Cal realized a trap had been set for her, and she had naively fallen into it. The clerk was definitely involved, but was the sheriff? She slowly turned to face her tormentor. She tried to imagine any way to battle him and escape, but her petrified mind refused any assistance.
Clint walked forward purposefully. He halted before her, placing an outstretched hand on either side of her shoulders, resting his palms against the sealed door, confining her between two well-muscled arms. His boots were planted apart, his body lax. Calinda’s hands were clenched into fists, positioned near her chest for impending defense. Her respiration had increased, her efforts to conceal her panic futile.
Clint leaned forward as he spoke, his face ominously close to hers. She could feel his warm breath and smell the whiskey on it. “I thought it was time you and I had a private talk,” he hinted. “You’ve been avoiding me, Calinda, and that don’t sit well.”
Calinda rammed her shoulder against one arm, trying to break his confinement. When that failed, she pounded his chest and shouted, “Leave me alone! Let go of me! My uncle will kill you for this outrage!”
Clint laughed wickedly. “Plenty of men have tried. I been real patient with you, Missy. Why don’t we stop this horsing around? I bet your blood is just as fiery as that temper and hair.”
“Not for you! Get out of my way!” Cal screamed at him, rashly grabbing for one of his pistols. When Clint imprisoned her wrists, she shrieked, “You’re hurting me! When I get free, I’ll kill you!”
“You’re wasting your time and breath,” Clint warned huskily.
“You’ll be wasting more than that, Deavers, if you lay one finger on Cal,” another voice spoke through the shadows.
Deavers spun around with lightning speed, his fingers touching his guns. Calinda bolted toward the stirring voice as she cried out, “Lynx! Where are you?” she asked, straining to find him.
“Here, Cal,” Lynx verbally directed her toward him.
She ran into his arms and embraced him. “How did you find me?”
Lynx kept his arms hanging loose at his sides, his fingers limber and ready. “What’s going on here, Cal?” he asked, alerting Clint to their acquaintance. “I’ve been tracking you for days, woman. Why the hell did you leave home? What are you doing outside this late? I should thrash you soundly for falling for such a dangerous trick.”
Calinda assumed Lynx was referring to Clint’s trap, but Lynx was setting one of his own to avoid a bloody conflict. He was fully aware of Deavers’ short temper and lethal reputation. Lynx’s mind was working fast as he tried to analyze this crazy situation.
“I’m sorry, Lynx,” Calinda murmured apologetically, then briefly explained about Jones’ letter and her perilous journey.
Clint remained stiff and alert, straining to catch their muffled words. There could be only one man with that unusual name. But what was his connection to this girl? Why hadn’t he been warned about Lynx?
Calinda realized Lynx was up to something when he declared angrily, “I saw the letter on your dresser at home. You’re a foolish woman, Cal. Don’t you realize it was a trap to lure you here? I had a drink with Jones in Waco three days ago; he was heading for Dallas. If he wrote you, he would have said something when I talked about you. He didn’t send that letter. Why didn’t you wait and talk to me?”
Clint moved forward a few steps. Lynx slowly turned Calinda to face Clint, holding her left hand behind her. She felt him slip a ring on her finger as he asked Clint, “Are you in this kidnapping plot, Deavers? If so, you’ll answer to me,” he threatened coldly.
“What kidnapping? She came here on the stage to meet her uncle. We were making friends until you showed up. Get lost, Cardone.”
“We were not!” Cal shrieked, blurting out how Clint had been terrorizing her since her arrival.
“I ain’t never known you to fight over a woman, Cardone,” Clint remarked.
“This one I will; she’s my wife. Somebody lured her here with a phony letter, and I plan to discover who and why,” Lynx alleged.
“She ain’t your wife; she’s Calinda Braxton. Who you trying to fool? If she was married to Lynx Cardone, she would ’a tried to use your name to scare me off,” Clint debated smugly. Cardone had to be lying; nobody was fool enough to dupe Clint Deavers…
“I didn’t owe you any facts about me!” Calinda stormed at him. “I thought I was here to meet my uncle. If I had mentioned who my husband was to a man like you, you would have caused more trouble just as a challenge to him. I’m surprised you didn’t notice this while you were harassing me,” she sneered, holding up her hand for the gold ring to twinkle in the moonlight.
