by Jodi Thomas
For a second Rue Ann thought Logan would refuse Celeste. At last he sighed and addressed Theodore. “This isn’t over. We’ll meet again. In the meantime you’d best watch yourself. You’re too dumb to know how to treat the best thing you’ll ever have.” Then he swung to Rue Ann. “Miss Spencer, it’s good seeing you again.”
Rue Ann’s heart broke into a million pieces as she watched him walk away with Celeste clutching his arm.
Conflicting emotions consumed Logan as he moved toward the refreshment table with Celeste stalking ahead as though to blaze a trail. The way she kept glancing over her shoulder to make sure he was following made him feel like an obedient dog. Celeste’s rigid spine told of her anger.
Logan couldn’t help it. He couldn’t have lived with himself if he’d turned his back on Theodore Greely’s mistreatment of Rue Ann.
He itched for a chance to pummel the obnoxious man. Someone needed to teach Teddy how to treat a lady. But on the other hand, Rue Ann had chosen, albeit not wisely, the man whom she wanted to marry. He needed to drop the matter and let fate chart her course.
But could he do that?
The churning in his gut said that would be about as possible as lassoing the moon.
“What was the meaning of that little display?” Celeste demanded in an icy tone when they reached the refreshment table. “Rue Ann Spencer is not your problem. I’ll not have you chasing after her like some buck in rutting season.”
Logan planted his heels. “You can find someone else to court you if you want. You should’ve learned by now I’ll be no lapdog for you or anyone.”
Celeste faced him, placed her hands on his chest, and wheedled, “Now, Logan, you know I didn’t mean to criticize you. I was merely trying to bring your attention to the fact that you humiliated me back there in front of the entire town.” She puffed out her bottom lip. “I don’t know how I’ll hold my head up. Surely you care about my reputation?”
“Of course I care. It wasn’t my intention to bring you pain and humiliation. But you should understand what kind of man I am. I can’t, I won’t, sit idly by and watch someone mistreating a woman.”
“Rue Ann Spencer, you mean,” she uttered stiffly.
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Celeste.”
“Let’s just drop the whole thing, shall we?”
“Suits me fine.” He grabbed a glass of punch and thrust it into her hands. As much as he hated to admit it, Celeste was right and he knew it. He couldn’t go around making sure Rue Ann received the respect and care she deserved. The woman made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. The more he tried, the more he’d look like a fool.
But he found himself searching for her across the crowded dance floor and wishing for things long past.
Their golden hour had come and gone and not a blamed thing had changed.
Chapter 3
Two days after the Williamsons’ party, Logan Cutter rode into Shiloh to pick up some books he’d ordered from back East and get more materials for his fence. Seemed there was no shortage of things needing fixing on his place, which he’d named The High Lonesome. It seemed an apt name to call it.
His lack of funds to keep things in working order wore on him. It was nothing new, though. He’d had a rough go all his life, the least of which was monetary. Those kinds of struggles were small in comparison to the pain lodged inside that ate at him.
Even after twenty-eight years, he could still hear his father deriding and taunting him. Zachary Cutter would sneer and say, “Prove you’re a man. Prove you have my blood in you.”
To this day when Logan looked in a mirror, he saw a scrawny kid still trying to prove he was good enough.
Maybe by the time he got to be an old man, he’d have nothing left to prove. He hoped so. But for now he had to show the world, more importantly the town of Shiloh, that he was made of the right stuff.
The wide expanse of blue Texas sky overhead and a gentle breeze seemed to hold promise. It was the kind of day that had fat, lazy cats curling up in the sun on windowsills and purring. Although the February day held a nip in the air, the sunshine reminded him spring was around the corner and none too soon. He’d had enough of winter. The cold months had seemed to drag on forever.
He drove his wagon onto Hayes Street and pulled up in front of the mercantile. Setting the brake, he was about to climb from the wagon box when he spied Theodore Greely emerging from Lady Alexandra’s establishment adjacent to the Red Slipper Saloon.
