Brogan had never been so proud. Orla saw him, her gaze meeting his stare, but she didn’t give him away. He half expected her to smile and wave. Brogan snuck up on the other man until he had his rifle pressed against Elmer’s back.
Elmer rounded on him, his eyes squinting as he struggled to focus. He was still in a sitting position, not giving him any advantage at all. Ciara leveled her gun on the man.
“I should just shoot you down for the dog you are. But I must attend to Orla.” Ciara lowered her gun and went to the other side of the fire where Orla was quaking under her blankets.
Orla burst into tears and snuggled against Ciara, who quickly twined her arms around her sister. “I thought I’d never see you again, and that was the saddest thing ever.”
“Ciara, want to help me tie up this sorry excuse for a human being?” asked Brogan.
Ciara smiled and gave a little chuckle. “I know from experience that Orla is very good at tying someone up.”
Orla touched her hands to her face, which was turning a bright red. “I only did it because he told me to. But I must admit I am very good at it.” She jumped to her feet, grabbed some rope from the ground, and cautiously walked around the fire. She actually smiled as she was tying Elmer’s hands behind him.
“I could’ve given you a good life, girl. Just think of how we would’ve been together in my cabin.”
“I have a life of my own thank you very much. Plus you stink. Your clothes stink, your breath stinks, everything about you stinks!”
Brogan stroked his jaw trying to hide the fact that he was smiling. But one look at the gleam in Elmer’s eyes when he looked at Orla turned that smile into a big old frown. They had a couple choices here. They could keep going until they got to the wagon and he could fix the wheel for them, or he could take them back home. No, Ciara said they were headed to the Kavanagh ranch. She hadn’t said a word about stopping at his place. He didn’t know why, but that didn’t sit right with him.
He gazed at Ciara and realized he didn’t want to take her back to her wagon. He didn’t want to fix her wagon wheel. He wanted her to come with him to his home. But how was he going to convince her that that was a good idea? She was a good woman, and she’d been up front about everything. She wasn’t a liar or cheat. In fact, she was the most generous woman he knew. And she was right. She’d have a hard time finding a husband who would take Orla in too. He didn’t mind, though, because he liked Orla. Plus Orla made Ciara happy. And he enjoyed having their company. Both of them.
“Are you going to stare at Ciara all night, or are we going to make a plan? Personally, I’m all for leaving Elmer tied up. He did the same to Ciara and then told me how the wolves would eat her up. He’s a ghastly man.” Elmer started to protest her idea of leaving him, and she simply took her handkerchief and stuffed it in his mouth.
“He told you that. He said the wolves would eat your sister?” He turned to Elmer and kicked him in the leg. “What kind of monster are you?” Brogan shook his head in disgust. “Keep an eye on him, Ciara, and if he moves shoot him.”
Prince wandered into camp, having followed at a slower pace. Brogan took Prince’s reins then led him over to a tree nearby and let him graze. After a bit, Prince was all set, and Brogan grabbed the coffee pot from his saddlebag. He walked over to the spring and filled the pot with water. One part of him was livid and the other part was relieved and still yet another part worried. The best bet would be to hunker down by the fire until morning and then head home.
Now to convince Ciara that it was a good plan.
* * *
“You ain’t gonna shoot me,” Elmer sneered. “I bet you don’t even know how to shoot that thing. Two girls traveling on their own, you were asking for trouble. Any man of worth would’ve refused to let you go. If I were you, I wouldn’t go back with that guy. Seems to me he let you go once, so who knows what he’d do next time?”
Orla hit him on the shoulder. “I’m going to tie the handkerchief so it stays in your mouth.”
Ciara thought it was just a threat until Orla pushed the cloth back into Elmer’s mouth and then used a length of rope and tied it around his head. Ciara couldn’t help it; she started to laugh.
“You’re not laughing at me are you, Ciara?”
“No, of course not. Well maybe just a little. I love that you seem to know how to deal with this awful man, and you tying the rope between his teeth and around his head seems funny.”
