Whisper My Name

by Raine Cantrell

  He jerked back, his arms falling away from her. Domini no longer had his complete attention. He was still, and then she heard what he was listening to—the crunch of boots outside on the path to the cabin.

  Luke moved quietly to the door before the knock came. He opened the door a few inches. “Mulekey.”

  “Said to fetch you when the next one’s ready. Well, she’s awaitin’ on you, son.”

  Luke’s grip on the edge of the door tightened until his knuckles showed white.

  “Christ, Mulekey, not now.” He pressed his forehead against the wood. Silently swearing as he struggled to bring his unruly body back from the wild edge where promised satisfaction waited, he tried to avoid looking at Domini sprawled on his bed. He might as well have asked himself to stop breathing.

  The taste of her, the need for her, was lodged in him like a bullet in the flesh. Hot. Painful. Damn impossible to forget. She made him restless. Angry. And when he gave in to the need to look at her, it made him snarl. She was every yearning, every foolish dream of childhood that he believed dead.

  “Give me a minute, Mulekey.”

  “Sure thing, son. Was up to me, you could have the rest of the day. But you got to know I ain’t the only one what’s knowin’ you ain’t alone up here.”

  Luke eyed Domini for a long minute. She still had not moved.

  “Luke, you know the old man’s gonna hold you to your deal. You ain’t got time for foolin’ with no woman. ’Sides, a woman’s trouble, son. Just naturally go together like fleas an’ a dog.”

  “Wait for me,” Luke said, closing the door. When he turned back, Domini was no longer on the bed. She stood in a shaft of sunlight before the fireplace and stared at the lone object on the mantel.

  Sunlight caught in her hair as she hesitantly reached up to touch the wood figure with her fingertip. Luke braced himself for her accusation of thievery.

  “The carving,” she began, glancing at him, then once more gazing with joy at the wooden hummingbird. “My father must have loved you very much to have given this to you, Luke.”

  He should have known that she never did what he expected. Yet he was still afraid to trust. “What makes you think he gave it to me? Maybe I stole it.”

  “He made this for me. I wanted him to have a present when he left. Something that would make him remember me. I ran to get this from my room and Toma grew impatient, but my father made him wait. He promised me that he would keep it unless he found someone who would treasure the little bird as much as I did.” She turned, and her smile came despite the sheen of tears in her eyes.

  “Thank you for keeping this.”

  “Take it. It belongs to you.” She overwhelmed him with her goodness. He heard Mulekey whistle. Without another word he spun around and left her. He didn’t turn back, didn’t say a word as he followed Mulekey down the path.

  “Mighta known it was a woman. That’s the only thing can make a man look uglier an’ meaner than homemade sin.” He spat a stream of tobacco juice off to the side.

  “You haven’t met Domini. When you do, Mulekey—ah, hell, forget it.”

  “Easy enough for me to do, son. Can you?”

  Luke was quiet so long that Mulekey didn’t think he would answer him. And when he did, the words were softly spoken, but there was a savage intensity behind them.

  “I can’t forget her.”

  Domini remained huddled on Luke’s bed, still feeling the trembling desire he had aroused and left unsatisfied. Difficult as it was for her to focus, she forced herself to think of Mulekey’s interruption as a blessing in disguise. Too much had happened this morning: first her talk with Amanda, then Luke’s revelation about her cruelty.

  She didn’t have trouble believing that her father would have offered Amanda comfort. He was a loving man. Toma, from her own observations, was not. But had her father been Amanda’s lover?

  That was what Amanda had implied. And Luke, just how close had he been to her father? Did he know that Amanda … Domini stilled. If what Amanda said was true, then Toma and Matt would have known. Matt was older. He had to be aware of whatever had happened with his mother … her father.

  As much as Domini wanted to avoid thinking, she couldn’t deny that Amanda had asked one vital question. Why had her father abandoned them when he came north with Toma? He had to have known then that Toma had his family with him. Why had he left her and her mother? Why?

