“I thought about staying with her a little longer, but I decided against it, all things considered. But she’s quite a girl, Jasper. I don’t know what you paid her, but I left a little extra on the nightstand. I’ll take over here if you want to get back and drive her into San Antonio.”
Jasper’s grin faded. “What in hell are you talking about?”
“Somebody’s got to take her back, and I think it would be a lot better if you did it. But if you’ll give me her phone number, I just might call her again some time. And I guess you ought to tell me what she charges, so I can save up. She was sure worth whatever you paid her, though. She’s—”
“Hold it.” Jasper stared at him in horror. “You think Daphne’s a hooker?”
“Of course she’s a hooker!” Stony returned Jasper’s stare, and gradually all the goodwill he’d been feeling curdled in his stomach. His throat constricted with dread. “Isn’t she?”
BY THE TIME DAPHNE heard hoofbeats in the yard, the tears were all gone and she was fighting mad. She’d quit her job, given up her apartment and spent her savings on a plane ticket to Texas, supposedly to meet the man she was going to marry. After seventeen months and twenty-six days of virginal behavior, she’d eagerly given herself to that man, only to discover he thought she was a prostitute.
She’d played by the rules, trying to be so careful so she wouldn’t end up with another jerk in her bed, but somebody else obviously thought that rules were meant to be broken. Once she found out who that was, there would be hell to pay.
After showering, she’d forced down some toast and coffee as a practical measure. No telling how soon she’d eat again. Then she’d repacked what few things she’d removed from her suitcase, all the while nursing her anger. Now she stood in the living room and faced the front door as three miserable-looking cowboys and Stony’s dog walked silently into the room.
The men whipped off their hats immediately, and the dog flopped to the floor and put her head on her paws.
Daphne crossed her arms and waited. Jasper looked the most dejected, wincing each time Stony, who stood in the middle, sent him another angry look. Watching Stony and remembering their lovemaking made Daphne’s insides quiver.
With his hat off, his hair kept falling over his forehead as it had last night when she’d tried to gently finger-comb it into place. Her fingers still remembered the texture of his hair. But today there was no tenderness in Stony’s expression as he angrily shoved his hair back and glared at his foreman.
Contrasting Stony’s cold behavior with his sweetness of the night before upset Daphne even more, so she concentrated on Jasper and the other man, a sandy-haired cowboy who kept clearing his throat. He had a shiner on his left eye, obviously from the same bar fight that had given Stony the bruise on his cheek.
Then all three men started talking at once.
“Stop!” Daphne held up one hand. “Before you make things worse, I want to know one thing. Who’s been writing to me all these weeks?”
Jasper looked up at the ceiling, down at the dog, over at the window as his mustache twitched. “I have, ma’am,” he said at last. He took a deep breath and met Daphne’s gaze. “This whole thing is my fault. I’m the ringleader, so I want to make things right.”
“It’s not all his fault, ma’am,” said the sandy-haired cowboy, squaring his shoulders. “And if I may say so, you’re even prettier than your picture. And if I may also say so, I was against this whole thing from the start.”
“And who are you?”
“Ty Eames, ma‘am. And as the senior wrangler here, I’m ready to take the blame along with ol’ Jasper. Of course technically it’s Andy’s fault. If he hadn’t started the bar fight, then Ramon would’ve been able to talk, and he can talk the horn off a saddle, if I may say so. And I wouldn’t have messed up like I did. And now I suppose you’ll use one of them feng shui moves and take us all out at one whack. I knew this would turn out bad.”
“Excuse me?” Daphne frowned as she tried to make sense of Ty’s little speech.
Jasper elbowed Ty in the ribs. “They use it for defense, straw-brain. She won’t just whack you while you’re standing there.”
Stony glanced at Daphne. “What’re they talking about?”
“In one of her letters, she told us she used feng shui in her decorating business,” Jasper said. “We’re not exactly clear how that works, but this is one woman who can take care of herself, boss.”
