The Rancher (11 page)

encounter with the young man, whose eyes now bored holes into her the size of two-

bits.

“Not like this, Abby.   What are you doing?” Jeremiah spoke through gritted teeth.

Abby pulled away from his wolf-likeexpression. “I’m glad I’ve seen you forwho you are, Mr. Carson. I wouldn’tmarry you now to save me.  Feminine ornot.”

“We were making progress. It’s alwaysbeen understood between our families.

You   can’t   do   this.   You’ll   ruineverything,” he barely whispered. Hestepped forward taking her possessivelyby the arm and tried to pull her down thesteps.  As Abby resisted him, his fingersclamped tighter, like iron grips pressinginto her flesh.

“Jeremiah.   Please.”   Twisting,   she

pulled herself back, away from his grasp, she had only compromised one step.

“You’re   not   doing   this,   Abby.” Jeremiah spit the words before grinding his teeth together.

“I feel bad for you, Mr. Carson.   It seems you are not my husband, nor will you be, therefore I can do whatever I have a mind to.” Abby felt her voice rising louder with each word. “I plan on having a husband when I go home tonight.”

“And you’ll have one,” a deep baritone voice called out from the back of the

group.

A hush fell over the crowd.  All eyes turned to the stranger who made his way back toward her.   Abby, appalled her conversation with Jeremiah had been

witnessed by the large group, silently

cursed herself for letting her emotions

show.

The swarm of onlookers parted andwhen she saw the face of the dark-haired

stranger re-emerge from the crowd she felt her heart skip a beat.  Everyone stared, watching his lithe movements with interest as he approached the steps.   His faded denims were snug around his thighs and his white shirt was open slightly at the neck with a soft brown leather vest

hanging in worn disarray.   His dark features were chiseled and even with the

small scar just above his eyebrow, to Abby he was physical perfection.

He extended her his bronzed right hand-palm up, his left still clenched into a fist.  She looked around at the familiar faces

she had grown up loving, each one a

friend or acquaintance.  She had known what to expect from all of them, but from this stranger she drew a complete blank.

Abby almost glanced behind her to make sure the stranger was not looking at someone else.  His lips were formed into a straight line slightly curving at the edges. His   gaze   intensified,   one   eyebrow cocked.   Something stirring within the depths of his dark walnut brown eyes captivated her and she risked another glance at his patiently extended hand.

The stranger, the one who had stopped the fight between the Spencer brothers and who had punched Jeremiah in the face, stepped forward and placed his hand on her stranger’s shoulder.   “Cole?”   he questioned in a low voice that resonated in the silence.

Abby had never seen the likes of thesemen before.  The second was taller than

the first with even darker hair. Both strangers had the same basic build and Abby guessed them brothers.   She was amazed at the strength that emanated from each of them.   She would swear she’d

seen moose smaller in size.

“We’ll discuss it later, Raine.”  Cole spoke without turning around.  The finality in his voice took her by surprise and she felt a twinge of fear at his command.  Raine’s jaw tensed and his blue eyes narrowed.  He glanced at Abby, lingering only a moment before taking one step backward.   His rigid stance, however, betrayed his objection.

Cole cocked a dark eyebrow.  His hand clenched then opened as he extended it

once again to Abby, nodding for her to take it.  The intensity in his face almost frightened her, yet something in the way he carried himself, something in his manner drew her in.

She stood brimming with curiosity atthe appearance of this mysterious outsidernow offering to be a part of her life.  Herhand twitched and she started to raise it

toward his, her eyes unwavering.

“Now wait a minute, Abby,” Jeremiah protested.  “You’re not just going to up and marry some stranger who just rode into town.  We’ve known each other near

our whole lives and everyone has expected us to get hitched someday.”

The spell was broken and Abby rested her hand once again at her side.

“As the
 
lady
 
said,” Raine spoke as he

moved one step to the left, blocking Jeremiah from her view, “you had your chance yesterday,
 
Mr. Carson
 
.” He spoke the man’s name with slow precision.

Abby gasped incredulously.   She had never seen nor heard anyone speak that way  to   Jeremiah  Carson  and  her appreciation for this other stranger, Raine, deepened.  She glanced back to Cole, his dark eyes still fastened on her, and with a slight upturn of her mouth she took a step forward.

Abby skittered down the remaining steps and leaned toward him.  She spoke so softly he had to bend his head to hear her. “This is a lifetime commitment.

There’ll be no going back. Are youprepared for that?”

“Are you?”

Abby had not taken the time to considerher own question. Looking up at the veryhandsome man who had consented tomarry her, she thought if he would be halfas nice a husband as he was to look at, shewould be the most blessed woman in theterritory.  She stood so close to him nowshe could feel the heat radiating from hisbody and it left her heady. She took a verysmall step backward attempting to clearher head.

“Are you wanted?” she asked, avoiding his direct gaze.

“Just by my mother, ma’am.” The corners of his mouth twitched.

Abby forced herself not to smile, but felt herself relax a little at his attempted humor.  Her eyes squinted at him and she met his open stare, waiting for the real

answer.

“No, ma’am.” His voice was slow and steady.  Any hint of a smile was gone.

