by Sandra Brown
He dragged his eyes up from her pelvis. Priscilla delighted in the sudden paling of his beefy cheeks. He gave a nervous little laugh and shifted uncomfortably on the chaise. "We both know you can't do that." He smiled sickly, not sure if she were joking or serious.
She took baby steps forward. "Then I suggest you get busy and get this preacher off my back so we won't have so many business-related things to talk about while you're here." By now, she was standing directly in front of him. He reached out to fondle her breasts, belly, and thighs. "What do you say, Dub? Will you do that for me?"
"Sure, Priscilla, sure. You can count on me to take care of it. I always have, haven't I?"
"Always. Don't disappoint me this time."
"I won't, I won't," he mumbled against her stomach as his hand slipped up between her thighs.
She drew him to his feet and kissed him wantonly while she lowered her hand to the fly of his trousers. "I depend on you," she whispered as the buttons were released with dispatch. She hissed in feigned surprise when her fingers closed around him. "You're so strong. So strong."
Eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared and clenched, Dub muttered incoherently. His arguments and his promises were massaged away by a deft hand. He was stroked straight to heaven by one of Satan's most illustrious angels.
* * *
"Lee! Micah!"
Banner joyfully rushed to hug them in greeting. They had followed Jake through the back door into the kitchen. "I didn't expect to see you two tonight."
"Have enough supper for us?"
"We'll make do." She was glad to see them. Their long, angular bodies seemed to shrink her kitchen, but she welcomed the racket and confusion that followed them in. Lately her house had been far too quiet.
"We decided to ride over before dark so we could look around," Lee said, after kissing her cheek.
Micah arrogantly flopped down in a chair. "We've got to give this place our stamp of approval, don'tcha know?"
She lunged toward him and tried to kick the back legs of his chair out from under him. He was too fast for her and let the front legs hit the floor before she could unbalance him. "Make yourself at home, Micah," she teased.
"Oh, I intend to, I intend to." He casually draped an arm over the top rung of the ladderback chair and gazed around.
"Have a seat, Lee." Suddenly Banner felt shy and nervous. She had never cooked a whole meal for anyone but Jake. Would they make fun of her? "You, too, Jake, sit down," she said, meeting his eyes squarely for the first time since he had entered the house. "Supper's ready."
"Thanks."
"Let's see, I need to set two extra places." Quickly she turned away to get the extra place settings from the cabinet. She and Jake hadn't had much to say to one another since the day Grady had come to see her. It hadn't gone unnoticed that he stayed closer to the house, doing jobs that would constantly keep him in sight.
He had meant what he said. He intended to keep her away from Grady. She was both resentful and grateful, resentful of his unflagging vigilance and grateful that she didn't have to confront Grady again any time soon. No matter what she had said to Jake, or to Grady, she didn't want to marry him and hoped to put off giving him that answer as long as possible.
"It's just beef stew," she said apologetically as she approached the table with a china tureen and began ladling the aromatic stew onto their plates. "But it's Ma's recipe and we all know that nobody can make beef stew taste like ambrosia the way Ma can."
Lee shoved a huge spoonful into his mouth and after shifting it around, making huffing noises and fanning his mouth in front of his lips because it was so hot, he said, "It's good, kid."
"Not bad." Micah strengthened his comment with a wink.
Jake said nothing, but began to eat mechanically.
Banner brought cornbread to the table, glad that it had risen just right. It was golden and crunchy on the outside, light and grainy on the inside, not doughy. Ma had promised that it was a no-fail recipe.
Banner joined them at the table but could barely eat between bouts of laughter. Lee and Micah were as full of incredible stories and partial truths as ever. They regaled her with tales they swore were true, but which she seriously doubted.
It felt so good to laugh. Most evenings now, Jake was taciturn. They held desultory conversations about the ranch. That was all. He no longer went into town after dark, but she knew that was because he didn't want Grady to visit her in his absence.
