“Like a thief in the night I crept into your corrals and made off with a number of them,” she mocked sarcastically. “Try not to be more of a jerk than you can help. Juan Chevez sent over sixteen head. It must have been a conscience thing.”
“The Chevez family has suffered greatly over this misunderstanding,” he replied patiently. “They wish for nothing more than to heal the breach in their family. As I consider their family a part of mine and under my protection, it is of equal importance to me.” His black gaze didn’t blink once as it bored into her green eyes. She felt hunted. More than once she’d had to track cougar after her horses, and they had looked at her with just that same focused stare.
“Go back to Brazil, Mr. De La Cruz, and take your family with you. That will go a long way toward healing the breach.”
His teeth flashed, very white, his smile wolfish. For no reason at all it made Colby shiver. She went to move away from him, to give herself breathing room, a delicate feminine retreat, but he glided with her like a jungle cat stalking prey. His hand curled around the nape of her neck, his fingers almost gentle, yet she felt his immense strength, knew she couldn’t break his grip, knew he could snap her neck in an instant if he chose. A shiver of apprehension raced down her spine. She stilled beneath his hand, her gaze jumping to his face. His black eyes were suddenly hungry, a dark intense hunger that robbed her of her breath while he stared almost fascinated at her pulse.
Why had she thought his eyes flat and hard and icy cold? Now they were burning with so much emotion, alive with need and hunger and an intensity that scorched her all the way to her very soul.
You are not going to get away from me, pequena. No matter how far you run, no matter how much you fight, none of it will matter.
The words shimmered in her mind, shimmered between them, yet Colby had no idea whether they were real or not. He hadn’t spoken; he was only looking at her with his smoldering black eyes.
She paled visibly, suddenly very, very afraid. Of herself. Of him. Of the dark promise of passion in his eloquent eyes.
“You aren’t welcome here, De La Cruz,” Paul burst out, his face bright red beneath his tan. He took a step toward the larger man, his fists clenched, but Ginny caught at his arm and held on to him like a pit bull. “Let go of my sister right now.”
Rafael swung his head slowly around, his gaze reluctantly leaving Colby’s face so that he could look at Paul. The boy noticed at once that Rafael’s black eyes never blinked. Not once. For a moment Paul couldn’t think or move. He stood frozen in place, his heart pounding. Rafael smiled at him then, no humor, just a flash of white teeth and then he was striding for his pickup truck.
They watched him move, mesmerized by his fluid grace. No one spoke until the truck had been swallowed up in a cloud of dust, then Paul flung himself onto the grass. “I must have been out of my mind! Why didn’t you gag me? He could have killed me with his little finger.”
Ginny laughed nervously. “Fortunately I saved your life by holding you back.”
“For which I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Paul said, staring up at the darkening evening sky.
Colby flung herself on the ground beside her brother, dragging Ginny down beside her. They clung together laughing at their audacity, slightly hysterical with relief. Colby was the first to sober up. “Pride is going to cost us big bucks this time. With Daniels pressing us on the balloon payment for the mortgage, I’m afraid this is a serious setback. I’ve only got two months to come up with the payment and he’s told me in no uncertain terms he won’t give me an extension.”
“He didn’t say we have to give the horses back,” Ginny pointed out pragmatically. “Just keep them and bill him for the work.”
“We’ll sue if he doesn’t pay,” Paul burst out indignantly. “You’ve worked hard on those horses and they’ve been eating our supplies. De La Cruz couldn’t find anyone better here in the States, or Brazil for that matter. He can’t expect to get your services for nothing.”
“That’s probably how they got rich in the first place,” Colby said snidely, then was immediately ashamed of herself. She thankfully accepted a piece of fried chicken from practical Ginny. “Blast that man for coming over here! Although, to be strictly honest, I never would have accepted those horses had I known they were his.”
Paul grinned at her unrepentantly. “That’s why I didn’t tell you.”
Colby turned the full power of her emerald gaze on her brother. “That’s not something you should be admitting to me. Rafael De La Cruz is worse than his brother and I never thought that was possible.” She touched the nape of her neck where the warmth of his touch seemed to linger.
