The Payment (15 page)

TWENTY-SEVEN

It didn’t take him long to reach home. As he
rode across the yard, Dane shook his head and wondered how his
brothers were going to react over old man King's suggestion that
one of them marry his daughter. Just the thought of it made him
chuckle.

India, in a state of worry, waited anxiously
for Dane to return. When she heard the sound of a horse
approaching, she sighed in relief, when she opened the door and saw
him heading towards the barn. She raced out of the house and to the
barn, stepping inside saw him dismounting. Rushing forward, she
went flying into his arms. “Oh Dane I’m so relieved you’re home.
Something’s wrong. I don’t know what it is but after you left Jesse
and the twins have been acting nasty and glaring at me
hatefully.”

Dane grunted when his wife came rushing into
the barn and threw herself at him. He caught her; he frowned as he
listened to her worries. Now what the hell is going on? He could
see the worry in his wife’s eyes and hear it in her voice. “Hush
sweetheart I’m sure it’s nothing. Come on let’s go inside so I can
clean up and have supper. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough what
has them upset."

India refrained from telling her
husband that his brothers were more than a little upset. Instead,
she walked beside him towards the house.
I
hope Dane is right though, and it’s not something terrible, but I
know it’s worse than he thinks.

Once they entered the house, Dane left his
wife downstairs and hurried upstairs to wash. It didn’t take him
long and when he came back downstairs, he hid his surprise at
seeing her still standing in the foyer. Reaching her side, he
cupped her cheek and kissed her brow. “Come on sweetheart we’ll
face them together.” He gave her an encouraging smile then dropping
his hand from her face took her hand in his and led her through the
house to the dining room.

After seating her and taking his own seat,
he gaze moved around the table. He noticed the burning anger in
Jesse’s and the twin’s eyes. He knew then that nothing would be
said. They would not say what bothered them until they could get
him alone. Well fine, he would rather discuss whatever upset them
in private. He turned to wife and gave a slight nod so she could
start the meal.

India felt uncomfortable and terribly
worried. She sighed in relief when the meal finally ended. When
Dane came to take her outside, she quickly went with him. “Do you
understand now why I am so worried?” She whispered as they moved
through the house.

Dane clasped his wife’s hand and squeezed it
gently. “Well until they tell us, we won’t know what’s got them so
mad.”

As soon as Dane and his wife left the room,
Jesse told Tuff to keep Mason and Tye inside while he and the twins
discussed something with Dane.

Worriedly, Tuff watched the boys leave and
shook his head; he wondered what caused the boys to be so angry.
Well, whatever it is, he hoped it would be sorted out quickly.

Jesse stepped outside with the twins and
found Dane and his wife seated on the swing. “Tell us Dane, is she
worth the money or the ranch and the lies you told us?” He spat the
words out furiously.

Dane sat tensely when his brothers came out,
his hand tightened around his wife’s. The breathe whooshed out of
him at Jesse’s angry question. He inwardly cringed in guilt knowing
how his lie must have hurt his brothers.

India put a hand over her mouth muffling her
gasp; she peeked at her husband and saw how guilty he looked.

At last finding his voice, Dane resolutely
gazed at his brothers. “I didn’t mean to lie to you, but I knew if
I told you the truth you would never give India a chance. And
before you go blaming her, it was me alone that decided not to tell
you the truth. I hope you will give me a chance to tell you the
truth, and I hope you will forgive me for lying to you.”

Tense and filled with remorse, Dane fell
silent and waited for his brothers to decide what they wanted to
do. He just hoped once he explained everything that they would
forgive him.

Jesse, Reese and Traye looked at each and
with silent understanding, sat down.

After a deep breath of relief, Dane hastily
started to explain to his brothers. “I met India at a ball, the
first moment I met her, I wanted her, but she wanted nothing to do
with me. A few nights later, I found myself in a game of cards with
her brother. He lost everything to me. I didn’t want the ranch or
the money; I suddenly realized I had the means to have her.”

