“Now what?” Tommy asked, nudging his horse into a slow walk.
“I do believe I’m in need of breakfast and a cup of coffee. You?”
“Sounds fine to me.”
Walking inside, Willie spotted Lena at a table near the back, reading what appeared to be a dime novel while sipping coffee. She didn’t look up at their approach.
“Excuse me. Are these seats taken?”
Lena’s stomach knotted at the familiar voice, the sound grating on her senses, encouraging her to jump from her seat and flee. She wondered if ignoring him would have any impact. The scraping of chair legs across the floor gave her the answer.
Lowering the book, she pinned him with an unwelcoming stare. “You aren’t welcome at this table, Willie. I suggest you find a place where you may converse with people of your…persuasion.”
“And what persuasion would that be, my dear?” His smooth, accented voice sent chills through her, and she fought the urge to pick up her coffee and fling it in his face.
“The reptile kind. Those who slither, then hide in their holes when they can’t face real life.” She slipped her book in a pocket, then stood. “I’ll make sure Suzanne knows she has customers.” Hemmed in on one side by the wall and the other by Willie, she turned sideways, trying to push past him.
“There’s no need for you to leave so soon.” He reached out a hand, grasping her arm, and hauling her toward him. “We have so much to catch up on.” Stale breath, smelling of smoke and old whiskey, washed over her, causing her stomach to churn.
“Sorry you had to start without me, Lena. I was held up at the jail.” Except to those who knew him, Cash’s deep, southern drawl might sound congenial. However, his temper had flared the moment he stepped inside to see Lena in obvious distress. A thin, mental barrier now stood between his temper and the need to thrash the two men who stood over her. His gaze bored into the man holding Lena, daring him to make a move.
“Cash, darling. I’d begun to think you weren’t coming.”
Willie’s hand fell from her arm at the sight of the badge. He had no desire to tackle the law, especially someone this threatening.
Lena stepped around Willie toward Cash, moving behind him.
“Why don’t you find Suzanne, see if she needs some help?” Cash took a step toward Willie.
She nodded, knowing he wanted her out of the way while he spoke to them.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Cash Coulter, one of the deputies in Splendor.” His gaze never faltered, nor did he extend his hand.
“William Randolph Carlyle. And this is my partner, Thomas Pennington. We’re the owners of the Devil Dancer mine west of here.”
“I’ve heard of it, and you.” Cash looked over his shoulder to make certain Lena had disappeared in the back. “It might be wise if both of you kept away from Miss Campanel. I believe she’s made her desires clear.”
“On the contrary. Lena and I are old friends from New Orleans.” Willie smirked as he crossed his arms.
Cash couldn’t help but wonder at the mental capacity of the man. “You may have been friends in the past, but from what I can see, she wants nothing to do with you now. Of course, I could go ask her. That way there will be no mistake.”
Willie dropped his arms as his bluster faltered. “No need, Deputy. I’m certain it’s a misunderstanding, one that may be resolved once she agrees to speak with me.”
“I wouldn’t count on it, Carlyle. From what I’ve seen, she’s a pretty good judge of character, and the way she looked at you, she’s found you lacking. My suggestion is you two find another place to take your meals when you come to town.” Cash stepped aside, a clear indication the conversation had ended.
Willie and Tommy edged past him, not glancing back as they left the restaurant.
“Cash, are they gone?” Lena’s voice shook as she moved into the parlor to peek out the front windows, seeing Willie ride in the direction of the bank.
He stepped up behind her, seeing her shake. “I gave them a reason to leave and not return. Do you want to tell me about them?”
Sitting on a settee in front of the window, she took a deep breath. “I don’t know the one man, but Willie and I met long ago. He left New Orleans abruptly, taking most of my jewelry and a good portion of Nick’s and my money with him. We could never prove the thefts were his doing, so the law didn’t go after him. I’d hoped to never see the man again.”
“Seems he wants to have a chance to talk, explain himself.”
A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. “The man is a viper, Cash. He has no concept of good and bad. I’ve been told evil men are incapable of seeing the foul stench within themselves. Willie Carlyle is one of those men.” She stood, grabbed her coat from a nearby hook, and started outside.
“Hold on. I’ll walk you to the Dixie.” Cash moved beside her, keeping her on the inside of the boardwalk during the short walk to the saloon. “You know, Gabe will need to know about today, as will Beau.”
“Yes, I know. I’ll tell Nick what happened, too.” She looked over her shoulder as she pushed open the door of the saloon. “Be wary of him, Cash. The man isn’t to be trusted.”
“Any trouble while I was gone?” Gabe tossed his hat on the desk and hung up his coat. He’d left early, not disclosing his destination to either Cash or Beau. Until they took on the badges to help bring down a group of rustlers who plagued the area, he’d been the sole lawman for months. Both had stayed on, but Gabe still hadn’t learned to share much about his whereabouts with either of them.
“The owners of the Devil Dancer mine rode in this morning.”
“That so. Did you meet them?”