Logan’s eyes narrowed. Plainly, Teddy had passed the night in the company of a soiled dove. The man had draped his coat over his arm. His shirt was untucked and his vest unbuttoned.
Lady Alexandra had formed a very exclusive male establishment that catered to a man’s every need. He wondered what Rue Ann would say if she knew how Teddy spent his time. Doubtless, it would devastate her.
Should he try to warn her before she learned the hard way?
Every part of him yearned to protect the woman who’d spurned his love. But she’d made it crystal clear she wanted nothing more to do with him.
Logan released a deep sigh and climbed down from the wagon, tied the horses to the hitching post, and entered Shiloh’s only mercantile.
An hour later he emerged and loaded the fencing supplies in the wagon. Finished with that, he decided to pay a visit to the sheriff and let him know about a pack of wolves he’d seen that morning on the ridge overlooking his ranch. They’d been too far away to get a shot off. But Logan was sure they were the ones responsible for killing three of his cows.
He’d just passed Maggie’s Confectionery Shop when angry shouts on the other side of the street drew his attention.
Theodore was yelling at a scraggly mutt that had half an ear gone and an injured hind leg. From the way the poor dog’s ribs stuck out, it hadn’t eaten in a month of Sundays.
Before Logan could cross the street, Theodore delivered a hard kick to the animal. The blow sent the yelping dog into the street into the path of a horse and wagon, which had to quickly veer to miss it.
Long, purposeful strides carried Logan to the dog’s side. He lifted the animal in his arms and carried it to the sidewalk. A quick glance told him it was a female ... and she’d be having pups before too long.
After making sure the dog was out of harm’s way, he rose and settled his attention on his adversary. Without a word of warning, he drew back and slammed a fist into Theodore’s face. The man’s head snapped back.
When Theodore could speak, he bellowed, “Cutter, you’ve done it this time. I’m filing charges against you for assault.” He fumbled in his vest pocket for a handkerchief.
Logan’s silky reply held more than a measure of challenge. “I catch you laying a hand on this animal or any other again, I won’t stop with one blow. You’ll be a bloody pulp when I get through with you ... Teddy boy.”
Theodore dabbed his split lip with the monogrammed handkerchief and shrugged. “It’s just a no-account mutt. Besides, it was blocking the sidewalk.”
“You’d best heed my words if you want to keep drawing breath.” He turned his back on the man, effectively dismissing him.
Logan squatted down and ran his hands over the dog’s legs but didn’t detect any broken bones. However, a long, jagged cut ran the length of a hind leg and needed some attention. When he felt her ribs, the animal released a low whine.
“Sorry, little lady. Just be patient. I’m going to get you seen to.” Logan needed a good dog. She’d fit in well at The High Lonesome, seeing as how they were both misfits looking for someone to care just a little bit about them.
“What happened?” The woman’s voice belonged to Rue Ann. He glanced up and slammed into her vivid green eyes. She was breathless from hurrying.
He jerked his head toward Teddy. “Ask your intended.”
“I’m asking you, Mr. Cutter,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
Rubbing his sore jaw, Theodore spoke up. “He hit me for no good reason, Rue.
He’s a menace to law-abiding people. It’s time someone locked him up.”
“Is that true?” she asked.
If she meant he needed to be locked up, Logan probably wouldn’t argue with her. But he took exception to the menacing part.
Logan didn’t bother to reply. He gathered up the pregnant dog and carried her to his wagon. He needed to get far away from Rue Ann before he said something he’d regret. But she followed, nipping on his heels, her boots striking the packed dirt of the street. He found it telling that she left Teddy alone to nurse his wounded feelings.
“I want to know why you persist in tormenting Theodore.”
He gently laid the wounded dog on an old burlap bag in the back of the wagon. “Rue Ann, think long and hard about the kind of man Greely is. You’re about to get your heart broken.”
“You’ve never liked him.”
“Could be there’s a reason for that.”
“I don’t think you can stand to see me happy.” Green sparks flew from Rue Ann’s eyes, and the sun shot streaks of gold through her crimson curls, turning them into a breathtaking mass that stole his breath. She’d never looked more desirable.
