by Joyce Armor
Once they emerged from the creek, Garrett gave her his towel. She dried off and gave it back to him, and he dried off as she dressed. She waited for him to say something about their little tryst, but of course he said nothing, as if he mated in the creek every day. He frustrated her so, she wanted to roll her eyes. Or knock him in the head. Since this was a battle of wills, she strategized as she dressed. All right, she would not be bested in this game, she decided. If he was not going to say anything, neither was she. So there.
She carried her shoes and stockings up the little hill, biting her tongue to keep from calling out when she stepped on a stone. He followed her up the path but maintained his silence. When she veered off toward the ranch house, he turned toward the bunkhouse.
* * *
Damn! He had to stop being drawn into Libby’s…enchantment…or whatever it was…in preparation for letting her go. But when he saw her watching him bathe, it was so damn exciting, all he could think about was getting her into the creek and having his way with her. When did he become such a weakling? This marriage was becoming too doggone convenient, and it had to stop before he had her with child.
He could not very well sleep in the bunkhouse, he realized as he stowed his dirty clothes and hung the towel. That would raise everyone’s eyebrows and have them butting into his business. Better to just stay up later than Libby. That’s it; he would wait until she was asleep before going to bed each night until she left him. It wouldn’t be the easiest thing to resist her beautiful, fragrant, curvy body as she slept so close to him, but it would be easier than facing the awake, moving, breathless, virtually vibrating Libby. Christ, just that thought had him turning hard again.
He had to concentrate on the ranch and on his dream. He would start building his cabin on the little knoll. Between that and his ranch duties, he would not have the time or energy to think of Libby. Okay, now that his plan was in place, he could rest easy. He left the bunkhouse and noticed the sun. It must be close to 6, suppertime. He headed toward the ranch house, feeling better than he had in quite a while.
* * *
Supper, a delectable meal of pepper pot soup, spicy meat and vegetable pie, steamed carrots and lemon custard for dessert, was a lively affair that included Carmen and Hector, Joss, and Clem. Garrett told the story of his pursuit of Edward DeJulius, including the ambushes along the way and the man’s deviousness and demise. Just as when it happened, he felt no remorse for causing DeJulius’s death. His tablemates congratulated him on a successful mission. Libby had a thought then that in the West, in this cowboy country, right and wrong seemed more defined than in St. Louis, at least in her experience. Garrett was all that was right, even if she did want to smack him sometimes.
Then it was Libby’s and Jackson’s turn to tell their story. Carmen clucked as Libby described how Cindy Lou had lured her to the big rocks, where Elias Parminter had accosted her, rendering her unconscious with chloroform. Garrett found his fists clenching as she described Cindy Lou’s duplicitous behavior and her stepfather’s attack. He was utterly astounded and impressed to learn that Libby had been the one to kill him. What a fierce warrior she was. His heart nearly stopped when she told them of falling into the mine. Thank God Jackson had gotten there in time. If Garrett had stopped to think about why he was so affected by Libby’s story, he might have allowed himself to surmise that he was in love with her. His thoughts did not run in that direction, however.
“You should not have trusted Cindy Lou,” he said, realizing even as he spoke how hypocritical that statement was.
“You did.”
Carmen and the ranch hands chuckled.
“You could have been killed.”
Libby sighed, setting down her linen napkin. “I know that, Garrett. It was a chance to have a memento of my mother, and I could not pass that up. I think I’m a better judge of Cindy Lou’s character than you, so I knew I was taking a big chance. It was worth it to me.”
“And now you are free,” Carmen said, raising her wine glass. “To Libby and her libertad.”
The others raised their glasses, including Garrett, whose idea of Libby’s freedom was different than theirs. Now she was free to leave him. Libby noticed the brief sad look in Garrett’s eyes and could not fathom why he would be upset that she was free. And then it occurred to her: Did he think she wouldn’t need him anymore now that the danger had passed? Well, there was need and then there was need. And she needed him like the air that she breathed. She realized she could not tell him that yet or he would go running for the hills. It almost made her laugh. Almost.
