Texas Passion

by Sara Orwig

  Dan waited quietly, letting her talk, expecting her to admit that she had killed Alvin, because she hadn’t answered his question yet.

  She locked her fingers together and looked at him. “Pa came home from the war torn apart. He was sick and broken in spirit. He couldn’t see well. You know what his voice is like. You’ve seen his scars. He lost one of his closest friends in prison. They tried to escape and the other man was killed and Pa caught again. He came home quiet, unable to make a decision or do anything. Mother died during the war and that added to his sorrow. We were just trying to hold things together.”

  He could imagine all they had gone through and he knew when she said they were trying to hold things together, it was Rachel who was trying the most. He could imagine her shouldering the responsibility for the whole family, something she probably had to do when her mother became ill. He curbed the impulse to go to her now and take her into his arms, because he didn’t want to stop her. He had to hear what happened. He wanted to know if Eb was trying to protect her for the murder.

  “The Eubanks began to talk to Pa about taxes on the place that were due for the war years. The taxes were so high. Pa gave them some money and they let us have an extension and finally they said they were taking Green Arbor if we didn’t pay the taxes. There wasn’t enough for all that was due. Luther Eubanks came out and talked to Pa. He said if Pa would let him and his brother Alvin—” She paused to look up at Dan. “He told Pa if he’d give Abby and me to them for a while, he’d mark the taxes paid up to date.”

  “Damn,” Dan said quietly, remembering his dislike of Luther Eubanks. “Why didn’t Eb go to the law?”

  “Luther said he would deny it and say that Pa made it all up in desperation. Luther Eubanks had a fine job with power in town.”

  Dan stared at her, knowing that all over the South unscrupulous men took advantage of the war and Reconstruction to get what they wanted. “So what happened?”

  “Pa threw him off the place and told him not to come back. We knew we were going to lose Green Arbor, and Pa began packing. And then late one afternoon Alvin came out. He caught Abby off by herself outside the house and he tried to take liberties with her, telling her she was going to live with him. She screamed and ran for the house.

  “Pa took the rifle and went out. I wasn’t there, but Abby said Alvin told him how he was taking his daughters to town. That Pa didn’t have any choice and he wasn’t man enough to stop anyone and that way the taxes would be paid. He tried to push past Pa, and Pa raised the rifle. They fought and Alvin drew a derringer and fired at Pa, but his shot missed and broke a window. Pa’s shot didn’t miss, because he was at close range and had a rifle and Pa’s always been a good shot.

  “I was feeding the horses and heard the blasts of the guns. We buried Alvin and packed the wagon, because we knew they’d hang Pa. Yankees controlled so many things, and Pa wouldn’t have had a jury that would have had any sympathy. Luther Eubanks would deny everything Pa said. Pa couldn’t do anything.

  “I’m the one who thought we ought to flee. Pa was going to town and turn himself in, and I wouldn’t let him. I thought if we could get away,” she said, looking away, the silvery streak of tears showing on her cheeks as she stared beyond him, “I thought we could start all over.

  “Josh and I helped Pa dig a grave and bury that awful Alvin Eubanks. Abby got Lissa ready to travel and packed our things. We packed the wagon, hitched up the team and the extra horse and left that night while it was dark. Pa can travel in the dark and we headed west. I thought maybe we could get away and no one would pursue us or follow us and I could get Pa to safety.”

  Dan crossed to her and pulled her against him, folding her in his arms and stroking the back of her head, knowing the load she had had to carry for her family.

  “I thought we might get to San Antonio safely. When you joined us, I was afraid you were a bounty hunter or a U.S. Marshal. I didn’t think about Pinkerton’s Detective Agency.”

  “I didn’t think Eb could kill a man, but I guess when he had to protect his family, he did. Rachel, if Eb had a fair trial, no one would find him guilty if Alvin Eubanks fired at him.”

  “He wouldn’t go back to a fair trial, not with his brother holding a position of power in town and becoming a leader in the new society. You know that.”

