Ain't No Angel

by Henderson, Peggy L

  “I’m anticipating a long night ahead.” His smile widened.

  She stared up at him. Her hand grazed his cheek. A second wave of apprehension flooded her. “Are you . . . are you disappointed that I’m not . . . that I wasn’t . . . pure?” Her heart hammered in her chest while she waited for his answer.

  Tyler’s eyes perused her face. His expression was unreadable. He still hovered over her. “Let me get a fire going in the front room to warm the house up a little, and we’ll eat some supper. Then we’ll talk.”

  He pushed himself upright. His eyes lingered on her, and his lips curved in a reassuring smile. “Come to the front room and sit by the fire when you’re . . . ah . . . dressed.” He pointed to the shirt he tossed at her a moment ago. Then he turned and left his room.

  Laney stared after him. She pulled the covers away, regretting her move instantly as a cold blast of air hit her. “Why can’t we just stay in here?” she mumbled quietly to the empty room. She quickly pushed her arms through the sleeves of Tyler’s shirt and buttoned it up. Just like the one she’d worn on her first night, this one reached almost to her knees. Tyler hadn’t been pleased about it then. Today, he seemed to want her to wear only this shirt.

  After a quick stop in her room to use the chamber pot and run a brush through the mats in her hair, Laney made her way to the front of the house. A glowing fire crackled in the fireplace, and pots and pans clanked loudly from the kitchen alcove. Curious, Laney tip-toed on her bare feet toward the sound.

  Tyler stood with his back to her at the stove, stirring something in a sizzling skillet. Laney’s eyebrows rose in astonishment. Her eyes roamed his bare back, watching the play of his muscles along either side of his spine as he worked.

  “You cook?” she finally asked, and walked up behind him. On impulse she wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed up against his back. Tyler turned slowly in her embrace. His eyes wandered downward, then settled on her face. His arms snaked around her, and he pulled her tightly against him, a smug smile on his face.

  “Do you know how many nights I’ve lain awake, thinking of you wearing only my shirt?” His chest rumbled deeply while he spoke those words. Laney shuddered involuntarily.

  “I thought you didn’t like that,” Laney answered, tilting her head upward and meeting his smoldering gaze.

  He chuckled. “I liked it just fine on our wedding night. What I didn’t like was my wranglers and neighbors getting an eyeful of you. Promise me you’ll never show yourself like that to anyone but me again.”

  “I’m sorry for that night, Tyler,” Laney whispered. “I didn’t know what was expected of me. I—”

  “Hush, woman.” He kissed her lightly on the mouth, then pulled away. “I said we’d talk after supper.”

  Laney swallowed back her sudden apprehension. What sort of questions would he be asking? What would he demand to know? She couldn’t lie to him forever.

  “What are you cooking?” Laney peered around him at the sizzling skillet. “And how come you never told me you cook?”

  Tyler turned his attention to the stove. “I’ve been known to scrape a meal together from time to time. I can fend for myself when needed, and I didn’t want to trudge through the rain to eat at the bunkhouse tonight.” He shot her a quick glance over his shoulder. “But, since I have a wife, and cooking is woman’s work, I’ll be more than happy to hand over the reins to you.”

  Laney caught the twitch in the corner of his mouth before he faced the stove again.

  “Well, we both know what happened the last time I tried to cook, so maybe you should take over that chore. There are plenty of men who do the cooking and household work in their family while the wife goes off to wo . . .” Her words trailed off.

  Damn. She couldn’t afford slips of the tongue like that. Not until she told Tyler the truth. And she didn’t know when or how she was going to tell him that she was from another time. How would he react to something like that? Chances were he wouldn’t believe such an outrageous story, but what would he think of her for telling it?

  Tell him one thing at a time, Laney.

  Tyler pulled the skillet off the hot plate, and faced her. A wide grin spread across his face. “What a fine idea, Mrs. Monroe.” He winked at her, his eyes full of mischief. “I’ll let you run the ranch from now on, and I’ll just tend to the easy chores in the house.” He grabbed the material of his shirt at her waist, and pulled her to him. “One of the many advantages of having an unconventional woman for a wife,” he added in a sultry tone.

