Midnight Flame

by Lynette Vinet

  “I don’t understand any of what you’re saying, Mr. Castle. Do sit back down and explain.”

  A muscle jumped alongside his eye, but he sat down, and Laurel waited patiently until he began to speak.

  “My name’s not Jamie Castle but Jim Castille. I worked on the Little L about eight or nine years ago. I’m a good worker and honest despite what Seth Renquist says.” He sounded bitter. “I know you’re going to marry him, but I didn’t do what he said I did. I didn’t steal from Mr. Delaney. I liked and respected him too much for that. Somebody stole the money, and Seth said I did it. I didn’t do it. I swear I didn’t do it.”

  “I see,” she said, showing nothing by word or deed to infer that she did or didn’t believe him. She sensed he had suffered a great deal in his life and deserved another chance to make good. “Tom Evans thought very highly of you, so highly that he risked Arthur Delaney discovering you were back on the ranch. Why do you suppose he’d take such a chance?”

  Jim Castille lifted his hands in a gesture of disbelief. “Tom’s a good guy. He wants to give everybody a second chance.”

  “Then I will, too, Mr. Castille. If Tom thought enough of you to hire you back, he must have known you were innocent of stealing. You are now foreman of the Little L.” Laurel extended her hand, and Jim took it, not quite certain he had gotten the job.

  “You mean it, ma’am?”

  “Yes, I do. If you’d rather not use your real name, I understand that, too. I wonder why Seth hasn’t recognized you.”

  Jim grinned and stroked his full beard. “My own mother wouldn’t recognize me now, but I’ll use my own name. I swear to you I didn’t steal that money, and I don’t want to hide for the rest of my life.”

  “Good. If anyone gives you any trouble, let me know. I assure you that my word is the law here until the ranch is turned over to the new owner in a few weeks. And just to set the record straight, I’m not officially engaged to Mr. Renquist.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Thank you, ma’am. You’re real kind.”

  As Jim turned to leave the room, he put on his hat and then nearly bumped into Lavinia. He stood stock still, keeping his head lowered and mumbling an apology. He was gone before Lavinia could utter a sound.

  “Who was that?” Lavinia asked, remembering seeing him the day of her birthday celebration, which would forever be linked to her father’s death.

  “The new foreman, Jim Castille.”

  “Jim … Castille?” Lavinia’s voice cracked. Her limbs quaked, and she sank into the chair Jim had recently vacated.

  Laurel glanced up from an account book. “Do you know him? He said he worked here years ago. Lavinia, are you all right? You’re so pale.”

  Shaking her head, Lavinia jumped up. “He’s a thief! I won’t tolerate Jim Castille being here on the Little L. Papa ran him off with a shotgun. He stole from us, he stole—”

  “Yes, I know. What else did he steal?”

  My heart, Lavinia almost said, but instead, she twisted around and headed for the door. “We’ll see just how long that thief stays on the Little L. I’ll fire him!”

  “Don’t you dare!” Laurel bellowed. “I hired Jim Castille, and I believe him when he said he didn’t steal anything. I think he’s a decent, honest man.”

  “In a pig’s eye! We’ll see what Seth says.”

  Laurel strode across the room to Lavinia. “I don’t care what Seth says. I hired the man and he’s staying. If either one of you interferes in whatever I do on this ranch, you both can move off. Understand?”

  From the fiery gleam in Laurel’s eyes, Lavinia did understand. “Whatever you say, boss lady.” She whirled away, leaving the room in a flash of blue Levis and auburn hair.

  Laurel leaned tiredly against the doorframe. She had thought the major problem in ranching would be the ranch, not the people on it.

  ~

  Running the distance from the house to the ranch foreman’s bunkhouse, Lavinia reached the porch, breathless and flushed. The scuffing sound of her boots on the wooden floorboards was the only indication to Jim Castille that someone was outside. When she opened the door, pushing it back loudly against the wall, she saw Jim sitting on the edge of his bunk, calmly polishing his best boots to a high sheen. He barely glanced in her direction, infuriating her further because he didn’t immediately acknowledge her presence.

