A Texan in Her Bed

by Sara Orwig

  “Wyatt, if only I could just hold this moment forever,” she whispered more to herself than to him. He showered light kisses on her cheek and temple and rolled on his side, keeping her close so they faced each other.

  “Ah, Destiny. You’re fantastic,” he whispered, combing curly strands of red hair away from her face. “Beautiful.”

  “You did this, Wyatt, to make me late for my interview,” she said lightly.

  His hand stilled and for an instant she wondered if that was exactly what he had done.

  “I made love to you because you came to the door in clothes that clung to you like a second skin and your big, green eyes held desire while your kisses were an invitation. Tell me you didn’t want to make love.”

  She looked into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. “You know I wanted to,” she whispered. “So did you.” Like an intruder, reality broke through her thoughts. “Wyatt, I can’t stay here in bed. A crew will be arriving shortly to set up so I can record the interview.”

  “This interview will be televised, won’t it?”

  “Not today. Not live. It will be taped and whether it’s aired will depend on other things, my stay in Verity, my story about Verity. The interview may go into archives and never be heard of again, so cheer up. Few may ever even know about it, but I have to get ready and get downstairs, so you, Sheriff Milan, are going to have to dress and go.”

  He kissed her long and passionately and then released her. “I’ll go, but you won’t forget our time together, our making love.” He stepped out of bed. “I’ll get dressed in your guest bathroom.” He picked up his things as she gathered hers and headed for her shower.

  When she came out, Wyatt had gone.

  * * *

  At ten minutes before two o’clock, Wyatt entered the hotel lobby. Destiny was nowhere in sight, nor was there anyone else present who would be involved in the interview, which made him wonder if she had followed his urging and canceled it.

  He was beginning to feel better and pleased with her when he spotted a sign on a pedestal as he approached the elevators. The sign directed anyone interested in the Milan-Calhoun interview to go to the second-floor central ballroom.

  He headed for the stairs and on the second floor when he passed through open double doors into the large ballroom, Wyatt spotted Destiny instantly as she stood looking at a sheaf of papers in her hands.

  Potted plants had been moved to a corner, five chairs were set up in the front of the room, lit by TV lights and framed by cameras whose wires snaked across the polished hotel floor. Briefly he wondered where she got the camera crew, when all she’d brought to Verity was Virginia Boyden. His pulse quickened and he wanted to go talk to her, but he knew she was working now and her thoughts would be on the interview.

  Looking sophisticated, Destiny had her hair looped and pinned on the top and back of her head, yet he couldn’t keep from remembering all that red hair spilled over her bare shoulders and breasts less than a couple of hours earlier. She was in a blue dress that clung to her figure and had a V neckline—another dress that would turn heads. Watching her, he felt a mixture of emotions—annoyance that she would do the interview and desire to be with her the rest of the day and night, which he knew was impossible. He had wanted peace and quiet—something that had settled over Verity since he took office and he treasured it in the town and in his own life. Now his world was churning and he could feel trouble boiling beneath the surface, ready to bubble up at any time with Destiny’s troublemaking.

  People were beginning to gather and some had even brought their own chairs. There was a buzz of conversation among the people, who looked as if they were at a party with eagerness and expectation in their expressions. When Wyatt spotted his sister and new brother-in-law, he went over to greet them.

  He walked up to Madison, giving her a hug. “Welcome home, Mrs. Calhoun.”

  Hugging him in return, Madison laughed. “That makes me feel as if I should look around for Jake’s mother.”

  “Hi, Jake. You’ve been able to put up with her for a while now,” Wyatt said, shaking hands with his new brother-in-law.

  “I don’t view her quite the same way as her brothers do,” he remarked, hugging her against him and keeping his arm around her. Madison smiled and stuck her tongue out at Wyatt.

  “So there, brother, dear,” she said sweetly. “We go on first and I will tell about the legend and how it’s faded to almost nothing.”

