A Love Behind The Broken Mask (Western Historical Romance)

by Lydia Olson

  “Bad habit?”

  “Yeah, Wilson likes to play card games with the men, and sometimes he actually wins money off ‘em,” he had said. “All I know is Daddy’s not worried about the cooking money. He thinks Jay Dale either misplaced it or wasn’t looking in the right place... You know how he gets, sometimes.”

  Ryan hadn’t wanted to believe that Wilson would steal from the family that had all but raised him, but the evidence pointed toward him. He couldn’t think why Wilson would hide the coins if he’d won them in a simple card game. Later that day, Ryan became more suspicious of Wilson as he walked along the road toward home with Eloise.

  “Did you hear Will ran away?” Eloise had said, sniffling and brushing tears from her eyes.

  “He did? To where?” Ryan had asked her.

  “Nobody knows...” she’d said. “He didn’t show up to work today, and Daddy worried it might’ve been because his father was sick again. Turns out, his daddy passed away last night, and Will left town in a hurry right after... Daddy thinks Will blames him for it.”

  “Ellie... I’m sorry about his daddy, but I don’t think that’s why he ran away,” Ryan had said.

  “Why you always gotta be so mean to him, huh?” She had turned away from Ryan. “Wilson’s never done anything you didn’t do, too, but you’re always blaming him for causing trouble! Why can’t you be nice to him, even when he just lost his daddy? Don’t you even miss him?”

  At the time, Ryan couldn’t think of what to say. When he really thought about it, he wasn’t sad to see Wilson go.

  They’d been friends for years, but it had always felt more like a rivalry to Ryan than a friendship. He was sad to lose his friend to the unknown, sure. What he couldn’t be sad about was the loss of someone who made him feel like he had to compete for Eloise’s affection at every waking moment.

  “I don’t know what to think, Ellie,” he’d said. “I’m sorry for his loss.”

  “I know he must’ve had a good reason to go,” she had said, hiding her tears, “but I’m sure gonna miss him.”

  Despite his long history of deception, Eloise still trusted Wilson, even today, and that made Ryan angry.

  For years, he had put a great deal of effort toward healing what he viewed as damage Wilson had caused for Eloise and her family. He’d hated seeing Eloise as she’d cried that day, not knowing why her friend left without saying goodbye. Ryan would’ve never done that to her, he thought.

  And Ryan hated seeing Dillion take the blame for Wilson’s impulsive reaction to his father’s death. He would never do that, he thought.

  After everything Wilson had done to the family, it only took a few days of him being back in town for them to ignore the damage and allow him back into their home.

  Ryan hated seeing Eloise act as if nothing had changed between her and Wilson. So Eloise was running wild again, Wilson was charming her with his fancy clothes and childish behavior, and Ryan was left to suffer for it.

  “He’d better leave soon, before he really hurts her,” Ryan muttered.

  If anyone knew Eloise’s true nature, it was him, Ryan thought. She was a hardworking, determined, confident woman, with all the makings of a proper lady.

  Ryan loved to lay in the grass with her when they were younger, staring up at the stars as he listened to her talk about her dreams. He loved to see her scold the workers for mishandling the calves, and to urge the creatures on with her gentle touch. He even loved her fiery, playful fury when she disagreed with him.

  There was one moment, so many years ago, that he first knew he was in love with her. The two of them were no older than seven and ten years old. One evening, they’d chased each other around on the road until they heard Eloise’s father calling for her to come inside.

  “Let’s pretend we didn’t hear him,” Eloise had said, running faster.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ellie,” Ryan had argued. “You’re gonna get us both in trouble.”

  “We can’t get in trouble for not hearing him call us,” she had reasoned, laughing and continuing to sprint further away from the house.

  “No, Ellie!” Ryan said, grabbing her by the hand.

  Eloise had turned around slowly, glaring deep into Ryan’s eyes. Before she had the chance to hit him, as she often did, Ryan quickly let go and backed away several steps.

  Eloise walked casually to the edge of the road, picked up a long stick from the brush, and dragged it across the road, leaving a deep line on the ground. She nodded, pursed her lips, and pointed at the line.

  “Fine, let’s play another game,” she’d said. “The rules are simple. Don’t cross it – or me.”

  Ryan had stared at her with a shy adoration then, the same way as he did today. It took him several minutes to convince her to let him cross the line so he could go home.

  Every time he tried to step over the line, she’d whack his ankles with the stick. Ankles sore, Ryan was finally saved when Dillion appeared on the road, scolding Eloise for playing so roughly with her friends. Dillion apologized profusely, but Ryan had to admit, he admired her confidence to stand up to an older boy.

