No, she couldn’t allow that to happen. If she was acting this silly when she only saw him for a few hours a day, imagine what would happen if she saw him all the time. She’d be as brainless as a newborn calf.
Norton, Missouri
Cole was determined Drew wouldn’t disappear again. Every day since they’d left St. Louis she’d vanished right after practice and hadn’t reappeared until it was time for the show to begin. It didn’t make him feel any better that either Zeke or Hawk—or both—disappeared with her. He’d never been worried about her safety. Anyone would have to be a fool to attempt to harm her with one or both brothers at her side.
Zeke and Hawk weren’t like the new breed of cowhands coming to Texas since the end of the war—Easterners soft from living in towns who expected the law to protect them. They were among the last of a breed of men who could ride out into the unknown, confident in their ability to defend themselves, their women, and their property.
But Cole’s admiration for Drew’s brothers didn’t make him any less irritated at being left behind. Even though he was certain Drew wasn’t involved in the robberies, he still couldn’t explain, away some cold, hard facts. Drew had had the opportunity to commit every one of the robberies. There had been another two days ago. It had taken place one afternoon after Drew and her brothers had disappeared. When he’d asked where she’d gone, she told him it was none of his business, that their relationship was restricted to their act.
He wished that were true. He’d tried to make it so, but thoughts of Drew filled his mind at all hours of the day. He’d volunteered to help Earl with the business end of the show. But even becoming involved with the logistics of moving and setting up so much equipment, providing feed and shelter for dozens of horses, cows, and buffalo, not to mention housing and transporting all the people involved in the show—not even all this could drive Drew from his thoughts. His dreams had become so erotic he hardly got any rest, but Cole had only himself to thank. He’d been the one to insist she wear that pink dress.
He’d dreamed of her before, but now he dreamed of her arms and shoulders, of the top of her bosom. He didn’t know where Drew had come by the notion she was plain, but it certainly wasn’t from a man. She didn’t employ the usual feminine bag of tricks, the fluttering eyelashes, the dimpled smile, the coy glance, or the seductive sway of her hips. What she did have appealed to Cole even more.
She had a perfect body, strong, supple, athletic. Every move radiated the sensuous grace of well-trained, beautifully controlled muscles that blended gently with her perfectly smooth shoulders and delicately formed hands and wrists. And no matter how much she might wish to deny it, she was pretty.
How could she not be with big, brown eyes, a smiling mouth—when she wasn’t angry at him—and a way of tilting her head to the right when she didn’t believe him. That happened so often she practically had a permanent list.
Her gaze could be direct and paralyzing. It also had the power to make him forget where he was and what he was doing. But it was her smile, especially when accompanied by her laugh, that destroyed his resistance and haunted his dreams. There was an earthiness, a visceral quality about her that was totally missing in the women he grew up with in Memphis. It reminded him of the untamed wildness of Texas.
Without realizing exactly what he’d been looking for in a woman, he’d found it all in Drew.
Yet there remained the fear that despite his instincts, she might be guilty after all. She’d led her motley army of old people to the bank the day after the most recent robbery. He had to find out what she was doing. When she emerged from her hotel room, he was waiting for her.
“What are you doing here?” she said, clearly not pleased to see him.
“Waiting for you.”
“Why?”
“I’m tired of working with Earl. I figured whatever you’re doing has to be more fun.”
“Not fond of work, are you?”
“Not that kind.”
“What kind are you fond of?”
“Following pretty women around.” She was dressed for riding, just like the female leader of the gang of robbers.
“I haven’t seen too many around here, but I’m sure you could find at least one willing to waste a few hours entertaining you.”
“I’d rather waste them with you.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Exactly what are you proposing?”
“I’ll leave that up to you.”
“In that case, I propose you go find somebody else to annoy.”
Cole didn’t think she was annoyed. Flustered was more like it. That was a relief. He was tired of being the only one affected by this relationship. He didn’t consider himself a lady-killer, but he’d received his share of feminine attention over the years. Drew’s relentless cold shoulder was getting on his nerves, as well as doing some serious damage to his ego.
“Sorry, this is my day to annoy you,” he said. “I’ve set it aside especially.”
“Your calendar is so crowded.”
She was making fun of his rootless condition again. He wondered what she’d think if she knew his real background.
“I make room for whatever appeals to me the most. I’ll follow you wherever you go,” he said, when it was clear she wasn’t going to invite him to join her.
“I don’t need you to follow me. I have Zeke.”
But Zeke wasn’t dressed for riding when he walked up. “We can’t go today.” He ignored Cole, speaking directly to Drew. “Earl wants to change our part of the show. Hawk and I will have to spend the rest of the day working on it if we expect to have it ready for tonight.”
“I’ll go with her,” Cole offered.
“I can stay here today,” Drew said.
Zeke gave Cole the once-over. “I don’t suppose he’d be much help in a pinch, but he’s better than nothing. You think you can ride with her without falling off your horse?”
