Her Rugged Rancher (15 page)

“And you couldn't reason with him?”

He made a cynical grunt. “Aren't you going to ask whether I was having an affair with the woman?”

“Why would I bother with a ridiculous question? I know you wouldn't do something like that. To a friend or an enemy.”

Dropping his head in his hands, he wondered why she had to have so much faith in him. Where did all that trust come from? Especially after she'd had a cheating husband.

“Well, it wasn't true. Oh, Camilla had pursued me all right. She'd tried every trick in the book to seduce me, but I wasn't about to stab my friend in the back. Besides, at that time I had met a woman I was beginning to care about. I was even thinking of asking her to marry me. That's how much Ward's love and friendship had boosted my confidence. But that all went to hell.”

“So what happened? How did it all end?”

He lifted his head and looked at her. “I made one last effort to reason with Camilla. I even threatened to go to Ward and tell him what she'd been up to. After that she became, I guess you'd call it, a scorned woman. To get back at me, she goes to Ward and tells him that I'd been after her. That for weeks I'd been trying to seduce her, but she'd resisted.”

“And he believed her?”

“Every word. The more I tried to reason with the man, the angrier he got. He threatened to kill me if I didn't get off the ranch. By then I didn't have much choice in the matter. There wasn't any way to prove my innocence. So I sold my interest in the ranch back to Ward and left Verde Canyon.”

“What about the woman you were planning to marry?”

The laugh that erupted from his throat tasted like bitter gall. “When she found out why Ward had run me off the ranch, she turned against me, too. She believed Camilla's story. Not mine.”

Bella's head swung back and forth. “So you lost her, too,” she said softly.

“I lost everything. Even my reputation. And that was the thing that bothered me the most. People around Tombstone had come to like and respect me. The ranch hands on the Verde had all treated me as their equal. I had finally lifted myself up and out of the broken life I'd had as a kid. But Camilla's lies wiped all of that away.”

“I don't understand, Noah. Did Ward's wife seem like that sort of woman when you first went to work on the ranch?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I never saw her so much as bat an eyelash at any man, other than her husband. She adored Ward, and he did her. He was quite a bit older than Camilla, but that didn't seem to be a problem. They both wanted children and she was having trouble conceiving. When she finally became pregnant they were so happy. Everybody was happy for them. And then when it was nearly time for the baby to be born something went wrong and she miscarried. For a long time afterward it was like a tomb around the house. The grief must have twisted something in her mind. I don't know. But she changed and for some reason looked at me as an escape from her problems.”

“I suppose that's why everyone believed her. Because up until the tragedy with the baby, she'd always been a loving wife,” Bella said thoughtfully. “So you left Verde Canyon and came here?”

“That's right. And I've never spoken to Ward or Camilla or anyone connected to Verde Canyon since.” His expression grim, he looked at her. “See, Bella, I tried to love. I tried to be a part of a real family. It didn't work. I came away from the Verde more broken than I'd ever been before. I'm not about to let myself get into that vulnerable position again. It's not worth the pain.”

She stared at him in stunned fascination. “Surely you can't equate all that happened in Arizona with me and you! There's no comparison!”

“Isn't there?” he asked caustically. “No, you're not Jett's wife, but you're his sister. One that he loves very dearly. What do you think he'd say or do if he discovered I'd been sleeping in your bed?”

Rising to her feet, she stood, her hands anchored on either side of her hips as she faced him. “Who I choose to sleep with is none of Jett's business. He'd tell you that himself. Furthermore, he respects you. I figure he'd probably shout,
Hallelujah, Bella finally
has a man in her life
.”

With a grunt of disbelief, he reached for his jeans. “You're looking at life through rose-colored glasses.”

Her lips pressed to a thin, angry line. “Why? Because I let myself believe in someone? Love someone? You're the one who's looking through distorted lenses, Noah. You see everything in a dark and twisted way! I'm sure a few minutes ago after we made love, you were lying there wondering how long it would be before I stuck a knife in your back.”

Standing, he stepped into his jeans and after zipping them up, snatched his shirt from the floor. “Can you blame me?”

She stared at him as though he'd slapped her. “Oh, Noah,” she said softly, “don't you think it's time to put all that behind you?”

“That's easy for you to say, Bella. You didn't live through it.”

Her jaw tight, she watched him snap his shirt and stuff the tails into his jeans. “You think I lived in a rose garden all my life? You think I didn't go through hell with Marcus? Oh, poor pitiful me. Oh, poor pitiful Noah. Life has been bad to both of us. So let's just give up and go cry in our beer. Is that what you want?”

