One paw lifted in a conciliatory gesture, and Nicholas accepted it gravely. “Now that we have that straightened out, let’s think of a name for you, pup,” he said quietly. His hand touched the dog’s head, ruffling the fur a bit, and the creature turned to mush, dropping to the ground and presenting his belly for inspection.
“What shall we call him?” he asked Lin, his smile begging a response from her, even as he scratched at the tender underside of their new acquisition.
“Killer?” she asked sweetly. “Or perhaps Wolf?”
Faith laughed aloud. “You might be surprised at this young fellow. Don’t mistake his bowing down to Nicholas as the alpha male in the household as a sign of cowardice. He’s only submitting to his human master. This pup will guard you well, if his actions last night are any indication of bravery.”
“You had a problem?” Nicholas asked quickly, looking up at the golden-haired woman who still sat astride her horse.
“Someone was moseying around in the woods, I think,” she answered. “And tough guy here was snarling at my door, just begging some stranger to barge into the cabin. I don’t doubt but what he’d have taken a leg off anyone foolish enough to open the door.”
“Have you had such a thing happen before?” Lin asked. “I thought you felt pretty safe alone.”
Faith shrugged carelessly. “I do, usually. Maybe it was an animal, or someone who was hunting for small game.”
“Perhaps you need the dog more than we do,” Lin said bluntly. “I have Nicholas for protection.”
“And I have a couple of guns that I’m not afraid to use,” Faith said quietly. “I just may ask Sheriff Caulfield to scout up another dog one of these days. I could use the company, anyway.”
Amanda stepped closer to Nicholas and the black kitten jumped from her arms, scampering beneath the porch. “Are we really gonna call him Wolf?” she asked dubiously. “I don’t think he looks like one, do you?”
The dog rolled over and sat up, one smooth motion that placed him before Amanda’s feet. His tongue lolled from one side of his mouth, and he leaned forward to sniff at her shoes.
“I think he likes me,” she said confidently, kneeling suddenly to wrap her arms around the animal’s neck.
Lin caught her breath, frightened for a moment what the abrupt movement might set off, but the dog only woofed with delight and lapped eagerly with that long tongue against Amanda’s cheek. “I don’t think Amanda’s in any danger.”
“I wouldn’t think so,” Nicholas agreed. “I won’t swear to the kitten’s safety, though. We’d better introduce them slowly.”
“Come in, Faith,” Lin invited, remembering her manners.
“I’ll take your mare,” Nicholas offered, reaching for the reins. “Shall I turn her out in the pasture?”
“I won’t be here that long,” Faith said quickly. “I’ve gotten started on a couple of projects, and I shouldn’t be gone from home for longer than an hour or so.”
“What are you doing?” Lin asked, leading the way into the house.
“I’m sewing a shirt for the sheriff, and I’m trying to figure out how to steal some honey from a dead tree in the woods.” She laughed. “Now that I say it aloud, those two things don’t seem to go together, do they?”
“Makes sense to me,” Lin said with a quick grin. “Shall I make some tea?”
Nicholas watched as the women disappeared inside the kitchen and then turned, leading the mare into the shade beneath a nearby tree. He tied the reins to a low branch, allowing the horse enough leeway to search through the grass for a snack, then ran his hands over the animal’s flanks. The ears pricked upward and a soft whuffle emerged from the creature’s mouth as the pale head nudged Nicholas, her lips snatching at his pocket.
“You’re a beggar, aren’t you?” he asked with a laugh. “I’ll bet your mistress spoils you rotten.” The horse obliged with a low whinny, and Nicholas felt an unaccustomed urge to become better acquainted with the animal. He followed the sleek lines of sides and legs, investigated her teeth with a cursory glance and admired the muscles that formed as she shifted beneath his hands, rippling beneath the glossy coat.
“I’d give my eyeteeth for one just like you,” he murmured beneath his breath. “I wonder if Faith has thought of breeding you.” And with that idea in mind, he climbed the steps to the porch and opened the kitchen door.
“Something wrong?” Lin asked, as if wary of his sudden appearance.