  “Definitely nothing,” Jake said. “I’m friends with all of you and in love with one of the Milans. No feud there.” Jake smiled at Madison who smiled up at him. In that instance they were wrapped in their own world, their happiness obvious. Looking at them, Wyatt thought of Katherine and the marriage he had hoped and expected to have, and probably the children they would have had by now. He closed his mind on those memories. His eyes lit on Destiny and his ache vanished, replaced by memories of their lovemaking a couple of hours earlier, holding Destiny in his arms as he kissed her, her softness and warmth.

  Sometime later he realized Madison was talking. “...then at some point, she will interview Lindsay and Tony. That’s what you should worry about, not when I talk about marrying Jake,” she said, smiling at her new husband, who brushed a light kiss on her cheek. “See—no feud between us. It’s dead forever. I love the Calhouns, particularly one of them.”

  Wyatt had to laugh. “I think I’ll go say hi to Tony. You two need your own island. Don’t start smooching on television.”

  “I’ll try to remember,” she said, without taking her gaze from Jake.

  Wyatt smiled and walked away, strolling up to Tony, who looked just what he was—a Texas rancher. He wore a blue Western shirt, his wide-brimmed black hat, jeans and boots. His belt was wider than Wyatt’s and the silver belt buckle larger. Wyatt shook hands with his brother.

  “Please don’t get people really stirred up,” he told Tony. “There are a lot of people around with Calhoun blood even if their name isn’t Calhoun.”

  “I know. I won’t. I’ll be civil if the little witch will button her lips.”

  “Please don’t call her ‘the little witch.’ I want to avoid stirring up old feelings or making this feud any worse than it currently is. You and Lindsay Calhoun fan the flames constantly and keep this feud alive more than any other Milans or Calhouns.”

  “Maybe so, but there’s damn good reason. She is a pestiferous— There isn’t a word to describe her except witch.”

  Wyatt groaned. “Try to avoid it for the next three hours. I want peace and quiet in here and no fistfights.”

  “Okay, for you, I will. And because I have a dinner invitation to your house this week to meet Destiny Jones. She is one good-looking woman,” Tony said, his face taking on a dazed expression as he sought out the lady in question. Wyatt, too, turned to look at her again.

  “That is as true as Texas,” Wyatt said, forgetting his brother and thinking about Destiny. He had plans for Friday night that went beyond the dinner he was hosting for his brothers. For him, it was a means to an end. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her again.

  “Here comes Nick,” Tony said. He greeted his brother when Nick joined him and shook hands with Wyatt.

  “I have to go,” Tony said. “Destiny is motioning me over. I’m most happy to do whatever she wants. See you guys.”

  Wyatt turned to Nick. “Well, you and I are just spectators to this unless something’s changed during the past hour,” he said.

  “That suits me fine. I’m impressed with her ability to deal with a crowd and her ability to draw a crowd. I can’t tell you how much I’d like to hire her for my PR person. She would be fantastic in that position.”

  She’s fantastic in all sorts of positions, Wyatt thought. He sighed, wishing this would be over quickly and he could have some time alone with her again.

  He sc
anned the room, noticing that the number of people had risen considerably since his arrival.

  Nick slapped him on the back. “Relax, Sheriff. There hasn’t been an actual fight between a Milan and a Calhoun since—”

  “Not since a month ago when Lindsay dumped a truckload of manure on one of Tony’s ranch roads.”

  Nick grinned. “Those two are your troublemakers. He did something to provoke her, you can bet on that.”

  Knowing Nick was right, Wyatt strolled away, greeting the new arrivals and making his presence known. He was certain Nick was right—fights would not break out—but it was a crowd and there were a few strong feelings, although he suspected Destiny could keep a crowd under control with the greatest of ease.

  One half of the ballroom was already filled and Wyatt kept moving. He knew it would be like this. The audience had grown steadily and now that it was nearing time to start, more and more people had come. He saw people who worked for Lindsay and some who worked for Tony.