Nor were there any more tender kisses like the one after her crying jag. That kiss might never have happened. They were extremely careful not to touch each other.
"I don't have any dessert except some of last year's blackberry jam for your cornbread."
"Sounds all right to me," Micah said, slicing himself another hunk of cornbread.
"Me too."
"If you'd let a lady know you were coming to supper instead of just dropping in," Banner said with mock annoyance, "she'd be better prepared."
"That was my fault." Jake pushed his place aside and scooted back his chair. "I met the boys at the river today and told them to come on over tonight. It'll be easier to get off in the morning if they're already here."
Banner returned from the pantry with the jar of blackberry jam. "Get off to where?"
"We're going to Fort Worth to bring those cattle home," Lee said excitedly. "Didn't Jake tell you?"
Her eyes turned toward Jake. "I guess he failed to mention it."
"I told you the night of the party."
"But not when."
"Tomorrow's the big day!" Micah slapped a spoonful of jam on his combread. "We're gonna raise he—"
"Micah!" Lee rolled his eyes warningly toward Banner.
"Gonna raise hell?" she asked sweetly.
Micah swallowed the cornbread without chewing it. "I only meant—"
"Oh, I know what you meant, Micah. I'm not stupid. Maybe Jake will introduce you to his friend Priscilla."
Lee dropped his spoon just short of the jam jar. It clattered to the table noisily as he gaped at his sister. "You know about her?"
Banner looked blandly at Jake, whose white brows were drawn into a glower. "Jake's told me quite a lot about her. She smokes cigars."
Both boys turned their heads toward Jake for confirmation. He made a negligent gesture with his hand. "She's guessing."
Banner only laughed. "Well, maybe I'll be able to meet the famous Priscilla Watkins myself. How long are we staying?"
Without moving another muscle in his body, Jake's eyes slid to her. "Micah, Lee, and I are staying for several days."
"What about me?"
"You aren't going."
Banner carefully blotted her mouth with her napkin, refolded it, and placed it beside her plate. When she lifted her eyes they were just as resolved as the blue ones they clashed with. "Yes, I am."
A muscle ticked in Jake's jaw. Otherwise he remained perfectly still. "Not this time, Banner."
"This time and every other time I choose to go." Her voice had a definite edge to it.
"Well, uh, we, uh, we gotta be goin'," Micah said. He came out of his chair too quickly and sent it crashing to the floor. Cursing, he bent to right it.
"Yeah. We got things to do," Lee said. "Come on, Micah, let's get busy." Together they bumbled and stumbled their way to the door.
"I've got to shake out my saddle blanket real good and..."
"And...uh, oh, yeah, what else were we gonna do, Lee?"
Lee pushed Micah through the door. "We'll just bed down in the barn. See ya in the morning," he called over his shoulder.
The comedy act had escaped Banner and Jake, who were still staring at each other like prize fighters from opposing corners of the ring.
"I'm going."
"You are not."
"Watch and see."
"I'm not taking a woman to Fort Worth to buy cows and that's that, Banner."
She shot out of her chair as straight as an arrow. "This is my ranch. Don't you think I should be consul
ted before you go off and buy cattle for it?"
Jake came out of his chair likewise. "I did consult you."
"You didn't go into any details."
"I don't know any. Since the night of the party Ross has been in contact with the broker. He made the appointment for me for this Friday. There. Those are the details, but you're still not going."
"You'll need help."
"I asked Lee and Micah to go because I don't want to take Jim and Pete and Randy away from the work that needs to be done here."
The taunt jumped into her mind like an imp doing acrobatics. She thought better of speaking it aloud, but couldn't resist. "Aren't you worried that Randy will try to take advantage of me while my 'Mammy' is away?"
Jake took a menacing step toward her, his face fierce. "You're not staying here alone. You're going to stay at River Bend while I'm gone. I arranged it all with Ross and Lydia."
"Well, you can just rearrange it, Mr. Langston. Because I'm going to Fort Worth."
"I've already bought the train tickets."