“No,” he said quickly. “I just thought of something interesting, and I wanted to ask Faith about it.” He pulled out a chair and sat down, nodding as Lin touched the coffeepot and lifted a brow in his direction. And then his attention switched to their neighbor and he spoke his mind, bluntly, yet with every hope of success.
“Have you ever considered breeding your mare?”
“You’re going to buy a stallion?” Lin’s eyes were fastened on Nicholas, surprise causing her to ignore Faith’s departure. Her voice, of necessity, rose above the pup’s barking, as he protested at being left behind by the departing horse and rider.
“I’d like to breed Faith’s mare if I can find the right stud,” Nicholas said. “I thought you heard me ask her about it.”
“I did,” she answered. “I heard you ask her if she’d ever considered breeding the mare. But I didn’t understand that you were planning on doing it yourself.” She looked up at him quizzically. “I thought we were living here on a temporary basis.”
“We are,” he conceded quickly. “Just until we’re in the clear and everything about Amanda’s custody is straightened out.”
“And where are you planning to do this big breeding procedure?”
He glanced down at her, as if her query confused him. “There’s nothing complicated about it, sweetheart. We buy a stud, put the two together in a pasture, or wherever, and then let nature take its course.”
“How many times have you done such a thing?”
“I’ve never gotten married before, but I knew how to go about the business of taking a wife,” he answered with a grin. “I’ll bet a decent stallion can figure out what to do in no time flat.”
And then his look sobered as his gaze tracked Faith’s trail toward the woods. “I am concerned about her being alone at night, though. I’ll warrant the sheriff would be interested to hear that there was something going on out there last night.”
“Do you think it was a prowler?” Lin asked, appalled at the idea of Faith being in danger.
“I don’t know what to think, but I’m dead certain I’m heading for town in the morning to let Caulfield know about it. And to see if there’s another dog available for Faith to keep with her.”
The pup slept near the kitchen door, Nicholas unwilling to trust the animal not to follow Faith home should he let him run free outdoors all night. Lin heard the sound of the dog’s nails on the kitchen floor once during the night, and then a soft whining as he stood in the doorway of their bedroom just before dawn. She nudged Nicholas.
“Your dog needs to go outside,” she whispered.
“My dog? When did I claim ownership?”
“When you let him know who was boss around here,” she said, pulling the sheet over her head and turning to face the other side of the bed.
He grumbled, a halfhearted sound beneath his breath, but slid quickly into his trousers and headed across the bedroom floor. “Got a problem, dog?” he asked in a low murmur. And then Lin heard the soft opening and closing of the back door as he stepped out onto the porch to keep an eye on the pup.
A sudden flurry of barking brought her to an upright position, and her heartbeat throbbed in her chest as she slid from the bed and hurried to the window. At the edge of the pasture, where a mist hung in layers over the grassy expanse, a figure on horseback appeared, seeming almost to be a part of the eerie half light of dawn. Even as she watched, the horse turned and stepped into the edge of the wooded area, and was lost to view.
“Nicholas.” She bent to the screene
d window and called his name, then held her breath. He walked into view, his bare feet silent against the dewy grass.
“Yeah.” His eyes sought her out, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “I saw him, too,” he said. “Wish to hell I’d had a gun with me.”
“You wouldn’t have shot a man just for riding on the property, would you?” she asked sharply.
“I’d have sure found out in a hurry what sort of business he had here.” His voice was taut with harsh undertones she was not familiar with, and she caught a glimpse of the man who had come from the streets of the city. His eyes were sharp, penetrating, and had lost their warmth, and she shivered, backing from the window.
Then the back door opened and closed, and the dog stood in the bedroom doorway, shaking himself with a flurry of muscles, his ears flying outward. Her tension broken by the exhibit, Lin found herself laughing softly at the creature. He padded across the floor to where she stood, lying at her feet in abject humility. Her bare toes tickled his tummy and he twisted upright, yapping in delight at the attention she bestowed.