  Finally, Destiny took her seat in a chair facing the audience. A small table was beside her and it held some papers, a pitcher of ice water and paper cups. Madison and Jake sat nearby, angled to one side, yet where they could see both the audience and Destiny.

  Wyatt looked at his sister, who was wearing a navy suit and matching blouse and heels, a far more tailored look than she usually had. He swore she almost had a glow about her; the faint smile and starry-eyed look she gave Jake as he sat close beside her conveyed her bliss, which made Wyatt happy for her. Jake was a good guy and Wyatt was glad they were finally married. He hoped the past was really behind them.

  Rising, Destiny opened the program. “Folks, thanks for your interest today. I’m Destiny Jones. I have a show originating in Chicago, which I hope all of you watch, called Unsolved Mysteries.” She smiled while the onlookers applauded, led by Jake, who was facing everyone. “Thank you to all who enjoy the show. Some of the mysteries we attempt to solve on the show date back to another century and that’s what has brought me to the unique town of Verity, Texas.”

  She waited for more applause from the crowd.

  “I’m interested in three unsolved murders from years ago. Two of the men killed one spring night several generations ago were Mortimer Milan and Reuben Calhoun.

  “As I understand the history here, almost since the first few days they settled in this area, the Milans and the Calhouns have been feuding, blaming each other for all sorts of trouble. For a lot of years, members of each family would not speak to members of the other family.

  “Today, that feud may be dying out because now we have a Milan and a Calhoun who have married and so the families are brought together and hereafter will be related.”

  As the audience applauded, Jake took Madison’s hand and smiled at her.

  When they quieted, Destiny continued, “Folks, I’m guessing everyone in the room knows both of these people—Mr. and Mrs. Jake Calhoun.” There was more enthusiastic applause.

  “I’m sure all of you from Verity already know Mrs. Jake Calhoun is Madison Milan, so now these two famous families are joined.”

  Destiny took her seat and as she continued talking about Verity and Texas legends, Wyatt stepped back and watched the crowd. Everyone seemed interested, sat quietly and attentively and he relaxed a bit. To his relief, he knew the majority of the people who were present.

  Destiny gave a lively talk and then asked Jake to tell about the feud as he knew it from the Calhoun point of view.

  Looking relaxed, dressed in a navy shirt, jeans and boots, Jake took Madison’s hand again, smiling at her, and Wyatt had another surge of relief that Jake was on camera because he was levelheaded and obviously in love with a Milan.

  “I’ve heard the legend as far back as my memory goes. It’s two early-day families—both with big families that included aunts, uncles, grandparents, mothers, fathers and brothers who settled here. According to all the stories, there were several things that contributed to trouble between the Calhouns and the Milans. The land they staked out and claimed for each ranch shared the same border. Calhouns and Milans were neighbors with the same creeks running across both ranches so water became an issue between them. They didn’t have fences at first, so they fought over cattle. There weren’t as many women out on the frontier, so the men fought over their women. There were other problems, too—Milans claimed that a Calhoun bet and lost part of the Calhoun land to the Milans in a card game. The battle continued through the years as this area settled and became more civilized. Gradually, some Milans began to speak to some Calhouns and some Calhouns began to speak to some Milans. And now,” he said, pausing to smile at Madison, “one Calhoun has married a Milan and there is no feud as far as the two of us are concerned. I hope the old feud is over forever.”

  The audience clapped, but Jake noticed neither Tony nor Lindsay clapped.

  Destiny quieted the crowd. “Madison, we haven’t heard from you. Is that about the way you’ve always been told about the legend?”

  “Yes, it is,” she said, smiling at Jake. “Just about the same. Both families did things to the other one and from what I’ve always been told, the biggest fights have involved water and, I have to admit, women. The Milan-Calhoun feud is definitely over as far as we’re concerned. I hope both our families are at peace with each other from now on.”

