by Joni Keever
“Proctor had fallen on the pitchfork I’d been using. When I rolled him over, there was so much blood, too much blood. I tried to stop the bleeding, covering the hole in his neck with my hands. But it was useless. He tried to say something, then just looked up at me with that single eye and died.”
Kade took another drag from his cigar and seemed to consider the glowing tip for a minute. “I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t want the man dead. I would never have . . .”
“I know.” Carly’s hand still rested on his arm. “I can’t imagine how terrible that was for you. But didn’t you tell the authorities this story? Didn’t you tell them what happened? Why do they think you murdered the man when it was only an accident?”
Kade stood. “Nelson Jr. He told them that he came to the barn when he heard a ruckus and saw me lunge at his father with the pitchfork, burying it in his neck and shoulder.” Kade moved to the fire and knelt. With a stick, he stirred the embers then placed a few small tree branches on top of the angry red pile.
“Why would Junior say that, Kade? And why would the authorities believe his word over yours?”
He sighed heavily. “The tension between the Indians and the white settlers had been mounting for some time. I noticed more and more often, when people looked at me, all they saw was Indian. They saw a threat. Folks I’d known most of my life. All it took was Junior’s suggestion of violence, and they were on his side. When they came to arrest me, I ran. I ran as far and as fast as I could. And I’ve been running ever since.”
He rose from in front of the hearth and returned to his stool. Carly watched a look of resolve replace the guilt on Kade’s features.
“No more running. I have to find a way to settle this and make the truth be known. I have to find a way to get my ranch back.”
“Junior was a boy then, scared and confused having just lost his father. Perhaps now, now that he’s grown, surely he’ll tell the truth now if you talk with him.”
“No, he won’t change his story after so much time. You heard him in the courtroom. He won’t admit he lied. The ranch is all he has. I’ve learned that Nelson Jr. has a problem controlling his drinking and his gambling. Word is he’s spent all his inheritance and is now selling off sections of the ranch.”
Carly stood and began pacing the compact area. “There has to be a way. We have to get him to admit that he wasn’t in the barn that night, that he didn’t see a thing. Then they have to take you at your word.”
“I think he was there, Carly.” Kade stood. “I’ve been replaying that night in my mind so often lately, little details have started to come back to me. I remember a noise, like a muffled moan coming from somewhere in the dark, after I rolled Proctor over. Then another sound, like a creaking hinge, after he took his last breath. I think Junior had come to watch the fun, come out to watch his daddy whip me. I think he saw the whole thing.”
She let the new information sink in. “That’s great news, Kade. Then he knows good and well his father’s death was an accident. We just have to get him to admit it.”
Kade sat back down and picked up the cards. He resumed shuffling the deck from one hand to the next. “Yeah, but how? He’ll never come clean now. He’d lose face, and he’d lose the ranch, and it’s all he has.”
Carly continued pacing. Her mind worked feverishly. Suddenly she stopped and faced the cowboy. “We use his weaknesses against him. We get him to drinking. Somewhere public, with lots of witnesses. We get him to talking, to slip up and tell the truth.”
“Carly, the man’s not going to have a conversation with me, certainly not going to let down his guard when I’m around.”
“He might not with you, but perhaps he will with me.” Excitement bubbled in her words.
“I don’t know, Carly. I don’t want you involved in this. How could you get Junior in a situation where he’d spill his guts anyway?”
She sat down quickly on the stool and placed both her hands on Kade’s, covering the cards he still held. “Poker! I’ll join his poker game, make sure he’s drinking, and then get him to talking. I’ll trip him up somehow, get him to admit the truth in front of witnesses. He’ll clear your name, and you’ll have your freedom and your ranch.”
He looked at her incredulously. “Poker! Carly, this isn’t an easy game. You don’t know the first thing about poker.”
“Shows what you know.” Carly sat up straight and tall, shoulders back, chest out. “Seems that I preferred the company of the wranglers and the soldiers to that of Marshall’s society darlings. I dined alone most evenings at the café until one or more of the fellas began joining me. Then they’d start up a game after supper. I had nothing to rush home to, so I’d stay and watch. One evening they asked me if I wanted to learn to play. I picked it up very quickly and found the game to be great fun. Before I left, I was holding my own, Kade Roberts.”
