“Glad to hear that. So, why the long face?”
Houston rushed out his answer. “I’m going to buy the hardware store in town and run it myself.”
“Are you now? I’m sure you’ll make a success of it.” Pa’s eyes narrowed. “But why turn down your share of the 7 Heart? Run your store and your ranch, too.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Really? I thought I’d have to spend all my time ranching.”
“Travis doesn’t. He runs his medical practice and oversees things at his ranch, but he hires ranch hands to tend to the chores.”
The shackles that had bound Houston fell off. The realization that he could run the store and claim his land sent a jolt of excitement through him. All he had to do was find a wife.
Hopefully, he’d been right about what he’d seen in Coralee’s eyes, and she would consider marrying him. He knew exactly how he would propose. The way he planned to go about it would leave no doubt of his intentions—or the depth of his love. He just had to take care of one important matter first.
Chapter Ten
I can’t leave.” Coralee completed her father’s midmorning exercises and laid his arm on top of the sheet.
“We’ll be fine, Miss C.” Sally gathered the dirty dishes on the bedside table. “Your daddy’s having a good day, and your brother is feeling a lot better. If Doc Travis would let him, Calvin would be out of bed and back in the saddle in two shakes of a calf’s tail.”
Sally was right on all counts. Daddy showed no signs of agitation. Of course, the fact that Travis had been by and said it was time to double the dose of laudanum had a lot to do with that. Seeing Daddy’s glassy-eyed stare as he lay there as still as the hot summer air sent a stabbing pain through her.
The news on Calvin was encouraging, though. His ribs appeared to be healing nicely, and he’d shown no signs of pneumonia. Best of all, he was more cheerful than she’d seen him in a long time. Whatever Houston had said when he stopped by to talk with Calvin yesterday had a profound effect on him. She would have to thank Houston later.
She’d have to guard her heart, too, because she couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d helped her with Daddy. Houston had been firm but gentle, lending his strength when hers had failed. She’d turned into a blubbering mess, and yet he’d held her close and looked at her with admiration in his clear blue eyes. Due to her overwrought state, she’d mistaken it for affection at first. Whatever it was, she was finding it harder and harder to keep from falling for him all over again.
If only she knew for sure that he was going to stay, but she couldn’t get that telegram from his partner in California out of her mind. Before they were interrupted, she’d been sure he was thinking about leaving. How she hoped she was wrong. Perhaps some time away to clear her head would be a good thing.
“Meribeth has been asking me to visit, and I do have those baby clothes I ordered. I’ll make sure I’m back in time to help with Daddy’s afternoon exercises.”
“Take your time, child. Olive and I can see to things here.”
Coralee enjoyed the ride to town, with the wind whipping her ringlets. She passed several live oaks teeming with purple martins. Their throaty chirps and clicking calls filled the air. They would be leaving the area soon, now that the chicks had left their nests.
Leaving. Was that all she could think about lately?
She lifted her gaze to the brilliant blue sky. Lord, if it’s Your will for Houston to stay, I trust You to work things out for him here. But if he decides to return to California and run the business he worked so hard to build, please help me let him go. It would grieve me to lose him again, but I want him to be happy.
Meribeth was delighted to see Coralee and ushered her to the rooms over the mercantile, where she and her husband lived. Her friend bustled about the kitchen, preparing the meal, while Coralee set the table. The scent of fried chicken hung in the air, a promise of the tasty lunch to come.
“Do you realize how many times you’ve mentioned Houston since you arrived?” Meribeth repeated several of Coralee’s comments in a too-sweet voice. “Please tell me you haven’t changed your mind about him. Remember what he did to you.”
“I do, but he’s changed. Not that you have to worry about me throwing myself at him,” she added quickly. A change of subject was in order. “I’m glad I listened to Sally. It’s wonderful to see you again. You’re looking so—”
“Big?” Meribeth laughed, wiped her hands on her apron, and picked up the baby clothes lying on the sideboard.
Her ploy had worked. “I was going to say radiant.”
“These gowns are darling. Look at this lovely smocking.” Meribeth carried the garments to the window and examined Widow Foster’s excellent needlework in the bright sunlight.
She set the baby clothes aside and rubbed her lower back as she peered out. From her vantage point, Meribeth would have a good view of Hartville’s main street below, which was a hive of activity that morning. “I’d heard a woman in my condition could find the final months a mite tiresome. I can attest to that.”
“I’m sorry you’re hurting. Do you think you’ll feel like going to the Harts’ barn dance tomorrow night? I hope so, because it wouldn’t be the same without you and Michael.” Friends from far and wide had been invited to help the family celebrate the conclusion of another successful cattle drive. She’d been looking forward to the event ever since she received the invitation. Houston might ask to take her for a spin on the dance floor. And this time she would say yes without delay.
“We plan to join the fun, but I won’t be doing any danc—” Meribeth gasped.
Coralee was at her side in an instant. “Are you in pain? It’s too early for the baby, isn’t it?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just saw something unexpected. That’s all.”
