Heart of a Lady (Book One of the Red River Valley Brides)

by Hestand, Rita

  "As far as he can without being caught. He's talked about Montana before."

  Harry eyed her. "You wouldn't be tryin' to head me in the wrong direction, would you, Mae?"

  Mae studied him a moment. "You are a keen-eyed one. A smart sheriff. Don't find them much anymore. I guess I probably exaggerated some. Not quite that far north."

  Harry smiled. "I realize he's your brother. I know you want to protect him. But as long as I'm a sheriff, I'll promise you one thing."

  "What's that?"

  "I'll take him alive, if I can."

  Mae stared at him for a long time. Then slowly she nodded. "I believe you would."

  "That's where he's makin' a mistake," Dillon slammed his palms onto the table. "Cole is a killer. He always has been. He won't think twice about puttin' a bullet in you."

  "That's where you are wrong. He was raised a Christian. He would think twice about it. I've never known him to kill. What makes you say that, young fella?"

  "'Cause I think he killed my pa." Dillon faced her. His fist came down on the table, harder this time, and the cups rattled. "Sorry," he murmured.

  "You are wrong about Cole. He isn't a cold-blooded killer. But he is dangerous, especially when he knows someone's after him. He'll be hard to corner and take alive. Unless you surprise him."

  "See, even she agrees." Dillon pointed to Mae.

  Mae glanced at Harry again. "But if anyone can do it, I think this man is the one."

  "You are both dreamers."

  Mae drank her coffee then got up to put the cups away. She turned to toward Dillon. "My brother is a mean one. And he'd kill before he'd let someone take him in. If he had a chance to, that is. But a man who uses his head and does some figurin' might outfox him. He's not bright sometimes."

  "It'll never happen."

  "Well, don't concern yourself," Harry said. "Your job is to take Jo Ella home, understand?"

  "I won't do it. She can stay here with Mae, and we can both go," Dillon protested. "We can pick her up on the way back."

  Harry stood and stared at Dillon hard. "No. You take Jo Ella home. I'll go after Cole and his gang."

  "Why you want to go it alone?"

  "'Cause one man stands a better chance of catching them unaware. I'm not lookin' for some shootout. I want that money back, or there will be hell to pay when I get back. I'm no hero Dillon, but if I can catch them by surprise this doesn't have to get ugly."

  Mae nodded. "He ain't got much of a gang left now. Some was kilt. Some quit him. But I'll tell you true, sheriff. Morey is the one you got to watch. He's the really cold blooded killer of the bunch. He's been with Cole all along. And he is partly responsible for most of the killin's."

  Harry nodded. "Thanks, for letting me know."

  "I don't want to see Cole get killed, and if he goes to trial, he'll surely hang, sheriff. But, at least he'll get a fair trial first. And it is justice. Maybe I shouldn't, but I trust you."

  "I can promise that much, Mae," Harry said quietly.

  "Then I'll tell you where he's headed."

  Harry sat down and waited. Dillon did too.

  ~*~

  An hour later, Jo Ella came out of the bedroom and found Mae, Harry, and Dillon sitting at the table. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I don't know what hit me."

  Harry folded a piece of paper and smiled at her. "Good to see you about."

  She moved slowly into the room. Dillon got up and came toward her, wrapping his arms around her gently, possessively. "I'm gonna see you get home all right, Jo Ella."

  Her gaze flew to him then to Harry. "Oh, but with a horse, I could ride back I'm sure."

  "You are not traveling alone at night. Dillon will make sure you get home safe," Harry announced as though it was not up for discussion.

  "But what about you?" Jo Ella protested.

  "I've got to go after Cole and his men. Mae's already given me some sense of direction. I shouldn't be but a day or two along."

  "You can't go after them alone," Jo Ella protested, her eyes widening, distress in her voice. "Why isn't Dillon going with you?"

  The calm Harry displayed had her bristling. "I can, and I will. Dillon will see you get home, and I won't have to worry about you. I need to concentrate on them. This is my job, and I'll do it."

  "But—"

  Harry's brows knitted. "It's my job, Jo Ella."

