by Francis Ray
Whether she knew it or not, she was weakening. A smile lifted the corner of his mustache. He didn’t need varnish or sandpaper. Just a sassy, sexy lady named Victoria Taggart. Pushing to his feet, he went to get a vase.
I can’t hide in this room all morning. It’s after nine. So I was in my nightgown clinging to Kane like lint to a sweater. He is my husband. So I’m attracted to him. Anyone can have a weak moment. At least the morning after my second marriage I’m not crying my eyes out the way I did after my first marriage.
Victoria had been arguing with herself all morning and had yet to come up with the courage to face Kane. She brushed aside the ruffled curtain to stare out the window. Brownish-green pastures and rolling hills spread out before her. In the foreground were the buildings Kane had pointed out days before. An hour ago she watched a thin, wiry man tramp back and forth between the stable and the bunk house, but nothing since then.
She still didn’t understand why when Kane touched her, her brain shut down and her body went into overdrive. Before now, memories of how Stephen had deceived, then almost destroyed her, had enabled her to remain emotionally detached from men.
Until Kane.
Well, that was about to end. Her chin lifted. She would not allow him to mess up her life. And she wasn’t going to stay in her room all day. Walking to the door, she yanked it open.
Kane, his rugged face impersonal, filled the doorway. He lowered his balled fist. “How long had you planned on staying up here?”
“I was on my way down,” she answered.
“Good, I need some company.” Taking her by the arm, he took her to the kitchen. “Have a seat and help yourself.”
The first thing she saw was the roses. Their long stems had been cut and they were in a short, wide-mouthed vase. Her fingers touched a dark red petal. A sensitive man like Kane could get a woman into a lot of trouble.
A large platter plopped on the table in front of her. Her mouth gaped. The blue stoneware overflowed with bacon, sausage patties, ham, French toast, scrambled eggs, biscuits, hash browns. “Who is going to eat all this?” She sank into her chair.
“I plan to give it a good try.” Kane helped himself to a bit of everything.
“Do you always cook this much?”
“This morning I got carried away,” he admitted. “I didn’t know what you liked. Do you want coffee?”
“No. Juice is fine.” She picked up her glass.
“After breakfast I’ll introduce you to the hands.”
“They’re going to be surprised you have a wife.” She sipped her juice.
“So are your friends.” He looked at her empty plate. “Why aren’t you eating?”
“I usually don’t eat breakfast.”
“You do now.” He put two sausage patties, hash browns, and eggs on her plate.
Victoria folded her arms. “Didn’t I warn you about being dictatorial?”
“Yes, but I’m willing to take a chance. Eat up. We have to go into town and tell our families.”
“They aren’t going to be happy,” Victoria said, and picked up a fork.
“That’s their problem.” Kane’s gaze fixed on Victoria’s face. “But I’m going to enjoy every second of the time we have together. How about you?”
Chapter 9
The alternate knocking on the door and the ringing of the doorbell came as a welcome diversion for Victoria. “I think someone is anxious to see you.”
Getting up from the dining table, Kane brushed aside the ruffled white curtain. “They’re anxious all right. For both of us. It’s my folks and yours.”
“What?” Victoria rushed to the window. Two cars were parked behind Kane’s truck. She didn’t know about the blue car, but the burgundy one belonged to her grandparents. She might not be able to find her own car, but the fins and oversized headlights on her grandparents’ ‘52 Cadillac were unmistakable. “How did they know?”
“Only one way to find out.” Letting the curtain fall, he started for the front room. With each step the noise at the front door become more pronounced. A few feet away, Kane glanced over his shoulder at Victoria. The corner of his mustache tilted upward. “Well, partner, do we slip out the back or face the angry mob?”
Despite her uneasiness, Victoria smiled. “Why bother? The back door is probably guarded.”
“Victoria, I know you’re in there.”
“Kane, open this door.”