Calinda had immediately comprehended Lynx’s scheme to avoid violence. She recalled his past words about trying to settle disputes without bloodshed: “I’ve never killed an innocent man. If I didn’t keep a cool head, I wouldn’t be able to hesitate until the last minute before firing.”
To prevent distracting that cool and cunning head, Cal waited tensely to see if Clint would buy their story and relent. Calinda shivered in fear, recalling how Clint had easily gunned down two men at the same time. Clint was dangerously arrogant. Was Clint too vain or dull-witted to realize a peaceful compromise was not a defeat? Was Lynx faster? Could her love talk Clint out of a fatal confrontation? Lynx would never reveal cowardice, but why risk his life for her?
Chapter Nine
Time seemed irrelevant as the two men stood there deliberating their next moves, as if nonchalantly deciding if life or ego was more important. Calinda turned and eased her arms around Lynx’s waist and snuggled her face against his brawny shoulder. Perhaps this show of affection would influence Clint’s decision. “I’m sorry, Lynx. I promise I won’t ever leave home again without your permission. But your business was taking so long, and the letter sounded urgent.”
Lynx allowed her to speak freely, hoping her words and actions would entice Clint to walk away. Clint was vain and quick, but he wasn’t stupid. To date, Clint had been sly enough to carry out his crimes without being apprehended. Lynx fretted, if only my reputation wasn’t greater than his…That alone could encourage Clint to fight him. But Calinda was in danger; she could get in their crossfire. If anything happened to Lynx, she would be at Deavers’ mercy. Lynx was self-assured and talented, but there was always that one chance that another man would be faster or craftier. If it became necessary, should Lynx use his badge to prevent deadly trouble? How would Lynx explain revealing himself over a woman and a gunfight? He prayed Calinda wouldn’t be a witness to his lethal self-defense. As for himself, Lynx wasn’t afraid or insecure. In fact, it required immense self-control to prevent him from beating Deavers to a pulp.
Clint had seen Lynx Cardone in two gunfights and was aware of his speed, accuracy, and fearless courage. As much as it rankled, he knew Lynx could probably beat him to the draw. Clearly Lynx knew and wanted this girl; Lynx wouldn’t back down. It was a rule of survival: know your enemy and his skills. “Seems there’s been a misunderstanding, Cardone; I didn’t know she was married. I don’t fight men over their wives, even one this beautiful and tempting. I ain’t got no quarrel with you,” Clint skeptically informed Lynx. But Clint wasn’t convinced of Lynx’s legal possession of this treasure. Someone owed him a satisfactory explanation for this deception…
Lynx knew better than to insult a man’s pride and courage over a sensible move. But Lynx didn’t trust Deavers or that gleam in his eyes, a curious glimmer which implied Clint had a wicked secret. “Know anything about that phony letter?” Lynx asked.
“Don’t know anything about a letter or kidnapping. Nobody’s made a move against her. You got me to thank for keeping her out of danger. If I was you, I’d give her a good spanking and scolding. Could be your little woman was just running off,” Clint gibed boldly.
“That’s a lie!” Calinda shouted at the gunslinger.
“He’s only teasing, Cal; settle down,” Lynx advised astutely, the situation still tense. “Let’s go i
nside and figure out this puzzle,” he suggested, affectionately cuffing her chin. “You’ve got plenty of explaining to do, woman. See you around, Deavers. If you hear anything about this mix-up, I’ll pay well for the information.”
Deavers turned and stalked off without replying. “You all right, Cal?” Lynx suddenly asked, noticing how pale and shaky she was. She nodded faintly. “Let’s get inside before Deavers changes his mind.”
As Lynx reached the door, Cal said, “It’s locked. Someone slammed it and bolted it after I came out for water.”
Lynx’s hand was already on the knob, which opened easily. He half-turned to gaze at her. “Maybe it was stuck,” he hinted oddly.