  For the first time since he'd come here, Harry looked straight at her and her heart turned over in her chest.

  She stood erect now and faced him. "Y-yes, yes it is."

  "Glad we got that straightened out." Harry nodded then smiled. "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm much better. I don't know why I fainted like that. I'm not the fainting type."

  "Under the circumstances, it is perfectly understandable," Dillon agreed.

  When Jo Ella learned Harry planned on leaving that very day, she was beside herself with worry. She walked into the barn. Harry was saddling his horse and readying his gear.

  "Must you go alone?" she asked in an almost whisper. "Mae could ride into town with me if that would make you feel better about it."

  Harry shrugged. "I got a better chance of catching them by surprise if I go alone. I want to bring them in alive, Jo Ella. Dillon doesn't see it that way. This way, I don't want to have to worry about catchin' them and takin' care of Dillon's temper."

  "Harry…" Jo Ella threw herself against him, hugging his back to her, her lips moving at the back of his neck. "Please be careful."

  Harry reeled around and looked into her eyes. His head bent to kiss the top of her head as he held her for just a moment. "I'm just glad you are okay."

  "I don't want you to go," she pleaded, not turning loose of him.

  "I know that. I appreciate that. But they robbed the bank and I'm pretty sure one of them killed Dillon's father. It's time to even things up. I've got a job to do now. An obligation to fulfill. I've got to do this. I should have taken him in Vada."

  "Harry," she called against his ear. Her lips touched his cheek, and he pulled her fully into his arms. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and looked deep into her eyes. Then he tentatively touched his lips to hers again. She melted into him, and he pulled her up tight against him as his breathing became labored. The kiss went on forever. Giving and taking became one and the same. She tried to give some of her strength. This kiss was almost like a goodbye, and it tore at Jo Ella's heart.

  "Thanks for that," he murmured at her ear.

  "I don't want you to go," she barely uttered against his mouth as he kissed her once more. Their hearts seemed to beat like drums.

  He tore his mouth from hers. "Go home, Jo Ella. Be safe. For me!"

  Chapter Sixteen

  On the ride home, Jo Ella was quiet and Dillon didn't press her for conversation. But as the day wore on, he tried to reassure her.

  "You aren't worried about Harry, are you? I wouldn't have left him if I thought he couldn't handle himself."

  Jo Ella shook her head. "No, I guess not. I mean he's a very good sheriff. He knows his job. He knows what he is doing."

  "That's right. And like Mae said, there are only three of them."

  She veiled her deeper thoughts from Dillon. "Why… why didn't you go with him?"

  Dillon reined his horse in and stilled his actions. "The way you were movin' I figured you had some busted ribs. We'll get them bound up and you fixed in no time. You just take it easy."

  "You didn't answer my question?" She stopped and stared at him. He slid off his horse and went to her. As he helped her off, he held her close. Jo Ella temporarily let him hold her, just the reassurance she was alive made her tremble. She pushed him away gently.

  "Well, why didn't you go with him?" she murmured as she looked into his dark hooded eyes. Her hands were on his arms, steadying herself.

  "He didn't want me to. He told me right off he was going after them himself and that my job was to see you home safely. At first I fought him about it. I just couldn't imagine him going after
all three men alone and making it back. But what he said made sense. Worrying about you was bigger than both of us. Distractions can kill."

  "But—"

  "He was worried about you. He wanted to know he didn't have to while he was doing his job. As a man who cares about you, I understand that. Even respect it."

  She stared into Dillon's face. "So it's my fault he's alone."

  "No."

  "You're a good friend, aren't you, Dillon?"

  "Am I? With you or Harry?"

  "With Harry. He was worried about me. I knew he was. And you wanted to put his mind to ease."

  "Yeah, good ole Harry," he mumbled. "Somehow I knew he'd come out looking like the hero in this."

  She walked a distance then turned back. "He was also worried about you. He knows how you feel about Cole and his bunch. He knows you might shoot first and ask questions later. He didn't want to see you get in trouble. He doesn't want to have to arrest you, when this is all over." Jo Ella smiled. "In a way, he's protecting you from yourself."