  Dan stroked her head, knowing she was right. And knowing that his instincts about Eb had been right. Eb Kearney was a fine man and he had been protecting himself and his family. If he could go home to a jury of his peers, of honest, decent men, he would walk out a free man. But Luther Eubanks was vindictive, filled with hatred for Eb. Luther Eubanks would see to it that Eb would hang.

  “I won’t take Eb back. I swear to it, Rachel.” Dan thought of all she had been through, all the responsibilities she took. She deserved better than he was giving her.

  She wriggled away and wiped her eyes. “I’m all right.” She turned to look at him, a frown on her forehead. “Can’t you wire Pinkerton’s that you’ve been after the wrong man and that you’re quitting now?”

  “If I do that, they’ll send an agent out here just to check on the man I followed and where the trail ended. I don’t think they’ll assume I’ve spent all this time after the wrong person and when I discovered it, I quit. That isn’t the way I’ve worked in the past.”

  “So what will you do?” she asked quietly, and he knew he couldn’t give her a good answer.

  “If I say I was following the wrong family, they’ll want me to find the real Peter Benton. If I just quit and vanish, go back to my people as I had considered doing, Pinkerton’s will send another agent and he’ll pick up my trail within a day. The only thing that will keep your father safe, is for your family to pull up and move on now.”

  “Pa won’t do that,” she said in a voice that trembled. “He said he won’t keep running.”

  “That may be the only choice you have.”

  They stared at each other and she felt cold, her fear and anger returning, because even if Dan said he wouldn’t arrest Pa, it didn’t mean Pa was safe. And she felt angry with Dan, angry with herself for loving a man who was tough and hard and would ride away without a backward glance.

  While they faced each other in a tense silence, Dan shook his head as if fighting with himself. He strode to her, catching her up in his arms, holding her tightly, bending his head to kiss her. His tongue played over hers and she responded, kissing him back while his hand slid across her bottom and up, his fingers splaying in the small of her back. Suddenly she pushed away enough to look up at him.

  “You don’t love me and you don’t want to marry me.”

  The words drifted between them like the first gust of wind from a storm sweeping across the plain. He gazed down at her as he held her. He hadn’t planned to ever marry again. He had sent what money and savings he had to his father, tossed away the reward for Eb. He had nothing now except the part of the herd that Eb insisted on giving each of his employees. Yet if he had Rachel at his side—the thought tore through him like fire.

  “I do love you,” he said in a husky voice. “And I love you enough to know how badly I need you. I’ve tossed away everything I’ve worked for because of my love for you and your family.” He had already made his choice, made it without conscious thought way back on the trail from Mississippi when he had opened his heart to this family and become part of them, when he had let down the barriers with Rachel, when he had set aside duty because of love.

  His dark eyes bore into her and his voice lowered. “Will you marry me, Rachel?”

  Chapter 21

  “Will you marry me?” he repeated.

  Rachel quivered, everything inside her seeming to rush up into one joyous acceptance, wanting to throw herself into his arms and cling to him. How many times in the past month had she longed to hear him ask her to marry him? She wanted to shower him with kisses, to say yes over and over when he proposed, but there was still a barrier between them. She closed her eyes and clenched he
r fists against the hurt that tore at her.

  “You know I love you,” she said, “but I can’t leave my family! Pa isn’t safe. I’m not going to marry while that hangs over us. I can’t.”

  “Rachel, we’ll work everything out,” Dan said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  “You put Pinkerton’s on Pa’s trail. I can’t marry until I know my pa is safe. You get Pinkerton’s off his trail, and then we’ll talk about marrying.”

  Aching to pull her into his arms, wanting her to say yes to his proposal now that he had asked her, Dan knew he would have to do something to save Eb whether Rachel gave him an ultimatum or not. She would never be happy if she feared Eb’s arrest. And Dan didn’t want to consider what would happen to her if Eb did have to stand trial. Dan gazed beyond her, mulling the possibilities he had been over countless times during the night.

  “We wouldn’t be safe joining my people because it would be easy for an agent to track us down and then soldiers would come. The simplest thing would be to take everything we can and move again and all of us, including me, take new names.”

  “He won’t run again,” she said, and Dan hurt for her, hearing the pain in her voice.