Orla smiled a proud smile. She stood up, gave Elmer a nasty look, and hurried over to where Ciara was sitting. “I could practice my shooting now, don’t you think? Elmer could be the target.” Both women burst out laughing when Elmer’s eyes grew wide in fright.
When the laughter stopped Ciara took both of Orla hands into hers. “He didn’t touch you did he? Did he try to…”
“Of course not, but if you hadn’t come, he would’ve done what he wanted to. Oh Ciara, I was so scared. He had a horse waiting when we left from our camp, and he threw me up in the saddle so I was laying over facedown. The whole time I was trying not to be sick. It didn’t seem to me we went very far before he stopped here. He mentioned something about having me tonight and you tomorrow… so long as wolves didn’t eat you. I kept trying to think of ways to get away from him, but there was never an opportunity. Ciara, I just want to go home.”
Ciara glanced up and met Brogan’s concerned gaze. She watched him put the coffee on to boil before she answered Orla. “I’m not sure where home is but we will make one as soon as we can. I believe Gemma will be happy to have us stay with her for a while. We can help Dolly. And as soon as the nights aren’t as cold, we can make a plan where we want to settle. I promise you by this time next year we will have a home.”
Orla hugged her and held onto her tight. “I like your plan. I enjoy sleeping in a house because I like to be warm.”
“Well, I think we have one more night to get through, and tomorrow, if we push it, we just might make it to the Kavanagh ranch before dusk. So why don’t we gather the blankets and make the beds so we can get some shut eye?”
Brogan’s gaze turned troubled, and she wondered what was on his mind. They wouldn’t have a chance to talk privately, at least not tonight. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was that he cared enough to come after them. But why had he come after them when he had been free to be as alone as he wanted to be?
Ciara helped Orla pile a few blankets on the ground, with a few left to lay over them. They made two beds, one for her and Orla and one for Brogan. Brogan took one blanket and draped it around Elmer. Elmer tried to sputter, and Orla gave him a look of triumph.
Brogan poured coffee for them, and they drank the hot liquid before they lay down on the blankets. Then he helped to tuck them in. His eyes seemed probing when he looked at Ciara, and she wasn’t sure why. Then he lay down so his head was near hers.
“Are you warm enough?”
His question warmed her heart, and she nodded.
“Maybe we should add more wood to the fire so we don’t have to worry about it. I don’t think we’ll be sleeping more than a couple hours anyway.”
She closed her eyes and listened while he put two more logs onto the fire and then while he got into bed and pulled his blankets up around him.
Sharing Orla’s body heat kept her nice and warm and knowing Brogan was close enough for her to touch made her feel safe. She felt herself starting to drift off when Elmer starting making as much noise as he could.
“I could tie you to one of the trees over there if you like,” Brogan warned.
Elmer quieted for a time it was if he was waiting for them to all fall asleep for him to make noise again. He kicked the coffee pot and there was a loud clang as the pot flew into the air. Orla screamed and they all sat up. Elmer had slowly made his way to their side of the fire.
“That’s it. I gave you a chance and I warned you, and now here come the consequences. Ciara will you hold the rifle while I escort Elmer here to one tree? If he breaks loo
se, don’t be afraid to shoot.”
“I’d be happy to help.”
She took the rifle and held it on Elmer as Brogan untied the man’s feet, helped him up and took him over to the tree where he tied him again. Brogan looked grouchy as he returned and got into bed.
“Did you want your rifle back?”
“Yes, could you hand it to me?” Ciara handed the firearm over and snuggled with Orla again. She didn’t enjoy having to treat people badly, but there wasn’t anything else they could do. Elmer was dangerous.
The next morning, Brogan had everyone ready to go back to Ciara and Orla’s camp. They found Elmer’s horse a pretty paint tied not far away. Brogan put both Orla and Ciara on Prince and then he put Elmer on the paint facedown while he took the horse without a saddle. When they reached the camp after just a short journey, they discovered all of their supplies were still there, including their other horse.
