Arizona Temptress

by Smith, Bobbi

  “There were Apache waiting for us.”

  “You’re all right, though—and Jake?”

  “Your brother’s fine. He’s with your father now.”

  “Is it over? Are the Indians gone for good?”

  “They’re gone,” he assured her.

  “Thank God.” Jennie leaned weakly against him, enjoying the comfort of his strength.

  “When Jake and I first spotted you, you were down where it was safe, by the others. Then by the time I got there, you were gone. Why did you run up here?” Rick held her away from him and stared down at her, his eyes hard as he demanded an answer. He had known in those few minutes of thinking her missing a stark terror unlike anything he’d ever felt before, and the memory of Antonio’s battered, tortured body had relentlessly assailed him as he’d searched for her. “You don’t know the hell I just went through, thinking that the Apache had dragged you off somewhere!”

  Jennie’s soft smile and teasing words eased his unspoken fears. “So, you’re the only one who’s allowed to carry me off?”

  Rick frowned at her attempted humor and pulled her closer. “You’d better believe it.”

  He kissed her passionately, then, wanting to relieve the tension that had been building within him.

  “But why did you come up here?”

  “Todd and Steve were positioned here, and then suddenly during the fighting, Carrie realized that something had gone wrong and that they weren’t shooting anymore. She was determined to find out what had happened and help them if she could. I followed her because I didn’t want her to go alone.”

  “Steve’s here, too? I didn’t see him.” he questioned.

  Jennie’s tone was low as she glanced back toward the rocks. “Steve was killed. He was still alive when Carrie and I got here, but there was nothing we could do. He’d taken an arrow in the stomach.”

  “I’m sorry.” Rick was solemn for he knew Steve had been a good man and well respected by Mac and the other ranch hands.

  “I’d better go tell Pa.”

  “We’ll get some of the men up here to help.” His arms tightened around her supportively.

  She nodded and, slipping her arms about his waist, she closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his chest. Only in the safety of Rick’s embrace did she feel completely protected, and her expression reflected her inner bliss. How she loved him! And she knew she’d be eternally grateful that he hadn’t been injured.

  Rick stood perfectly still, cherishing the intimacy of the moment. There was something so elemental about their embrace that he didn’t speak. Jennie was his! At last! It seemed to him that a great weight had been lifted from him when she’d told him of Todd’s love for Carrie. No longer did they have to conceal their feelings. No longer did they have to steal each precious kiss.

  It was only the sound of Jake, Mac, and Juan calling out to them that shattered the sublime peace and broke them apart.

  “They must be worried.” Rick released her slowly. “We’d better let them know that we’re all right.”

  After bending to her for a final kiss, he stepped away and they walked out to meet the others.

  “Jennie! Thank heaven! What happened? Where’s Todd and Steve?” Mac demanded as he came upon them.

  “Steve’s been killed, Pa,” Jennie told him straight out, not knowing any other way to tell him the sad news.

  “Steve? How?” Jake asked quickly.

  “One of the braves managed to sneak up on them during the main part of the attack.”

  “And Todd? He wasn’t injured, was he?”

  “No, he’s fine now.” She cast a sideways smile at Rick.

  “Well, where is he?” Mac asked, catching her look at the younger Peralta and wondering at it.

  “He’s with Carrie right now, but I’m sure they’ll be back soon,” Rick put in smoothly.

  “And just what are Todd and Carrie doing together? I warned her—” Mac thundered.

  “I see you have managed to straighten everything out,” Juan interrupted, smiling widely at Jennie.

  “It’s turned out better that I ever could have hoped,” she assured him serenely as she gazed adoringly up at Rick.

  Mac’s frown was perplexed as he looked from Juan to Jennie. “Jennie? What’s he talking about?”

  “Jennie and I are in love, Mac,” Rick stated boldly.

  “You two? But what about Todd?” Mac was stunned by Rick’s revelation and looked at Jennie uncertainly.