He jerked on his boots, amazed that he'd been so hot to be with her, he'd not even taken the time to remove his spurs. That was a sure sign he was in deep trouble.

“I want you to leave me alone,” he snapped. “Go find someone else to psychoanalyze.”

“If I thought you meant that, I—”

“I do mean it!” he interrupted.

He stalked out of the bedroom, but she raced on his heels. “Where are you going? I thought you were planning on staying the night?”

“That isn't going to happen. Not tonight. Not again.”

By now he was striding through the kitchen, intent on escaping through the back door.

As he snatched his hat from a wall peg and tugged it low on his forehead, she hurried up to his side.

“So you're going to run away,” she accused. “Running and hiding from your feelings isn't going to fix anything. Besides that, I'm not going to let you take the coward's way out.”

He couldn't believe that after all he'd said, after hearing the nasty story of Verde Canyon, she still refused to give up on him. A part of him wanted to call her a little fool. But the other part wanted to jerk her into his arms and never let her go.

“Don't waste your time on me, Bella. I don't want that. I want you to be happy.”

Before she could try to stop him, he slipped out the door and hurried to the truck. But as he pulled away and headed toward the cabin, he wondered how much longer he could stay here on the J Bar S. How long would it be before Bella's pursuit forced him to quit the ranch and move on?

* * *

Two days later, on Saturday afternoon, Noah and Jett rode their horses through a large herd of steers located on the far west range of the ranch. Signs of the continuing drought were everywhere. Grass was scarce and in some instances even the sagebrush had succumbed to the lack of water.

Noah was studying a motley-colored steer standing near a patch of prickly pear when Jett reined his horse to a stop. Propping his forearm over the saddle horn, he looked toward the valley floor.

“I remember when that part of the ranch used to be green. Now it looks like someone has set a match to it,” he said grimly. “Sassy doesn't want to sell anything with a hide or hooves and I've tried to keep that from happening. But I'm afraid there's not much left to do. Any chance of rain won't come until early winter and even then there's no guarantees.”

“Yeah. It's a bad situation,” Noah agreed. “But Sassy's a sensible woman. If you decide to sell off half the steers, she'll understand you have no choice.”

Jett sighed. “Yeah. But I hate to disappoint her. She thinks I'm some sort of miracle worker.” With a wry smile slanting his lips, he looked over at Noah. “It's nice to have a woman put that much faith in you. But sometimes it awfully hard to live up to, you know?”

Noah lifted his hat from his head and swiped a hand through his damp hair. “I wouldn't know too much about that.”

What are you lying for, Noah? Bella has put all kinds of misguided faith in you and you've done your best to let her down. When are you going to own up to the truth? When are you going to admit to yourself that you are a coward?

Noah could feel Jett's thoughtful gaze traveling over him and the scrutiny left him cold and sick. The same way he'd felt when he'd driven away from Bella's last Thursday night.

“Something is wrong with you,” he said. “Spit it out.”

Noah groaned. “Nothing is wrong. It's been damned hot today and I've been in the saddle for most of it.”

“If there was ever a man that loves being atop a horse, no matter the weather, it's you. So try again. That one doesn't fly.”

Noah drew in a bracing breath and blew it out. “I might as well talk to you about this now. I've been planning on it, anyway.”

Jett's horse made a restless side step and he steered the animal back so that he was facing Noah. “You're having problems with the men,” he said before Noah could begin. “I had a feeling Parker was going to cause trouble. He's got an attitude of sorts. But I thought you could deal with it.”

Noah shook his head. “There's nothing wrong with Parker. He's a good worker. The men are fine. This is something else...a woman.”

Jett's expression looked like a man who'd just been shot. “A woman! Are you kidding me?”

“I wish,” he said glumly.

“Why? I think it's great! A woman is just what you've been needing.”

The sick feeling boiling in the pit of Noah's stomach grew worse. “You won't think so, when I tell you who the woman is,” he muttered.

“I doubt it. I can't imagine you getting hooked up with some floozy. You're too cautious for something like that. Tell me about her,” Jett urged.

Deciding he couldn't put it off any longer, Noah glanced away from his friend and fixed his gaze back on the motley steer. The animal was now grazing on the prickly pear, chewing the green pads, spines and all. At the moment Noah felt as if he'd eaten a few cactus thorns himself.

“It's Bella.”

Jett stared at him for long moments before a wide grin finally settled across his face. “You and Bella. I don't know why I hadn't thought of the two of you getting together, but I should have. You're perfect for each other. Damn, Noah, you've made me happy.”

He'd expected Jett to be civil about the news, but not anything close to happy. “Hell, Jett, how long have you known me?”

“Close to seven years or something like that. Why?”

