Comanche Temptation

by Sara Orwig

  “Luke,” Honor said from the doorway, her cheeks streaked with tears. “Pa wants to see you.”

  Luke turned and strode past her, giving her shoulder a squeeze as he hurried to Horace’s big bedroom on the southeast corner of the house.

  “Here’s Luke, Pa,” Jeddy said, and turned to walk away, wiping his eyes with his fists as he passed Luke, who gave him a squeeze just as he had given Honor.

  “Close … door,” Horace said.

  Luke closed it and crossed to the bed. “Yes, sir,” he said, knowing Horace shouldn’t use the energy trying to talk, but also knowing it would be useless to stop him.

  “Luke, Honor and my ranch are at risk. I don’t want to lose this. Want … save for Jeddy.”

  “Yes, sir. Doc is on his way.”

  “Luke, Honor and Jeddy are underage.” Horace Roth opened his eyes, the blue gaze direct and intense as he looked up at Luke. “I want to keep this ranch for them. If he can, Stanton will be declared guardian and take it.”

  Luke waited while Horace’s face twisted in pain. Then he took a breath and opened his eyes, looking at Luke again. “If you would marry Honor—in name only—marriage would hold the ranch until Jeddy’s of age. Only six years and you can have it annulled …”

  Luke felt as if his heart stopped as he stared at the dying man.

  “If you’ll marry her and save ranch … I’ll write a will now … you’ll get one third of everything.”

  “Sir, you may be a lot better after Doc is here.”

  Blue eyes were intense as Horace stared at Luke. “I want to die in peace, knowing this ranch will go to Jeddy someday, that Honor and Jeddy will always have the H Bar R. Will you do that?”

  Luke stared at Horace Roth, a man he respected and liked. The solution Roth proposed would protect the ranch, but Luke didn’t want to marry for six years in name only, and he sure didn’t want Horace Roth to give up.

  “Luke, I know what I’m feeling. Please—”

  “Yes, sir, I will,” Luke said, feeling as if he had just stepped off a cliff in the darkest of night and wondering what he was getting into.

  “Thank you,” Roth said, trying to lift his hand for a handshake. Luke gripped his hand and shook it, feeling a knot in his throat. “I want you to promise me two things.” Again, blue eyes focused on Luke in a gaze that seemed to reach to his soul. “Promise you will keep the ranch for my children.”

  “Yes, sir, I will to the best of my ability,” Luke answered solemnly, feeling as if a giant weight of responsibility was descending on him.

  “Promise me you won’t take the law into your own hands or let Honor do so.”

  Luke frowned as he stared at Horace Roth. For the first time, he realized the wound wasn’t an accident.

  “Luke, promise me,” Horace Roth insisted, his voice growing louder, raspy with effort.

  “I promise. Who—”

  “Send someone for the preacher now, and send someone to get Judson Maple, my attorney. I want this done right so Stanton can’t change it. Then bring Honor in here so I can talk to her. You come back with her.”

  “Yes, sir,” Luke answered grimly, the arrangement he had just agreed to swirling in his mind while he hurried to do what Horace wanted. Luke felt dazed, but beneath the shock from Horace’s requests was a burning rage because he was beginning to suspect that Rake Acheson was behind the gunshot. No one else would have caused Horace to make the strange request about taking the law into his own hands.

  In minutes Luke returned with Honor, standing beside her as she held Horace’s hand while Roth explained that she was underage and Stanton could have himself declared her guardian and take the ranch. “Honor, Luke has agreed to marry you, a marriage in name only that can be annulled when Jeddy comes of age. In exchange, I will bequeath him one third of the ranch. That’s the only way to keep the ranch from Stanton. Will you do this?”

  Honor drew a deep breath and turned to look up at Luke, her straight black brows drawing together as she frowned, her white teeth biting her lower lip. With a start, Luke realized she felt as much reluctance for the sham marriage as he did, but he couldn’t see that either of them had a choice.

  “Honor, we can trust Luke. If you do this it will save the ranch for you and Jeddy. It will make me very happy.”

  “Pa, let’s not worry about tomorrow.”

  “Honor, I want to know the ranch will be yours and Jeddy’s,” Horace Roth said in a raspy voice that still held a strong note, but Luke suspected all his efforts to talk were costing him. “Do this for me.”

