cramps and the hunger pains. For four days now, he'd been here, fasting and praying to the ancients for guidance. And still there were no answers. There was nothing but his own confused thoughts to haunt him.

  After he'd ridden away from Abby's cabin, over a week ago now, he'd checked on both the mustangs and his grandfather. All was well. He hadn't heard from Abby since then, but he couldn't get her out of his mind.

  He absently rubbed his palm across his heart.

  When he'd first come back onto Skaggs property, he'd made a point of trying to find his stepfather. But Joe Skaggs had mysteriously disappeared.

  Gray hadn't run into Milan or Harold, either, but he reluctantly admitted that he hadn't really tried to search them out. If one of those two imbeciles was responsible for hurting Abby, he was half-afraid of what he might do to them.

  No. After due consideration, Gray thought it would be the smartest choice if he let the sheriff handle the Skaggs boys. What Gray needed to do most of all was to plead for guidance with a new vision quest. His heart and his head were aching and raw. He'd made promises, both to the elders and to Abby. His honor demanded that he keep them both.

&nb
sp; He knew it was his duty to take the mustangs back to the ancient hunting grounds. Just like he knew his future bride must be determined by the nemene. And he remembered his promise to protect Abby always … but then, she didn't need his protection.

  A searing new thought branded his soul: She doesn't need me … for anything. She's strong and rich and capable of taking care of herself.

  Gray swiveled to stoke the flames in the cookstove. He wanted it hotter—steamier—in here. He'd sweat out his confusion, if nothing else was working. He wanted a rededication to his original principles. If he meant nothing to Abby Gentry, then he would find his soul, back with the mustangs and his people.

  While splashing a little spray of water onto the fire, Gray once again heard the drumming of the rain on the lodge's roof. The spring rains hadn't let up since the day he'd left the Gentry Ranch. A constant drizzle, complete with misty ground fog and the smell of damp leather, had become like an old friend.

  A backlash of steam from the fire filled his nostrils with the smell of mesquite and herbs. His eyes teared from the smoke, and he blinked to clear them.

  You seek our guidance, Gray Wolf Parker?

  Through the wisps of a shadowy cloud, Gray saw Pia, the Great Mother of all the people, standing before him.

  "Yes, wise one," he whispered. "I am lost. I cannot find my way."

  It is always wisest to follow your heart, my son.

  "But my heart leads me to one who is not of our blood. She cannot be the choice of the elders for my bride."

  The one who is chosen carries your ancestors' seed. Look deeper, Gray Wolf Parker. Look into the foggy shrouds of time to find your answers. Your heart has not lied to you.

  Gray felt a sudden chill and huddled against it. Through the opaque vapor, he saw Pia reaching out to him. The blurry shadows now bore an edgy feel of danger.

  Your chosen one searches for you … but the two-headed snake stands between.

  He wondered what the elder was trying to say. He had so many more questions, so much more confusion. What about the mustangs? What about… He had the feeling this vision was coming to an end.