Ignoring the demands of Clair Benson and his mother, Kane came back to Victoria. His hands settled on her shoulders. “I don’t know about Mrs. Benson, but Mama blows out of steam quickly once she’s spoken her mind. Everything will be all right.” After a light squeeze of reassurance, Kane went to unlock the front door. The Taggart and Benson family were crowded on the porch. Only Addie and Matt were smiling.
Grace glared at her eldest. “Kane, I can’t believe you were so irresponsible. I’d already called Pastor Hill.”
Clair, her face pinched in disapproval, went straight to her granddaughter. “How could you do this to me?”
Before Victoria could answer, Kane placed himself between Clair and his wife. “There’s no need to bully Tory.”
Clair’s brown eyes widened. “Get out of my way. Victoria is my grandchild.”
“She’s my wife.”
One bony finger jabbed Kane’s chest. “Sneaking around and getting married is nothing to be proud of. How do you think I felt learning my only grandchild eloped? And in the middle of early morning church service of all places! The judge’s wife just leaned over and told me. I thought she was playing until she mentioned your name. I can only be thankful she didn’t blurt it out.”
“It seems to me that you should be congratulating us instead of being angry,” Kane pointed out.
“No one has ever eloped in our family.” Clair glanced around for her husband. “Henry, kindly move Kane out of my way.”
From behind her came a groan and a chuckle. Kane knew Henry must be thinking of broken bones and Matt was enjoying the whole thing.
“Now, everyone. Calm down,” Mr. Taggart said. “Kane is right.”
“I think so, too.” Addie smiled devilishly. “By the way, Victoria, I don’t want to appear greedy, but how much of a discount do you give family members?”
“Addie, that’s enough,” Mrs. Taggart warned. “Your brother has acted totally irresponsible.”
“It’s not Kane’s fault. I’m the one who asked him to get married last night,” Victoria said and moved in front of her husband. Every pair of eyes in the room converged on her. Silence reigned. Her chin lifted. “If you want to blame someone, blame me.”
“You only had to ask once.” Kane’s strong arm circled her waist. “Mama, Mrs. Benson, we’re sorry if you’re upset, but Tory and I are responsible adults. The choice was ours. If anything, our marriage does credit to the way you raised us. We needed to be together and we wanted it to be right. I’m sure both of you can remember when you couldn’t spend another minute apart.”
For a charged moment both women stared at the newlyweds. Then with cries of happiness, the elderly women threw their arms around Victoria and Kane.
“Kane, I’m sorry.”
“Victoria, forgive me.”
“Come on, Grace and Mrs. Benson,” Kane’s father said. “Let’s have a little feeling for the newlyweds and get out of here.”
Grace and Clair sent Bill Taggart a hard glare, which he ignored. “Congratulations, son. Welcome to the family, Victoria.” Mr. Taggart exchanged a masculine hug with Kane and kissed his new daughter-in-law on the cheek. “Henry, if you’ll grab your wife, I’ll get mine.”
Henry did as requested, but not before he shook Kane’s hand and kissed his granddaughter. Smiling broadly, Addie hugged and kissed both the newlyweds. Matt winked at Kane and tipped his hat to Victoria. The door closed behind them.
“You were very convincing,” Victoria said. If she hadn’t known better, she would have believed his touching speech just as their relatives had.
It annoyed her that she could still be so easily duped by a man.
“Was I? Come on and let’s finish breakfast, then we can go pick up the rest of your things.”
“There’s no hurry. I thought I’d pick them up as I needed them.”
“Well, think again,” Kane told her. “Only a fool would believe our marriage is on the level if you go by your old place every day to pick up clothes. You’ll have to find another excuse for staying away from me.”
“That was not my intention,” she flared. “You have no right to say such a thing.”
“Saying what I want is about the only right I have with you and I’m going to do it whenever I please.” He took her by the arm and started for the kitchen. “Our breakfast is getting cold.”
Resisting the childish impulse to dig in her heels, Victoria decided to show her displeasure in another way. “I’m not hungry.”
“Suit yourself. You can watch me eat.”
