To Tempt a Rogue

by Connie Mason

  “Dry your eyes, Kitten, there’s nothing to cry about.”

  “I’m not crying,” Kitty sniffed. “I never cry. It’s all this damn dust.”

  He lifted her chin and brushed away the tears with his fingertips. He felt her tremble beneath his touch and couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her sweet lips. He was going to miss Kitty’s responsive little body beside him in his bedroll tonight. But it was more than her body that set Kitty apart from other women. Kitty brought out a fierce protectiveness he’d rarely, if ever, felt before. He wanted to shield her from anyone who would take advantage of her, and that included himself. The feeling made him uncomfortable.

  Despite his discomfort, Ryan made a silent vow to protect Kitty from those who would harm her, no matter what happened between Kitty and her father. He didn’t stop to think that he wouldn’t be around forever, that he would be returning to Montana soon. He couldn’t think beyond Kitty’s immediate welfare.

  Kitty’s fierce resentment of Bert gave Ryan another cause to worry. Had he done the right thing by bringing father and daughter together? he wondered. Was Teresa going to be more of a problem than he had anticipated? All these questions and more ran through Ryan’s head as he held Kitty’s face between his hands and wiped away her tears. He sensed her anxiety, felt the tension coiling inside her, and his body responded to her unspoken need.

  Compelled by a feeling older than time, he pulled her against him, lost in a sensual fog of need. His lips came down hard on hers, tasting, savoring, his tongue probing her lips until she opened her mouth. He groaned as his tongue slipped inside, stabbing deeply, unable to get enough of her. He heard her moan and would have forgotten where they were and taken her on the dusty bed if Kitty hadn’t shoved him away.

  “We can’t do this. Not now. Not here. Damnation, Ryan, Teresa would have me for breakfast if she suspected we were intimate. It would be best for all concerned if we simply forgot what went on before and pretended casual friendship.”

  Ryan frowned. “I don’t give a damn what Teresa thinks, but I reckon you’re right. We don’t want to upset Bert. For all his illness, Bert is a perceptive man. I’d hate for him to learn I was the one who stole his daughter’s innocence.”

  “You didn’t steal anything, I gave it to you.”

  Ryan gave her a cheeky grin. “That’s what you think. I charmed you out of it. Come on, I’ll take you to your room. Then you can enjoy a long bath before you meet Bert. Are you hungry? I’m sure Rosita can fix something to hold you over until dinner.”

  “I can wait. I’m more interested in that bath right now.”

  Suddenly Teresa popped her head into the room. “Oh, there you are. I couldn’t imagine what was keeping you two.” She gave Kitty a hard look. “Bert should be waking up soon.”

  Teresa’s dark brown eyes were fixed on Kitty with almost malevolent intent. Ryan noticed it and wondered if he was the cause of Teresa’s animosity. Instinctively he sensed it went far deeper than simple jealousy. He saw Kitty flinch and knew she was fully aware of the undercurrent of hostility swirling around her.

  While Kitty bathed, Ryan returned to Bert’s room, pleased to find him awake this time. As far as Ryan could tell, Bert’s condition had not changed during his absence. He was no better, no worse. He was still pale, still frail. According to a description provided by Ryan’s father years ago, Bert had once been a robust man.

  Bert’s eyes lit up when he saw Ryan. “Ryan, thank God you’re back.” He glanced toward the door. “Do you have my daughter? For God’s sake, man, did you find her? Where is she? You can’t believe how long I’ve waited for this day. Finding Kathryn is all that has kept me alive these last few years.”

  Ryan searched Bert’s drawn features and wondered how long the man would have lived had he failed to find Kitty. Not long, he’d wager.

  “I found your daughter, Bert. But I wanted you to know her history before I introduce you to her. You need to be aware of the circumstances in which I found her.”

  “Can I come in?” Teresa asked as she entered the room carrying a bottle and glass of water. “It’s time for Papa Bert’s medicine. I try to take care of the dear man, don’t I, Papa Bert?”

  Bert gave her a weak smile. “You’ve been a tremendous help during my illness, my dear,” he allowed. “Ryan was about to tell me about Kathryn. Why don’t you pull up a chair. This concerns you, too.”