  Although she didn’t know it, her fiery spirit was what inspired Ryan to go into work on the business side of farming.

  As shy as he was as a child, he wouldn’t have been able to convince himself to take any risks without her example. It was for that reason that he worked up the confidence to ask her to marry him.

  Yet, for some reason, she’d misunderstood his intentions and would not give him a chance to explain why he’d spoken with Dillion about their marriage before he’d spoken with her.

  For days, he had been trying to tell her how scared he was to ask for her hand, but every time he got near her, Wilson was always there.

  Somehow, Wilson’s presence always caused Ryan to say the wrong things to Eloise. Or perhaps, he thought, it was Wilson’s intention to drive Eloise away from him. After all, Wilson only had three days to convince Eloise to reject Ryan’s proposal.

  “Yeah, you’re still mad at Mr. Hastings for not giving the money, aren’t you, Wilson?” Ryan muttered. “You’d do anything to get back at him – even build a fortune, steal his land deed off the sheriff, kick him off his land, and seduce his daughter?”

  Ryan’s skin grew several shades deeper red. He wished there was something he could do to make Wilson go away, but he couldn’t think of anything. Suddenly, he heard familiar, hearty laughter echoing down the alley from somewhere behind him. Ryan hurried into the shadows to hide. To his shock and dismay, Eloise appeared in the alleyway, tailed by Wilson.

  “It’s nice to get away from the crowd, isn’t it?” Wilson said, wrapping an arm around her.

  Eloise smiled and blushed, looking shyly away. As Ryan watched, he felt as if his heart might stop. His worst fear was unfolding before him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Wilson said.

  Eloise and Wilson sat crowded together on a small ledge near the back alley of the Saint George Hotel. They sat with their heads leaning together and their hands gently touching, but not quite holding each other. Even still, Eloise thought she might faint for how elated she felt. If she wasn’t sure how she’d felt for Wilson before, she was sure she loved him now.

  “And what’s that?” Eloise asked.

  “Do you believe what everyone else has been saying about me?” he wondered.

  “What everyone’s been saying?”

  Nervous, Eloise sat up and leaned slightly away. She feared Wilson had overheard, or at least gotten wind of her conversation with Miss Maudie a few nights before. As much as she admired Maudie, she didn’t want Wilson to think that she would believe Maudie’s cautions over what he told her about why he came back.

  If he hadn’t heard their conversation, Eloise was worried he was about to confess to her that the horrible things people were saying about him were true. She hadn’t heard much about him from anyone other than Miss Maudie, but
Maudie had to have heard the talk somewhere else first in order to tell Eloise about it. Wilson leaned his head back against the wall and sighed.

  “As you know, I left this town a completely different person than who I am now,” he started. “And I already told you my reasoning for coming back, but some people are still nervous about it. They’ve decided what reasons I had to come back without knowing my reasons, and I wondered if you believed what they said about me when you first heard it?”

  “Well, I should think I’d believe the real reasons – your reasons – before I’d ever believe in talk,” Eloise said. “Anyhow, I believe you more than I believe the people who don’t know you. So, if you’re about to tell me what they’re saying is true, I sure hope you have a good explanation.”

  “No,” Wilson laughed. “It’s not that.”

  “What is it, then?” she pressed.

  Wilson pulled his head away from the wall and looked down into Eloise’s eyes. Just as she had on the front porch the first night he returned, she stared up at him in anticipation. He drew closer to her face and paused with his lips near her ear to speak in a voice just above a whisper.

  “I think I just wanted to know if you thought as highly of me as I think of you.”

  Eloise felt the breath catch in her throat and her heart rate rise as Wilson placed his hand on the small of her back.

  He pulled her close, the same as he had when they danced together, and pressed his lips gently against her own. His kiss was sweet and gentle, so much that she suddenly understood what Maudie meant when she described how you’d know a man’s heart by his kiss.

  Wilson pulled away slightly, smiled, and rested his forehead against hers. Eloise smiled back, basking in the tenderness of the moment.

  They didn’t speak for a while, because Eloise was determined to memorize everything about this scene, so she could remember it for as long as she lived: the stillness of the road, the smell of firewood, and the gentle breeze down the alley. When they finally found the words to speak, Wilson’s gentle voice was pleasing to her ears.

  “That’s why I was curious what you thought of me,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I first laid eyes on you in the saloon.”

  “You have?” she asked, smiling up at him and leaning against his chest.

