WM02 - Texas Princess (28 page)

Tobin nodded as he rol ed up his blanket. “Now let’s get moving.”

chapter 22

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Liberty sat on the porch until after midnight,

waiting for Tobin to come home. He’d barely made it out of sight when she realized how childish she’d been. He wasn’t some toy her father gave her. She couldn’t decide when to put him in the attic.

She also couldn’t treat him like only her feelings mattered. He’d played no games with her, even from the beginning. The problem seemed that she was the one playing a game. She wanted to set the rules. She wanted to be the one who said when and how far. And now, even in the middle of the game, she wanted to be the one to say when it would end.

Rocking back in her chair, Liberty recognized the problem nal y. She wanted to be in control, always in control, and Tobin wouldn’t be control ed. Getting closer to him had been exciting because of that unpredictability, but Liberty had a feeling that in time she’d learn to hate the very trait that attracted her.

Teagen opened the back door and stepped out on the porch. “You should go on to bed, Liberty. The rest of the house is already asleep.”

Another man she wouldn’t try to control and this one didn’t even make an effort to be friendly.

“Al right,” she said. “Do you think Tobin and the boy are al right?”

Teagen nodded. “Tobin can take care of himself. As for the kid, I’l bet we never see him again. He’s like a coyote. He knows this part of the country and where al the hiding places are. Tobin wil be lucky to fol ow his trail more than a day.”

“Oh,” she said, then smiled suddenly. “You’re not sorry the kid got away, are you?”

Teagen shrugged. “I would have turned him in. It was the right thing to do. But I can’t say I would have enjoyed the duty.”

She looked at the oldest McMurray. Though in his early thirties, he looked older.

Maybe because he frowned at the whole world. He was solid as a rock in thought and action. “You’re a good man, Mr. McMurray,” she whispered, surprised she’d said her thoughts aloud.

He grumbled like an old volcano about to erupt. “Don’t go spreading that rumor, Liberty. It’l do me no good.”

“I won’t,” she said as she turned toward the door. “It’l be our secret. Good night.”

Once in her room Liberty’s thoughts turned back to Tobin. Part of her wanted him here and was angry that he’d left her. Part was worried about his safety. The kid had almost kil ed Teagen. Tobin could be walking into the same trap.

Also, she didn’t like the idea that Tobin was out there somewhere probably thinking she was an idiot. Al her life, when she’d thrown a tantrum over something, there had always been someone who calmed her and told her everything would be al right. Tobin hadn’t done that. He’d made her face the truth.

Liberty laughed at herself. Why shouldn’t he think she was completely mad? It seemed like she’d done one foolish thing after another since she’d met the man.

She rol ed over in her bed facing the windowless wal .

She lay awake for a while in the dark, thinking of Tobin and wishing he were downstairs. He’d ridden out after Roak without saying good-bye to her. How could a man spend hours in the relight touching her as if he was starved for the feel of her and then ride away without even a nod?

The next morning she was stil trying to gure it out at breakfast. An old ranger named Liam had shown up yesterday. He smel ed of pipe tobacco and campres. Once he’d said the required few words after they were introduced, he directed al his attention to Travis and Teagen. Duck jumped around him, but Liam paid no more attention to the boy than if he’d been a squirrel.

Because everyone expected Tobin back any minute, they ate breakfast in the dining room as a family, saving him a chair. The table was set with good china and linen napkins embroidered with an
M
in the corner.

Just to have something to say, Liberty asked about the ne stitching on the napkin.

Sage beamed. “I did them one winter as my home project. Al girls at my school had to do at least one a year.”

Travis laughed. “Her teacher, Mrs. Dickerson, insisted Sage learn to stitch.” He held up his napkin. “I must have one of the early set.”

Teagen agreed. “Sage made us keep buying cloth until she’d made a dozen perfect ones to turn in, but Martha saw no reason for tossing away good napkins so she kept the rst practice set and the second. Over the years they mixed into the drawer with the perfect set.”

“Wel , you learned the art quite wel ,” Liberty said to Sage. “I love needlework myself. If you have a project going, I’d be happy to help. It wil give me something to do.”

