by Ana Leigh
They returned to the jail. “Lock him up,” Pike ordered, indicating Jeff with a wave of the hand. “Too bad he ain’t that deputy. I’ve still got a score to settle with him for killing my brother.”
“This’ll get you hung for sure,” Jethro warned as they cuffed Jeff and shoved him into the other cell.
“Reckon I’ve got nothin’ to lose then, old man.” With a malevolent smirk, he pulled the trigger.
“Dad!” Jeff cried out in horror when his father pitched forward and fell to the floor.
“Pike, there’s some armed men heading this way. Let’s get the hell out of here,” Keeler snarled.
As Pike ran out he fired a couple of quick shots at Jeff but missed. The trigger clicked on an empty chamber and he tossed the empty gun away in disgust.
Chapter 11
When Colt rode up to the Lazy B ranch house, he saw Cassie on top of the barn, repairing the roof. She wasn’t overjoyed to see him.
“Cassie, what are you doing up there?”
She gave the nail she’d been pounding several additional whacks. “It rained last night, Deputy, and the roof leaked.”
“I meant why are you doing it? Don’t you have a ranch hand to do that kind of work?”
“Jeff, Cathy, and I are the ranch hands. We let the crew go and moved into town when outlaws ran off our herd. We’ve been slowly rounding up strays and collecting a herd again. What do you want, Colt?”
“I understand you won’t be returning to town for awhile. Did you really want me to leave without saying good-bye?”
“Good-bye. It has been a pleasure to know you, and if you ever come through again on your way back to Virginia, I hope you’ll drop in and say hello. Now, I’m sorry, but I have work to do.” She returned to pounding nails.
“You’re not fooling me,” he yelled. “You ran away because you were afraid to trust yourself.”
Cassie halted. “You know, Colt, your swelled head is unbelievable. I’m not running away from anything or anyone, especially you. I know what you want from me, and I’ve been telling you as politely as I can that you’re wasting your time. It’s not going to happen, Deputy Fraser. So give it up!”
She tossed down the hammer and pouch of nails, then began to walk over to the ladder. The boot heel on her right foot slipped out from under her, and she slid down the sloped roof with a shriek. A protruding nail at the roof edge snagged the back of her belt, and she dangled from the tenuous snare.
“Stay still and don’t move or that nail might pull out,” Colt called.
“Well, what should I do? Even if I could reach behind me and unhook myself, I’d fall.”
He moved the ladder directly under her and climbed up.
“I’ll get your feet on the top rung, then you can scoot yourself back a little to dislodge yourself. I’ll be right here holding your legs.”
“The ladder won’t hold both of us.”
“Sure it will. Okay, here’s the top rung. Now scoot back!”
With Colt supporting her, Cassie tried to free herself from the nail. As she moved up and down to unsnag herself, her lower body rubbed repeatedly against his, and Colt felt himself grow hard.
He gritted his teeth. “Tell me, Miss Braden, do you always have these mishaps, or are you doing it to attract my attention?”
“You flatter yourself, Deputy Fraser.”
Cassie slid free into his arms, and there was a horrific crack as the rung splintered from their full weights. They dropped into the pile of hay below, Cassie on her back, with Colt on top of her. Her cheeks reddened under the intensity of his stare.
“Well, here we are, smack dab on the middle of a haystack. Do you believe in fate, Miz Braden?” He ran a finger gently down her cheek, then kissed her.
Gentle at first, his mouth quickly became demanding. Cassie’s pulse leaped, and as his hand ran up her side to cup her breast, she arched beneath him, yearning for more. His thumb brushed her nipple and she whimpered, wanting flesh to flesh. She wanted to rip her clothes off, to rip his clothes off, to…In panic, she shoved him off her.
They lay there silently for a moment.
“Whew. That was a close call,” she said.
“I wish it had been even closer,” Colt said with a sexy grin.
