Compromised Cowgirl (6 page)

“It’s short for
St. John
, which we pronounce ‘Sinjin.’ Nothing to do with what’s going through your mind.”

“You don’t know what’s on my mind.”

Sin lifted his hands and backed away from Sapphire at the threat.

“You can see I covet your horse, but I’m no thief. I’d never hurt your lovely wife or touch a child. I’ve got someone else in mind.”

“Who?”

Sin looked at the horse in the early stages of labor. “I think it best we go outside where a few loud words won’t put this lady into a lather.” He gestured outside.

They’d barely cleared the door before Trace grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the barn. Trace was two inches shorter, but his scars showed he knew his way around a barroom fight. Sin could likely take him, but he wanted the Elliotts on his side. He lifted his hands wide.

“It’s about Jessamine.”

“Jessie? She’s in
Virginia
.” Trace released Sin after a last shake and stepped back. “Or is she?” He straightened up. “What the hell do you know about my sister?”

Sin dropped his hands. He let the back of his head rest against the wall.

“Damn. I thought Ranger told you.” He took off his hat and scratched his head fast, as if his hair was full of lice.

“Told me what?”

Sin settled his hat and met Trace’s icy glare.

“Ranger sent a brat to beg Ace to hire on with the Double Diamond. Just for a few weeks, to prove himself. We’re only paying bed and board, but the kid still wanted the job. Ace thinks Jessie Bonham is a fourteen-year-old boy.”

“Jessie’s here? Shit!” Trace screwed up his mouth and turned his head away. “I thought two years in that fancy school would turn her into a lady.”

“She’s a lady as far as I’m concerned, but she’s also a damn good rancher. I’m the only one who knows, other than Ranger and maybe Patrick.”

“I haven’t seen Jessie in eight years.” Trace gazed at the mountains for a few minutes as if seeing something that wasn’t there. He shook his head and turned to Sin. “I guess two years in skirts can’t make up for over twenty years in a saddle.” One side of his mouth turned up in what might be a wide grin in another man. “Jessie had a few curves on her last time. She must have more now. They can’t tell?”

“Her hair’s chopped short, she binds her chest and wears a coat even when it’s hot in order to cover her sweet—uh, her back end.”

Trace rubbed his hand over his moustache.

“And Langford thinks she’s a boy?”

“Ace stays a long way from Jessie when he can. He says there’s something about the boy that bothers the hell out of him. He’d fire her if she wasn’t such a good worker.”

The corner of Trace’s lip twitched.

“I saw how Ace looked at Jessie when they met,” said Sin. “She got a rise out of him, which he blames on going without a woman for so long. We don’t have money to waste on whores. I’ll be honest with you. Ace is a man driven to prove himself to the hardest taskmaster in existence. Jessie is more than an irritant. She threatens his sense of self.”

Trace nodded for him to continue.

“The man’s so focused he sees only what’s in front of his face. Lately, that’s been cattle. He’s so tired he’d trip over his own horse if it didn’t move out of his way.”

“And Bennett?”

“Henry stays away as well. He knows something’s up but is keeping it under his hat.”

“You their nursemaid?”

Sin didn’t rise to the jibe.

“We’ve worked as a team since Ace and I stepped in to stop Henry getting pounded at school. Ace is the planning and mathematical genius, with lots of focus and drive. Henry can turn his hand to anything and make it work as long it’s got nothing to do with cards, women or money.”

“And you?”

“I’ve got the strength and ability to make anything they want happen. I usually stay in the background and watch. When I first saw her passing Baldy’s Saloon—”

“What! I’m gonna tan her ass!”

“Mr. Elliott, how old is your sister?”

Trace winced. “Damn, I guess she’s older than Beth.” The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I’d tan Beth’s ass if she went past the Mercantile, and she knows it.”

Sin gulped. His cock rose at the thought of Jessie lying across his lap, her round ass waiting for his hand.

