Winter Winds of Wyoming Page 10
Me, quiet? He hadn’t said more than two words since they’d left the ranch. He’d be shocked to his boots if he knew the extent of her relationship with Wil. “Just thinking about the bonnets I’d like to sew as Christmas presents. One for Adaline and one for Daisy. If I begin tonight, I think I’ll have time.”
“You been sewing all your life?” he asked, relaxed on the wagon seat. “You seem like a clever kind of girl.” He gave her a winsome grin.
She knew she was being stubborn, but his compliment rankled. All she’d ever done was be contrary. And now, because of her, Wil would ruin Jake and Daisy’s life here in Logan Meadows. He was a loaded gun, so to speak, ready to go off at the slightest provocation. Walking on eggshells would be a welcome reprieve other than figuring him out.
“Why would you say such a thing?” she replied irritably. “You hardly know me. I’m not clever at all.”
After momentarily glancing her way, he shrugged. “Don’t know about that. Perhaps the fact you got a ride into town when we weren’t planning on coming in today has me thinking. That’s pretty clever.” He tipped his hat with his thumb.
Light flooded under the brim of his Stetson, allowing her to get a good look at the mischief dancing in his earnest brown eyes. He had a straight nose, strong jawline, and chiseled lips that, at the moment, quivered with mirth. Brown hair curled ever-so-gently around his nape. She cut her gaze back to the scenery.
“Still don’t believe me? How about when you got Shane to stop chasing leaves in the ranch yard and go back inside—all without a fuss—by pretending to see a bear cub hiding behind the kitchen door?”
She couldn’t stop a small smile. Staying one step ahead of the little cowboy took work. When he wanted to throw a fuss, he could only be stopped by Mr. Logan.
“What did you tell the scamp when he found out no critter was inside?”
“Mama bear must have called him home for supper.” The memory of Shane’s big eyes brought a flush of pleasure. He was so cute.
Tyler pointed. “Holy smokes! A smile.”
Embarrassed, she ducked her head.
“No, don’t do that. You have a pretty smile. You should smile more often. Let your light shine for all to see.”
She chanced a look at him and was rewarded with a wink. A fluttery feeling squeezed her chest, and she felt her lips pull up.
“I could get used to seeing that.”
She made a face and started to speak, but the piercing cry of a hawk cut her off.
Tyler chuckled. “See? Your creator agrees with me.”
Amazed, she just stared.
“He’s speaking to you, Courtney. Like a sunset when the sky is awash with fiery colors, a wispy-soft morning as the fog tickles the earth in swirls of white, or the sight of twin fawns watching you in wonder, having never before seen a human face. You’re not alone, even when no one is with you.”
Feeling confused, she clutched her hands more tightly. “You say the strangest things.”
He just lifted one shoulder and encouraged the horses onward.
“What will you do while I’m in town?” she asked to change the subject so the rapid beat of her heart could subside. “Or will you return to the ranch?”
“Not sure. Jessie mentioned her laundry might be done early. I’ll check, since I’ll be right there. And I need to see if the beef’s running low at the Silky Hen. Little errands like that.” He rubbed a hand along the side of his face. “Gives me things to do. People to visit. I’ll stop at the saloon and see what the talk is around town. Can’t come to Logan Meadows without doing that.”
If only she had simple chores to do instead of trying to find Wil and discover what he was about. Maybe she’d be granted her most ardent wish and he’d already be gone. Never to return. “I wonder if Mrs. Ling has had her baby.”
“There you go again,” he chortled. “More smiles. They’re gettin’ easier all the time. You look like a different girl when your lips tip up and a little light shines in your eyes.” He tweaked her cold nose. “I like it! If Mrs. Ling has delivered, I’m sure to find out, and I’ll let you know. If you want, we can stop in so you can say hello.”
Tyler had a way about him. He brought out the best in people. Even me. He’d surprised her when he’d tweaked her nose, but the action had made her smile even more. Maybe, coming from a large family, he knew how to handle younger siblings. In the six weeks she’d known him, this conversation was the most they’d ever talked. The easy banter felt nice, giving her a chance to forget her past mistakes and forgive herself for a few fleeting moments.
The rumbling wagon wheels crunched on the frozen earth as Tyler guided the buckboard with ease around potholes and crevasses. Overhead, wispy gray clouds made the day feel all the more oppressive. What would she say when she found Wil? How would he react?
The wagon approached the onset of town where the corner with Winston’s Feed was on one side and the bridge over Shady Creek on the other. “You can let me off here, and I’ll walk to the mercantile, since the feed store is right there.” She pointed over the bridge. “My destination is on the opposite side of town than yours.”