  Tears welled in her dark eyes, but she wiped them away before she turned to lean down and kiss Horace’s cheek. “Yes, Pa, I will.” She shot one dark, enigmatic glance at Luke.

  “I did what you asked,” Luke told Horace. “Enrique has ridden for the preacher, and Tom has gone to fetch Maple.” Luke gazed down at Horace’s pale face and listened to his labored breathing, wondering if the doctor or preacher or lawyer would get here in time.

  “Good. Now go get Dolorita and a pen and paper and let me make a will.”

  “Sir, wait—” Luke protested, but the blue eyes silenced him and he turned abruptly to do what Horace asked. As he left the room, he heard Horace’s raspy voice.

  “Honor, go put on a pretty dress for your wedding.”

  Feeling dazed, Luke returned to the room to watch as Horace wrote in shaky hand a will dividing the ranch between Honor, Jeddy, and Luke.

  Luke heard voices in the hall and turned around to see a tall, black-bearded man enter the room. He nodded at the doctor. “Here’s Doc Haberman,” Luke announced, placing his hand on Honor’s shoulder to propel her out of the room as Jeddy followed them.

  When they stepped into the hall, and Luke closed the door, he stood by Jeddy and squeezed his shoulder. Jeddy stared ahead, wiping his eyes. Honor, meanwhile, stood across the hall, her arms wrapped around herself. She had changed into a bright blue gingham dress that had tiny yellow flowers embroidered on it and yellow lace trim. It was a cheerful dress, and he knew she had chosen it for her father’s benefit. Her hair was brushed and tied behind her head with a blue ribbon. He ached for her and wanted to cross the hall and take her into his arms, but it wouldn’t stop the hurt she was suffering.

  In a short time the door opened, and as Haberman stepped out of the room and glanced solemnly at Luke, Luke knew he didn’t expect Horace Roth to survive.

  Twenty minutes later the Reverend Buford Ames stood on one side of the bed, Luke beside Honor on the other with Jeddy holding his father’s hand while Doc Haberman, Dusty, Enrique, Judson Maple, and Dolorita witnessed the ceremony.

  “Honor Roth, do you take Luke McCloud to be your husband?”

  Luke gazed down into Honor’s dark eyes as she stared solemnly up at him, and guilt filled him. He was not Luke McCloud, yet this would give her one more reason later to have the marriage annulled. It would never be consummated, and she didn’t know the truth about him or his past. She didn’t even know his real name.

  “Will you love him, comfort him, honor and obey him, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as ye both shall live?”

  “I will,” Honor answered in a faint voice, staring at Luke.

  Ames turned to Luke, who made the same declarations, after which the minister said a brief prayer. He placed Honor’s hand in Luke’s and turned to Luke to ask him to repeat his vows. Luke gazed down at her solemnly.

  “I, Luke, take thee, Honor, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part,” Luke vowed firmly, and Honor’s heart thudded while a tiny voice inside her screamed this wasn’t what she wanted. None of this was what she had wanted to happen. Please let Pa live, she prayed silently. She didn’t want Luke forced to marry her to keep Pa happy. Everything inside her hurt, and she had to keep from crying in front of Pa and Jeddy.

  The Reverend Ames turned to her, asking her to repeat her vows,
and Honor spoke the words stiffly, wondering what Luke felt.

  “… to love and to cherish, until death do us part,” she said, fighting tears. Six years until Jeddy came of age. She looked down at Luke’s strong hands holding her small one. She knew he hadn’t planned to work at the H Bar R for another six years, but now he would have to stay. The minister’s voice pierced her consciousness.

  “I pronounce Luke and Honor, husband and wife. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. You may kiss your bride.”

  She looked up, startled, thoughts flashing through her mind that for years she had dreamed of Luke’s kissing her. Now he was going to, and she didn’t want his kiss, didn’t want this fake marriage, didn’t want him forced into this. And she knew that, deep down, he didn’t want it either.

  He leaned down and as his head came close, she turned her face away. His mouth lightly brushed the corner of hers and her cheek, and when she glanced back at him, she saw his frown. Then his arm was around her, squeezing her shoulders tightly as he pulled her close against his side and she felt a strange comfort from his strength even though she stood stiffly, trying to move away without making it obvious.

