Texas Rose TH2

by Patricia Rice

  * * *

  The sunlight prevented Tyler from seeing in the front window of the little house behind the livery, but he knew she was standing there, working on that damned painting as she had every night these last weeks. Manuel had told him what she was doing when he'd asked about the light that came on in there every night. She was going to ruin her eyes just like her father had if she didn't give it up pretty soon.

  Tyler turned away. It wasn't any of his business any longer. Hale had served him with some papers that had enjoined him from being in Evie's company and told him that the marriage was legally null and void, but he hadn't seen Evie's writing on the papers anywhere, and he'd thrown them out. He'd thought he could walk away now that Evie had found what she wanted, but he didn't seem able to make the move. He still felt married, and he wanted to know for certain that Evie didn't feel that way any longer.

  He had seen her eating dinner with Hale twice, and even Kyle Harding had been over, sniffing around again. Rumors were rampant, but Tyler hadn't given credence to any of them. Not until he heard the words from Evie would he begin to believe.

  So he supposed he ought to talk to Evie, but he couldn't bring himself to do it just yet. He needed to dig her out of his flesh first. She was the glue holding him together. He had to see if he could still walk away without her. Winning that card game was the first step toward independence.

  Tyler started throwing his clothes in the valise he had brought here with him. He owned half of a saloon. The jubilant triumph of that knowledge warred with the other Tyler, the one who didn't want any ties. He could lose the damned saloon as easily as he had gained it. He couldn't look at it as his. But the pride of ownership kept creeping up on him.

  He could show Evie and the whole town that he could be somebody. The saloon was just a start. He had enough in the bank to buy a herd of cattle if he chose. And the sum he had won at this last card game would give him enough to live on for quite a while. He didn't even need to gamble if he didn't want to. He could become a rancher, or run for sheriff against Powell, or anything else he applied his mind to.

  But his mind was on Evie.

  Not acknowledging that thought, Tyler slammed the valise shut and started out the door. Ben met him on the stairs.

  Ben threw the valise a shrewd look, then narrowed his eyes as he looked back to Tyler. "Going somewhere?"

  "I'm a landowner now. I've got to look after my property." Tyler pushed by him and continued down the stairs.

  Ben followed. "Thought for a minute there you might be thinking of leaving town. You have a tendency to do that when things start tying you down."

  "I'll go when I'm damned good and ready to go. There's still some unfinished business here."

  "That's good to hear. I thought you might be interested in a few things I found out over at the livery." Ben waited until Tyler turned around to stare at him. "Somewhere private, my friend."

  Tyler nodded, and they clattered out of the hotel together.

  * * *

  "Mr. Harding, this is a surprise. Won't you please come in?" Evie tried to hide her astonishment at the sight of Jason Harding standing at the front door. His expression was grim, and she had a sinking feeling that his call wasn't purely social, but she put on her best lady face and smiled.

  Inside, Jason gave Peyton, sitting in the corner with Maria in his lap, an even more furious look before turning to his hostess. "Is there somewhere we can talk private?"

  Evie looked around for some support. She wished Tyler were here, but she had to face the fact that he might never be here again. Catching sight of Daniel's questioning look, she remembered his words of earlier, and taking a deep breath, she faced Jason Harding directly. "There isn't anything we can say that my family can't hear."

  "Your family?" Jason gave the assorted collection of children and adults an incredulous look. "Tyler said you had a tendency to stretch the truth, but that's stretching it a little too far. Let me take you down to the cafe for a cup of coffee."

  He was just a man, after all. Evie could forgive him for his stupidity. She smiled and taking his arm, led him toward a chair. "My father, James Peyton." She gestured to the man in the rocker who nodded his head in greeting but didn't offer his hand. "I believe you know Daniel. He's more of an adopted brother than a blood brother, but we were raised together, so it's the same thing to us."

  If Jason weren't so tall, she'd shove him into a seat, but she did the next best thing. She sat down in the chair beside the one she offered to him. He was forced to follow suit. She gestured to the children. "And of course you know my cousins. Their mother was my aunt."

