Texas Mail Order Bride (15 page)

“These last few days, I've come to view him differently. You really affect him. In fact, I've never seen him like this. Don't let him slip away. He can be roped, and you're just the one to do it.”

Delta shook her head. “He has his life to live and I have mine. Marriage used to mean everything to me, but coming here opened my eyes. There's so much more awaiting me. The opportunities are boundless. I'll always count you as a dear friend.” A woman like her could never have too many of those.

“Just try getting rid of me.”

“I'd never do that.”

“My brother's nine kinds of a fool.” The words came out gruff and she suspected his male ego had taken a beating this night, with all he'd admitted.

Egos were such fragile things and men set great store by them.

“Who was she?” Delta asked softly.

“Who?”

“The woman you said I reminded you of when I first arrived in Battle Creek.”

“Rachel.” He uttered the name with reverence.

“Tell me about her.”

Rand picked up a small rock and sailed it into the darkness. “She came. She died. End of story.”

“What happened? I'd really like to know.”

“She rode into town with her father in a traveling medicine show. I helped them set up. Like you, she was beautiful, with her golden hair and sweet smile. They weren't here long before she took ill. Doc Yates didn't know much about scarlet fever, but he did the best he could. He couldn't save her. Nobody could. People were terrified of getting the disease, so they burned her body and everything she touched. Didn't even give her a proper good-bye.”

“I'm sorry.” She laid a hand on his arm.

It seemed everyone knew their own special kind of hell. Hers had been Cedartown. Rand's was losing Rachel. Jenny's was Hogue Barclay.

What was Cooper's?

Did he pine for a lost love? For Jenny perhaps?

Cooper saddled Rebel right after breakfast. He had business in Battle Creek. More than likely, Tolbert Early wouldn't try to come around in broad daylight, so Cooper wasn't afraid to leave for a bit. Snake that the man was, he preferred the cover of night in which to do his dirty work.

Bandit quit eating long enough to glance up and whine.

“You can't go with me, boy. Need you to guard the place.” He placed his boot in the stirrup and swung his leg over.

The ride into town allowed him to let his thoughts drift toward Delta Dandridge. He could still feel her breasts pressed so firmly to his chest when he'd hugged her. He hadn't needed Jenny to prod him into it. He'd been more than agreeable to getting Delta in his arms again—he just hadn't wanted to appear too eager.

For a fact, the lady was growing on him. She'd turned out far different from his first impression of her that morning on the porch at Mabel's Boardinghouse. He'd been unprepared for the effect she was to have on him.

Gut instinct told him Delta Dandridge had seen her share of hard times. Every so often, pain flashed in those green eyes. One of these days, maybe he'd discover her secret.

It still puzzled him who'd forged his name and sent for her. His anger had long since faded, though, and he was rather glad she'd come.

Not that he wanted to marry her or anything.

He was quite content for the most part. He would be a lot happier when he'd taken care of Tolbert Early once and for all. The old enemy clearly posed a great danger.

The streets of Battle Creek were quiet. The town was still waking up when he rode down the main street and dismounted in front of the café. But as quiet as the town appeared outside, the eating establishment was not. The clamor of voices from inside hit him like thousands of angry bees when he opened the door. Rand sat at a table and hollered for Cooper to join him.

“What's going on?” Cooper asked as he slid into the chair.

“Read for yourself.” Rand pushed the latest copy of the
Battle
Creek
Gazette
across the table.

The headline read “Women to Clean Up the Town.”

Miss Delta Dandridge, a newcomer to these parts, is seeking to form a women's club to address several important issues. Miss Dandridge is convinced that the unkempt, dilapidated (her words, not this editor's) buildings are preventing the advancement of progress. The women's Battle Creek Garden Club will also tackle the issue of no school and no schoolteacher. They believe crime will see an upsurge if children are not properly schooled. Yes, folks, change is in the wind. It behooves this editor to climb aboard this progressive train before I get left behind at the station.

Cooper snorted. Progressive train his eye! No wonder folks were fit to be tied. While some change might be a good thing—in small doses, that is—they didn't want it shoved down their throats. Especially not by someone new to town who didn't understand their ways. And not by some Southern belle who had a penchant for meddling in matters that didn't concern her.

“It looks like she's done it this time,” Rand said.

“Appears so. Wonder how she'll get out of this?”

“Why is it you aren't more riled up, Coop?”

“Already knew about it.” Cooper picked up a cup of coffee the waitress set down in front of him. He never had to order. He'd been coming so long, they knew what he wanted before he even knew himself. “Jenny spilled the beans when she and Delta rode out to the ranch Sunday. I told both of them there'd be hell to pay.”

