“Hell yes, my pride’s involved. But I’m doing my job, Sarah,” he said.
The scenery rolled by, and she paid little heed to the few bluebonnets that were starting to open their flowers to the spring sunshine. Sarah knew that no matter what she said, he was not going to heed her warnings; she knew she was wasting her breath, and that frightened her.
She turned and glared at him, taking a deep breath. “Damn you, Tucker Burnett. You’d better not die, because hell isn’t ready for you. And I’m not ready to say good-bye.”
He laughed, while Sarah sat beside him rigid with anger.
“Don’t you think you’re getting all worked up for nothing? All we did today was talk. This may never come to pass.”
She glared at him. “I know you too well. If he remains in town, you’ll meet him. You’ll tell yourself you’re just doing your job, but you’ll be glad.”
He turned and stared at her as the wagon bumped along the road to his mother’s. His voice became serious, and his eyes darkened with fury. “I promise you I won’t meet him unless I have no choice.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? Surely there’s some crime you can pin on him, or if you’ll just give him some time, I’m sure he’ll commit one.”
“No, Sarah. I don’t arrest a man for a crime unless he deserves the punishment.”
Sarah turned away. She couldn’t look at him right now for fear he would see the tears that were gathered in the comers of her eyes. She was so angry with him. She was so afraid for him. She was so scared.
“So when did Wo Chan ask you about Kira?” She wiped her hands across her eyes and then turned to face him. “What are you talking about?”
His muscular hands controlled the reins of the horses, gripping the leather firmly but not too tightly.
“Today when we were standing there, you mentioned Wo Chan coming to your office. He’s been there more than once, hasn’t he? Did he threaten you, Sarah?”
Sarah glanced at him and then looked away. “It was nothing.”
Tucker cursed. “You should have told me. I can’t protect you if you don’t help me. I’ll post a deputy over there until this is over.”
“Maybe I don’t need your help dealing with Mr. Chan,” she said, her voice rising. “If you can take a chance on getting shot, I can take a chance on Wo Chan coming back.”
There was silence. Sarah wished she could take the words back. She hadn’t meant them to sound so harsh. But fear threatened to overwhelm her at the thought of Tucker meeting that gunfighter again. Last time she had saved him, but could she do it again?
“You know, Tucker, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to overreact I kept hoping that he would just accept that Kira was gone and leave us alone. I can’t depend on you or come to need you, because you’re not always going to be around. And I couldn’t take it if you were hurt because of me.”
He glanced at her, his brown eyes confused and hurt. “You’re not responsible for me, Doc.”
She felt tears welling up behind her eyes, and she blinked them rapidly away. So much had changed in the last twenty-four hours. She had learned once again that Tucker was still capable of breaking her heart. And now the gunfighter who had almost killed him was back in town.
“No, but if you were to get into a gunfight because of me and get hurt ... I’d have a hard time living with myself. It’s just better if I don’t depend on you or anyone else to fight my battles. I have to make it on my own. I don’t need . . . you.”
“I’ll remember that.” Tucker shook his head and snapped the reins. “Damn it, Sarah, just once I’d like to hear you say ‘I need you.’ ”
“Why? You wouldn’t be there. You’d be off traveling the country, and I’d be alone.”
***
Tucker watched as Sarah ushered everyone out of the room, leaving her alone with Rose.
The poor woman looked as though the baby she was carrying was sitting on her knees, and Tucker couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. In some ways he was envious of Travis having a child; but he also knew what went with being a father, and the responsibility just didn’t fit with the life he had chosen. A federal marshal traveling the countryside had no need for a wife and family.
Somehow, though, the thought of living such a nomadic lifestyle just wasn’t quite as exciting as before. But once he left Fort Worth, once he was on the road, the thrill would return, he was certain.
“Come on, Travis, let’s go outside and talk,” Tucker said, leading his brother through the front door. “Where’s Tanner?”
“He and Beth are working on their new home down the road a ways. I try to go out and help them as much as I can, but I don’t want to be too far from Rose right now.”
“That’s understandable,” Tucker said, pacing the wooden porch, his boots rapping in steady rhythm.
“I’m so ready for this baby to get here. I want my wife back,” Travis said. “I guess I’m more nervous than I want Rose to know.”
Tucker nodded. “I’d think that was normal, especially with the first.”
Travis nodded and sighed. “So tell me what’s been going on with you? We haven’t seen much of you since Sarah came back to town.”
Tucker shrugged. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Several things have come up.”
Travis glanced at him, a worried expression on his face. “Like what?”
“Like a federal marshal’s position working with Marshal McCoy.”
“That’s great.” Travis smiled at him. “You’ll be good at that”
“Yes, it is. I’ll be doing a lot of traveling and won’t get home much. But then, I’ve always liked traveling and seeing new country.”
“And you’ve enjoyed being a lawman.”
“Yes.”
“So when are you going to tell Mother?”
“Well, I haven’t accepted the position yet. And then I need to give the city council my resignation. Could be a while.”
“Does Sarah know?” Travis asked.