His dark-eyed gaze was riveted on the parted moistness of her mouth, and he began to trace her lips with his thumb. “You know I want you, Cassie. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you on that stagecoach.” Pulling her closer, he murmured in her ear, “And I know you want me, too.”
“I admit I find you attractive and you’re fun to be with, Colt, but it’s just not going to happen.”
“Why not? Why are you fighting it?”
“Because I’m not ready for what you want—even if I weren’t engaged.”
He slid his hands slowly down the slim lines of her back, and she knew he could feel her quivering response.
“Cassie, you’re ready,” he whispered. “Every inch of you is ready.”
She had to keep a firm grip on herself.
“Are you so shallow, Colt, that the only thing you want from a woman is her body? You may win the skirmish, but you’ll lose the war because it’s a temporary victory. You’ll move on to fight the same battle again and again with other women. If anyone’s running, it’s you. You’re afraid to fall in love and settle down.”
When his hands slipped away and he drew back, Cassie knew she had won. But there was no satisfaction in the victory.
“I admit I’m not ready to settle down right now, but it’s just human nature to want to mate.”
“That may be your philosophy, Colt, but not mine. I could never ‘mate,’ as you put it, without being in love. It would be against the moral concepts I’ve lived by my whole life.”
“Sounds more like romantic concepts, Cassie. Believe me, one of these days you’ll find out you can’t keep denying these urges. They’re normal and healthy.”
The feelings he stirred in her might be healthy, but they were anything but normal for her.
She turned away from him, though it was hard to deny the urge to feel his hands on her again. She and Ted had never gone beyond kissing and caressing. Maybe because he’d never stirred the physical excitement in her that Colt did.
Cassie stiffened when he grasped her by the shoulders. She leaned away in an effort to escape him, but he slid his hands down her arms and trapped them at her sides. Shuddering when he pulled her against him, with a remorseful sigh she allowed herself to lean back against his warm and muscular strength. It felt so good. His mouth became a husky seduction at her ear.
“Cassie, just moments ago your body responded to my touch. I felt it and so did you. There’s nothing moral about denying a God-given gratification when no one will be hurt by it.”
“Ted would be hurt by it.”
He turned her to face him. “He may never come back. After all this time, it’s unlikely that he will. Could you be using him as a shield to avoid facing these feelings, Cassie?”
She stared at him, wide-eyed, and he lowered his head. “One last kiss.”
Her lips parted beneath the warm pressure of his, and a delicious sensation swirled in the pit of her stomach.
Shocked by the thrill of her reaction, she fought to retain hold of her senses when the kiss deepened. As passion swelled through her, she realized how much she wanted Colt. Perhaps the need to be loved was an overpowering urge in everyone.
For the past five years she had yearned for such a moment, and now that it was here, the right or wrong of it was no longer a consideration. The need for it was.
Slipping her arms around his neck, she moved closer into his embrace. The sensuous slide of his tongue past her lips elicited a throaty moan, sweeping away any remaining resistance.
She had no conscious awareness of when he opened her shirt and pushed the straps of her camisole off her shoulders, or when he lowered her to the floor. Awareness was the exciting feel of his body stretched out on hers. The
exquisite ecstacy of his tongue laving her nipples to hardened peaks, the heated moisture of his mouth enclosing them, his palms caressing them—and the core of her womanhood throbbing for the same attention.
She was shocked out of the rapture when he stopped abruptly and pulled her to her feet.
“Someone’s riding in fast.” Seeing she was too stunned to react, Colt went outside to intercept the arrival.
The rider was Harry Shannon, the waiter from the restaurant. “What’s wrong, Harry?”
“Glad I found you, Deputy,” he cried, his eyes wild with near panic. “Sheriff’s been shot. Where’s Cassie?”
Having swiftly rebuttoned her shirt, Cassie appeared at the door. “Harry! What are you doing out here?”
“Them bank robbers broke out of jail and shot your pa, Cassie. He’s in bad shape. You best hurry.”
“Oh, dear God!” she cried.
