by D McEntire
Closing her eyes, she took herself back in time to the opera house in New York -- the last occasion in which she had worn the gown.
"Father, are the Minstrels playing tonight?"
Bri's father held her arm in his as he escorted her up the stairs to their reserved balcony seats. "Yes, my dear."
Bri felt bursting with excitement. Her father smiled and patted her hand.
Glancing over at Trevor ascending the stairs behind them, she noticed he wore his usual scowl, and she knew why. Her father had once again forced him to accompany them to the opera house. Trevor no longer wanted to go to any social event with her and her father, he had pulled away from them, seemingly not wanting to be in their company.
Bri's chest tightened at the reality she was losing him. He was no longer the boy who used to play tag with her: the brother she loved dearly.
"Come along, Trevor," Bri's father said in a low voice when Trevor stopped on the stairs and eyed a woman who stood off to the side as if waiting for someone.
The glint in Trevor's eyes chilled Bri to the bone. Darkened pools, they followed the woman's every move as if hunting prey. Bri's heart sank deeper in her chest. Her brother was becoming more animal than man: cold and calculating.
As Bri watched the stage, Trevor suddenly stood with a growl and stomped away from his seat. After awhile, she felt it difficult to concentrate on the Minstrels.
"Father, we need to find Trevor."
With a long sigh, her father nodded.
Nowhere to be found after over an hour of searching, her father decided to return to the hotel without Trevor, with the declaration her brother would have to arrange for his own coach to return to the hotel.
After a fitful day's sleep, Bri left her bedroom and entered the sitting area. The morning newspaper lay on the table. Words in large, bold print on the front page announced the murder of a woman whose body had been found behind the theatre.
Bri lifted the paper and read the woman's description. She felt the blood drain from her face. The notice detailed the likeness of the woman Trevor had devoured with his eyes on the stairs at the theatre.
Bri's mind knew without a doubt what her heart did not want to believe. Trevor killed the human female.
Warm tears slid down Bri's cheeks as she swayed with the rocking of the wagon. How could her brother have done such a thing? Where had she and her father gone wrong? Trevor had been loved by both of them; it was he who pushed them away, not the other way around. Of that she was certain. But, despite all Trevor had done in the past, Bri found she couldn't help but continue to hold a spark of hope for her brother.
Sleep overcame her, pulling her deeper into her memories as the wagon led the way of the cattle drive along the dusty trail. As they grew closer to Fort Worth, Bri had an uneasy feeling the place held only a new set of troubles for her.
CHAPTER TEN
The wagon stopped earlier than normal for the evening meal.
"We're jest outside Fort Worth an'll be stoppin' here for the night," Lil' Dave said as he stood from the wagon's bench, then jumped to the ground. The wagon rocked sharply as it rebalanced itself from the loss of his weight on one side.
The overcast sky allowed her to leave the confines of the wagon earlier than usual, and Bri was grateful. Sitting on the hard floor of the wagon, being tossed and bumped against the side-boards and other items, made for a long day; and she had the bruises to prove it.
While standing beside the wagon, Bri's eyes searched for Brody. She'd missed him during their mid-day stop. Frank had brought her a tin and a cup of coffee, but hadn't answered her questions when she'd asked about Brody.
Bri closed her eyes when the smell of fresh water wafted upon a steady breeze. The sound of it rolling over rocks followed, reaching her ears. Its pops and plops were like music.
Wearing a smile, she tossed her gown over her shoulder, leaned inside the wagon to grab the pail, wash cloth, and soap Brody had given her to keep inside to use when she needed, and headed in the direction calling to her: the creek.
Water burbled along, shallow in some spots and deeper in others. Bri followed the bank, then stopped where the water seemed to be deeper, desperately wanting to dip her entire body. Since traveling with the group she had only been able to bathe by bucket. Now, she intended on having a good soak.