“What?” Coralee stood beside her friend and scanned the street below, but nothing looked unusual. Clusters of people stood on the planked walkways visiting, while others entered and exited the shops. Fred Chambers hefted a large wooden trunk into the boot of his trusty stagecoach. “It looks like someone’s planning to be away for quite some time. I wonder who that could be.”
Meribeth backed away from the window, eyes wide, reached for her chair, and sank into it.
“Why do you look so shocked? It’s not like it was the midwife or anything. Annie Hart isn’t going anywhere.”
Uncertainty filled her friend’s eyes. “I didn’t see Annie get inside the stagecoach. It was … someone else. Someone you care about—even though your best friend warned you not to.”
The realization of what Meribeth had seen hit Coralee with such force that her knees threatened to buckle. “It’s Houston, isn’t it? He’s the one who’s leaving.”
“I’m afraid so. I heard people in the mercantile say he’s going to run his hardware store after all. I’m sorry, Coralee. I was afraid this would happen when I heard he’d come back. You’ve always had a soft spot where he was concerned. And now he’s hurt you all over again. It’s a good thing he’s leaving, because if he were staying here, I would give him a piece of my mind.”
“It’s all right. I’m fine.” She wasn’t, but she would deal with her pain privately. “So, tell me. Have you and Michael decided on names yet?”
Thankfully, her loyal friend let the matter drop. They enjoyed a delicious meal, although Coralee scarcely tasted it. She bid Meribeth good-bye shortly afterward, resorting to the ready excuse of needing to get back home to check on her father.
Coralee had just unwound her mare’s reins when Clarice Spanner burst out of First National Bank next door and rushed up to her. “You’re just the person I wanted to see, Coralee. I was inside tending to my deposit and couldn’t help overhearing a conversation between Velma Duke and Bernard Palmer.”
Although what the president of the Confederate Widows and Orphans Fund and the bank president had been discussing was none of Clarice’s business, such things didn’t stop her. Coralee di
dn’t want to encourage the gossip, but Clarice prattled on. “I thought you might be interested in hearing what they said since a familiar name came up. It turns out the mysterious benefactor who’s been the CWAOF’s primary source of income all these years is none other than your former beau, Houston Hart. Can you believe it?”
It took every ounce of restraint Coralee possessed not to show her surprise. She knew Houston was generous, but—
“That’s not all.” Clarice looked up and down the street, as though she was concerned someone might hear her, when, in all likelihood, she would be bending the ears of anyone who would listen as soon as she finished regaling Coralee with the news. “It turns out he sent money to the war department before that, supporting our troops until our brave boys came home. What do you think of that?”
“It’s … interesting.” She’d had no idea Houston had done so much to support Texas from afar. She’d even accused him of being a fortune seeker. How wrong she’d been. He might have gone away for a time, but it seemed he really had left his heart in Texas.
If that was the case, then why had he chosen to return to California? If he wanted to run a hardware store, he could have done that right here in Hartville.
She knew the answer, painful though it was. Whatever she and Houston had shared was over for good. He didn’t want her in his life, and she must accept that. She would accept that. But first she had to get away before she broke down right in front of the most notorious spreader of tales in town.
“I can’t believe Houston’s gone.” Coralee sat on the edge of her brother’s bed the following afternoon and handed him a cool glass of water. By keeping herself busy, she’d managed to get through the first day after Houston’s departure without shedding a tear. There had been times when she’d had to blink them away before they fell, but not a single one had coursed down her cheek. Of course, if she kept thinking about him…
Calvin took a sip. “You could have stopped him. Why didn’t you?”
Because nothing had changed. She loved him, but he hadn’t loved her enough to find out why she’d been forced to turn him down. Oh, she’d thought he had, but she’d been wrong. Not that she would admit that to her brother. “Two weeks ago you were warning me to stay away from him. Now you want to know why I didn’t stop him. That’s quite a change.”
“I was wrong about him. He did me a huge favor. If it weren’t for Houston, I”—he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing—“I could have lost the ranch.”
She inhaled sharply. “No! That can’t be. What happened?”
Calvin took a sudden interest in his glass, swirling the water around. “I didn’t want to tell you before, but the foreman I hired was a crook. He lined his pockets with my money the whole time he worked for me. I’d suspected him for a while, but it wasn’t until last year that I found a couple of discrepancies. That’s why I let him go. I had no solid proof, though. Houston’s the one who figured everything out.”
That explained the hours Houston had spent poring over Calvin’s books and their talks every evening behind the closed door. “I knew something was going on, but I had no idea it was so serious. You said you could have lost the ranch. Does that mean things are all right now?”
He drained the glass and handed it back to her. “Houston has found out where the swindler is, and there are plans in the works to have him arrested. If all goes well, I’m going to get a good deal of the money back.”
“Oh, Calvin, that’s wonderful.”
“Things aren’t certain. The details are still coming together. In fact”—he stroked his chin—“I was supposed to have heard from Chisholm Hart by now. Would you mind riding over to see if he has news for me?”
“Really? You’re asking me to show up at another Hart celebration, when I could just get the message tomorrow?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have to, but it’s a timely matter. We can’t keep the other lawmen waiting.”