  Laney raised her head toward his, bracing her hands against his chest. “You are a very progressive . . . uh, open-minded man, you know that? Especially for a cowboy of this time.”

  Tyler laughed. “This time? Are you predicting that men will do the women’s work someday?”

  Laney shrugged, and avoided his stare. She raked her teeth over her lower lip. Another slip of the tongue. He was so easy to talk to, and banter with. Wouldn’t it be much better if he knew everything about her? Would it matter to him what time she was from?

  His face sobered. “You were serious? Do men in eastern cities really do women’s work?”

  “I guess some of them do,” Laney answered slowly. Evasively, she glanced at the steaming skillet. “Can we eat? It smells good.”

  Tyler released her, and picked up the skillet. “Just some fried potatoes and bacon. That’s all that was in the house.”

  “Sounds perfect,” Laney said eagerly, hoping to steer the conversation away from her slip up.

  She pulled a couple of tin plates from the cupboard, and set them on the table along with forks. Tyler scraped food onto their plates, and sat across from her.

  “Not bad,” Laney remarked, taking her first bite of potato. It was definitely on the salty side, but so was everything else she’s eaten while in the nineteenth century. All that cured meat was heavily salted. She would definitely ask Myra for more cooking lessons, and try to figure out how to modify the recipes to her liking.

  Tyler ate in silence, his eyes constantly on her. Laney tried to concentrate on her food, but his intense perusal made it nearly impossible. It was dark outside, but the rain still fell steadily, judging by the water running down the windowpanes.

  “Would you like some coffee, or some tea?” Tyler asked when his plate was scraped clean. He left the table, carrying both their plates to the sink.

  “Maybe some tea, but I can make it,” Laney replied.

  Tyler reached for her hand, and pulled her from her chair. “I’ll get it. I’m an open-minded man, remember?” He chuckled. “I’ll even let you continue to wear britches, as long as you don’t try and turn me into an eastern dandy.”

  “Deal.” she nodded quickly.

  He led her from the kitchen into the living room, and motioned for her to sit on the large leather couch. He disappeared momentarily, then came back with a quilt from his bed, and draped it around her.

  “It’ll be warm in here soon,” he said. “I’ll get some water boiling.”

  Laney nodded, her eyes on the dancing flames in the fireplace. She chewed on a fingernail while Tyler was gone. Dread and irrational fear flowed through her. Today had been the best day of her life. Would she ruin it all if she were truthful with Tyler?

  ****

  Tyler poured tea and coffee into two separate cups. He glanced out the kitchen window, staring into the night. The only visible light was a faint glow coming from the direction of the bunkhouse. Earlier, while Laney slept in his arms, he’d heard hoofbeats over the splattering of rain. Gabe and the boys who’d stayed in town overnight must have decided to make the ride home in the storm. He was grateful he’d made the decision to bring Laney to the house rather than spend any more time in the barn. His lips curved in a smile.

  Damn! He’d known for days that he couldn’t control his hunger for his wife much longer, but to give in to his desires in one of his barns, and that she’d been a more than willing participant, had been most unexpected. Hi
s body heated with renewed want at the memory. Laney’s uninhibited lovemaking had obliterated the last remaining ounce of self-control he possessed.

  Even though his suspicions that she wasn’t an innocent had proven to be right, her boldness, coupled with an uncertainty and uneasiness, had surprised him.

  Tyler carried the cups to the main room. It was time for some answers. He loved Laney with all his heart, but curiosity about her past ate at his insides. He wanted to take away all the apprehension and fear he’d seen in her eyes, and assure her that he would take care of her. In order to do that, he needed to understand her better.

  Laney sat on the couch, curled up and wrapped in the blanket he’d brought earlier. She offered him a tentative smile when he approached, but the worry in her eyes was unmistakable. Tyler set the cups on the small table next to the couch, added more wood to the fire, then sat beside his wife. He lifted the blanket away, and faced her. He opened his arms, and Laney nearly leapt onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck like a distraught child clinging to its mother. Tyler frowned. She’d always been so sure of herself, so strong. Why had her demeanor changed all of a sudden to that of a weak and sappy female?