  Horace raised his hand and Honor took it. “Thank you, Honor. Luke. Now I feel everything will be taken care of.”

  “Pa, we all need you. Hang on.”

  “Give me a kiss, Honor. And remember all the promises you made today. You have to keep them for my sake.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said in a tight voice that quivered with hurt.

  Horace closed his eyes, and Luke put his arm around Honor’s shoulders again while everyone except Jeddy and the doctor filed out of the room.

  Through her wedding night, Honor sat beside the bed holding her father’s hand. Jeddy had fallen asleep in the chair and Luke covered him with a quilt, leaving him where he was. Luke stood at the window, looking outside. Then he turned, glanced at Honor, and crossed the room to the other side of the bed.

  “It was Rake Acheson, wasn’t it?” he finally asked in a low voice.

  She raised a tear-stained face, and he saw the flare of hatred before she answered. “Yes. And both you and I had to promise Pa we wouldn’t take the law into our own hands.”

  Luke clenched his fists, a white-hot rage surging through him. His first urge was to stride out to his horse and ride straight to the Acheson place and challenge Rake, but he was bound by his promise to Horace Roth. He looked down at the man in bed, who already looked diminished.

  “I guessed that’s why he extracted the promise.” Luke frowned, realizing Horace’s raspy breath had stopped, and his chest no longer was rising and falling. Luke walked around the bed and took Honor’s hand from her father’s. Feeling a rush of sorrow and loss, Luke pulled Honor up into his arms.

  Five

  Startled, Honor looked up at Luke. Then her gaze flew to the bed. “Pa!”

  “Shh, Honor,” Luke said, holding her. “He went peacefully once he felt you and Jeddy were taken care of.”

  “Pa!” She twisted out of Luke’s embrace to throw herself down, holding her father, her head on his chest as she finally let the sobs come.

  Luke wiped his eyes, feeling a burning rage toward Acheson that could end only one way. He hurt for Horace Roth. He would miss the big man who had become a friend as well as employer, and he hurt for Honor and Jeddy because they adored their father. Moving close beside her, he stroked Honor’s head, feeling the long silky hair beneath his hand. Her thin shoulders shook as she sobbed. He clenched his fist, fighting the overwhelming urge to strap on his guns and go after Acheson. But as he looked down at Honor clinging to her father, he knew he had to keep his promise. Turning away, Luke quickly left the room to tell Dolorita.

  Doc Haberman and the Reverend Ames were spending the night at the ranch. They were sitting in the library with drinks in their hands when Luke stopped in the doorway. “Doc—”

  Glancing at Luke, Doc stood up and walked back to the bedroom with Luke. Jeddy sat sobbing in the chair, and Honor was still crying over Horace.

  Luke took her by the shoulders and gently pulled her away. “Come here, Honor. Let Doc Haberman tend him. Dolorita will come help.” He walked her around to Jeddy, who threw himself against Honor, and they clung together to cry. Finally Luke put an arm around each one and led them out of the room.

  With daylight the Reverend Ames rode away and soon word spread. Neighbors and friends came from town, bringing food and words of consolation for the children. Luke was pleased to see how many friends they had because he knew some people would have nothing to do with the family because of their Comanche ties.

  Dusty rode out to give Stanton the news. When Dusty returned, he found Luke in the kitchen and motioned to him to step outside. The August day was gray, rain threatened, clouds swept the sky, and gusts of wind blew against them as Luke faced the foreman.

  “The brother is fit to be tied that you two are married.”

  Luke stared at the rolling land, wondering how his life had changed so swiftly. “Right now, I feel about the same way.” He turned to look at Dusty. “Horace Roth wanted us to marry to hold the ranch for Honor and Jeddy.” He stopped because any more information would have to come from Honor. He didn’t want to place any burden on her about what others thought, so she could make the decision as to how many details of their bargain would be general knowledge.

  Dusty nodded, a faint hint of amusement in his eyes.

  “You’ve been good to her, Luke. Boss was a shrewd bargainer.”

  For a second Luke wondered if Dusty knew the arrangements that had been made, but then he realized that no one knew all the details except Honor and him.