“I wish they’d all leave,” Ginny stated clearly. She looked at Colby with frightened eyes. “Can they really take me away from you, to another country? I don’t want to go with them.” She sounded young and forlorn.
Colby immediately circled Ginny’s shoulders with her arm. “Why would you ask such a thing, Ginny?” She glanced at Paul with a slight frown. “Did you hear that somewhere?”
“It wasn’t me,” Paul defended, “it was Clinton Daniels. We saw him at the grocery store and he told Ginny the Chevez family was going to take the two of us to Brazil and you couldn’t stop them. He said you’d never win custody in a court of law and the De La Cruz family had political pull and too much money to fight. With the De La Cruz family backing the Chevez family you didn’t have a prayer of keeping us.”
Colby counted silently to ten, listening to her heart pound out a strange, irregular beat. For a moment she could scarcely breathe, scarcely think. If she lost her brother and sister she would have nothing. No one.
Pequena? The word was a soft inquiry in her mind. A gentle soothing caress of reassurance. She heard it clearly, as if Rafael De La Cruz was standing beside her, his mouth against her ear. Worse, she felt his fingers trail down her face, touching her skin, touching the inside of her until she felt her body react in a purely sensual way.
Colby was shocked and frightened by the way his voice seemed familiar and right. Intimate. By the way her body tightened and heated in response. She managed to smile her reassurance at Ginny even while she tried to build the wall in her mind to keep Rafael out. “Clinton Daniels always seems to find the time to gossip about everyone, doesn’t he? I think that man needs a full-time job to keep him occupied.” She hugged Ginny to her. “You are a legal citizen of this country, honey. The courts aren’t just going to turn you over to someone you don’t even know. It will never come to that. Daniels was just trying to get a rise out of you. These people will go back to Brazil and everything will be back to normal.” They had to go back to Brazil and Rafael had to go back with them. Soon. Immediately.
“Yeah,” Paul added, digging at his sister’s ribs, “the normal thing, hard work, more hard work, working from early morning until late at night. Getting up in the middle of the night and working more.”
“Don’t we all wish you did that,” Colby teased. “Seriously, you two, forget this problem with the De La Cruz brothers. They don’t like me any more than I like them. Those men are positively archaic. I can see them as some kind of dungeon masters in the fourteenth century, where women were owned by their fathers and husbands.”
“Really?” Ginny looked dreamy for a minute. “I picture them as kings in a castle, great lords or something like that. They’re good-looking.”
Colby wrinkled her nose. “Do you think? I hadn’t noticed.” She managed to keep a straight face for all of three seconds before she dissolved into gales of laughter along with her younger sister while Paul looked on in complete exasperated disgust.
2
Ginny knocked on Colby’s bedroom door a few minutes after she heard the shower shut off. Colby had put in so much time with the cattle and out in the garden and the hay field that Ginny was afraid she might have forgotten the appointment with Joclyn Everett.
Colby was towel-drying her long hair and smiled at Ginny as she peeked throu
gh the door. “Got everything set up for barrel racing?”
Eagerly Ginny bounded into the small bedroom, seating herself on the bed. “Did you send in my entry fee for the Red-bluff Rodeo?” she asked hopefully.
“I told you when you were twelve you could travel a bit. The local rodeo’s enough until then.”
“There’s an eleven-year-old girl barrel racing already,” Ginny protested. “She’s making enough money for her college education.” Shrewdly she pulled out a magazine and read quickly from the article, determined to prove her point.
“Shelve it, chickadee, I’m tired and in a hurry. As it is I’m going to be very late meeting with Mrs. Everett. What do you think? Should we take on the daughter?”
“I wouldn’t mind if she was nice,” Ginny admitted. “It would be cool to have a friend. Maybe sometimes I could go to her house. Paul told me Mr. Everett is really just a business associate of the De La Cruz family; they aren’t like really close friends or anything. Maybe if I was friends with Mr. Everett’s daughter and Mr. De La Cruz wants to do business with him, he’ll start being nicer to you.”
