She felt the chair wiggle. The bartender handed her a watered drink. “Pay attention. I’m busy enough without trying to get your response!” She took the small glass and drank the contents. It was cold tea. All the better, since she’d need to keep her head clear.
She was so stiff from the uncomfortable chair. It was starting to get dark, and she didn’t know how they could pack another person into the saloon. Round about seven o’clock Hank had everyone with less than one hundred dollars to bid pushed out the door. She still saw toothless, grimy men in the saloon. She glanced at the bartender.
“Miners. They have lots of money.”
She nodded. The waiting caused her stomach to churn. She’d been offered food, but she was afraid of getting sick.
As seven o’clock turned into eight-thirty she accepted that Donnell couldn’t help her. Her hands began to shake; this was really happening. Hank stood on top of the bar a few minutes before nine to announce the auction. It shamed her to no end to hear him describe the prize.
There was a hush as Donnell came through the door flanked by two Texas Rangers. Hank backhanded her across the face and her head felt as though it was going to fly off her neck. Then he jumped down.
“Do we have some problem?”
“Hank I’d like you to meet my friends. Texas Ranger Bilks and Texas Ranger Matthews. Behind me is my lawyer Leo Best.”
“The auction is over folks!” Bilks said. A chorus of loud groans rose but many of the men left quickly.
“She’s my property. I can do whatever I want with her,” Hank insisted.
Donnell crossed the room and lifted her down to the floor. She wished he’d put his arms around her in comfort, but he immediately stepped away. He took his jacket off and put it around her shoulders.
“I’d like to see this contract you have,” the man named Leo Best said.
Hank glared at her as he went into his office with Matthews tailing him. They came back with Hank holding on to a document. He shoved it at Leo. “All legal.”
Leo took his time reading the contract. “Her mother signed it?”
“Of course she did,” snapped Thatcher.
“Her mother couldn’t sign for her eighteen-year-old daughter.”
“I must have dated it wrong,” Hank insisted.
“Slavery is over,” Bilks said. “You need to come with me until we get this all sorted out. You are a low, low piece of—excuse me ma’am.” Bilks grabbed Hank by the scruff of his neck and pushed him out the door.
Ranger Matthews shook Donnell’s hand. “We won’t need you or the lady to testify. Got plenty of witnesses.”
“I appreciate how fast you got here,” Donnell said.
“We could always use a man like you in the Rangers. Anytime, just get in touch.” He tipped his hat. “Ma’am I wish you all the best.”
“I’ll walk out with you,” the lawyer said after he shook Donnell’s hand.
* * *
Donnell turned toward Clarissa. “Did he hurt you?” An angry bruise was forming on her cheek.
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I’m going to get changed. Will you be here when I’m done?”
“I’ll wait.”
She nodded and went up the stairs.
What was he supposed to do with her now? She’d told him lie after lie and though he had rescued her, in fact loved her, he didn’t want anything to do with a woman who couldn’t be honest. He sighed. He’d take her back to the ranch and insist to Dolly that someone else should be responsible. He didn’t have it in him to look at her. Why did people think lying was acceptable?
He expected the truth and maybe sometimes he went too far by investigating a person’s past, but he’d sworn to himself he’d never allow anyone to lie to him again. It had been a few years now and it still hurt the same as it did when he was first told Brogan was his half-brother. A product of an affair his father had with the neighbor woman who was also married at the time. After she had the baby her husband had dropped Brogan off at the Kavanagh ranch and the brothers were never the wiser for a long time. That had left him feeling betrayed and it was hard to trust.
Clarissa came down the stairs with a carpetbag in her hands. He hurried to the bottom of the steps and took her bag from her.
“What are your plans now?” he asked.
The look of shock on her face surprised him. “I…well, I hadn’t given it any thought. I never thought I’d get away from this place. Thank you for all you did. I suppose I’ll wait until morning and see if there is a job available somewhere in town.” She gave him a small smile before her face crumbled and she turned away.
“I’m taking you back to the ranch. You can’t stay in this town. I have one condition.”
“What?” She turned back and met his gaze.
“I’m not responsible for you anymore. You can choose someone else. I just can’t be involved.”
She stared into his eyes and then gave him a curt nod. “Of course. We might as well get going.”
“Yes, I want to make tracks. Even the smallest distance from this town would make me feel better.”
“Whatever you think is best.” She walked out through the saloon doors and looked up into the night sky. “Thank you again.”
“I’m afraid we’ll have to ride double on Rascal. I was going to get you a horse of your own but it occurred to me you might not know how to ride.” He went to Rascal’s side and tied the carpetbag to the saddle.
He mounted up first and reached his hand down. “Put your foot on top of mine in the stirrup.” As soon as he was able to get her off the ground, he placed her in front of him. The scent of honeysuckle floated from her hair, teasing and tempting. It almost had him thinking about a relationship with her. So he steeled his heart against her and rode out of town.
* * *
God had saved her, and His instrument was the one person who hated her. Still she was very grateful. Her night could have ended much differently. She relaxed and her back touched Donnell’s chest. Immediately she sat forward a bit. He didn’t want to be responsible for her. Had he meant the words to hurt? He had certainly made his wishes clear enough. She wasn’t good enough for him anyway. He’d be too embarrassed in front of his influential friends if he had to introduce her as his wife.