  Her blazing blue stare finally forced him to glance up. “I was wondering how long it would take you to get here. No more than fifteen minutes. Must be some kind of a record.”

  “You arrogant, nervy bastard! How dare you show your face around here! I can’t believe that even you’d have the gumption after what you did.”

  Jim glanced down, seemingly absorbed in his boots. “I didn’t steal from your father, Lavinia. If you had loved me at all, you’d have trusted me.”

  “Don’t put the blame on me. I wasn’t the one caught with Father’s gold pieces on me. I still don’t know how you could have sneaked into my house, into Papa’s study and stolen from him. You’re a thief, Jim Castille. A thief. Look at me, you thieving bastard. Put down those damn boots and look at me!” Lavinia grabbed the boots from him and hurled them across the room.

  In a fluid panther-like motion, Jim rose up and pinioned her wrist between his large hands. She nearly cowered beneath his dark and penetrating stare that stripped away her haughty facade and saw her soul. That was the main reason she had fallen in love with Jim Castille all those years ago. He had a way of seeing beneath the surface and stirring up her emotions. But right now she didn’t want him to see how his very presence, his masterful touch, affected her.

  “Let me go.” She struggled, but Jim only gripped her more tightly. “You think because you’re bigger that you have power over me. You’re wrong. I stopped wanting you when you robbed my father.”

  “You were always a poor liar. You want me now.”

  “I hate you.”

  “I’ll prove you wrong, and you know I can.” With deliberate slowness, Jim lowered his head until his lips locked with hers in a heated kiss. Lavinia felt her body respond to the feel of his mouth on hers, and when his tongue sought entry, she found that her own willingly and wantonly met his. Her breasts met the hardness of his chest, and she ached for him to touch her. For a few dizzy seconds she forgot that she had sworn to hate Jim Castille. Instead she found her traitorous body had no will of its own. No longer was she the inexperienced girl who had loved him, and he definitely wasn’t the young boy who had loved her and who had risked Arthur Delaney’s wrath to possess her.

  Their bodies seemed to fit together so perfectly, she thought as her throbbing pulses beat a wild cadence—almost as if they were made for each other. No man had ever made her feel the way Jim could with a just a kiss. She knew she was like clay in Jim’s arms and always had been. She had loved him for so long and had fought that love. At this moment, she didn’t want to fight any longer. She wanted Jim Castille.

  “I know you want me, Lavinia.” His breath grazed her ear and sent delightful shivers down her spine. “Tell me you want me, that you want me to tame you, my wild blue-eyed temptress.”

  “Yes, oh, yes. I want you. Only you, Jim.”

  He pushed her from him. Through passion-laced eyes she watched as the lips that had kissed hers with such desire now curled into a sneer.

  “I’m not like Buck Dawson or one of the others always panting around you. Your tempting lips, soft body, have no hold over me any longer, Lavinia. Maybe this time, I don’t want you. Why don’t you seek out one of your other men for satisfaction? You’re as ready as a mare in heat.”

  Jim dropped her wrist almost as if he found her loathsome. Tears gathered in her eyes. She hadn’t felt this abandoned since the day her father had chased Jim from the ranch. That day she vowed never to be hurt again, to hate Jim Castille for the rest of her life. Now, at this moment, the vow renewed itself within her. Lifting a hand, she slapped him and was rather surprise d when he just stood there and took th
e torrent of her rage.

  “I was right about you. You are a bastard! I hate you! If you ever come near me again, I’ll kill you. I swear, I’ll kill you.”

  She ran out of the bunkhouse, running without direction. Finally she stopped and found herself on the grassy, green knoll where her father was buried beside her mother and Anna. Dropping to her knees, Lavinia felt the tears streak down her face, and she sobbed long and hard. She hadn’t cried in such a way since the day she had given birth to Jim’s stillborn baby daughter.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The heat of summer gave way to a pleasant chill in the air as the autumn breeze swept over the countryside, awash with indigo-blue and scarlet wildflowers. Life at the Little L had picked up its pace since Laurel took over. Because the men were being paid on a regular basis and needed repairs had been made on the barn and the outbuildings, everyone was in a much better mood with the exception of Lavinia. Laurel couldn’t fathom what was wrong with her. She realized Lavinia had been quite upset over Arthur’s will and had grudgingly started packing for the move to heaven only knew where, but there was more to her disquiet than that. Laurel couldn’t put her finger on what was bothering her, but she didn’t have time to analyze Lavinia. The ranch required most of her energy.