  “I would like that,” Teresa said sweetly, sending Ryan a coquettish smile. “I’m quite anxious to learn about Kathryn’s life before Ryan found her.”

  Ryan would have preferred to speak in private to Bert but accepted Bert’s decision to include Teresa. “Very well, I’ll start from the beginning. First, Kathryn prefers to be called Kitty. I think it would make her feel more at ease and please her if you both addressed her by that name.”

  “Then Kitty it is,” Bert eagerly agreed. “Is she beautiful and blond like her mother? Are her eyes brown?”

  “Kitty is … well, one of the loveliest women I’ve ever known. There is a special quality about her I can’t explain. She’s more vulnerable than she lets on. And she’s blond and has magnificent blue eyes. You’ll see for yourself soon enough. But there is something you should know before meeting her.” He took a deep breath. “Kitty bears you no love. She blames you for abandoning her mother and forcing her into a demeaning life with Deke Johnson.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Teresa blasted. “Papa Bert didn’t even know Kathryn … Kitty existed.”

  “No, Teresa, Kitty has every right to dislike me,” Bert said sadly. “After all, I did abandon her mother for yours, even though Rena was the love of my life. You see, I was young at the time, and needed money to save my ranch. Teresa’s mother had an abundance of cash and was willing to invest in my ranch. I abandoned the woman I loved because I wasn’t strong enough to face poverty. I had little backbone as a youth. The army did wonders for me, but by then I was trapped in marriage to another.”

  “Papa Bert! Are you saying you never loved my mother?” Teresa asked, scandalized.

  “I grew quite fond of your mother, my dear, but to be perfectly honest, what I felt for her was nothing compared to the love I bore Rena. Nevertheless, your mother never suffered neglect or lacked my regard. Go on, Ryan. Tell me what happened to Kitty after Rena and Deke died. My private investigators turned up little to indicate what had become of her.”

  “What follows is likely to disturb you, but you have a right to know the truth,” Ryan said, “and I hope you’ll keep an open mind about what I am about to reveal.”

  “Kitty is my daughter, how can I think badly of her? I want to know everything, Ryan. You’ve done me a great service, the least I can do is listen and not judge harshly.”

  “Perhaps this should wait,” Teresa said. “Papa Bert is tiring.”

  “Nonsense,” Bert said with surprising vigor. “Time enough to rest when I’m dead. Go on, Ryan.”

  “Kitty was thirteen when Rena died. From what I gathered from Kitty, Deke made no bones about wanting her to take her mother’s place in his bed.”

  “Oh, my,” Teresa said. “Poor Papa Bert. It must be heartbreaking to know that his daughter became a whore.”

  “Your pity is misplaced,” Ryan said, sending Teresa a censuring scowl. “Before Deke could force her to his bed, he was caught cheating at poker and shot dead.”

  “You have only Kitty’s word on that,” Teresa said with sly innuendo.

  “I believe Kitty even if I don’t know her,” Bert said weakly. He was beginning to tire, and he was showing it. Ryan hurried on with his story.

  “Kitty had a stepbrother she saw only infrequently. He heard about his father’s death, knew Kitty was too young to be left on her own, and he took her away.”

  “Took her where?” Bert asked.

  “For the first couple of years they traveled a lot. Lex was an outlaw, and they lived on his illegal earnings during that time. Then he met up with the Barton gang.”

&nbs
p; “I’ve heard about them,” Bert said slowly. “They hit banks and disappear over the border into Mexico.”

  “Lex joined up with the Bartons. He and Kitty rode with the gang until just recently, when I crossed paths with the Bartons in Tombstone. Lex was shot and killed during a bank robbery, and I met Kitty through an unusual set of circumstances, which I won’t go into now. It took me awhile, but I finally convinced Kitty to accompany me back here to meet you.”

  “My poor, poor child,” lamented Bert.

  “Poor child, indeed!” spouted Teresa. “Have you thought about the implications of a young girl living with outlaws?”

  “Kitty posed as a lad. No one but Lex ever knew she was female. Lex may not have been the best of brothers, but apparently he protected her to the best of his ability.”

  “Of course you saw through her disguise immediately,” Teresa said with derision.