Using her keen sense of hearing she listened carefully to determine the location of the men before stripping down to bare skin. Satisfied she was alone, she shucked her bulky clothes and stepped into the cool water. A sigh escaped her lips, and she completely submersed her head. Pure bliss, Bri thought as she surfaced and laughed softly. Since the spot she'd chosen was too small for swimming, she settled for lying on her back and floating.
Bri's peace was short lived. Sensing a presence nearby, she quietly slipped behind a large rock.
* * * *
Brody and Trace rode into camp. After he'd seen the expression on Bri's face as Trace handed her one of her dresses, he'd wanted to see more light shine in her beautiful blue eyes. He'd asked Trace to lead him to the wagon.
The wagon, or at least what remained of it, had been nestled between a set of trees where it obviously crashed. The front had been demolished and the team of horses were long gone. No doubt the force of impact disconnected them from the wagon's tongue. A few boxes and crates had lain strewn about the ground, either thrown from the wagon or rooted through by Bri's brother.
After he had gone through the boxes and decided upon the plunder he figured Bri would appreciate having, he and Trace stacked the boxes back in the wagon and covered them with tarps from their saddlebags to protect their contents until he could arrange for someone to take them to Fort Worth for Bri. Once finished they had set out to search for signs of her brother.
Though it had been two weeks, according to Bri, since her brother left her, Brody had hoped to find some sign of the direction the man had taken. More than that, he had wanted to find the man dead.
Hours of searching had revealed nothing. Brody and Trace had discontinued their search and directed their mounts to the scheduled to stop for the night: just outside Fort Worth.
As Brody handed his horse over to the wrangler, he glanced around the camp, noting some of the men were eating dinner, but most were readying themselves for a trip into town. Brody knew the men had been itching for a layover after several weeks on the trail; he was sure most would wind up in one of the whiskey mills and hoped like hell they didn't raise a ruckus. He didn't want to have to fetch someone from the pokey come morn.
"Lil' Dave, where's Bri?"
Lil' Dave stopped in mid-chew and jerked his head to the side. "She gone to the crik to warsh."
Brody nodded and set off in that direction. He wondered if any of the men had even thought to keep an eye on her for her protection. Brody cut the thought short with a mental snarl. No man had best be laying eyes on her bathing in the creek.
As he neared the water, he smelled tobacco. One of the men was indeed keeping an eye on Bri, but much too close an eye for his liking. Recognizing the man standing on the edge of the creek with his rifle resting in the crook of his arms and a sly smile on his face, Brody let out a growl of anger.
"Branson. You got some business here?"
As Branson glanced over his shoulder and took a drag off his cigarette, letting a lazy stream of smoke out of his mouth, Brody reined in all his control so as not to land a bunch of fives in the man's mush.
"No need to get yer dander up, Boss. Jest checkin' on the lil' lady. Shouldn't be goin' off by herself. Ain't safe. Injuns could be 'round."
Brody didn't believe Branson's excuse for a minute. "I got it from here. Thank ya' kindly for lookin' after her."
After Branson tipped his hat and sauntered off towards camp, Brody let out a long breath. He didn't want to have a confrontation with the man, especially not in front of Bri, but he would if need be.
Bri's men's clothing was folded neatly atop a pile of rocks beside the water. On th
em lay the dress. Images of her shucking the shirt and breeches, then wading out into the water in nothing but her bare, soft skin clouded his mind, and he cleared his throat to push them aside.
"Bri?"
"I'm here," a small voice replied before he noticed movement behind a large rock.
"You okay?"
"Yes, thank you."
"You can get yerself dressed now. He's gone. I'll turn my back." Just as he said he would, Brody turned his back, and heard soft splashes as Bri emerged from the water and stepped onto the bank. In his mind's eye he pictured her standing naked, water glistening on her creamy skin and her long, black hair dripping as it clung to her body. Brody had to close his eyes and grit his teeth before he moaned aloud. He tried to control himself and willed the erection pulsing behind his pants to ease before he turned around, certain she would see full well what he had on his mind.