“She came from
Virginia
on the Bride Train, disguised as a boy. She got to Tanner’s Ford on her own and found Ranger. She’s got more ability and sass than any woman I know, and she’s old enough to marry.”

“Too old. She’s stuck in her ways, ways few men want.” Trace turned and went back to soothe Sapphire.

Sin thought of the cold stream rushing downhill and how his cock shriveled when he washed up before saddling Emperor. When he had it under control he followed Trace. It wasn’t smart to let a man know he wanted his sister. Especially when he didn’t plan to marry her.

“Jessie’s right for the Double Diamond,” he said to Trace. He cleared his throat. “I came here to ask your permission to court her.”

“You want to marry my baby sister?”

“No, sir. I want Ace to marry her. He needs a wife more than Henry and me. He needs the roots that a wife and family will give him.”

Marrying into the Elliotts and MacDougals would give Ace so many roots that he’d never leave. Not just the land, but the eight or nine brothers-in-law and their families. As damn near an only child, Sin wanted his children to have lots of family near. Even Henry, the youngest of nine, wanted lots of young ones around.

“How’ll you get Ace to marry Jessie when he thinks she’s a boy?”

Now he knew Trace was on their side, Sin let the tension release. He leaned his arms on the loose box and rubbed Sapphire’s head.

“I believe the lady will be the one pushing the suit. I see how she watches Ace when he doesn’t know she’s there. It’s the same with Ace. And the way she moans when I rub her shoulders—” Sin backed up a step and held his hands up. “Just her sore shoulders.” He dropped his hands when Trace grunted and turned his attention back to the horse. “Jessie needs a husband, and soon. If you don’t want her with us, I hear the Circle C is hunting for a wife.”

“If Ranger figures you’re right for Jessie, I won’t complain.” He rubbed Sapphire behind an ear. “I guess my baby sister’s grown up. If she’s looking at Ace that way, it’s time to find her a husband. Or three.” He narrowed his eyes at Sin. “How come you came asking to court her?”

“I don’t want eight or nine of her brothers and cousins going after me if she says I kissed her.” Sin planned to do one hell of a lot more with Jessie, but a big brother wouldn’t want it pointed out. “We’ve been raised to be honorable gentleman. Unless Jessie makes a move, Ace won’t see what’s under her padding and binding. He wouldn’t touch a virgin unless he planned to marry her.”

Neither Sin nor Henry would touch Jessie until Ace claimed her. After that, Sin planned to bed her well, and often.

“He’d better not touch her until after the wedding.” Trace looked to the east where the evening star rose in the heavens. “Be good to have the Double Diamond join the family. Other than the Circle C, we’d own this end of the valley.”

“Is that an approval?”

Trace made a fist and looked down at it. “Ben’s not here, so there’s only five of us Elliotts. Five against three ain’t bad odds.”

Sin braced his feet. He rolled his shoulders and let his hands hang free. “Five against one, and I’ll take you any time you like. One at a time or all together.”

Trace tilted his head. “Got it bad, have you?”

“That woman—!” He shut up before he said something which would make Trace want to clean his clock.

“You want the Double Diamond to share her, like we do Beth.”

“Only if the lady’s willing.”

“And if she’s not?”

Sin inhaled. He let it out, shaking his head. “Then maybe Ace won’t be the one marrying her. And that would be a pity because without a legal wife to birth Langford sons, he’ll drift.”

“Which would you choose? Your partner or Jessie?”

“I aim to make sure I never have to cross that bridge.”

Trace looked at him, up and down. Sin stuck his hands in his pockets and contemplated the mountains.

“Unless she’s changed, Jessie’s such a wildcat it’ll take three of you to keep her in line.”

“I figure she’s the one who’ll be keeping us in line, Mr. Elliott.”

A smile changed Trace’s face from carved granite to almost handsome.

“You’re a smart man, Statham. This lady could use both of us tonight. It’s her first, so it may take a while.”