  “Actually, I did,” Ryan allowed. “Fortunately none of the Bartons were as observant.”

  “Papa Bert can think what he wants but the whole thing sounds rather far-fetched to me,” Teresa sniffed. “I’ve heard the foul language Kitty uses. I don’t believe she is as innocent as you would like us to believe, Ryan.”

  “The Bartons did not corrupt Kitty,” Ryan insisted. He experienced a twinge of unaccustomed guilt. The Bartons didn’t corrupt Kitty, he did.

  “How do you know?” Teresa charged.

  “Teresa, don’t badger Ryan,” Bert chided. “I believe him. Now, bring my daughter to me, I can’t wait to meet her. I pray God grants me sufficient time on earth to get to know her.”

  “I think you’re making a big mistake,” Teresa warned. “We would be better advised to lock up the good silver and valuables.”

  Chapter 9

  Kitty finished her bath and decided to find Ryan. She wanted to get the meeting between herself and Bert over and done with. Then she could concentrate on where she was going to settle and what she was going to do when she left here. For obvious reasons she couldn’t return to Tombstone. She still had some money left and gave serious thought to settling further north, perhaps in another state.

  She couldn’t depend on Ryan forever, however much she might want him in her life. She had no false expectations where Ryan was concerned. He had completed his mission for Bert and was probably itching to leave. If he could tear himself away from the delectable Teresa, that is. She tried to convince herself that Ryan wasn’t important to her, but her heart told her otherwise. She didn’t want to love him, it had just happened. Life would never be the same without Ryan, but she was strong, and somehow she’d manage.

  All these concerns and more ran through Kitty’s head as she descended the stairs in search of Ryan. She heard voices coming from a room just beyond the parlor and headed in that direction. The door was open, and she stepped inside. She froze on the threshold as she heard Teresa say, “We would be better advised to lock up the good silver and valuables.”

  Kitty stepped into the room. “You needn’t be concerned about the silver or valuables. You have nothing here I’d want,” she said, holding her head high despite the pain lancing through her. Rejection hurt. But it was precisely the kind of greeting she’d expected.

  Ryan leaped to his feet. “Kitty! Don’t take Teresa’s words to heart. She doesn’t speak for everyone. Come and meet your father.”

  Kitty looked at the wizened man in the bed, saw the expectant look in his watery eyes, and felt the overwhelming urge to turn and flee. The pressure to like this man, to accept him unconditionally was overwhelming. How could she like, much less love, the man who had been the cause of all her mother’s misery? The answer was clear and concise. She couldn’t.

  “Hello, Mr. Lowry,” Kitty said coolly.

  “Kitty…” Ryan began.

  “No, let the child be,” Bert interjected. “Come closer, Kitty. My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be.”

  Kitty’s legs wobbled as she walked to the bed and stared down at Bert Lowry. His skin was ashen, his lips nearly blue, but his eyes were bright and inquisitive as they settled on her with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. Kitty was surprised to see that he still retained his hair, which was thick and gray, and that his hands were surprisingly strong as they grasped hers. She wanted to pull them away but didn’t have the heart to be deliberately cruel to a dying man however much she disliked him.

  “Perhaps we should leave Kitty and her father alone,” Ryan suggested. When Teresa made no move to leave, he grasped her arm and all but pulled her from the room, closing the door softly behind him.

  “Sit down, Kitty,” Bert said. When Kitty made no move to obey, he said, “Please hear me out. For your mother’s sake.”

  Put like that, Kitty had no choice. She sat in the chair just recently occupied by Teresa, her shoulders stiff and uncompromising. “What is it you wish to say to me, Mr. Lowry?”

  She saw Bert wince and tried not to let it bother her. “If you can’t find it in your heart to call me Father, I’d prefer to be called Bert. Mr. Lowry sounds so … cold.”

  “It’s … strange suddenly finding I have a father after all these years, and difficult to love where none exists. If that hurts you, I’m sorry.”

  “Did your mother tell you nothing about me? She was the love of my life. The only woman I ever loved.”

  Kitty gave a snort of derision. “You had a funny way of showing it. Did you ever try to contact my mother in all these years? And no, Mama never told me about you. She said she was going to, but she died suddenly, before revealing that information to me. Not that it would have mattered. You were the last person I’d turn to for help.”

