Was that a slight note of fear he detected in Della’s voice? His suspicions aroused, Ben made a note to check with Sheriff Bryant to see if he could get any information on this hulking half-wit.
“As far as I know, he’s done no harm.” A true statement, but Ben’s apprehension remained strong. “You’re sure he’s not expecting a piece of this little golden pie?” He kept his words guarded, glancing around to be certain no one was listening.
“The only thing Lennie cares about is being with me.” Della made the remark with something that sounded almost like pride. “He’s got no use for money, Ben. He just wants a little attention, that’s all.”
Ben wanted to make a few additional inquiries, but his father came through the wide swinging doors. “Looks like we’re all here,” he said. “Best get this meeting called to order, attend to business, and get things done.”
They gathered together in a dimly-lit corner. Meetings at the Red Mule all but guaranteed privacy for an enterprise, Ben had realized. Folks who came there were only interested in drinking, gambling, or taking pleasure with the girls who turned tricks in the upstairs rooms.
No one would pay them any mind.
He pulled up a chair, straddled it, and looked around the group of conspirators. So far, everything had fallen neatly into place for him. Another day, another night, and it would all be over.
John Brooks cleared his throat. “All right, you know I don’t like wasting time, and the less we’re seen together, the better.” As usual, he immediately took charge.
“What makes you think you’re the one running this operation, Mr. Brooks?” Della folded her arms across the table top and leaned forward.
“I claim the position by virtue of my criminal knowledge and experience.”
Peculiar qualifications for a leadership rank, Ben thought, but he quickly went along and voiced his agreement. Keeping his father happy as they went about this little treasure hunt was of paramount importance, plus putting him in charge allayed any suspicions he might have.
“Now, everybody’s got a part to play. We work together, we all benefit.” Brooks rubbed his hands, then looked toward Ben. “I’ll ride out first, scout the area, and make sure all is clear.”
Della cleared her throat. “I don’t think it’s fair, Mr. Brooks, that you haven’t shown me the map. After all, it was my father who drew it up.” She turned toward Ben. “You should have come to me. Once you figured out that cipher, we should have dug up the map together.”
“Digging is a man’s job. You would have been in the way.”
“Are you planning to cut me out?” she asked.
John Brooks rapped the tabletop with his knuckles. “Argument among friends is the surest road to disaster in a business like this. Trust is imperative.”
“How do you expect me to trust you,” Della asked, “when you’re withholding information from me? I have a right to know where that treasure is buried. I have the right to—”
Ben got to his feet. “Keep your voices down. I’m going to get another round of drinks.” From time to time during the meeting, Ben had lifted his gaze to glance over at the big man drinking alone at his table.. The fellow had not once looked his way, and he’d caused no trouble. Della’s description of him as a faithful dog seemed apt. He was nothing more than a big, dumb animal. But big, dumb animals could be dangerous, indeed.
As he walked toward the bar, Ben glanced again toward the table where the hulking giant had been seated. It was now empty. Della’s watchdog, he guessed, was probably lurking nearby, ready to do her bidding. An uneasy feeling washed over him.
When he returned, Ben placed the tray of drinks on the table. Della was still speaking, although her voice was quieter now.
“So, you’ll ride out first, and then Ben will join you. The two of you will dig up the gold.”
“That’s right, Miss White.” John Brooks took another shot of bourbon. “We’ll all meet up afterward to handle the distribution.”
“Where?”
“There’s an old shack about a half-mile from the site,” Brooks said. “I rode out earlier, took the lay of the land. That’s when I came up with the plan.”
Della shook her head. “We meet at the Henderson place.”
“We can’t do that. Too much chance of him getting wind of what’s going on.”
“Tom won’t be there,” Ben said. “I know that for a fact.”
His father’s mouth screwed up but apparently the point wasn’t one he thought worthy of discussion. “Fine, we meet at the Henderson place. So now, we go home, we lay low, and we put the plan into action tomorrow night. There’ll be a full moon to light the way. It will be over and done with.”