Daphne started to explain that feng shui was a philosophy of arranging space, not a martial art, then changed her mind. Let them think she could crush their windpipes with a single blow. Served them right.
“So all of the hands worked on the letters?” Daphne asked.
“Jasper typed, but we all made suggestions.” Ty twisted his hat in his hands. “Ramon was in charge of the poetry. He knows about words.”
Daphne closed her eyes. All those tender little verses she’d thought Stony had sent, verses she’d taped to her bathroom mirror so she could see them first thing in the morning, hadn’t had anything to do with the man she’d made love to last night.
She opened her eyes and glared at them. “Am I part of some elaborate joke, then?”
“It’s no joke, ma’am,” Jasper said, glancing sideways at Stony. “We had the best of intentions. Stony, here, just won’t slow down, so we thought—”
“You thought you’d find me a wife?” Stony was rigid with fury. “And you tricked this poor woman into flying all the way from Hawaii thinking I was in love with her? It’s unforgivable.” The dog at his feet whined.
No matter how much Daphne tried to harden her heart, pain sliced through her each time she was reminded that all Stony’s tenderness the night before had been directed at a woman he thought was being paid for her services, not the woman he planned to spend a lifetime loving.
“So all the letters were just a pack of lies,” Daphne said.
“Of course they were,” Stony said. “And I—”
“No, they weren’t,” Jasper interrupted.
Stony rounded on him. “How can you stand there and deny it, after admitting you rented a P.O. box just so I wouldn’t know what you were up to?”
“I figure I’m getting fired, anyway, so I might as well tell this young lady exactly what we done.” Jasper stood up a little straighter. “We put the truth about Stony in them letters. I’ve known him since he was born, traveled the circuit with him and his folks, then him and his pa. The boys and me didn’t make up nothing. All we said about him is right.”
“Even the poetry,” Ty said. “Ramon found a book of Stony’s and took bits from it.”
Stony whirled in Ty’s direction. “Ramon swiped my mother’s poetry book?”
“Ramon didn’t swipe nothing, boss. He just went in there one day and copied all sorts of pretty things out of it, things he thought Daphne would like.”
“I did like them.” Her dreams were in ashes, yet Daphne felt her anger ebbing away as she pictured a bunkhouse full of cowhands gathered around an old typewriter while they gave tips to Jasper on what to put in each letter. She blushed to think how lovingly she’d written back to Stony, especially there at the end, when they’d begun openly talking about sharing a lifetime.
She’d thought those letters were just for Stony’s viewing, when in fact they’d probably been passed among the wranglers. Still, the cowboys had obviously treated this project with respect. It was crazy and naive, but not malicious.
“I still think it might’ve worked,” Jasper said, his jaw tightening. “If somebody had told Stony the truth before he walked in here last night.”
“We tried,” Ty said, his expression agonized. “But we were counting on Ramon, and then his lip was all busted, so Big Clyde said I was the one who had to do it, but I didn’t have a speech ready, so it came out wrong. He told us to shut up and went barreling into the house, saying he’d send Daphne straight home. Andy was sure she’d clear up the misunderstanding herself, first thing, as soon as
he tried to send her home, but I just knew it would turn out terrible. I’ve always known it would turn out terrible. I—”
“Hush your mouth,” Jasper said.
For the first time, Stony looked uncomfortable.
“You shoulda told him, even when he told you to shut up,” Jasper muttered.
“You shoulda told him earlier,” Ty shot back.
But Daphne was still stuck on the point that Stony hadn’t meant to make love to her, after all. She glanced at him. “You’d planned to send me home?”
“It crossed my mind.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “I don’t...I’ve never paid for...that is, it’s not my way to—”
“Then why didn’t you just tell me so and have Jasper drive me back last night?” Fascinated, she watched the flush rise from his shirt collar. “That would have saved us both a lot of grief.”
“You’re right. I should have done exactly that. And I apologize.” Still he wouldn’t look at her.