The McMurrays looked at one another. The idea of a project other than the napkins hadn’t occurred to any of them.

Travis’s wife, Rainey, spoke up. “Travis, dear, if you’l drive us into town I’m sure Sage can nd suitable material. I’ve always thought stitched cushions for these chairs would be nice.”

“That’s out of the question,” Teagen snapped.

Everyone looked at him, but it was Travis who spoke. “Tel me, brother, is it cushions, Sage’s judgment on material, or the trip to town you’re objecting to?”

Rainey laughed. She’d obviously lost al fear of Teagen.

Teagen looked bothered. “The trip to town, of course. The fewer people who know Liberty is here, the better.”

“I could go by myself,” Sage offered. “Saturday is the day we pick up supplies anyway.

I’l get the material then.”

“If I made a list, could you pick up a few things for me?” Liberty asked thinking she’d like to have something that t her. “And if you’ve time, you could check on Stel a.”

“Sure.” Sage looked at her brothers. “Unless Tobin gets back by Saturday morning, I’l go alone. If that horse delivers, both of you wil be needed here. But don’t worry, I’l go armed.”

Teagen nodded agreement and added, “Tobin said he left your maid enough money to buy a ticket south on the stage. I’m sure she’s long gone by now.”

Travis and Rainey agreed politely with Teagen, but Liberty remained silent. After a week on the trail with Stel a, she wasn’t so sure. The maid loved having someone to listen to her. She might nd that in a smal town. Also, Stel a took great interest in what Liberty planned to do. The idea that Stel a would have anything to do with the men trying to kil her father seemed ridiculous, but she’d been an informant for Samuel Buchanan once. Liberty wouldn’t put it past the maid to be one again.

She grinned, feeling as though she’d changed since she’d left home. She’d been headstrong then; now she felt strong. She’d never go back to Buchanan, but she now knew he was a dangerous man. A man not in control of his own temper wil strike like a snake at whoever is in his path.

Excusing herself, Liberty went to the study to start her list.

In the silence of the book-lined room, the memories of the night she’d spent with Tobin

l ed her mind. She caught herself staring at the chair where he’d held her. With a pad in hand, she crossed and sat in front of the re, wishing he were home to hold her now.

Everyone in the house seemed to have a plan for the day, except her. Liberty leaned against the chair’s worn leather back and closed her eyes, drifting back with the memories. She’d never imagined making love could make her feel so good. There were times during her night with Tobin that she felt like she was oating.

She spent the afternoon helping out wherever she could and enjoying the constant chatter of women around her. With the fal came canning and today Martha had peaches to put up so the more hands to help the better. Martha not only set up canned peaches, but she also liked to make peach preserves, which took more sugar as wel as more cooking.

Liberty took her turn at stirring the huge pot with a wooden spoon wide enough to serve as a paddle. She liked the chore, the warmth of the stove, and the sweet smel of cooked peaches surrounded her. In a strange way, she felt like she was in the center of the world. Sage mixed our, sugar, and soda with milk for a cobbler while Martha washed jars. The stores they’d make today would feed the family al winter, just as the cobbler would feed them tonight.

Strange, Liberty thought, how the oor of Congress and a kitchen could both feel the same. Both seemed to take a great deal of brewing and stirring before they concocted anything. Except Congress, with al the pipe smoke and old men, didn’t smel nearly as good as peaches and sugar.

Duck, who wasn’t even as tal as his father’s waist, shadowed rst Travis, then his uncle Teagen around the house and barn. Teagen acted like he didn’t care for the boy, but Liberty noticed several times when Teagen held the door open or slowed when he walked making sure the boy could keep up.

Rainey let her adopted son roam. Duck fol owed the men like the little duck that his nickname implied, but Liberty didn’t miss that whenever he passed the kitchen he touched Rainey or she touched him. Sometimes a pat, sometimes a hug. Travis might give him adventure of the world around, but gentle Rainey gave him unconditional love and a home.

Liberty could not remember having such a free and open world to explore when she’d been a child. Her safety net had always been a nanny or housekeeper, never her father. She knew in his way he loved her dearly, but now, after being away from his world for a while, she could see how he’d wanted to hurry the wedding to Samuel as much as she did. He wanted to pass her off, believing she could not stand on her own.

