She didn’t respond.
“Tell me it ain’t true,” he demanded.
She swallowed hard and said, “It is true.”
“Goddammit!” he roared and swept the pan of instruments off the table, sending them flying across the room.
Please, Doc, please have heard that noise and come out here to check on things.
“I asked you last fall if I could come callin’ and you said you were still settlin’ in. I visited before Christmas and you—”
“Said no. Just like I said no the last time you asked me. In fact, every time you’ve asked me, Mr. West, I’ve been clear that I am not interested in you.” Her voice shook, but at least she’d said her piece.
“You say no to me when I make ten times more money than that shit-kicker McKay? When I can provide you with the best of everything Sundance has to offer as I court you?”
“It’s not about money. It’s never been about money, which for some reason you cannot comprehend.” Now she was getting mad. How dare he come in here and demand explanations from her that she’d already given him? “So let me repeat what I’ve said the three other times you’ve come sniffing around. I want nothing to do with railroad men. Ever. I will never change my mind on that stance, so you are wasting your time.”
Those mean eyes of his darkened further and he bared his teeth. “McKay oughta be out of the runnin’ too, because he used to work for the railroad.”
She didn’t let on that Silas hadn’t shared that tidbit with her. “But he doesn’t work for the railroad now, does he?”
“Because he got fired.”
“For what?”
“Fightin’. And he hasn’t learned his lesson because he still—”
“You jumped him last Friday night! Deputy McKay brought him here afterward, so I saw the damage you’d inflicted before you were forcibly stopped from inflicting more. That wasn’t the first time I’ve seen Silas injured by your hands. The only lesson here is that you’ve built a grudge against him and I’d be a fool to let you—a man with such violent tendencies—court me.”
Zeke emitted a laugh that sent the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up. “That’s all it would’ve taken? If I’da let McKay pound the snot outta me and then stumbled in here bloody and pathetic, you would have been sweet on me instead?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “You’d still be a railroad man and I still wouldn’t be interested.”
“What is it about him that gets you so fired up?” He leaned across the table as if settling in to hear her confession. “Because he’s a known liar and a cheat. I wouldn’t be shocked at all to hear he had a couple of women on a string—the man did like his whores when the railroad crew stayed overnight in Gillette. How is it you believe him when he’s actin’ the part of a gentleman cowboy, sweet-talkin’ you for the sole reason to get you to spread your legs for him?”
Do not give him the satisfaction of a response.
“It’s pathetic he’s so proud of that piece of dirt he owns. Bet he’s never even taken you there since it’s damn humble and he knows no woman worth her salt would ever live there.”
She raised her chin. “I’ve been there. Beings that Silas and I are betrothed.”
His body went deadly still. Zeke’s gaze zeroed in on her left hand. “If he’s so proud about makin’ you his wife, then why ain’t you wearin’ his ring?”
“Because—”
“He’s too broke to buy you one.”
His snicker cut at her since Silas had gotten defensive over her questioning whether it’d been too much for him to buy her a pie plate, to say nothing of a ring.
“Or maybe he’s convinced that buyin’ another piece of dirt for himself and your ‘future’ together is worth more than you wearin’ sparkling stone.” He snickered again. “Can’t run cattle on a diamond.”
“Get out.”
“Aww, don’t be sore. But I do have a secret to share with you.”
“I don’t care to hear anything you have to say, Mr. West.”
Faster than she saw it coming, Zeke wrapped his fingers around her wrists, pinning her hands in place on the table. He angled close enough she felt his breath on her face. Her gut clenched with fear, but she didn’t move.