"I'm finished."
When Brody faced her once more, his breath caught in his throat. Bri had donned the dress Trace retrieved from her wagon. She was a doll. Afraid if he touched her she would break, he didn't move, didn't speak.
After a few moments, he finally realized Bri nervously shifted her weight from one foot to another, obviously waiting for him to say or do something besides stare at her like a numbskull.
"You look a mite lovely, Bri."
* * * *
Bri glanced down at her gown and brushed away imaginary wrinkles. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it." She realized how true that statement was. She was glad he approved, and she knew she couldn't deny he was the reason she had put on the dress.
"I be needin' a hot bath, and a soft bed sure does sound right fine, so's I had a mind to take us to town . . . uh . . . I mean, that is if they be havin' two rooms available. I reckoned you might be thankful not to be sleepin' in the wagon again." He smiled that beautiful smile, melting her heart and weakening her knees. Even covered with dust she found him to be the handsomest man she had ever seen.
"Yes. I guess I should go into town to get myself settled and send a telegram to my father's business partner." Bri almost groaned at uttering another lie to Brody. She really hated not being truthful to him, but what else could she do? He certainly wouldn't want her traveling with him all the way to Kansas.
If she did go with him, what then? He would get tired of having her on the trail, and leave her in some town just like he planned to do now. Fort Worth or Kansas, the outcome would be the same.
Brody lifted the shirt and pants from the rock and turned in the direction of camp. They walked in silence a few minutes until a sharp bark of laughter from Brody made her jump. "Bri?"
"Yes?" She watched him smile to himself and wondered what he was going to ask.
"I've been hankerin' to ask where you got these men-folk duds."
Remembering how she acquired the pants, shirt, and boots, Bri couldn't hold back her laugh. But as embarrassment settled in at having to voice the act aloud, she looked down at the ground and brushed a rock with the toe of her boot. "I borrowed them."
Glancing up, she caught Brody staring at her with a raised eyebrow, and she could see in his eyes he knew there to be more to the story.
She laughed this time, but more from nerves than humor. "There was a man who wasn't using them, so I borrowed them." Telling Brody she had snuck up on a man bathing naked in the river and stolen his clothes -- leaving only his drawers -- was not something she felt comfortable doing. "There's really nothing to tell." Deciding to change the subject, she spoke again. "Did you ride ahead to check the trail? I did not see you at the last stop."
Brody turned his face back to the direction of the camp, but did not answer her question. His pace quickened. Bri found herself having to hurry along to keep up. "Let's toss these here duds in the back of the wagon 'fore grabbing chow. Someone else may need 'em." Brody's grin showed he was joshing, and she playfully batted his arm.
When they reached the wagon Brody pulled aside the flap, and the air rushed from Bri's lungs. Her mouth dropped by its own accord as she stared at her things piled on the floor: gowns, shoes, her hairbrush and comb, and even her small traveling case containing personal toiletries.
Blinking back tears of joy, she turned and launched herself into Brody's arms. Her heart swelled to bursting with gratitude for his kindness. He'd made the trip to her father's wagon and brought back some of her things. He had done so just for her.
"Oh, thank you, Brody," she said, pulling back to look at his face. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it."
The expression on Brody's face as he held her in his arms made her heart jump, and her smile faded. His eyes darkened as he stared down at her lips. She knew what he wanted, and she wanted it, too.
Bri didn't hesitate. Standing on tiptoes, she put her lips to his. Never having kissed a man, she didn't actually know what she was doing, but she didn't let that stop her. She held on tight, hoping Brody would take the lead and not reject her attention.
To her relief, he didn't. Brody immediately returned the kiss, moving his lips over hers before sliding his tongue along the bottom one, making it tingle. If Brody weren't holding on to her, Bri felt she would surely collapse. His kisses felt so unbelievably good, she wanted to melt into him. His tongue danced with hers; rough, warm, and wet.