Chapter 17
It had been two weeks since they had made love, and Libby was about to ravish Garrett as he slept. He never came to supper anymore. He was so exhausted by the time he collapsed into bed each night, long after she had retired, she did not have the heart to wake him. He was always gone when she woke up in the morning. She even thought about tying a string between them as he slept so she would wake when he went skulking out of the room. Sometimes she wondered if he was ever really there, except she saw the indentation in his pillow and smelled his masculine, leathery, woodsy odor. She was not certain why he was working such long hours, but she suspected it was all a plot to avoid mating with her. Why, she kept asking herself. He was polite enough when they spoke, but not warm or teasing. Carmen would watch their interaction at mealtime and just shake her head. Jackson said nothing, yet saw everything, Libby was sure.
Finally, she had endured enough. She had had it. Instead of confronting Garrett, however, which she thought could very well be pointless, she cornered Jackson in his study.
“I want to know what’s wrong with him and what he’s doing with his time, and I want to know right now.”
Jackson looked up from the ranch log book to see his daughter tapping her foot impatiently, her hands on the waist of her pretty green day dress, her expression fierce. He wanted to grin but thought better of it, considering her mood.
They had walked this path before. He set his pen down and studied her. She was beautiful, passionate, brave and caring. Everything he could want in a daughter. And he did not think she would be so upset if she did not love Garrett. Dear obstinate Garrett, who was courageous in everything but matters of the heart. He could tell she was reaching her breaking point. He had hoped to let nature take its course, but he had better do something or Garrett was going to lose her.
“I think I know what’s going on.”
She flopped into one his walnut and leather upholstered wing chairs. “Please enlighten me. I know he likes me. Or at least he did. But half the time he acts as if I have the plague.”
He came around the desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms. “You know Garrett has a skewed opinion of women because of his early upbringing.”
She unhooked a button and pushed a sleeve up, then worked on the second sleeve. “Yes, but honestly, I’m getting a little tired of that excuse.”
“Also, I think he may be steeling himself against the day you leave.”
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had known that, although she had never put it into a cogent thought. “Well, did he ever think I might not leave if he wasn’t steeling himself against me? I just want to shake some sense into him. Why doesn’t he want to be happy?”
Jackson walked over to the window and looked out on his ranch. He thought about that. “This country is hard on women. He knows your mother walked out on me, and my second wife, Reenie, died. You have been injured and mistreated so many times, I believe he fears for your safety and thinks you would be happier and safer back east. I do not think he would be thinking of this if he did not care about you so much.”
“Men!” Libby spat out, shaking her head. “Even if Garrett divorces me, I’ll never go back east. You can stop working him so hard so he can avoid me. I’m not leaving.”
“It’s not working for me that is keeping him so busy.”
“What?” For a moment, she wondered if he was going to town after work an
d seeing someone. She never smelled liquor or perfume on him, though. Which did not necessarily mean anything. Maybe he was bathing in the creek before he came to bed. His hair was never wet, though. Now she was overthinking it.
“Remember that knoll where he was shot?”
Did she ever. She nodded.
“He’s building a little ranch house and barn on it.’
Now she was hurt. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Maybe it’s a surprise.”
She gave him a look. “Even you don’t believe that.”
He walked over and pulled her to her feet. “Are you going to give up on him?”
He watched her eyes take on a steeliness of their own. “Never.” She hugged him, then leaned back. “Thank you. I’ll let you get back to your work.”
That was sudden. She’s up to something.
She started to leave.
“Garrett is a good man.”
“I know,” she said. A good, stubborn, annoying man.
* * *
“Where are you going, señora?” Carmen asked as Libby breezed through the kitchen, grabbing a hot biscuit off a plate as she went. She was dressed in breeches and a white shirt, tied at her waist.
Libby stopped. “Carmen, I am not waiting for Garrett to come to me anymore. I am done being proper.”