She’d find a good husband, though. All of the time she’d had to think in the saloon led to one conclusion. She couldn’t protect herself let alone support herself. There was a shortage of women in Texas, at least that was what she’d heard. All of the men who were in the saloon were immediately eliminated.
She didn’t have the luxury of time, though; Dolly was sure to put another Kavanagh in charge of her, and she couldn’t do that to any of them. Dolly might know who was looking for a husband. Now that was settled, she could think about what happened to her. She shivered.
“Are you all right?” His breath was warm on her neck.
“Yes.”
“We’ll stop here for the night.” He rode Rascal toward some large boulders. Then he got down. He faced her and put both hands up, wrapping them around her waist. Then he set her down and quickly took a step back.
It felt like a slap in the face. There must be a way she could get a better grip on her feelings. Slowly she followed Donnell as he led Rascal behind the boulders. It was a big private patch of dirt and that was all they needed.
“I did bring two bed rolls so we can sleep far apart.”
She took the one he handed her. She settled her blankets and he put his at the farthest point from her. At least the dark hid her heated face. To think she’d thought of him as kind. She lay down and turned her back to him. She heard him rustling his bedroll and assumed he did the same.
When she heard his breathing become steady, she knew he was asleep. Tears poured down her face as she put her fist into her mouth to silence her sobs. Maybe she was just the type of person that wasn’t likeable. People whom she didn’t find at all likeable seemed to have loads of friends. It had to be her. At schoo
l she’d come to expect it and learned to accept it. In the real world, she’d thought it would all change. Everything had changed, but not in the way she expected.
Donnell told her he didn’t put up with lies and he had made it clear he found her lies were extensive. Maybe she should have told him her mother was a… that she worked in a saloon. Thatcher’s appearance with a contract had been a shock to her, and she hadn’t had time to explain anything to him, especially since she hadn’t known much herself. Then there was the auction. Her past had come back to haunt her and put an end to her only promise of friendship.
“Are you crying?” His voice jolted her.
She stiffened. “Of course not. I can’t let almost being auctioned off bother me. I need to be strong.” But her sniffle was sure to give her away.
“We’ll be home tomorrow.”
She didn’t reply. After all, it wasn’t her home.
“I’m sure Murphy will be happy to help you.”
“Is he looking for a wife? I’ve decided I need to be married to be safe. I can’t stay on your ranch forever, and my dress shop is just a silly dream. It’s time to be practical. If Murphy isn’t interested, do you know who might be looking for a wife? I want to do this fairly quickly.”
“I didn’t know you were looking. Is there a reason for your hurry?” He sounded suspicious.
“I just want to get on with my life. I want to be somewhere I belong. I want a husband who cares for me.” She shrugged. “Of course, that may be the biggest hurdle in my plan.”
“Why would you think that?” She could tell from the sound of his voice he’d turned, facing her direction.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You would be the one to know.” Thankfully, there wasn’t a response. She allowed herself to cry for another minute and then worked on getting to sleep.
Chapter Nine
Standing in the middle of the great room, surrounded by his family, Donnell’s head spun. The majority of his family thought he had to marry Clarissa. They hadn’t been back an hour when he’d been summoned to a family gathering. When Dolly had dropped the news that he was expected to marry Clarissa, he told them all he didn’t want to be responsible for her anymore.
One by one, his brothers had started in on him.
“Donnell, everyone knows you traveled alone together,” Murphy said.
“Murphy it’s none of your business. You just wait until they think it’s your turn to marry and see how you like it! I will decide who I marry, and it certainly won’t be a woman who lies and betrays people,” he said more heatedly than he wanted. Everyone stared at him, hard. The room had become quiet, too quiet.
He didn’t turn around. He couldn’t bear to look at her anymore. Let some other man take her for his own. He stalked out the back door and down to the stream. All he had wanted to do was help her, and now he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. Being in the same room was incredibly difficult. He must be some kind of sucker; he had believed everything she’d told him. This was all Joe Kingsley’s fault. If that man had met his bride when she came to town none of this would have happened.
The topper was when they camped out a week ago and she implied he was some type of hurdle in her life. He tried to slow his mind down and think logically, but it felt as though his brain was spinning. There was nothing more he could do for her. She had a roof over her head and she had supplies. She also had his family thinking badly of him. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to rescue her.
He kicked at the muddy bank. He would have helped even if he hadn’t known her. No one deserved to be auctioned off. She’d been nothing but trouble from the first. Hard work helped. He stomped to the barn and got Rascal ready to ride the range.
He stopped after riding for a while. There was a fence to fix. He hated having fences. Used to be you could trust your neighbors. He swore the bullet hit before he even heard it. The pain in his thigh was fading. It must be the adrenaline. Either that or he was dying. He stayed on the ground with his pistol in his hand.
He waited for a long while, playing dead. Rascal kept nudging him. The pain was coming back in force. He had to get on Rascal before he was unable. It wasn’t easy but he eventually sat in his saddle. He didn’t have to direct Rascal; he knew the way. Who had shot him? Good thing they weren’t a better shot or he’d be dead. Rascal didn’t stop at the barn, he took Donnell to the front door of the house and kicked at the railing on the steps.
