by Linda Broday
Hunger…
Sweet ache…
Torment…
Desire blazed with the heat of a raging prairie fire.
This first kiss without steel bars between them was full of raw power, danger, and beauty.
Brett’s hands plunged into her hated curls, holding her just like she dreamed. This man, hunted and despised, seemed to pour all the secrets of his soul into this kiss. With a low moan, she slid her hand around his neck, drawing him closer.
Delicious agony arced out like the branches of the old tree they were under, reaching, straining for more of the sweetness.
There was a jolt as his thigh brushed her hip when she leaned into him. She knew she’d overstepped the boundaries he’d set, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her need to store up memories for the lonely times ahead was too great.
When he ended the kiss, she felt all quivery inside. Flutters in her stomach reminded her of butterfly wings, and Rayna knew from now on she’d never be the same.
She also knew friends probably didn’t kiss like this.
Despite Brett’s vow that they couldn’t be anything but dear acquaintances, something appeared to have gotten lost…again. Maybe it would always be this way whenever he was near.
If only Hershel was here so she could ask him what the kiss had meant. But he wasn’t. She was on her own.
Touching Brett’s face, she met his dark stare. “I think my brother was right.”
“What about?”
“Kisses do have magic.”
Her promise to wait for him would severely stretch her limits. She wanted Brett Liberty now, not years in the future. Minds usually changed with the passage of time. On this night, even though shadows and uncertainty surrounded them, she would secretly hold him in her heart and relish the love impossible to deny.
*
Rising early the next morning, Brett climbed from the loft of the livery where he’d slept. If you could call what he’d done sleeping. Thoughts filled with Rayna Harper had kept him awake the biggest part of the night.
That earth-shattering kiss had left him shaken.
The moment he thrust his hands into her wild, fiery hair, touched his lips to hers, he knew he was lost.
Before last night, he’d felt their shared time in Steele’s Hollow had bound them with a silken cord, but he was wrong. Like it or not, the kiss had tethered them with something stronger—an unseen strip of rawhide.
The funny thing about rawhide…when left under the rays of the sun, it shrank, drawing tighter and tighter and tighter.
He squirmed. The way he’d kissed her wasn’t something friends did. He owed her an apology and a promise not to let the hunger for her show again.
Yet deep in his heart, he knew the only way to keep from repeating it was to stay away from her. And he couldn’t do that. Not even if someone marched him up the steps of a gallows and placed a noose around his neck.
The passion they’d shared only made him want her more.
He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about her pledge to wait for him. On one hand, a nice feeling spread inside his chest, knowing that she thought he was worth waiting for.
On the other side of the coin, he didn’t want her to waste her life sticking around for a happenchance.
Spending all day mulling that over wouldn’t get much accomplished, and he had lots to do. But as he strode past the horses in their stalls, her words were in his head. I don’t need you to keep saving me.
Brett sighed and mumbled, “Sorry, lady. It might make you mad enough to spit nails, but you’ve got me anyway. You’re worth saving, and I’m going to do it if it kills you and me both.”
Without an inkling of how to go about that, he stepped from the livery and stared at the town that was rubbing sleep from its eyes. He missed his tepee and the silent, haunting beauty of his land. He also missed his horses and promised himself he’d not leave them again once he’d taken care of a few things.
First, he had to find jobs for Rayna and his sister. And he would keep his word to the farmer who’d told Cooper and Rand where the sheriff had taken him. Parting with five of his best horses was the least he could do to repay the favor.
Cooper rode past him and dismounted at the café. Brett hurried to join his oldest brother. He opened the door of the small establishment and pulled up a chair at Coop’s table. “Morning, Brother. Haven’t seen you since we returned from Steele’s Hollow.” Brett accepted a cup of coffee from the waitress.
“Seems we’ve both been a mite busy.” Cooper lifted his cup and sipped the strong brew. “How’s the bullet wound?”