Colt had already headed for the barn. “I’ll saddle your horse!”
Cathy was sitting at her father’s bedside when Cassie and Colt reached the house. She shot to her feet, and the two sisters rushed to embrace each other.
“Is Dad—”
“He’s still alive,” Cathy said. “The next few hours are critical. Dr. Williams said if he makes it through the night, it’ll be a good sign he might pull through.”
“Where is he wounded?” Colt asked.
“He was shot in the back. The bullet’s lodged in the lung. Dr. Williams said we’ll need a more skillful surgeon than he is to remove it and he wired an associate in Santa Fe. Needless to say, Dad’s lost a lot of blood.”
Cassie walked over to the bed and stared down at her father. “He looks so peaceful.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “One would never know he’s fighting to—” She swallowed hard, unable to continue.
Her heartache was so visible that Colt moved to take her in his arms to comfort her. He halted when Cathy slipped an arm around Cassie’s shoulder instead. Hand in hand, the two sisters gazed down at their father.
“Do you think he’s in pain?” Cassie asked.
“He shouldn’t be. He’s been drugged pretty heavily to keep him still. Dr. Williams gave him an antipyretic along with some laudanum to fight the fever and pain.”
“Cathy, do you have any idea how they escaped?” Colt asked.
“A little. Jeff was at the jail when it happened. He said one of them asked for water, and the other man in the cell was able to grab his gun.” She glanced at him sorrowfully. “Colt, he was shot in cold blood. Dad’s hands were cuffed behind his back when Pike shot him.”
Ridden with guilt, Colt left the room. He was the deputy. As long as dangerous outlaws had been incarcerated, he should have remained in town to back up Jethro. Instead, he’d been trying to seduce the sheriff’s daughter while the poor man had been shot down.
A short time later, Cathy left the bedroom and came over to him. “I’m about to have a cup of coffee. Would you care for one?”
Colt shook his head. “No, thank you.”
She put a hand on his arm. “Colt,” she said gently, “you mustn’t blame yourself.”
Her eyes were red from weeping. Despite her own grief, she still was sensitive to his feelings.
“I should have stayed in town, Cathy.”
“It wouldn’t have changed what happened. I know you were on duty all night. Had you stayed in town, you most likely would have been asleep in your room when it happened.”
“I can’t just stand here and do nothing. Who’s the best tracker in town?”
“Bob Callum. Jeff and a few other men have already ridden out with him to try and pick up the trail.”
“Dammit! I should be with them.”
“There’s nothing you can do now until the men get back. Nothing any of us can do except pray. Are you sure you don’t want a cup of coffee? I think we could all use one.”
There was a serenity about Cathy that generated a sense of hope and belief in the Almighty. Colt squeezed her hand. “I think you’re right, Miz Cathy. I will have that cup of coffee, after all.”
Chapter 12
The exhausted posse returned late that night. They had found no sign of the outlaws. Cathy insisted that Jeff sit down and put some food in his stomach; as soon as the women went back to their father’s bedside, Colt sat down at the table. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for Jeff, who was stricken with guilt.
“Think you’re ready to tell me what happened, Jeff?”
“It was all my fault. Dad warned me to be careful, but I wasn’t careful enough. Pike asked for a drink, so I took it in to him. When I was handing it to him, he grabbed my hand, slammed my head against the bars, and got a chokehold around my neck. Keeler was able to reach my gun.” He buried his head in his hands. “Pike stuck it in my stomach and threatened to shoot me when Dad came in to help out. Dad did what they asked and gave up.” Jeff cried out in anguish, “He should have shot the bastard then. I’m not worth dying for.”
“Jeff, any father would have done what he did to save his son. And don’t count him out yet. Your dad’s tougher than you think.”
“I’ve been a disappointment to him my whole life,” Jeff said bitterly. “A stranger like you can ride into town and he can see you as the son he wished he had. Even my own sister is more of a son to him than I am. Cassie can ride and rope better and shoot straighter than I do. The gun I wore on my hip was a big show—the same gun that was used to put a bullet in my own dad.”