  “Apparently Rena was concerned enough about you to write me. Her letter arrived shortly before her death. She told me about you and asked me to take care of you after she was gone. I’m sorry she died before telling you about me or mentioning the letter.”

  “Then why didn’t you come for me?” Kitty asked, raising her chin aggressively.

  “I… it was impossible at the time. My own wife was ill and dying. I didn’t want to hurt her by bringing forth a daughter she never knew existed. I waited until after her death to act upon Rena’s letter. Unfortunately I waited too long. By then Deke was dead and you had disappeared.

  “I was devastated when my private investigator failed to locate you. I retained the man on a permanent basis but he had no success during the following years. When I fell ill, I became despondent and more determined than ever to see my only child before I left this earth. Out of desperation I wrote to my old friend, unaware that he had died some years earlier. I knew he had three sons and asked if he could spare one to help find my daughter, since I had no sons of my own. Ryan volunteered.”

  “What made you think Ryan could find me if your investigator couldn’t?” Kitty asked.

  “I don’t know. A hunch maybe. I told you I was desperate and willing to try anything. I felt that new blood, new ideas would be helpful.”

  “It was only a coincidence that Ryan and I crossed paths,” Kitty contended.

  “But he did succeed where others failed,” Bert argued. “Maybe it was coincidence. Maybe it was God’s intervention. Whatever it was, I’m grateful.”

  He gazed at her, his eyes wet with tears. “You’re beautiful, just like your mother. The sorriest thing I ever did was to place wealth and prosperity above love, and I suffered my whole life for it.”

  A curl of pity worked its way to Kitty’s heart. “I’m sorry for both you and Mama, but it changes nothing. You’re a stranger to me. What exactly do you want from me, Mister… er, Bert? My time here is limited.”

  Bert closed his eyes. His face was drawn and gray, and Kitty could tell their conversation had exhausted him. “Can we speak of this later?” he asked weakly. “I’m at my best in the morning. Come back then. There’s so much more I want to say to you.”

  Kitty nodded jerkily. She really didn’t want to remain at the ranch, but she’d come this far and owed it to her mo
ther to hear Bert out. “Very well. We’ll talk further in the morning.” She rose to leave.

  “Kitty.” Kitty turned, one brow raised askance. “Don’t let Teresa scare you off. She’s never had to share my affections before. She came here many years after I married her mother. She’d been living with an aunt and preferred to remain in San Francisco. She didn’t arrive at the ranch until shortly before her mother died. I treated her like a daughter, but unlike you she has none of my blood flowing through her veins.”

  Kitty remained thoughtful as she left Bert’s room. She had arrived at the ranch prepared to hate the man who claimed to be her father, and so far nothing Bert said had changed her mind. But seeing him lying weak and ill in his bed had moved her more than she cared to admit. Moved not to love, but to pity. She’d known the initial meeting with her father wasn’t going to be easy, but she’d had no idea it would be traumatic, as well as painful. Something had stirred inside her when she finally came face to face with her father, something deep and disturbing and utterly devastating.

  While Kitty and Bert spoke privately in Bert’s room, Ryan and Teresa wandered into the parlor. Ryan paced the room nervously while Teresa seated herself on the sofa and watched him.

  “Ryan, come and sit down,” Teresa invited, patting the cushion beside her.

  “What do you suppose Bert and Kitty are talking about?” Ryan wondered as he flopped down on the sofa.

  “She’s probably pulling the wool over poor Papa Bert’s eyes,” Teresa maintained. “How could either of you believe a woman of Kitty’s ilk could be Papa Bert’s daughter?”

  “Do you think I would bring an imposter here?” Ryan asked, hanging on to his temper with difficulty.

  Teresa shook her head in mock dismay. “You’re as gullible as my stepfather. What did Kitty do to convince you she’s Kathryn? She’s a sly baggage. It wouldn’t surprise me if you’ve already bedded her.”

  Ryan flushed, refusing to look at her. It was none of Teresa’s damn business what went on between him and Kitty. Teresa was too perceptive by half. Though he and Kitty had indeed made love, it was not for the reasons Teresa thought.