Colby didn’t want Rafael De La Cruz to be nice to her. She didn’t want him near her. “Don’t count on it, honey.” Colby grinned impishly. “I have this strong feeling the De La Cruz brothers would rather give up their business ties with Everett in a minute than be nice to me. They don’t like independent women.” It was strange how Colby thought Nicolas was so cold, the coldest man she had ever met, yet she found Rafael just the opposite, a seething cauldron of dangerous emotions, intense and darkly erotic. Rafael De La Cruz was a truly sensual man and he scared the hell out of her. If she never saw him again, it would be too soon.
Ginny scowled darkly. “You aren’t ever serious, Colby,” she reprimanded.
“I wouldn’t say that.” Colby pulled on a long-sleeved cotton shirt to cover the white marks marring her tanned skin.
“Did you notice how good-looking Rafael was? He’s a hunk,” Ginny pointed out solemnly. “His brother is a hunk too. And they’re stinking rich, Colby. You’re missing a great chance.”
Snorting inelegantly, Colby stamped her foot down into her worn boots. “Have you ever noticed the type of women who flock around those men?” Throwing her hips forward, shoulders back, she batted her eyelashes. “Dawling,” she purred, mimicking Louise’s voice perfectly, “you’re just soooo strong! My little old heart just flutters whenever I lay eyes on you.” Dramatically clutching her heart, Colby fell onto her bed.
Ginny, giggling, gave up her matchmaking. “All right, all right,” she surrendered. “But it wouldn’t be bad having a niece or nephew to play with. I’ll be an old lady by the time Paul gets roped.”
“So I’m to be the sacrifice. No thank you, young lady.” Colby wrinkled her nose. “I’m perfectly happy being an old maid. Gotta get out of here or I’ll never get there in time.” She glanced down at her watch. “It’s already past time.”
Ginny clutched at her hand, eyes serious. “I really would like to have a friend, Colby. I get lonesome in the summertime. We’re so far from everybody. . . .” She trailed off, hating to complain when Colby worked so hard.
Colby gave her a quick hug. “I know, honey. Paul and I get so busy we forget you’re here by yourself doing all the cooking and cleaning. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” Ginny hugged her tightly. “You look great tonight. Is Joe going to be there?” There was a hopeful note in her voice.
“Joe? Joe Vargas? Ginny, don’t you dare try to saddle that poor man with me. He’d be lost.” Laughing, Colby caught up her purse and hurried out to the pickup truck.
Paul was there to open the rusty, dented door. “Drive carefully, Colby, the tires are completely bald,” he cautioned. “Gone. Totally worn out.”
“Everything is,” she commented as again and again she tried to coax the truck into starting. When it finally turned over they both cheered. “Good old truck, still hanging in there.” She patted the dash in appreciation and, waving at Paul and Ginny, took off in a cloud of dust. Bouncing high with every rut and hole, springs protesting, she cranked up the radio and happily sang all the way into town.
She found a parking space in the side lot and slid out of the battered cab. It was pushing close to nine. Chances were good Joclyn Everett would think she’d been stood up. Colby was simply too tired to care. With a sigh and a hasty prayer De La Cruz wouldn’t be in the bar with his multitude of female groupies, Colby pushed open the door. It wasn’t hard to spot Joclyn in spite of the crowd. Her simple white dress shouted money, her makeup and hair were perfection. In a group of cowhands she stuck out like a sore thumb and she was looking distinctly uncomfortable. Colby could imagine the hard time she’d been given, the joshing, the come-ons, the snide catty remarks only women make to one another. Colby made up for it the only way she knew how. “Joclyn!” She waved across the room. “I was hoping you’d wait for me. Joe, get out of my way, will you?” she added as a tall dark-haired man swept her up in a bear hug.
“Ah, Colby, when are you going to marry me?” he complained, kissing her soundly as he held her dangling with her feet several inches from the floor.
She slugged him good-naturedly. “One of these times I’m going to drag a preacher in here and you’ll head for the hills.” As he put her down, she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. “And stop kissing me in public.”
“You want to go somewhere more private?” he offered, waggling his eyebrows.
Everyone in the bar laughed at Joe’s antics and greeted her as she pushed past the cowhand to weave her way through the mass of people. “Sorry I’m so late.” Colby flung herself into a chair.