  Dusty’s amusement faded. “Watch yourself. Rake Acheson is still an enemy, and now Stanton Roth will be one as well. Your marriage keeps him from taking charge of the H Bar R. He doesn’t give a damn about Honor and Jeddy. And there’s the old spinster sister, Lavinia. She’s a witch, and Boss wouldn’t tolerate her. She’s as cantankerous, and about as good-looking, as a sore-tailed mule.”

  “I’ll write a will today because if something happens to me, Honor will need someone until she reaches eighteen,” Luke said, still astounded by this change in his life. “In two more years, she’ll be of age, but she can’t run the ranch alone. Then in six years Jeddy will take charge.”

  “Don’t put me in any damned will. But I’ll make sure Stanton won’t take this ranch from her. I promise you.”

  “Thank you,” Luke replied solemnly.

  “I don’t know how far Stanton will go to try to take the place. With Boss around, Stanton always left us alone.”

  “We’ll find out soon enough.” Luke placed his hands on his hips and stared to the southeast. “Dusty, Rake Acheson did it,” Luke said, feeling angry again.

  “The bastard!” Dusty swore a long stream of angry words.

  “I had to promise Horace that I wouldn’t take the law into my own hands,” Luke continued. “So did Honor. Tomorrow I’m riding into Montello to press charges and have Rake arrested.”

  “I’ll ride with you.”

  “You and I better split up, so if Acheson or Stanton gets one of us, the other will survive to take care of Honor. I’ll take Enrique with me.”

  Dusty nodded as Luke turned and strode back into the house.

  The next morning they buried Horace Roth on a hill a mile from the ranch house. While the Reverend Ames prayed, Luke kept his arms around Honor and Jeddy. Again, Luke was gratified to see the large number of friends who had gathered.

  Afterward, they returned to the house, where Dolorita and Diego had a huge spread of food. During the afternoon Luke suspected all the people might be wearing on Honor, and when he saw Stanton talking to her, he moved through the crowd to her side.

  Dressed in black muslin, Honor listened to Stanton talk. Her cheeks were flushed and she was biting her lower lip. Luke slipped his arm around her tiny waist.

  “Ah, the newlyweds,” Stanton remarked dryly,
his blue eyes glittering with fury. “What a fortunate union for you, Mr. McCloud. In one fell swoop you acquired a young wife and a thriving cattle business.”

  “Right now, the young wife is what is important. If you’ll excuse us, Mr. Roth, Doc Haberman is getting ready to go and wanted to see Honor before he leaves.” Luke led her away from Stanton and took her hand in his, feeling her icy fingers before she pulled away. From the moment of their marriage, Honor had been cold and guarded toward him, and he wondered whether it was because of shock over her father’s death or humiliation that Luke had married her to satisfy her father.

  “I think it’s time you get away from some of this crowd,” he said, leaning down to speak in her ear.

  “Honor, honey, we’re so sorry,” Mabel Gatchell exclaimed, hugging Honor to her ample bosom. Edwin Gatchell raised cattle on their ranch thirty miles away and had a daughter, Lila Louise, who was Honor’s friend. Mabel Gatchell looked at Luke and offered her hand, her blue eyes filling with tears. “Take good care of Horace’s little girl. Honey, anytime you need help, you send for me.”

  “Yes, ma’am. Thank you, Mrs. Gatchell.”

  “Now Jeddy will have a father and you’ll have a husband who can keep the place, so that’s good, Honor. Everyone knows your father intended to send you East to school, but this is much better under the circumstances. And I’m sure you have a good husband. My Edwin said you’re a fine man, Mr. McCloud.”

  “Thank you,” Luke replied quietly. “Honor, we have to tell Doc good-bye. If you’ll excuse us, Mrs. Gatchell—”

  “Of course,” Mabel Gatchell said, waving her hand at them, and Luke shouldered his way, trying to keep between guests and Honor until he pushed her gently out the back door. “Head for the barn.”

  “What about Doc and all the people who will see that he isn’t leaving?”

  “Doc’s out behind the barn passed out from corn liquor under the shade of a cottonwood. No one will be seeing him for some time.”

  Honor rushed across the yard and into the cool shade of the barn. Smells of hay and horses and leather filled the air, everything so familiar, yet suddenly so different with Horace Roth gone. Luke watched the slight switch of Honor’s hips as she walked to the open door and stood just inside the barn out of the wind.