Wildblossom

by Wright, Cynthia

  "I appreciate your advice." Smiling, Geoff stood up to go, then gave the other man a perplexed glance. "What did you say your last name was, sir?"

  "I dint." He winked at him, then spat out more tobacco juice. "Ted's plenty."

  * * *

  "I tried to tell you that visiting the town marshal wasn't a good idea," Shelby whispered as she and Geoff examined the harnesses on display in the Cody Trading Company. "The law's a very iffy thing in the West."

  His only reply was a decidedly ironic glance, accompanied by an arched eyebrow.

  "Talking to Ted Croll has probably made our problem worse. Now Bart'll know we're on to him."

  "I begin to think that Ted's advice that we forget this entire matter was sound. It's not worth the trouble we're making for ourselves." Geoff moved toward the row of rocking chairs, adding softly, "In any case, I assured the good deputy that we would simply write the lost cattle off to bad luck, and I pretended to believe his assertion that Bart Croll is a man of sterling character."

  "Bart joined a matrimonial club, I heard, and found himself a mail-order bride." Shelby shuddered at the thought. "Poor woman!"

  "I met Vivian Croll." Seeing the store owner coming toward them, he added, "I've been meaning to tell you about her. Remind me during the ride home."

  Jacob Schwoob, just twenty-six, was one of Cody's earliest and most prominent citizens. He and his wife Louisa also claimed the distinction of producing the first baby born after Cody's incorporation in 1901. The Cody Trading Company occupied a big new building and was filled with an ever-growing array of merchandise, including groceries, hardware, furniture, clothing, and ranch equipment.

  "Mr. Schwoob," Shelby greeted him brightly, "how are you? I was just telling Geoff here that every time I come in, you have a larger selection of goods! I hardly know where to look first!"

  "Have you seen our new dishes? Louisa chose the patterns herself, and some came all the way from Paris." He turned to Geoff then, exclaiming, "I've missed seeing you, my friend! Did you survive our spring blizzard? I hope you all waited out the storm, tucked in before the fire."

  "Well, we survived, Jakie—though it was difficult to persuade everyone to come indoors, where it was safe." Geoff cast a sidelong glance at Shelby and was pleased to see her looking perplexed as she tried to figure out his friendship with Jakie Schwoob. Clearly she'd forgotten all the trips he'd made to Cody on his own in those first days after coming to the ranch. "How's the town band coming? Have the uniforms arrived from Colonel Cody?"

  "What band?" Shelby asked.

  "Oh, some of the boys started a brass band this past winter," Jakie explained, "and when Colonel Cody heard about it, he offered to donate the uniforms. They got here a while back, and they're quite handsome—embroidered, cowboy style, with matching hats!" He was smiling broadly. "My brother Loren has joined, and he's been urging me to do the same... but I don't play an instrument. I'll confess that those uniforms are mighty tempting, though! Do you suppose the crowds would heckle me if I just dressed up as a band member and marched in the parades?"

  They all laughed, including a group of eavesdropping women from the next aisle. The ladies seemed especially anxious to hear Geoff speak, and they were rewarded by his revelation that he had played the French horn in his youth.

  Jakie threatened to give Geoff's name to the band president and then rambled on a while longer. Eventually it came out that he was thinking about buying an automobile. "It would be the first machine of its kind in Cody."

  "How exciting!" Shelby exclaimed as she picked out canned goods for her pantry shelves.

  Schwoob trailed along after the pair as they shopped, regaling them with a tale about a recent trip that Colonel Cody and George Beck, one of the other town founders, had made to Washington, D.C., to raise funds for the road to Yellowstone Park.

  "Speaking of automobiles," Jakie revealed, "George and the colonel got hold of one and went for a ride down Pennsylvania Avenue. George was at the controls, and apparently not making fast enough time to suit Colonel Cody." All shopping in the big store had come to a halt while everyone within earshot openly listened to Jakie Schwoob's story. He spoke with relish, gesturing for added entertainment value. "George Beck made the automobile rush down the avenue at a great speed, and soon it became apparent that pedestrians might be at risk! The colonel suggested that George slow down, but when he tried to shut off the power, nothing happened. Policemen chased them on foot and members of Congress, crossing Pennsylvania Avenue, were knocked down by the auto!"