  Each day she woke early and dressed either in her blue denim pants or a split riding skirt to comb the range with Jim Castille, looking for strays. She had thought Lavinia would have tagged along, but she hadn’t. Laurel discovered that she enjoyed Jim’s companionship, finding him to be quite well educated. He told her that his mother had been a schoolteacher from Kentucky who had come to Texas on a visit to her priest brother. While in Texas, she had fallen in love with Jim’s father, a Mexican from an old and noble house, but all had been lost after Texas had gained independence from Mexico. His father, unable to bear the strain of being poor and without his lands, had committed suicide. His mother had died soon afterward, and Jim had become a young drifter until he found work at the Little L. However, his happiness had ended when someone planted evidence that he had stolen from Arthur Delaney.

  By the bitter tone in his voice, Laurel assumed he was referring to Seth. “Do you think Seth had something to do with the whole incident?” she asked him.

  “Yes, ma’am, I do,” came the quick response. Jim reined in his horse and stared at Laurel. “Seth never liked me. He was always trying to start trouble for me. I think he had a hankering for Lavinia, and this was why he wanted me off the ranch.”

  “I’m certain you’re wrong. Seth is Lavinia’s brother.” Laurel looked as shocked as she felt by such frankness from Jim.

  “Seth is her stepbrother, and if he married Lavinia, the Little L would have been all his. You see, ma’am, Lavinia and I … Well, we loved each other, and Seth couldn’t stand the idea that she loved a half-breed. He never loved her for herself, mind you, only for the ranch and Arthur’s money. Yeah, I think he framed me. Seth stole that money, and one day I’ll see that he pays me back.”

  Lavinia wondered if Jim spoke the truth. Could Seth be as deceptive as Jim was leading her to believe? Was that why she had never completely trusted him when he came to Louisiana? She knew Seth had accumulated a large amount of debts. Was this the main reason he had wanted her to return to Texas with him? Did he see her as some sort of salvation for his ailing bank account and want to marry her only for her money? Though she had known Jim for a short time, she trusted him more than she could ever trust Seth. Somehow she would learn the truth. She wasn’t going to be such an easy mark, as Seth would soon discover.

  “Has Seth spoken to you about your return, Jim?”

  Jim nodded. A grin split his lips. “Seth’s not too happy to see me. He told me he’d fire me off the Little L if he could, but since he won’t be here much longer, he knows he can’t do anything. And he also knows that I know he framed me.”

  Laurel said nothing else as she pondered all Jim had told her. By the end of the day they had found a number of unmarked strays, which the hands branded with the Little L mark. When she returned to the house, she was dusty and dirty. Her hair, which Gincie had neatly coiled at the nape of her neck that morning, lay in long curls down her back. The soft cream-colored blouse tucked into her tan riding skirt was smudged as were her cheeks. She looked a sight but felt exhilarated by the day’s activities. A part of her would definitely be sad when the day came to leave the Little L.

  Entering the house, she heard voices coming from the parlor, one clearly the booming tones of Carson Turner. Laurel turned a corner and nearly bumped into Lavinia. In a flamboyant peach-colored dress, cut indecently low and edged around the neckline and hem with white daisies, Lavinia was strikingly beautiful. Her eyes were alight with mischief, and she almost purred when she greeted Laurel.

  “We have guests,” Lavinia told her.

  “Who? Is Carson here?” Laurel began to move forward, but Lavinia stopped her.

  “Yes, and he brought the new owner with him.”

  “For someone who has been moping around the house for the last few weeks with such a long face, you seem quite pleased. I thought you hated the thought of leaving the ranch.”

  “I do. But I might not have to leave now. Come into the parlor and meet the man. He’s quite handsome, Laurel.”

  “I have to change first.”

  “No, come now.”