  Jason sat in stunned silence, trying to take in the enormity of the misconception that he had arrived here under. Glancing to the older man and catching his cynical look, he almost flushed. He gripped his hat brim like some greenhorn adolescent and tried to summon apologies for words he'd thought but hadn't said.

  Evie smiled brilliantly. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Mr. Harding?"

  "I... uh." He stammered and turned red under her gaze. Gulping and remembering the reason he had come here, Jason forced the words out. "I came here tonight as a representative of the school board, but it's Kyle I'm concerned about. He's been on a rip-roaring drunk these last two days, and you're to blame, Mrs. Peyton, or Monteigne, or whoever you are."

  Evie turned to Carmen. "I think you better bring Mr. Harding some of that beer, Carmen. And if Jose and Manuel show up, send them into the bedroom." She returned her attention to Jason. "As far as I am aware, I am still Mrs. Monteigne. I tried to explain to Kyle, and I'd thought he'd understood. Is there anything I can do?"

  Jason threw Peyton a curious look. "You can tell him this man is your father, for one thing."

  Evie looked surprised, but Peyton gave their visitor a disgusted look. "He thinks you've found a new suitor more to your liking," he explained.

  Evie's eyes widened as she turned back to Jason. "Why, Mr. Harding, that's an evil mind you have! Even Tyler could see the resemblance. Shame on you."

  Carmen set the beer on the table, and in the background Daniel snickered behind the pages of his book.

  Jason had the grace to look embarrassed. "Well, it seemed mighty odd that Tyler moved out when this man moved in. And there's all these rumors flying around about you and Tyler not being married when everybody knows..." He shut up under the curious gaze of the pair on the pallet and turned his attention to the older man. "You look mighty familiar to me, Peyton." His forehead wrinkled in a slight frown as he turned back to Evie. "And I thought your married name was Peyton, not your maiden name."

  Before Evie could reply, Peyton answered for her. "Daniel thought it safer if she traveled as a widow since she didn't have any servants to accompany her. Although I grew up here, my daughter has never been in Texas. She wasn't certain what to expect."

  Jason began to relax. "And she came here to meet you. Are you a traveling man, sir?"

  "I've been in California," Peyton acknowledged stiffly.

  They were making up lies for her. Evie listened in amazement, but she wasn't about to correct them. Her concern was for Kyle and for her job. "Now will you tell me if there is anything I can do for Kyle, Mr. Harding? I've tried to be just as plain as can be with him, but people have such wicked tongues. He really shouldn't listen to them."

  Jason's expression went grim again. "You can't deny that your husband has taken rooms at the saloon. It doesn't set a good example for the children. Kyle accepted the fact that you married another man, but it's a bit difficult to accept that you don't live with your husband. He's thinking he should have done something to keep you from making the wrong decision, and he's blaming himself."

  Evie would have preferred to scream and throw a tantrum and tell everyone to mind their own business, but she managed a small smile and straightened her gown and folded her hands in her lap. "It's a little difficult for all of us to live in this small house, Mr. Harding. And admittedly, Tyler and I have had a lit
tle tiff, but that shouldn't be anyone's concern but ours. My father is seeing to the repair of his old home while Tyler is making a place for us here. Everything will be straightened out with time. You just tell Kyle I'd be appreciative of his support. Your brother is the sweetest man I've ever met, but you can see for yourself that we would never suit. Why, I'd up and die of loneliness out there on that ranch all by myself."

  She thought she'd almost smoothed everything over when the front door crashed open and a giant, bald-headed man stood there.

  Before she could even catch enough breath to scream, Logan pulled his gun and aimed it at the man with the child sleeping in his lap.

  "Peyton, I'm going to kill you."

  Evie did scream then, as chairs crashed to the ground and the men in the room scrambled to their feet.

  Chapter 36

  "Logan, you old bastard! Angelina told me you were dead." James Peyton calmly handed a now wailing Maria into Evie's hands as Jason put his hand on his gun and moved threateningly to block Evie and the children from the intruder.

