Jodi Thomas - Two Texas Hearts

‘‘See what I mean.’’ Jamie pouted. ‘‘Another week of this and I’ll vanish completely from your view.’’

‘‘No, never,’’ Kora answered Jamie as Win crossed to the house to say goodbye again. He looked strong and healthy; only Kora noticed the tightness of his jaw. He’d live with the pain. It was his way. But she wasn’t sure she could live without him.

Jamie moved around to climb in the wagon.

‘‘Jamie, promise you won’t go today. Promise we’ll talk first,’’ Kora whispered.

‘‘I’ll pick up Dan and hear what Wyatt has to say,’’ Jamie answered. ‘‘Then we’ll talk before I leave. I promise.’’

Win walked to the corner of the porch. ‘‘It’s going to be a long day,’’ he said as he removed his hat. ‘‘I’m not sure how much trouble will come our way. Stay prepared here.’’

‘‘I’ll be fine.’’ Kora fought back the tears. Unless she could talk her sister out of her crazy plan, she might never see her again. ‘‘I’m riding with Jamie to get Dan.’’

Suddenly Win flung his leg over the railing and stepped back on the porch. He pulled her to him. ‘‘If I asked you not to go, would you stay here?’’

‘‘No,’’ Kora answered. ‘‘I have to go get my brother.’’

Win nodded in understanding. ‘‘Then take Logan as guard,’’ he compromised.

Kora thought of all she’d learned from him about loving. ‘‘Take care,’’ she whispered back. ‘‘And never forget, I love you.’’

Win’s hold tightened, but he didn’t speak. For a long moment he held her, then he turned and left without a word.

His silence should have made her angry, or think he didn’t care about her. But she understood. He’d shown her he loved her all night. If he couldn’t say the words in daylight, it didn’t matter. No man would ever make her feel so cherished.

Kora watched the yard. Jamie was saying something to Cheyenne, and for once she didn’t look as if she was going to tackle him. Logan stood close to Win, making lastminute plans.

‘‘I can’t leave,’’ Kora whispered as her vision blurred. ‘‘Win’s right. Folks make their own luck in this life. We can fight it together. This time I don’t have to run.’’ She glanced at Jamie. ‘‘If only I could convince Jamie,’’ Kora whispered as she saw Jamie fight back the anger when she waved at Cheyenne and he didn’t even bother to look back at her.

Win rode south with a dozen of his men, crisscrossing his land, making sure all was calm. The sky was still cloudy, but it had been clearing all afternoon. If the cattle were just below the caprock, it wouldn’t be long before they were moving across his land.

He knew he should have nothing on his mind except the ranch, but Kora’s words kept resounding in his brain. She’d said she loved him as easily as if she’d always said the words. He’d never known her to be so foolish.

They had a bargain, nothing more. She didn’t have to say she loved him. He’d given her little enough reason to care about him. Win hadn’t missed Jamie’s comments about his shortcomings. Except for a few things from the store, he’d bought her nothing, not even a wedding band. He’d never taken her anywhere, or offered to. Hell, most women got a few days’ honeymoon. He hadn’t even stayed home the first night. Most of the time he didn’t say a handful of words to her a day. And the first time he’d made love to her, he’d hurt her so badly she’d screamed.

Win frowned. It made no sense that she loved him.

Yet she took care, not only of his house, but of him. From the very first, she kissed him good night as though it was something important for her to do. She’d forgiven him for their first time together as if it had been her fault and not his. And last night she’d let him touch her like he’d never thought a lady would allow. Then she’d welcomed him again and again. Offering him whatever he wanted, moving so he could see her undressed, raising her arms to allow him freedom to touch her, spreading her legs…

‘‘Hell!’’ he swore beneath his breath. He didn’t have time to think about her. There were more important things to consider. Only all he could focus on, all he could hear, was the way she’d softly said she loved him.

Win grumbled. She wasn’t doing what they agreed on. She was doing far more than just acting like a wife in exchange for his house. The little woman he thought would be almost invisible in his home had gotten into his blood. She was the lover he’d never even dreamed of having. Her body was alive with passion when he touched her, begging for more. The taste of her was habit forming.

Tonight, he’d hold her again. He’d remove her clothes slowly, enjoying each view. Then he’d lay her in the middle of their bed and begin his feast at her throat. He’d make love to her and she’d cry his name as she had last night in passion. And when she had relaxed and fell asleep, he’d continue to touch her. He didn’t need to teach her to please him; everything she did pleased him. Last night she’d awakened already warm from his touch, ready for more. She’d do so again tonight.

It might take days, maybe weeks, but he’d make love to her until he got her out of his mind and could think of other things, more important things. Win frowned. On second thought, it might take years.

‘‘You hear that?’’ Cheyenne straightened in his saddle, listening.

‘‘What?’’ Win shook his head, trying to get back to reality.

‘‘Cattle!’’ Cheyenne motioned for the men to follow as they reached the south corner of Win’s ranch. Here, for miles, the land was broken by steep inclines where the land jutted up suddenly to higher ground known as the caprock. The pasture below always seemed milder, less windy. Above, the range was cooler, wilder. This steep incline was where Win marked the end of his spread.

Sure enough, just below the rim of the caprock, cattle grazed as far as Win could see. They’d been boxed in by the wall, but all the herders had to do was begin pushing them up the trails, climbing the rim one beef at a time. Along the south edge of Win’s ranch were several places where they could move the herd easily up on higher ground.

One of Win’s men was stationed at each opening. One fired a shot of warning. Another followed. Then another and another.

This is it, Win thought. The standoff he’d dreaded. But he had the high ground, and with the caprock wall’s help, he’d hold them back. He didn’t want to kill the cattle. Let the ranchers keep them below. The strong ones would survive. But, no, they wanted to get them to market without having to suffer any loss.

He studied the border, watching, waiting. Cheyenne rode at his side.

‘‘It looks like they’re spreading the herd out, planning to push them all at once.’’

‘‘If they do, several will break their legs trying to climb up rough trails. Any cow that falls will be trampled.’’ Win didn’t want to think what the sight might be like if they stampeded.

‘‘They’re hoping we don’t have enough men to cover every trail.’’

Win watched closely. ‘‘Do we?’’ he asked more to himself than Cheyenne.

A man Win recognized as one of the fellows he’d seen in the settlement the night he’d gone after Kora, rode through the pass with his hands high.

‘‘Mr. McQuillen!’’ he yelled. ‘‘I just want to talk.’’

‘‘That’s close enough!’’ Win shouted back. ‘‘Tell your boss to turn them around. They’ll not cross my land.’’

‘‘But the next crossing is a hundred miles away,’’ the man tried to reason. ‘‘If you’ll let us cross in one place, my boss is willing to pay you. He’ll even leave men to help burn the grass his cattle move over.’’