“You’re the only person I’ve told so far. I’ve been waiting.”
Travis’s forehead drew together in a frown. “For what?”
“I don’t know. I just haven’t done it yet” Tucker said with a shrug.
“What’s holding you back?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you certain this is what you want?” Travis asked.
“It’s a great job for me. Like you said, I enjoy being a lawman. I like to travel and see new places. I’ll be working on interesting cases. It’s everything I could have ever wanted.”
“So why do I get the feeling there’s a big ‘but’ in here somewhere?” Travis asked, staring at Tucker.
For a moment Tucker was shocked at the question. He wanted this position. He had been waiting forever for just the right job, and this was exactly as he had dreamed.
“No, really it’s what I want. I’m going to take the job. I just have one minor complication,” he said. “What’s that?” Travis asked.
“Remember me telling you about a gunfighter named Kid Lansky?”
“Yes, the one who shot and almost killed you in Tombstone.”
“He’s here in Fort Worth, and he’s gone to work for Wo Chan.”
“What’s he doing for him?” Travis asked.
“Wo Chan wanted to hire someone faster with a gun than me, who could find Kira. That man just doesn’t give up when he loses a whore.”
Travis swore. “The timing really stinks. Is Sarah still planning on taking her to Tombstone?”
“As far as I know. Don’t let Kira leave the ranch. In fact, don’t let her out of the house. They could be watching the ranch even now.”
“I’ll put out some extra watchmen at night. We’ll keep an eye out for this character.”
“Sorry to bring this on you at such a bad time, but I thought you needed to know.”
Travis shrugged. “So how are you and Sarah getting along? Things seemed a little tense between
the two of you when you arrived.”
Tucker shook his head. “That woman could drive a preacher to drink. She’s afraid I’m going to get into a gunfight with Lansky, and she was angry the entire trip here. And you know, she just might be right. He oversteps his rights, and I’m going to be right there. And this time he won’t be walking away.”
“Sounds to me like she cares about you. If he’s the one who almost killed you last time, she’s concerned you’re going to get hurt.”
“No, I don’t think so. We’re friends, nothing more. She proved that last night.”
“Should I even ask about that statement?”
“Don’t.” Tucker pushed his hat back away from his face. “And to think that Mother wants me to marry this woman. She can sure pick them.”
Travis laughed. “That she can. Maybe the reason you’ve told none of us about this job is you’re afraid you’ve changed and aren’t the man you once thought you were. And maybe that’s because of Sarah.”
***
Sarah watched as the Burnett brothers and their wives gathered in the family parlor. A loveseat, a rocking chair and a sofa filled the room. Rose was seated in the rocking chair, while the women took the couches and the men reclined on the floor.
Eugenia was visiting a friend this afternoon, and Sarah had felt relief that the woman wasn’t here to witness the tension between Tucker and herself.
Not only had they argued the entire way here, but even now there was a feeling of opposition between them that seemed almost tangible. Of course, the fact that she felt the urge to reach out and knock some sense into his prideful, male brain had nothing to do with the friction.
“Rose, what did Sarah say about the baby?” Beth Burnett, who had returned with her husband, asked, jerking Sarah back to the present.
Rose glanced at Sarah, frowned, and patted her stomach. “She said this baby and I still have three weeks of sharing the same living space.”
“It’ll pass real fast, I promise,” Travis said.
The extremely round woman glared at him in a way that made him visibly cringe. “Don’t placate me. I’m hot, I’m tired, and Travis, honey, you can have the next one.”
He smiled at his wife. “Would you like another pillow for your back? Or a cool glass of water?” The frown on Rose’s face reluctantly turned into a smile. “A pillow would be nice.”
Travis left the room to fetch his wife a pillow. Beth glanced around the parlor. “Hey, you know this is the first time we’ve all been together without Mother being present since the last time we discussed her matchmaking ways.”
Tucker groaned. “Oh, no. Here it comes. Sarah, I’ll apologize now for my family.”
Sarah ignored him.
“Well, we all thought it was a good idea, and you agreed to it, baby brother,” Tanner acknowledged.
“I had a weak moment. She’s actually left me alone recently.” Tucker glanced over at Sarah. “Then again, I think she was trying a new method. She sent Sarah her wedding veil.”
Beth gasped “She did what?”
Sarah smiled “Actually, now it’s funny. But when it happened, I wasn’t too happy that she had chosen me to send her wedding veil to. She wanted to show me how much she thinks that Tucker and I are meant to be together.”
“Who’d want to marry Tucker? He’s the least favorable of the men in this bunch,” Beth said winking at her brother-in-law.
“Watch it. If you remember right you were engaged to marry me because of my mother.”
“That’s why I can tease you,” Beth said smiling.
“Sarah, you should join us in setting up Eugenia. We’re trying to figure out someone to match her up with,” Rose said. “You’ve just been touched by the Burnett curse or blessing. We’ve yet to decide which.”
“Who would want to marry our mother?” Tanner asked. “The thought of our mother and a stranger is creepy.”