Simplicity itself, thought Ben.
“There’s only one thing that’s got me worried.” Brooks turned to his son. “It’s that damned gal you’ve taken such a fancy to. We don’t need her snooping around, sticking her pretty little nose into our affairs. She could be bad news for all of us,” he warned.
“I’ll take care of her,” Ben assured the group. “She won’t give us any trouble.” How he would accomplish that, he didn’t know. He hoped logic and common sense would work.
When the moon rose in the eastern skies the following evening, it would signal the beginning of the end for the foolhardy treasure hunters, not a one of whom had yet figured out that they were being hoodwinked. The night would end for them in bitter disappointment.
For Ben, it would bring the sweetest joy. His father would be hauled back to prison, Judge Morse would get what was coming to him, and he and Emily could finally set about making plans for their future.
And Della White? She would go free, he guessed. After all, she’d actually done nothing wrong. She had committed no crimes. Like Sheriff Bryant had pointed out earlier, her only offense was being the child of Joe Love, and she’d had nothing to do with that. Of course, she would not be pleased to know she’d been tricked, and judging from what he’d learned about the stubborn Miss White, she’d probably keep looking for her father’s hidden treasure for as long as she lived. He wished her well.
For his part, he just wanted it to be over. He wanted with all his heart to go on with his life, loving Emily, being with her forever. He’d made up his mind that once this business was resolved, he was going to do it. Yep. Ben Brooks would get down on one knee, make an absolute fool of himself spouting off one of those poems in that book of sonnets, and he’d ask Emily to have him and hold him, to love him and cherish him, for all their days.
First and foremost, though, what mattered now was assuring Emily’s safety.
“Well, boy, go on,” his father said, giving his shoulder a push. “Get back to the farm, have yourself a good time with that gal, and then get rid of her.”
“Yeah, I think I will get back.” When he’d told Emily he was going out, she’d put on her bravest face and assured him she would be perfectly fine. With both his father and Della in town at the saloon, there had seemed no cause for concern. Now, since big Lennie had disappeared from the Red Mule, the thought of Emily staying alone at the horse farm made Ben anxious. He had a distinctly uneasy feeling about the man. How odd that Lennie had been the one who’d once come to Emily’s rescue when she’d twisted her ankle.
Had he merely happened to be there? Or had he been watching for Emily all along, waiting for her to arrive?
The man was more than Della’s guardian, not merely a protective pup watching out for her. He was more like a trained dog, salivating over his mistress while he awaited her command to attack.
Ben had little doubt now that Lennie had been behind all of the troubles at the Henderson place. He suspected the big fellow had been the one to ransack the house and scrawl the warning sign, and he’d probably been responsible for those odd, hair-raising feelings Ben had experienced. Sure enough, somebody had been watching him, and that somebody was Lennie. Without question, Lennie had opened the corral and spooked the horses, and he’d been the one to set fire to th
e barn. All on Della’s orders, Ben suspected.
Eager to be back at the Henderson place, Ben got to his feet, threw a few coins onto the table, and reached for his hat. “I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow, Pa.”
As he rode away from Sunset, more questions haunted him.
He pressed his legs against the Appaloosa’s flanks and flew through the night.
Chapter Seventeen
Ben knocked lightly at the window. “Em,” he called out. “It’s me. Ben. Unlock the front door. Let me in.”
She stirred from her bed, looked toward him and nodded. Seconds later, he crossed the threshold and stepped inside the house. At once, he reached for Emily’s hand.
Her eyes were wide. Ben thought he saw both curiosity and excitement in those deep pools of blue. “What are you doing here? What’s going on?”
He had so much to tell her, but the sight of her dressed in her simple sleeping gown, her luxurious golden hair falling in careless disarray about her shoulders, and the gentle rise and fall of her delicious breasts drove all thoughts from his mind save one.