  “Why does that surprise you?” he replied. “When I left, you were just my boss’ spitfire of a daughter, who also happened to be quite fun to play games with on the ranch. But when I saw you the other night... It was like that sweet, fun girl I knew had turned into a beautiful, free-spirited woman.”

  “Right,” said Eloise. “Just the boss’ daughter, huh?”

  “Well, at that age, yes,” he amended. “But I’ll admit, I’ve thought about you quite fondly over the years. That may have had a part to play in why I was willing to come back.”

  “Really? And how did you... like it...?” Eloise wondered, blushing. “Just now?”

  “How did I like what?” He furrowed his brow.

  “Well, it’s just that I’ve never been... ya know... before...” she confessed. “I don’t know if I’m any good at it.”

  “The kiss?” he said, chuckling. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have anything to compare it to myself... but yes, it was quite nice, wasn’t it?”

  “You’ve never kissed a girl before?” Eloise gasped, sitting up taller.

  “Why are you so surprised?” Wilson laughed.

  “I... well, Miss Maudie offered you her services that other night, and I think a lot of places probably do when they see you – a rich man, coming into a saloon? Miss Maudie said herself that’s what they look for. And I would’ve thought... well... I would think a lot of girls would want to... kiss you,” she added, blushing.

  “Well, I’m flattered, truly, but I don’t really see the appeal of Miss Maudie’s services,” Wilson told her. “Paying someone to make me feel good? No, I don’t think I need all that. It’s one of those things men do to deal with their secret frailties – not much different from alcohol in my mind – and you know how I feel about that, after what happened to my father.

  “What’s more, I think that may have been another of my father’s vices. I’ve thought it over, and I don’t think I actually know who my mother was. My father had a picture of some woman he gave me to keep, but he never once looked at it for more than a glance. Considering how deep he got into the alcohol, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Miss Maudie’s girls was my real mother.”

  Eloise noticed Wilson lowered his voice as he finished his sentence. He looked nervous as he stared down the alley, so she turned to see what he was looking at.

  Toward Miss Maudie’s Saloon, a figure in the shape of a man lingered in the shadows. She couldn’t see who it was, but she assumed it was just someone leaving the masquerade too drunk to make it far. Wilson, on the other hand, seemed to notice something more.

  “What’s the matter?” Eloise whispered.

  “The man down there – do you recognize him?”

  “Well, I can’t really see him, can I?”

  “I can’t see his face, either, but look at the way he moves,” said Wilson. “How do you not recognize that? There’s only one person I know who moves as dramatically elegant as that.”

  “Are you talking about Ryan?” she whispered.

  “Just look at him,” Wilson insisted, nodding toward the man without showing it.

  Eloise looked at the figure out of the corner of her eye and noticed that everything Wilson said was true. The man held a unique posture, and she thought she could make out light-colored hair behind the edges of what must’ve been his masquerade mask. Of anything that could have happened to spoil this moment, to her, Ryan’s presence was the worst.

  “I thought he went home hours ago,” mused Wilson. “What is he still doing here?”

  “He’s probably waiting for me,” Eloise grumbled.

  “Okay, there’s something going on between you two, isn’t there?” Wilson said. “He’s been lurking around you ever since I got here.”

  “Oh, well... I didn’t wanna tell you before, because I didn’t want it to change what you thought... or what you might’ve felt for me,” she confided, taking a deep breath. “But the thing is, Ryan proposed to me the day before I got reacquainted with you in the saloon.”

  “Did he really?” Wilson said, stifling a laugh. “And how did that go?”

  “Never mind about all that – what are we gonna do about him now?” Eloise worried, smacking Wilson on the arm. “He’s gonna go back home and tell my daddy all kinds of things about us.”

  Wilson raised his eyebrows. “Would that be a bad thing?”

  “Yes, it would be a bad thing,” hissed Eloise. “Daddy wants me to marry Ryan. He thinks it would be a good idea to merge our properties – that's the only reason Ryan’s still lurking around me after I told him I didn’t wanna marry him.”

  “Is that right?” Wilson said, laughing. “Well, I think you’d have a much happier life outside of Cayenne, and that’s something Ryan could never offer you.”

  “And leave my daddy to have his ranch taken from him?” she demanded. “I’ll admit, I don’t know what’s the right thing to do, but all I know is I ain’t gonna marry Ryan.”

  “Well, for the time being, there’s another alley down the other side of the hotel,” suggested Wilson. “I wouldn’t wanna put you through a bad encounter with Ryan, so how about you go around back, slip out that way, and rejoin the party at Miss Maudie’s? I’m sure it’s still going.”