Cole grinned despite himself. “I’ll tie myself to the saddle just in case.”
Zeke didn’t look amused. “You let anything happen to her, and I’ll kill you.”
Cole knew that wasn’t an idle threat. It was a sure promise.
“I’ll be just as zealous as you and Hawk together.”
“You aren’t worth Hawk’s left hand, but Drew is more than a match for anybody she’s liable to meet. I want you back in two hours,” he said, turning to Drew.
“Don’t be stupid, Zeke. If I go at all, I’ll come and go when I want.”
“Jake wouldn’t like that.”
“Jake always lets me do what I want.”
“Only because he’d have to knock you out to stop you,” Zeke said, irritation mingled with admiration.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Cole stays out of trouble. Now go get your new act worked out”
Zeke hesitated briefly. “Remember what I said,” he said to Cole before turning and stalking off.
“Is he always that pleasant?”
“You’re fortunate. He’s been in a particularly good mood for several days. Besides, he likes you.”
Cole shivered. “Let me know if he changes his mind. Now where are you going?”
“Don’t you know?”
“Not yet.”
“For a ride in the country. I start feeling jumpy if I stay cooped up in a town for more than a day or two.”
Chapter Twelve
Drew didn’t know why Cole wanted to ride with her. He obviously had expected to do something else, though she couldn’t imagine what. There wasn’t much in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri except farms. Most towns were barely large enough to fill the stands for one night. That was why Earl moved the show to a new town nearly every night. It would be a relief to reach Memphis, where they’d spend three days in the same place. But even small towns were big enough to cause Drew to miss the wide-open spaces of Texas.
“Is this what you do every time you disappear?” Cole asked. “Ride through the countryside?”
“What else is
there to do?”
“I don’t know. I figured you did something more exciting.”
“You keep forgetting I grew up on a ranch. None of us likes staying in towns. Even Isabelle, and she grew up in Savannah.”
“I’d like to meet Jake and Isabelle. You’ve talked about them so much, I feel like I know them.”
“I’m not sure you’d like them.”
“Why?”
“Isabelle has very strict ideas about how people should behave. When they don’t come up to her standards, she’s not slow to tell them.”
“And you don’t think I measure up?”
“I know you don’t.”
He didn’t look as though he liked that, but it wasn’t her fault he was a drifter, a liar, or whatever he was. Isabelle might not hold being pathetically useless against him. She said some people couldn’t help it, they were just made that way, but she couldn’t stand lying. Not for any reason.
“Jake is big on responsibility,” Drew said. “He never told any of us what to do, but it was always clear he expected us to make something of ourselves.”
Drew hadn’t been pleased when Cole insisted on riding with her, but she was having a good time. The early fall weather made the day sunny and cool. Her horse had a little spirit, so she didn’t feel like she was astride a mule too lazy to put one foot in front of the other.
The fields they passed were mostly empty. Farmers had cut and stacked their hay long ago. Oat and wheat fields were bare. Most crops had been picked or cut. Some fields remained green with late melons, pumpkins, squash, even peas. There was a lot of corn, most of it dry, the stalks turned brown, waiting to be gathered and stored in barns as winter feed for livestock.
Cattle and pigs had grown fat from summer grazing and rooting through the fields for dropped kernels of oats and wheat. Even chickens and geese seemed to be getting as fat as possible before they were slaughtered on the first cold days in October or November. It was the picture of an idyllic countryside, grown fat from the fertile land and the peace and prosperity since the war. So very different from Texas, where the open wounds of war were still visible.
Their visit to New Orleans would be the first time Earl had taken the Wild West Show to the deep South.
“How many brothers are still at home?” Cole asked.
“Two.”
“Where are the others?”
“Buck got married and bought a ranch next to Jake’s. Sean and Pete left for the Colorado gold fields early this year. Luke left a while back to hire out his gun. Chet followed to keep an eye on him. Bret went off to Boston a few years back, but nobody cared much. Bret was always hard to like.”
“Who helps Jake?”
“Will and Matt. I expect Matt will stay even if Will leaves. Matt hates being around strangers even more than I do.”
“Doesn’t seem like your parents were able to make all of you feel that you were part of the family.”
“Isabelle says it’s hard for orphans to feel close to anybody. She says they’ve spent so long being rejected and having to look out for themselves, they’re afraid to believe they don’t have to any longer. Isabelle was an orphan herself, so she ought to know.”
“Is that how you feel?”
“I was never really an orphan. They found me just after my parents had been killed. Besides, I’ve got family. Too much. Now I’m tired of talking about myself, and I’m tired of plodding along like some fat, lazy tenderfoot who doesn’t know what to do with a horse. I’m ready for a gallop. Keep up if you can.”
Drew had expected to leave Cole in the dust. He kept up with her without any visible effort. She settled her horse down for a hard gallop, but he still stuck to her side even when they thundered past a wagon heavily loaded with oat straw.
“Where did you learn to ride?” Drew asked.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in Texas,” he said with a grin.