  " I guess you are right about that. I do have a tendency to shoot first." Dillon nodded. "It doesn't change things. Someone in Cole's little gang killed my father. We discussed it. I aim to find out which one. I'm pretty sure it was Morey, but I'd hate to kill him, and find out later it was Cole."

  "And what good will that do in the long run, Dillon?" Jo Ella balled her fists at her side. "It will make you a murderer. Don't you see that?"

  "What do you care?" He suddenly grabbed her and looked into her eyes.

  "I care," she murmured.

  Dillon took her back into his arms. Jo Ella let him hold her. It felt so reassuring. His kiss was more controlled, but still dominating. She liked the feel of his warm, hard body against hers. His lips destroyed any protests she might have had. He dominated her, leading her into temptation, and she allowed it. Dillon was a powerful man, a man she couldn't control. He was exciting, living on the edge as he did.

  "Uh, let's make a fire and eat," she finally said, pulling out of his arms. The kiss floored her. He was a force. Jo Ella long ago recognized men easily persuaded her. She had to remain in control, for her feelings for Harry were strong, and she had to weigh them against her feelings for Dillon.

  "Yeah, I guess we better."

  "It's easy to get carried away, in a situation like this, Dillon," Jo Ella reasoned. "You showing up when you did, rescuing me. It's easy to go to my head. You are quite the hero, you know."

  "Is it easy? I haven't made any bones about the fact that I’m interested in you, Jo Ella. I want you, and you know it. Harry knows it too. In some offhanded way, I think he was giving us a chance to be alone. If marriage is what it takes to bed you, I'm willing. You are worth it."

  She nodded. "You'd marry me for that?"

  "Hmm…" He smiled sexily.

  "It's just not the time to speak of such things," she pleaded as her heartbeat quickened. Marriage was what she came here for. Even though Dillon's reason for wanting her wasn't as sound as she'd like, he was tempting. She knew he cared for her. But what she worried about was the staying power in the long run. She knew marriage was something you couldn't just abandon. It was a lifetime commitment and had to be taken seriously. She wasn't about to make a decision between Harry and Dillon right now. Besides, Harry hadn't offered her marriage. He hadn't told her how he felt, except in his kisses. Somehow words weren't needed between them. With Dillon it wasn't that intense.

  Dillon wanted her. He could sweep her off her feet. She felt the power in his kisses and the fact that she enjoyed them upset her.

  She felt pulled in two directions. They were both powerful men, both interested in her, both deadly with their kisses. She had to keep her head and make up her own mind up which man she really wanted. Playing both of them at the same time wasn't fair, and right now was not the time for a decision.

  Dillon seemed to understand, and he went about helping her prepare a meal and settling in for the night.

  Later, though, he pointed to the heavens as they lay on opposite sides of the fire. "They are sure pretty, aren't they?"

  Jo Ella lay against a saddle and stared up. "Yes. A woman doesn't get as much chance as a man to enjoy them, I guess." She shrugged.

  "Men work outside and see all of this every night. Some men take it for granted, but I look up there and realize someone better than me made them."

  "Why, Dillon, you have religion?" She laughed softly.

  "I was raised Christian. A little, at least. My ma was a devout Baptist, but my pa wouldn't set foot in a church. They was different about religion. I figured I'd be the same about things as my dad, but no cowboy can sleep under the stars every night without knowing there is someone up there." Dillon smiled at her through the flickering firelight. "I mean, who'd have thought that stars could be so calming?"

  "You are so right. They are beautiful." She sighed.

  "So are you." He shot her a desirable glance.

  "Uh, I'm very grateful to you and Harry for taking care of me through this."

  "I think both of us was worried about you," Dillon admitted. "Were you scared?"

  "A little. Mostly on how I would ever get back to Vada. I wasn't sure where I was. We went sort of on a crooked trail. And I was so tired I didn't pay enough attention," Jo Ella fretted. "I should have, but I didn't."

  "Were they mean to you?"

  "No, not really. The kid was actually kinda nice. I didn't like that Morey character. He seemed to have the least amount of concern for me. I guess if it hadn't been for Cole, he might have done me in," Jo Ella admitted.