“You ain't just whistling ‘Dixie.' Rumor has it she's even gotten the mayor on her side, and pretty soon we'll have to pay a fine if we don't keep our property up.”

“I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock into rumor and gossip.” Cooper reached for a hot biscuit from the plate the waitress set in the middle of the table.

“Easy for you to say. You don't live in town.”

“So everyone is fond of telling me.” Cooper glanced out the window at the row of buildings across the street. When had they gotten so run-down? Maybe Miss Georgia Peach was on to something after all. “It wouldn't hurt to spruce the town up a bit. Bet some of these buildings haven't ever had a coat of paint.”

“Whose side are you on, anyway?”

“Both of you are right.” He took a big bite out of the biscuit and washed it down with a swig of coffee. “Look out there. The Lily's sign is all gotch-eyed and dangerous. The next big wind and it'll fall plumb down.”

Rand sighed in defeat. “You've probably got something there.”

A flash of petticoat out the window snagged Cooper's attention. Delta fought to keep her skirt from blowing up in the stiff breeze as she hurried toward the mercantile. The flash of stocking-clad leg stuck in his head like a mess of stubborn cockleburs. She looked mighty pretty with the sunlight caressing her hair and the rosy bloom in her cheeks. Yep, she was a mighty fine-looking woman, if he did say so. And she could kiss like the dickens. He just wondered if she knew the turmoil she'd caused in the town.

One
thing
about
it, if she needs someone to stand beside her, I'm her man.

Long
as
she
doesn't entertain notions of love and marriage
, he quickly amended.

“I'm thinking it's time we called a meeting of the bachelors' club,” he said to no one in particular.

“Past time, if you ask me,” Rand grumbled.

“We'll have to do it early. I won't be gone from the Long Odds after dark.”

“Any more signs of Tolbert?”

“Nope, and that worries me. Don't know what kind of game that polecat's playing.”

“Just trying to keep you off balance, Coop. The man seems to be a master at that. You can bet he won't leave until he finishes what he came for.”

That's the part that kept Cooper awake at night. He'd never been a very patient man. This waiting for the other shoe to drop was getting on his nerves. He wished he could find the no-good cayuse's hideout. He needed to end this and end it for good.

Rand put his hand on top of his cup when the waitress came by to let her know he'd had enough. “How long you gonna be in town?”

“Not sure. Why?”

“I'll ride out to get Brett so we can have our meeting. Won't take long, if you'll wait.”

“Reckon I can. Have a few things to do anyway.”

Both men stood. Once outside the café, they went their separate ways—Rand toward the livery and Cooper in the direction of the boardinghouse.

Jenny sat alone in the dining room. She looked up in surprise. “How nice to see you. Join me, Cooper.”

“I'm full up with coffee. Just came from Rose's.” He pulled out a chair beside her and dropped into it. “I need to talk to you.”

She slowly put down her fork. “What's this about?”

“I want you and Ben to move out to the ranch so I can keep an eye on you.”

“Why?”

Cooper paused a minute, unsure of how to go about this. Finally he dropped his voice and spoke in a low tone. “I know about the baby.”

Spots of red stained her cheeks. “I'd hoped to keep that a secret a while longer. How long have you known?”

“That's not important. What I want to know is why you didn't tell me, why I had to find out through someone else.”

Jenny's chin rose a trifle, letting him know Hogue hadn't beaten all the spunk out of her. “Because it wasn't any concern of yours. You're not in control of my life, and why you seem to think so is something I'd like to know. Why did you take on the role of protector and savior in the first place?”

“I promised.” Cooper didn't want to have this conversation. He'd never planned to tell her. And now he didn't see any way around it. He'd said too much.

“Promised who? Mabel?”

Cooper gazed out the window beyond the frayed lace curtains, beyond the rolling hills that had become a carpet of brightly colored wildflowers seemingly overnight, to a different time. “Your father.”

“My father is dead. You didn't know him.”

“Not the one you grew up with. The one you didn't.”

Below the bandage that covered her head wound, deep lines in her forehead reflected her confusion. “You're not making any sense. My father was Frank Wylie.”

“Forget it. I've said too much.”

Her fingers dug into his arm. “You're not leaving here until you tell me. Whatever it is, I have a right to know.”

“It'll serve no purpose. My lips are sealed.” He leaned to kiss her cheek. “Now, Mrs. Barclay, how about it? Come out to the ranch and stay awhile. Take pity on me. Please. I need someone to show Mack how to cook. He only knows two ways—charred and tasteless. And I'd be forever in your debt if you teach the man how to make apple hand pies.”