“I was afraid you weren’t coming after Louise admitted how rude she’d been,” Joclyn ventured, looking more uncomfortable than ever.
“Colby!” Another man swept off his hat as he dropped into the chair beside her. “You’re a hard woman to track down.”
“Hi, Lance. This is Joclyn Everett, Sean’s wife. Joclyn, Lance Ryker. Lance, we’re in the middle of a business discussion, or,” Colby corrected with a rueful grin, “at the beginning.”
“I bought Diablo—I finally swung the deal. You promised me you’d help me train him.” His words tumbled out. “I made the deal based on that promise.”
“When will he be here?” Colby inquired with a small, apologetic smile at Joclyn.
“A month or so. I’ll want you to take him to your ranch.”
“Sure, give me a call. Paul makes the appointments so if I’m not around leave a message with him or with Ginny.”
“Thanks, Colby.” Lance leaned over to kiss her cheek before nodding at Joclyn as he left.
“You know everyone,” Joclyn commented.
“It’s a small town and this particular group is all ranch. I grew up with most of them,” Colby explained, smiling her thanks at the waitress who was putting a tall glass in front of her.
Joclyn laughed softly. “I ordered a beer because I was certain you’d drink beer but I can see I made another mistake.”
“Seven-Up. Sometimes I get really brave and have them put orange juice in it.” Colby laughed. “They all give me a bad time about it.”
Joclyn’s dark eyes were suddenly serious. “I know you felt it was an insult for Rafael to ask you to teach my daughter to ride. And then I found out it wasn’t Rafael who asked, it was Louise in her usual endearing manner. Please don’t apologize—I understand. You work very hard, and you take a great deal of pride in what you do. Rafael didn’t want us to ask you. He said you would be far too busy.”
“More likely he made a few cracks about me trying to fill a man’s boots,” Colby said. “He’s a male chauvinist.”
Joclyn didn’t bother to deny it. There was something very cold about the De La Cruz brothers that bothered her, but she wasn’t about to discuss her husband’s business associates. “I had to ask you anyway. Since my husband and I moved here, all I’ve heard is ‘Colby’s the be
st tracker, the best trainer, guide, anything to do with horses.’ They say you have a gift.”
Colby’s grin was positively devilish. “I hope all this has been said in the presence of the De La Cruz brothers, especially Rafael.”
“Invariably,” Joclyn laughed.
Colby wanted to be strictly fair and give the devil his due. “I did hear that Rafael and his brother, Nicolas, were excellent with horses.”
Joclyn nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “That’s true, I’ve seen them. They keep odd hours for ranchers, though. They’re night owls. I think they live pretty well in Brazil. But I watched Rafael walk right up to a severely injured horse and calm it with a touch of his hands. It was amazing.” She shook her head as if to clear the memory. “But they aren’t very good with people. At least not with children. I don’t think either one of them has even looked at my daughter. Maybe her physical disability puts them off. Some people are like that. Tanya was struck by a car two years ago and must use braces to walk. The children at the school she was attending were very cruel and she’s become withdrawn from us and quiet.”
Joclyn fiddled with her glass, avoiding Colby’s disconcerting steady gaze. “I know it would take a great deal of time, time you’d be using to train horses. We’re willing to pay you whatever you would normally get for training a horse; that way you wouldn’t lose anything.” She was speaking very quickly, afraid of Colby’s reaction. “It’s so important to her, the first thing she’s expressed interest in . . .”
“Wait a minute, hold up.” Colby reached out to pat Joclyn’s hand soothingly, her natural compassion for the little girl already aroused. “It’s not a question of money so much as time. She would need to work at her own pace, not feel rushed by my time schedule. Perhaps Ginny could help us. She’s been riding horses since she was two. I could start the lesson, then let Ginny take over and just oversee it a bit. What about you? Do you ride?”
Joclyn ducked her head, flushing. “I’m terrified of horses,” she admitted. “I’m a total city girl. When Sean suggested we move out here and buy a ranch I nearly died of fright. But I didn’t like Tanya being in a boarding school and we traveled so much we had no choice. At least it was an opportunity for us to be together.”
Christine Feehan 5 CARPATHIAN NOVELS Page 40