"I'm perfectly capable of buying a train ticket." She thrust her chin out.
He could see that arguing with her was futile. A fight only made her more stubborn, if that were possible. So he appealed to her reason. "It's a rough town, Banner."
"I've been there."
"When?"
"A few years ago. With Mama and Papa."
"This will be different. You won't like it. It isn't safe for a woman alone."
"I won't be alone. You and Micah and Lee will be with me."
"Not all the time!" he shouted.
She squinted at him suspiciously. "Why are you so against me going? What's the real reason? I won't care what you do once you get there. If you think I plan on interfering with your drinking and gambling and whoring, you've got another thing coming."
"Damn right you won't interfere."
"So why are you shouting?"
"You're shouting too."
"Why do you need to go all the way to Fort Worth to indulge your vices? Haven't we got all that right here in Larsen? Isn't that why you were going into town every night?"
"Yeah, that's why I was going," he said stepping around a chair and shoving it away. "But I ain't been lately, and what Larsen's got to offer isn't quite sordid enough for my tastes."
"I can't believe that!" They faced each other belligerently, chests heaving so hard they almost touched. Finally Banner said adamantly, "I'm going."
Jake was ready to explode, but he knew that short of hog-tying her, he couldn't stop her. "We're leaving early," he ground out.
"I'll be ready."
Without another word, he slammed out the back door.
* * *
Banner saw to it that they didn't have to wait on her in the morning. She was ready early, sitting primly in the wagon even before Jake led Stormy from the barn. She was going to drive the wagon into town to carry what little luggage they were taking.
Jake took one scornful look at her ensemble, including the matching veiled hat on her head, and turned away without saying so much as a good morning. But Banner was too excited to let his foul mood dampen her spirits. She wasn't even daunted when the three hands reported for work. When she announced she was going to Fort Worth, Pete glanced worriedly at Jake. "She is?" he asked around a wad of tobacco. His dubious tone spoke volumes.
Jake merely shrugged and pulled himself into his saddle. Their horses would be left at the livery stable in Larsen. They would need them to drive the cattle home when they returned by train.
Micah and Lee were ebullient and their gaiety was infectious. They rode on both sides of the wagon and kept Banner laughing at their antics. Only Jake seemed to have his mind on the more serious aspects of the trip.
The depot was deserted at that hour of the morning. Jake swung down from Stormy. "I'll go buy Banner's ticket and check to see if the trains are on time. Then we'll take the horses and wagon to the livery and walk back."
As Lee and Micah discussed all they were going to do once they reached Fort Worth, Banner watched lake's retreating back. He really was an impressive-looking man, with his broad shoulders and narrow hips and that loose-jointed cowboy walk. He had folded his best suit of clothes into his saddlebag for his meeting with the cattle broker, but for the trip he was dressed in his normal cowboy garb, chaps, spurs, and all. His clothes were clean and his hat had been brushed. As he entered the depot, he whipped it off. The sun's warm rays found a home in his white-blond hair.
Banner didn't want to think he was the handsomest man she had ever seen. She was still mad at him for even thinking of leaving her at home. And he was so hateful!
He could have said something about her dress. It was to have been her going-away suit and was the most stylish, the finest outfit she owned. The bodice fit her breasts and waist snugly. The apricot silk flattered her complexion and the matching gloves and hat made her feel feminine and beautiful. But Jake had only given her a derisive look more cutting than a verbal insult.
She tugged on the lace around the hem of her glove. Would he really slip off to see his friend Priscilla while they were in Fort Worth? What could she do to prevent it? And how would she live through the heartache if he did?
The thought of him with another woman made her sick to her stomach. Would he caress another woman as he did her? Kiss her with the same passion? Pictures of him making love with some nameless, faceless woman flashed across her brain. She closed her eyes tight against them.
She didn't see him emerge from the building, swearing and clapping his hat on his head, but the younger men did. "What the hell's wrong with him?" Lee asked.