  "That's terrible!" Shelby covered her broad smile with both hands, delighting in the drama. "How did it all end?"

  "Alas, the motor car finally struck a granite fence and George Beck and Colonel Cody were thrown out on the grass! The nearby policemen charged them with racing through the streets. Fortunately, an influential friend happened to be passing and he persuaded the policemen to let our founding fathers go free."

  Geoff was laughing with pure pleasure, leaning against a display case. "It sounds like a scene from Buffalo Bill's own show!"

  "He says that this just proves to him that it's better to stick to horses, especially in the Wild West Show!" Jakie affirmed as he laughed along with his customers. "And when George Beck returned recently to Cody, he refused to speak about the misadventure."

  "Rather a lowering experience for the president of the Cody Club," Geoff agreed with a chuckle. "I suppose that we should be going, if my partner is ready...?" He looked at Shelby with raised brows.

  "Now that I've filled my basket with items chosen on impulse, I'm trying to decide among them." A pretty flush crept into her cheeks.

  Geoff looked into the basket filled to the brim with ribbons, cooking utensils, a new lace tablecloth, writing paper, a pepper mill, and a box of rifle shells. "Don't deprive yourself, Shelby. We'll get all of it." He took the basket from her before she could protest, and he and Jakie walked together up the aisle. "Did you have my other purchase loaded in the buckboard?"

  "What other purchase?" Shelby asked as she hurried to keep up with the two long-legged men.

  "Can't you ever allow yourself to be surprised?" Geoff retorted. He heard the fond note in his own voice and wondered at it.

  Shelby looked confused.

  "My stock clerk took it out," Schwoob assured Geoff. As he added up the bill, along with the past amount due that the Englishman wanted to pay, he made idle conversation. "So... are you two partners in more ways than one these days?"

  Turning pink to the roots of her hair, Shelby said, "Why, Mr. Schwoob—I—"

  "I see!" He winked broadly at both of them.

  "No, it's not like that! I mean, Mr. Weston and I are friends—nothing more—except for business associates."

  Jakie looked disappointed as he wrapped up her purchases. "Too bad. This town could use a lively romance." Another thought occurred to him then; he studied Geoff over the tops of his wire-rimmed spectacles. "Since you're unattached, maybe you'll be interested to know that Cody will soon have three new, unmarried female citizens! Our new doctor, the esteemed Louis Howe, tells me that his family is arriving soon—including a trio of lovely daughters!"

  Frowning, Shelby reached for one of her parcels, but Geoff had to linger to count money into Jakie Schwoob's hand. "It's a little stuffy in here. I think I'll wait for you outside. Nice to see you, Mr. Schwoob!"

  Striding up and down on the boardwalk that protected pedestrians from Sheridan Avenue's mud, Shelby found that she was upset by the notion that Geoff might be interested in another woman. What if he decided to court one of Dr. Howe's pretty daughters? They were probably ladylike and graceful, with carefully coiffed hair and stylish gowns. She glanced down at her divided skirt and dirty boots, frowning.

  "What's amiss, scamp?" Geoff asked as he came up behind her, his arms full of packages.

  "I don't think you should call me that. It makes me sound like some sort of... ragamuffin tomboy."

  "I disagree." He took her elbow an
d set off toward the buckboard. "I think the word scamp could also refer to an enchanting gamine..."

  "What's my surprise?" She found that she liked the feeling of his hand holding her arm as they approached the buckboard.

  "I'll show you when we get home. Waiting will develop your character." Geoff led her away from the back of the wagon, adding, "Your impetuous nature could lead to serious trouble for both of us!"

  Geoff insisted on stopping to pay bills at the other businesses where the Sunshine Ranch was in arrears, explaining to Shelby that he'd looked at the ranch ledgers for her own good. By the time they began the long ride home, the late afternoon light was luminous as the sun slid down behind the mountaintops to the west of Cody. The Shoshone River sparkled in a wind that sent tumbleweeds rolling across the road.

  "You promised to tell me about Bart Croll's wife," Shelby reminded Geoff. "Is she awfully horrible?"

