Cooper gave a low laugh.
“You’ll change your mind,” he chuckled, and in the next moment, he had pulled her to him, smothering her mouth in an unexpected kiss.
Callie started to struggle, but he held her tighter, as he placed his mouth against her ear.
“Do you think I believe your story about straw falling on your head?” he murmured. “By the looks of you, I don’t believe you have been in this barn all alone with Bossy. I heard Chet’s son talking about the father of that little papoose you have taken on as your own. I wouldn’t put it past that heathen to be hanging around these parts, and your defense of him killing Chet tells me all I need to know, about your affection towards him. If you don’t want me having my men beat the bushes for that savage, I would be acting a little kinder, if I were you. Otherwise, I will make sure that Indian hangs for killing Chet.”
“How dare you threaten me,” Callie hissed.
“I’m not threatening you. I just want to make sure your ranch is safe from savages who might sneak in during the night and try to ravish you if you know what I mean. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?”
He gave another low laugh and placed his mouth over Callie’s again.
“You’ll warm up to me eventually, but if you try to make me leave your ranch, I will make sure the whole valley knows that you saved and protected one of those heathens responsible for your husband’s death. You said you were glad that Chet was out of your life. Perhaps you asked them to kill him for you.”
“How dare you assume such a thing!” Callie screeched.
“Perhaps not, but you were glad thy got rid of him for you, so you would have a reason for helping that heathen.”
“You cannot blackmail me into marrying you,” Callie stammered.
“I don’t plan to. There is plenty of time for you to decide about something like that. I’m in no hurry. I have a secure job here, and if you insist on having a renegade lover, I can’t stop you. I hear those heathens are a rare article in bed, or in the straw, as your case may be. Just don’t go getting attached to your brave. The news is, his friends are on the rampage, raiding farms, and ranches, along with people traveling on the Santa Fe Trail. It makes it all the more dangerous for your friend, if he is ever caught, so just keep that in mind. It won’t be long before he will have to leave these parts, and when he does, I hope he takes that little papoose with him.
“In the meantime, just remember, I am your friend. I won’t reveal your little secret, but if I require a kiss from time to time, I suggest you accept it as part of our bargain. After all, you don’t mind letting a wild savage lay his hands on you. What would a few kisses from me harm?”
Callie stood trembling in anger and outrage, as she met Cooper’s determined gaze.
“You have little room to talk,” she said boldly. “I can tell that you also have Indian blood in your veins.”
“Then perhaps you will find me attractive as well,” Cooper grinned. “Mexicans are a cross between Spanish and Indian, only we are civilized. The Comanche often take Mexicans as their slaves. My mother was taken as a slave by the Comanche, who stole her from her husband. My mother was raped, and that is how I came about, only her husband managed to rescue her and raised me as his own son. That is why I warned you about going with those heathens. You would have turned out just like my mother. I don’t even know who the heathen was, that fathered me. Only in your case, the Comanche didn’t have to rape you, did he?”
“I would appreciate it if you left me,” Callie said in outraged, shaking voice. “I assume the new cook needs your assistance with the outdoor kitchen.”
“Of course,” Cooper smiled. “I’m not a cruel man, Callie. I didn’t know Chet treated you so poorly. I just want to prove to you, I am not like Chet or some heathen Indian. Only you need to give me a chance to show you. I want to save you from making a terrible mistake by getting mixed up with the father of that Indian boy you are raising. You should give his son back to him, so he won’t have an excuse to come around here. I believe it would be better for both of you. I’m willing to turn a blind eye and give you time to come to your senses before you ruin your chances of fulfilling that dream you have concerning this ranch. I want to help you obtain that dream, Callie. I am the only one who can do it, and you know it, just don’t do anything rash, in the meantime.”
Cooper turned, and went out the door, as Callie sank to the floor of the barn and started to sob.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
As soon as the barn door closed, Chayton came from the stall and lifted Callie up into his arms.
“He is right,” Chayton whispered. “I could never make you my wife, anyway. Besides, you told your friend, you don’t plan to marry again. If you refuse to marry him, I fear you will refuse to become my wife, as well. However, he can help you reach your dream, while I cannot. I can only put you in danger, and your own people will reject you if they learn you nursed my wounds and kept me alive. I cannot take my son with me yet, but when the time comes…”
“No, Chayton, don’t say that,” Callie whimpered, as she placed her mouth over his. “Don’t leave me. I need you close by.”
“I don’t think you can trust your friend. He says he won’t report us, but if you anger him, for some reason, he may not keep his word.”
“I won’t anger him,” Callie said boldly.
“He wants you, my love. He has already demanded you let him kiss you. He will not be satisfied by mere kisses. What will you do then? If you make him leave, he will retaliate.”
“He said he would turn a blind eye, and I won’t make him leave, but that doesn’t mean I have to marry him. He can just remain my foreman.”
“How long do you think he will turn a blind eye? Perhaps he has said that so he can have me captured, when I least expect it and then be sure, I am out of your life for good. I can’t take that chance. My experience of the white man’s word is that they always break it.”
“I won’t have a reason to live if you leave,” Callie cried.