Nicholas appeared then, leaning against the doorjamb, running long fingers through his hair. “I think we have a problem,” he said, and again she heard a trace of the background he hid so well. His voice was rough, and his gaze pinned her where she stood. “I’m getting dressed and heading for town. I’m sure he’s gone, but I want you in the house, with the doors locked, while I’m away.”
“What about the cow?” she asked. “I’ll need to milk her.”
“I’m riding past Faith’s place on my way, and I’ll send her here. She can handle the cow and then come in the house with you and Amanda.” He stalked past her to where his clothing was kept in a small dresser against the wall. Clean drawers and stockings in one hand, he opened a second drawer and withdrew trousers and shirt, then stripped from the hastily donned clothing he wore.
“Why don’t I make you something to eat first?” she suggested, her mouth dry, her heart pounding with a heavy beat.
“No, I’m leaving in five minutes,” he said, denying her offer. “I want your promise, Lin. You won’t stick your nose outside the door. And keep the dog inside with you.” He sat down on the chair, pulling his stockings on, and then reached for the shirt.
“You’ll have that shotgun handy every minute I’m gone, and you’ll keep Amanda with you the whole time.” He stood upright, buttoning his trousers and tucking in his shirt, then slid into his boots and pulled them on rapidly. His eyes swept over her, taking in every detail from her tousled hair to her bare feet, toes curling into the braided rug.
“Promise me, Lin.” It was a demand she could not deny, and she nodded her head obediently. In three strides he was before her, his hands hard and rough as he drew her to her toes and pressed a kiss against her soft mouth. It was demanding, with no trace of tenderness attending his touch; and yet, she felt his possession engulf her as he lowered her to stand before him.
“I promise,” she said. And as he turned to leave her, she sobbed his name aloud. “Nicholas?”
He turned, overwhelming her with the force of his brilliant blue eyes, stunning her with the demanding masculine power he exuded. “I’ll be back,” he promised. “This won’t take long. I can’t be here to protect you and Amanda. I’m depending on you.”
“Yes. All right,” she acceded with haste. “Go, Nicholas. Go with God.”
Chapter Fifteen
She heard Faith’s whistle less than an hour later, and peered from the kitchen window, watching as the golden horse came to a halt in front of the barn. Faith saw her and lifted a hand in greeting, then opened the barn door, leading her mare within. An extra pail was hanging from a nail on the wall and as Lin watched, she saw Faith cross before the open doorway, shiny silver pail dangling from one hand.
It took only fifteen minutes to accomplish the milking, but the moments passed in an agony of silence as Lin watched, her eyes wide and unblinking. Fearful that a hidden assailant might be close, that a gunshot might ring out in the hush of morning, she waited. Aware of Amanda still asleep in the bedroom, conscious of the dog’s pacing from room to room, as if he were keeping watch with her, Lin guarded the woman in the barn.
Only when Faith appeared, carrying the pail of milk, did she breath a sigh of relief. With rapid steps, her friend crossed the yard to the porch, and then, as Lin opened the door, she slipped inside the house.
“I’ve been shaking in my boots,” Lin confessed, her voice breaking.
“You? I was terrified that something might happen before I got here,” Faith told her, placing the bucket on the floor and clasping Lin close. “Nicholas didn’t make any bones about it. He hauled me out of bed—well, not literally—but almost. Told me to get over here without any delay and stay with you.”
“Do you always do what a man says?” Lin asked, covering her mouth with one hand as a giddy laugh escaped. The relief of Faith’s presence was making her light-headed, she decided.
“No, I don’t. Not for a long time.” No humor laced the simple reply, and Lin looked up in surprise.
Faith grimaced. “I didn’t mean to sound so grim,” she said quickly. “I’m just used to being on my own, I suppose. But Nicholas didn’t give me any option. Just told me what to do and left. I’ll warrant he’s in town dragging the sheriff out of bed by now.”
“He’s worried,” Lin said. “And so am I.”
“Well, would you like to fill me in on this whole thing? I’m not just being nosy. Normally I wouldn’t ask questions, but somehow I’ve gotten involved in your problems, and I think I deserve to know what I’m looking at.”