  "Don't give me that bullshit, Peyton. I want my money." Logan left the door open behind him as he held his gun high, but his gaze drifted nervously to Evie and her weeping charges.

  "And you'll get it, but there's no sense in making the womenfolk hysterical. Let's go over to the Red Eye and catch up on old times." Peyton threw a glance to Jason. "Harding, you want to join us? Your stepmama was a friend of ours. We'd like to hear a word or two about her."

  That statement was more likely to make Evie hysterical than the giant with the revolver, but she bit her tongue and watched the men warily holster their weapons. She'd like to take the skillet to all their heads at the moment, but Nanny had taught her to be a lady. Quieting Maria in her arms, she merely smiled as Jason gave her an apologetic farewell. The other two men were already out on the porch, arguing loudly.

  "If you see Tyler, tell him everything's just fine," she said maliciously as Jason started for the door. He gave her a curt nod, then strode out.

  Daniel had scrambled to his feet with the aid of his crutch when Logan made his entrance. Now he looked longingly at the door through which the men had left. Once again, he'd been left behind with the women and children.

  Seeing that look, Evie spoke up. "Do you think you can find Jose and Manuel? I'm going to start hog-tying those two rascals if they don't start coming home by dark."

  With relief, Daniel accepted this assignment. "My leg needs the exercise anyway," he responded gruffly, refusing to look at Carmen as he swung out the door.

  Evie threw the girl a harried look. "I think the Shakers have the right idea. Men and women ought to be kept separated, if just for their own sanity."

  Carmen smiled shyly. "But then where would babies come from?"

  As Carmen took Maria to put her to bed, Evie contemplated that comment with despair. Babies were the least of the trouble men could wreak. She hoped Carmen never had to know a breaking heart.

  * * *

  From his seat at the card table, Tyler watched the three men at the bar with curiosity. He'd never seen a more unlikely combination than James Peyton, Jason Harding, and Logan. Drawing on his cheroot, he threw down a card and continued the game, but he kept one eye on the trio. They spelled trouble if anything did.

  Starr approached them, and Logan gave her a hug. Apparently the lout was happy about something for a change. Tyler blew a smoke ring and pulled in the pot he'd just won. He didn't have to gamble anymore, but he didn't know what else to do with his time. Except watch for trouble.

  His gaze slid to the corner where Tom was drinking away his misery. He didn't feel the least bit sorry for robbing the man of his half of the saloon. After going over the books, Tyler could tell he'd been robbing Starr for years of her share of the profits. Now he'd like to see the sales agreement that had bought the livery from the Rodriguez family. He was willing to wager that had been another form of robbery. Tom wasn't an honest sort of man, and his voice was naggingly similar to one Tyler had heard on a rather inauspicious occasion.

  Suspicion wasn't enough to hang a man. Tyler shuffled and began dealing the deck, but his attention wandered back to the three men who had entered just a while ago. Apparently James Peyton was the man Logan had been hunting for and Logan was celebrating having the debt paid. Tyler wasn't certain where Peyton got his cash, but that wasn't any of his business. Only he couldn't help wondering how Harding had got in on it. Peyton was usually with Evie at this time of night.

  That made him restless. Every damned man in town had a right to go call on Evie but him, and he was her husband. Sort of. He would have to do something about that situation sooner or later. With Peyton over here, maybe now was the time. She'd be alone except for the kids.

  Except for the kids. Tyler snorted at that understatement. How in hell did Evie think she was going to keep a rein on those two wildcats, Manuel and Jose? They needed a man's firm hand, and the only man around was standing here at the bar. There was always Daniel, of course, but the boy had enough on his shoulders without being saddled with a couple of brats who could run circles around him any day. In a few years Daniel might be useful, but right now there were other things he needed to be doing besides riding roundup on children.

  At the sight of the object of his commiserations appearing in the doorway, Tyler folded his cards and called it a night. If even Daniel was out of the house, someone had to see to Evie.