“I’m gonna tell you anyway. Here’s what I know about your land-hungry, cash-poor betrothed…he’s got ambitions. His ambitions include owning everything around him. It just so happens there’s a sliver of land between McKay and his neighbor Henrikson, ain’t big, maybe twenty acres. Griffen, the fella who bought that land two years back, didn’t know the bottom tip of his parcel crossed the creek. If he was raising cattle, they could cross the stream. But he’s raising sheep so that land is worthless to him, because he doesn’t want to get between two cattle ranchers, bein’s sheep and cattle can’t mix. Sure, he could fence those twenty acres at a huge cost. I bet even a pretty little teacher like you can do the math on how that ain’t a wise investment.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
His eyes glittered with satisfaction. “Because I bought that land. Me’n McKay are gonna be neighbors. Won’t that be fun? Maybe when he’s gone, out ridin’ the range, and you’re home alone, I’ll come over and get me some sugar from you.”
“But…how did you know…”
“This particular situation came up when me’n Zachariah were at Griffen’s buyin’ lambs to stock his ranch.”
Dinah didn’t have to feign confusion. “I thought your brother worked for the railroad.”
“Like McKay, Zachariah has been usin’ his railroad wages to buy land. Soon as he and Mary are married, he’ll be sheepherding fulltime. While we were there, Griffen was complaining about Henrikson’s disinterest in buyin’ it from him. I convinced him to sell it to me before he offered it to McKay.”
“How?” Wasn’t there some code in the West about offering land bordering yours to your neighbors first?
West shrugged. “I insinuated that McKay wouldn’t have the money to buy it until the fall after he sold cattle—probably not a lie at any rate. No surprise Griffen took my immediate cash offer. He’s kept the deal under his hat and the Crook County register of deeds is slow at updating their records. But McKay will know soon enough.”
The calculating look in West’s eyes changed and Dinah’s fear caused her to blurt out, “What does any of this have to do with me?”
Keeping his gaze locked on hers, Zeke began stroking the insides of her wrists with his thumbs. “Now that you’ve turned me down outright, I’m offering you another deal. I’ll sell you that piece of land McKay wants so badly…for one dollar and one night with you.”
“No.”
“You sure?” he said silkily. “What would one night of pleasure with me matter, when you’ll have the rest of your life to perform your wifely duty with McKay?”
She repeated, “No,” hating that her voice shook.
“Even if it’s our little secret?”
Dinah shook her head.
“But think of how grateful he’d be. Isn’t that your lot in life as a wife? To do whatever it takes to make your husband happy?” Zeke brushed his bearded cheek against hers and it burned like acid. “Or are you afraid if you fuck me that you’ll see what a poor option Silas McKay really is?”
“Stop. Please.”
“Make the deal with me, Dinah. Because I promise you that if I offered this same deal to McKay? He’d find a way to shove you into my bed even as he was convincing you that virtue is fleeting but land is forever.”
“You don’t know him. Silas wouldn’t do that.”
West laughed softly next to her ear. “That quiver in your voice belies the confidence in your words.”
“I’m shaking because you’re scaring me.”
“A little fear makes passion so much stronger.” His hands moved up her arms as he breathed heavily in her ear. “I’ll prove it to you…if you give me what I want.”
“Or you’ll just take it?” she said t
hrough gritted teeth.
Immediately Zeke released her with a shove. “I don’t have to force women into my bed.”
“No, you have to pay for them first.” Oh god. What had possessed her to say that?
But Zeke laughed. “All men end up payin’ for pussy one way or another. Maybe you oughta make yours worth something special.”
Dinah kept the distance between them despite the fury boiling over that he’d touched her, threatened her, cheapened her and had taken shots at Silas’s character. “Not with you. Ever.”
He sighed. “Your choice. But just remember…whatever happens next is all on you. You could’ve prevented it.”
“I will prevent it when I tell Silas—”
His hands smacking the table cut her off again. “Don’t threaten me. You won’t tell Silas a damn thing.”
“Watch me.”
“Oh, I’ll watch him lose that temper of his and come after me.” A truly evil look settled on his face. “You’ve seen the damage I’ve done to him in the past. I’ll gladly do it again, except maybe worse if he gets it in his fool head to challenge me over your so-called virtue…or anything else.”