Ben slid his arms around her slender waist and pulled her close. As their bodies pressed together, a moan of sheer pleasure tore from his throat. How delightful she felt, nestled against him, her arms wrapped around him. A sweet minty fragrance clung to her skin, tickling his senses. So sweet, yet so seductive in its own way. Emily’s breath shuddered as he drew her closer. Her soft, ripe breasts pressed against his chest. He lowered his head and brushed a light kiss to her loose tresses. “It will all be over soon.”
“Ben,” she whispered. Her chin tilted up. Her lips, slightly parted, beckoned. “Ben,” she whispered again. Stretching up on tiptoes, she kissed him full on the lips. Hunger rocked him, drove all thought from his mind.
This was their moment; this was their time.
Groaning, he pressed his mouth to hers, plunging his tongue deep inside. Emily moaned and leaned against him. In her kiss, he tasted tears of joy. Their desperate yearnings for comfort, for acceptance took over.
His arms moved from around her waist, flying wildly, uncontrollably over her breasts, along the gentle curves of her body, tracing the sensuous swell of her bottom. She moaned again as his fingers dug at her flesh, drawing her hips forward against his hardened shaft.
“I want you,” he rasped. “I need you.” He pressed tender kisses across her cheekbones, along her jaw, down into the hollow of her throat.
“Yes, Ben. I want you, too. All of you,” she murmured.
With a little growl, he kissed her again. His deft fingers moved, drawing up the fabric of her gown and chemise, fold by fold, until they bunched at her waist. She quivered against him. He drew back to look down into her tear-streaked face.
“Tonight,” he said, gazing down into her tear-streaked face, “there won’t be any turning back.” They’d come so close to lovemaking before yet had never fully experienced it.
Her luminous blue eyes peered up at him as her hands pressed against his lower back then came around to close against his erection. Fire shot through him.
“Tonight is ours,” she whispered, gently rubbing her hands against him in slow strokes.
Heat licked through every part of his body. Their teasing explorations had prepared them well. Even though still a virgin, Emily knew how to please him. They knew how to give one another pleasure.
Kissing her, he swept his fingertips up under her bunched garments to her naked flesh. He nudged her backward, steering her with his body toward her bed. How smooth her skin felt to his touch. It reminded him of that gauzy, silken fabric he’d found when he’d crafted his crazy female disguise.
He laughed softly, glad to be a man. He couldn’t kiss Emily enough, couldn’t touch her enough.
She tugged at his shirt and fumbled with the buttons. At last her fingers touched bare skin, dancing over his stomach, his flat, hard abdomen, moving slowly toward his swollen manhood. Fire threatened to consume him. As always, he fought for control. Tonight he would not spoil their pleasures too soon. He would proceed slowly, would hold back until they both reached the pinnacle of pleasure.
“Em,” he gasped reaching for her hand. “Take it easy.”
“I can’t help myself,” she breathed out as their frantic kisses continued. “I want to touch you. I love to feel you.”
Together they fell against the bed. Laughing and panting, she pulled free of his embrace, then slowly stretched out across the coverlet. Reaching up, she grabbed at his arms and tugged him down beside her. The feather mattress sank beneath their weight.
Again, her wandering hand slid under his shirt. Her fingers skimmed lightly over his belly, up to his ribcage. He eased up on one elbow. As he looked down at her beautiful, flushed features, he shifted his weight to gently nudge his leg between hers, easing her bare thighs apart. Her beautiful eyes widened.
Ben rose over her, straddling her, then bent his head to her breast and sucked a hardened nipple through the flannel fabric of her sleeping gown. She threw back her head and cried out. Her hands squirmed down to grasp hold of him and stroke him.
There could be no more waiting. A sigh burst from him. He trembled as he helped her remove the gown. She lay before him, naked, lovely, ready for his touch.
Ben stripped off his clothes and quickly rejoined her on the bed, his trembling body poised above hers.
“Please, Ben. Now,” she moaned.
He thrust forward. Beneath him, Emily dragged in a breath, a sound of sheer wonder. Ben groaned as her slick warmth surrounded him, drawing him in. Clenching his jaw, he reminded himself to go slowly, to control his desires. Delicious sensations careened wildly through him. He held still, savoring the moment.