The woman who'd seen a fist doubled in anger too often deserved some peace and calm in her life for once. He wanted to give her that.

“Don't change the subject, Cooper Thorne. You can't just drop something like that on me, then tell me to forget it. What do you know? Who did you make your vow to?”

“When you're ready to hear about it, I'll tell you. But not now.”

“Why?”

“Because you're not ready. You're recovering from horrific injuries. Nope.”

“I can see a team of oxen won't drag it out of you. You're the most obstinate man on the face of the earth.” A look of defeat crossed Jenny's eyes. She sighed. “Ben would love to spend a few days at the ranch. I think that boy has ranching in his blood. But, Cooper, I've never found much of a purpose in life until now, until Delta came. I can help make a difference in this town. I want to be a part of this women's club. I've been content to simply exist and stay in my rut. But no more. For the first time I want to really live. I want to experience all the things I've missed. Does this make any sense?”

“Yep, it does. You're blossoming before my very eyes. I'm really proud of you.”

“To tell you the truth, I'm pretty proud of myself.”

Jenny's smile was brighter than he'd seen it in a long while. “Then, how about this? How about if you come to the ranch for just a few days until this club thing gets off to a start? When you want to come back into town, I'll bring you. It'll make Ben happy, and I can teach him how to rope and ride. Bandit will think he's died and gone to heaven to have a boy to play fetch with. Whatcha say?”

“You drive a hard bargain. But it'll just be a few days. I want to attend the first meeting of the women's club.”

“Let Mabel help you pack a few things and I'll be back to get you and Ben in a little while.” He'd be glad when they were close, so he could keep an eye on them.

By the time he left, his heart was much lighter. He was a little put out with himself, though, for blabbing too much. Good grief. He'd acted like some gossiping old woman with too much time on her hands. He growled low and vowed to keep a padlock on his tongue.

***

Minutes later, he strode into the packed mercantile. He spied Delta helping a woman with some sewing notions. Her eyes met his and his heart skipped a beat when she let a smile flirt with the corners of her mouth. He wondered what she'd do if he were to cross the room and kiss her. He seemed to spend an awful lot of time thinking about things like that and he didn't know why. The only thing he knew was that Delta Dandridge was in his blood and he didn't know how to get her out.

John Abercrombie hurried from behind the counter. “Your barbed wire came in, Coop.”

“Just what I wanted to find out.”

Once he got the devil's teeth strung up, those faceless sons of Satan would have another think coming next time they tried to ride onto his ranch.

Delta finished waiting on her customer and joined Cooper while Abercrombie went to talk to someone else. He didn't know exactly what to say, but he knew he had to say something. “Saw the newspaper this morning. You've sure upset the apple cart in this town, lady.”

“That wasn't my intention.” Her green eyes darkened. “I look around and see so much need. I only want to help.”

“Stop trying so hard. Folks will accept you better if you don't push yourself on them.” Cooper's gently spoken words were not meant to criticize. It surprised him to see the quick flash of tears.

“What do you know about fitting in? You've never had to. Things are different for a man.”

Clearly, she'd suffered something unspeakable. Whatever it was had created the woman she'd become. Seemed everyone had secrets they kept. Some were deadly.

And sometimes those things you'd carefully hidden away wiggled out in the light of day.

Jenny would surely ask more questions. He should have his butt kicked for opening that particular can of night crawlers.

Cooper wondered what Delta would do if she knew he'd murdered a man only to find the man was bound and determined not to stay dead. Her disappointment would kill him. He didn't ever want to have to face that.

“I'm no different than you. I was new in Battle Creek once,” he said softly. “I laid low until I learned their ways. You've already completely besotted the men. Lord knows you have Rand and Abercrombie wrapped around your little finger, not to mention, a lot of the women have become good friends. Just go slow.”

Delta chewed her lip. “I only know one speed. My heart breaks when I look at these establishments. I see what they can be, what this town could be. I have so much to give. All I need is for someone to let me give it. I'll be fine.”

“Don't say I didn't warn you.”

“Did John tell you the wire arrived?”

“Yep. I'm mighty glad too.”

“More trouble at the ranch?”

“Though it was quiet enough the last two nights, I know more trouble is coming.” In fact, it rode toward him on a swift dark horse, and he didn't know when it would next appear. “Glad I could see you. Jenny and Ben are coming to the ranch for a few days. Now don't get your back up, Miss Worrywart. I've fortified the ranch. It's more secure than an army fort. I promise. She wants to go, but she also doesn't want to miss the first meeting of the women's club. I told her you'd let her know and I'll bring her back.”