“In a roundabout way.” Cash continued to study the wanted posters before him. He would’ve bet he’d seen one with Carlyle’s image not long after he put on the badge. “William Randolph Carlyle and his partner, Thomas Pennington. I walked into Suzanne’s as Carlyle tried to persuade Lena to speak with him.”
Gabe’s head snapped toward Cash as his eyes flared. “And?” he ground out, hands fisting.
“I let them know Lena didn’t want their company and they weren’t welcome in the boardinghouse. When Carlyle objected…”
Cash didn’t get any further as Gabe snatched his hat from the desk and grabbed his coat, slamming the door on his way out.
“That didn’t take long,” Beau chuckled as he reached out his hand. Cash dug in his pocket, pulling out a coin and handing it to his friend.
“Hell, I thought he’d at least wait until I finished explaining.” Cash resumed his position over the desk, scanning the posters, promising himself to stop making wagers with Beau. He always lost.
Gabe wasted no time finding Lena. She sat alone at a table in the corner of the Dixie, a cup of coffee in front of her, a glass next to it. He took slow steps, not wanting to alarm her.
“A little early for whiskey, isn’t it?” He nodded toward the glass as he took a seat next to her.
“It’s brandy, and yes, it is a little early.” Her hand trembled as she picked up the coffee and brought it to her lips.
“Cash told me you had a visitor.”
A shaky breath escaped her as she set the cup back on the table. “A man I knew many years ago paid me a visit.”
“William Carlyle.”
Her gaze shot to his. “How did you know?”
“Cash mentioned it. Nick also told me Carlyle might ride into town looking for you. He told me what happened in New Orleans.”
Shock and something else Gabe couldn’t decipher crossed her face, then disappeared. “You mean the way he robbed us?”
“Was there more?”
“No…nothing else.”
His instincts told him there was, but he wouldn’t push…at least not yet. “What did he want?”
“I don’t know. As soon as he approached the table, I tried to leave. That’s when Cash walked in.”
“Does Nick know?”
“He left this morning for Luke Pelletie
r’s place to bring Fanny back. She’s going to be the new cook for Suzanne.” Lena’s tormented gaze lifted to meet his. “He’ll be furious and might go after him. I don’t want that to happen.”
“Then I’ll tell him. I might be better able to impress upon him the need to come to me, Cash, or Beau if Carlyle causes trouble.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Are you certain there’s nothing else about him you want to tell me?”
Lena knew Gabe wanted to help, protect her from the man, yet there wasn’t any more she could share that would aid him. Her own personal hatred of Carlyle, the way he’d used her and then walked out, would remain her secret. Besides, it had nothing to do with what happened in Splendor.
“There’s nothing more, Gabe.”
“Well, then, come on. I’m taking you out of town for a while.” He stood, reaching out his hand.
She thought of refusing, staying safe within the walls of the Dixie. Then she looked into Gabe’s face. He wanted to be there for her and she was going to let him. Lacing her fingers through his, she let him lead her outside.
“You’ll need a warm coat, and I want Suzanne to pack us a lunch.” He pulled her hand through his arm. “There’s a place I want to show you a few miles from town. I doubt you’ve ever been anywhere near it. It’s at the south end of the Pelletier ranch and has the most beautiful view you’ve ever seen.”
His deep voice comforted her as they walked, and she found herself beginning to relax.
“What if I like it so much I won’t want to leave?”
His low chuckle warmed her blood. “Then I guess we’ll just have to figure out some way to make it happen.”
~~~~~
Chapter Eleven
“Forget about her, Willie. There are plenty of women who won’t fight you and aren’t protected by some overzealous lawman.” Pennington stood with Carlyle at the bar of the Rose. His partner hadn’t budged from this spot in over an hour, nursing a third drink after tossing back two in succession. Tommy didn’t like the angry gleam in Willie’s eyes as he shot back the whiskey in his glass.
“I don’t care how many people guard her. She’s who I want.” His voice came out in a growl as he filled his glass again.
“Only because she doesn’t want you. Once you’ve had her, you’ll do what you do with all the women you’ve taken. Why bother when you’ve already been in her bed?”
Willie turned toward him, a look Tommy had never seen in his eyes before, ominous in its intensity. “She will be with me or no one. She’s mine, always has been. I’ll not let another man have her.” The absolute certainty in his voice had Tommy taking a step away.
Tommy set down his empty glass. He’d been watching a card game at a nearby table with an empty seat. “We’ll continue this conversation when you’re sober. It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m going to enjoy myself.”
Willie looked up from his numbed state. A part of him knew Tommy was right. He wanted Lena even more because she’d spurned him, but a part of him wanted to discover if she might be the cure that would heal him—turn him from a man without a conscience to one who could learn to love and offer compassion. He knew he couldn’t squelch this obsessive feeling until he’d had her again.
Whether he found salvation in her arms wasn’t the main reason for wanting her. She held property and status as a businesswoman, even if it was tied to the saloon. Marrying her would help him gain the power he craved.
“Bartender.” Willie’s hard command had all heads turning in his direction, including Tommy’s. “More whiskey. A bottle this time.”
