Carrie Sue became edgy. He was asking some alarming questions. Had he heard of the hold up by the Stover Gang near Sherman? Had he put two and two together? Or had he been suspicious of her all along? Was he trying to test her skills with a horse and a gun? Should she play dumb? No, that pretense could make it worse.
“You afraid of guns, Miss Starns? They aren’t dangerous if you learn how to fire them and take care of them properly. I’d feel better about leaving you here if I knew you could protect yourself in a scrape.”
“My father taught me how to protect myself before he was killed. I’ve even been hunting with him. But as you told me on the trail, if you pull a weapon on a man, you have to be prepared to use it.”
“Some men back down when threatened.”
“And most men won’t, especially the really dangerous ones.”
“You’re saying you couldn’t shoot a man even if your life’s in peril?”
“Have you forgotten what happened on the trail? Yes, I could shoot a man, but I’d prefer to wound him. We do have lawmen to protect us and our property.”
“Like they did on your way here. Johnny Law isn’t always around when you need help, and sometimes he’s as bad as the villains.”
“That’s true,” she murmured, recalling the evil Ranger.
“Well, you want the infamous Rogue to teach you to shoot?”
“If the…legendary Rogue will join me for a picnic,” she coaxed. “My pursuer came by last night and was furious to find me out with you. He’s dropping by again at high noon. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not return until later today. How’s a bribe of fried chicken, biscuits, and canned fruit sound to you?”
“If you throw in riding and shooting lessons, it’s a deal.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Rogue. It’s a deal.”
Carrie Sue mounted agilely, and T.J. nodded approval. He slid sideways on his saddle and scooped up the fragrant basket. “Move ‘em out, partner,” he announced and led the way out of town.
Martin Ferris watched them ride away, then scowled with suppressed fury…
Chapter Seven
They rode out of town to the west. A dirt trail led toward hills not far away which rose up from the harsh flat landscape. The ground was dry, sandy, and rocky, and scattered ravines were cut into its surface. The cacti were thick in this direction, especially the taller variety. Red or white flowers topped many of the towering cactus plants were birds darted amongst the sharp spines to collect bugs or to enter abodes they had made in the green giants. The further they rode, the higher the hills reached skyward. Huge boulders with clusters of small rocks were situated at intervals as if they’d been dropped from heaven by a mischievous spirit. They didn’t see any water, but dry washes snaked over the rugged terrain to remind them this area wasn’t always dry.
They had left town at a slow pace, then settled into a steady gallop. T.J. was pleased about how well she rode and how she treated the animal. As he slowed his pace, he asked, “How do you like Charlie?”
Carrie Sue laughed. “Who named her Charlie? She’s a mare.”
“The man at the stable said a rancher nearby left her with him to sell. He’s had some hard luck and needs money.”
The redhead lovingly stroked the pinto’s neck. She gathered part of the white mane into her hand and studied it. She leaned forward and checked the animal’s eyes. “How much is he asking?”
“One-twenty-five. She seems well-trained and in good condition.”
Happy to find a good getaway mount, the redhead added, “She has strong legs and a sleek hide. Her teeth are good and she has healthy hooves. And her eyes are clear. She’s worth it.”
T.J. was impressed by her knowledge and skill, but they increased his curiosity. She sat the pinto and handled her as if she’d been born in a saddle. If she’d been a rancher’s daughter, he could understand such traits, but how did a schoolmarm know so much about horses?
“I love riding,” she murmured dreamily. “I did it all the time back home. The horse I had in St. Louis was too old to make the trip here. I’m glad you found this one for me to buy. She’s special.”
“I’m glad you like her,” T.J. replied, telling himself to relax or he wouldn’t get any additional information out of her.
“I love her,” the daring desperado corrected. “I’m going to buy her.”
“You planning to change her name?” he teased.
“No. Charlie sounds good for a bright-eyed pinto. You ready to eat? I skipped breakfast and I’m starving.”