  “Todd’s in love with Carrie, Pa,” she told him gently.

  “Todd? And Carrie?” He scowled, remembering the scene between them that morning.

  “Yes, and they’re working everything out between them right now,” Jennie continued quickly.

  “But Todd had proposed to you,” Mac protested.

  “That was before I’d met Rick. I could never consider marrying Todd now.”

  “Mac,” Rick began respectfully as he put an arm around Jennie’s shoulders and drew her to him. “With your permission, Jennie and I would like to be married as soon as possible.”

  “Of course. Whatever makes Jennie happy.”

  “Oh, thank you, Pa!” She went to him quickly and hugged him enthusiastically.

  Mac could only shrug and return her embrace with fatherly affection. “This is all a little confusing, but as long as you’re content ...”

  Jake grinned widely at Rick. “I thought you were overly concerned about my little sister when we were riding back in.”

  “I’ve been overly concerned with her for longer than that. I just managed to keep it hidden until now,” he returned, relaxing now that the issue was finally resolved.

  “We’d better see to Steve—and the others,” Mac said when he’d let Jennie go.

  The stark intrusion of reality cast a tempering pall on the gathering.

  “There were more injuries?” Jennie asked quickly.

  “One other man was killed,” he told her grimly. “And there were two wounded. Lucia and Chica are helping them now.”

  “I still have some bandages in my saddlebags, so I’ll go see if I can do anything.” Jennie started down to where the rest of the posse was gathered.

  “Fine,” they told her as they went to take care of Steve.

  Lucia and Chica were each tending one of the injured men when Jennie made her way to them.

  “I have more bandages if you need them,” she offered as she joined them.

  “Thank you.” Chica took some of the clean cloths. “His is only a minor flesh wound, but it is bleeding heavily.”

  “Lucia?”

  Lucia glanced up, barely managing to conceal the malice she felt toward Jennie. How dare Rick choose her!

  “I don’t need any more,” she answered curtly. “This one is not badly injured at all.”

  “Good.” Jennie was so busy concentrating on the injured man that she missed the flare of smoldering hatred in the depths of Lucia’s eyes.

  Relieved to find that the men would soon be back on their feet, she left them to the other women’s care and went in search of Rick. When they had finished with their nursing chores, Lucia and Chica wandered away from the main group.

  “Lucia, when are you going to give up?”

  “What do you mean?” She gave Chica an innocent look, but her friend only snorted in disbelief.

  “I can tell how you feel about Jennie.”

  “And how is that?” she replied sharply.

  “You hate her. Why, you can barely contain yourself when she’s around.”

  “You are right, Chica. I do hate her, more than I’ve ever hated anyone!”

  “But why don’t you just forget about Rick?”

  “I can’t forget about him. Rick is the only man I’ve ever loved, and he doesn’t want me, all because of her!”

  “Surely, you can’t hold her responsible for Rick’s feelings. She did not tell him not to care for you.”

  “Pah! But if she had not been around, he would have come to c
are for me. I know it!” Lucia swore.

  “Lucia, you’re fooling yourself. He is Ricardo Peralta, not Cazador the gunfighter. I told you before that he was not like the others.”

  “All men are alike,” Lucia told Chica smugly.

  “You are wrong, Lucia. Give up your anger. We are free of Malo now and we can go home. You are still young and pretty. We’ll go back and—”

  “And what? Become some other man’s whore?” She snarled viciously as she thought of the village they’d come from and how poor everyone had been. “I want more than that!”

  “Anything would be better than the life I had. I am just thankful that things have turned out so well.”

  “So well? What do we have? Nothing! Not even a man to protect us! While she—” Lucia looked over to where Jennie stood, waiting for Rick to return. “She has everything!”

  “Your bitterness and envy will be the end of you, Lucia.” Chica was thoroughly disgusted with her and without another word she walked away.

