by Everly West
"No. Of course, you haven't done anything. I've got a lot on my mind, that's all."
She nodded her understanding, but he could still see the confusion on her face. They rode along in silence for another ten minutes when she spoke again. "How would you like me to prepare some fried chicken and fresh greens for supper? I could put together a picnic and we could all eat down by the river underneath the trees."
Thoughts of Arielle’s soft mouth beneath his kicked him down south. He hated the hopeful tone in her voice because he was just about to dash it. "No, I've got too much work to catch up on when we get home. You and Melody have the chicken. Jeremy and I will eat later. I don't want to keep Melody out too long. It’s been a long day for her, you know, riding to town and back. And playing with her friend. You understand?"
He forced a smile and she nodded again, but it was clear by the look on her face she didn't.
They rode in silence the rest of the way. Melody lay down in the back seat and slept the last few miles to home.
Twenty minutes later, he pulled the carriage to a stop in front of the ranch house. "I will carry Melody inside."
Again, Arielle said nothing. Only nodded. He didn't want her to think he had changed his feelings altogether. On the contrary, he wanted nothing more than offer her a future, but until he knew what happened to his money, and if there was any chance to get it back, he had nothing to offer her but a satchel full of debt and an uncertain future.
Caleb picked up his sleeping daughter and carried her into the house, to the master bedroom Arielle occupied. "I'll just lay her here where she'll be closer to you until she wakes." It was a lame excuse, but it was all he had at the moment. What he really wanted to do was pull the confused, almost tearful woman standing quietly beside him, into his arms and kiss the hell out of her. But he valued his honor as much as his word. He couldn’t take her any further until he could see a way toward a future—together.
He turned to leave. She reached out to stop him. He hesitated and waited for her to say what was on her mind.
"Caleb, I sense a change in you. You are distant. Almost fearful. I asked you before if I had done something—said something—that offended you, but perhaps I should have asked my question another way." She came around to face him, her hands on his arms and her dark brown eyes pleading with him to be honest with his answers.
"What do you mean? What other way could you ask me if something was wrong?" He wanted to pull her close and tell her what was in his heart. But he wasn't a free man and she deserved more than empty promises from a married man pretending to be something he was not. Guilt kept him from reaching out for her.
"Is there something I have not done that has made you doubt my feelings for you?" Her eyes dropped to the place where her hands touched his bare arms and then her fingers moved toward his shirt buttons. The top one first, then one-by-one, she undid them until his britches prevented her further access.
Caleb's heart punched his ribs from inside his chest and his breath stuttered. He forced himself to swallow—his throat constricted with anticipation.
He placed his hands on her slender waist, but he forced himself to go no further. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to resist her charms and he refused to do something Arielle might regret.
Arielle took a step closer, her fingers moving from his waistband to touch his chest no longer hidden by his shirt. He watched the passion in her eyes as her fingers traced a trail of heat across his stomach and up his chest brushing those same soft fingertips across his nipples. Her touch sent a sudden bolt of white-hot desire to his nether region and he knew he was close to the point of no return.
Caleb had never wanted anything more in his life than to lay this amazing woman down on his bed and make love to her as if tomorrow would never come. The thought of tomorrow cooled his passion. His sense honor taunted him. Tomorrow would come as sure as the sun rose. Everything he loved could very well slip through his fingers. He wouldn't compromise this beautiful, selfless woman. He couldn't. He loved her too much.
"Arielle." He whispered and gently pulled her away from him, his hands still on her waist. "I..."
She stepped back and the hurt he saw was only exceeded by the embarrassment that reddened her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I thought...I mean, it seems I have misunderstood our situation." She turned away from him and made a show of covering the still sleeping Melody with a coverlet.
He wanted to take away the hurt in her eyes. He wanted to offer her hope. But he couldn’t.
"It is I who should apologize to you. I have never wanted any woman more than I want you right now. There is nothing I would cherish more than to strip you of your clothing and expose you to me. To lay with you between those sheets." He nodded toward the bed in the room, but his eyes never left hers.
Hope flared in her eyes.
"But I can't do that. Not until I can make this ranch pay off. I can't support you—or Melody—until I can. That's not the kind of future I want to offer you. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"
Caleb watched Arielle’s emotions flicker in her dark eyes. She smiled, tears pooling in those beautiful brown eyes of hers.
"At last, I believe I do. You cannot promise me a future until you can be assured we shall have a home here on this ranch of yours. Is that it?" The hope had returned, and he didn't have the heart to hurt her again.
"That's part of it," he offered by way of explanation. He knew there was more he should be explaining to Arielle. He should be telling her that he still had a wife, at least in the legal sense of the word.
"Well, that is the part I can do something about." She smiled at him with tears in her eyes and her heart in her eyes. How on earth had he found someone as sweet as this beauty standing before him? He certainly didn’t deserve—
"Did you hear what I said, Caleb? I can help you turn this ranch into the kind of place most people will only dream about in their lifetime. We can make it a reality."
