Diane R. Jewkes (11 page)

• • •

“Kara.” He started toward her slowly, his hand out, worried about how pale she had become, afraid she might fall from her horse. The shallow, rapid rising of her chest, and her eyes, wild with fear, had him worried.

Hawke was amazed at her response. Lord, if she responded so strongly without him even touching her, he could only imagine the fire and passion when he held her in his arms.

If he weren’t careful, every cowboy out there would know exactly what he was thinking. Feeling his growing arousal, he groaned, struggled for control, but all his traitorous body wanted to do was drag her from the back of her horse and taste the passion he felt. Looking away, he saw Joe across the pen, and the thought of being thrown to the ground, tied up, and castrated like one of the calves did much to ease his arousal.

He reached up and placed a hand over hers. He could feel her trembling, even through the heavy leather glove.

“No!” She cried, jerking her hand back. Throwing her leg back over her saddle horn, she pulled back on the reins, causing the gelding to throw his head up, almost knocking Hawke down. Jumping to the side, he tried to grab the reins to stop the horse and calm her down. Her face had gone from white to red and her eyes snapped in anger as she looked at him.

“No, I won’t.” He heard her say softly, the tension in her voice palpable. “I won’t.” He tried again to grab the reins and stop her as she turned the horse, but he couldn’t get a grip. The horse spun quickly away from the pens as Kara spurred him into a gallop.

Hawke headed for his horse determined to stop her, but was stopped by Joe.

“Leave her be, yer lordship.” Hawke could see the man’s clenched fists. He wasn’t sure if Joe was going to take a swing at him but concern about Kara overrode concern about his own safety.

“She needs the likes of you to leave her alone. You’re too worldly for a girl like her. You’ll just break her heart. Why are you trying to dally with her feelings?” Joe leveled him with an accusing stare daring him to say otherwise. “You’ll just leave, and she don’t need to know what it feels like to have someone break her heart.” Anger darkened the foreman’s face. “I think I better let Case know what happened here. Let him know you were panting after Kara like a bull in a breeding pen.”

“I don’t want to hurt her. I … we just need to talk.” Hawke tried to reason with the older man. “I’m not completely sure what just happened. I know we both felt something neither one of us understand or are ready to deal with. I want to make sure she’s all right, and that she makes it back to the house safely.”

“Don’t you worry ’bout that none.” A wad of tobacco juice landed next to his boots. “She can find her way home blindfolded in the middle of the night. She won’t do anything to hurt that horse of hers neither. She’ll run him out for a bit, slow down, and then amble on home. You let her father and Consuelo take care of her. She don’t need the likes of you upsetting her more.”

Grumbling about interferin’ foreigners, he turned and yelled at the men in the pen.

Hawke was taken aback at the boldness of the man. It truly was a different world out here. The only person who had ever talked to him that way was his father. He knew he had told Alec that titles didn’t matter out here, and he’d just had it proven to him. He watched Joe mount his horse, and continue to direct the other men to put out the branding fire, and turn the cattle loose.

Joe spun his horse around and trotted back over. “I think I’ll talk to Case about you spending some time working fence … ” His eyebrows lowered beneath the brim of his weathered hat. “Away from Kara.”

Kara had given Gally his head as they left the pens, trying to outrun the frightening feelings. Slowing the gelding to a walk, she took several deep breaths and tried to slow the pounding of her heart.

Leaning over the saddle, she wrapped her arms around his neck, inhaling the warm, musky, horsy scent that always made her feel better. “What is wrong with me, Gally? He looks at me, and I feel like liquid fire is running through my veins. Bah! I’m a fool.” She straightened back in her saddle, trying to work out these new and unsettling feelings.

“He’s doing this so he can have the whole ranch!”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she knew she was wrong. He’d never acted in any way other than honestly with her and her father. She had to trust her father’s instincts.

Except for the secret he and his friend had. Her brow knit in concentration, trying to fathom what it was about. Did Papa know? Maybe he could tell her.

The more she pondered, the calmer she felt. She wasn’t going to let what happened at the pens take control of her.