Or more out of reach.
“Are you truly happy, Rue Ann? The woman I knew wouldn’t settle for second rate. The woman I knew would fight tooth and nail for what she wanted, excepting me, of course.” That she’d thrown him away faster than a pair of old shoes smarted. She’d tossed him right onto the dung heap all right and lit a match. Now he had nothing left besides a handful of ashes to show for the months of pure happiness.
“You’d do anything to ruin my relationship with Theodore just to spite me.”
The accusation stung, penetrating the vulnerable part of his heart. Memories of their time together shriveled up like a sun-dried piece of fruit that had once been so succulent. He ached to see the bit of hope he had die.
“Then you don’t know me at all. You probably never did. Now you’ll have to excuse me. I have a dog to take care of.” Logan untied the horses, climbed into the wagon box, and released the brake. “Take care of yourself, Rue Ann. Your fiancé is keeping secrets from you. You’d best find out what they are before you hitch yourself to him.”
Logan turned the wagon around and didn’t look back. From experience, he knew how painful looking back could be.
Rue Ann watched Cutter’s wagon disappear out of sight before she joined Theodore. “Did you see what happened to that dog? I never got a chance to ask Cutter.”
He shrugged. “The mutt was lying in the street and barely escaped getting run over. That’s all I know.”
Why would Cutter say Theodore was hiding secrets? Was it merely to get under her skin?
Nettled that the man lay bare the growing list of doubts she had about her upcoming marriage, she slipped her hand through Theodore’s arm. “Where were you headed?”
“No place in particular, sweetling. Your father gave me the day off.”
“Excellent. Then how about a ride out to Bent Tree? We can have some lunch and plan our life together. In less than two weeks we’ll be man and wife. We have lots to discuss.”
“Can’t come too soon for me. Yes, I think I’d enjoy spending the day in your company. As long as Logan Cutter’s name doesn’t come up,” he warned.
Rue Ann cast him a sideways glance. “Whyever should it?”
“The man seems obsessed with you despite the fact that soon you’ll belong to me.”
She frowned. She didn’t like people treating her like a piece of property. “I don’t belong to anyone. I’m my own person, not a possession.”
Theodore paused in front of the window of Whipple’s Dry Goods Store and cocked his head this way and that. She found his practice of admiring himself very irritating. “You know what I mean. I’ll be your husband and you’ll have to understand that I’m the boss. That’s the way it’s done. Ask your father. I know he’ll agree with me.”
“My father is no expert on marital matters, believe you me.” Indeed he and her mother hadn’t seen eye to eye on several issues; the most serious was her father’s involvement with the sensuous Lady Alexandra. Her mother, Jenny, had been furious when she found out where Devlin Spencer had been spending his Thursday nights when he’d claimed to be working late at his office. It had been the only time Rue Ann had ever heard Jenny Spencer raise her voice. And now a chilly freeze had developed between her parents. It wasn’t how Rue Ann envisioned wedded bliss. She wanted more than that for herself.
Her marriage would be built on love and mutual respect. . . but most of all, trust.
She thought she’d chosen the perfect partner in Logan until he’d betrayed her love. Was Theodore any more trustworthy? She didn’t know if Logan had warned her about her husband to be because of valid concerns or if he was simply trying to sabotage what she had.
Rue Ann and Theodore walked on toward the stables, exchanging pleasantries with several of the townsfolk.
“Do you have secrets, Theodore?” It was a question that had been on Rue Ann’s tongue since leaving Logan. She knew it was far too blunt, but she couldn’t think of a good way to ask without seeming to pry.
He stopped abruptly in his tracks. His eyes widened. “What kind of fool question is that?”
Maybe Cutter was wrong. The coiled tension inside eased.
“Let’s just forget it and enjoy the day.” She smiled and waved to the Barlow sisters, who had exited the milliner shop.
“No, I want to know what brought this on. What did you and Cutter talk about while I was busy taking care of my bloodied lip? Do you even care that he darn near broke my jaw?”