He smiled at her enthusiasm. She was a city girl. She had no idea what kind of work—and money—it would take to make this place the kind of showplace she was describing.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Arielle, and you've already done more than—" he almost said his wife "most people would have. You cook. You clean. You take care of my daughter,” he cast a loving glance to the little girl in his big bed. “I can’t ask for more than that.”
"You aren't asking, Caleb. I'm offering. And I can give you the one thing you need most."
His gaze dropped to her lips and weighed his conscious. "I can't take what you are offering, Arielle. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me."
Her eyes darkened with passion. "I don't think we're talking about the same thing."
"We aren't?” He whispered at her seduction.
Her luscious lips curled in a coquettish smile. "No, we’re not. I'm certain I know what you are talking about. And though I'm not convinced it would be ungentlemanly of you considering how we—I feel about you, that is not what I’m talking about."
She glanced at Melody still sleeping soundly. A soft snore assured them both she was not privy to their conversation.
He watched Arielle lean into him. She looked up at him and then kissed him on his lips. "I'm talking about giving you money. Lots and lots of money."
11
Arielle hadn't meant to tell Caleb about her money. It just—came out. What on earth had she been thinking? He hadn't even told her he loved her yet, much less asked her to marry him.
She didn’t have a great deal of experience with men, but she didn’t have to be experienced to know Caleb wanted her. She could feel his blatant desire every time he kissed her. But she could also see it in his eyes. He looked at her with such passion. It was reflected in his eyes. In his touch. And she felt that she was close to having the love she read about in her books.
And yet, history, and her sister, had taught her to be cautious. She had witnessed even the most noble of men be tempted by a woman’s fortune. She didn't
want Caleb to marry her for her money. She wanted him to marry her because he couldn’t live a single day without her by his side.
He had called her sweet and generous. He had also admitted his ranch needed a lot of money. And although he was grateful to her for her generosity and willingness to help, he wouldn't take her money.
Part of her still wanted to tell him she held the answers to his problems in a bank account in Boston, but another part—the part of her who hoped for a fairy tale ending—couldn't allow her secret to be exposed. Not yet anyway. Not until he told her how felt. Not until he told her he loved her.
She heard his footsteps on the porch outside. She turned to see him enter the kitchen and gave him a welcoming smile. He smiled back. “I'm expecting a very important telegram from St. Louis today. Would you like to ride into town with me?"
"I would like that very much,” she answered, but remained standing in front of the sink, waiting for him to make the next move. Her heart faltered as the reality of their situation hit her square in the chest. His money problems could stand in the way of their happiness. The last thing she wanted was the bud of their blossoming romance to wither and die on the vine before it had a chance to grow.
She pulled her gaze away from his and studied the dishrag in her hand. She couldn’t bear for him to see her raw emotions.
“Arielle. Please look at me.” His voice pulled her gaze back to his handsome features. She watched him hesitate, and then he spoke, his blue eyes silently pleading with her to listen. "You are so special, Arielle. To me and to my daughter. I hope you understand my refusal of your offer last night had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me and my situation. If I wasn’t a man of honor, I would have taken you then and there. I couldn’t do that to you without knowing if I can keep my promises.
Arielle’s pulse raced at the emotion in his words. Go on, she silently begged.
“I don’t want your body” –he stopped short and Arielle’s heart stopped too— “without your heart. I can’t ask you to make promises to me until I know I can offer the future you deserve. Can you understand my position?”
Relief relaxed the tension in her body. She nodded. “Yes, I do understand and I respect your honesty. You are truly an honorable man.”
He looked away and she realized she had embarrassed him. She hurried on so he would know how she felt. “But know this, Caleb. I'm not a silly debutante with stars in my eyes. I see the real world and I know what it takes to make a marriage work. And this is my promise to you,” Arielle paused for a heartbeat, then looked him straight in his eyes, before adding, “I'm up for the challenge. Whenever you are.”
Her pulse raced at the smile he gave her. He a deep breath before he spoke. "I have no doubt about that, Arielle. I have not a single doubt about that at all."
She smiled back at him which seemed to reaffirm her vows. “Now about that ride into town. I’ll go get our little Melody ready.”
Go get our little Melody ready. She realized what she had said halfway up the stairs. They were almost a family. All she needed now was for Caleb to tell her he loved her.
Half an hour later, Arielle sat next to Caleb in the carriage with Melody in the back seat. She should probably write a letter to her parents to tell them all about the wonderful time she was having in Laramie. Perhaps even describe some of the new things she was learning out west. Best not reveal too much until Caleb declared his feelings for her and proposed. A girl must never assume. It was the surest way to a broken heart.
Today was a repeat of yesterday’s trip into town. Caleb deposited Arielle and Melody at the Coppers’ residence and then he drove his carriage straight to the telegraph office and tied the mare to the hitching post.
"Good morning. Did I get an answer to that telegram I sent yesterday?”
"Yes, sir, Mr. Montgomery. Came in yesterday just before six o'clock." The man handed him the envelope over the counter. Caleb's heart raced as he took the envelope and ripped it open.