“Why did they shoot him, Jeff?”
“Because they’re vicious, rotten killers, that’s why. Dad was helpless. His hands were cuffed behind him and he was locked in a cell. And the bastard still shot him.”
“Which one of them did it?”
“Pike. He took a shot at me, too. Some day, some way, I’ll get even for what he did to Dad.”
“How did they get away?”
“Stole a couple horses from in front of the grain store and two more from the livery. Sam and the James boys apparently guessed what was happening and ran for help.”
“Those kids don’t miss a thing.”
“Yeah, but it was too late to do Dad any good.”
“How old are you, Jeff?”
“Come December, I’ll be nineteen.” He shoved back his chair and went into the bedroom and joined his sisters.
So Jeff was only an eighteen-year-old kid strutting around with a pistol strapped on his hip. Colt had seen boys as young or younger die during the war. His own nephew was only sixteen when he was killed in battle.
But looking back at his own life, Colt realized he hadn’t been much more mature at eighteen than Jeff was. He’d been obsessed with becoming a straight shot and quick draw. His dedication to becoming a lawman—and the influence of parents and older brothers—had probably kept him from becoming reckless with that ability. The ravages of war also matured a young man quickly.
Cassie came into the kitchen and sat down. “Any change?” Colt asked.
“No. At least his fever’s not getting any worse. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “That’s a real good sign, honey.”
She offered a weak smile. “You and Dad are the only two men who have ever called me honey,” she said. For a moment the sadness in her eyes deepened into tenderness. “Dad always said he couldn’t tell Cathy or me apart when we were babies, so he called us both honey to keep from hurting our feelings. He still does.”
She looked up. “You should be trying to get some sleep. You’ll have to ride out early with a posse in the morning,” she said, then got up and walked away.
Colt gathered the cups, washed them out, and put a fresh pot of coffee on the stove to brew. It was going to be a long night, and that coffeepot would see a lot of action.
Colt woke up with a start. He’d dozed off after the doctor had left at midnight, and he had no idea how long he’d been asleep. A dimly lit oil lamp showed Cathy asleep in a nearby chair and Jeff s
tretched out on the couch; all three of Jethro’s children had maintained a vigil throughout the night near or in their father’s room.
Colt went over to the doorway of Jethro’s room. Cassie was kneeling at her father’s bedside, holding his hand and speaking to the unconscious man. He knew he should leave during this private moment, but he remained transfixed as he listened.
“You can’t leave us now, Dad,” she whispered. “We would be lost without you. We still have so much growing up to do. Especially Jeff and me.
“We don’t tell you often enough how much we love you, and we should. But you know we do, don’t you? The three of us are all so different, but the one thing we have in common is our love for you. I know you don’t believe this, but I think Jeff loves you even more than Cathy and I do, if that’s humanly possible. And I know, despite all your scolding, you feel the same towards him. Oh, you both are so stubborn—if only you would admit what’s in your hearts.”
She pressed a kiss to his hand. “It’s been so long that it’s hard to remember everything about Mom, but I do remember her gentleness and kind eyes. Cathy has that same gentleness and kindness. And I remember the love in your eyes when you looked at Mom. I see it often now when you look at Cathy. The love and pride you feel for her because she’s so like Mom. I know you miss Mom, Dad. I know how much you want to be with her again, but we need you.
“I know I’m as much of a disappointment to you as Jeff is—I’m headstrong and reckless. But deep down, I wish I could be more like Mom and Cathy. I wish I could have their gentle ways, and be the sweet reminder of Mom to you that Cathy is. But I most likely never will be, and I’m sorry. Not only because I’ve disappointed you, but because my actions have unintentionally harmed Jeff.”
Her eyes glistened with tears. “Do you see, Dad? You’ve got to let Jeff and me make it up to you. You can’t diminish Cathy’s hope and faith. We all still need you so much and can’t let you go.”