Frowning now, he stepped down from the saddle and stood next to his horse's head. The sorrel nudged him on the shoulder and Noah automatically pulled a peppermint candy from his pocket and gave it to the horse.

To Jett, he said, “You know what kind of man I am. I don't have much. And I don't want much. Give me a horse, a few cows to look after and a sky over my head and I'm satisfied. Is that the kind of man you think Bella needs in her life?”

“You're exactly the kind she needs.”

“Damn, Jett, you need a vacation from your law office. You're not thinking straight. Bella doesn't need a man like me. I can't give her anything.”

“If you're thinking my sister needs a man with money, then you're the one who's messed up. You can take away her loneliness. You can give her love and children and meaning to her life.”

“And that's supposed to be easier than giving her financial security?” He shook his head. “No matter. I've already made it clear to Bella that I can't give her any of those things. I—don't plan on seeing her anymore.”

The creak of Jett's saddle told Noah the man was dismounting long before he came to stand next to him.

“I hope you don't mean that,” he said.

“I made it clear to Bella a few nights ago. But I don't think— Well, she believes she can change my mind. I won't.”

Jett thoughtfully stroked his chin. “I'm getting the picture now. I thought she was upset over a case she's been working on. Instead, it's you that has her all down and out.”

If possible, Noah felt even worse. “I'm sorry about that, Jett. I never wanted to hurt her. It's just that she—” He shook his head. “She's put me up on some damned pedestal where I don't belong.”

“That's the special thing about having a woman love you, Noah. She'll look past your faults and see the good. I thank God that each and every day Sassy does it with me.”

At one time, back on the Verde, Noah had believed there was good in him. He'd worked hard to show everyone that he wasn't like his worthless father, or indifferent, petty, narrow-minded grandfather. But Ward's betrayal had cut Noah down. Now he told himself he didn't give a damn what people thought of him. Not even Bella.

“We better ride on to the windmill,” Noah said, abruptly changing the subject. “If it breaks down we'll have some dying cattle on our hands.”

Jett gave him an affectionate slap on the shoulder. “Yeah. Let's mount up.”

Chapter Nine

T
he next evening was Skyler's birthday party and though Bella wasn't in the mood for merrymaking, she couldn't miss her little niece's celebration.

Dressed in a red-and-white sundress, with her hair pulled into a messy bun, she drove to Jett and Sassy's to join the outdoor festivities.

She'd not been surprised to find a big crowd gathered at the back of the house, partaking of barbecued beef and all the trimmings, but she'd been a little put off by the handful of men who'd been trying to strike up a conversation with her from the moment she'd arrived.

“All right, dear brother,” she said to Jett, once she had him cornered away from the crowd. “What do think you're trying to do? I'm not looking for a date or anything like it.”

He glanced over his shoulder before giving her a sheepish look. “Bella, I'm not responsible for those guys. Sassy invited them over from the Horn. I didn't tell her that inviting Noah would be enough to make you happy.”

Surprised, Bella stared at her brother. “How did you—”

“Noah brought it up. I think he had some sort of crazy idea that I wouldn't approve of the two of you together.”

Rather than letting Jett see the sadness in her eyes, Bella looked down at the cup of punch she was holding. “I'm afraid Noah has some mixed-up notions about a lot of things.”

“I thought he'd be here this evening. He adores Skyler.”

“But he hates crowds.”
And he doesn't want to be anywhere near me,
Bella could have told him. “I wouldn't look for him to show up.”

“I think you might be wrong about that.”

She looked up to see her brother's attention had turned toward a group of people standing beneath the covered portion of the patio. And then she caught sight of Noah among them. The sight of him dressed in a white Western shirt and dark jeans caused her heart to lurch with surprise and an immense sense of despair.

Before she could tear her gaze away from him, she spotted Skyler running up to him. He reacted to the child by scooping her up and balancing her in the crook of one arm. Bella's heart winced with bittersweet longing as she watched the little girl wrap her arms around Noah's neck.

He would be a wonderful father, Bella thought. Mainly because he knew all the things not to do.

“Looks like I was wrong about him coming to the party,” she murmured.

Jett tossed her a knowing grin. “Obviously. I'd better go say hello. I don't imagine he'll stick around for very long.”

“Uh, Jett, please don't bring up my name to him. Okay?”

“Why would I bother doing that? You're already on the guy's mind. Besides, you're here and he's here. It's an opportune time for you two to get together.”

Noah didn't want to get together with her. That was the whole issue, she wanted to tell her brother. Instead, she simply nodded and said, “I see Reggie's wife and she has the baby with her. Maybe she'll let me hold him.”