Finally, he broke the kiss. They both tried to catch their breath, staring once again into each other's eyes for clues as to the thoughts running around each other's head. Time seemed to stand still. No one else existed but the two of them, until Brody blinked and cleared his throat. Slowly lowering his arms, he stepped out of their embrace.
"I'll saddle up two horses whilst you get ready. I'd be a mite pleased if you would accompany me for dinner."
Bri nodded vigorously and watched as he walked away. She brought two fingers up to her lips, still feeling the tingle and the warmth of his lips on hers. She had wanted him to kiss her, and although she had made the first move, he had done so, and it had been magnificent.
With a giddy heart, Bri hiked up her dress and climbed into the wagon.
* * * *
With a hard pull, Brody cinched up the straps on the saddle on a mare for Bri. Deep down he hoped she did not know how to ride, which meant she would need to ride with him. The thought of her backside pressed against him sent his blood racing right to the front of his pants, making them grow uncomfortably tight. Easy boy, he told himself. She'll be headin' back to Gotham, London, or some other fancy city, and you'll still be riding the dirt trail, herding cattle.
"I am ready," a voice called from behind. Brody turned. Bri had settled on a different dress, this one less fancy than the dress she had worn earlier. It was blue, the same brilliant color as her eyes. The color of her dress and the darkness of her hair made her eyes twinkle as if stars lit within them. Her hair was piled on her head with strands dangling to her shoulders.
A pang of guilt hit him as he gazed at the beautiful woman all dolled up and right fitting for an evening in town. Shame had him wishing he had on his best bib and tuckers. Instead, he had to accompany her in his threadbare clothes, ones with too many days out on the trail. She would sure be right shamed, he thought grimly.
Bri's soft chuckle pulled him out of his thoughts.
"What's so funny?" he asked with a frown, wondering if she laughed at his raggedy duds.
"You're staring." He watched her cover her mouth as if trying to stop laughing. He smiled in return, thankful to find she wasn't laughing at his manner of dress.
"Maybe it's 'cause I've never seen a purdier woman, 'specially not have one stand so close to me."
The blush creeping up her face was the sweetest thing he ever saw.
"Can you ride?" Brody asked, patting the mare's saddle. Though he loved to see her blush, he didn't want to make her feel too uncomfortable. He wanted her to be at ease, to be herself, and tell him all about her life.
"Yes. Father had purchased riding lessons, though i
t had been mostly indoors, of course."
Brody tried to not let his disappointment show as he helped Bri mount. After settling upon his own saddle, he led them out of camp. Turning toward town, he began a slow, leisurely pace.
* * * *
Branson stood at the bar, a glass of whiskey in front of him. He lifted the glass to his lips and drank it down with one swallow before wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Finally got the night away from the boss, I see?"
Branson glanced to his side to see a well-dressed man, most likely a businessman, saddling up to the bar next to him. He scowled, and tapped his glass on the counter to get the bartender's attention for another shot of whiskey.
"You be a wantin' somethin'?" Branson barked. He was not in the mood for company.
The guy standing next to him laughed. "No, my good man. It's the other way around. I have something you want."
A heavy sigh escaped Branson, his agitation at being bothered growing. His intentions were to drink enough tar water until he could no longer feel his toes, then find a female to . . .
"I noticed the camp set up just outside of town and observed your boss ride in with a young woman. She happens to be my sister. I had been in the act of returning her to New York when she had left my care. Cold feet, you see. Seems she decided she doesn't want to marry her intended."
"What's that got to do with me?" Branson was already bored with the stranger. He silently willed the man to leave him to drink in peace.
When Branson signaled once more for the bartender, the man grabbed his arm and told the bartender to bring a full bottle. After the bottle had been placed on the bar, Branson watched the man pay with money he pulled from his breast pocket.