T.J. guided her into a ravine where small bushes and squat trees along its eastern rim provided shade in the narrow, winding gulch. He dismounted and went to help her, but she was off the animal’s back with noticeable agility. He put the basket on the ground and spread his blanket against the gully wall. “Let’s eat, woman.”
Carrie Sue sat on a blanket near T.J. and unwrapped the chicken and biscuits. She handed him a cloth and said, “I didn’t want to risk breaking any of Mrs. Thayer’s dishes on the trail. She’s a wonderful woman. We’ve become good friends.”
As they helped themselves and began to eat, he remarked, “It was smart of you to get up early to fry chicken and bake biscuits.”
The redhead grinned and confessed, “I didn’t. Mrs. Thayer insisted. She likes you, but she doesn’t care for Martin Ferris at all and likes to help me avoid him.”
He stopped eating to question, “Why?”
Carrie Sue decided to be completely honest on the matter. “Helen Cooper used to live at her boarding house. Mrs. Thayer didn’t like the way Mr. Ferris treated the woman,” she disclosed. “She doesn’t believe Miss Cooper’s death was an accident.”
“Why do you think he killed her?”
Carrie Sue eyed him intently. “You sure she wasn’t a friend of yours? Did you visit her when you came to town?”
“Nope. I didn’t know her.” He reached for another chicken thigh.
“Then why are you so interested in how she died?”
He drank from his canteen and offered her some water. “Because of you, Carolyn, your safety. Why do you think he did it?”
She was glad he cared enough to worry about her. “I think she was pregnant and he didn’t want to marry her or create a scandal.”
Surprise registered on his face. “What makes you think that?”
“Mrs. Thayer told me she was sick every morning just before she died. She also said Martin would summon her every few days and she didn’t want to go, but seemed afraid not to mind him. He was probably threatening to fire her and she was terrified of him and losing her job.”
“You aren’t scared he’ll do the same with you?”
“No, because I won’t let him get to me,” she vowed with confidence. “I would like to avoid any problems with Martin Ferris, but that’s up to him. Can you open this can?” she asked, handing it to him.
He drew his concealed knife and complied. “He’s gonna be plenty mad when he discovers you gone with me again.”
“That’s too bad because I can’t let him control my new life and I can’t hide from him every day. The last time I tried, I nearly got stung by a scorpion.” She related the perilous incident at the school.
T.J. was amazed again by her courage and wits. This woman was not an ordinary schoolmarm, or an ordinary female! “You’re a mighty brave and clever woman, Carolyn.”
She handed him a fork and placed the can between them. “Thanks, but I have to be. My parents taught me to be independent. I’ve had to learn to take care of myself. I just hope I remember how next week.”
After he took a bite of a peach, he asked, “What happens next week?”
She put her chicken biscuit aside. “The Mayor is giving a party for the so-called important people in town. I have to attend.”
“Have to?” he stressed evocatively.
“Unless I want to offend everyone. Haven’t you ever had to do something you didn’t want to do, but felt you must to avoid troubl
e?”
“I try my damnedest to do as I please.” He chuckled. “You know Ferris isn’t going to leave you alone. He wants you, Carolyn, and he goes after what he wants. He can be sly and deadly.”
Her purply blue eyes widened and her lips parted. She licked her dry lips. “You’ve met him before during your visits here, haven’t you?”
He realized he had to tell her a few things about himself for her to keep opening up to him, and he wanted to know all about her. Besides, she could learn about his connection to Ferris from the man himself. “Yep. The problem I settled for Carrillo was over a land dispute with Martin Ferris, mainly water rights. You must realize how valuable water is out here, and Ferris wanted it all. Carrillo paid me to make sure his cattle got water until the court settled the matter, which went in Carrillo’s favor. Riled Ferris pretty badly.”
“Merciful Heavens, you two are old enemies! That makes my seeing you worse for him. I bet he’s burning like a wildfire about now.”