He rushed through the words and then reread it slower the second time just to make certain he was reading it correctly. The third time he read it, relief pulsed through Caleb's nerves.
Dear Son,
I was shocked to hear about Victoria. Stop. Her parents believe she may have gone to Chicago. Stop. Her father sends his regrets. Stop. He feels responsible and has wired five thousand dollars to your bank in Laramie. Stop. I wired two thousand. Stop. Hope that helps. Stop. I love you son. Stop.
Caleb felt his shoulders slump in relief. Seven thousand dollars would go a long way to getting his debt squared away. It would also give him the money he needed to hire an attorney in St. Louis and file for divorce from Victoria no matter where the heartless harlot was hiding.
He turned and grinned at the man behind the counter. "Thank you!
"By the look on your face, you got some good news."
"The best news ever."
He gave the man a two-bit tip and rushed outside toward the bank. He needed to see that money in his account before he was completely reassured everything was going to be alright. He collided with his friend. Levi.
"Whoa, there, cowboy." A surprised Levi stepped back. "Caleb? Is something wrong? Everything okay with Melody? Arielle?"
Caleb could see the worry on his friend's face. "No. No. Just the contrary. I got a telegram from my father. I have been waiting for word about an unexpected financial situation I found myself in—"
“I didn’t know you were having money problems, Caleb. You could have come to me, you know.”
Caleb felt a punch of guilt in his gut. This man was truly a friend he could count on. Would Levi understand if he knew about Caleb’s deceit? But did he have to tell him now? If he could petition a divorce from Victoria, then he could offer Arielle the future she deserved, and Levi would have no bone to pick with him.
And yet, something about the lack of honesty between friends was troubling to him. He couldn’t—no, he wouldn’t—continue to lie to his friend. When there was no longer a need for dishonesty, Caleb would make Levi understand how dire the situation was and why he had to have Arielle’s help to save his ranch and protect his daughter.
Levi nodded to a couple passing by and waited for them to fade out of earshot.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?” Levi’s earnest expression pricked at Caleb’s conscience.
“Yes. I should have told you, but I wanted a chance to fix it myself. And as luck would have it, I've had some good news. I've been waiting on my father to wire money from my bank account in St Louis. There was a slight problem, but now everything has been cleared up. Well, partly cleared up, but at least enough that I can pay Mr. Collins over at the mercantile what I owe him and get the supplies I need to build my mare pastures—"
“I understand a man trying to stand up on his own two feet, but if things were getting dire, why didn’t you come to me for a temporary fix. I could have given you a loan. Or put in a good word for you at the bank? Or—"
“Levi, I know I could have come to you, but there are at least three reasons why I didn’t. One, because I had no idea there was going to be a problem getting my money from St. Louis. Two, I'm not a charity case asking for a handout. It just isn’t my nature. And three, there's something you should know before you make that kind of offer. Once you find out the whole truth, let's just say I fear you may not want to call me a friend any longer."
Levi frowned. "That sounds rather ominous. How about we walk down to my hotel and talk in my office. From the sound of things, this isn't a conversation we should be having on the street. Especially if I'm going to have to shoot you. I'd prefer not to shock the sensibilities of Laramie's female population by littering the boardwalk with your dead body."
Caleb cut a look to his friend. He was fairly certain the man was kidding, but then again, Levi didn't know what he was about to tell him.
He left his carriage and horse tied up at the telegraph office and walked beside Levi to his hotel. They entere
d the elegant lobby and he followed Levi down the familiar hallway to his office. A group of women met them halfway.
"Oh, I forgot today is The Laramie's Ladies Club meeting. Stay up with me and keep walking or some marriage minded momma will waylay you and bore you with the long, long list of her daughter's charms," Levi whispered, as they approached the gaggle of chattering ladies.
"Which one?" Caleb whispered back. He wanted to make certain he avoided that one.
"All of them." Levi grinned.
"Hello, Ladies. I'm sorry we can't stop to chat. Important business. Good day, ladies." Levi smoothly led him through the group and into his office. He waved to them and closed the door effectively cutting them off at the marriage pass.
"Whew, that was a close one." Levi took his seat behind his desk and offered Caleb a drink of what looked to be a very expensive bottle of bourbon whiskey. He really could use something to bolster his courage, but it was a tad early. He declined and settled back in the leather chair waiting for his opportunity to tell Levi the truth about Victoria's true condition—derelict wife and mother.
"How are things at the ranch?" Levi asked the question, but Caleb knew what Levi was eluding to even if the question wasn't direct. "You mean how are things going between me and Arielle?"
Levi grinned. "Yes, I suppose that's what I'm asking. How are you two—getting along?"
Caleb thought about his answer for a moment. “Things are going great. In fact, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Levi frowned. “You said earlier you had something to tell me and I wasn’t going to like it. Have you compromised Arielle in some way?”
“No. Hell, no. I wouldn’t do that, Levi. I have too much respect for her.”
Levi’s relief was evident. He relaxed and nodded. “Good. That’s real good. Like I said, I’d hate to have to shoot you, my friend.”