“My own wife died, and I managed to find happiness in your arms. You can do the same, with someone else some day.”
“I don’t wish to find happiness elsewhere.”
“Neither do I, but we both may be forced to do so.”
“Never,” Callie vowed, as she flung her arms around Chayton’s neck, and pushed him back into the stall they had just shared. “You will always be my only love,” she promised, as she began pulling at his breechcloth, dragging him down onto the straw again, and lifting her skirt, until she was surrounding him once again.
Callie’s passion rose to a driving need she felt could never be quenched, as she lay over Chayton, taking the dominant position, in a way she had not dared before. The very thought of Chayton leaving, never to share moments like this together again, was more than she could accept. He could not leave her for good, she told herself, as she continued to show Chayton a more aggressive side of herself, determined to savor every moment of their union, for as long as she could prolong it.
When she finally left the stall, she realized she had neglected the babies, and they probably needed feeding. She glanced over her shoulder, as Chayton climbed out of the stall window, and headed away from her ranch. With a heavy heart, she pulled the barn door open, only to find Cooper there, giving her a knowing look.
“Connor said the babies were crying, and I told him I would come fetch you since he didn’t know where you were. Apparently, rolling in the straw with that heathen means more to you than caring for your children.”
Callie gave him an angry glare. He was right, she thought ashamedly. She had pushed everything else out of her mind, except for the joy of being in Chayton’s arms, perhaps for the last time. She was no better than Chet, wanting pleasure, while Rolletta cried in her crib, she chided herself.
“Don’t be angry at me,” Cooper said, hastily. “It is better I discovered this than one of the boys, or they would have hunted your Indian down and shot him.”<
br />
“It doesn’t matter,” Callie half sobbed. “He, most likely, will never come back here again.”
“As long as he knows his son is here, you can be certain he will come back,” Cooper predicted. “Maybe not right away, but sometime, I’ll wager.”
Callie turned and faced Cooper.
“I’m going to make something out of this ranch, Cooper, and if you are willing to help me do it, then I will welcome it. There is one thing I want to make very clear, though. I will never marry you, and if you ever try kissing me again, I will kick you off this ranch, no matter what you threaten to do. Your future is in my hands, so don’t get any idea you are holding something over my head. If I don’t succeed, neither will you. Is that clear?”
Cooper returned Callie’s glare.
“I thought we could be friends,” he murmured.
“At this point, you are the last person I would want as a friend, but I do need you as my foreman. If you are willing to accept that, I will pretend like none of this ever happened.”
“If that is the way you want it. I hope you change your mind, though.”
“Rest assured. I will never change my mind, Cooper. For all I know, you may be exactly like Chet, and I don’t plan on risking anything to take that chance.”
“Well, at least I don’t have to worry about you throwing your life away over a heathen Redskin,” Cooper mumbled, as Callie stepped past him, and hurried to the house to tend to the babies.
Cooper watched her leave. He was certain he had done her a favor. He not only saved her from her own foolish decisions, but he had saved the man, she fancied herself in love with. Callie should thank him for that alone, he told himself stubbornly. At the same time, he could not help but feel a twinge of guilt, considering that he, himself, had some Comanche blood in him. However, he had not been raised as a heathen, he justified himself.
He would just have to give it time. Eventually, once Callie discovered he was only looking out for her best interest, she would forget about her promise of never marrying him, and forgive him, in the end. Nonetheless, he envied that Indian buck, more than he wanted to admit. The very thought of her in that heathen’s arms upset him beyond reason.
Chet hadn’t known what he had in Callie, Cooper concluded. He wanted to subdue her. Had he treated her a little differently, she would have been a big help in making his ranch a success. Nothing seemed to daunt her, even his own threats to expose her relationship with that filthy savage, had not made her back down. He would just have to tread lightly after this, Cooper told himself.
As the days passed, life on the ranch began to go back to normal, once more. Normal to Callie was a deep ache in her heart, and trying to fill the emptiness she felt, by throwing herself into overseeing the building of her house and working towards her main goal of making the ranch a success.
Chayton had left the same night Cooper found Callie in the barn. Later that night, Bossy gave birth to twins, so Callie had something else to keep her occupied. Connor could tell that she was unhappy, but whenever he mentioned it, she pretended like she was just fine. He asked once about Chayton, and she informed him that Chayton had probably returned to his tribe.
Cooper kept his distance, allowing Callie to get over her anger at him. However, in order to put Cooper in his place, Callie started accepting Mr. Pritchard’s invitations to come to his ranch for dinner, allowing her to bring the children with her. When he came to visit Callie’s ranch, she spent her time entertaining and talking to him, taking great satisfaction with the disgruntled expression on Cooper’s face.
Callie knew that Mr. Pritchard was interested in her, but she also knew how to keep him at arm’s length, since Mr. Pritchard happened to be a gentleman. She felt she would need the support of Mr. Pritchard, as a friend, in the event Cooper tried to threaten her by spreading stories about her.
Since Chayton had not returned, there was no way to actually prove that Chayton had ever been there, Callie decided. She told the children never to speak about Chayton, and deny they had seen the Indian after they had been rescued, or Chayton’s life would be in danger. Now she believed that no matter what Cooper claimed, she could deny it all since there was no way to back up his story.
