Reese's heart was light because Saber had agreed to go with him. He'd insisted partly be cause he wanted to protect her, but he was honest enough with himself to admit that he didn't want to give her up-not just yet. He leaned back against his saddle, wondering why he wanted to hold onto her. She didn't belong to him, and she never would.
"Hell," he muttered, turning his back to her and closing his eyes. She was getting past the barrier he'd built around his heart, and a woman was the last thing he wanted in his life-especially Matthew's intended bride!
The next morning Zeb and Alejandro had saddled their horses and were ready to ride out before the first light of dawn touched the eastern horizon.
Saber stood looking up at Zeb. "Tell my brother not to worry about me. I will be safe. And don't let him go out on his own looking for the Millers or Mr. Felton. You know how he is."
Zeb switched a hunk of tobacco from one side of his jaw to the other, looking doubtful. "Now, Miss Saber, you know iffen Noble takes it into his head to do something, no one's gonna talk him from it, 'cepting maybe Rachel."
Saber nodded. Her sister-in-law was the only one who could tame Noble's impulsive spirit. "The trouble is, Rachel is at Casa del Sol, and Noble is probably in a temper. Alejandro, you try to talk some sense into him. Have him tell the marshal or the sheriff what has happened. Don't let him act impulsively."
"I will try, Senorita Saber. It could be that he will want to first see for himself that you have not suffered at the hands of the Millers."
"I know. And you must convince him that I have come to no harm." She laid her hand on Alejandro's. "Tell him where I am. He can come and see for himself if he wants to."
The gran vaquero nodded. "The Starrett Ranch is known to me-I will tell him you are there." Then Alejandro's gaze went to Reese. "Keep her safe, senor." It sounded like a warning. "I want no harm to come to her. Her brother would not like it if it did, and neither would I."
Reese gave a quick nod. "We are all of the same mind."
Saber stepped back and watched Zeb and Alejandro ride away. Lost in thought, she didn't hear Reese when he came up beside her.
"We'd better ride, Miss Vincente."
Saber nodded. She was worried about Noble. "Perhaps I should have gone with them. Or maybe I should go to Casa del Sol and tell Rachel what has happened."
"I don't think so." He steered her toward the horse. "We are only a day's ride from my place. It's a seven-day ride to Casa del Sol."
Saber knew he was right. "I worry so about Noble's impulsive nature."
"It must run in the family," Reese observed.
"It does. That's why I'm worried. I am very like my brother in that way. You can see why I'm concerned. I know what he'll do." She mounted and turned to watch Zeb and Alejandro ride over a rise and out of sight. "If you knew my brother, you would realize that he's a force to be reckoned with."
"That's as it should be. Let him handle this in his own way. A man has the right to defend his sister."
"He might get himself killed."
"Of all the things I have heard of your brother, I have never heard him called a fool. He will want to know why Graham Felton had you kidnapped in the first place. I would expect no less of him. And until we can find out that reason, you will never be completely safe."
"You are right, of course."
Reese mounted and pulled her up behind him. The brown, muscled horse galloped down the mesa with ease. They rode silently and steadily all morning. But Saber could not banish the dark uneasiness that clouded her mind.
The last dying rays of the sun fell softly, bathing the countryside in its golden light. Reese made camp in a grove of oak and sycamore trees that helped protect them from the continuous wind.
Saber shaded her eyes and gazed out on the land, which seemed almost magical in the dying light. She had never been in this part of Texas and had not known it was so wooded.
Reese came up beside her, reading her thoughts. "You should see it in the spring and summer. It's green and lush with cottonwood and hickory trees in foliage. There are bramble bushes and dense thickets for as far as the eye can see."
Her gaze followed the brown water that snaked and circled between the trees to be lost beyond the cliffs.
"I love it here now. I can only imagine what it would look like in the spring," she said softly. "It's breathtaking."
Reese stood beside her, and for a long moment they both stared at the countryside, sharing the beautiful sunset. "We are on my land, Saber. I'm glad you like it."