She noticed the amused look on her companion’s face. He slowly shook his head.
“These guys don’t play for fun, Carly. They play serious poker. I appreciate your willingness, but this is a bad idea. Not only do I not want you involved, I just don’t think it will work.” Kade leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees. “I don’t just think it won’t work. I know it won’t.”
In one swift movement, she grabbed his hat and cigar. Placing the hat on her head, she took a long drag from the cheroot, blowing the sweet smoke in Kade’s astonished face. With a cock of her brow, Carly smiled. “Wanna bet?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Kade had been quizzing Carly for several minutes, testing her newfound poker knowledge. She’d been able to identify which hand beat another and answered his questions about betting. Still he remained unconvinced. While it seemed likely she could draw Junior’s attention—after all, she was a very attractive woman—it made Kade uncomfortable to put her right in the middle of this mess.
She saw his skepticism and felt her impatience and irritation grow. “Seriously, Kade, it’s not like I’m placing myself in danger. Either Junior will let me join a game and become chatty, or he won’t. It’s that simple.”
“Don’t you think Junior will recognize you as the woman who showed up in court that day with my bail money?”
“Yes, I thought of that, too. We’ll need an explanation.” After a moment, she shrugged. “Why don’t I just tell him the truth? I owed you money. I don’t like to be indebted to anyone. I was in town, heard of your predicament, simply took the opportunity to settle up. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Nothing more, nothing less, huh?”
“I think I can make him believe that story, that I have no interest in your fate or your past.”
“Maybe you can.” He scratched his head and narrowed his eyes as he considered her. “I don’t like it. There’s too many unknowns. What if he’s suspicious?”
“I’ll think of something. I’ll improvise.” She tilted her head to one side. “If it doesn’t work, then we move on to your plan.” She watched as he turned to stare out the door into the night. “Remind me—what exactly is your plan?”
Now Kade’s irritation mounted. A little muscle twitched in his jaw. “I need to see how you play. I’m not sending you in until I’m sure you can at least hold your own. It’s a private game in a small room, so I can’t be there to help you or protect you.”
Kade flipped the wooden box upside down to provide a larger playing surface and began to shuffle the cards in earnest. He noticed Carly’s eyes widen under arched brows.
“You can’t be serious! You want me to audition?”
“If that’s how you want to think of it. I just want to see if you can really pull this off, and maybe I can teach you a few things.” He nodded toward her empty stool. “Sit down. Let’s play.” Kade removed a small fold of bills from his pocket.
As Carly sat, she stated the obvious. “I have no money to bet with. Will you stake me?”
He peered across at her. She still wore his hat and looked damn good in it. The fire burnishe
d her golden hair to reveal coppery highlights. The Texas sun had warmed her creamy complexion, and the tint made those incredible eyes even more so. Carly wore a dress Kade hadn’t seen before. It clung to her in such a way that no one would mistake this woman for a boy.
Kade swallowed hard and checked the cards he still held. He fought to control his mounting desire and reminded himself that he was not Carly’s type. She’d made that clear. She found nothing about this land or this man attractive. The sting of that fact hit him harder than he expected.
“I can’t stake you. You’re my opponent. You better think of something else.”
Carly scanned the meager contents of the lean-to. Not even matchsticks to bet with. She shrugged. “Guess that’s that then. No poker audition.”
“There’s one other option . . .” He paused to make sure he had her full attention. “I doubt you and your soldier boys played this version, but maybe you’ve heard of strip poker.” He suppressed a smile as he noticed her brows arch and her eyes widen even more.
“What?” Carly felt sure she’d misheard the man.
“Strip poker. Each time you lose a hand, you lose a piece of clothing.” Try though he might, Kade could not keep his eyes from straying. His sights wandered slowly over his companion, caressing all the places his hands longed to.
“You can’t be serious! You’re making that up.”