  "Yeah, Morey is cold blooded like that. Cole was brought up better." Dillon agreed. "I just wish I knew which one of them killed my pa."

  Jo Ella glanced at him, weighing whether to tell him the truth or keep quiet about it. "I know which one," She murmured.

  "Tell me!" He jumped up and pulled her up against him.

  "Morey killed him. I heard him admit it to Mae."

  Dillon's face mirrored his contempt for the man. "You heard him admit it? What was he doing, bragging about it?"

  "Not exactly. They were talking about how they got into this so deep. They said it started with your pa. I'm only telling you this because I think you have a right to know. I'd want to know, if it were my kin. They were talking and well, Morey let it slip in front of me. I guess he figured Cole might do away with me and it didn't matter anymore. He'd killed once, he could do it again, if he had to." Jo Ella looked into his eyes, and saw something that scared her. Dillon really wanted Morey dead, it was there, staring at her. She wished she'd never told him, and knew she needed to distract him.

  Jo Ella reached out to him to give him comfort. She held the sides of his face. Staring up into his emotion-ridden face she wanted to dispel his anger. "You've got to let this go. Harry will take care of it. Don't you see? I only told you because it was your right to know. That doesn't give you permission to go out and do the same to him."

  "No, I don't see. Even the bible says 'an eye for an eye.' If he's the one, I'll see him dead," he promised. "Harry knows how I feel, and now that I know for sure, I can't stand by and do nothing. Harry won't even arrest him without some form of proof. I just got all the proof I need."

  Jo Ella frowned at him. "I only told you because I thought you could handle it like a man. I was wrong." She started to move away.

  He grabbed her and pulled her close against him. "I'm sorry, honey, but this is a raw spot for me. I aim to see Morey dead, but I'm grateful for the truth."

  "You aim to see Morey dead no matter what price? Your own life?"

  "If necessary."

  Jo Ella shook her head and turned away. "How can you kiss me like you love me, and then in the same breath whisper words of hate for another."

  "It ain't that simple. I wanted my father's murderer dead way before I met you. It's important that he pay for what he did. He has got to pay."

  "Harry will make him pay," Jo Ella cried. "The right way."

&
nbsp; "Harry's had enough time to make him pay. It's up to me to see this thing done. And I aim to do it. Harry is too concerned about his job. I want satisfaction."

  "Killing is not satisfying. I will not be a part of your life if you see this through. I think a lot of you, Dillon, you know that."

  "You can't mean that. Your kisses tell me how you feel. I see it in your eyes when you look at me. You love me too."

  Jo Ella looked down at the ground.. "I care for you. I really do. But not like this. Dillon, leave this to the law."

  "I've left it to the law all along, and nothing has been done. It's up to me now. Mark my word, I'll get him for this."

  "Then go after him now. Leave me here and go after him if that's what you want," she cried, her voice raising. Again she moved away from him, but this time he followed her and turned her into his arms. She looked up into his face. "You won't be happy until you have the man's blood on your hands. And then where will you be? You won't be any better than him, that's where. You'll be a murderer."

  He jerked her against him, roughly this time. She could feel the tension in him, see the revenge in his eyes. "I can't leave you here. I'll see you safely home. And I'll wait to see if Harry brings them in. If he doesn't, I'll go after him myself. I'm not gonna stand by and watch Morey go free. I've waited for the law to do something. Harry hasn't done anything, and even if he brings him in, he plans to set a trail for bank robbery. He'll be out of jail in ten years and I'll be after him, if I wait for the law to take care of it. Some things you have to do yourself, Jo Ella, this is one of them."

  "Dillon, don't ruin your life. He isn't worth it."

  "You almost make me forget." He kissed her hard.

  In Dillon's arms, she felt lost. His kisses were so powerful, potent. But what was in his heart was dark and brooding and she hated that in him. She wanted him, to hold him with her love, but she knew it was futile. She wanted him to forget about killing and make love to her. The old Jo Ella seemed to spring to life every time he kissed her, and she couldn't fight the urges he produced. Yet something in the back of her mind told her she was repeating history with Dillon. Dillon was like Randal. That shocked her.