Yet the senator had asked Tobin to take her to safety. Maybe her father had started to notice the cracks in Captain Samuel Buchanan, behind his perfect image. Maybe the senator had asked the rangers to ride with him that night because he didn’t trust the captain’s ability to keep him safe.

Liberty sat in the darkness of the front porch and began a plan. If she was right about her father, he’d understand why she’d cal ed off the wedding and insist on her going back to Washington with him. Maybe, for a while, they would have no talk of her marrying and she could go back to her life in peace.

She waited on the porch until after midnight, hoping Tobin would make it in, but again there was no sign of him. When she nal y turned in, she could just make out Ranger Liam across the yard. He stood smoking on the porch of the bunkhouse, standing guard.

Just after dawn the next morning, Liberty waved goodbye to Sage and told the others she wanted to spend another morning reading. Once again, she planned to dream the morning away in the chair where Tobin had held her so tenderly.

It was almost eleven when Rainey shouted for everyone to come to the porch.

“Something’s wrong,” Rainey said as soon as Liberty stepped out of the door.

Liberty shielded her eyes and watched Sage’s wagon come in fast from the bridge.

She could see no driver at the reins.

Rainey stood close. “She’s driving too fast. No one should drive a loaded-down wagon like that.”

“If she’s driving.” The wagon looked more like a runaway.

Travis joined them. A moment after he caught sight of the wagon, he yel ed for Teagen.

The two men swung onto horses that had been left saddled from their dawn rounds.

They rode hard toward the wagon. Within minutes they anked the wagon’s team and brought the horses to a stop.

By now, they were close enough for Liberty to see that she’d been right—no one sat on the bench. To her relief, Sage crawled from beneath the seat and jumped onto the back of Travis’s horse.

Teagen looped a rope around one horse’s neck and led the team into the yard.

Liberty and Rainey stood silently waiting until Sage reached the porch. Her hair was wild and she’d lost her hat, but otherwise she looked whole.

“Everyone inside,” Travis ordered, before anyone could start asking questions.

They fol owed orders, moving into the kitchen.

Martha dropped the pot she was cleaning and ran to Sage. The old woman took little interest in the happenings of the ranch, but this was Sage. She knelt by Sage’s chair and pul ed the girl’s chin up. “Where are you hurt, child?” she demanded.

“I’m ne.” Sage sounded shaky. “I fel out of the wagon when the ring started.”

“From the beginning, Sage,” Travis said as he took the seat across from her.

“From the beginning, Sage,” Travis said as he took the seat across from her.

Sage nodded, folded her hands on the table and answered her big brother. “In town there’s a lot of talk about who we have out here. Some even think we’re holding Liberty against her wil . Elmo told me there has been talk of organizing a group of men to come out and rescue the senator’s daughter. Rumors y that Tobin kidnapped her in the middle of the night only two days before her wedding.”

Liberty began to pace. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, though many of the facts were correct. “Who could know I’m here?”

Sage stared at Liberty. “Stel a didn’t leave.”

Teagen swore.

Liberty shook her head. “But she knows the truth. She was with us that rst morning.

She saw the bruises where Samuel hurt me.” Even as Liberty said the words, she remembered how loyal Stel a had been to the captain. How even when she’d seen Liberty’s face she said that she was sure it had been an accident. But she’d said she felt bad about Liberty being hurt. She’d demanded to come along.

Liberty frowned. So much for giving Stel a the benet of a doubt. Tobin had been right about her al along. She glanced at Sage and knew their minds were traveling the same road.

“Did she try to slow you down?” Sage asked. “Did she try to contact anyone along the way?”

Liberty stopped pacing. “Yes. She complained that we were moving too fast and she was so slow that several times Tobin threatened to leave her. Twice, when we were near trading posts, she begged to go in and get supplies. I believed her, but Tobin wouldn’t let her go.”

Sage nished the logic. “Once she got here and knew you were staying, she couldn’t get away quickly enough. Maybe she had someone to inform.”

Liberty hated to think that she’d let the enemy ride along with her. Tobin had tried to stop Stel a—even that buckskin ranger had said it would be best to leave her behind—