Kade chuckled. “No ma’am, I’m not. It’s just for fun, but it should serve our purpose.”
“And just what purpose is that?” Carly’s voice held more than a hint of indignation.
Kade shrugged. “Fine. We won’t play. But if I can’t evaluate your so-called poker skills, you’re not going up against Junior.” He noticed those tight-pressed lips and remembered how sweet they’d tasted that night in the dry gulch, that night when Carly’s overwhelming need drove her to forget that she was a refined eastern lady, that he was a half-breed she despised. That night Carly acted as though she truly longed for Kade, wanted him as a woman wants a man in the deepest embrace of the night. She’d made it almost impossible to resist her, almost impossible to maintain control. “Actually, your reaction to my suggestion tells me all I need to know.”
“How so?” Carly looked so flustered. She didn’t slow down a moment and consider how he might be manipulating her.
“Obviously you don’t have near the confidence in your abilities as you tried to lead me to believe. If you were as good a player as you bragged you were only moments ago, you wouldn’t be so worried about losing your clothes. Besides, it’s not like I haven’t seen what’s under that dress anyway.”
Carly’s arms rushed up to cover her thin, low-necked bodice. “Kade Roberts! A gentleman would never speak of such things.”
“I never claimed to be a gentleman, Carly.” He stiffened as her reaction verified what he already knew. Carly Dawson felt nothing but revulsion at the thought of entering into any situation with him that might be remotely intimate or compromising. “But for your information, I do happen to be a gentleman. I wanted nothing more than to see what sort of poker player you are and to have a bit of fun. Forget it.” He rose to return the cards to his saddlebag.
“Now wait . . . Don’t get yourself all bent out of shape. You just took me by surprise, that’s all. I didn’t say I wouldn’t play. I just wanted to understand your proposal.” Carly took a deep breath and smoothed the skirt of her dress.
When she raised her head to meet Kade’s stare, her eyes glimmered a deep emerald green as the flame’s reflection danced in their depths. Kade saw not only resolve there; he could’ve sworn she offered something more, something akin to a dare.
“Okay, then. Let’s play.”
#
Carly had no idea how much time had passed. She had promptly lost the first three hands and, consequently, two shoes and a stocking. Much to Kade’s surprise, he lost the next hand. Though she expected him to follow her lead and kick off one of his boots, the man stood and slowly removed his shirt. Her breath caught in her throat as he casually strode to the open door. He hung his discarded garment on a nearby peg and retrieved a flask from his saddlebag. As he turned toward her, he paused to take a sip.
Light from the small fire painted a rich, warm cinnamon wash across Kade’s torso. The shadows detailed every muscle, every line of sinew. Carly closed her eyes as she recalled their night together in the cave, the night he had been shot. With a deep breath, she remembered sitting behind him, bathing his torso in cool water, running her hands across smooth flesh, the taut plains of his chest and powerful mounds of his shoulders. In her mind, Carly watched a droplet of water trickle slowly down the ridges of his stomach, down and down until it slipped below the waistband of his pants.
“Carly!”
Kade’s staccato call snapped her from her reverie. She looked up to find him looming above her. Her eyes couldn’t help but travel the reverse path of that water droplet to eventually find a quizzical expression on his face.
“Are you okay? I asked if you wanted some.”
“Uh . . . what? Want some?” She felt the heated blush in her cheeks and wondered at the warm rush spreading through other parts of her body.
Kade extended the flask. “Whiskey? Do you want a sip of whiskey? We seem to be out of lemonade.”
Carly ignored his sarcasm, cleared her throat, and quickly took the offering. Anything to help distract her from the half-naked man now sitting across from her. The first sip burned a fiery path down her throat that left her coughing and gasping for air. Kade’s amused look challenged her to try again. The second sip went down better, and she gathered her wits to concentrate on the cards before her.
The next few hands rid Carly of her other stocking and petticoat and Kade of both boots. The lean-to filled with laughter as the twosome began to feel the calming effects of the whiskey and enjoy the game.