Before Jett could say more, Bella quickly headed across the yard to where Evita was sitting in a lawn chair holding her new son. She visited with the young woman and baby for several minutes before she eventually walked over to the refreshment table.

After ladling more punch into her plastic cup, she stepped back from the table and was scanning the crowd for a glimpse of Sassy when one of the Silver Horn ranch hands walked up to her.

In his late thirties and single, Denver was undeniably handsome with darkly tanned features and brown hair that was naturally streaked with gold. She'd often heard Jett speak of the man before and knew he was one of the huge ranch's top employees.

“Don't you need some cake to go along with your punch?” he asked with a lazy smile.

Not wanting to appear rude, she smiled back at him. “No thanks. I've already had a giant piece. I'd better stop with it.”

He picked up a foam saucer and piled several pieces of pecans and candied mints on it, then stood beside Bella and began to eat the snack.

“It's a nice evening for a party,” he remarked. “Not a cloud in the sky. But I imagine Jett wouldn't have minded to see a few rain clouds gathering.”

“Rain would be a blessed relief for everyone.” She glanced at him and wondered why she couldn't feel a spark of interest. Why did her heart have to be hung up on a dark, brooding cowboy who wanted to keep pushing her away? “What do you do on the Horn?” she asked politely.

“I oversee the cow/calf operation. I work closely with Rafe, the foreman. I expect you know him.”

She smiled faintly. “Jett has been the Horn's lawyer for years and he's married to a Calhoun, so I'm fairly familiar with the entire family.”

He said, “I hear you're a lawyer, too.”

Bella wondered if Sassy had been discussing her with this man. The notion should've irked her, but it didn't. Sassy was a romantic and she wanted Bella's life to be rich with love and children. Bella supposed she was going to have to confide in Sassy soon. Her sister-in-law needed to know that Bella was locked in a one-sided love affair and that dangling a bunch of bachelors in front of her was pointless.

“That's right. But it will be a long time before I gain the experience Jett has.”

“I'm—” Denver's next words suddenly faltered as something behind her caught his attention.

In the next instant, a familiar hand wrapped around her upper arm and Bella realized Noah was the cause of the interruption.

“Sorry, Denver,” he said bluntly. “I need to speak with Bella privately.”

Her mouth fell open as he quickly led her away from Denver and didn't stop until they were in the front yard, hidden from view by a thick stand of aspen trees.

“What are you—”

Before she could finish the question, her back was pressed against a tree trunk and his lips were devouring hers in a kiss that was spinning her head in a drunken whirl.

“What do you think you're doing?” he asked when he finally lifted his head away from hers.

She sucked in a ragged breath and blew it out. “I was about to ask you the very same thing!”

His nostrils were pinched, the corners of his mouth tight as his blue gaze sliced over her face. And then, just as suddenly his grip on her shoulders eased and he was shaking his head with self-contempt. “Dear God, I've gone crazy! Seeing you with Denver—something snapped in me.”

Amazed, she stared at him. “You haven't so much as spoken to me this evening,” she said in a voice that was both angry and hurt. “This display of jealousy seems out of place, don't you think? Especially when you told me the other night to go find some other man. Or have you forgotten?”

He took a step back and in spite of being annoyed with him, Bella wanted to grab the front of his shirt and tug him back to her. Which made her thinking just as crazy as his.

“I've not forgotten anything, Bella.” He turned aside and stared across the ranch yard, to the barns and corrals where he started and ended his workdays. “And I'm sorry. Again. Hell, that's all I seem to be able to do, isn't it? Apologize for being a jerk.”

He looked so tall and strong, so achingly handsome standing there in his white shirt and black hat pulled low on his forehead. Moments earlier, when she'd been crushed in the circle of his arms, she'd caught a faint whiff of masculine cologne. Before this evening, her Noah had never smelled of anything more than horses and hay and leather. The added scent of sandalwood and sweet grasses made her realize she'd never seen him dressed to go out. The two of them had never been off the ranch together.

The fact might have annoyed another woman, but not Bella. It filled her with excitement to think there was still so much she had yet to learn about this man, so much the two of them could do together. If he'd only give them a chance.

Finally, she said, “I don't want your apology, Noah. I just want you.”

He swallowed, then slowly turned back to her. “I'm beginning to see that my days here are numbered.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means the only way I can end this obsession I have for you is to leave here.”

His answer whammed her like a slap in the face. He thought of her as an obsession while she considered him her love, her life. He was intent on building a canyon between them. Just like the one he'd warned her about riding down.

With tears stinging the back of her eyes, she wrapped her hand around his forearm. “I'm not going to let that happen.”