“It was bolted! Slammed in my face and locked!” she shrieked in confusion, stressing her points angrily. “That mean clerk wouldn’t fetch any water for me, and the sheriff told me at dinner that Clint was busy for the night. It was a trick to get me alone!”
“Could be,” Lynx too calmly agreed. “Deavers could have threatened them into helping him. I’ll check into it tomorrow. Naturally they’ll deny it, but I can tell if they’re lying. Even so, Cal, what do you want me to do about it? Shoot all of them as punishment?” He had spoken lightly, but his expression was grave.
“You mean you can’t do anything? But I could have been hurt or killed. Or worse! I know that sneaky clerk was in on this plot,” Cal heatedly accused, then told Lynx of his previous mischief.
“Sounds logical, but we couldn’t prove his guilt. How do we ride out of town after making such charges against so many men? I know you’re angry and upset, Cal, but sometimes justice isn’t worth the cost. I’m here now, and you’re fine. If you want me to press it, I will. I just want you to understand the consequences. I have a tall reputation, Cal, and men fear it. They might tell me what they think I want to know. In that case, some innocent person could be accused and injured. It’s over; do you need to press it?”
“You don’t understand, Lynx. He was going to attack me. I don’t understand your code of justice. Why are men like that allowed to go around terrorizing people, forcing them to do evil things, then get away with it? If they aren’t arrested and punished, they’ll keep on doing as they please. What about another unsuspecting woman who comes here? She might not be as lucky as I was.”
“I keep trying to tell you things are different out here. If you’re going to stay in Texas, you’d best learn that quickly to avoid danger and trouble. Next time, help might not arrive in time. Let’s get inside and you can fill me in,” Lynx said firmly, taking her arm.
When they were safely in her room, he demanded, “Let me see that letter; maybe the handwriting will give us a clue.”
“I don’t have it; I burned it,” Cal told him anxiously.
“Cielos, Cal! How can I solve this mystery without a clue?”
“I was afraid someone would find it,” she excused her action.
Lynx angrily snarled, “You mean Father or me! Why the hell would you take off like that alone? Tell me what it said, word-for-word.”
Calinda slowly complied, watching the anger increase in his tawny eyes. “Who delivered the letter?” Lynx inquired.
“I don’t know.” Cal told him how she’d found the letter, then related her search of the house and grounds, then her questioning of the men. “Why would Major Jones do this to me?”
“I can promise you it wasn’t from Jones. He would never send you to a dangerous place like this. If he discovered any news of Brax, he would have contacted the Cardones, not you. Aren’t you forgetting Brax is on the run from the law? He.stole a great deal of money and assaulted my father,” he reminded her icily.
“Then who sent it?” Cal fumed in exasperation.
“Whose help did you ask for besides Jones?” Lynx pressed her.
She reflected for a time, then responded, “Only the sheriff in Forth Worth. I’ve been at the ranch since then. But it’s no secret who I am and why I came here. Are you positive Brax couldn’t have sent it?”
“If he’s here, he would have shown himself by now.”
“What if he was waiting to see if I was followed or if I told someone? It said to come in secret,” Cal reminded the furious man.
“No way, Cal. Seeing the danger you were in with that Deavers, Brax would have come to your aid,” he stated, oddly defending her father. “Why in blazes did you pack up and leave?” the query stormed out of his taut lips.
To lessen his fury and irritation, Cal explained her motives. When Lynx debated them, she added, “Don’t you see, Lynx? I haven’t seen Brax since I was four. You’ve told me the horrible things he did, but they’re only words. I didn’t witness those events; they don’t seem real to me. I must learn what changed him. A man doesn’t suddenly rob and beat his best friend without some desperate reason. Something panicked him and drove him away. You knew him for years; could you have been so wrong about him? Don’t you care about the truth? I owed him this one chance to explain. He’s my father! I also wanted to uncover the past for you and Rankin. It can’t end until it’s resolved. If I had waited around for your return, he might have panicked again and left. If I had brought you with me, he might not have revealed himself. I know it was impulsive, but there wasn’t time to think clearly or to lollygag. Surely he knows you hate him and would kill him on sight.” she finished breathlessly.