Daphne felt her first moment of triumph since she’d found that demoralizing note. Stony had never been with a prostitute, yet he’d been so attracted to her that he’d made an exception in her case. He’d even been impressed enough to leave her an extra hundred dollars, which in her rage she’d ripped into little pieces and flushed down the toilet.
She wouldn’t have been able to accept that money in any case, but unfortunately she was in a bit of a financial bind. Being totally on her own again hadn’t figured into her plans. She’d have to ask Jasper to drive her back to San Antonio and then she’d take a bus up to see her mother in Michigan. Her mother was always good for thinking up ways to look on the bright side.
She mustered all the dignity she possessed. “Well, then. If someone can drive me back to San Antonio, I’ll be on my way.”
Stony nodded. He’d didn’t plan to stop her, she realized with a fresh pang of sorrow. He might have enjoyed their interlude, but he obviously wasn’t interested in continuing the association.
Jasper seemed to be busy watching Stony. Then he turned back to Daphne. “Where are you headed? Back to Hawaii?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“I don’t feel right sending you off like that,” Jasper said. “In your last letter you said you were quitting your job and giving up your apartment. You ain’t got nothing to go back to, looks like.”
Stony gave her a sharp glance. “Is that right?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll manage.”
He stared at her and shook his head. “I don’t operate that way. I was planning to repay you for the plane fare, at least, but if you don’t even have a job anymore...could you get it back?”
“I don’t want it back, not that it’s your concern. We’re nothing to each other, as it turns out, Mr. Arnett.”
“Urn, I wouldn’t say that, exactly.” To his credit, he did look worried about her.
“I would. I’m all packed. If you can spare somebody to drive me, that’s all I’ll ask of you.” She started from the room.
“Hold on a minute,” Jasper said. “Let’s not be hasty.”
“I think hasty is just what we should be,” Daphne said, continuing toward the bedroom where her suitcase stood ready. She paused and glanced back at them. “I shipped a box of my work-related materials here. When I’m relocated, I’ll send you the address so you can forward the box to me.”
Jasper snapped his fingers. “I clean forgot. You planned on startin’ your own business here.”
“Obviously I won’t be doing that.” She’d counted on living here with Stony and gradually building her list of clients in her spare time whenever he didn’t need her help with the ranch. She’d liked the idea of creating a design center in a small town rather than battling the competition in a big city. She’d even dreamed of opening a small mail-order shop selling items geared to the principles of feng shui. Twenty-four hours ago, anything had seemed possible. Now nothing did.
“You wanted to go into business in Rio Verde?” Stony asked.
Tears threatened to overwhelm her again, and she knew she’d better retreat and get herself in hand. “I might consider San Antonio, instead,” she said, to save her pride. “Give me a minute to freshen up and I’ll be right with you.” Choking back a sob, she walked into the bedroom and closed the door firmly behind her.
4
JASPER CLAPPED HIS hat back on his head. “The way I see it, we got one chance to make it up to her for what we done.”
“What you’ve done,” Stony corrected him. “And let’s get one thing straight. I’m not firing you. I couldn’t run this ranch without you, and you damn well know it. Obviously I can’t keep you on and fire everybody else who was involved, so y’all still have a job.”
“That’s a relief,” Ty said, putting on his hat. “I only got about forty bucks to my name.”
“But,” Stony added, pulling his hat low over his eyes, “once this is over, we need to talk about who’s in charge around here.”
“Stony, I know I’m just your foreman,” Jasper said. “But danged if sometimes I don’t feel like you’re the son I never had. The actions I took were more like a father might take, like your father might take, if he ever hung around long enough to notice how lonely you get.”
“Dammit, I am not lonely!” Even if that wasn’t quite true, he’d a darn sight rather be lonely than heartbroken.
The dog whined again and slapped her tail on the floor.
“I say you are, and I say that what happened last night is living proof. Now, I hope you’ll take this comment in the spirit of fatherly advice. I think you owe that little gal some consideration after taking what she offered last night.”
Embarrassment heated Stony’s cheeks. “You know what I thought she was.”