He stopped speaking for a moment and turning
to his wife, he smiled at her tenderly before he turned back to his
brothers and continued. “Her brother was shocked when I told him I
would forget the debt if his sister married me. India didn’t want
to marry me and he forced her into it. The reason I didn’t tell you
the truth is that I didn’t want to shame her. And I knew you would
never accept her if you knew the truth.”

Traye, Reese and Jesse shook their heads and
as one, they sighed heavily, knowing Dane didn’t mean to lie to
them. He is probably right though they would most likely would have
made it a lot harder on India.

“
Why don’t you tell us what happened
at old man King's place?” Reese asked letting Dane and his wife
know they were forgiven, and it would be forgotten.

His shoulders eased, with the tension
lessoning, knowing his brother’s forgave him. Dane rubbed his thumb
over the back of his wife’s hand as he started to fill everyone in.
“I’ll tell you that you're not going to believe what I’m going to
say to you. I can hardly believe it myself. Since Dianne can’t
marry me the old man is insisting one of you marries her.”

India didn’t say anything or interfere in
the conversation, she just felt so relieved that Dane’s brothers
could forgive them so easily.

“
Well damn me, the old man must be
senile if he thinks anyone of us would marry that insufferable
bitch.” Jesse said as he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

Traye raised his brow and turned to his
twin. “I reckon the old man wants something more than one of us
marrying his daughter.”

“
Yeah that’s what I think but for the
life of me, I can’t think of a damn thing the old man would want so
desperately.” Dane turned and smiled at his wife. He wanted to kiss
her so much, but he would have to wait until they were
alone.

For a long time, they all sat on the
veranda. Every one of them was deep in their own thoughts.

After a time Dane and India bid the boy's
good night and went upstairs to their room. Once the door closed
behind them, Dane took his wife in his arms and kissed her with
mounting desire.

Surprised at how quickly she found herself
in her husband's arms, India didn’t protest and lifting her arms,
she wrapped them around his neck and kissed him back. The next
moment they were falling on the bed in a tangle of arms and legs,
for a second their mouths broke apart but Dane’s mouth caught hers
again in another hot searing kiss.

As he kissed his wife he wondered if he
would ever get enough of her, he hoped not. While he continued to
kiss her, his fingers were busy on the buttons on her blouse. He
could hardly wait to rediscover the rapture he found in this
woman’s arms.

TWENTY-EIGHT

In the parlor, India sat on the sofa.
Putting down her sewing, she thought over the last five weeks. It
had been a relief that Jesse and the twins could put Dane’s lie and
the truth of their marriage aside. Even Mason no longer resented
her, and now she truly did feel a part of this family. Smiling, she
placed her hands on her stomach; soon she would be adding to this
already large family.

With her eyes closed, she leaned her head
back and rested it against the sofa. Her wistful smile died as she
wondered how Dane would react to the news of becoming a father. She
still didn’t know if he loved her, he never spoke of his feelings
or told her what he felt in his heart. It hurt and she so much
wanted to tell him how much she loved him but it frightened her to
tell him how she felt when she did didn’t know what lay in his
heart.

Perhaps when he found out about the baby he
would finally tell her of his feelings. She hoped so; it would be
the one thing that would make her completely happy. Grimacing
slightly she wondered how the rest of the family will react when
they learned about the baby. No doubt, it will cause a ruckus, they
were a volatile lot but she loved them all the same.

Chuckling softly, she opened her eyes and
straightened up in her seat, she needed to pick the right time to
tell her husband he is about to become a father and then they would
decide together when they would tell the rest of the family.

In Sherman doing her shopping, Dianne
came to an abrupt stop as she stared thoughtfully at the woman who
just stepped out of the hotel. There is something very familiar
about the woman. The longer she stared; she became positive she
knew the woman.
If the woman is who I
think she is, it would be the perfect revenge.

