Texas Mail Order Bride (7 page)

“Hell and damnation! You didn't see fit to tell me?”

“Tellin' you now. Couldn't find you yesterday, and it was late when me and the boys came in. We was so beat, we fell into bed.”

“Take me out there. I want to see for myself.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Right after breakfast, Cooper, Zeke, and five cowboys rode out for the south pasture. While the cowboys went to work rounding up strays and getting them in a bunch to drive to the corrals, Zeke showed Cooper the drag marks.

Cooper slid off his buckskin and knelt to eyeball them. Looked to be six horses involved.

A round piece of metal half-buried in the soft ground caught his attention. He picked it up and ice formed in his veins. It was a brass token for the Steamboat Bathhouse in Hannibal, Missouri—the same bathhouse in which he'd shot Tolbert Early.

A coincidence? He didn't believe in that nonsense.

Could Early somehow be alive? Was that even possible, given his horrific wound? Wild tales of ranchers cutting off the head of a snake that still tried to inject its venom crossed his mind.

No, Tolbert Early was dead. Only one thing made sense—this was simply a friend of Early's, someone familiar with the story and out to exact revenge.

His breakfast churned in his stomach, threatening to spew.

The barbed wire would fix them from bringing the sick cows onto his land. But the wire wouldn't arrive for two weeks.

In the meantime, he'd get some men to stand guard at night across the two-and-a-half-mile section that was the only way in and out of the ranch.

His hands clenched tightly.

He
would
catch these culprits. And then he'd get his answers one way or another.

Delta met Rand at the livery Sunday afternoon. Excitement and anticipation hovered in the air as though the world had thrown a party and invited her. For once in her life she was accepted. The realization made her heady.

Rand hitched his horse, a black-and-white piebald, to a buggy he insisted on renting. Said it was more fitting for a lady than the buckboard he hauled whiskey in. She cringed at the thought of seeing a few turned heads when they set off, but no one paid them any mind. She relaxed, determined to enjoy the day.

Mother Nature had put on her most glorious smile and decked out the countryside in a profusion of dazzling color. Spring flowers of every kind carpeted the hills and valleys. Their wonderful fragrance wafted in the slight breeze.

An hour and a half later they drove under the huge crossbars that proclaimed the ranch as the Long Odds.

Following the cloud of dust and the sound of bawling cattle, they found Cooper. He was astride his buckskin, going after a calf. When he got alongside the animal, he leaped off the horse and tackled the calf. He quickly tied its legs and dragged the unfortunate thing to a fire where a branding iron waited. Delta's heart went out to the poor frightened calf. It seemed horribly cruel, but Rand had explained everything on the ride out. He assured her the animals didn't feel a thing. It appeared they had tough hides. At least she prayed they did.

Cooper spied Delta and Rand. He said something to one of his men and led his big buckskin over to them.

When he got closer, she noticed the layers of dirt and the perspiration soaking his underarms. Probably a normal state from working with cattle. From the whisker growth, she could tell he hadn't bothered to shave in a few days. But it lent a dark ruggedness to him that made her pulse beat a little faster.

From beneath the brim of his hat, his stormy gray eyes found her, and she squirmed under his piercing stare. She reconsidered the wisdom of coming.

“Miss Delta. Rand. What brings you here?” His deep voice sent tingles dancing up her spine.

“I wanted to check on the dog,” Delta explained. “Rand was kind enough to offer to bring me.”

“I'll just bet.” Cooper's curt tone cemented the fact that he didn't want her or Rand there.

“Now, brother, don't get your tail feathers on fire,” Rand said. “I told you I'd be out to watch some of the branding.”

“I remember. I'm still in control of my faculties. Just didn't know you planned to bring an audience. This is no place for a lady on a Sunday stroll.”

“Well, you know how things are. It was such a nice day, and Miss Delta needed some fresh air.” Rand boldly winked at her.

“And you can't resist a pretty female. I know. I've heard it all before.”

Heat flooded Delta's cheeks. “I'm sorry, Mr. Thorne. I wouldn't have come if I'd known I'd be unwelcome. Rand, take me back to town please.” Her stiff words mirrored her spine. She shouldn't have come.

“Now, just hold on a minute.” Rand leaped from the buggy and jabbed Cooper's chest with a finger. They stepped out of Delta's hearing, and from the looks of things were about to come to blows. Angry words flew, judging by the hand gestures, and though their voices were low, she had no doubt about the subject of their “discussion.”