Taking a deep breath of the warm early evening air, she looked out at the land she loved. To the south lay the Mal Pais
,
the bad country;
long flows of ancient volcanic rock cutting across the grasslands like a jagged black scar. The grass, tall and green, waved gently in the breeze. The colors of the grasslands changed as the waves of green flowed and rippled restlessly in front of her, matching her own unease.

Thinking on what had happened, she realized that Hawke had been as surprised as she.
What is happening? He makes me feel, makes me want, and makes me forget I don’t like him. He worked hard today to make me laugh. But then, he touched me, and Lord, what am I going to do?

Taking a deep breath, she looked around. Spring was her favorite time of year. Everything was new and fresh. By summer, the land would begin to bake in the intense heat and the grasses would fade to a brownish-green, dry and die. Before long, working in the middle of the day would be a test of endurance. Cattle, horses and people alike would do what they could to avoid excessive movement in the midday inferno. By midsummer the heavy afternoon rains would alleviate the heat, but the danger of flash floods increased.

Will he still be here?

She rode into the yard, dismounted, and led Gally into the barn where she unsaddled and brushed him down, giving him a generous measure of oats and hay. Patting him affectionately on the neck, she walked out of the stall.

In the shadow of the doorway she saw a figure. Thinking Hawke had followed her, she sucked in her breath, a combination of excitement and irritation; then, realizing the person was too small to be him, released a long, ragged breath.

As the figure moved further into the barn, she was unnerved once again.

“Is there something you need from the barn, Mr. Black?” She tried to keep her voice steady while her skin crawled in unease.

He stared at her from under the rim of a battered hat, pulled low on his brow, brown eyes unblinking for a long moment before replying, his voice low and oily, “I was looking for you … Miss.” Contempt curled through the air.

“What did you want, Mr. Black?”

A leer twisted Black’s face, as he looked her up and down, “Well, now … if you want to know that … . ”

“One more word.” Her voice was slow and deliberate, spoken through clenched teeth, keeping a tight hold on her fear while letting her anger rise. “And you will be looking for a job somewhere else, Mr. Black.”

“Bi — ” Black caught himself, his lips curled, anger suffusing his features. He looked down at the ground, then back at her, his face a total blank. “I came to tell you that I brought a dogie in to you. Secondino says you take care of them.”

“Well, where is it?” She started towards the door. Black stepped to the side, blocking her way. As he stepped closer, fear roared through her, setting her already taut nerves further on edge. His dark eyes showed no sign of what he was thinking, but the twisting of his lips in a mockery of a smile spoke volumes.

“You best be lettin’ Miz Kara by.”

Relief washed over her as Bob stepped into the barn and walked determinedly over to them. “You get now, Black.” Bob glared at the other man, shaking a large black fist in the younger man’s face, “Joe told me to keep an eye on you. You done delivered your message … now git.”

Muttering a curse under his breath, Black dropped his gaze and turned to leave, bumping his shoulder forcefully into Bob as he strode out of the barn.

Feeling her face crumble and her body slump, Kara felt Bob take her in his arms, pat her gently on the back, calming her while she clung to him.

“He scares me, Bob.” Kara let out a long, ragged breath. “He doesn’t blink when he looks at me, and it just sends terrors all over me. I don’t understand people like that.”

“Some people are jest plum mean, and don’t need to be ’round good people like you. I’m gonna’ talk to yer Pa about this. That boy needs to be run off this ranch.”

Stepping back, she looked up at Bob, thankful. Bob put a comforting arm around her shoulder and she gave him a big hug. He walked with her to the pen behind the barn where the young calf had been left.

Catching the calf and getting it to suckle on the bottle of milk Bob had left helped her put the disturbing thoughts of Jeb Black behind her. Stroking the soft nose of the calf, she was finally able to relax. She laughed softly as the hungry calf bumped up against her demanding to be fed. Holding the bottle while the calf tugged at it, she watched the sun setting across the valley.