  “Laney,” he whispered against her ear. “I still like you.” He brushed his lips against her cheek. The feel of her silky bare thigh against his calloused hand sent renewed heat through him. He lifted her head away from his chest so she’d look him in the eyes. “In fact, I like you more than ever.”

  His eyes roamed her face, gauging her for a reaction. He waited. She looked like a cornered colt, frantic and finding no way of escape.

  “You’re the first guy who’s made me dinner after . . .” She dropped her gaze.

  Tyler swallowed. She wasn’t going to give him answers freely. She was scared to death. He inhaled a deep breath.

  “Laney, my mother worked at the saloon in town when my father met her,” he started. Perhaps if he put her mind at ease, she’d be more forthcoming with information of her own. “He loved her, regardless of her past.”

  Laney’s eyes widened. She stared at him. “One day, she apparently decided she didn’t want to be married to him anymore, and left. I was twelve years old at the time. I haven’t seen her since. It destroyed my father, and he became a bitter man. I grew up surrounded by his bitterness, and swore I would never love a woman. Then you came along, and I fell in love with you the moment I set my eyes on you.”

  “You did?” she asked quietly, disbelief in her eyes.

  He smiled. “Yeah, I did. I fought it at first. I didn’t want to like you. I didn’t want these feelings.” He chuckled. “Hell, I’m still scared to death of them.” His face sobered, and he held her chin to keep her eyes on his. “What scares me the most is that I don’t want to lose you, that someday you’ll decide to leave, and perhaps return to your old life.”

  “I’m scared of the same thing, Tyler,” she whispered. “That you’ll get tired of me.”

  Tyler cupped her face between his hands and pulled her to him. He settled his lips over hers, gently at first. The soft moan in her throat drove him to greater urgency. One arm snaked behind her back, and he crushed her against his chest, as if he could hold her to him forever. At the brink of losing control, he forced his mouth away from hers.

  “I love you, Laney,” he rasped against her cheek. “Whatever is in your past, whatever you’ve tried to run from, it doesn’t matter. It’s what brought you to me.”

  Laney sat up straighter on his lap, and gazed into his eyes. She lifted her chin. He smiled inwardly. There in front of him was the woman he fell in love with. Proud and determined.

  “I stopped believing in love a long time ago,” she said slowly. “I stopped believing, until I met you. Most of my life, I’ve been shoved from foster home to foster home because my mother didn’t care enough about me to straighten out her life.” Her tone had gone bitter. Tyler tried to comprehend her phrases, but he wasn’t going to ask her to explain.

  “I lived with a family that ran a rehabilitation center for injured race horses. That’s where I learned how to ride, and the things I’ve been trying to do with Rap. It’s where I realized that I loved horses, and I wanted to work with them.” She dropped her gaze. Tyler’s fingers grazed her cheek, and he nudged her chin.

  “It’s also where I learned about men. My foster father . . .” Her voice trailed off.

  Tyler strained his ears to hear her nearly inaudible words. His grip around her waist tightened, and comprehension dawned.

  “You were violated by the man who raised you?” Tyler tensed. Anger boiled in him like a tea kettle ready to erupt.

  Her eyes blazed. She didn’t look away from him. “I ran away when he wouldn’t stop coming to my room. I haven’t stopped running since.” She licked at her lips, and stared into his eyes. “Since then, I’ve been searching for something, someone, who would love me without turning their back on me.”

  She touched her lips lightly to his.

  “Every time I’ve let myself get close to anyone, I’ve been burned. I’ve learned that no one is going to take care of me but me, and so I’ve relied on myself.”

  “I aim to change that, Laney. I’m here to take care of you.”

  Laney pressed her fingers to his lips. “Let me finish. I need to get this off my chest.”

  She inhaled deeply.