Tommy looked around the bar, spotting one of the girls standing near the staircase, her eyes fixed on Willie. Laying down his cards, he walked toward her, leaned down, and whispered in her ear, then pulled some bills from his pocket.
It took a couple more glasses of whiskey and a little coaxing from the woman, but Willie finally followed her up the stairs. By the looks of him, and even though the sun hadn’t begun to set, Tommy figured it would be well into tomorrow before he showed his face back downstairs.
“This is so beautiful. And it took such a short time to get here.”
Gabe had helped Lena down from Joker, the horse Noah had loaned him, watching as she turned in circles, looking in all directions. He’d been coming to this bit of unspoiled land for months, discovering something new each time. He figured his feelings for the place would never change. It was the only spot he could envisage himself growing old.
“How did you ever find this place?”
“In a way, it found me.” He walked both horses toward a large pine, not releasing the reins. “Last winter left the ground soaked for months. One Sunday, I’d had enough of slogging around in town and saddled Blackheart, riding northwest without a destination in mind. I don’t know why, but the trail called to me. It felt as if a magnetic pull dragged me up this hill, even though I had to ride through thick brush at times. Then I heard it.”
“What?”
“Rushing water. I followed the noise and it led me here, to this exact spot.”
Lena looked around again, listening. “I don’t hear any water.”
“Come here.” He took her hand, leading the horses and her along another path, ending near several large boulders. Dropping the reins, he pulled her to him, wrapped an arm around her waist, and skirted the rocks, pointing down.
“Oh, my gracious. A waterfall!” She turned her face toward him, her bright eyes glowing with excitement.
“It’s much larger and louder in the spring when all the snow is melting. It’s beautiful, no matter the time of year.”
“Gabe, it’s spectacular. I’ve never seen any other place to compare.” She turned toward him, and without thinking, wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up into his eyes. “Do you know who owns it?”
The sight of her glowing face and full lips inches from his severed any remaining control he possessed. Ignoring her question, he lowered his head, giving her a chance to pull away before capturing her mouth in a scorching kiss. Drawing her into his chest, he deepened the contact, moaning when her lips parted for him.
Heat seared through his body with an intensity he’d never experienced before, causing him to tighten his hold. Pulling back, he stared into her eyes, seeing something hot and dark that set his skin on fire. He bent his head, covering her mouth once more.
Blood thundered in her ears as she became heedless of everything around her, except the feel of his body pressed against hers. His lips consumed hers as he let them glide along her chin to the delicate skin of her neck, all the while his hands leaving trails of fire along her back. It felt as if he were everywhere, yet she still didn’t feel close enough.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drew him down as his mouth moved to the hollow of her neck, then lower still. She moaned as his hands slipped to her hips, holding her tight against him.
“Lena?” It was a request, a plea, his voice raspy and strained.
She dropped her arms and looked into his eyes, glazed and darkened with passion. Walking the few steps to her horse, she untied the blanket and laid it on the ground. Looking at him, she lowered herself to it, then extended her hand. “Please, Gabe.”
Dropping to his knees, he held her face between his hands, searching her eyes. “Make certain this is what you want because there’s no going back. I won’t give you up once I’ve had you.” He lowered his mouth, brushing hers, then pulled back. “Do you understand?”
“I don’t want any other man…”
With that simple statement, he wrapped his arms around her, lowering her to the ground, finding all he’d been searching for in this one woman.
“Lena, sweetheart, you need to wake up. We have to start back.” Gabe kissed her forehead, then feathered kisses along her cheek before seizing her mouth. Making love twice hadn’t been enough, but he had no choice except to get her back home before darkness made it impossible to see the trail.
Lena’s eyes opened to slits, clo
sed, then sprang wide as she saw who leaned over her. Recognition came in a slow wave, accompanied by a sleepy smile.
“Do we need to leave?”
“Unless you want to spend the night out here.” Gabe kissed her again, lingering until he pulled away on a quiet groan, convincing himself they had to go. “Our next time won’t be on the hard ground.”
“No?” She pushed up, grabbing his hand.
“It shouldn’t have happened this way.” He picked leaves from her hair, then did the same with his own, missing her wary expression.
“Do you regret it already?”
Grabbing her shoulders, he turned Lena to him. “Not for an instant. It’s just…you deserve better than the hard ground in the middle of nowhere.”
“I’m not complaining.” She reached up, giving him a kiss, noticing how the sun had already begun to disappear behind the western mountains. “You’re right, though. We’d better start back.”
The return ride took longer, darkness settling across the trail as they joined the main road. Both remained silent as the time ticked by, neither broaching the subject they knew hung between them.
Gabe reined to a stop at the livery, dismounting, then helping Lena, letting her body slide down his, feeling the heat rise again. Taking her mouth in a slow kiss, he moaned when she broke the kiss and stepped away.
“I need to get to the Dixie before Nick sends men looking for me.”
“He knows you’re with me. I asked Noah to tell him we were going on a ride.”
She didn’t know how she felt about Nick knowing about her time with Gabe, but she let the thought pass. “Still, he’ll worry if I’m not back soon.”
Gabe caught her arm as she turned to leave. “Let me put the horses away and I’ll walk you over.”
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