Silence.
Letty Sue’s heart nearly stopped. Heat enveloped her as humiliation coursed through her veins. She’d die of mortification if no one bid on her basket.
She’d tried her best, but the Withers’s traditional “rainbow” basket was a complete failure with the most dismal colors. Even the small purple wildflower she’d picked to place on the very top had shriveled up, matching the rest of the gloomy creation.
“Let’s hear one dollar,” the auctioneer coaxed, “one dollar for a good cause here.”
Murmurs went through the crowd.
Letty Sue waited, ramrod stiff, with head held high, ingrained family pride keeping her from bolting. She refused the tears welling up. No. She wouldn’t cry.
She looked out over the crowd, her eyes scanning desperately. Where was Sam? she wondered. Hadn’t he made it to town yet?
Oh Lordy, Letty Sue.
Oh Lordy, Lordy, Lordy.
Chapter Eight
Chase stood back from the auction, watching. He didn’t notice the basket Sally Henderson had described to him. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t seen the girl all day.
But he was determined to have himself a fine lunch with Sally. She’d be a pleasant distraction, just the diversion he needed to keep his mind off last night and Letty Sue. Yes, having a companionable afternoon with Sally Henderson would serve two purposes.
She’d keep him occupied with her friendly manner and artless ways. And secondly, Letty Sue would know for certain he’d meant what he said to her last night.
It’d be best for both if she took off to St. Louis to meet up with her folks.
When the auctioneer called the last bid for a god-awful basket, Chase’s mind spun out, recalling this morning, when he’d spied Letty Sue out among a patch of wildflowers. She’d picked one, purple in color, and walked back to the house.
The very same wildflower sat rather limply atop the basket the auctioneer was holding up.
A sense of impending dread settled in his gut.
That hideous basket was Letty Sue’s.
“Two bits!” a craggy-faced old dough puncher spat out. Chase recognized him from one the ranches he’d done business with a while back.
Chuckles went through the crowd.
Letty Sue’s eyes went wide with shock. Her face contorted in a way Chase had never seen it do.
No doubt about it, that basket was hers.
Where the hell was Sam? Chase scanned the grounds quickly. Sam had warned him off about bidding for Letty Sue’s basket. Said he’d always had the privilege and wanted to keep it that way.
Fine by Chase.
He didn’t want to interfere.
He needed to stay the hell away from Letty Sue.
He’d made himself that promise last night.
So where the hell was Sam?
“Last call for this, uh, fine basket,” the auctioneer called. “I’ve got two bits. Going once, going twice—”
“Ten dollars!” Chase called out.
All eyes turned to him and a hush settled over the crowd.
Chase ground his teeth, holding back a curse.
And quick as you please, the auctioneer finalized the sale.
Chase glanced at Letty Sue. Relief registered on her face, erasing the worry lines and contorted expression. Then the relief was replaced by a look much more frightening; her sky-blue eyes glowed with something akin to hero worship.
Ah, hell.
Chase made his way to the front where the auctioneer stood holding out the basket. He paid for it, doling out the bills slowly while the crowd watched.
Then he turned to Letty Sue with basket in hand. She joined him, her eyes bright, filled with gratitude.
Chase led her away from the curious onlookers.
A knot of dread twisted in his gut.
He wasn’t looking forward to this lunch.
“Delicious chicken, Letty Sue,” Chase said, offering her a compliment. “And the biscuits are real fluffy.”
“Uh, thank you.” Letty Sue couldn’t meet Chase’s eyes at the moment. She wiggled uncomfortably on the picnic bench. Chase had chosen a table far away from the crowd, much to Letty Sue’s surprise. From the look on his face when he’d guided her away from the auction, she didn’t think he’d want to spend any time alone with her. He wouldn’t accept her gratitude, wouldn’t allow her thanks. He simply sat down and began eating.
“Can’t wait to dig into this pie. Cherry?” His steely eyes gleamed, taking in the perfectly browned crust.
“Uh, yes. It’s cherry.”