Abby let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“Are you familiar and experienced with ranch work?”

Cole closed his eyes and took a deepbreath.  “Yes, ma’am,” his frozen smilereturned to his face.

“Christian?  Kind?  Good?”  Each oneword question had received a curt nodfrom Cole except the last which alteredsomething in his brooding smoky eyes andhis smile warmed a little under itsinfluence.

“I try,” he spoke almost playfully.

She swallowed.  Cole stared down at

her expectantly.   She imagined how her

father would react and the stubborn set to her jaw returned.

Satisfied   with   his   answers,   she searched his face, not knowing what she looked for.   He shifted uncomfortably

under her gaze.

“Do you ever smile, Cole? Really smile?  The kind that touches your eyes?” she leaned into him and asked in a

whisper.

“Of course, I smile,” he answered gruffly.

“Show me, then.” Taunting a man was not her strong suit, but Abby found herself enjoying the intimate exchange.

He blinked. Then stared. “Do you want a husband or not?”

Abby thought for a moment, staring hard into his eyes.  There was sadness there

and once she realized that, she understood him better.  She found herself wanting to be his reason to smile and couldn’t explain the peace she felt when the answer to his question touched her lips.

“Yes.”

She laughed nervously when she slid her hand into his much larger one. She was unprepared for the sensations his touch sent spiraling through each of her limbs and torso.   That touch evoked a

tingling sensation that began in the tips of her toes and reached the top of her head with lightning speed. She smiled up at him, her heart thundering within her chest.

“Yes.  I will marry you.”

Abby caught sight of Davey who had apparently finished loading the supplies from the mercantile.   His mouth gaped

open and he jumped up onto the buckboard and tore out of town like fire licked at his

heels.  Her father would know within the hour what she was doing.  She just hoped it would be too late for him to do anything about it.

Abby looked back at her prospective husband.   She   had   known   her determination would take her home with a

man, but she had never imagined the exhilaration she would feel at such a

handsome prospect.  She closed her eyes tight and then opened them to make sure she was not dreaming.  A fresh wave of self-consciousness hit.  She had grown up in this small town and any other man there would know what he was getting.

She in turn knew nothing of Cole or his family.  This was all happening so fast.

“Where can we find the preacher?”

Cole’s   voice   resonated   across   the

murmuring crowd.

“Haven’t seen ‘im in weeks,” the old miner volunteered.  “He lives up the side of that there mount’n, behind the old church.  Might try for ‘im there.”

Cole looked to where Matthew pointed behind the chapel.   He and Raine whispered something to each other, too quietly for her to hear.

Abby hadn’t thought about the preacher being out of town and she cursed herself for her lapse in preparation.  He just
 
had
 
to be there.

Movement just to the left of Cole’s shoulder caught Abby’s eye.  Lily’s father, Henry Campbell, had just stumbled out of the saloon.   Lily held him up, bowing

under the strain of his weight.  She helped him into the back of their wagon. Once he was settled, Jed, the Campbell’s foreman, drove away.

When Abby met her friend’s eye, Lily broke into a run down the old wooden walkway toward her. Abby retracted her hand, less than gracefully, from Cole’s grasp and started forward, hoping it didn’t mean trouble.

“Are you all right?” Abby asked, concerned.

Lily nodded.  “You?”

“I did it Lily. I’m getting married.”

Lily’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly.  “Please tell me it’s not Matthew.”

Abby dropped one of Lily’s hands and pulled her friend excitedly by the other

along the boardwalk and onto the dirt road toward the two tall strangers whose eyes had followed her with scarcely concealed interest.  She stopped short as she saw the silent exchange between the two men.  The majestic countenance of their lean forms and broad shoulders was a sight to behold and she soaked it in, self-consciously biting the inside of her lip.  She squeezed Lily’s hand even tighter and pulled her alongside the two newest brothers in town.

“Lily, this is Mr. Cole...uh,” Abby searched Cole’s face for a moment, heat rising in her cheeks. She didn’t even know his surname.

“Redbourne,” Raine provided, tipping his hat toward the ladies.  He pushed his way past Cole, his eyes never leaving

Lily’s face. “Good afternoon, ma’am.”  His voice was like honey and his grinwide. “I am Raine Redbourne and this ismy little brother Cole.”

Chapter Six

Cole pulled his gaze away from Abby’seyes, which he now noted were the colorof raw emeralds, to see Raine once againlaying on the charm. Cole glanced at Abby’s   friend   and   she   appearedmesmerized, as the women usually didwhen one of his siblings was present.

“There is only time for one weddingtoday, brother, and we already have a lotto do.”  Cole clapped Raine on the back.

Raine  threw  his  head  back  and

laughed.    Lily   looked   slightly disconcerted.  Her cheeks flushed a soft

pink.

“Well, ma’am, it would be my pleasure

to escort you to
 
the
 
wedding.”   Raine extended his bent arm in Lily’s direction. With a meaningful glance at Abby, Lily took Raine’s arm and they walked toward the church.

“I’ll go find the preacher.”  Cole felt his gut tighten, the same way it always did when he closed an important deal.   He turned to walk away, but stopped when the soft weight of Abby’s hand grasped his forearm.  He stopped and turned to face