"Don't know, but I hope I'm not responsible," Micah said beneath his breath as Jake approached them.
"The sonofabitching train's not running."
"Not running?" they all asked together before Banner added, "Why?"
"Strike. Labor strike. Workers have got the tracks blocked at several points from here to Dallas. The railroad's trying to avoid violence and there's no way to get the strikers off the tracks short of shooting them. So they've stopped service until negotiations get this business all straightened out. Dammit!" He kicked up a shower of gravel with the toe of his boot.
"What will we do?" Banner asked hesitantly.
"Damned if I know."
"Your appointment with Mr.... Mr...."
"Culpepper," Jake supplied.
"With Mr. Culpepper is Friday, isn't it?"
"Yes. We've got several days, but—" Suddenly Jake's head swung around with a new thought. "We'll go by horseback. Boys, do you mind camping out?" He consulted Lee and Micah, who had remained crestfallen and silent, thinking their dream trip would be canceled.
"Fine with us. Right, Lee?" Micah said eagerly.
"Right!"
"Okay then," Jake said, nodding decisively. "You two head over to the store and buy only what we'll need. Cans of beans, a pound or two of bacon, some coffee, and a small bag of flour. A box of bullets. Oh, and a skillet or two and a cheap coffee pot. We won't need blankets if you can sleep on your saddle blankets." They nodded. "All right, git. I'll meet you there in ten minutes to load up. I think we ought to take a spare horse, so I'll go to the livery."
The boys scampered away. They didn't think to call a goodbye to Banner. Jake seemed to have forgotten her, too, until he spun around and nearly collided with her. He caught her by the shoulders with his gloved hands. "Banned Honey, I almost forgot about you. Can you make it back to River Bend alone?"
"Of course."
"Fine. Tell your folks what happened. I'll get a refund on the tickets to cover the expenses at the store. We might be gone a few days longer than we planned. Maybe the trains will be running by the time we need to come back. The stationmaster said the strike wouldn't last long. Goodbye."
He pulled her to him and kissed her quickly and soundly on the mouth. But she knew he never realized he had. He mounted Stormy and urged him in the direction of the livery stable at the other
end of Main Street without a backward glance.
* * *
"... then by Friday evening, all the business should be taken care of and you can start having fun." Jake's teeth shone in the firelight as his mouth split into a wide grin. "How does that sound?"
Micah did a backward somersault in the grass. Lee whooped, his eyes wide. "Can we stay over Saturday night too?"
"Suuuure," Jake said, stretching back to rest himself against his saddle which served as his pillow. He granted the request as though it were the whim of benevolent royalty. "I promised you a good time, didn't I?"
"I can't wait till—"
"Shhh!"
"What?" Lee asked, lowering his voice.
"Shhh." Micah waved a hand at him.
"What is it?"
"I thought I heard somebody over mere by the horses," Micah whispered across the campfire to his older brother. Jake was no longer indolent, but alert to every sound.
He eased his hand to his holster and drew out the Colt six-shooter. "Stay still," he mouthed. The three, ears strained for any sound other than the soughing of the wind through the trees and the popping of dry firewood, remained perfectly still.
Then they heard the unmistakable crunch of boots grinding over twigs as the intruder came forward. Three pairs of eyes penetrated the darkness, all discerning at once the young cowboy who stepped into the circle of light made by their fire. Shadows cast by the flickering flames danced around him. He was dressed as they were, in denim pants and a work shirt, a vest and a bandana, but he was a scrawny, skinny son of a gun. His wide-brimmed hat kept the features of his face a mystery.
As they watched, a pale slender hand came up to sweep the hat off. A cloud of hair as dark as the night settled around a pair of shoulders too narrow to belong to a boy of any age. A familiar voice, sultry, feminine, and tinged with humor, reached them from across the clearing.
"Good evening, gentlemen."
FOURTEEN
Jake leaped to his feet. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Banner ignored him and moved closer to the fire. She squatted down in front of it. "Hmm. That coffee smells good."