Well, they didn't have to worry. She knew when she wasn't wanted. She'd learned that lesson a long time ago.

Without a word or a backward glance, Delta climbed from the buggy and stalked toward the road back to town. Cooper could go jump in a lake, preferably a deep one. She wouldn't bother him anymore. In fact, both brothers could go straight to perdition. She'd walk to the boardinghouse on her own two feet.

The devil take them both.

She managed to get several yards before Cooper caught her arm. She whirled and her angry gaze slammed into his stormy grays. “I don't need this, Mr. Thorne. Let me go, please.”

His right eyebrow arched as he released her. “I apologize for being a donkey's smelly behind. You're welcome at the Long Odds. Me and Rand just had a little disagreement, an old argument between brothers. I promise I'll mind my p's and q's. Besides, you haven't seen Bandit. I think you'll like his progress.”

Delta hesitated. Cooper, a gentleman? She'd have to see that. “Fair warning. If I continue to feel out of place, I'm leaving.”

Cooper nodded. “Anytime you want to leave, just say the word and I'll take you back to town myself.”

“So you named the dog Bandit?”

Cooper gave her a crooked smile. “Kinda fitting, don't you think?”

“It's perfect.”

“Rand is going to pitch in with the branding for a bit. Why don't you let me take you to see the pup? That is, if it's to your liking.”

“I'd like that just fine, Mr. Thorne.”

“Now, why is it that you can refer to my brother as Rand yet you call me Mr. Thorne?”

“You and I are still trying out this friendship thing.”

“And?”

Delta couldn't help smiling. She liked keeping the man who seemed so sure of everything off-kilter. It was probably a place he hadn't been very often.

“Haven't decided. After all, you wanted to run the other way when we first met, if I recall.”

“Like I said, I'm a donkey's rear end.”

“Your words, Mr. Thorne, not mine.”

“Can't you consider calling me Cooper? Mr. Thorne sounds like a doddering old fool with half his teeth missing.”

“I'll give it some thought.” Didn't mean she'd honor his request.

She watched Rand mount Cooper's buckskin and take off after a runaway calf. He wore a big goofy grin. Rand reminded her of a kid just getting his first pair of long pants.

On the other hand, Cooper seemed never to have worn anything but long pants. She'd always heard the expression that still waters ran deep. That described this man perfectly.

She admired the corded muscles in his arms, the firm jaw and sensual mouth, from under the shadow of her lashes. Where had all the air gone? The rugged rancher who rescued mistreated dogs and gave peaches to his friends seemed to have stolen it.

In an effort to cover the effect he had on her, she glanced around for the small orchard Mabel spoke about and located it not far from the whitewashed two-story house. He'd built a fence around the little grove or else the cattle would've tromped down the trees.

A strand of silence spun between them.

“Please, take me to see Bandit. I'm anxious to see the change.” The words came out breathless and quite unlike her.

Cooper offered his arm and they strolled back to the buggy. For all his confidence and surety about everything, his touch seemed more than a little hesitant as he helped her up. Bandit must've been keeping a sharp eye out, because he shot from the barn like a bullet before Cooper could get the buggy stopped. The dog was like a whirling dervish, dancing around the horse and yipping, evidently excited to see Cooper. The listless look in Bandit's eyes was gone.

Delta expected Cooper would politely offer her a hand down, but she wasn't prepared when he placed his hands around her waist and swung her easily to the ground. The movement brought her against his hard body, and he held her for a long moment.

It seemed as though the world had suddenly shifted. The ground had become sky and the clouds were beneath her feet. To cover her startlement, she knelt and buried her hot face in the dog's fur. When she glanced up, Cooper was staring as though seeing her for the first time, amusement twinkling in eyes that had darkened to a deep, strange hue.

Delta quickly looked down at the dog, unsure of what Cooper's strange expression meant. Maybe he was laughing at her for being such a ninny. “He's changed so much. I can't believe he's the same dog you rescued.”

“About to eat me out of house and home,” Cooper growled. “Can't get a blooming day's work out of my men either. Seems all they can think about is feeding the mutt.”

The complaint carried no weight. He didn't fool her. She knew Bandit's recovery meant everything to him.