  “I’ll talk to him. I wanted to anyway to tell him I want to marry you. That’s the only solution, Rachel, because they won’t give up.”

  She stared at him with wide eyes that were filled with worry and as he gazed down at her, he wanted her as his wife more than he had ever wanted anything. He knew this was the woman for him. And he knew he would have to save her father and get Eb to move to a more remote place where Pinkerton’s would never find him.

  Dan’s hands tightened on her shoulders and he drew her closer. “I love you and I want you,” he said in a deep voice, bending his head to kiss her, knowing he couldn’t bear to lose her now.

  She clung to him and in seconds he tasted salty tears. With a groan his kiss went deeper, a yearning of long years of loss and loneliness that she had already begun to fill and erase. He leaned away from her. “I’ll talk to Eb.”

  “We’re going to town today and we’ll be back tomorrow. Pa wanted all of us to go with him and just leave the men here. He didn’t want us to stay behind with the few men we have now.”

  “I’ll go to town and send another telegram to Pinkerton’s to keep them satisfied. Let me take you out to dinner tonight while we’re in town.”

  She nodded solemnly and with his thumb he rubbed away damp traces of tears on her cheek. “Let me worry. I’ll protect your pa.”

  “You may not be able to.”

  “I’m going to try my damnedest because I want you and I want to make you happy.”

  She tightened her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him for long moments. Finally she pulled away. “Pa will be looking for me soon, and I need to get Lissa ready. Pa’s going into town to see Mrs. Galvez. He wants to tell her that you are with Pinkerton’s and that he can be traced this far.”

  “He’s that close with her?”

  “Yes, he is. And I’m happy for him.”

  “Let’s go find him,” Dan said, draping his arm across her shoulders, praying Eb would change his mind about moving.

  As they walked out of the shade into sunshine and open land, they saw Pa talking to Abby. Shirtless, Josh was nearby washing his hands and face in a basin. Lissa sat on a large barrel while Abby plaited her hair. Josh noticed them first and said something to the others. All of them turned to stare and Rachel blushed, feeling as if it would be evident Dan had kissed her, as well as remembering her anger in sending him away.

  “Dan and I have talked,” she said as they joined the others who stood in silence.

  “I’ll tell all of you right now, I’m not taking Eb back to Mississippi or turning him in,” he said, looking at Eb and then shifting his gaze to Josh who suddenly smiled. Lissa held out her arms to Dan and he swung her up in them and Rachel hurt. If only they didn’t have Pa’s arrest hanging over all of them!

  “I didn’t think you would turn my pa in,” Josh said, coming around to stand in front of Dan. Dan squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

  “No, I won’t. I hear you’re going to town and I’ll ride in with you. Before we go, may I have a word with you, Eb?”

  “Yes. You young’uns get ready and we’ll leave in a few minutes,” Eb said, shrugging into his black coat. As he strode off with Dan, Rachel glanced at two of the men working on the barn to see them watching Eb and Dan.

  When Rachel turned, she met Abby’s curious gaze. “Can we trust him?”

  “I know we can,” Josh said quickly, his lips firmed as he stared at Dan and Eb.

  “Yes,” Rachel answered, “but it doesn’t make Pa safe. Pinkerton’s will send someone else when Dan gets off the case.”

  “So what will we do?”

  “That’s what they’ve gone off to talk about.” She watched Abby continue to braid Lissa’s hair. “I have something to tell you. Dan asked me to marry him.”

  Abby shrieked while Josh stared at her with open-mouthed surprise.

  “He asked you to marry?” Josh asked, and for the first time that morning, Rachel felt like laughing at the shock in her brother’s face.

  “I am not too old to marry, Josh.”

  “Gee whillikens! Gee whillikens! That means Dan will be part of our family always!”

  “Rachel, I’m so happy for you!” Abby said, hugging her.

  Rachel hugged her and then gazed at her solemnly. “I told him I can’t marry until I know Pa is absolutely safe.”

  Abby blinked, frowning at Rachel. “That time might not ever come.”

  “I can’t marry, Abby, while we worry about Pa and face going back to Mississippi. If Pa is arrested and taken back, I’m going with him.”

