From Here to Texas

by Stella Bagwell

  Her hand crept to her throat as the urge to gag nearly choked her.

  “All right,” she wearily agreed. “When can I expect you?”

  “Tomorrow evening. I have business to attend to in the morning. But I should be there by dark or shortly after. Give me directions to where you’re staying.”

  Relieved, Clementine gave him instructions as to how to get to the Jones house, then ended the conversation as quickly as she could. By the time she clicked the end button on the phone, her legs were weak and her hands were shaking.

  Quito led her over to one of the armchairs and helped her into it.

  “You did great, honey. I don’t think he suspects anything.”

  Clementine’s head swung back and forth. “No. He wouldn’t. He thinks I’m too much of a chicken to stand up to him.”

  “Well, I think you’re damn brave,” Deputy Redwing spoke up. “The man is obviously deranged.”

  “Daniel’s right,” Jess agreed. “The bastard is not only dangerous to you and Quito, he’s a menace to society.”

  Sinking onto the arm of the chair, Quito rubbed her trembling hand with his. “Are you okay, darling? You’re as white as a sheet.”

  She did her best to smile at him. “I’m much better now that I have the telephone call out of the way. Now if I can just get him to talk when he gets here tomorrow night.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Quito told her. “He sounds like the sort who can’t keep his mouth shut.”

  “Yeah,” Jess spoke up. “And you deserve an Oscar for that performance you just gave on the phone. I almost believed you myself.”

  “Yeah, I did, too,” Daniel said to the under sheriff. “But isn’t an Emmy better than an Oscar?”

  Laughing, Jess grabbed the deputy by the shoulder. “I’ll explain it on our way out.”

  Quito rose to his feet to walk the two lawmen to the door. While the men left the room, she went down the hallway to the bedroom and began to undress.

  She was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling on a pale pink nightgown when Quito entered the room. He came to sit beside her and she sighed with pleasure as he folded her into his embrace.

  “This is all nearly over, my darling. And once it is, we’re finally going to have the life together that I’ve always wanted.”

  She framed his precious face with her hands as she met his gaze. “It’s the same life I’ve wanted, too. I’m just not sure that I deserve it. I’m the one who’s caused all this upheaval. And I don’t know how you’ll ever be able to forgive me.”

  “Clementine, I don’t want to hear any more talk like that. You made mistakes. I made mistakes. Now we’re going to right them together. And then we’re going to love each other for the rest of our lives,” he promised.

  Groaning, she angled her lips over his and kissed him passionately. It was the first time she’d really gotten to be this close to him since the night before and the intimate contact set her heart to racing, her nerves sizzling with anticipation.

  The kiss was only the first of many and after a few minutes, Quito began to lower her to the mattress. But before he could pin her down, Clementine slipped from his grasp and hurried over to the windows.

  As she began to close the Venetian blinds, Quito looked at her with puzzled amusement. “Here you go again with the blinds. What are you doing that for? The light is out. There’s curtains on the windows. And we know now that Niles is in Houston, not lurking outside the house.”

  “Yes. But your deputies are out there somewhere. I don’t want them knowing you’re in my bedroom.”

  Rising from the mattress, Quito walked over to where she stood and pulled her body next to his. The corners of his lips tilted with amusement as his fingers played with the blond hair lying against her breast.

  “Why do you want to keep that a secret? Is it a sin for me to be in your bedroom?”

  Her lips parted with surprise. “Well, no. But I don’t want them thinking any less of you. They believe you’re a first-class gentleman. I want them to go on thinking that,” she insisted.

  Chuckles rumbled up from his chest. “And you think they would degrade me for making love to you?”

  Her brow puckered faintly as she thought about his question. “You’re making me sound silly now,” she softly scolded.

  Laughing softly, his hands slid to her hips and drew her up against his hard arousal. “My darling Clementine, my men aren’t stupid or judgmental. They know how much I love you, how much I want you as my wife and the mother of my children. And they know I’ll do anything I have to do to protect you and keep you safe.”