* * *
Kane is a mean, spiteful man.
Snatching a sleeveless blouse from her closet, Victoria tossed it in the direction of the overflowing suitcase on the bed. He had to know she was hungry. It was after three in the afternoon. They had already made one trip back to his ranch with her car and a load of clothes, then returned for the second haul.
But had he asked if she was tired or hungry? No. And she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of asking him to stop and eat. Of course he wasn’t hungry after the huge breakfast he had put away. He lounged against her dresser, watching her pack as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
Her stomach growled again. Her teeth gritted.
“You have any clothes sturdier than these?”
Victoria glanced over her shoulder to see that Kane had finally moved. Hands on his hips, he stood by her bed, frowning down at the array of cotton, rayon, and silk blends scattered across the bed. All of them light and airy for the hot Texas summers. “They suit me,” she said coolly.
Midnight black eyes swept upward. “Not on a ranch they won’t. I don’t want to hear you complaining if something gets caught on a nail or you get a splinter in your rear because you leaned against a piece of rough wood.”
She clenched her teeth so hard her head hurt. “I promise I won’t complain, but since you’re so concerned, I’ll confine myself to the house.”
“No you won’t. I want you with me.”
“I’ve had enough of you. You’ve been bullying me ever since breakfast. It’s about time you learned I push back. I’ll wear what I want, when I want, and it’s none of your business. If you want a constant companion, that’s your problem.”
“Are you finished?”
He looked mean and hard, but at the moment she didn’t care. “For now.”
He hugged her. “I knew you could fight back if I pushed hard enough.”
She blinked, bemused by the hug and his statement. “You wanted me to get angry?”
“Not exactly. I just don’t want you to be afraid to tell me off.” He smiled. “I’m not always sure I’ll listen, but you can try. How about on the way back we stop and eat?”
“You knew I was hungry?”
“Your stomach was growling so loud it shook the truck.”
She punched him on the shoulder. “I’ll get you for this.”
“You can try.”
They stood smiling at each other, until slowly their smiles faded. Her heart rate sped up. He looked at her lips. She looked at his.
He stepped back. For a moment she thought she saw regret in his eyes, then it was gone. His fingers uncurled from her waist. “We better get a move on.”
“I suppose so,” Victoria mumbled, feeling bereft and not understanding why.
“You want to wait or find someplace else to eat?”
Victoria glanced around the packed parking lot. There wasn’t a space left. When Kane had driven by the front entrance of the popular seafood restaurant, she had seen people crowded against the stained glass door.
“Since it’s Sunday afternoon, it’s probably going to be the same everywhere,” she told him. “Besides, I love the food here.”
“That settles it then. You go inside and get our names on the waiting list. I’ll stay here until I can park the truck.” Kane pulled over to let a car pass. “Don’t worry about your suitcases, I’ll put them in front.”
“Kane, that’s a lot of trouble. We could eat someplace else.”
“We could, but we aren’t going to.”
Victoria smiled. “Since my mouth is practically watering for some fried shrimp, I’ll let you get away with being dictatorial this time.” Getting out of the truck, she began to weave her way through the cars. She and Kane were really going to have to talk about his attitude.
“Victoria.”
Shock ripped through her. Every nerve in her body went on alert on hearing the unmistakable sound of her ex-husband’s voice. For a confused moment, she didn’t know whether to continue to the restaurant or find Kane and leave. Remembering Stephen Malone’s cruel streak, she decided against both. She turned.
Smiling as if he owned the world and everything in it, Stephen approached her. Rage built inside her against the man whose greed had nearly destroyed her.
No matter how she tried to feel relief that he was out of her life, anger always twisted and shimmered through her.
It always would.
Seeing her former husband was a harsh reminder of how pathetic and malleable and stupid she had been. In him, all her failures were magnified a thousandfold.
Stopping in front of her, his smile broadened. Dimples winked in his nut-brown face. “You’re looking beautiful, Victoria, but then you always do.”
“What do you want?” Victoria asked, her voice as chilling as the look she turned on him.