Unsure whether she truly played well enough to hold her own or whether the cowboy let her win occasionally, Carly tried to keep her guard up. But it was challenging. She’d not seen this side of Kade, this relaxed, fun side of Kade. She liked the richness of his laugh, the way his eyes lit up and crinkled at the corners. His smile was disarming, as was the bareness of his chest.
“That’s a full house, my dear. Dealer wins.” He let his gaze boldly wander up and down his opponent. “You seem to be running out of clothing items, Miss Dawson. Need help unbuttoning that dress?”
A boyish grin softened Kade’s features, and Carly met his blatant stare with a steady gaze. Slowly she stood, and, reaching behind herself, she flicked each button through its corresponding cloth loop until the dress sagged at her shoulders, just clinging to the bare flesh there. With a quick little shimmy motion, Carly sent the dress billowing to the floor in a puddle around her bare feet.
Now it was her turn to grin as all traces of the smile melted from Kade’s face. As she stepped gracefully out of the garment and gently pushed it aside, Carly watched his blatant stare travel the length of her. She wore nothing but a thin chemise and his black hat. Some part of Carly knew she should feel embarrassed or uncomfortable or exposed, but she didn’t feel any of those things. Perhaps the whiskey made her more brazen. Perhaps she simply liked disarming the arrogant Mr. Roberts. Carly didn’t take the time to analyze her actions. She simply lowered herself to the little stool and gathered the deck.
“My deal?” She smiled sweetly and batted her eyes. Kade swallowed noticeably and drained the flask.
The wind outside rustled through the tree branches on its journey to parts unknown. The fire crackled and popped. The cowboy studied his cards and finally withdrew two. He placed them face down on the box and lifted his gaze to Carly. Without a word, she dealt him two new cards. Maintaining eye contact, she mimicked Kade’s action and replaced two of her own cards. Each player checked what they held and made a quick assessment. Kade withdrew three queens and laid them slowly on the table.
“A trio of ladies. Can you beat that, my lady?”
; His steamy stare held her captive. His hair hung loose, velvety black strands laying atop his broad shoulders. Thick coal-colored lashes shrouded his bottomless eyes, making him impossible to read. With a shaky breath, Carly withdrew two aces from her hand and let them fall on top of the cowboy’s cards.
She swallowed hard and rose to her feet. Kade stood with her, as if some magnetic pull caused his body to follow hers. Though Carly still wore his hat, her left hand reached for the satin ribbon that laced the front of her chemise. She breathed heavily, her breasts straining against the thin fabric.
With deliberate leisure, she pulled the ribbon until the bow fell apart and the garment parted, revealing creamy white mounds and much of Carly’s stomach.
Kade took one hesitant step, then closed the distance between them. He stood as close to her as possible without actually allowing their bodies to touch. Carly resisted the urge to lean into him. The scent of him intoxicated her.
Without a word, he removed the hat she wore and gently moved strands of hair from her face. His fingertips left fiery paths where they grazed Carly’s skin. With both hands, Kade ran his fingers through her hair, from root to tip, and then began again, but stopped this time to hold her face between his palms. He tilted her head back, then bent to brush his lips along her exposed neck and jaw.
Carly gasped. Her legs trembled, and she wondered for a moment if her knees would buckle.
In a fluid sweep, Kade lifted her with one arm behind her knees, the other behind her back. Her arms encircled his neck, and time froze as they searched each other’s eyes, searched each other’s soul. And then he kissed her, tender at first, then desperate and hungry. Carly matched his fervor, and as Kade made his way to the straw mattress, she released the cards she still held, letting two more aces flutter to the floor.
#
With the care he’d use handling one of his mother’s porcelain teacups, Kade set Carly on the bed. He slid the chemise from her shoulders. As the garment fell to her waist, he searched her face for any sign of doubt, any tension, or even a fleck of uncertainty. All he saw there in Carly’s lovely eyes was desire. She smiled at him and lifted her arms from the material. Kade slid it past her hips and let his gaze travel the full glorious length of her as she lay back on the blanket. Bending over her, he kissed her again, deeply, loving the taste of her, loving the way she seemed as eager for him as he was for her.