  She didn’t bother to reply or even look up as the other woman left. What did Chica know about anything anyway, Lucia thought arrogantly. Chica had been a puta her entire life and she would probably die one. But she, herself, had no intention of ending up that way. She was going to be rich one day, no matter what.

  Jennie watched quietly as Rick and Jake carried Steve’s body down from the rocks. Mac had decided that it would be best to bury the dead here in the mountains, and some of the other ranch hands were busy digging the two necessary graves.

  Juan noticed that Rick seemed to withdraw suddenly, and when he didn’t return to Jennie’s side, Juan followed him a distance from the site.

  “Ricardo? You are troubled?”

  Rick was startled to find that his grandfather had come after him. “It will pass.”

  “What is it?”

  He signed deeply before speaking. “I had thought that there would be a great sense of victory for me in conquering these mountains—and the Indians.” Rick’s eyes were haunted. “But it doesn’t bring back my father—or Antonio.”

  “I know,” Juan said in a sympathetic tone.

  “Even after all this time, the pain is there,” he continued. “I still remember clawing Antonio’s grave by hand out of the damned rocky ground, almost as if it were yesterday.” His jaw was clenched, his hands knotted into fists of agony at his sides.

  “Ricardo, there is good to be realized from all this.”

  When Rick looked skeptical, Juan went on.

  “You have faced your most terrible fears, Ricardo, and you’ve won.”

  “It’s a hollow victory. It means nothing.”

  “It means everything. You have grown into a man your father and uncle would have been proud of. I know I am.” Juan put a consoling arm about his shoulders. “But you must remember that you are alive and there is purpose in that.”

  A shudder wracked Rick as he fought to get control of his own personal hell. “I know.”

  “For so long, I, too , wondered why it had all happened, but is is not for us to know—not in this life, anyway. Do not allow the past to have power over you. Put it from you and be done with it, once and for all.”

  Rick knew Juan was right. Since the time of the massacre, he had been living in limbo. At first, he’d taken to the hard, fast life, hiring out his gun in the subconscious hope that someone, somewhere would be faster than he was, but it was not to be. The cynicism had followed and then his return to the ranch when there had seemed nothing left to seek. Now, he understood the demons that had been driving him and, at last, he could lay them to rest.

  He had a future. Jennie was his future and, together, they would create beautiful tomorrows as numerous as the stars in the night sky.

  Rick smiled at Juan as the tension drained from him. “It is good to be done with it.”

  And Juan only nodded, but he understood—completely.

  Carrie and Todd emerged from the rocks and headed back down to where the posse had regrouped. Secure in Todd’s love and devotion, Carrie was no longer fearful of her father’s reaction. Bravely ready to face him with the news of their engagement, she smiled happily up at Todd.

  “Ready?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Do you suppose Jennie told him already?”

  “I don’t know, but I imagine we’re going to find out very shortly.”

  Mac saw them approaching and wondered what to say. He’d certainly made a fool out of himself that morning when he’d berated them so cruelly, and he knew he would have to apologize.

  Mac had always liked and respected Todd, and he knew it would be a pleasure to have him in the family. He thought briefly of his own desire to have Todd and Jennie marry, and he realized how ridiculous he’d been to try to force the issue. After all, did it really matter which daughter he married as long as he joined the family?

  And Carrie: Thoughts of her competence overwhelmed him. She had ridden the entire distance without complaint; she had fought the Apache with admirable courage, and she had gone after the man she loved with equal determination, even bearing up under the tongue-lashing he’d given her this morning. Mac felt a sudden sense of pride and realized that she was more like himself than he’d ever admitted.

  Facing them, he smiled and didn’t bother to wait for them to speak.

  “I believe I owe you an apology.”

  Carrie almost gaped in surprise for she had never heard her father apologize to anyone for anything.

  “You’ve spoken with Jennie and Rick.” It was a statement not a question.

  “Yes, I did, and I realize how wrong I was this morning. I no doubt made things more difficult for you and I’m sorry.”

  “I did want to mention to you how terrible your timing was.” Todd chuckled good-naturedly.