She turned to him, pleased that he had called her by her first name. "I thought you had only a small spread?"
"I did. I just bought this land two months ago." Of course, he didn't tell her that he'd saved every dollar he could get to buy the land, and that it left him very little to live on.
Reese turned away. "I'll set up camp. There's firewood and fresh water aplenty here."
"How far is it to your ranch house?"
"We will be there before noon tomorrow. I wish I could have gotten you out of the weather today, but the horse is just too tired to push any farther."
"Will this storm be as bad as the one two nights ago?" She glanced at the dark clouds in the distance. "They don't look too menacing."
"One can never tell in this part of Texas. It will hit later this evening."
He looked worried, and she knew his concern was for her. Wanting to reassure him, she touched his hand. "I have the second blanket Alejandro gave me."
He looked at her for a moment and then said, "Let's eat."
Later, they sat around the campfire, having eaten and tended the horse. The storm still hadn't struck, and it wasn't so cold near the fire.
"Reese, I'm trying to picture you in a domestic setting. Is there a woman in your life?"
"I'm not married, if that's what you're asking."
She made a wide sweep with her hand. "There must be someone you want to share all this with."
When he glanced down at her, there was smoldering fire in his eyes. Saber was caught by the moment and could not look away. Reese didn't have the chiseled, aristocratic looks of her brother or the boyish good looks of Matthew. His features were harsher, his eyes disturbing, as if he'd lived hard and cared about nothing and no one.
"There is no woman I want to share my life with." He turned away so she wouldn't see the pain in his eyes. He'd share it with her, he thought, chastising himself for coveting Matthew's bride-to-be.
Saber felt sad because he seemed so alone. "The wind has intensified," she remarked, turning her thoughts to the weather.
"Yes, I know. Don't wander far from camp. I've heard of people freezing to death just steps away from their houses."
"I know about northers. I'm from west Texas, remember?" She shivered with a sudden chill. "It already feels like the temperature is dropping."
"I'm going to shelter the horse. You'd better get under the blanket. We can't have a fire in this wind."
Saber rushed about, gathering supplies and shoving them into his saddlebag. Then she took her blanket and moved against the wide trunk of a cottonwood tree to find protection from the bitter cold. In just a few minutes, the temperature had dropped drastically.
Moments later, Reese joined her. Sitting beside her, he draped all the blankets around both of them and pulled her into his arms.
"It'll be warmer this way," he said, smiling when she looked at him questioningly.
That was all the encouragement Saber needed. She curled against him, melting into his arms. She laid her head against his shoulder, feeling the deep intake of his breath. In that moment, something poignant and alarming happened to her. She felt as if she'd been born to be with Reese. She knew in a rush of feelings that this was love deep, lasting love. She wanted to live with him, bear his children, grow old with him.
She loved Reese! Oh, how could this have happened? She had thought she loved Matthew, but that hadn't been love, not like this. The powerful feelings she had for Reese were
nothing like the young girl's affection she'd felt for Matthew. She turned her head and rested her cheek against his neck, allowing warmth and love to flood through her body.
What would Reese do if he knew what she was feeling? Would he despise her for betraying his friend? She despised herself for being faithless. She was going to marry Matthew-why had this happened to her now?
Her hand moved up his hard chest to rest there. If this was love, it was the most painful feeling she had yet experienced.
His voice was deep as he pulled her tighter against him. "You'd better get some sleep. I'll keep you warm."
She sighed, touching her lips to his throat and feeling him stiffen. She turned her face away, wanting to stay awake all night so she could savor this time. This was the last time she would feel his arms about her. And maybe the last time they would be alone together.
At last she fell asleep, feeling safe and warm, although the cold wind struck with a punishing force. Reese held her to him, wishing this night would never end.