When he moved again, Emily moaned. Desire consumed them both. Closing his eyes, Ben surrendered to the wonder of their ecstatic sighs, the rhythm of their gasping breaths, the incredible feel of their bodies against each other. Neither of them could wait much longer.
Euphoria raced through him, lifting him higher and higher with rapturous joys until he shattered on waves of blissful pleasure. Emily cried out as she, too, rode the crest of ultimate fulfillment.
“Ben, oh, Ben…” She called out his name again and again.
Gradually the passion ebbed, replaced by quiet contentment.
Emily reached up and stroked his hair. “Thank you, Ben.” She laughed. “It wasn’t at all as awful as Miss Brundage made it sound. In fact, I think it was wonderful.”
He held her close and kissed her forehead. Finally, Ben eased his limp, sated body from off hers, and for a long time, they lay quietly together, the only sound that of their breathing. Heavy, almost panting at first, then gradually subsiding into rhythmic, contented sighs.
But contentment would be short-lived. Ben tensed as he thought of the task that now awaited him.
“We need to talk,” he said.
Emily stirred beside him. “Talk? About what?” She lifted up to look at him, shook her head, and lay down again. “I don’t want to talk. I want to close my eyes and sleep beside you all night long.”
“Emily, this is important.” He shifted away and moved to a sitting position. “You need to listen to what I’m saying.”
She sighed, pouted, and crossed her arms. “Oh, all right. Go ahead, Ben. Spoil the moment. Say whatever it is you have to say.”
“We had a meeting earlier. Me, Pa, and Della,” he explained. “We’re riding out tomorrow shortly before sundown.”
“Riding out?” Emily’s features scrunched up into a petulant frown. “You’re leaving? I don’t understand.”
“We’re going after the gold.”
She leaned back, her eyes growing wide with horror. “Ben, you didn’t! I gave you that map in good faith. I trusted you.” Tears glistened. “How could you turn around and share the information with those thieves? Unless…” Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. “No, I refuse to believe it. You’re not one of them. I know you’re not.”
�
��No, of course I’m not.” He reached out and pressed a hand to her cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb. “I didn’t give them the real map. I told you Sheriff Bryant and I are working together. We forged a map. I buried it out there in the spring house along with a couple of gold pieces to make it appear legitimate.”
“You let your father find a fake map?” Her mouth opened. “How clever.”
Ben nodded. “Hate to say it, but my old man’s got nothing under his hat but hair.” He chuckled softly. “What I mean, is he’s not too bright. He fell for the ruse, swallowed the bait whole. Now, tomorrow night, Bryant and I will reel him in.” He made casting and fishing gestures.
“What do you plan to do?”
“I’ve set a trap for him. He’s got the map, and he’s itching to find that gold. I’m giving him a head start, letting him ride out first. Once he’s gone, I’ll go into town, meet up with the sheriff and his posse. We’re planning a nice little surprise party for my Pa.”
“Won’t he be suspicious? What if he refuses to ride out alone? What will you do then?”
“Not a chance of that happening.” A sad look came across his face. “My father’s a crook. He’s a greedy man. I don’t think for a minute he’d be willing to share that gold with anyone. Not even with me. Least of all with Della. Or anyone else.” He looked away.
“Who else is involved, Ben? You’ve never told me.”
“It doesn’t matter. The only thing you need to know is that it’s all set to happen tomorrow at sundown. I want you to go home. Go back to Sunset, go to the J Bar K, go anywhere. Just stay away from here.”
“I can’t do that. Mama won’t let me come home, Ben. Even if she would, my father wouldn’t allow it.”
“If they knew of the danger…”
“They’d forbid me to ever see you again.” She clutched at his arms. “You know that as well as I do. I’m staying here, Ben. I’ve made my choice. I won’t change my mind.”
* * * *
Emily breathed deeply, fighting to keep from bursting into tears. This night had brought her the greatest happiness she’d ever experienced. She’d truly become a woman, had fully known the meaning and power of love.
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