  “I can well imagine.” Mac was pleased that there were no hard feelings between them.

  “Carrie’s consented to marry me, Mac.”

  Mac nodded his agreement as he looked at Carrie for the first time as his daughter and not Eve’s.

  “Be good to her, Todd.” His words were filled with intense emotion.

  “Oh, I will. I love her very much.”

  “And I love Todd, Pa.”

  Mac did not know why he felt it was necessary, but in that moment he wanted to hug Carrie. He went to her almost hesitantly and felt a thrill of happiness soar through him as she met him in the tender embrace.

  Carrie was totally surprised by her father’s attitude, but she was grateful for it. She had given up all hope of ever knowing his affection, and she found it hard to believe that it was finally happening. Never before had she ever felt so loved and so wanted. She had Todd. She’d made peace with Jennie and now, at last, her father. Contentment settled over her, and she relaxed in the joy of it.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  It was near noon in Mesa Roja and the sun, high in the cloudless sky, was sharp and harsh in its relentless splendor. The heat was oppressive, and the streets were dust-choked as the stagecoach rumbled into town and drew to a halt in front of the stage line office.

  Silas Stratton, the clerk for the line, pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up on top of his head and rushed nervously out to greet the arriving coach.

  “Glad to see you made it through, Ab,” he called up to the driver Ab Colter.

  “Slick as a whistle. No trouble at all,” the burly driver replied as he swung the strong box down to him.

  “How are you doing, Ted?” Silas asked the man riding shotgun.

  “I am glad to be here. I been thinkin’ about Dolly’s Saloon for the last fifteen miles!”

  Silas laughed as the two men climbed down from the driver’s bench. “Any passengers?”

  “We got one.” Ab nodded and the clerk hurried to open the door and let down the stage’s step.

  “Welcome to Mesa Roja,” he began and his mouth hung open as a lovely lady emerged from the coach’s shadowed interior to take his proffered hand.

  “
Why, thank you for your kind assistance,” the woman said softly in a cultured voice as she stepped lightly down.

  “You’re more than welcome, ma’am,” Silas stammered as he stared at the beautiful woman standing before him.

  In all of his forty-nine years, Silas had never before seen a woman as pretty as this one, and she was a lady, too, he could tell. Her clothing spoke of wealth and taste even as it accentuated her curvaceous figure. Her voice was well modulated and pleasant to listen to, and she was, in Silas’s opinion, just plain gorgeous. Her blond hair was done up in a prim bun that not only added to the regal aura about her but also served to emphasize her classic, delicate good looks.

  “Sir?” She was asking, politely.

  “Uh—yes, ma’am?” Silas silently cursed himself for acting like such a fool.

  “If you would be so kind as to direct me to the nearest hotel?” she continued, the sound of her voice enthralling him.

  “Of course! We have only one here in Mesa Roja, ma’am,” he explained, eager to help. “It’s right over there.”

  The woman looked in the direction he had pointed and noted the two-story frame structure. “Thank you, sir.”

  “Name’s Silas, ma’am. Silas Stratton. If you need anything, just let me know.”

  “Of course, Mr. Stratton,” she replied, smiling coolly. “Now, about my trunk?”

  “I’ll have it sent right over!” He hastened to please her.

  “Again, my thanks, sir. Good day.”

  Silas watched until she’d disappeared inside the hotel before turning to Ab and Ted. “She certainly is a looker!”

  “I’ll say,” Ab answered. “But she’s been real quietlike the whole trip.”

  “Do you know her name?”

  “Nope. She never seen fit to tell us.”

  Silas was disappointed, but he knew he could find out later from his friend who worked in the hotel.

  “Well, you boys have a good time in town tonight. You aren’t scheduled to leave until sunup.”

  “Join us for a beer, Silas?’ they asked.

  “I’d love to, fellas, but I can’t right now. If you’re still at Dolly’s when I get finished here, I’ll stop off and have a few with you.”