She stared at him and didn’t bother masking her horror.
“And you won’t tell him about my land purchase either, because deep down you are afraid he’ll confront me.”
Yes. Silas’s first reaction was to come out swinging. He wouldn’t consider Dinah’s fear over losing him enough to not engage with Zeke again. He’d fight, he’d lose—because West always seemed to get the best of him—and then he’d plan for the next time he could mix it up with his nemesis.
“The truth is, you’ll keep your mouth shut. Because either way…you have more to lose than I do.” West turned and strode to the door. He paused in the doorway. “On second thought, go ahead and tell him everything. I’ll be ready and waitin’ for him.”
As soon as West had gone, she sank to the floor. Her entire body shook, forcing her to bring her knees into her chest as she curled into a ball.
Breathe. He hasn’t really hurt you.
A tiny voice in her head piped in with not yet.
Silas would lose his mind to hear that Zeke had threatened her—if he knew Zeke had put his hands on her, he’d crack. What was she supposed to do? She’d never been in this situation. Where the result of one man’s reaction to another man’s actions rested entirely in her hands. For being such a good man in so many respects, Silas didn’t seem strong enough to withstand Zeke’s goading.
Would Silas ever take into account that he could die during these skirmishes? Or what if in a fit of rage he killed Zeke and ended up wearing a noose? If his own brother, who was the law, couldn’t get him to stop, what chance did she have?
Apparently Silas had missed the “turn the other cheek” lesson in Sunday school too.
Could she do it? If she were in that position?
Yes. Because she wouldn’t subject the man she cared about to seeing her in pain. She wouldn’t choose to stay and fight for something that didn’t matter and no one remembered at the end of the week anyway, when she could walk away first.
That was the core difference between them.
The biggest question for her was if Silas would continue to let this rivalry define him? Choosing to fight every time rather than learning to talk it out? Not just with others who vexed him, but with her?
So if she said nothing about this little visit, it’d save Silas a beating.
If she shared everything with him, including her fears that grew after every run-in with Zeke, she’d hope that this time Silas would change and choose not to fight.
But it wasn’t really a choice. She’d do whatever she could to save him from more pain. Even if she had to lie. Even if it made him mad.
She pushed herself to her feet and gathered up the scattered medical instruments to scrub them. The hot water had the added benefit of cleansing the memory of West’s hands on her.
Chapter Ten
Dinah’s saddlebags were packed when Silas arrived on Saturday afternoon, saving him from having to make forced small talk with Doc and Mrs. Agnes. But his intended immediately seized his saddlebags too—how much stuff did one woman need for an overnight visit?—and filled both sides with wrapped bundles.
Her preoccupation with the saddlebags ended when he kissed the daylights out of her.
With her arms twined around his neck, she caught her breath. “I like the way you kiss me, Silas.”
“There’s plenty more where that came from.” He smooched her lips. “The way you kiss me back…you’re a quick study, teach.” He forced himself to disentangle from her embrace. “Let’s ride.”
Silas kept up a steady pace that didn’t allow for conversation. After passing Henrikson’s much nicer, much newer, much larger homestead, he feared Dinah would judge his small cabin as lacking.
In truth, it was.
Would she regret her decision to marry him and make this their home?
“Silas?”
He looked over at her. “Sorry, darlin’. Did you say something?”
“I asked if we needed to check cattle first or turn the horses out.”
We.
Made him a sap but he loved the sound of that.
“We can turn the horses out. I spent all mornin’ doin’ cattle checks so they oughta be good until tomorrow.”
“All right. I don’t know any of this cow stuff, so I hope it doesn’t bother you that I’ll probably ask a lot of questions.”
Cow stuff. He grinned. “I’m lookin’ forward to sharin’ my world with you, sugar pie.”
She dismounted. “Speaking of…we need to talk about our longer betrothal before I bring it up with Doc.”