  She melted against him as her fingers stroked his cheek, then lingered on the faint dent in his chin. “There’s nothing more I want in life than to be your wife and give you children,” she whispered.

  His hands began to knead her buttocks as his lips dipped to the curve of her neck. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever hear you say those words,” he murmured against her silky skin. “But I was planning on doing everything in my power to keep you here with me.” He lifted his head and nuzzled his nose against her cheek. “Do you know what bothers me most about all this?”

  She turned her mouth toward his. “No. What?”

  “That you didn’t tell me about Niles and his abuse. Honey, you must have been living with fear for so long. Why didn’t you get in touch with me sooner?”

  Groaning with regret, she circled her arms around his neck and held on to him tightly. “Oh, God, Quito, I wish I had. But I didn’t want to bring my problems to you. I didn’t want to drag you into something that might hurt you. And to be honest, I didn’t want you to know how wrong I’d been and what miserable judgment I’d used in marrying Niles.”

  “We all misjudge people at times. You didn’t ask to be abused,” he reasoned in a gentle voice. “And all I’ve ever wanted to do is love you and protect you.”

  She sighed with pleasure as his hands pushed the pink gown from her shoulders and slid down her naked body and onto the floor.

  “I don’t deserve you, Quito. I’m not worthy of your devotion. But as soon as this is all over with we’ll get married. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making it all up to you,” she promised. “We’ll finally have children and a home together.”

  “Yes,” he murmured as he brought his lips down over hers. “As soon as this is all over.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Clementine rose the next morning, determined to keep her nerves calm and steady. She prepared breakfast for Quito and herself, then waved him goodbye as he drove off to work.

  Of course, his major work today was making sure everything was set for Niles’s arrival this evening. But he and his fellow lawmen had already decided that everything needed to appear normal this morning, just in case Niles had jumped the gun and arrived earlier than expected. So Quito decided to drive in to work just as he normally would, although he’d left behind three deputies guarding the house from areas that even a bloodhound would have trouble nosing out.

  Once Quito had left the house, Clementine cleaned the kitchen and straightened the other rooms. After she’d dressed in a pair of white jeans and a red shirt that tied at her waist, brushed her hair and plaited it into a French braid, she went back to the living room to kill time.

  Since she had not had time to hook up television service, the only entertainment she had was reading and she spent the remainder of the morning trying to concentrate on a mystery that was far too convoluted for her scattered thoughts.

  Eventually she went outside to sit on the porch and while she was there, trying to relax in a lounge chair, she received a phone call from Victoria.

  Apparently Jess hadn’t leaked any of their plan to his wife. Or he had informed her, but she had the good sense not to mention it over the phone because as they talked, Victoria sounded as though everything was right as rain.

  “It’s good to hear from you, Victoria,” Clementine said. “I’ve been meaning to stop by your clinic and say he
llo, but I’ve been very busy trying to get the house in living order.”

  “What a job that must have been,” Victoria exclaimed. “I’m surprised you didn’t come down with dust pneumonia.”

  Chuckling, Clementine smiled. Thank God her old friend still had the ability to make her laugh and ease her stretched nerves. “I opened all the windows and doors before I started. So you lost a patient,” she teased.

  “Good. I don’t want you for a patient. The reason I’m calling is that I’m having a birthday party for Jess tomorrow night. It’s a surprise, so I’m trying to call everyone while I’m at the clinic. We’re going to have it over at the T Bar K and Marina, the cook, is preparing a feast. I’d love for you and Quito to come. Do you think you can make it?”

  Could they? she wondered desperately. Would the two of them still be together and safe by tomorrow evening? She had to believe so. She had to trust in Quito’s ability as a lawman, just as she had to trust in his love.

  “Oh, I hope so,” she told Victoria. “That sounds so nice. And I remember Marina. Is she still a great cook?”