Ciara stared at the fire. It had gone out. How long ago had it gone out? She would have frozen to death if not for Brogan.
Brogan got the fire roaring while she made more flapjacks. They were hungry, and flapjacks were filling. They cleaned everything up and organize the supplies. This time they each had their own horse as they headed back toward the Kavanagh ranch.
Chapter Twelve
They rode at a decent pace, and at one point, Brogan pulled Prince up right next to her horse.
“Why do you want to go to the Kavanagh’s instead of mine?”
“You made it clear you didn’t want us there. Us being there is scandalous, and I just—I don’t have the energy to be somewhere that we’re not wanted. I just think it will be easier to go to the Kavanagh ranch.”
“Is that how I made you feel?” he asked softly. “I made you feel unwanted. Sometimes I think I’m the biggest idiot in all of Texas. It was lonely with you and Orla gone. Sullivan and Donnell took it upon themselves to come help me work. Those two can talk and talk and talk. I think you’d be happy to know I even had supper with the family.”
“You did?” A sense of delight filled her. “How did you feel? What did you say? Were they happy to see you? Oh, I wish I could have seen you there.”
“At first it felt odd.” He shrugged. “Everyone was hugging me, talking to me. But by the time we finished supper, it wasn’t so bad. I had blamed them for all the secrets, but recently I realized they weren’t the ones keeping the secrets initially. And Teagan, well, he didn’t make out the will, and he didn’t want us all leaving. He knows that he should’ve told us, but he made the best decision he knew how to.” A smile crept over his face. “Teagan told me he was proud of me when he heard about my horses. No one’s ever told me that before. It was like having a wound that had been festering being washed and bandaged.”
She was so happy for him she felt she might burst. Maybe he could get on with his life in peace without thinking there was another betrayal just around the corner. His smile was different now; it seemed more carefree and made him look even more handsome than before.
He was obviously aware that having her and Orla stay at his place would change everything. His family would insist that he marry her, and he wasn’t ready for that; she didn’t know if he ever would be. And she refused to be in a relationship where she loved but wasn’t loved back. Oh, he liked her; she could tell that now. But like was miles and miles away from love.
Hours later, they were riding up to the Kavanagh house. Ciara’s thighs were in so much pain she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand when she got on the ground. Orla was happy enough, but Brogan… he was preoccupied about something. She tried to talk to him, but he didn’t want to talk to her. She was glad she’d decided not to stay at Brogan’s ranch. Sullivan and Donnell were there to help her and Orla off their horses. She had to hold on to Sullivan longer than she intended. Heat seeped into her cheeks; she knew how it looked. Well, maybe she didn’t, but it must look worse than she thought as Brogan looked ready to kill.
“Let’s get you two ladies inside and get you warm,” Sullivan said.
Ciara tried to take a step and almost fell. Sullivan quickly lifted her up into his arms and carried her inside the house. Her face grew hotter still, and Sullivan gave her a knowing grin. Exactly what that grin meant, she was uncertain. It sure would not be easy to live with all the brothers. It was a relief when Sullivan finally put her down.
Orla walked inside on her own accord. She seemed very proud of her achievement. “Ciara, I told you to relax more while you’re on the horse. When you tense all your muscles, that’s when they end up hurting.” Orla took a seat on the couch next to Ciara.
An older woman came running in, wiping her hands on a dish towel. This had to be Dolly; she looked just as Brogan had once described her. “Oh my, what happened? I was so worried when you two left.” She looked them both over. “You both look fine as far as I can see. Do I need to bandage anything? I’m Dolly,” she finished, confirming Ciara’s guess.
It was so nice to have someone who cared. “We’re both fine, and it’s good to meet you, Dolly. I’d get up, but my legs don’t want to work after being on the horse all day.”
“It sure is good to be back here, Dolly.” Orla bounced on the sofa when she talked.
“Well I can at least get you a cup of coffee and something to eat. Don’t worry, I’ll bring it to you. I know what it feels like to be on a horse all day.” She glanced around. “I take it Brogan’s with you?”