His features were as rigid as a rock mask. “How are you going to stop me? Threaten me, like Camilla did?”

God help her to keep from slapping his face, she prayed. “That chip on your shoulder is growing bigger and uglier. And frankly, I'm getting sick of looking at it. Somebody needs to knock the damned thing off. And I figure Denver could get the job done.”

His gray eyes turned to twin blazes. “Like hell!”

Goading him in this way might be wrong of her, Bella thought, but if he wanted to play dirty, then she could, too. “Oh, I don't know, he looks pretty strong to me.”

“Strong,” he repeated, his soft voice full of danger. “Is that what you want from me?”

Just as she started to answer, he hooked an arm around her waist and jerked her forward. She toppled against him and he used the close proximity to cover her mouth with his.

The contact created an instant combustion and with a groan of sweet surrender, Bella's arms circled tightly around him, and her tongue invited his to join hers in a slow, sensual dance. The words they'd flung at each other no longer mattered. Noah was kissing her, holding her, and for the moment that was enough.

If not for the sound of a nearby vehicle firing to life, the hot embrace might have gone on and on. Instead, they broke apart and Noah quickly stepped back.

Bella gulped for air and tried to stem the shaking in her legs. “Some of the guests must be leaving the party,” she voiced the obvious.

“Yeah. And as soon as I say goodbye to Jett and Sassy, I'll be leaving, too. You go on back to Denver. He's the kind of man you need. Not me.”

When he walked away, Bella didn't try to stop him. In his present state of mind, it would be useless to try to reason with him. One second he was jealously jerking her away from Denver and the next he was telling her to go back to him. Even if she was a psychiatrist, she couldn't figure his hot and cold behavior. But one thing she did know. She had to use everything in her power to keep him on the J Bar S. Otherwise, her chance for a life with him would be over.

* * *

Late Monday afternoon, at an outdoor restaurant not far from Bella and Jett's office building, she sat at a small wrought-iron table, sipping on a cup of Columbian coffee and nibbling at a chocolate biscotti. Aaron Potter, the man sitting across from her, had graying dark hair and a wide affable face. His blue summer-weight suit was rumpled and the knot of his tie slightly askew, but as he talked she got the feeling he was good at his job and that gave her a measure of confidence as she headed closer to Brent Stanhope's trial.

“I'm very grateful to you for meeting me like this,” she told him. “Frankly, I had reached a point where I didn't know what direction to take next. My gut feeling is that the husband has hidden the missing jewelry somewhere and plans to collect the insurance on it. The other jewelry is what he used to plant in Brent's car.”

“And what was the husband's motive for framing his gardener? From what he tells me, he likes Brent. They've even gone to sporting events together.”

This little café was normally one of Bella's favorites. And at this time of the evening, she was usually craving a dose of caffeine and sugar, but since her exchange with Noah at the party yesterday, she'd not wanted to eat or drink anything. And focusing on her work had become a major effort. She had to think of some way to make him see reason, but so far her jumbled thoughts had reached a blank.

“When I spoke with the wife, I got the feeling her husband had warned her not to talk. I also got the impression he controls her with physical threats—if you know what I mean. Brent's a nice-looking young guy. I got the feeling jealousy was the motive in this case.”

“Hmm. Sounds reasonable. But a jury would argue that the husband could have simply fired the guy to get rid of him. He didn't need to go to the trouble of framing him with theft.”

Bella nodded. “That's true. But the husband saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Get rid of Brent completely and make some money to boot.”

A look of disgust came over the investigator's face. “About three years ago, this guy collected on an expensive vehicle. The insurance company couldn't prove he'd set the fire that turned the car into a piece of tinfoil, but I'd bet my savings account he was guilty then and he's guilty now.”

“But how do you get evidence against him?”

“I have my ways, Ms. Sundell. One being to put a tail on the wife and husband and see what turns up. In the meantime, if your client can think of anything that might shed some light on where the jewelry might be stashed, then let me know.” He pulled a card from his wallet and pushed it across the table to her. “In case you need to contact me after hours here's my home phone and address.”

“Thank you, Mr. Potter.”

After she tucked the card away in her handbag, the two of them continued to discuss the case for a few more minutes before they departed the café.

Bella walked slowly back to the Sundell law office, her thoughts vacillating from the Stanhope case to Noah. When she entered the waiting area, Peta looked up from her work.

“Glad you're back,” she said. “Jett wants to see you. I don't know what it's about, but he looked concerned.”

“Thanks, Peta. I'll go right in.”

After putting her handbag and briefcase in her office, she quickly headed over to Jett's office. She found her brother standing over his desk, gathering papers to take home with him.