  “Probably better,” Victoria said with a laugh. “And having her do the meal means everyone will come.”

  “Will the rest of your family be there?” Clementine asked. “Your brothers? And your cousin—what was his name?”

  “Linc,” Clementine supplied. “Yes, he’ll be there. That is if we can pry him out of the horse barn long enough to have a meal with his family. And of course Ross will be attending with his wife, Bella. And Maggie and Daniel have already promised that the two of them would show. Unfortunately Seth lives down in Texas, so he won’t be able to make it, but we’ll still have a houseful with a lot of friends.”

  “Sounds lovely. I’m already looking forward to it and to seeing your children.”

  Victoria chuckled. “Hopefully they’ll be on their best behavior. And I—” She paused abruptly as another voice sounded in the background. “Uh, sorry, Clementine, I’ve got a minor emergency here. See you tomorrow night.”

  The other woman hung up the phone and Clementine pushed the end button on her own phone. Victoria’s call had warmed her and for a few moments she’d felt like a normal woman with a family and friends who got together and shared good times.

  But now that the call had ended, she looked out at the winding dirt road leading up to the house. How long would it be, she wondered, before Niles appeared. And once he did, would she be able to play her part?

  Later that afternoon, Clementine was walking from room to room, trying to keep her mind occupied with plans for refurbishing the house, when she heard the sliding patio doors open at the back of the house.

  She had not heard a car or any sort of vehicle arrive. Had Niles parked some distance down the mountain and walked up here for a surprise attack? No. No! He wasn’t going to attack her, she desperately tried to assure herself. He was so full of his own ego that he believed with just a little nudge, she would truly fall back into his arms.

  Drawing in a bracing breath, she walked soundlessly down the hall toward the living room. Just as she rounded a corner, a male figure was standing right in front of her path. She gasped and jumped back.

  Two strong, male hands reached out and grabbed her upper arms. “Clementine! It’s me, Quito!”

  Nearly collapsing with fright, she shook her head with dismay. “Quito! I didn’t hear a vehicle. I thought it might be Niles and I don’t have my wire on yet! How did you get here?”

  “Don’t worry about that now. I just got word from the airport. Niles has landed and he’s left in a taxi. Apparently he’s on his way.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded with steadfast determination. “Okay. Tell me what to do.”

  Just as he started to speak, a soft knock sounded on the patio doors. She looked over Quito’s shoulder to see Jess and Daniel stepping into the living room. The sheriff and his posse were here, she thought, as her insides began to tremble. The shootout couldn’t be far away.

  “Let’s get you wired up first,” Quito said.

  They joined the other two men and then all four of them went into the kitchen where Quito began to tape the tiny recorder to a spot just above her navel.

  “Hurry, Quito. You know how fast Edward drives that taxi! He’ll be here in just a few minutes,” Jess urged him.

  “Damn it,” Quito muttered, his head bent toward Clementine’s bared midriff. “I want to make sure the connection is a good one. If we lose their voices then we’re up salt creek without a paddle. We’ll be forced to go in and blow our cover.”

  Frowning, Jess paced over to a window that overlooked the front of the house and the long drive winding down the mountain. “If he shows up before we get hidden, our covers will be blown anyway,” the under sheriff complained.

  “Calm down, Jess,” Daniel said. “Quito is almost finished. Besides, think how you’d be feeling if you were doing this to Victoria.”

  Grimacing, Jess turned back to the little group standing beside the breakfast bar. “Sorry, Quito, I know your guts must be churning now. Let’s just get this done.”

  “Don’t worry about my guts,” Quito told him. “Clementine is the one who’s putting herself on the line.” Lifting his head, he looked at her with love and fear and endless admiration. “And all for me.”

  “Oh, Quito,” she whispered fervently. “Don’t make me cry now.”