Carmen sucked in her lips as if she was trying not to laugh.
Libby ignored the implication that she had already been less than proper, repeatedly if she was honest with herself. “Right now, if you must know, I’m riding out to see the progress on my new house.”
Carmen grinned. “Would you like me to pack you a lunch, querida?”
“Thank you, no. I’m just going to look around briefly. Get the lay of the land, you know? Maybe get some ideas for decorating. I shall be back shortly.”
Carmen almost told her to take a ranch hand with her, but the danger was past, and she knew where Libby was going. It was not that far.
Libby got Hector to help her saddle the same pinto that bucked her off. It was routine to check for burrs now. She declined his offer to send someone with her. As she walked the horse out of the barn and started off at trot, it felt so good to be outside and feel the wind in hair once again. She nudged the horse to a canter and then a gallop as she headed into the hills. She could feel her chignon loosening as she flew across the fields and laughed. She knew Garrett would be off with the herd somewhere and not at the house. She would have that talk about not leaving, now or ever, when he came home tonight. She just had to get through that thick skull of his. Maybe she needed a saw.
From a distance she could see the house and barn on the knoll and felt such a feeling of happiness course through her. It was the perfect site to begin their new life. If Garrett thought he was living here alone, he was out of his mind. At the top of the knoll, she reined in the pinto and dismounted. She walked him down to the creek, tying him onto a branch close enough that he could drink his fill.
Her hair was hanging out all over, so she pulled the pins out and let it fall over her shoulders and down her back. She put the pins in a pocket and started up the hill. Now to check out the buildings. The barn looked almost done, on the outside, at least, just needing to be painted. The house had a foundation, was framed and some of the walls were up. Stairs led to a second floor. She stepped into the house and walked the rooms, impressed with Garrett’s progress and handiwork. The space included three bedrooms as well as a loft, which could be used as a fourth, and a rather large kitchen. Another room looked like it could be a library, study or office, with boards that looked like they would make built-in shelving. The living room and the largest bedroom included the materials for stone fireplaces. Next to that large bedroom, it looked like Garrett was adding a bathing room, with a claw-foot bathtub and one of those flushing toilets, which had not been plumbed yet. Oh, my. If she did not already love Garrett Winslow, she would now.
She could just picture the house with a woman’s touch, flowing curtains on the windows and colorful quilts on the beds. And soft rugs on the floors. A bouquet of wildflowers on the dining table and maybe on top of that cast-iron stove. No, they would probably wilt there. And maybe one of those Western paintings that Jackson enjoyed.
Her stomach growled, reminding Libby she had skipped breakfast, except for that unbuttered biscuit. She decided to take a peek inside the barn and then head back to the ranch house and prepare for tonight’s confrontation with Garrett. The barn had a big sliding door that took all her strength to pull open. That would need a little grease. The building was fairly large, with 10 stalls—she could picture the pinto in one—a tack room and three other rooms, one large enough to hold bunks, one for storing feed, no doubt, and the other probably an office. Garrett still needed to add shelving, hooks and a saddle rack and bring in hay and other feed.
She was in the tack room when she heard footsteps. She was not planning to confront Garrett until tonight; so much for that plan. Would he be angry she was here? Most likely. She sucked in a breath and started to say, “I did not expect you…”
“That’s your misfortune,” said Cindy Lou, pointing a Colt 45 at her chest.
Libby supposed she should have been terrified, but one can only be struck, knocked unconscious and otherwise abused so many times before becoming a little philosophical about it. Whatever was meant to be, would be, she surmised. Cindy Lou already would have killed her if she did not have something to say or some plan in mind, so Libby tried to engage her in conversation, hoping it would give her an opening to attack. And she so wanted to attack the busty woman, who even in her dastardly mode was still flaunting her giant breasts. They were practically falling out of her low-cut, ruffled gold gown.
“I thought you left town and were long gone. The sheriff is looking for you, you know.”