“And you could have turned her down, like you apparently intended, instead of going ahead with things and making it all worse. From the way she looks at you, I’ll guarantee you’re part of her misery right now.”
“So what can I do about that? I’m not marrying the girl, just to make her dreams come true.”
“Then make her business dream turn out the way she hoped,” Jasper said. “She used to live around these parts, and she told us how nice it would be to be back in the Hill Country again.”
Stony blew out a breath and shoved his hands in his back pockets. “You boys stirred up a pile of mischief, didn’t you.”
“We can fix some of it,” Jasper said. “Just give her a roof over her head while she prospects for customers and gets herself established. The boys and I will call in a few favors and get her some decorating jobs. Pretty soon she’ll be able to set up in town, and we can all feel better about this.”
“That ain’t gonna work,” Ty said. “Nobody in Rio Verde would think to hire a decorator, and you know it, Jasper.”
“That’s because they ain’t never had one to hire before! There’s some folks who could use the advice, and a few who have the money to spare. We’ll just talk it up.”
“I still say it won’t work,” Ty said. “But listen, Stony, if you don’t want her, do you care if I swing a rope in her direction? I’m not getting any younger, and all this talk about wives and such has got me to thinking.”
Stony glared at the wrangler, irritated beyond reason, considering he wasn’t interested in Daphne. “I think it’s best if you stay away from her.”
“But why? She’s a fine-looking woman, and some-body’s bound to—” He glanced down at his leg. “Quit kicking me, Jasper!”
“You got horsehair for brains, cowboy,” Jasper said. “We’re talking about the lady’s business prospects, not her marriage prospects at the moment. And you ain’t set to be no bridegroom with only forty dollars in your pocket.”
With a final snort of disgust for Ty, Jasper turned to his boss. “So what do you say, Stony? That girl needs somebody to stake her a room and three squares a day so’s she can get on her feet again. Seems like the least we can do.”
> Stony felt control of his life slipping away. But Jasper was right, he had been a part of this disaster by taking Daphne to bed last night. He didn’t want a wife, didn’t even want a steady girlfriend, but that didn’t justify sending Daphne away without a job or a place to stay. He’d treated the dog better than that.
“I’m not set up for guests,” Stony said.
“You ain’t just whistling Dixie,” Ty said, glancing around at the scarred and dusty furniture, the curtainless windows, the stacks of yellowed newspapers and catalogs. “Smells nice, though.”
“She lit a bunch of candles last night. I threw the stubs in the trash, but you can still smell them, I guess.”
“Candles, huh?” Ty rocked back on his heels as he gazed longingly at the closed bedroom door.
Jasper whacked him upside the head with his hat. “Get your mind back on the business at hand, boy. Seems to me there’s an iron bedstead in the barn. Ty, you can clean it up while I head into town today and pick up a mattress for it. You got four bedrooms in this place, Stony. One of ’em will surely do.”
“Yeah, I guess.” This would be tricky, Stony thought. Every time he looked at Daphne, he remembered the taste of her, the pleasure of sinking deep inside her, her eager response as he made love to her. He hoped that reaction would wear off quick, because he didn’t dare make love to her again. Not when he knew she was in the market for a husband.
“Here she comes,” Jasper said as the bedroom door opened again. “Do you want to do the talking, or should I?”
“I’ll do it.” Stony glanced at Jasper. “Assuming I am still running this outfit.”
Jasper raised both hands. “Abso-damn-lutely. Just call me the idea man.”
Stony grimaced. “And you do get some doozies, don’t you?”
Daphne walked into the room pulling her wheeled suitcase. When the accusations were flying around, Stony hadn’t really noticed what she was wearing today, but now he did—white slacks and a green blouse the color of granny apples. Stony liked the way the color went with her reddish hair. She didn’t wear much makeup, which was nice because then he could see the dusting of freckles across her nose. He liked the way the slacks fit her, too. The blouse was buttoned to just above the top of her bra. He remembered exactly what her breasts looked like, and what—
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