  “Lavinia…” Laurel protested, but Lavinia, with a Cheshire cat grin on her face, practically dragged her into the parlor. Carson Turner sat facing her and rose immediately, inclining his head to the man who sat in the high-backed tufted chair facing away from her. Seth stood at the fireplace, a none-too-pleased expression on his face. He would have gone to her at her sudden and bedraggled appearance in the parlor, but the man in the chair rose and blocked his way.

  The fading light from outside lent the room a misty quality. Laurel was about to suggest that the lamp be lighted as her gaze focused on the man who slowly turned toward her.

  Her pulse raced, then almost died, slowing to an imperceptible beat. A weakness seized her, and she would have fallen if Lavinia’s hand hadn’t tightened on her elbow. She felt barely able to speak and couldn’t mouth the name that stuck to her tongue like resin.

  “Hello, Laurel. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again.”

  “It’s Tony, Laurel. Don’t you have anything to say?” Lavinia prodded.

  Tony! Of course, I know it’s Tony, you silly dolt! she screamed inside her brain. Who else but Tony could reduce her to a quivering mass of jelly? Who other than Tony had eyes that impaled her and drew her to him? She couldn’t think or move at the moment. If Lavinia hadn’t pushed her onto the couch, she would probably have stayed in one spot like a stone statue.

  This position was worse than standing. Tony towered over her, but she couldn’t seem able to do anything but stare open-mouthed at him. Seth came and sat next to her, taking her hand in his. Laurel was too shocked to notice that Tony saw this proprietary gesture and the emerald and diamond ring sparkling on her finger.

  Seth glared at Tony. “Laurel’s had a shock. You should have given us warning that you were coming, Duvalier. God, you should have told us you were the new owner.” He shot an equally baleful glance to Carson. “You knew all the time.”

  “I admit I did,” Carson intoned and took his seat again.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Laurel asked, surprising herself with her own question.

  Tony fielded that question. “Arthur didn’t want anyone but Carson to know the circumstances of the sale. I’m really sorry you’re so shocked, Laurel, but maybe you deserve to be shocked.”

  “What a cruel thing to say to me!” She shoved Seth’s hand away and rose from the sofa. Green fire flared in her eyes. “I don’t deserve such treatment from you. Ever since the day I’ve met you, you’ve manipulated me, and you know what I mean. Just don’t think you’re going to play your dirty tricks on me again, Tony. I won’t allow it. I absolutely will not stand for your manip
ulations and deceptions again. I won’t stay another minute in this house with you.”

  “You have to, Laurel. The will says you must be at my beck and call, give me lessons in ranching—”

  “I don’t give a fig about the will!” she shot back and prepared to leave the room, but Tony grabbed her arm.

  “Then I won’t buy the ranch. The deal isn’t final yet.”

  “Don’t buy it. I don’t care.”

  “Who else will buy it? Arthur asked me if I’d buy it to help him out, seeing that he was your relative and knowing that you’d wish the profits to go to Lavinia and Seth. I know just how much this ranch owes, and I know who owes it.” His eyes momentarily traveled to Seth, then back to Laurel. “The Little L has a bad reputation among cattlemen. The livestock needs improving in the bloodlines. I intend to breed the Little L’s cattle with my Brahmans. This type of crossbreeding has proved quite profitable along the Texas coast. There’s quite a bit of money to be made. Now, if the sale isn’t completed, you’ve got yourself an unproductive ranch here. The Northern markets won’t buy your cattle any longer, but they will if I take over. Think about it, and you’ll admit I’m right.”

  Tony’s lips were inches from hers. She longed to kiss him, to throw her arms around him, but nothing would be gained by such a display. She had thought she had forgotten him, but she hadn’t been able to think about him as much because she had been busy with the ranch. She knew, however, that he meant everything he said. He wouldn’t buy the ranch, and no one else would either. The Little L was no longer held in high esteem by businessmen, but under Tony’s guidance and knowledge, the ranch would once more prosper. That was the one thing she couldn’t stand about Tony. He was always right. She had to help Lavinia and Seth. Arthur had appointed her as head of the ranch, knowing that she had their interests at heart. She couldn’t disappoint her father now.