Lynx didn’t deny her last statement, hurting her. “You’ve got to give it up, Cal; it’s too dangerous. Someone is after you. It’s lucky I stopped here tonight; I almost by-passed Lampasas.”
“What are you doing here?” Cal promptly asked, intrigued.
“I was heading for Junction to see a man. I should have been there by now. I would have if I hadn’t swung by the ranch to check on you,” he sullenly declared.
“Why did you go to the ranch?” she inquired curiously.
“I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were all right. I was stunned when Salina told me you’d packed up and left without telling her anything. I suspected she was lying. I forced the truth out of her. I had to make sure you hadn’t left me or Father a note. She told me about a letter which enticed you away,” Lynx told her.
Calinda stiffened. “What did she say? How did she know?” she gingerly pressed to see how much Salina had revealed.
Lynx repeated their conversation. Calinda decided Salina had kept most of her promise, but why had she mentioned the letter? Surely she wasn’t afraid of Lynx. But if he had been furious, it might have slipped out in panic. It really didn’t matter; at least he knew there was a letter. For a time, he hadn’t looked convinced.
“Did you leave a message for either of us?” he questioned.
“No. I thought I could get here and back before either of you realized I had left,” she admitted contritely. “There’s been so much conflict between Salina and me that I doubted she would say anything about my short absence. How was she to know Rankin hadn’t given his permission? Besides, it would make it appear she was only trying to cause more trouble. It really doesn’t matter now, you know everything.”
“Are you certain Salina didn’t leave that note on your bed?” Lynx questioned suspiciously, a revealing scowl on his face.
Calinda wondered if Lynx was intentionally casting doubts on Salina. Was there a reason he didn’t want them to become friends? “She couldn’t have. She left early that morning for supplies. Salina didn’t get back home for several hours. While I was washing clothes, it appeared as if by magic. I searched the house and grounds, but couldn’t find anyone. I even questioned your men, nothing.”
“I know; I questioned them too,” he calmly disclosed. “You can be very sly and impulsive, Cal. I underestimated your cunning and daring.”
Calinda feared he was about to question her as to how she slipped off the ranch, and she couldn’t improvise a believable tale under this pressure. To distract him, she asked, “If the letter is gone and Jones didn’t send it, how can we learn who did?”
“We can’t. F
rom now on, don’t you ever set foot off that ranch without telling me or Father. You might have an enemy trying to get rid of you,” Lynx stated to frighten her into compliance and caution. This situation was perplexing. He sensed she was withholding other facts, but didn’t press her. It struck him she was trying to explain without lying, and he didn’t want to compel her to begin. Later he could pull more information from her. As he did frequently, she was attempting to tell only the facts she wanted him to know and in such a manner as to inspire the desirable conclusions. Still, Brax could be behind this weird incident…
“What if Rankin doesn’t want me to stay there when he learns what I’ve done?” Cal speculated worriedly. “I can’t get back before he returns, and I can’t deceive him. He’ll be hurt and angry. I didn’t know the stage wouldn’t run again until Saturday. I’m stranded here. When must you leave for Junction?” Fear brought moisture to her eyes.
“If you think I’ll leave you here with Deavers or some other enemy around, you’re loco. Damnation, woman! You’ve ruined my tight schedule. First that rash trip home, now this new delay. There’s no choice; I’ll have to take you back to the ranch tomorrow. I’ll send a telegram to Junction explaining things. Some excuse, a mule-headed female!” Lynx growled in consternation.
“Why did you stop in Lampasas?” Cal probed again, thinking this stroke of good fortune very strange. Who had lured her here? How had Lynx timed his arrival and rescue so perfectly?
“I told you. I’ve been riding for two days and a night trying to make up the time I lost worrying over you. I was so exhausted, I had to stop here. Lampasas is on the trail to Junction. When I hitched up out front, I heard the commotion out back. Needless to say, Cal, I recognized that voice of yours. I didn’t have the vaguest idea what was going on or why you were here.” His gaze was penetrating.
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