  A tormenting question that begged an answer, but Domini found that her strength of will was considerably weakened. Tears that she had not shed at other times came far too easily now. Pain formed a cold, hard knot inside. The question of why became a litany drumming with the pounding in her head.

  Who could she go to for the truth? Amanda had her own deep game to play. Domini simply didn’t trust Matt. On the deepest, instinctive level she knew she couldn’t. Toma? His pride was a stone shield she couldn’t hope to break. He would never admit that his wife had wanted another man. No, she reminded herself. Not just another man. Her father had been his friend and partner.

  As she watched the play of sun and shadow on the bare plank floor, Domini roused herself. Hiding was not going to give her what she wanted. She couldn’t remain here, waiting for Luke, for she knew too well how his needs and passion mirrored her own. That admission forced her to move when nothing else had.

  The small wood carving of the hummingbird dipping its long beak into an open flower drew her near the fireplace. She traced the shape of the tiny bird and thought of what she had told Luke. Her father had loved him.

  It saddened her as she looked around the cabin to realize that this gift from her father was the only treasure that Luke had from his childhood. Cupping her hands gently around the carving, Domini brought it to her lips and kissed it.

  “Perhaps,” she whispered as she replaced the bird on the mantel, “Luke will see it now with different eyes. Maybe he’ll come to understand how easily the gift of love can be given, and what richness it brings to both the giver and the receiver.”

  Domini closed the door behind her and, once down the path, walked across the meadow. She fought the temptation to join the crowd of men around the corral who shouted encouragement to Luke. She caught glimpses of Luke when the horse he rode bucked high, then the trees around the house blocked her view.

  Meta was cleaning her room. She informed Domini that Matt was eating alone in the dining room. Since Domini didn’t wish to see Amanda, she chose to join him.

  She wasn’t sure if her defenses were so battered that Matt’s undemanding company was a welcome respite, or she was learning that she could pretend as well as he that last night had never happened. Whatever the reason, Matt went out of his way to make their meal a pleasant time. By its end, Domini felt as if she knew the families that lived close by to form a tight social circle.

  She refused his offer to go for a ride, but found herself restless enough to agree to go for a walk with him. Matt chose a path that led away from the corrals, and Domini offered no objection. She didn’t want Luke to see them together. Not after the fury of last night and this morning, when he had thought that Matt had done something to her.

  Domini stopped beneath the spreading branches of a lone tree. It was quiet here, and she almost forgot Matt’s presence until she felt his hands gently touch her shoulders.

  “You seem troubled, Dominica. Won’t you share your thoughts with me?”

  His soft, cultured voice was so at odds with Luke’s rough, impatient tone. She made the comparison without conscious thought. Hoping she wasn’t being obvious, Domini managed to turn and step away to remove his hands. And it was time for her to be done with pretense.

  “Your mother’s talk disturbed me. She hinted that she had been more than friends with my father.”

  “And you believed her?”

  “You were here, Matt. Why don’t you tell me if it was true?” She moved away, turning to face him. Placing both hands behind her lower back, Do
mini leaned against the wide trunk of the tree. She felt somewhat protected in this position.

  A wry smile creased Matt’s lips. “You needn’t be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you.”

  She lifted her chin and leveled a direct gaze at him. “You hurt me last night.”

  “I was angry.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his smile more a boyish grin. “I apologize, Dominica. And my anger was for Luke, not you.”

  She let the lie stand. It had taken her a while to understand that she would gain no information from him unless he thought she trusted him.

  “You haven’t answered my question, Matt. Was my father in love with your mother?”

  “It’s not a simple yes or no. And she is my mother. Whatever her faults, Amanda is my mother. Tell me, why did you run off to Luke this morning?”

  “I didn’t. I had noticed the cabin the day he brought me here. I was upset and ran. It wasn’t until later that I found out it was Luke’s cabin. You must admit it’s odd to have your brother live on his own when the house is so big.”

  Domini tensed as Matt looked away toward the house. She released the breath she held when he nodded and turned back to her.