“Fine. I wish people would stop asking me about it every time I turn around.”
“They care about you. What are you doing in town so early in the morning? I’m guessing you passed the night here, but why? I’ve never known you to spend this much time with those of us who walk on two legs.” Cooper’s grin crinkled the lines at the corners of his gray eyes.
“Stop. It’s too early in the morning.”
“Can’t help if you make it so easy.”
“I have problems, if you must know,” Brett muttered, scowling. He told Cooper about his sister and nephew’s arrival, and Adam’s surly attitude. “I’m going to take the boy to the Wild Horse after I help Sarah find a job.”
“Sounds like a good plan. My money’s on you. Being out there with those horses will help Adam. I swear, you have more patience than Noah when he set out to build that big boat.” Cooper lifted his cup again, giving Brett a sideways glance. “How’s Miss Rayna?”
Brett had hoped to avoid discussing her. He wasn’t ready to share his thoughts. “She’s fine. Staying at Mabel’s. I promised to find her honest work.”
“Honest work. That’s an odd way of stating it.” Cooper scowled over his cup. “What did you mean?”
“Nothing.” Brett was thankful for his coloring. It would help hide the heat creeping into his face. He’d said too much. He needed to be more careful if he wanted to protect Rayna from ugly talk. “I only meant that I’d make sure she finds a nice job after all she’s been through. Would you know of any openings?”
“Does she have certain skills?”
Did she ever, but none Brett could share. “Forget I asked.”
“I heard the schoolteacher is getting married and moving back East.”
“Don’t think so.” Nope, Brett certainly couldn’t see Rayna teaching school, besides, she wasn’t qualified. He doubted she’d had much schooling going from pillar to post as she had.
Cooper waved at an acquaintance. “Waiting tables at the Three Roses Café? Or cleaning rooms at one of the hotels?”
Those were all right, but Brett wanted something more.
It seemed a good idea to change the subject. “Did you wire Governor Roberts about the mess in Steele’s Hollow?”
“Certainly did. He said he wasn’t going to have that going on in his state. I’m sure the Texas Rangers are on the way. They’ll clean up that riffraff and won’t take all day doing it.” The conviction in Cooper’s deep voice filled the Three Roses Café.
Brett was proud of the way his brother handled himself and the job of sheriff. All the more reason why he couldn’t let Coop get wind of Rayna’s past. He couldn’t bear him thinking less of her. “That’s good, seeing as how I’m heading back that way once I get free here.”
“Taking the farmer those horses?”
“Yep.” Brett took a drink of his coffee. “Owe him a lot more than a few horses. I wouldn’t be here if not for that man.”
“Don’t forget to take your rifle. You might need it. Besides, it’ll make finding supper easier than your way of trapping.”
“I think I can manage.” He hated when his big brother started acting like a father. “Speaking of horses…have to make sure the one Adam borrowed made it back to the ranch. If not, I’ll have to take time to find it.”
“I’d help, but I have to meet the stage.” Cooper lowered his voice. “The bank has a sh
ipment coming in, and I have to see that it gets over there all right.”
“That’s okay, Coop.” Brett stood and picked up his hat. He was wasting daylight.
His heart hammered at the thought of seeing a certain head full of flaming curls. He’d just had an idea.
Eleven
Rayna sat at the empty dining table eating eggs and toast when Brett let himself into the boardinghouse. She was glad she’d put her blue dress back on, including the new shoes she’d found outside her door when she returned last evening.
She put down her fork and stared as he strode toward her with confidence. He laid his hat on the sideboard in passing. His dark hair glistened in the sunshine spilling through the windows. “Morning, Rayna.” He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. “I was having coffee with Cooper when an idea struck me. How about working for Doc Yates at the small hospital here?”
“A nurse for a real doctor?” She frowned. “I don’t know enough.”
“You’re good at it. And he can teach you things.”
Rayna watched as Mabel silently plunked down a plate of bacon and eggs, along with silverware, in front of him and went back to the kitchen.