  "No," he replied, laughing in spite of himself. "How can you live like that—saying the first thing that jumps into your mind?"

  "If you knew my family, including assorted grandparents, you might understand. Everyone is very strong-minded and enthusiastic, so as the baby daughter, I had to learn to fend for myself at the dinner table—or never be heard at all!" She propped her feet on the front of the buckboard and smiled at him. "Your family meals must have been very proper in comparison."

  Geoff smiled derisively. "Most of my meals were taken at private school, where conversation was generally forbidden."

  "That's awful." Stricken, she reached for his hand as her eyes filled with tears. "How sad to be a child and have to grow up away from home and the love of your family! How old were you when you went to live at school?"

  "Eight, perhaps—or six? I don't recall. And it wasn't terribly tragic, since my family isn't warm and demonstrative by any means. Most evenings, when I was at home, I dined with my nanny."

  "Stop! I'll start crying, my nose will run, and I don't have a handkerchief!"

  Geoff laughed, warmed by her spirit, and squeezed her hand. "Don't waste your tears on the past. I certainly don't; I locked my memories away years ago. They aren't so much sad as boring." He reached over and touched her cheek with a newly roughened forefinger. "You'd be better off weeping for Vivian Croll. There's a tragic character if ever I've seen one."

  "I can see why you'd feel sorry for anyone who had to live with that man, but why did she marry him in the first place?"

  "I certainly didn't have a long, heart-to-heart talk with Mrs. Croll, particularly with her evil husband glaring at me, but it's true she was a mail-order bride. Apparently, she was living in St. Louis, and lost her family in a fire this past Christmas. She was all alone in the world, so the proposal from Bart Croll was her salvation." Geoff flicked the reins to urge the horses home before darkness settled in. "It's as if she made a deal with the devil, though, because her eyes are positively haunted."

  Shelby shivered. "I can only imagine how I would feel were I in her place."

  "That sod house may be the worst of the bargain for her. One had the feeling that Bart Croll built and furnished it on a Sunday afternoon...."

  Studying his pensive features in the twilight, Shelby felt an odd pang, and again she spoke before the words were formed in her mind. "Is Vivian pretty?"

  "Pretty?" Charmed by her artlessness, he lifted his brows and pretended to think. "Yes, I'd say so, given her circumstances. She has light hair, and very large blue eyes, and she looks quite fragile. My heart went out to her; it would be wonderful if we could find a way to help her."

  When Shelby shivered again, Geoff reached out, wrapped an arm around her slim shoulders, and drew her near. Instinctively, she snuggled closer, fitting her face inside the curve of his shoulder. Joy welled up in her heart when he smiled down at her and rested his cheek against her hair.

  Minutes later they were home, and Shelby went off to the barn to feed carrots to Gadabout and Charlie. When she came into the house, she saw that a fire had been lit but no one was about. Assuming that Geoff was looking after Mr. Manypenny, Shelby went on to her own room to freshen up.

  On a whim, she decided to change into something decidedly more comfortable. It felt glorious to take a sponge bath with the French-milled soap she kept for special occasions, then brush her cinnamon-tinted hair loose, tie it back with a big ribbon, and get into her favorite fleece-lined, drop-seat, red union suit. The fuzzy fabric felt almost indecent against her bare skin, and Shelby was smiling as she added a long white dressing gown, secured with a satin sash around her waist. Warm socks completed her ensemble, which seemed ideal for the plotting session she had in mind to re-steal their cattle. Only Geoff was available to judge her outrageous getup, for the boys were out repairing the crushed fence. Why not be comfortable?

  Emerging from her bedroom, Shelby instantly felt the mood shift in the house. The glow from the fire and several freshly lit oil lamps flickered over the framed Wild West Show poster and giant bearskin that decorated the room's walls. Her eyes found Geoff then, casually attractive in fresh tan trousers and a starched white shirt with a plain neck band. He'd left one button open and his hair shone in the soft light.