“Doing what?” she asked.
“Riding, roping, drifting about.”
“You were a cowboy?”
“You could say that.”
“What would you say you were?”
“More like an inspector. My job was to see that things went the way they were supposed to.”
“Do you mean you went after rustlers and Comancheros?” She couldn’t believe that. You had to be tough and knowledgeable to handle rustlers. You had to be all that and lucky to go after Comancheros and come back alive. Cole had never given her the impression he wanted to work very hard at anything. Still, he could shoot very well. He might be able to do other things she hadn’t expected.
“I went after rustlers occasionally.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t care?”
“No.”
That surprised her. She’d be furious. “I know you can shoot and ride,” she said. “What else can you do?”
He regarded her with curiosity. “What did you have in mind?”
“Can you throw a steer?”
“You want me to prove it?”
She looked around. She saw a few cows in the distance, but they were obviously milk cows. They wouldn’t have enough sense not to give up and lie down.
“Can you rope?”
“Can you?”
“I can rope better than anybody except Ward. I had to,” she said, remembering past slights. “They wouldn’t let me throw the steers.”
“Jake probably thought it wasn’t suitable for a woman.”
“He said I was too light, that the steer would hardly know I was riding his horns.”
She hadn’t liked being told to leave that to the boys, but Jake could be mighty stubborn when he made up his mind. Once, when she defied him, he picked her up, tucked her under his arm, and deposited her unceremoniously on her bottom at the campfire. She had been very careful not to put herself in the position of having to suffer that humiliation again.
She took up the rope she carried on her saddle. She hadn’t expected to need it, but riding out fully equipped made her feel better.
“I’ll rope that fence post,” she said.
“That doesn’t look very hard.”
“You do it, too, and I’ll find something harder.”
After roping angry steers determined to risk breaking their necks rather than allowing themselves to be roped, it was a simple matter to toss a loop over a stationary fence post.
“Your turn,” she said when she’d recoiled the rope.
It was apparent from the moment Cole took the rope in his hands that he knew what he was doing. He handled it with the familiarity of an old hand. His loop settled over the post just as easily as hers had.
“What next?” he asked.
Drew looked around her, but she couldn’t find anything that offered a challenge. She didn’t see any horses or mules, and sheep, if there were any, were just as useless as cows.
“How about one of those goats,” she said, pointing to a small herd of goats grazing in a field close to a line of trees.
A smile crinkled the corners of Cole’s mouth. “I’ve never roped a goat before.”
A gurgle of mirth began to bubble inside her. “I haven’t either. Think you can do it?”
“Sure, but you’ve got to rope one, too.”
“How do you propose to enter the pasture?”
“Jump. You can jump your horse, can’t you?”
Now he was being insulting. Without bothering to answer, she rode a short way back down the road, put her horse into a gallop, and easily cleared the fence into the field. Cole executed the jump just as easily. Drew felt the pinch of her competitive drive, the prod that had always forced her to try to be better than her brothers.
“I jumped first,” she said. “You get to rope first.”
“Afraid to rope a goat?”
She refused to rise to his bait “Embarrassed.” Much to her surprise, both of them laughed. “You’ve got to promise never to tell anyone. Zeke and Hawk would never let me forge
t it”
Cole uncoiled the rope, then trotted his horse toward the goats. They broke and ran. Cole let out a whoop that would have made any Texas cowboy proud and went after his chosen goat, a female. He roped it without difficulty, jiggled the rope off the panicked animal’s head, and calmly recoiled it as he rode back to where Drew waited.
“Your turn,” he said, handing her the rope.
“Why did you pick on that poor female?” she asked.
“She was running faster than the others.”
Drew made up her mind to rope the big male. He might not be able to run as fast as the younger female, but he was a more wormy target. She worked the rope in her hands as she rode toward the scattered herd. The big male didn’t appear interested in running very fast. Drew rode by him a couple of times, yelling loudly each time. Finally, the sluggish brute took off at a decent pace. She brought her horse up behind him and dropped the rope neatly over his horns.
The big male grunted angrily, turned, and charged her horse.
Drew couldn’t count the times a longhorn had turned on her. After the first time, it never bothered her. For some reason, maybe the unexpectedness of it, the goat’s attack caught her flat-footed.
“Looks like you got a temperamental one,” Cole called out.
He was making fun of her, something she’d never allowed before without striking back. But instead of getting angry, she started to laugh. The whole episode was foolish—the one-upmanship that had caused her to challenge Cole, their lassoing fence posts, invading a pasture to lasso goats. This was something adolescent boys might do. Sober, serious adults wouldn’t even consider it.
“Let’s get out of here before we’re battered to death by your victim.”
The goat was headed in her direction again. A devilish urge struck her. Instead of jostling the rope off his horns, she spurred her horse forward, cantering across the field just ahead of the enraged goat. Instead of feeling embarrassed at doing something so foolish and irresponsible, she felt an almost childlike elation.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Drew (The Cowboys) Page 15