“You care if it riles him to see me?”
She considered the dilemma. “I guess not. I can’t live my new life worrying about pleasing a ba…beast like that. Either Tucson will work out for me or it won’t. I can always move on to another town.”
T.J. wondered why she kept saying “new life” and why she almost slipped into rough language ever so often. “Become a drifter like me?”
She stared out over the desert terrain. “No, I want to settle down this time. I’m getting too old to move around so much.”
“Too old at twenty-one?” he jested.
“No, I’m…” Carrie Sue focused her attention on the food in her lap. “I’m just ready to grow some roots. I haven’t had a real home since…back East.”
“You-women want and need homes, don’t you?”
“Doesn’t everyone, T.J., at some point in their lives? Wouldn’t you like to shake the dust from your boots? Wouldn’t you like to have a nice place to run to instead of bad ones to run from?”
T.J. forced himself not to look at her. Carolyn affected him in a curious way, a potent one. He was wary, though, because she was the kind of woman who would insist on love, commitment, and marriage from a man: things he had no time for at this point in his life. Lordy, he wanted her badly, but his surrender held a big price. Yet, he absently murmured, “Someday.”
“This is my someday, partner. I was hoping it would work out, but I’m afraid Martin Ferris will mess it up for me.”
She looked sad and frightened for a moment, which tugged at his embittered heart. He was responsible for the deaths of Arabella and Marie because he had asked them to meet him in Fort Worth where they could become a family and settle down, where he could carry out his responsibilities to the woman and child. Fate hadn’t allowed him to become a husband and father, to perform his duty, to find peace and happiness. Now, he wanted Carolyn Starns to settle down with because she made him feel comfortable and enlivened, because she respected him and accepted him as is, because she created a white-heat in him which burned throughout his mind and body. Yet, he was afraid such an entrapping blaze would consume him and destroy her, and he despised fear and weakness. By seeing her, he was endangering her, especially where Ferris was concerned. The moment he left her side, Ferris would be on her like a starving bee on an exquisite flower! “You want to hire me to make certain he doesn’t?”
Carrie Sue fused her gaze to his. He wasn’t smiling. “Are you serious? What could you do to get him off my back? Legally.”
“Don’t want me breaking the law for you, huh?” After she shook her head, he suggested, “We could find a way to pin that woman’s murder on him.”
“It happened too long ago. We’d never find any evidence or a witness against him. That’s one crime he’ll get away with.”
“What about pinning that attempted holdup on him. It was a secret, so he had to be behind it. Rumor said he wasn’t responsible for the gold until the shipment was in his hands. If it never reached him, publicly that is, he has the gold and his silver. Quite a clever scheme. He probably knows I suspect the truth.”
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll come after you?” she questioned anxiously.
“He’s too smart to challenge me.”
Carrie Sue knew he wasn’t boasting, just confident in his skills and wits. “How can we prove he was involved?”
“I’ll give it some thought.” He wanted to have Martin Ferris out of the way before he left her here alone.
They ate silently for a time, then she asked, “Which side did you fight on in the war?”
“I fought with a man named Grant. He’s President now.”
She looked shocked. “You sided with the Union?”
“I reckon so. I saved Grant’s life once. This man called Sharpe was playing on both sides of the fence and nearly got Grant killed. It happened in August of ‘64 at City Point, Virginia. Some Confederate spies got into camp and set off explosions. Stuff went flying everywhere, and Grant just sat there calm as could be.”
“But I thought you saved his life.”
“I did. One of the spies tried to shoot him before escaping, but I shot the careless Reb first. From then on, I was Grant’s bodyguard till the war ended and I returned to Texas.”
“Why did a Texan fight for the North?”
“I didn’t start out on either side, just went there to look around. Since I hated slavery and the South favored it, I put in with the Yanks.”