“You did real good with cooking this food, Letty Sue.”
“My basket was a flop, a failure.” She dipped her head.
“Ah, but I’m sure getting my money’s worth with this meal.”
Letty Sue snapped her head up. “Why’d you bid ten dollars?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
It did matter. She wanted to know. “After last night, I…I didn’t think you’d… You said you were bidding on Sally’s basket.”
“Sally’s not around. And where the devil is Sam today?” His head up, Chase searched the church grounds.
“Sally’s brother said Sam’s horse got spooked. Sam hurt his shoulder and Sally stayed behind to tend him.”
Chase rubbed his jaw, his hand working over the area that had been bruised last night. “Too bad. He missed a fine meal.” Chase picked up his fork and dived into the cherry pie.
“Is that all you care about? The food? Why, with the way you’re eating, you’ll be as stout as Mama’s prize heifer in a matter of days!”
Chase lowered his fork, obviously startled at her outburst. “Letty Sue, calm down. What’s got into you?”
“You like the food, don’t you? But you won’t admit the real reason you bid on my basket. You won’t admit that last night—”
“Was a big mistake.” Chase steeled his voice, exhibiting that ever-present calm that Letty Sue found most annoying. “It was my fault. I had too much to drink, Letty Sue. I take full responsibility. It’s best we both forget it ever happened.”
Angered and hurt by his rejection, Letty Sue inhaled sharply. A deep pain lodged in her chest, burning low like glowing embers. Chase Wheeler was the most infuriating man she’d ever known. He confused and perplexed her time and again. Last night he had felt something, she was sure, just as she had. He’d come to her when he was hurt and bleeding. He’d needed her.
No man had ever needed her before. They’d wanted her, she believed, but Chase had needed her. He’d kissed and caressed her, making her body sing with passion before denying her more. And then today, he’d come to her rescue yet again, spending far too much money on a miserable picnic basket.
“You bid ten dollars on a basket you knew darn well wouldn’t be fit for consumption, Chase Wheeler.”
He finished off the last bite of pie. “But it was fit for consumption. It’s one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten, Letty Sue.” His smug expression was her undoing.
She stood, tossing her checkered napkin across the table. “Well, you can just thank Emma Mayfield for that! I paid a visit to the diner after the stupid wagon hit a rough spot on the road. The basket fell off and everything spilled out! I had to beg her to cook up her very best for my disastrous basket!”
Shock registered on Chase’s face. His eyes went wide with astonishment and his gaze roamed over the plate of food he’d just eaten. Letty Sue stood there with hands on hips, happy to have finally rattled the man.
He stood then, unfolding to his full height, taking her in, his smoky eyes penetrating hers.
Then he burst out laughing.
Chase made his way to a tall mesquite tree. The meal had filled his belly and he was ready to sit for a while, maybe close his eyes and rest. He sat down, then sprawled out, bracing his head against the tree trunk. Overhead, leaves rustled and the thick lacy branches shaded him from the day’s heat.
Lifting the brim of his hat, he scanned the area.
Angry with him, Letty Sue had taken off a minute ago, but now he spotted her talking with Sam and Sally. The two had lunched together after the bidding was over. Sam’s shoulder was wrapped, but from all appearances, the man seemed fine. It didn’t appear that he minded Sally’s attentions, either.
Chase closed his eyes, ready for a short respite, but Letty Sue’s image, furious and indignant, popped into his head. He knew the woman had spent the entire day cooking yesterday. She’d probably worked harder in one day than she had in her entire young life. Then, by accident, all her hard work had been dumped off the wagon when it hit a bump in the pitted road.
But he did admire her resourcefulness. Her dismal failures would have bested a weaker woman. Letty Sue hadn’t given up. She’d been determined to show up here today with a basket filled with food. She’d done it, too.
Chase grinned. It was plain as day that Letty Sue wasn’t cut out for domestic skills. Any man who wound up with her would have to know that from the start. Yet that man probably wouldn’t care, given her other female attributes.
She could make a man forget his own name.