  His nostrils flared as tumultuous emotions caused him to drag a long, heavy breath into his lungs. Last night as he’d made love to her, he’d kept assuring himself that it wasn’t the last time, that he’d have the rest of his life to have her next to his heart. But this evening, as the sun was falling and sending dark shadows over the Jones House, he was feeling more scared than he’d ever felt in his life.

  “Just don’t do anything foolish,” he ordered hoarsely.

  Trying to hide the faint quiver in his hands, he smoothed the ends of the tape holding the recorder, then checked the wires one last time before he pulled the bottom of her blouse back over the listening device.

  “Am I ready?” she asked.

  “Ready.” It was all he could say as he looked over at his two deputies with a dark, worried frown. “Are you two ready to get into place?”

  Both men nodded and Daniel asked, “Where will you be, Quito?”

  “In Clementine’s bedroom or somewhere close. I want her to try to lure Niles up to the deck and out in the open. That way we’ll have a better shot at grabbing him. He won’t have anywhere to run except for a door. And I expect by then for you two to be blocking both doors that lead onto the deck. Got it?” he asked the men.

  They both assured Quito that he needn’t worry about them doing their job and they left the kitchen to give Quito a moment alone with Clementine.

  “I don’t know what to say, Clem,” he murmured as he brought his cheek against the side of her hair. “I think by now you know how much you mean to me.”

  Too full of tears to answer, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly until finally Quito was forced to ease out of her embrace.

  “I’ll be near you. Don’t forget.”

  She nodded, then finally managed to whisper, “Be careful, Quito.”

  He looked at her one last time, then hurried out of the kitchen.

  Clementine looked toward the window to see that night was falling. No doubt Niles would be pulling up any minute.

  She’d just walked out to the living room when she heard a car coming up the driveway.

  Although she’d been terribly nervous all day, the sound didn’t rattle her. In fact, all of a sudden a cool calmness came over her and she lifted her chin and walked onto the porch to meet him.

  Niles was a tall, thin man with light brown hair that lapped the back of his collar. He’d always been very vain about his hair and usually had it razor cut every two weeks whether it needed it or not. Tonight he was wearing dark slacks and a pale colored polo shirt. His appearance was immaculate and most any woman wh
o looked at him would think he was an attractive man. But to Clementine he looked like the devil himself.

  “Hello, Clem.” He dropped the duffel bag he was carrying and stepped toward her.

  Clementine’s first instinct was to step backward, but she forced herself to keep standing in the same spot as he bent his head and pecked a kiss on her cheek.

  “Mmm. You still smell as lovely as ever,” he said. “And you look beautiful. This desert air has put roses on your cheeks.”

  What would he do or say, she wondered, if she informed him that Quito’s love had put those roses on her cheeks? Instead she said, “Thank you, Niles. Why don’t you bring your bag in and I’ll fix us something to drink.”

  He followed her into the house and all the while Clementine was acutely aware that Quito and his deputies could hear every word being said.

  “Nice spread,” Niles commented as he tossed his bag onto the couch. “Small, but sufficient. I suppose it would be good for ski trips to Red River. Or we could sell it and buy something closer to Telluride or Aspen.”

  Clementine stood staring at him and even though she understood he was deranged, it amazed her that he could suddenly just walk in and take over as though nothing had ever happened between them. But then she supposed delusional people were capable of forgetting their sins.

  “Sorry, Niles. My parents gave me this home. It has sentimental value to me. I’m not selling it for any reason.”

  For a moment his face tightened and she thought he was going to come at her and fiercely point out that he was the boss now. But instead he merely shot her a cocky, all knowing smile.

  “Well, we can always discuss it later, sweetie. Right now, let’s have that drink. It’s dry as hell up here. I feel like I’ve been eating cotton. Do you have any vodka or bourbon?”

  Clementine shook her head. “Beer, wine coolers, or coffee and tea. Or there’s milk if your stomach is feeling a bit queasy from the plane ride,” she added sweetly.

  “Hell, I thought you’d at least have the bar stocked up for me,” he said impatiently as he looked toward the small bar in one corner of the room.