This would probably be a good time to tell Brett that she couldn’t stand the sight of blood or raw meat. Only then Rayna would have to explain why.
She didn’t want to do that. Not yet. It was too painful.
Her gaze lowered to her plate. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Why? Already spoke with him, and you could sure help him out if you wanted. One of his nurses left, and he’s shorthanded. He’s so desperate he offered to hire you sight unseen. I could take you over there after we eat.” He lifted his fork and shoveled eggs into his mouth.
Oh dear. What was she going to do? She would end up making a total fool of herself. The only way she’d handled his wound in the Steele’s Hollow jail that night was because of sheer willpower. She knew she had to find that bullet fragment or Brett would die. She had been determined not to have that on her conscience, along with everything else.
Rayna picked up her glass of milk, staring at the man whose kisses had branded themselves in her memory. Brett Liberty made her believe that anything was possible.
Even hoping and dreaming.
As unusual as it was, she’d felt a dream beating inside her when she awoke that morning. A lot had shifted in her life since Sheriff Oldham threw Brett into the cell next to her that fateful day.
The little carved heart she carried had to have changed her luck. She reached into her pocket for the charm, caressing it for a minute. Perhaps it was worth giving nursing a try.
After they finished eating and she washed dishes for Mabel, she walked beside Brett to the small hospital. Despite having misgivings, excitement beat in her heart when she opened the door. She had a real job.
Maybe she could finally be like normal people. It seemed a start.
A short, stooped man rushed to meet them, his disheveled shock of snow-white hair fluttering in the wake created by his hurry. “There you are, my dear.” He took her hand. “I’m Doc Yates. You don’t know how grateful I am to have your help.”
“It’s a privilege to have the chance, Doctor.” She immediately felt at ease. Behind a pair of spectacles were the kindest, wisest eyes she’d ever seen. “I’m Rayna Harper.”
“When can you begin, Miss Rayna?”
She met Brett’s warm stare before she answered, “Today, if you need me.”
“Perfect. I admitted three new patients and haven’t had time to get them settled in properly. If you can do that for me, we’ll start their treatment sooner. Brett tells me you’re excellent at changing dressings. Says you have the gentlest touch.” Doc’s faded blue eyes twinkled. “I think he’s quite smitten, if you ask me.”
Her face flamed. “Oh, no, sir. We’re only friends.”
Doc patted her hand and winked. “Better than being enemies.”
“No fair having fun at my expense, Doc,” Brett replied, frowning. “I will leave Rayna in your hands and get about my business. Promised to help my sister find employment also.”
“Try the Texas Cattleman’s Hotel if she’s got a good head for numbers. Heard they’re looking to hire someone.”
“Thanks, Doc.” He turned to Rayna. “I probably won’t see you for a few days. I have to return to a farm outside of Steele’s Hollow to repay a debt.”
Instant fear seared a path up her spine. She sucked in a breath and reached for him. “Please don’t go. They’ll kill you.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going into town, but even so, the Texas Rangers are riding toward there now to clean up that mess.”
“All the same, please be careful.”
“I will,” he promised.
A flash of tears blurred his tall form as he strode to the door. For two cents she’d delay starting the nursing job and go with him. He needed someone to look out for him.
Someone to change his bandage and guard his moccasins.
Someone like her.
*
Brett left the hospital with a warm feeling of satisfaction, glad she’d been willing to give the job a chance. The more he learned about her, the more his heart broke. Both life and her father had beaten her down until she hadn’t been able to see any way out of her circumstances.
Hopefully now things would change for the better.
He strolled down the street and met Sarah in the lobby of the Lexington Arms Hotel where she and Adam were staying. He hesitated only a moment before he kissed her cheek and took a chair beside her. “Where’s Adam?”
“He’s upstairs in our room. Why?”
“Just curious. I’d like your permission to take him on a trip I have to make. We’d be gone a week. It’d be good for him.”