“Glad to help as long as you need it.”

“You can put your black in the corral.” He snorted a laugh. “Maybe he’ll be good enough for Nightwind. Ranger brought Jessie’s black mare from
Texas
. She’s in season, and Ranger’s too busy to keep an eye on her, so he stashed her here. She’s never been bred, too damn picky to let a MacDougal stallion near her. None of mine are good enough for her, either.”

“If Emperor wants to cover her, he’ll find a way. You get the first colt, I get the next.”

Sin shook hands with Trace, sealing an agreement for more than colts. Trace didn’t try to crush Sin’s hand. To Sin’s mind, that meant a man was confident enough in himself that he didn’t have to prove anything.

He unsaddled Emperor and brought him to the corral. He’d barely closed the gate before Emperor’s cock emerged, hard and ready. He snorted and moved toward a large black mare with a white star between her ears. She bared her teeth and whinnied, but lifted her tail. Usually he enjoyed watching Emperor take a mare, but he was already too damn hard from thinking about Jessie.

He turned for the barn as Emperor reared on his hind legs to cover Nightwind. His damn horse was getting more action than he was, and the situation wasn’t likely to change for a while.

Chapter Seven

Doc
Henley
pulled the rented buggy to a stop in front of the small Double Diamond cabin. He looked around as the August dust, turned up by the wheels, settled. The log cabin had a deserted air to it. Ragged curtains hung in the windows, left over from when the original family lived there. The Sinclairs sold out after saying they never would, and moved to
California
.

“Langford and his partners haven’t done much to the house since the Sinclairs left, but the barn looks in good shape,” said Doc quietly to Miss Rosa. Ranger had asked them to check on Jessie, knowing both kept many secrets.

“On a ranch, the house is always last to get fixed,” she replied, “especially with bachelors.”

George took his time getting down. At forty-five, he didn’t move as fast as when he was sparking his first wife. That word might not be used much now, but he felt it was right with his wooing of
Rosa
. She’d been through things that would kill many women, and he was afraid to move too quickly and burn her. A spark now and then, however, might kindle a bit of a flame. He held his arms up. Rosa bit her lip then gave a terse nod. He smiled his approval of her acceptance. He gently lifted her down, gauging how long he could hold her before she began to stiffen in fear. He released her quickly once her feet touched down.

“I got a few more seconds out of you that time,
Rosa
.” She flushed, but he saw the corner of her mouth twitch. “Since there’s no one here, maybe you want to steal a kiss from me?”

He put his hands behind his back, closed his eyes, and waited. He’d developed both patience and a knowledge of people over the years.
Rosa
would come to him when she was ready and not a moment sooner. They rarely got a chance to go sparking where no one could see them, and he wasn’t going to miss the chance.

He inhaled her scent, cinnamon and vanilla, as she approached. A warm hand rested on his left shoulder. Her front brushed against his chest. He tightened his grip on his hands. She’d not been so bold before, and he didn’t want anything to spook her.

Rosa
kissed his shaven cheek. It was just a peck, but he’d take and be happy. Since she didn’t remove her hand, he stayed still. She brushed her lips against his, once. He gave her a soft smile of encouragement and opened his eyes. She nodded her acceptance of his praise and backed away. She’d survived being a Comanchero slave from age twelve to eighteen when Miss Lily bought and released her. Luckily, the leader kept her to himself for the first four years before tossing her to his second in command. Surviving the next two years would have killed many women, or at least taken their minds. Though she was terrified of most men, for some reason she trusted, and liked, him. He loved her, with all his heart, and would do anything to have her love. He’d accepted she would never share a bed with him, but he hadn’t given up hope they could share a life.

She looked at the basket on the wagon. “If Jessie’s not here, we’d better leave the buns in the house.”

He handed her the basket, admiring the curve of her breast when she reached for it, and followed her into the cabin.
Rosa
set the basket down on the scrubbed table and looked around.