She’d had that very same effect on him last night.
Chase had regrets about their encounter, but the memory of her pliant body in his arms, the soft, creamy smoothness of her skin, the giving way her mouth pressed his would be forever etched in his mind.
He yanked his hat down low on his forehead and closed his eyes. Nothing like a good nap to clear a man’s head.
The all-too-familiar scent of jasmine wafted in the air, bringing Chase out of his slumber. He turned his head in the direction of the pleasing fragrance and opened his eyes slowly. Raising up slightly, he made sure not to disturb the silence.
Letty Sue lay curled up next to him on a thin quilt she’d brought to the picnic. Her pinned-up hair had come half-loose in a wild tangle. Dark strands framed her lovely face, creating a vision so darn enticing Chase could only stare, watching her sleep peacefully.
“Brave Spirited Raven,” he whispered. He longed to run his fingers through the dark silk, but he didn’t want to disturb her peace, or his own. Touching her again would only bring forth images he’d best wipe clean from his mind.
He still couldn’t believe she’d come anywhere near him again. Her anger had matched her exasperation when he’d laughed in her face today. He hadn’t meant to hurt her and he hadn’t been laughing over her carelessness with the basket, as she believed. It was her clever and inventive way of dealing with a dilemma that surprised him.
But the woman would never believe his claims of innocence on that matter. They were too different, though both were more than a bit stubborn, and they tended to lock horns more than they ever agreed on a subject.
Walk as one, stand together.
With his gaze fastened on Letty Sue, so pretty in her saffron-yellow dress, her ample chest rising and falling serenely in her slumber, Chase could only shake his head.
Letty Sue, the temptress with the near perfect face and brilliant azure eyes, would never be his.
He knew that as sure as he knew that the blazing sun would most certainly vanish below the horizon tonight.
Letty Sue opened her eyes to find herself lying next to Chase Wheeler under a tall mesquite tree, away from the festivities. His gaze was on the potato-sack race happening in the clearing just beyond the picnic tables. She sat up quickly, fidgeted with the hair that had come undone and straightened out creases in her dress. It hadn’t been her intent to fall asleep next to him. She’d come to speak with him, and while she patiently waited for him to awaken, she must have fallen asleep as well.
He turned to her and smiled. Why did his smiles mean so much to her? And why were her feelings all jumbled up? Up until now, she’d been a woman who knew her own mind. She’d always known what she wanted from life, had always known how to get it.
But it was Sally who’d coerced her earlier into coming back here. She’d said that Letty Sue didn’t really know Chase, and that to better understand him, she should try talking with him. Simply talking. They’d never really done that.
It seemed all they managed to do was get angry with each other.
“Didn’t think you’d come back.” He spoke softly. She felt the heat of his dark gaze.
Turning to him, she shrugged. “I thought we could talk.”
“Talk?” Chase’s expression revealed his outright confusion.
“Yes, Chase. Talk. Like two grown-ups.”
He raised his brows. “About what?”
“Anything you want.”
“I’m not much for talking, Letty Sue, but I will say this, you’re a remarkable woman. Not too many women would have done what you did today.”
She didn’t agree. She’d felt inadequate, and then humiliated until Chase had once again saved her pride. “Because I hired someone to cook a meal for me?”
Seeming admiration sparked in his eyes. “Well, yeah.”
A hint of a smile began surfacing, curving her lips. “I do what has to get done, Chase.”
“Resourceful.”
“When I have to be.”
“It’s an admirable trait, Letty Sue. You don’t give up and you hold your head high.”
“At least I got something from Mama.”
Chase leaned back, stretching out his long legs, bracing himself with his elbows. Letty Sue did the same. The strong sweet Southern sun peeked through the branches, warming her cheeks.
She glanced over at Chase. His rugged jaw was set, and his ink-black hair curled slightly at the nape, lifting in the soft breeze. A white shirt fit snugly on broad shoulders, the color setting off his deeply bronzed skin.