  “Luke’s always wanted to be alone. From the time he learned to walk he’d run off.”

  This was getting her nowhere. Leaving her place of safety near the tree, Domini walked to Matt’s side. She forced herself to place her hand on his arm, and could only hope that her expression conveyed a plea when she wanted to loose the fury of being told half truths.

  “Matt, your mother hates Luke. Why?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “Your father told me to make a choice between you. I can’t do that unless I understand what it is that would cause a mother to favor one son and hate the other. What did Luke do to her?”

  “Oh, it wasn’t Luke,” he said, covering her hand with his. “At least not directly. She nearly died giving birth to me. Toma wanted more sons. He knew he was going to find gold, knew how harsh a toll this land could take. My mother feared that her delicate constitution wouldn’t allow her to survive having another child. She denied him her bed, such as it was.”

  He raised his hand to touch her hair, smoothing it back, then abruptly turned away. He took a few steps and stopped. “This is both painful and a violation of family secrets.”

  She went to him, this time finding it easier to offer him the compassion that was so much a part of her. “I’m sorry. I truly am, Matt. I don’t want to cause anyone pain. I think we have all had our share. I still don’t understand why she hates Luke—”

  “Don’t you? Just think about it a moment, Dominica. Do you believe that Toma offered her the comfort and the true understanding that she would have expected from her husband and a gentleman? I realize you’ve only been here a short time, but surely you’ve formed an idea of what Toma is like?”

  “Prideful, arrogant, a man who would do anything and use anyone to get what he wanted.”

  “An excellent summation of my father’s character. There is no delicate way to explain that he raped my mother until she became pregnant, and when she lost the child he barely waited until she was healed before he did it again. She conceived Luke that second time, and she swore that Toma would never use her again.”

  Domini backed away and stood staring at his rigid back. His voice held no emotion. It was as cold and dry as the words he spoke. Before she could absorb all that he’d said, Matt turned.

  “You do understand now, don’t you? When Luke was born she couldn’t bear to look at him, much less care for him. He represented everything she hated about my father.”

  “But he was innocent. An innocent babe!”

  “No. He was the price Toma demanded from my mother so that she could remain with me. She paid it. We both have paid Toma his due. And now, knowing the past, can you truly blame us for feeling that Luke has no right—”

  “Matt, I have no right to judge any of you, I—I’m sorry. Truly sorry.” Domini bowed her head. When Matt came and put his arms around her, Domini offered no resistance.

  “Dominica, please, find it in your generous heart to give her some compassion. She has suffered. But you must never let her know that I told you. It would grieve her that you knew.” Placing his fingertips beneath her chin, he tilted her head back. “Promise me?”

  “I promise, Matt.”

  “Thank you.”

  She closed her eyes as he leaned closer to brush his lips across hers. Before he could deepen the kiss, Domini slipped free. The cold knot of pain spread until she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out for Luke. She had suffered, too. But not as he had. She had had a core of loving memories to draw upon, but he had been given nothing. Now she understood why he said he had hated her, why he had envied her the love of her parents. Toma may have gotten the second son he wanted, but Matt was right in saying that they had all paid his price.

  She shivered from the cold imprisoning her and rubbed her arms.

  “I’ve shocked you,” Matt said, sliding his arm around her and drawing her close. “Come back to the house with me. I’ll have Ellamay make you some of her soothing herb tea. Both Mother and Mrs. Mayfield swear there’s little it won’t cure.”

  As Domini walked back to the house with him, she noticed that the drawing room drapes were parted slightly. Was Amanda watching them? Well, if she was, she should be pleased to see her with Matt.

  It wasn’t until later, as she rested in her room, that Domini realized Matt had never really answered her question about her father. Sipping the soothing tea that Ellamay had brought to her, Domini spent the remainder of the day piecing together what she did know.

  By the time she dressed for dinner, Domini had come to one conclusion. Despite Toma’s denials, he was the only one with reason to kill her father.

  All she needed to do was prove it. But how?