A heated flush rose to her cheeks. “Of course I care. I’m not callous. We talked about the dog. It was perfectly innocent.”
“Nothing about Cutter is innocent. I don’t trust him.”
Then again maybe Cutter had something after all. Theodore seemed to be awfully defensive for someone who had nothing to hide.
“Everyone has their secrets,” he snapped, continuing. “I’m sure you have some, too, but I don’t go around pestering you about them.”
So it was true. She wondered what Theodore had kept from her.
And curiosity about what Cutter knew got the best of her. If she wasn’t so afraid of falling into his arms, she’d ride out to his ranch and ask him.
But she knew she couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t open herself up for more heartache and disappointment.
Besides, Logan Cutter wasn’t the sort of man to tell on another. Whatever, whoever, else he might be, he wasn’t one to dish dirt or spread gossip.
Chapter 4
Rue Ann’s day wasn’t going well at all. First, the run-in with the infuriating Logan Cutter and his cryptic warning, then discovering that Theodore did, in fact, harbor secrets from her.
And now her day seemed to be taking yet another turn.
Through narrowed eyes she watched Celeste stalking toward her with a set mouth and outrage in her measured strides.
Celeste was huffing by the time she drew to a stop in front of Rue Ann outside the livery, where Theodore had left her while he rented a horse and buggy. The woman’s mouth was drawn in a perfectly tight line. “I will have a word with you, Rue Ann.”
“I don’t know that we have anything to discuss, and Theodore will return any minute.”
Celeste grabbed her arm and yanked her to the side, away from the comings and goings of patrons. “I demand that you leave Logan alone.”
“Is that so? And Mr. Cutter can’t tell me this himself? The man I knew didn’t need any female to speak for him.”
“He’s much too busy to concern himself with such matters. You had your chance with him and now it’s my turn. You stay far away from him. He cares about me now.”
Rue Ann jerked her arm from Celeste’s clutches and drew herself up. “Sounds like you’re none too sure of your relationship with Logan,” she pointed out. “What are you afraid of? That he’ll remember the wonderful times we had tog
ether and try to rekindle our love?”
Celeste’s reddened face gave her away. “Heed my warning. Go near him again and you’ll regret it.”
“Are you threatening me?” Rue Ann’s voice hardened.
“Take it however you wish. You might be a senator’s daughter and have money to burn, but I’m much prettier than you.” Celeste twisted a curl around her finger.
“And what will you do if I refuse?”
“You’ll force me to take the matter up with your intended.”
Rue Ann had no idea what that meant. It seemed an empty threat because Theodore didn’t own her, couldn’t tell her whom to speak with, and darn sure didn’t pick her friends. At least not yet. Still, she knew that given Theodore’s overwhelming dislike of Logan, it would be easy for Celeste to plant seeds of discord even if they were sown from lies. The situation vexed her, to say the least.
“I know you find this hard to believe but my relationship with Logan Cutter is over. I wouldn’t have him back on a dare. We’re through. Understand? I’ve moved on and so has he. So you see, you have nothing to worry about.” Rue Ann gently laid a hand on the other woman’s arm. She truly felt sorry for the jealousy that consumed Celeste.
They’d been rivals since as far back as she could remember. Even farther back than the time in the one-room schoolhouse when Jack Blackmon had kissed Rue Ann behind the woodshed. Celeste had found them and yanked out a good chunk of Rue Ann’s hair. She wondered if the woman would resort again to physical attack.
Celeste jerked away. “I’m not stupid, Rue Ann.”
Just then Theodore led a handsome horse and buggy from the livery.
With nothing else to say, Celeste Wiggins whirled and marched toward the town square with her nose high in the air and her back as stiff and straight as a fireplace poker.
Theodore helped Rue Ann into the buggy. “Was that Miss Wiggins you were talking to?”
“Mainly I just listened to a list of demands. Seems Celeste had a fight to pick with me. For some reason she thinks I stand between her and happiness with Logan. It’s hogwash pure and simple.”