What the hell? Why was this the first he’d heard of a “longer betrothal”? “I don’t follow.”
“There’s not much to follow. I signed a two-year contract with Doc. I intend to fulfill it. Which means I’ll continue to live and work there as I’d planned. Stay with you when I can. We can be married next spring.”
“No.”
Those piercing blue eyes narrowed on him. “What do you mean no? It’s not your decision. I agreed that you could call me your intended, since you were all fired up to put a name to this, but we never talked about an actual wedding date.”
“You want to live apart for another goddamned year? How am I supposed to—”
“If you say take care of me, Silas McKay, I will hop right back on this horse, right now.” She stormed over. “My word is just as important to me as yours is to you. Doc can’t run his practice on his own with his wife being infirmed. My students need a teacher. Not to mention the money I—”
“Hush.” Silas placed his fingers over her lips. “Not a word about money. You hear me?”
Growling, she tried to nip his fingers. “Don’t you ever hush me.”
“Sorry, sweetheart. Shit. I’m so sorry.” He kissed her. Or he tried to kiss her, but she kept her mouth closed. But he kept coaxing her to accept his apologies and his kisses, murmuring, “Please, forgive me. I don’t know what got into me, I promise it won’t happen again.”
Dinah relented and kissed him back. When they broke apart, she rested her cheek against his chest. “I have a lot to learn in the next year about becoming a ranch wife anyway.”
Don’t ask how she plans to learn it once a week from thirty miles away, don’t do it, man, just smile and nod.
He gave her a quick peck on the forehead. “That you do.” Then he picked up both saddlebags. “I’ll be right back so we can deal with the horses after I put these in the house.”
He showed Dinah where to hang her tack in the barn and where he kept the pitchfork for shoveling hay. Once their horses joined the others in the paddock, he spread out hay while Dinah refilled the water trough.
Then the moment of truth had come. He held out his hand. “Ain’t much to the house tour, but I reckon you’re curious.”
“I am.” She slid her fingers into his. “I
wasn’t sure what you had on hand as far as food staples, so I brought a little of everything.”
“How about this: you tell me what we need and I’ll order it at Robinette’s.”
She gasped and held her other hand to her forehead in a mock swoon. “You’d make a special trip into town for it? You must really like me, McKay.”
He laughed at her poking fun at him. “That I do, darlin’ Dinah, that I do.” Long enough to wait a damn year to marry you.
They passed by the immense wood pile and he pointed out the outhouse in case she’d missed it when she visited last Saturday. He paused in front of the door, which he’d left open. He gestured for Dinah to precede him inside.
The cabin stayed pretty dark, even during the brightest part of the day since there were only two small windows that faced east. The rock fireplace was centered on the far wall directly across from the door. Above it hung a huge gilded mirror that’d come with the cabin. Silas had tucked his bed in the right corner, with the footboard facing the door. He’d tacked up a heavy wool blanket behind the headboard.
Dinah’s gaze moved between his bed and the smaller one in the left corner. “Which is yours?”
Ours. “The bigger one. Jonas built in a wardrobe along that wall, so his bed is smaller.” His brother’s wardrobe held his collection of fine suits and his firearms. Silas hung his clothes on pegs he’d hammered into the logs or he packed them in the trunk along the wall.
She skirted the two rocking chairs in front of the fireplace, stopping at the side of his bed. “I like the blanket on the wall. It makes the space cozier.”
“Oh, this cabin is the very definition of cozy,” he said dryly.
Dinah bypassed him, her gaze on the cookstove against the same side wall as his bed. “Hey. We had this model in Cheyenne, so I’m familiar with all the quirks.” She smiled at him. “That’ll make cooking easier.” She peered around the side of the stove.
“You lookin’ for something in particular?”
“Do you have a larder?”
“Nope. Am I supposed to?”
“It’s handy for keeping food close by. Especially once I start canning and need a place for my supply of staples.”
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