It was after midnight when the wind died down. Reese's body was cramped from remaining in one position for so long, and his arm had no feeling in it. Yet he wouldn't move for any reason, because he held his sleeping love close to his heart. Tomorrow he would have to let her go, but tonight she belonged to him.
He glanced down at her. She looked so inno cent curled up in his arms, so trusting. She had been protected all her life, and she trusted too easily. Hell, if she knew what was on his mind, she'd come awake fast enough. She wasn't aware of the swell of his erection as he thought about her sleeping naked in his arms. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted a woman before. He reminded himself again that she was the one woman in the world he could never have.
She stirred, opened her eyes, and smiled at him. It had begun to drizzle, and a cold wind whipped through the valley, but to Reese it seemed that the sun was captured in her smile.
Saber nestled her head against his shoulder, reluctant to move. "How long have you been awake?" she asked sleepily.
His voice was low, his tone strained. "Quite a while." He could have told her that he hadn't been to sleep because her soft body was driving him out of his mind. He gazed down at her and admitted, "I have been watching you sleep."
Her hand went to his shoulder, and she sank further into him, seeking his warmth. "Why?"
"You remind me of a kitten curled up by the fire."
"I'm not sure that's a flattering comparison."
"Mm-hm. Yes, it is."
She smiled again. "That's not fair. Watching someone sleep is a little like eavesdropping, don't you think?"
"Maybe. But you are so pretty when you sleep."
She was accustomed to being complimented, and she had no false modesty and was too honest to play coy. "Thank you, sir. I was beginning to think you didn't know I was a woman."
He wanted to let his hand slide down and touch one of the breasts that were so enchantingly pressed against his chest. "I am all too aware that you're a woman," he said gruffly, knowing they should get ready to leave now. But he was still reluctant to break contact with her.
She moved forward, stretched her arms over her head, and stood in a motion that was so provocative he had to look away or risk throwing her on the ground and ripping her clothing off.
What in the hell was wrong with him? He'd never been on the verge of losing control with a woman before now. He rolled to his feet and shook out the blankets. "If you think you can hold off eating, we'll be at my ranch in time for the noon meal." He gazed up at the darkened sky, and it looked like it might snow. "It would be best if we hurried."
She took the blankets from him and went about rolling them in a bundle. "I am ready to ride when you are. I confess it will be nice to be under a roof." She laughed out loud. "Of course, you kept me warm last night."
He let out a slow breath. Being with her was sweet torture, and she didn't even know that he wanted her so damned badly that he could think of nothing else. "I'll get the horse," he said, stalking off down the hill.
It had grown colder and had begun to snow. The wind whipped the snow into stinging shards that irritated Saber's cheeks. The horse was tired from going against the wind, and she hoped the poor animal would make it to the ranch house.
They topped a hill, and Reese halted the horse. "Hold on. We're almost home."
Saber glanced at the log house with the wide front porch and shutters at the windows. There was a huge barn and several outbuildings that looked freshly painted, and the corrals looked in good repair. "Can we hurry?" she asked urgently. "I'm so cold."
He nodded and nudged the horse down the hill. He wondered what Saber's reaction would be to his small house. It was here that their differences would become apparent, and he would be able to distance himself from her; at least, he hoped that would be the case.
Saber hunched her shoulders and braced herself against his strong back. The horse was mov ing slowly, the tired animal had given its all. The only things she could think about at the moment were a good warm fire, a hot bath, and a soft bed.
Saber was so cold that Reese had to lift her down from the horse. As snow whirled all around them, he took her hand and led her into the house.
A rush of warm air hit Saber's face as she stepped inside. A cheerful fire burned in the fireplace, and Reese guided her to the warmth. He took a brightly colored Indian blanket from the back of a chair and placed it around her shoulders.
"Stay here where it's warm. I'm going to see to the horse."