  Geoff stood beside the broken-down sofa and a small table which now held a magnificent new gramophone. It was even finer than the machine owned by Shelby's parents, with an oak sound box, a brass amplifying horn, and a nickel-plated carrying arm. Awestruck, she came closer. This gramophone was made to play flat records rather than the cylinders that had been popular until recently

  "This is wonderful!" she murmured. "I've missed listening to songs at home—and playing the piano. When Daddy built Mama her dream house, he made a music room, tucked into a tower."

  "I had a feeling you might love music." He smiled into her eyes. "I was ready for a diversion myself. I suspect there's a limit to how many games of checkers I can play, and I may be closing in on that number."

  Shelby's face was shining. She literally caressed the gramophone, then began looking at the stack of records. " 'Bring Back My Bonnie to Me,' 'Listen to the Mockingbird'..."

  "I had to take what Jakie had in stock," Geoff explained with a light shrug. Meanwhile his eyes roved over her. "What the devil have you got on?"

  Her laughter was playful. "I wanted to be cozy—and I thought we were going to sit down at the table with a pot of tea and decide how to get our cattle back."

  "Let's dance first."

  "Geoff! I look ridiculous! I can't dance like this—and besides, you probably are used to dancing with princesses."

  "Nonsense. Princesses are the most boring partners imaginable." A tender expression passed over his face as he took in the sight of Shelby, delightful in her red union suit and dressing gown with the sash tied around her small waist. How could he ever explain to her that he'd stopped dancing long before he came to Wyoming, unless he was cornered, because there'd been no pleasure in it anymore. It occurred to Geoff then that he'd had more fun with Shelby than he'd known in years. Extending a hand, he gazed into her sparkling eyes and said, "Lady Shelby, would you do me the honor of sharing this first dance with me?"

  She made a mock curtsy, her red-clad legs showing. "I accept... my lord."

  After winding up the gramophone, Geoff put on a record of a waltz called "Love Comes," and as the uneven tune filled the room, he gathered Shelby into his arms. It did not surprise him to discover that she danced well, for she had attended an excellent college in the East and her education colored everything she said and did, in spite of her efforts to the contrary. What did surprise him was the utterly beguiling outline of her soft, diminutive body, for even though she was covered from head to toe, these were clothes that allowed him to feel her true shape. There was something about Shelby that intoxicated him to a shocking degree.

  And yet, it was inexpressibly sweet to feel alive again.

  Shelby, too, was caught in the spell. The ranch house's main room was big enough for them to waltz properly, and Geoff's touch was deft, a combinati
on of grace and strength which made Shelby feel as if he were lifting her off her feet when they turned with the music. Happiness welled up in her. None of it made sense, but it was real.

  When the record wound down, Geoff put on another: "In Love With the Man in the Moon." They danced on and on, caught up together in the magic so potent that it needed no words or explanation.

  By the time the second song slowed, Shelby's face was flushed, her heart racing. They stopped together, resting, and Geoff lightly held her against him, his hands framing her hips. She was so soft, and she smelled fresh and lovely. The pressure of her breasts on his chest aroused him beyond reason. It was like a fierce hunger that he could scarcely understand, since all his life he'd had more of everything than he needed. Geoff's desires had been fulfilled before they could ripen... until now.

  When Shelby slowly looked up at him, and her little hands crept up to twine about his neck, he was lost. It was impossible to hold her closely enough, and the ribbon fell from her hair as he sank his fingers into the shining mass of curls. For her part, Shelby nearly whimpered when his mouth finally closed over hers.

  She was ravenous for the taste of him, the torturous pleasure of his deepening, insistent kiss, and the need that built inside her in a way she was beginning to recognize.

  The sash securing her dressing gown came undone. The red union suit beneath should have been a decidedly unfeminine garment, but on Shelby it became purely alluring, drawing Geoff's hands to slide over the visible curves of her back, hips, rib cage, and finally, daringly, her breasts.

  She gasped, astonished to feel the hot moisture between her legs, the pulsing ache that surpassed any yearning she'd ever imagined.

  Bang! The back door flew open, followed by the sound of stamping feet and Cal's voice yelling, "Anybody home?"

  Shelby's first impulse was to dash into her bedroom, but there wasn't time. Cal was already coming through the kitchen. Her discomfiture was such that all she could do was press her hands to her hot cheeks. It took Geoff to firmly close her dressing gown and knot the sash.