Letty Sue recalled his potent kisses last night, his tender yet tough way of making her yield to his passion. He’d touched her as no other man ever had. She wanted more—she’d wanted it all. She should feel shamed at the wanton way she’d behaved, but instead, she felt contentment such as she’d never known before. The recollections of last night heated her body and warmed her heart. No other man had ever evoked in her such intimate and heady responses.
Only Chase.
“Is it because of Mama, Chase?”
He caught her meaning immediately and didn’t hesitate to answer. For that, she was grateful. He glanced at her quickly before lifting his face to the sun. “There was a woman once that caused me nothing but grief, Letty Sue.” He brought his head down and leveled a gaze at her. His eyes were bright with honesty, his voice earnest. “Spoiled, selfish, beautiful.” He stared at Letty Sue then, and added, “The boss’s stepdaughter.”
The similarities couldn’t be missed. And by the way Chase was looking at her, she knew he, too, believed her to be all of those things. A lump lodged in her throat. To deny those similarities would serve no purpose. Chase had stated his case, more than once, letting her know exactly what he thought of her. The insult felt like a harsh slap to her cheek.
“She hurt you. You wanted her and she hurt you.”
Chase didn’t deny it. Unwelcome emotion roiled within her as she thought of Chase and his desire for another woman.
“What we want and what we can have are two different notions, Letty Sue.”
“I’ve heard that said before. But I never understood the meaning. I always thought you should go after what you want, as long as no one gets hurt.”
“Snow Cloud once told me that sometimes you can’t help the hurt, even when you do the right thing.”
“What did your mother mean by that?”
“I think she was speaking of my father. She said she loved him fiercely, but knew when the time came for him to leave, she wouldn’t go with him.”
“What happened?” Letty Sue turned to face him fully, eager to hear about Chase’s family, his past.
“She often spoke of my father, but never with much detail, really. She’d tell me I had his honor and strength. She found him near dead in Indian Territory one winter. He’d been bushwhacked and left to die. She brought him home and nursed him in
her lodge. They fell in love and were married in the eyes of the Cheyenne. When he fully recovered, he had to head back to his own life. His white life. Snow Cloud knew she could never live in the white world. She loved the tribe and her heritage too much and knew she’d never fit in anywhere but with the Cheyenne. He pleaded with her for months, delayed his leaving, but finally she made it clear it was for the best. I know it cost my mother her heart to let him go, but she knew it was the only way. He couldn’t stay and she couldn’t leave.”
“What about you?”
“He didn’t know about me. He’d left long before I was born.”
“You never had a father, then?”
“No, but my grandfather and I were very close. At night, I’d visit him. He was a master storyteller. I learned all the Cheyenne legends from him. He and Snow Cloud were enough for me.”
“We both grew up without fathers,” she said sadly.
“We had strong mothers.”
They seemed to have that in common, but their differences more than made up for what they mutually shared.
Yet Letty Sue felt a kinship with him now, grateful he’d shared this part of his past with her. He’d been hurt in many ways, had lost ones closest to him. Impulsively, she reached out to touch his arm. “Chase…”
“Come on, Letty Sue,” he said, standing abruptly. He leaned over to help her up. “We should get back.”
Letty Sue sighed wearily and took the hand he offered. She knew he’d not be offering anything more.
Chapter Nine
Chase stood on the sidelines with Sam, watching the children’s relay races. Both Letty Sue and Sally were on the front lines, cheering their assigned teams on. Both women had volunteered to help with the games and hand out the ribbons to the winners.
“How’s the shoulder, Sam?”
Sam rubbed his left shoulder. “Better after Sally tended to it. She rubbed some liniment on and patched me up real good.”
“I heard a snake crossed your path.”
“Yeah, usually I’m watching out, but I was anxious to get to the festivities. I guess my mind wasn’t much on where I was going. That old diamondback put a fright into Willy. Never saw that cow pony get so doggone jiggled. It caught me off guard, and when Willy jolted, I flew off and landed flat out on my shoulder. It’s gonna be stiff for a while, I imagine.”
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