His smile faded. Nervously, he fingered the tan silk square in the breast pocket of his wheat-colored sport coat. “There is no reason why we can’t be friends.”
She laughed in his face. “I could give you a long list, starting with a hundred and ten thousand dollars. Do you want more?”
“Can’t a man be forgiven for his mistakes?” he asked, a pleading note in his voice as he reached out to touch her arm.
A hard glare from Victoria stopped him inches from his goal. “Why this sudden interest in me?”
“Frankly, I’ve never gotten over you. Only I didn’t realize it until recently. Richard saw you with a giant of a man at Wellington’s last week and when he told me, it made me jealous. Today I was coming to see you and saw the same guy Richard must have been talking about help you into a truck at your apartment. On a hunch you were going out to eat, I followed,” he explained, obviously proud he had been correct. “I’ve asked around and know you haven’t dated much since our divorce. You must still care for me. Baby, I’ve never gotten over you either.”
For a moment she was speechless. Of all the egotistical jerks! “You think I haven’t dated because I wasn’t able to get over you?”
Stephen’s smile showed perfect white teeth and supreme confidence. “There’s no reason for you to settle for such a mean-looking man. I know how insecure you are. I’m willing to take you back and we can start over.”
“I wouldn’t take you back if you were gold plated and had an apple stuck between those caps I paid for,” she said furiously. “I didn’t settle for less, I was lucky enough to get more. You are the one who is mean and cruel. My husband is more of a man than you could ever be.”
Shock widened his eyes. “You married him!”
“Don’t ever try to contact me again,” she said tightly. “I know you lost your job and you need another meal ticket. This time, it won’t be me.”
Something cold flashed in his eyes. “Still trying to act more than you are just because you come from a wealthy family. You’re no better than anyone else. How much are you paying him to tolerate a cold, shrewish woman like you?”
She flinched; he smiled.
“How does it feel knowing you’re
nothing but a beautiful shell?” he continued with malice. “A man might look at you, but your money is the only reason he’ll stick around.”
“You bastard!” Untamed fury swept through Kane. Before Stephen could move, Kane grabbed the smaller man by his throat and shook. Stephen’s eyes bulged as he gasped for air.
“Tory is my wife and what’s mine I protect. I never want to hear of you or see you within a hundred yards of her. Do I make myself clear?”
Gasping for air, Stephen clawed at Kane’s unrelenting fingers. Kane’s hand tightened. Stephen nodded. Kane unclamped his fingers. Stephen crumpled to the pavement.
Kane waited until Stephen looked up. Kane’s smile was feral. “Stay out my wife’s way. You’ll be healthier. Now be smarter than you look and get out of here. Don’t let me see you again.”
Nodding, Stephen dragged himself to his feet with the help of a car bumper and staggered away.
Kane whirled to see several people watching him. Victoria wasn’t among them. Brushing past the bystanders, he caught up with her and led her to his truck. He had rushed to her side as soon as he recognized the man Victoria had stopped to talk with. Kane closed her door. Victoria jumped. He hadn’t been in time. Quickly, he got in on the other side.
“Tory.”
“I was such a fool.” Her voice trembled.
Kane’s hand, reaching toward her, halted in midair. His eyes shut. A hellish agony twisted through him. “Don’t listen to him. He’s a sorry bastard who wants to hurt you any way he can.”
She looked at him with dark, pain-filled eyes. “I’m not hungry. Can we please leave?”
Kane’s hand fisted. She was in pain and shutting him out again. He started the engine. He’d wait until they were home to finish talking to her.
But talk she would. That was her problem now—she kept too many things inside. He only hoped when she started talking, she wouldn’t say something neither one of them could forget or forgive.
“Tory, I’m back with dinner.” Kane sighed and knocked on the bedroom door again. He knew she was in there. Once they returned home, she had gone straight to her room. When he followed with her luggage, she hadn’t acknowledged him in any way. Not even when he told her he was going to pick up something to eat.