Without another moment's hesitation, she
checked for traffic on the street and seeing it clear of horses or
wagons lifted up the bottom of her skirt and hurried across the
dusty road. “Is it really you Mrs. Mathews?” She asked when she
stood in front of the other woman. Oh, she felt sure it could only
be her now that she could see the other woman’s eyes.

Swiftly turning when she heard her name,
Irene’s eyes narrowed as she saw the young women in front of her.
Her eyes glittering with anger, she reached out and grasped the
younger woman’s arm tightly. “For goodness sakes don’t say another
word and don’t mention my name again. Do you hear me? Come with me
and we’ll talk in my room.”

Her eyes wide with pain, when the other
woman let go of her arm Dianne rubbed at the painful spot as she
followed the older woman inside the hotel and up the stairs to her
room. She did not understand why Dane’s mother did not want anyone
to know she was here, but she intended to use it to her advantage.
When she spied the older man sitting in the room she could not help
be impressed when he stood up and bowed.

Irene Mathews cursed to herself as she
watched the younger woman settle on to a chair. It annoyed her to
know how easily the girl recognized her. She needed to find some
way to make sure the woman kept quiet and did not go and ruin her
plans.

She is so close now and even though it
irritated and frustrated her to wait, she did not have any other
choice. It galled her having to sit around here waiting for the
Judge to return and having to wait so long to get her hands on what
she wanted. Well until the Judge came back, she could not do
anything else.

Now she could only hope this silly girl
could keep her mouth shut. “It seems you know who I am, but I must
ask you not to tell anyone that I’m here in town.”

Dianne leaned her head to the side and
frowned as she studied the older woman. Dane’s mother and this man
beside her were definitely up to something, and she grew eagerly
curious to find out what they were planning. Once again, she
thought how she could use it to her advantage.

When the younger woman didn’t speak, Irene
grew irritated but hid it behind a sad smile. “You see my dear I
have hope that somehow I will be able to reunite with my children.
However, I’m trying to find the best way to approach them. That’s
why I’m asking you to keep silent about me.” Seeing the younger
woman nod, she relaxed and smiled at the man at her side. “Now let
me introduce you to my friend Lord Paul Carruthers from
England.”

Paul took his cue, smiling, he reached out
his hand and pouring on the charm knowing he would have this woman
smitten in minutes. He picked up her hand. “It is such a pleasure
to find such a beauty in the wilds of this large country.” When he
saw her blush, he bent over and kissed her knuckles, swiftly
straightening up he gave her a seductive smile.

Impressed when she heard the man’s title,
Dianne's face warmed over his compliment and the admiration in his
eyes, she giggled when he kissed her hand.

Now that the situation seemed to be been
taken care of, Irene forced herself to be friendly, so she could
find out as much as she could about her sons. Of course, this young
woman named Dianne became very eager to oblige and didn’t hold
anything back.

Suddenly realizing the lateness of the hour,
Dianne sighed, reluctant to leave. She knew she must return home.
As she went to stand up, she unexpectedly came up with a brilliant
idea. “It must be uncomfortable staying here and hoping that no one
will recognize you?”

Glancing quickly around the room, Irene
shrugged. “Yes and it’s terribly cramped being cooped up here all
day.”

Dianne stood up and shook out her skirt,
when she finished, she beamed at the couple. “I have the perfect
solution. Why don’t you both come out to the ranch and stay with Pa
and me? He’ll be very happy to have you stay with us.”

A blonde brow rising, Irene pretended to
think it over and turned to Paul, her eyes laughing. Seeing the
smirk on his face, she turned back to Dianne. “I don’t know how I
can thank you for your generous offer. Paul and I would love to
come and stay with you and your father.”

Paul could not have been happier to move out
of the hotel, their funds were running low. If it weren’t for the
promise that Irene made him, that she would shortly be very rich,
he would have left the lady long ago.

Dianne drove the buggy out of town an hour
later. It was loaded down with her passengers and their luggage.
Very shortly, she would have her revenge on Dane and the bitch he
married and just maybe there would be a way she could have him
back.