  Daniel looked relieved as Tyler strode toward him. It was a weekday, and the bar wasn't crowded. The three men who had been joking and laughing together grew silent as Tyler strode by, but he didn't acknowledge their presence. He was more concerned about the expression on Daniel's face.

  "Tyler..." Daniel glanced to the bar where everyone seemed to be staring at them. He backed out into the street at the nod of Tyler's head. The door closed, and darkness enveloped them. Daniel hurried to speak while Tyler crushed his cheroot beneath his boot. "Jose and Manuel have disappeared again. And I can't find Ben, either. Do you think they're together?"

  "If they are, Ben has them bound and gagged. Evie's too lax with those brats. They ought to be home and in bed this time of night." Tyler started walking toward the livery, adjusting his stride to Daniel's halting one.

  "She would if she could find them. They went out after supper and haven't come back."

  "They've been told to stay out of that livery." Tyler wished he hadn't crushed his cheroot. He needed something in his hand right now besides a gun. Instinct was itching at him. Ben had always said he'd had a nose for trouble, and Tyler could smell trouble brewing now. The boys were probably just up to mischief somewhere, but that wasn't what his nose was telling him, not after what Ben had said earlier.

  "That was the first place I searched. They aren't there." Daniel gave up on the extra crutch and propelled himself along with one as Tyler's speed increased.

  "Did you see Ben?"

  "No, I told you I didn't."

  "He's there." Instead of taking the wide front doors used for carriages and wagons, Tyler hurried down the alley toward the side door, avoiding the corral and the other entrance on the far side.

  Pulling his gun, Tyler stood in the dark doorway and whistled. An answering whistle echoed from the interior, and a moment later a shadow slipped from the stable. Ben materialized in the dim light thrown from the hotel windows into the alley.

  "Somethin' wrong?"

  Tyler shoved his gun back in the holster. "The brats are missing. Have you seen them?"

  Ben shook his head. "But I went out for a bite to eat earlier. They could have slipped in then."

  Tyler cursed. "All right, you'll have to go down and look for them." He turned to Daniel. "Can you whistle?" At Daniel's nod, he ordered, "Then you stand here and whistle if anyone comes. Then clear out. Make like you're just wandering home. Don't try to run. If anyone questions you, just bluff. You've been around Evie long enough to know how to do that."

  Daniel nodded without argument. "W
here are you going to be?"

  "I'm going to see Evie." His tone was grim as he continued down the alley.

  The front room was well lit, but even if it hadn't been, Tyler knew she would be up. She wouldn't get any rest until she had those boys back under the roof. He cursed the little brats again, but his brow was creased with worry as he stepped up on the porch. He should have done more to protect them besides order them out of the livery. Those men who had held the boys hostage could easily have others working with them. If Ben was right about what he'd found in the livery, they almost certainly had someone working with them.

  Before Tyler could reach for the door, a large form rose from the shadows at the side of the house. The light from the front window glinted against the polished steel of a gun.

  "Monteigne? Hale told me you'd try this. You've got orders to stay away from the lady." Sheriff Powell stepped up on the porch and gestured with his gun to indicate that Tyler back away from the door.

  Tyler held his hands up so the man could see he wasn't going for his own gun. "The lady is my wife, and her cousins are missing. I'm just checking to see if they've got home yet."

  "Let their uncle look for them. I've got someone back at the office you ought to see. He was swearing out a warrant for your arrest when I saw him last."

  Tyler glanced longingly to the brightly lit front window, wishing for just a sight of Evie. He missed the warmth of that little room. It had been nice for a change to smell bread baking, listen to childish laughter, and have a woman who required only his presence, no matter what his mood. He could be churlish instead of charming, and Evie would tease him out of it. He could sit there and just talk with Daniel, and she wouldn't be leaning over his shoulder, demanding his attention. Evie was the least demanding woman he'd ever known, and that included his sainted mother. But then, that's what happened when a woman didn't need him. She could lock him out without a qualm. He'd finally found a woman who didn't require commitments, and look where it got him.