• • •

Hawke found her in the pen when he and the other men rode in a short time later. Not wanting to disturb her, he sat quietly on the back of his horse watching her in the fading light of day. Behind her the desert sky was blazing, from yellow at the horizon with streaks of red-orange flame lighting the clouds and casting a golden glow to the desert, to the darkening sky spreading quickly overhead.

His chest tightened, an unfamiliar longing pulled at him. He wanted to see her tender gaze turned to him, to feel her, holding him in loving arms.

Shaken by the thought and how right it felt, he dismounted and led Titan into the barn before she saw him and the magic of the moment was broken.

Hawke was brushing down Titan in his stall, still dealing with his own internal demons, when Alec rode in.

“Well.” He stopped and looked at his friend. “Did you find out anything? Was there a message from the detectives?”

With a pat on the gray’s neck, Hawke left the stall.

“White Oaks … . ” Alec dismounted and led his mount forward, a smile playing around his lips. “There’s an interesting town, more than I expected. A ‘jewel in the desert,’ if I do say so.”

“Do go on.”

Alec began stripping his saddle from his horse. “Apparently it’s one of those boom-towns we’ve heard of. Just a few years ago, there was no town, then gold was discovered.” He picked up a brush and began grooming his horse continuing his tale.

“I’m told the gold they get out of the mines, the Homestake and the Old Abe, produce some of the purest gold ever found in this country. There are saloons and gambling houses, a newspaper, all manner of businesses and believe it or not they even have an opera house.”

“Opera?”

“From what I hear, they actually have professional performers come from San Francisco. We aren’t completely cast to purgatory after all.”

“They also have a dance hall, a Chinese laundry, and a bank … oh, and street lights.” A feminine voice piped in.

Both men turned to see Kara standing in the doorway of the barn, her shoulder propped against the opening.

The men shuffled their feet, not unlike little boys caught at some mischief. “Most of the ranchers around here don’t do too much business in White Oaks,” she continued. “It’s not that the people aren’t nice.” She stepped into the barn. “It’s more because of the gold, and the distance from a railhead, which means prices for goods are higher there than any of the other towns nearby. If we need something immediately, we’ll buy from White Oaks, but most of us go to Carrizozo for our regular supplies. We do attend church on Sundays, when we have the time, and it is where most of the children from the ranches attend school. Oh, and this might interest you gentlemen.” She stepped over to Alec’s bay and began stroking his soft muzzle. “They hold match races on Sundays. You might want to take that big gray of yours down and see if you can make any money on him.” Nodding towards Hawke, “Or better yet,” she purred. “Why don’t you move into town? I’m sure Mr. Hoyle would consider selling you his house. He built it for a bride who never showed up. A perfect residence for two gentlemen of your refined tastes.”

Hawke walked up to her; standing so close she had to bend her head all the way back to make eye contact. She refused to step back or give ground in any way, daring him to act. He lifted his hand slowly and let his finger lightly caress the smooth line of her jaw. A shiver danced across her skin at his touch.

“And forego the gracious hospitality you’ve shown us, lass?” His voice was a velvet growl. He rubbed his thumb softly over her lower lip.

The world around them disappeared into a slow burn of aching need. Tendrils of sensual heat slithered along Kara’s spine and she leaned into the caress, wanting more. Looking into his eyes, she felt herself pulled in to the molten silver depths.

He was going to kiss her and she wanted him to. Her gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips and back to his eyes, desire pounded through her body. His thumb continued its slow assault on her already sensitized lip. She wanted more; needed to know what else there was. Her lips parted under the slow stroke of his thumb.

• • •

Hawke was drowning in the depths of her sapphire eyes, all thoughts of teasing flown. His thumb stroked where his mouth longed to be. Would she taste as sweet as he had imagined? He bent his head closer, his vision narrowed to her softly parted lips, desire spurring him to capture her mouth and taste her passion.

“Should I leave?”

He jerked his head up, the droll tone reminding him where they were, and that they weren’t alone. Looking at Alec’s too perceptive smile, he wished his friend to perdition.

He felt Kara stiffen at the sound of the other man’s voice, dread and embarrassment visible on her face. She pushed past him to leave the barn. He tried to reach out and stop her, but Alec’s next comment stopped him cold.