  “I may have taken my clothes off, and been with several men, Tyler. Guys I thought cared about me, but you’re the only one who has ever truly looked at me. No one has ever touched me the way you have, in mind, body, and soul.”

  “And no one else but me ever will.”

  Tyler pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “I’ll be sure to thank Gabe for making that crazy bet, and for bringing you here.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Of all the things he’d ever imagined about Laney’s past, he hadn’t expected this.

  She hadn’t been a working girl, but bad circumstances had led her down the path she’d taken. Out of desperation, she’d agreed to become someone’s mail order bride. It still didn’t explain the strange way she spoke, and her unconventional ways. Perhaps because she’d been on her own, taking care of herself, she’d learned to dress and behave more like a man.

  She tensed in his arms. “Don’t thank him quite yet,” Laney mumbled. “Somehow I don’t think Gabe had anything to do with me coming here.”

  “Well, he did pick you. I’m just glad you agreed to come.”

  “I’m glad I came here, Tyler.” Laney favored him with a warm smile. “And I’m going to learn how to live here, and wear dresses and all those silly things that go underneath them, and I’ll learn how to cook, and everything else I have no clue about.”

  Tyler raised his eyebrows. He chuckled, and flashed a wide grin at her. “Sometimes you say the darndest things, Laney, but I wouldn’t have you any other way. I think I’ve liked having you in britches.” His hand slid slowly along her thigh and under the shirt she wore, and he added in a sultry tone, “In fact, right now I like you best without any clothes on at all.”

  Chapter 24

  “Hey, old boy, how are you this morning?”

  A loud whinny greeted her when Laney walked into the barn. Straw rustled loudly, and the big bay horse paced circles in his stall.

  “I’m letting you out today. You’ve been cooped up in here long enough.”

  She pulled a rope halter from the hook on the wall post, and quietly entered Rap’s stall. The stallion nickered loudly, and accepted the piece of bread she held out for him.

  “You’re going to be a handful today, I can tell. I know you’re eager to get back out with your mares, but you’re not quite ready yet.”

  Laney patted the stallion’s neck, and slipped the halter over his head. She ran her hand along the inside of his back leg, and smiled. There had been no heat for the last couple of days. The horse hadn’t been too happy to come off the range and get locked up in a stall. She couldn’t blame the animal, but she
had convinced Tyler that rest would be the fastest way to his recovery, and she could treat him easier if he was here at the ranch.

  She no longer resorted to the swimming regimen. That was one thing Tyler hadn’t budged on. He refused to allow her or anyone to take the horse into the river. It was his opinion that it was far too dangerous to swim with a horse, and with the latest rains from a few weeks ago, the creeks were swollen and fast flowing. So she switched to hand-walking the stallion for several hours each day, and even tried an herbal poultice Tyler had shown her how to make, that some of the local Indians used for every ailment under the sun. Whether it was the stall rest or the poultice, the horse was definitely improving. The rope mark on his leg had faded, but Laney often wondered who would have harmed the horse on purpose. And to what end?

  Tyler had informed Gabe and his crew to be vigilant of anyone found within the boundaries of the Double M, and he ordered regular scouting rides to check on the various bands of horses on the range.

  “How about if I take him out of his stall today. He seems a bit high strung.” Tyler stepped into the stall behind her. His hand immediately found her waist, and Laney’s skin tingled to life instantly at his touch. Smiling, she turned around, and kissed Tyler’s cheek.

  “Watch it, cowboy,” she said. “Your men are going to call you loco again if they see you coddling this horse. Or me.”

  Tyler grinned. “You’re right. I’m in danger of losing the respect of my men. As long as they’re still doing your bidding at the drop of a hat, the Double M should be all right.” He winked at her, and grinned.

  Laney handed him the leadrope. “There you go again, talking like an open-minded man.”

  “Woman, you’ve already got me cooking supper with you every night. If I’m caught doing the washing next, that’s when I’ll start to worry.”

  “At least we won’t be in danger of the house burning down if you help me with supper. And I haven’t once asked for help from you with the laundry. I think I’ve got that down really well.”