He'd waited long enough. No one had come to the door. Just as he got ready to fall onto the ground, the door opened. He heard Dolly scream and then the world went black.
* * *
Sullivan and his wife Sheila tended to him. They removed the bullet and Sullivan sewed him up.
Clarissa felt helpless and out of place. She didn’t know where things were. Useless that’s what she was. She wanted to brush Donnell’s hair back off his face and hold his hand. It was hard to pretend he didn’t matter to her.
When they were done bandaging him up, Teagan and Quinn carried him upstairs. She couldn’t think of a single reason she could give to see him.
Brogan and his pretty wife, Ciara ran inside each holding one of their twin girls. Their eyes were wide as they glanced around.
“I can take care of Brigid and Tamsin,” Clarissa offered as she pulled a crate of toys into a quiet corner.
“Thank you.” Brogan set Tamsin on the floor first, and then Ciara placed Brigid next to her sister ever so gently.
Clarissa smiled as she set out a blanket and put the blocks on it. They both had brown hair and blue eyes. Tamsin meant twin and she was a robust girl, Brigid meant strong. From what Clarissa was told Brigid almost hadn’t made it. She was smaller and shyer than her twin.
Clarissa couldn’t help but keep an eye on who was going upstairs. “Dolly?”
Dolly shook her head. “He doesn’t want to see you. I’m sure he’ll change his mind. Well look at you two girls. You both bring sunshine everywhere you go.”
Tamsin smiled first and Brigid copied. Dolly bent and kissed them on the tops of their heads. Then she kissed Clarissa too. “He’ll relent soon enough. He’s going to be just fine, but boy is he a bear.”
Touching her forehead, Clarissa smiled at Dolly. She’d never been kissed on the head before. It felt nice.
* * *
She stopped over every day, hoping to see Donnell, but he refused to see her. It had only taken her a week of humiliation for her to get the message. It hurt but there was nothing she could do about it. Murphy teased her and said he’d court her, but she always shook her head and finally she stopped spending time at the main house.
She needed to get a job. Every time she tried to help with the chores around the ranch, she was told it was someone else’s job. She did help with the wash since that was done outside the main house. She enjoyed getting to know Dolly.
“Dolly, do you think there might be a few nice men willing to marry? I can’t afford to go anywhere else and I’m not sure what the people in town think of me. Do they know I was alone with a man after dark?”
“As far as the town knows you’re an upstanding citizen. Most know about what Joe Kingsley did to you and when explained they understood why you rented a room at the saloon. You have your heart set on getting married soon, don’t you?”
The back of her throat burned. “I don’t feel right being here when Donnell wants me out of his sight. His judgment is rather harsh, and I don’t think we’d get on. The only thing I didn’t tell him was that my mother worked in the saloon in Bent, and that I was born out of wedlock. I’d only just found out myself. I can’t stay here wondering if I’m going to see him or not. I’ve had too many people leave me behind, including Donnell.”
“Come to church with us tomorrow. There’s a social after and you can meet more of the town’s people.”
“I’d like that. I’d like to sit in the house of the Lord. I’m sure it will do me good.”
“I’ll fix you a basket to sell.”
; “Why would I want to sell a basket?”
Dolly chuckled. “It’s a way to make money for the church. The women bring a basket of food and the men bid on them. Then the winner gets to eat what’s in the basket with the one who brought it. It’s always fun.”
Clarissa put on her brightest smile. “Thank you, it sounds like fun. The wash is all hung. Do you have anything else that needs doing?”
“No, you go ahead and go home. Enjoy yourself.” Dolly turned and walked toward the main house.
Clarissa watched her for a moment and then caught sight of Donnell standing, staring out the window. It looked like he was getting around. No wonder Dolly didn’t invite her in for tea. Her shoulders slumped as she walked to her house. There weren’t going to be any more invitations to the house. She’d best freshen up her best dress.
* * *
Clarissa waited in front of her house, not wanting to be in the way again. She waited until Dolly called her over and she got into the wagon. Then she sat on a bench seat facing the back of the wagon. With so many people going she was surprised she was sitting alone.
Lord, help me to feel worthy of friendship. I always think people won’t want to bother with me. What if no one bids on my basket? I want to see the church and participate in the service. I know that it will fill me with happiness. But I’m so nervous about after. I need to remember I am Your child.
It didn’t take any time at all before the wagon stopped. Fitzpatrick helped her out, and she gave him a grateful smile. Keeping close to Dolly, she entered the church. She looked at the wooden cross in the front and she felt God.
Many people looked at her, and Dolly nodded her head at each. Clarissa kept a smile on her face, and when Dolly stopped at a pew, she saw Donnell using crutches waiting for the family to move down the pew and have a seat. As Dolly directed the family as to where to sit, she had her arm on Clarissa. Dolly went before her and sat down, leaving Clarissa at the end where she’d be right next to Donnell.
Donnell: Cowboy Scrutiny: The Kavanagh Brothers Book 5 Page 6