“I think it would also. He’s bored, Brett. He needs something to do.”
“Then the trip would be perfect. Also, when I get back, I’ll keep him with me at the ranch for a while.”
“You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”
Brett flashed a wry smile. “Don’t hold your breath just yet. I’m not a miracle worker.”
“You’ve given me hope. That’s more than I’ve had in months.”
“I may have news. Doc Perkins heard that the Texas Cattleman’s Hotel is looking to hire someone who has experience in keeping books. What kind of job did you have before you came here?”
Sarah lowered her eyes. “I worked for Madame Duchaine’s in New Orleans.”
The name wasn’t familiar, but from her deep embarrassment, he guessed it to be an establishment in the red-light district. Certainly no place for a boy, or his sister.
“What was the nature of your employment?” he asked quietly.
Resting her hand on his arm, she lifted her head and shot him a gray stare. “Not what you think. I was their bookkeeper. Adam and I had our own separate living arrangements outside the establishment. I never exposed him to that sordid life. I love my son and wouldn’t do anything to harm him.”
“Don’t get so defensive, but you can’t mention any of this to Potter Gray when he interviews you for the position.”
“I know. What do I say?”
“I’m out of ideas.”
“How about that I was a private bookkeeper to a wealthy man who recently died? That way I wouldn’t have to explain the lack of a letter of reference.”
For a long moment, Brett didn’t speak. He’d never told an outright lie in his life, and the thought of doing so now soured his stomach. But this was necessary, he told himself. He had to help an outcast like himself. Sarah had nothing. She needed this job to survive. “It might work.”
“I need a name to give him.”
A man strolled by at that moment wearing a Prince Albert hat. Brett’s gaze followed him. “Albert. Albert Wynn.”
“All right. I’m going to head over to see Potter Gray.” She rose and smoothed the front of her dress. “I’m a little nervous. How do I look?”
Brett got to his feet and gazed at his sister. She was a beautiful woman. Her upswept hair, the color of a brown robin’s wing, combined with the cut of her dress, added elegance and warmth. “You look very pretty. And smart.”
She laughed. “Thank you. I certainly hope so.” She kissed his cheek, then worry darkened her eyes. “If I get the position, I’ll need to ask a favor.”
“You know I’ll help.”
“I’ll need more clothes similar to what I’m wearing.” She glanced down. “I had to borrow this dress from a friend so I’d have something suitable. I wanted to make a good impression. I have others, but they’re not good enough for a fancy hotel like the Texas Cattleman’s.”
The admission surprised Brett. He’d never have guessed her circumstances by looking at her. “I would’ve thought you had plenty of nice dresses from the work you did for this Madame Duchaine.”
“I never went to the establishment, so had no need for fancy dresses. She brought receipts and bills to my home weekly.”
“All right. I’ll set up accounts for you at the mercantile and anywhere else. Get whatever you need, Sarah.”
She finally looked up and smiled. “You don’t know what a relief it is to get that off my chest. Having to ask for favors wasn’t the way I wanted to start off our relationship. Go on up and visit with Adam until I return. First room on the right.”
He waited until she left, then went upstairs. Pausing outside the door Sarah had indicated, he took a deep breath before knocking.
When Adam didn’t come, he knocked again.
This time the boy jerked the door open and glared. “You. What?”
“Why didn’t you answer the door?”
“Didn’t want to. Thought whoever it was would have sense enough to go away.”
“I’m not ever going away, no matter how angry you get,” Brett said quietly. “Your mother asked me to wait up here with you until she gets back. May I come in?”
“Suit yourself.” Adam turned, hobbled to the sofa, and plopped down.
Brett slowly entered and crossed to the window, where he looked out. He knew what needed to be said, and he chose his words carefully. “I’m glad you didn’t have to grow up in an orphanage without a soft bed, plenty of food, or family. I sure didn’t have a mother who loved me more than she loved anything in this world.”