Her teeth were chattering, and she could do no more than nod. She dropped down in front of the fire, basking in its warmth. When she was able to move, she glanced around the room. The log walls had been honed and smoothed and whitewashed. A woven Indian rug covered the plank floor, and several Indian artifacts hung on the walls. Three rifles hung over the fireplace, and a coatrack stood near the door. There was a small high-backed bench and two straightbacked chairs. A battered desk was the only other furniture, and she noticed the neat stacks of paper on top. A shelf attached to the wall held several books. There were no curtains at the two small windows, no womanly frills of any kind. It was a man's room, and surprisingly neat and clean.
She could see a bed through one of the doors, so she supposed the door to her left would lead to a kitchen.
Saber heard someone stomping the snow off his feet outside the kitchen and thought Reese had returned. But a young boy entered with an armload of firewood. She judged him to be no more than fourteen or fifteen.
He placed more logs on the fire and put the rest in a wood bin. Only then did he remove his hat, smiling brightly. "I'm Jake Kendrick, ma'am. Reese asked me to tell you he'd be in shortly."
He had sandy hair and soft brown eyes and a shy smile. She could tell that he was nervous, because he kept shuffling his feet, so she tried to put him at ease. "I'm pleased to meet you, Jake. My name is Saber Vincente. Do you live here at the ranch?"
"Yes, ma'am. Me, Gabe Cooper, and Miguel are Reese's hired hands. Miguel's wife, Rosita, is the washwoman." He nodded toward the door. "We live in the bunkhouse, just beyond the barn, and Miguel and Rosita live in a small house just beyond that."
Saber smiled at the amount of information Jake imparted to her in such a short time. She'd already learned more from him than Reese had told her in all the time they had spent together.
Jake backed toward the door and planted his hat on his head, then touched the brim. "Ma'am."
Cold wind swirled through the room when he opened the front door. After he'd gone, she frowned thoughtfully. She knew so little about Reese; he never talked about himself. He had not mentioned anything to her about his ranch hands. But of course he'd have hired hands to help out on the ranch. Otherwise he could not have gone looking for her.
She was luxuriating in the blissful warmth when the door opened and Reese entered. He hung his coat and hat on the coatrack and came toward the fire. She moved over so he could sit beside her.
"Storm's gett
ing worse," he said worriedly. "I'll probably lose more cattle before it blows itself out. Gabe said we've already lost twenty head."
"I'm not surprised. It's been an unusually harsh winter. I'm so sorry about your cattle."
He tossed several more logs on the fire. "I keep forgetting you are a rancher's daughter." He gazed down at her. "Of course, your brother could lose several thousand head, and it wouldn't hurt him."
"It wouldn't hurt him now. But there was a time when Noble had to struggle to keep Casa del Sol from being taken for taxes." She looked into his eyes, suddenly feeling angry. "You don't have a very high regard for my family, do you?"
There was remorse in his silver eyes. "I know it sounds that way to you, but you are wrong. The Vincente name is well respected in the state. And you have my greatest respect."
"Then why do you-"
He couldn't tell her that he had to use every means at his disposal to keep her at arm's length. He knew he shouldn't strike out at her with cruel words, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. "I have lived too much away from civilization, and my social graces aren't what they should be. I don't know how to treat a woman like you."
"You treat a woman like me just as you would treat any other woman. Actually, you have been wonderful to me, except for the times when you imply that I'm spoiled and always want my own way. Who else would have gone right into the Miller brothers' hideout to rescue a woman he didn't even know?"
He touched her arm. "Sometimes I speak without thinking. Please forgive me."
A tender smile formed on her lips. "Of course."
"Have you ever had to do without anything you really wanted?" he asked, trying to understand her. He was feeling unsure of himself because he was all too aware of the shabbiness of his house now that she was in it.
She stared into the fire for a moment before answering. "I have known extremely hard times, Reese."
He cursed himself for a fool. She had been kidnapped, roughly handled, probably not fed well, and might have suffered other atrocities that she didn't care to share with him. He still wasn't sure if the Miller brothers had violated her. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have said that. You have gone through an experience no woman should ever have to endure."
Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) Page 8