“Pfft,” she spat out. “He’ll never find me unless I want him to.”
Libby studied the floozy. Her hand was not shaking at all. She was a cool one. “What do you want, Cindy Lou?”
“Don’t you know?” With the gun, she motioned Libby out of the tack room and toward the barn doors.
Libby stopped and turned toward her. “You cannot possibly think that Garrett would have anything to do with you after what you have done. He’ll take you to the sheriff himself if he sees you.”
“Keep walking. Down to that little river. You’re about to have an accident.”
“It’s a creek,” Libby said, just to irritate her. She walked slowly, hoping for a chance to jump Cindy Lou and pound her into the ground. Maybe she could rile her enough that she would make a mistake. She stopped and turned around. “I don’t know if you will look very good in those prison stripes. They’ll probably make you button the top button, too, and there goes your charm.”
“You are no lady yourself, dressed like a boy. I don’t know what you did to force Garrett into marrying you, but he is about to become a widower. I’ll help him get over his sorrow, which I doubt will last too long. And Sheriff Braun will believe me when I tell him Elias Parminter threatened to kill me if I did not help him.” She fluttered her eyelids and said in a childish voice, “Oh, sheriff, I was so frightened. I didn’t know what to do.”
Sadly, Libby believed her on that score. Any man would probably swallow her act. Cindy Lou prodded her with the gun and she started to walk again before stopping once more and turning around.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I didn’t. This is just my lucky day. I came to see Garrett’s new house.”
Libby put her hands on her hips. “You mean our house.”
“Not for long. Keep moving.”
Libby ignored the command. “What happened to my mother’s jewelry?”
Cindy Lou smiled, but it held no warmth. “What jewelry?”
For two cents, Libby would take a bullet in the gut just to knock Cindy Lou into oblivion. Well, maybe not, but if only she could. The infuriating woman waved the gun, signaling for her to turn around and k
eep walking. Unlike Elias, Cindy Lou was not crazed or crazy. She was cold and deliberate, which made her even more deadly. Now Libby was starting to worry that her time truly was running out. It was a depressing thought. Okay, now would be a good time to make an appearance, Lionhearted Libby.
As she neared the creek, it was now or never. She stumbled and dropped to one knee.
“Get up,” Cindy Lou demanded, pointing the gun down at Libby’s lower figure. Do it. Now. As she rose, Libby’s hand shot out, knocking the gun sideways. Cindy Lou fired just as that happened, and Libby felt a sting in her side. It propelled her up, and she rammed her head into her tormenter’s stomach, driving her back onto the little rock-strewn hill. Cindy Lou screamed and tried to bring the gun to Libby’s head.
She grabbed onto Cindy Lou’s wrist with her left hand and punched her in the mouth with her right. She heard a tooth break and blood ran from the woman’s mouth. She struck back, hitting Libby with a glancing blow on the side of her face. Cindy Lou was surprisingly strong, and Libby saw stars for a moment. She hung onto the gun wrist with all her might until her head cleared just as Cindy Lou lunged for her and they rolled down the little hill into the creek.
Libby had two thoughts at that moment. First, the gun had fallen out of Cindy Lou’s hand. Second, the creek was bone chillingly cold. Funny, when she was in the creek with Garrett, it had not seemed that cold. Oh, now she had a third thought. Cindy Lou was trying to drown her. She kicked, catching the bitch in the crotch, and she dropped her hold for a moment. That’s when Libby suddenly lost it. It was like that time she had socked the drunk in the alley. All her pent-up frustration, from all of the attacks on her and from Garrett’s wall around his heart, from this woman insulting her and flaunting her body parts, came to a boiling point. She screamed a primal scream and went after Cindy Lou with a vengeance, pounding her fists into her face and stomach. She was just about to send her nose to the other side of her face when somebody grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away. She was so frenzied, she barely felt any pain where the bullet had grazed her. She was forced to release her hold and Cindy Lou sunk into the creek.