Travis stepped back into the room and slipped a pillow behind Rose’s back. “Is that better, honey?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Travis sat down on the braided rug by his wife. “We should make a list of men who are suitable,” Beth said. “Men that you boys think would go well with your mother.”
“You know this has been a great joke, but I just don’t think I could carry through with finding her a husband. I mean, after all, our mother nearly drove us crazy when we met our wives,” Travis said, laughing.
Tanner grinned. “I kind of like the idea. It’s funny. At least if we choose our new stepfather, then we’re bound to get someone we like.”
Tucker shook his head. “The only man I’d like to see marry our mother would be the one who could keep her out of our business.”
“That’s the whole point,” Rose said, crossing her hands over her large belly.
Travis frowned. “Okay, let’s get a list together, and I’ll agree to look it over, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to participate in introducing her to anyone.”
“We could do this just like she does: ‘I’m not pushing you into it. I just want you to get to know him,’ ” Tucker mimicked his mother. “ ‘I just want you to be happy.’ ”
They all chuckled.
Travis glanced over at his wife. “Actually, I hate to admit this, but if Mother hadn’t pushed me, I probably would still be unmarried. And marriage has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Rose leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Tucker watched his older brother and Rose and felt a twinge of envy. Travis was a much happier man. He seemed more settled, content and at peace. And he had resisted tying the knot for so long. But Travis had never wanted to leave the ranch. He had always been happy right here at home.
“So are we serious? Are we going to try to find someone for Eugenia?” Beth asked.
Tanner shrugged. “She definitely deserves for us to give her a taste of her own medicine, yet I, too, can’t help but be grateful she answered Beth’s ad. My wife may have been meant for Tucker, but I’m glad she married me.”
Beth squeezed her husband’s hand, which Tucker had noticed was never far from touching his wife somewhere.
“How about you, Tucker? You’re the only one she hasn’t managed to maneuver to the altar,” Travis said.
Tucker glanced at Sarah, who waited for his reply. And when it came, it was all she could do to keep a smile on her face.
“And I intend on remaining unattached,” he acknowledged. “I’ll help, just because maybe she’ll leave me alone if she has her own romantic involvement.”
Chapter Thirteen
Tucker helped Sarah up into the wagon and then went around to the side where he climbed up beside her and picked up the reins.
“Rose, remember what we talked about,” Sarah gently reminded the pregnant woman. “Travis, you come get me at the first sign this baby is coming.”
Travis put his arm around his very pregnant wife. “Don’t worry, Sarah. I will.”
“Well then, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks when the baby is on the way.” She waved at them. “Until then, take good care of Rose, Travis.”
“I will, Doc. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
Tucker snapped the reins, and the horses pulled the wagon out of the yard of the big house. Since his brothers had married, he enjoyed spending more time with them than he could ever remember. Both of their wives had taken the hard edge off of his siblings and added genteel warmth to the family gatherings. Would a woman do the same for him?
He pushed the thought out of his mind, refusing to think of how Sarah seemed to always have a calming, soothing effect on him. How well she blended in with his brothers and their wives. That was no reason to consider marriage, even if Sarah seemed to be constantly in his thoughts.
The afternoon had been pleasant. He would miss them all when he took the marshal’s job. Since he and Tanner had returned home, Tucker had enjoyed being with family. He would miss watching the new baby ch
ange and grow.
“So is Rose going to be okay?” Tucker asked, worried about his sister-in-law.
“She’s having a baby, Tucker. All women run the risk of having complications, and we won’t know about Rose until she goes into labor. I prefer to be positive and say she’ll be just fine,” Sarah said, not looking at him, her tone precise.
Obviously she was still peeved with him over his response to Kid Lansky. The tension that had enveloped them on the way out to the ranch had returned, making it a somber ride.
But Tucker was glad he had taken this unexpected journey to the ranch with Sarah. He had gotten to spend some time talking with his brother, and Travis had a way of making him think about things from a different perspective.
“I just don’t want anything to happen to Rose and that baby. Travis would be devastated,” he said, trying to get Sarah to talk to him. He sighed and pushed his hat back from his scalp. “I’ve never been around a woman having a baby before, and Rose looks miserable. I hope this child comes soon.”
“Believe me, she does, too.” She turned and gave him a puzzled look. “You know, for a man who doesn’t want to be tied down with a wife and children, you seem almost curious about this whole process. Aren’t you ever afraid you’re making the wrong choice? That you’ll hate being alone?”
The question took Tucker back for a moment. Hadn’t he been asking himself this same question lately? Even Travis was questioning his decision about being a federal marshal.
“I enjoyed it when I was younger. Why wouldn't I now?” he snapped, not liking the fact that Sarah and Travis were both questioning his decision.
The memory of his days chasing the fastest draw filled his mind and the feeling of conquest and being the absolute best returned with startling clarity. He had been good. Damn good. And he liked that feeling. And until then he had never experienced the satisfaction or gratification that came from a job well done. His two older brothers’ accomplishments had always seemed larger in comparison to his.
The Marshal Takes A Bride Page 18