“Let’s have some coffee,” Lin said, turning to the stove. “I put a pot on as soon as Nicholas left. It’s fit to drink by now.” She took cups from the cupboard and filled them, then sliced bread and placed it in the oven to toast while they settled at the table.
“It’s a long story,” she said. “But I think we’ve got time enough to spare for you to hear all the details.”
The storekeeper was sweeping the wide, wooden walk in front of his store when Nicholas approached, the sheriff at his heels. “Good morning, gentlemen,” Mr. Metcalf said cheerfully, although his eyes flitted between his visitors, and his broom strokes became more rapid.
“What do you know about someone asking for information hereabouts?” Brace asked sharply. “I don’t want any waffling, Metcalf. Just some straight answers. Did somebody hire you on to ask questions?”
“I only wanted to be friendly,” the man said, his voice rising as Nicholas neared. “I wasn’t trying to be nosy or anything. Just being neighborly, Sheriff.”
Nicholas picked him up by the front of his shirt, and the shopkeeper protested with a squeal. “Looky here! You can’t do this to me. I’m a good, upright citizen of this here town, and the folks of Benning, Texas, don’t cotton to strangers comin’ in here and roughin’ up the upstanding folks who live here.”
“Dry up, Metcalf.” Nicholas’s ultimatum resounded in the silence surrounding them. “I want to know, right now, who’s paying you to be so neighborly.”
“You can’t do this,” the man whined. “Tell him, Sheriff. Tell him he can’t get away with this.” He dangled from Nicholas’s hands, and his face was crimson with fear and rage combined.
The sheriff folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head to one side. “I’d say from here it looks like he’s already got you by the short hairs, Mr. Metcalf. Yessir, I’d say he can do it, all right. If I was you, I’d be singing out everything there was to warble about.”
“Put me down,” the man demanded. And then was obviously surprised when Nicholas did that very thing. Carefully, he straightened the storekeeper’s collar and gripped his shoulders, holding him erect.
“Now, tell me, sir,” he said politely. “Who is paying you?”
Mr. Metcalf swallowed, an almost audible reaction to his obvious fear. “Some big fellow from New York City wanted to know if anybody new moved into the area. He
’s paying good hard cash for information, and I figured it might as well be me gettin’ the reward as anybody else. After all, I see most everything that goes on in this town.”
“Yes, you do,” Nicholas agreed calmly. “Now, tell me the gentleman’s name.”
“Don’t know his name. I only know I got a wire from a man I know down near Dallas. He asked me did I want to earn a good bit on the side, and I figured it might’s well be me as the next fella.”
“And how did you manage to pass along information about me to this New York gentleman?” Nicholas asked politely.
“I just sent a wire that there was a good-lookin’ dandy in town, with a wife and a little girl. I told ’em you was living in a place north of town.”
“You told them that, did you?” Nicholas asked, and as one brow lifted inquiringly, the shopkeeper broke out in a sweat.
“Well, that’s what I said in the wire. But that was a couple’a weeks ago. And then this morning, when another gent came by and wanted to know whereabouts this place of yours was, I said—” He broke off abruptly and looked past Nicholas, his mouth agape.
“Problem here, Sheriff?” a voice said.
“Not so’s you could notice, stranger,” Brace told the man.
“This your early morning friend?” Nicholas asked, his thumb crooking over his shoulder.
“Yeah.” Mr. Metcalf gulped again, and backed toward the doorway of his store.
Nicholas turned, pivoting on his heel, and faced the man who stood behind him. Tall, well past middle age, and dressed in a dignified manner, the man directed brilliant blue eyes toward Nicholas, and scanned him from top to bottom.
“I’d heard about you,” he said, his words seeming to be drawn from his depths. “I wasn’t certain before.”
“And now?” Nicholas asked, aware only of a fountain of anger bubbling within.
The stranger shrugged, a negligent gesture, and allowed his gaze to collide fully with that of the man who watched him. “Now, I’m certain.”
Tempting a Texan Page 23