  Chapter 18

  Domini didn’t see Luke until after dinner the next night. She knew he was avoiding her, which was just as well. She hadn’t quite come to terms with her growing feelings for him.

  Matt had left that morning with four hands to ensure there was no trouble at the mines. Amanda, pleading a headache, had kept to her rooms all day. Domini had been unable to force herself to sit across the table from Toma and share a meal with the man she believed had killed her father. Ellamay seemed to understand and brought a tray to her room.

  But the vague, restless unease that had plagued her from the moment she had awakened intensified and sent her fleeing from the house. Domini felt stifled within its walls.

  Even to herself she didn’t admit that she hoped to find Luke near the corrals. Ellamay told her he often checked the horses he had worked with that day. But he was heading back to his cabin when she drew near the corral. A few horses milled about as she approached the pole fence enclosure.

  Domini started when she realized she was not alone. A bowed-legged man with a hint of a potbelly came closer to where she stood.

  “So you’re the one.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Name’s Mulekey, missy. Luke tole me ’bout you,” he announced in a testy voice. “Says you’re Kirkland’s daughter.”

  “That’s true.” Domini’s teeth scored her bottom lip. She tried to bite back the question, but it begged to be asked. “Did you know my father?”

  “Heard tell that’s all you’re askin’ folks.”

  “And most of them refuse to give me a straight answer.”

  “Now, missy, ain’t a need to get surly. Most folks don’t like nosy critters. I knowed him some. Was doin’ some prospectin’ in these mountains long before he come up here with Toma.”

  Domini angled her head to the side, studying the bewhiskered old man. The fading light allowed her to see his thinning hair and the way his right eyelid blinked furiously in a nervous tic. He stood at ease under her assessing gaze.

  “I have a strong feeling that you deliberate
ly sought me out to tell me something.”

  “Could be. Lived long enough to hand out advice. That is, if you’re willin’ listen to an old geezer who ain’t lost his smarts when he lost his hair.”

  “I have a great respect for the wisdom that comes with age.” Domini smiled, then added, “But I can’t promise that I’ll do more than listen to your advice.”

  Mulekey rubbed his jaw. “Fair enough. I got to have my say. Been festerin’ inside. Luke’ll likely raise a hell of a ruckus with me, but you’re trouble for him. Tole him so. He’s got so he thinks he’s a law unto hisself. Jus’ like his daddy. But he’s never gotten his boots tangled up in a lady’s petticoats. Never had much truck with women.”

  “Then you come along.” He settled his thin arms across the middle cross pole and stared at the horses. “Boy’s twisted inside out. If he don’t keep his mind on breakin’ ’em horses for Toma, he’s gonna end up hurt. Hurt bad. You do that boy a favor an’ stay clear of him.”

  “Did Luke put you up to this?”

  “Missy, listen up. Ain’t what I said. I tole Luke you’re trouble. Now I’m tellin’ you so’s to protect him.”

  Far from taking offense, Domini mulled over his words and found herself stepping closer to the old man. “I’m glad that someone besides Ellamay cares about Luke. Really cares what happens to him.”

  “ ’Course I care.” Mulekey snorted and shook his head. “Wouldn’t be wastin’ time spinnin’ words to the wind if I didn’t. An’ it’s wasted time, ain’t it?”

  “Now it’s you who isn’t listening, Mulekey. I never said that. I’m standing here and I’m listening to you. I feel guilty enough for what Luke did. I know he wants nothing to do with Toma or the Colfax holdings. I’m not sure why he felt he had to protect me by agreeing with Toma’s ridiculous scheme. I don’t want to marry anyone.”

  “Seems to me I smell a lie as well as I smell that horse dung in the corral.” Her silence had him shaking his head again. “Missy, you can’t be knowin’ half the hell that boy’s lived with. He was all set to clear out for good after this last trip. Been named a bastard from the day he was born, an’ he’s been tryin’ to live up to the name. Tried to tell him it ain’t the way. But Luke’s a stubborn cuss at times.”