The door to the house opened and a tall, skinny man stepped out. Luckily, he wore wide suspenders, or else his pants would've fallen around his ankles. A big grin covered his face as he ambled toward them.

“Boss, I wonder if the lady would like some refreshment? I got some lemonade and a batch of fresh cookies that I made for Bandit. Ain't often we get someone as pretty as her out here, beggin' your pardon, ma'am.”

She smiled and nodded to him.

“Miss Delta, meet my cook, Mack Malone.”

“I'm right proud to meet you, Miss Delta.” The man's slick, bald head glistened in the sunlight. “Come inside an' take some lemonade with the boss an' me.”

“Thank you, Mr. Malone. I'd be delighted.”

“Shoot, ma'am. I'm just plain ol' Mack.”

And that's how she came to be sitting in Cooper's small parlor with Bandit lying with his head on her feet. For the last two hours she'd sipped on lemonade and eaten cookies while Mack told stories of times past when he cooked for General Lee during the war.

Rand entered the house a while later, bringing pure bedlam in with him. “Well, damn! Here I was busting my rear tackling ornery calves, up to my boot tops in cow patties and horse apples, and you're in here being treated like a queen.” Rand's grin still hadn't slipped but he was a sight. His shirt was torn half-off, his arm was bleeding, and he walked with a limp.

“Rand, are you all right?” Delta leaped to her feet.

“Never better. Whooee, that was fun!”

“My brother had his brains scrambled sometime back, Miss Delta.” Cooper stretched his long legs out in front of him. “Hasn't been the same since. I learned a long time ago to just accept his shortcomings and try to make the best of it.”

Rand snorted and turned to her. “I hope Coop hasn't been too prickly and gave you a true Long Odds welcome. Hopefully he didn't bore the socks off you.”

“I've enjoyed myself.” She didn't know what to make of Cooper and Rand's exchange. Were they being sarcastic or merely teasing? Hard to tell. But one thing was clear—they cared about each other more than any brothers she'd ever seen.

“I'll wash up and take you back to town. Didn't mean to keep you out here so long,” Rand said.

“I'm fine. Truly.”

“Glad to hear it.” Rand glared at Cooper.

Cooper brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen onto his forehead, untangled his long legs, and got to his feet. “It's not every day I get to spend time with something that doesn't snort and bellow.”

Rand left the room. But when Mack followed him, Delta fidgeted under Cooper's stare. The silence became uncomfortable. She leaned to pet Bandit.

At last, Cooper spoke. “I'm glad we have this chance to speak in private.”

“Why's that?” If she'd had those hackles Cooper spoke about, they'd have been standing on end.

“Wanted to warn you about Rand. You'll get your heart broken if you get too close. He likes all women…for a while. But like me, he'll never find the altar.”

Delta covered the space between them so quickly Bandit scurried for safer territory. She glared up into eyes that reminded her of a cold winter's day. “I can't believe this. You have a lot of gall, Mr. Thorne. The way I see it, you gave up your right to meddle in my affairs when you told me in no uncertain terms that you weren't looking for a wife. Therefore, what I do is none of your concern. If I want to—”

“Do what? Live in sin with Rand?” Cooper brushed her cheek with a fingertip. “You won't. Women like you won't throw your reputation to the wind. You want it all or nothing.”

She glared. “You're awfully sure of yourself.”

“I know more than you think.” His words were soft. “I see the yearning for permanence in your eyes. Dear God, you're a difficult woman to forget.”

Cooper tugged her against his lean body, lowered his head, and pressed his sensual lips firmly on hers. The long kiss held passion and promise and warmth. Delta's breath got caught somewhere between the need for more and wishing she'd stayed in town, far away from men who indulged in contradictory behavior.

Her knees grew weak and she clutched the shirt covering his broad chest to keep from falling as the world tilted on its axis.

As the kiss deepened, their breaths mingled in a heated flurry while blood pounded in her ears. She heard a low moan and realized it came from her. Strange how it sounded so very far away.

Her stomach whirled and dipped as though she'd fallen from a great height. Tingles raced up her spine in some kind of mindless confusion. The anger that had propelled her into dangerous territory melted away and left a strange desire in its wake. She shouldn't have let this happen. Before she could unclench her hands from his shirt to take a step back, he released her.

The kiss ended suddenly, leaving her wanting more.

Cooper's sinful half smile turned her knees to jelly. “And that, Miss Delta, is how we do things here in Texas.”