  Abby looked toward the trees where the two men had disappeared. “I hope they do something.”

  Rachel turned away, gazing toward the creek, wondering about Dan and Pa. And underneath was a steady current of joy. Dan wanted to marry her, he loved her…

  When they came walking back, she looked into Dan’s solemn gaze and knew that Pa had refused to leave Texas.

  “What did Pa say?”

  “I’ll tell you more when we get a chance to be alone, but he isn’t going to run again.”

  Disappointed, because it placed Pa in a more precarious position and delayed her marrying Dan, she frowned.

  “I’m going to talk to Will and the others and I’ll catch up with you,” Dan said. “Ride on ahead. I want to tell them I’m back.”

  “They’ll want to know what brought that about,” Rachel said, realizing she had acted rashly, sending him away in front of everyone, letting her heart control her actions.

  “I’ll tell them I’ve proposed and you were upset to learn about my past from someone other than me.”

  “That’s the truth, Dan Overton!”

  “Ready, Rachel?” Pa called and Dan helped her into the wagon seat. As they left, she looked back to see him talking to Will. Her gaze ran over the new barn that was nearing completion with four walls now and a roof. When it was finished, they would begin the house. She looked again at Dan, feeling a deep yearning, wanting to marry him.

  When they arrived in San Antonio, Pa insisted Dan come with them to Abeyta’s. The moment Dan’s hands closed around Rachel’s waist and he swung her off the wagon, she leaned close to him, exchanging a look with him that made her wish they were alone.

  She walked with Dan through the iron gate to Abeyta’s yard where it was cooler with trees and flowers giving shade. A maid opened the thick door, and then Abeyta was there to hug and greet each one of them. Rachel caught the scent of roses as Abeyta moved away.

  “My dear, what a wonderful surprise! All of you. You must stay all week, and we’ll have a party.”

  Before Rachel could answer, Abeyta turned to Dan to take his hand. “Ah, Mr. Overton. I am so happy to have you here with the Kearneys.” She motioned with a wave of her hand. “All of you, come i
n. Maria will get cold cider. Sit down in the back parlor because it is cool, and let me take la niñita upstairs a moment because I think there is a doll waiting for her.”

  Lissa’s eyes sparkled as Abeyta took her hand. Abeyta glanced at Josh. “And Josh, I have something also to show if you will leave your coat down here and come with me.”

  Josh yanked off his coat the instant she made the suggestion. As they entered the parlor, Abeyta went upstairs with Lissa and Josh.

  Abeyta returned with Josh who crossed the room to Eb. “Pa, look what Mrs. Galvez gave to me!” He held out a scabbard and withdrew a long, thin knife. “She said I may have it if it’s all right with you.”

  Eb looked over Josh’s head at Abeyta who smiled. “It’s fine with me, Josh, but there are some rules about knives. You handle it carefully until we can sit down and talk about it.”

  “Yes, sir!” Josh exclaimed eagerly. “Thank you!” he exclaimed to Abeyta.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Maria entered the room with a tray of cold drinks and as soon as she had passed them to everyone, she left to return with a tray of slices of cold beef and ham, bright-colored slices of oranges and melons, and thick, hot bread.

  The first time Rachel was alone with Dan was after eating; he took her arm and led her to the patio while Eb sat discussing the knife with Josh. Abeyta, Lissa, and Abigail had gone upstairs to look at dresses and some clothing Abeyta had had a seamstress make for them.

  Dan held Rachel’s hand as they entered the shaded patio where scarlet bougainvillea grew up columns to the upstairs balconies, blooming in riotous showers.

  She looked up at Dan. “Now tell me, what did Pa say?”

  “He doesn’t want to leave Texas. So I’ll have to do something to protect him while I try to change his mind. Right now, I’ll send a telegram that will give us more time.” He looked beyond her. “When he takes his herd to market, he should just keep going.” Dan’s gaze returned to her. “Only I don’t want to wait that long to marry,” he said in a husky voice, running his hands along her arms. “I have errands to run now and need to go. Mrs. Galvez was kind enough to include me in supper tonight, but I told her I was taking you out with me. I think she may be the reason your father won’t move again.”