“Fine.” She huffed out a breath. “I’ll do it. But I hope Travis lets you get up and about soon because I’m tired of being sent over there.”
She made short work of changing into her favorite blue dress with the frilly white blouse. She checked on Daddy, mounted her horse, and headed for the 7 Heart. She’d find Chisholm, get the note, and get back home as quickly as possible.
The strains of a lively tune reached her as she neared El Regalo. She reined in her mare and studied the stately ranch house, silhouetted against the setting sun. Made of stone, with its majestic tower scraping the clouds and its wealth of windows, the massive structure resembled a castle, more imposing than inviting, although the Hart family itself was the embodiment of hospitality. So, why did she feel so out of place?
Coralee rode to the stable, where a ranch hand took her horse. She searched the crowd for Chisholm. Tall, like all of Houston’s brothers, he wasn’t hard to find. He stood beside his father. She wove her way toward the two men, slipping through the crush of people surrounding the dance floor. The festivities had gotten underway early and would continue well into the night.
Chisholm saw her and smiled. “Welcome, Coralee. We’ve been expecting you.”
“Good. Then you have the message for my brother?”
George Washington Hart answered. “There’ll be time enough for that later, young lady, after you’ve enjoyed some good old-fashioned Texas food and fun. But first let me welcome you.” He yanked off his Stetson, waved it over his head, and offered her a gentlemanly bow with his hat pressed to his chest. The lively number ended rather abruptly, and the musicians launched into a waltz.
GW nodded. “That’s more like it. I’ve been hankering after a dance, but I need a partner. Would you do me the honor?”
She couldn’t very well turn down the patriarch of the family, even if he intimidated her. “Yes, sir.”
He escorted her onto the wooden dance floor. In deference to their host, the couples parted, allowing GW to guide her to the centermost spot. He took her in his arms and guided her in slow, easy circles.
“I heard the drive was a huge success.”
“It was.”
Their conversation was cut short when a gentleman with his hat tugged low and his face turned away tapped GW on the shoulder. “May I cut in?”
Coralee recognized the voice at once. “Houston! You’re here?”
Chapter Eleven
Houston’s father released Coralee and grinned. “She’s all yours, son.”
It took all the restraint Houston possessed not to kiss Coralee then and there, but he reined himself in. His plan had gone smoothly so far—aside from having been spotted leaving town—but he was far from certain how she’d react to the next step.
Houston and Coralee assumed the waltz position, and off they went, swirling about the dance floor. He drew in a breath of her floral-scented perfume and gazed into her beautiful face. “You look lovely.”
His compliment didn’t even seem to register. She was still overcoming the shock. Perhaps his plan to take her by surprise wasn’t a good idea after all, but it was too late to change things now.
“I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you’d gone.”
“I wouldn’t leave without telling you.”
“But you did. Meribeth saw you board the stagecoach yesterday, and I saw Fred load your trunk with my own eyes.”
He led her through a crush of dancers with a series of deft moves, narrowly avoiding a collision with a rather enthusiastic ranch hand and his lady. “The trunk wasn’t mine. I was only going to San Antonio to make a special purchase, so all I took was a satchel.”
“I thought you’d left for California.”
“So I heard.”
Coralee’s chocolate-brown eyes widened, and her brow furrowed. “You knew, and yet you allowed me to go on believing that you were gone?”
“I’d hoped to keep my whereabouts a secret.”
“Oh, they were, all right. I thought you’d gone off and left me like you did before. But you didn’t.
”
Was the tremble in her chin a good sign or a bad one? At least she was here, thanks to Calvin, no doubt. Her brother had promised to say whatever it took to get her to attend the post-drive dance. Unlike her, Calvin was in on Houston’s plan—and heartily approved of it.
Despite a stomach so heavy it felt as though he’d swallowed an anvil, he had to enact the next phase. Things would either go well, or they wouldn’t. Please, Lord, give me the courage to make it through this.
Houston caught the eye of his nearest brother and nodded. Crockett raised his hat over his head, a signal to the musicians to stop playing, which they did. Houston released Coralee.
She looked around, obviously searching for answers. “How odd. That’s two numbers in a row they’ve cut short.”
“There’s a reason for that. You’ll see.”
The other couples gathered at the edges of the dance floor. Crockett and the rest of Houston’s brothers—with the exception of reclusive Bowie—strode onto the planked surface and formed a ring around Houston and Coralee. They were joined by Pa, the Hart women, and Houston’s nephew, Robbie.
Coralee’s eyes grew wider and wider. “What’s going on?”
Houston drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. Moments from now he would either be the happiest man in all of Texas, or he would be forced to take his miserable self back to California and carry on with a large part of his heart missing.
He took Coralee’s hands in his. “I know how important family is to you. I have a wonderful one, and I want them to witness this moment. Coralee Culpepper, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I was a fool to leave you all those years ago, but I’m back, and I’m here to stay.”
“Are you sure? Because I can’t leave. I made a promise.”
“I am sure, and I will help you honor that promise. We’ll see things through together.”
She pressed her fingers to her lips. “That’s about the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. And I know you mean it. You’ve shown me that.”
Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection Page 31