  Destiny smiled at the audience as they applauded Madison’s statement.

  “So maybe the end of the feud has come,” Destiny said, smiling at the audience. She stood, moving freely with a lapel mike. “As all of you can see there are Milans and Calhouns in the audience this afternoon and everyone is peaceful, so it looks as if Jake and Madison are right and the feud is over and another Texas legend goes into the local history books.”

  The audience again applauded.

  “Do any of the Milans or Calhouns want to come forward and add anything?”

  Wyatt held his breath and glanced at Tony to see him standing at the edge of the crowd, his arms folded. He looked relaxed, mildly interested and not on the verge of moving. Wyatt was about to let out his breath when a hand went up and he wanted to groan out loud.

  “Ah, someone has her hand in the air and we met right before I started taping,” Destiny said. “It’s Lindsay Calhoun, right?”

  “That’s right,” Lindsay said. Wyatt had moments when he had to admire Lindsay because she was a competent rancher and had the respect of most all the ranchers in the area. She was another woman who didn’t scare easily. He just wished both Lindsay and Tony would be more tolerant and cooperative and try to work out their disputes.

  At the moment he wanted to grit his teeth and he braced for what was coming next.

  “Come up here, Lindsay, and join your brother if you have something to add.”

  Jake stood, but he didn’t applaud when the audience did. Even though he had a faint smile, he looked about as solemn as Wyatt felt.

  Wyatt noticed that Madison made no attempt to hug her new sister-in-law or greet her in any way except with a smile.

  With her blond hair in a long braid, and dressed in a long-sleeve green Western shirt and jeans, Lindsay took the empty chair Destiny motioned her to, as well as the handheld mike she offered.

  “So, Lindsay, do you agree with your brother that the feud is over?” Destiny asked, once she was again seated.

  “It definitely is for Jake and Madison, which is nice,” she said, smiling at Jake and then turning to face the crowd. “I’m not so sure it is for all Calhouns and Milans,” she stated. Someone in the audience whistled, while another man said, “Tell ’em, Lindsay.”

  Lindsay laughed. “Not all Calhouns and Milans get along like my brother and his new wife, so I don’t think anyone can say the feud is over.”

  “Can you give me a modern-day example?” Destiny asked. “Why would any Calhoun be annoyed with any Milan,
or vice versa?”

  “Well, some of us are still ranchers and some of us still have neighboring ranches and that can set up a situation to be as volatile as it was a century ago. If someone lets their cattle overgraze a field, or diverts a creek, or dumps manure over a fence,” she added, her voice getting a harsher tone, “then tempers flare.” There was a smattering of applause and Lindsay smiled at the audience. “See, my feelings are shared.”

  “From my perspective,” Jake said, “some Calhouns and some Milans are a little touchier than others. Time is against this feud and it’s fading. I think Lindsay will have to agree that in our lifetime it’s changed and not taken as seriously by as many family members as it used to be.”

  There was more applause for Jake, who smiled at the audience and then at his sister.

  “I agree,” Lindsay offered. “I’m just saying it isn’t over as long as one family does something to someone from the other family. And that continues to happen. The day that stops between all Calhouns and Milans, then I’ll agree the feud is over.”

  “There are cousins, aunts, uncles, members of both families, the Milans and the Calhouns, who have moved away from Verity,” Destiny said. “For them this feud no longer exists, so would all of you agree that it’s limited to Verity and family members who have ranches in this vicinity?”

  Jake and Madison replied yes, but Lindsay shook her head. “No, I can’t agree,” she said. “There are Milans and Calhouns who live in Dallas and other Texas cities and I know they don’t speak if they meet members of the other family.”

  “Are you and your neighbor on speaking terms?” Destiny asked.

  “Only when we have to be or when either of us can’t resist sounding off. Otherwise, we don’t speak.”

  “So the feud is still alive. Do you think the feud goes beyond just local Milans and Calhouns?”