Ciara nodded.
“Then I’ll wait until everyone’s here so you only have to tell your story once.” Dolly turned and briskly walked back into the kitchen.
“It’s warm in here and feels so good, doesn’t it, Ciara? I’d rather stay at Brogan’s, but this is fine. And I like Dolly.” Orla smiled, but there was still a bit of terror in her eyes. “Where’s Elmer?”
The sound of cowboy boots on the wooden floor let them know they weren’t alone. Ciara would’ve turned around, but she just didn’t have the energy.
“Orla, I have two men taking Elmer to the sheriff in town. You won’t have to worry about him again. I know it might take you a while to get over what happened, but we’re here for you.”
Dolly stood at the door, and her eyes widened as she hurried to put down the coffee and a plate of cookies. “Who is Elmer, and what did he do to Orla?” Dolly put her hands on her hips, glaring at Brogan as though it was his fault.
“It’s a long story, and like you said, we’ll just tell it once, but Orla is fine and she wasn’t touched.” Ciara said, as she and Dolly exchanged glances of relief.
“In that case, let’s get you warm and fed.” Dolly bustled around until she had the coffee poured and everyone had a cookie, including Brogan, Sullivan, and Donnell.
Ciara shivered and wrapped her arms around her middle. They were lucky and they were blessed.
Brogan got up and put another log on the fire. He grabbed two quilts and placed one on Orla first. When he went to lay the other over Ciara, he seemed to be taking extra time. Their gazes caught, and he looked at her intensely. A thrill raced through her whole body, and she wished she knew the ways of men. Well not their ways, exactly, but what each grin or the looks in their eyes meant. He broke off the locked gaze first and looked around as though he didn’t realize other people were in the room. His face tinged pink as he sat down and picked up his coffee cup.
* * *
Brogan couldn’t get enough of Ciara. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t help it. It was as though there was a war going on inside of him. Part of them thought he should stay away from her, and the other part wanted to get closer. He’d have to leave her be until all of him wanted to be closer to her. He didn’t even know who he was anymore, and he didn’t want to be the type of man who changed his mind about how he felt. He’d given Ciara too much hope with the way he was with her and that had to stop.
She’d been wise to make them come to the Kavanagh ranch instead of his. In his home, she would have been far too much of a temptation. H
er lips were a berry color, and they looked plump and ripe to him. How he wanted to hold her close and kiss her. To taste those lips. It would be hard, but he would have to avoid her; that was the only way to keep her safe from him. Women weren’t to be trifled with.
Orla went into the kitchen to help prepare the supper. He could hear her chattering to Dolly. Orla sure had much more gumption than he had given her credit for. He had been worried she would react before they were ready when they had first arrived at Elmer’s camp. But she had been brave and kept calm. He wouldn’t have imagined that she could stuff a handkerchief into Elmer’s mouth and then tie it in place with rope. She was much braver than she thought.
One by one, the whole family gathered and made room around the big dining table. Everyone wanted to know of their adventure, but it wasn’t an adventure at all. So much could’ve gone wrong and he could’ve lost Ciara for good.
Orla was the one who told the story. She did a mighty fine job and left nothing out. When she told them about the handkerchief, Brogan couldn’t help but laugh. That story would stay with her for a while, no doubt. She laughed with him.
“I can’t believe I did that either. But thanks to Brogan. He was a true hero.” Orla cast her gaze around the room and smiled. Tim had switched seats with Donnell so he could sit next Orla. He hung on her every word.
“Wow, a real live bad guy. Do you think he’s an outlaw? Do you think there’s a wanted poster for him? You think he’s in jail yet?”
“Tim, let Orla eat. You can ask your questions later,” Quinn told him.
With a reluctant nod, Tim started to eat his supper.
Daisy stood on her chair and put her hands on her hips and smiled at everyone. “I think Orla is a hero. She is very smart.” She gave them all another smile and after a little curtsy, she sat down to eat.
Brogan: Cowboy Pride: The Kavanagh Brothers Book Three Page 7