Callie was happy about how well the building of the house was coming along. She and the children spent hours pouring over advertisements, she ordered through the mail that showed the handy-work of many of the German cabinet and furniture makers throughout Texas.
As the building of her house progressed, the cattle also began to mature, and by the time the house was to be finished, it would be time to drive the cattle to market again. Callie was happy with how everything was coming together. The makeshift windmill was working, and the plumbing in the house was ready to carry the water to the tub in the bathroom, and the sink in the kitchen. The hot-water pipes were running through the wood-burning stove box, in order to be heated. The only thing that would be left to do, before the cattle drive, was to furnish the place, she smiled to herself.
“Hello, Mr. Pritchard,” Callie called, as she watched Mr. Pritchard approaching the front porch of her new house.
She had just finished talking to Cooper about possibly ordering the furniture for her, so it would arrive before the cattle drive began. That way, the boys could put the pieces in the house for her, before they left, and she could move into the house, while they were gone.
Cooper came and stood behind her, eying Mr. Pritchard. He didn’t like the attention the man gave Callie, but as long as Callie merely acted politely, and didn’t seem attracted to Mr. Pritchard, Cooper felt a little at ease.
Ever since he had found Callie in the barn with straw in her hair, she made it a point to stay indifferent towards him, but then, she was also somewhat indifferent towards Mr. Pritchard as well.
“You know I’ve asked you to call me Hank,” Mr. Pritchard smiled, as he stepped up on the porch, taking Callie’s hand and raising it to his mouth, in order to kiss her fingertips.
“Now, Mr. Pritchard, you are my senior, and my mama always taught me to show respect to my elders, by calling them by their Sir-name,” Callie replied, with a friendly laugh.
“I’m not that much older than you are, ma’am. Calling me Mr. Pritchard is making me feel like an old man.”
“Very well, Hank, if it makes you feel younger. How old are you anyway?”
“I’m only forty-two,” Hank replied. “That’s not so old is it?”
“Well, I’m twenty-two, which makes you twenty years my senior. Old enough to be my father, I believe.”
“I certainly don’t feel old enough to be your father,” Hank laughed.
Callie thought he did act rather young for a man of his age, and he seemed to be in pretty good shape, from working on his own ranch. Callie gave him an appraising stare. He was actually fairly nice looking for a man in his forties, she decided. Even so, he still seemed so much older than her.
“I just came to see if you would like to take a short buggy ride with me,” Hank smiled.
“Let me ask Connor to keep an eye on the babies for me. I just fed them and put them down for a nap, so I suppose I would have some time to take a very short buggy ride with you,” Callie replied.
Mr. Pritchard tucked her hand in his elbow and escorted her along the path that led from her new house.
“Your house is looking very grand,” he told her. “The boys have done a good job on it.”
“We did have someone come in to do the finishing work on the inside, but I am very pleased with how everything has turned out. You know; my late husband promised to build this house for my sister when they first got married. I am just sorry he never got around to build it for her.”
“I am downright impressed, the way you have stepped in and taken over your husband’s ranch, expanding the livestock, and building this large, magnificent house.”
“Cooper has been a big help, and Connor taught me everything his father showed him about how the ranch should be run. I am just
barely learning, but I hope to get better at it.”
“You seem mighty fine at it already. Chet would be proud of you if he could see you now.”
Callie did not think Chet would be proud of her. Chet would be angry that she thought she could take over his ranch. He wanted to bring her down to a poorly dressed dirt farmer’s wife, which she refused to become.
“Thank you,” was all she said. “Connor, watch the babies for me,” she called to Connor as they approached the cabin where Mr. Pritchard’s buggy was parked.
Connor nodded, and Mr. Pritchard helped Callie up in his buggy.
“Where are you taking me?” Callie asked as he turned the buggy down the road in the direction of his own ranch.
“Just down the road a bit,” Mr. Pritchard smiled. “Did Chet ever show you the boundaries of his ranch?”
“Actually, no,” Callie admitted. “I knew Cooper knew the boundaries, so I never worried about it.”
“I think you should know everything there is to know about your ranch since you are the sole owner of it now. All of this land used to belong to my granddaddy, and Chet came by and started working as a hand on the ranch. My granddaddy took a liking to Chet, and it surprised us all, that when he died, he left this section of land to him.
“My granddaddy lived out here before Texas was even part of the states. It belonged to Mexico back then, and he came to the ranch and asked for work. It used to belong to Alberto Gustavo, back then, in the early eighteen hundreds. Alberto ended up getting killed by the Comanche.”
He paused for a moment and gave Callie a hard look.
“You know why we hate the Comanche so much? Back in those days, between 1830 and 1850, the Comanche constantly raided the Mexican ranches. They were not happy to just take the cattle, and goods. They killed what cattle they couldn’t take, and often took prisoners, of those they didn’t kill. The Kiowa, and sometimes Kiowa-Apache, would often join them. It wasn’t an isolated event. They were very organized and methodical about the raiding and killing.
Beyond the Heart Page 18