Carrie Sue didn’t want to argue the reasons for the war, as she believed both sides had been in error, partially from misunderstandings. She had detected a coldness, a bitterness, in the way he said slavery. How curious for a gunslinger to have such strong feelings about it!
“What happened after the war?” she inquired pleasantly.
He shrugged as he put away his fork and napkin. It wouldn’t hurt to relate things she already knew or seemed logical. “Nothing much. I was always getting into trouble. I didn’t seem to fit anywhere. Maybe that’s why people think I’m so tough; I had to be to survive. I lost my entire family at age seven, so I had to learn to be independent while I was still a snot-nosed kid. I guess I grew up too fast and too hard. I had a reputation as a gunslinger before nineteen, so my path was marked.”
“Were you ever in trouble with the law?” she inquired. If he had, then perhaps he could understand where and how she had gone wrong.
“Yep. That priest who helped raise me was murdered, but not before he told me who shot him and why. It was a crooked deputy. I went after him and killed him. The law didn’t take much to having a starred man shot, so I was put in jail. I can tell you, woman, it ain’t a good place to be. You could say that’s why I’ve always stayed just over the line; I don’t want that experience again.”
Her heart pounded. Her lips were parted and dry. Her respiration was erratic. She hung on every word he spoke. “It must have been terrible.”
“Try being a legend without your gun. Every prisoner in there wanted a piece of me, and every guard too. I’m lucky I survived to be released. Make sure you watch your step ’cause it’s worse for women, especially one who looks like you. Those guards would devour you like dessert.”
If the truth about her came out, at least he could understand why she wanted to avoid prison at any cost. When she had gotten entangled with the law, she had been young, reckless, and bitter. She had been blinded by hatred for the Hardings and misguided by love for her brother. She had thought only of the present, the punishment of her parent’s killers, not considered or foreseen her future as an outlaw. Yet, even a man like T.J. Rogue had managed to stay on the right side of the law. Would he blame her for not doing so? “How did you earn a pardon?” she asked eagerly.
“I didn’t. I told them everything when I was arrested. There was one lawman who wanted justice done so he tracked down the truth. If not for him, I’d be dead. ‘Course, that same lawman will track me down and stick me in prison the moment I walk crooked.” He reflected on his friend Hank Peterson, but
didn’t mention his name.
“You were lucky, but you were innocent.”
“Lots of innocent men filling up prisons, Carolyn.”
“I suppose that’s true. What about men who’ve made mistakes but want to go straight? How do they earn pardons?”
“Don’t ask me. Never heard it done before, not to anybody I know.” T.J. watched her eager anticipation alter to sadness and misery. He wondered if she knew someone in that predicament, someone special.
“That’s a shame. I’m sure lots of men would do it if given the chance. Life on the run must be awful. Didn’t it make you feel wonderful to do something good, like when you saved Grant’s life?”
He looked at her oddly. “You know what I mean, T.J.,” she explained nervously. “Don’t you like doing things which improve your reputation?”
“I don’t have a good reputation to worry about.”
“You could have if you worked at it. You aren’t as cold and hard as people say. Why don’t you let people see the side of you I’ve seen?”
He stared at her. His body temperature was rising by the second, and not from the sun. Those periwinkle eyes were softly caressing him; those full lips were enticing him; and her gentle, hungry spirit was reaching out to him. Lordy, self-control was nearly impossible to maintain! He felt as if he were in a hot oven being baked by that smoldering gaze and fiery aura. “What side is that, Carolyn?”
She noticed how long he had observed her and how his body was responding to her intentional allure. She had to know what it was like to kiss him, to be in his arms. She had to help him learn to relax, to trust, to find peace, to yield to love. How wonderful it would be to learn those things together. If he came to love her and want her, her dark past wouldn’t matter to him. “You’re kind and gentle and courteous. You have a sensitive, generous nature, Mr. Rogue, but you try to hide it. Why?”
Kiss Of The Night Wind Page 13