“One of my stops is here and the others by the mercantile. Ling’s and the Silky Hen?” “But—”
The buckboard rattled across the bridge. “I’ll take you.”
She bit her bottom lip. Wil seeing her with Tyler might spark his anger. She didn’t like telling untruths, but until her old beau was out of town, she feared that was exactly what she’d be doing fairly often. “Actually, I feel the need to stretch my legs. Can you please stop?”
“Just hold your horses, we’ve almost arrived.”
Courtney ignored the irritation that surfaced at Tyler’s response. He was trying to be nice, courteous. She needed to remember that. The Christmas tree was a beautiful sight, as were the decorated shops and homes. Wreaths and pine boughs were displayed everywhere. Logan Meadows would be a nice place to live out her life. The hominess wrapped around her like a thick wool coat, making her feel treasured. And too, the amused looks from Tyler were conjuring up warm feelings she’d sworn herself against after the trouble she’d landed in with Wil. This was her new life. If she got through the situation and came out on the other side intact, she’d not be tempted again to ever love another man. She’d been granted a second chance. Not every woman was so lucky.
Suddenly, the short hairs on the back of her neck prickled. A man she didn’t know stood outside the Silky Hen, watching their approach. She touched Tyler’s arm. “Who’s that staring at us?”
Tyler pulled back on one long line, turning the wagon around back in the direction they’d come, and stopped in front of the mercantile on the street’s opposite side. He set the brake with his boot. “Dwight Hoskins. Cousin to Hannah Donovan’s first husband. Couple years ago, or thereabouts, he was wooing Hannah before she married Thom. Trouble finds him faster than a fool with money. And he has the manners of a flea. He actually almost hanged your brother for not rustling cattle.”
“Jake told us about that!” She shuddered at the vision of Tyler’s words.
Tyler gave a small chuckle. “Don’t fear. Thom and the sheriff showed up to intervene. If you want more details, ask Jake. I wasn’t in town back then, but I’ve been here long enough to know Dwight—and not like him. In a small town like this, everybody knows everything about everyone. Gossip flies faster than a murder of crows.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Don’t let nothin’ private get out if you don’t want every last individual whispering behind their hands.”
What a field day they’d have with me. “Why doesn’t Mr. Hoskins stop staring? Makes me uncomfortable.”
Tyler gave Dwight a dismissive flip of a hand. “Makes me more than that!”
Dwight frowned, turned away, and started down the street.
“Stay clear of him. Like I said, he’s nothin’ but trouble.”
She glanced away from Tyler’s strong profile as he hopped d
own and circled the wagon to assist her to the street. So far, Wil was nowhere to be seen. Her heart constricted at the meeting she was sure would come. He hadn’t traveled all this way to help the Fords. Not in this life. He’d come for her, and that was what had her spooked to high heaven. Bolstering her courage, Courtney stepped back and watched Tyler climb back into the wagon and drive away.
Chapter Nineteen
As Courtney entered the mercantile, she spotted Wil from the corner of her eye as he stepped from the alley beside the bank. Her breath caught. She slipped back out, not wanting to engage either Maude or Beth. If possible, she didn’t want anyone to see what she was about.
Wil gazed at the bank’s Christmas display.
Had he seen her and Tyler only a moment before? Knowing what she had to do, she took a deep breath, raised her chin, and strode unwaveringly toward the man who’d taken her innocence. He turned but didn’t look surprised. A cunning smile appeared on his face, leaving no doubt he’d seen her arrive. Funny, she’d used to think his smile so handsome. A long coat she didn’t recognize almost touched the ground. Buttoned against the cold, she couldn’t tell if he wore his gun.
“Courtney, I’ve been waitin’ on you.” He put out a hand.
She halted far enough away to make touching her impossible.
His gaze narrowed. “How’ve you been?”
Hurt and anger pushed up her throat. Outguessing Wil was like predicting which way spooked cattle would run. She’d never figured him out, so why should she now? The sound of hollow hoof beats marked Tyler’s wagon crossing back over the bridge, taking the calm she’d felt before. “How did you know I’d come? Maybe I don’t want to see you.”
“You always come. All I do is crook my little finger.”
Heat scalded her cheeks.
“You’re easy to read, Court. Don’t take a crystal ball to know what you’re thinkin’. Feelin’.” He leered as he looked her up and down. “I can read you same as always, darlin’.”
“Don’t call me darling. I’m not your darling—and never will be again. If you thought of me as your darling before, you wouldn’t have treated me the way you did. I was only a girl. I didn’t know better.” At the lie she flushed with shame. She had known but hadn’t cared. She’d wanted to be wild to get back at the life that had hurt her. Destiny took her mother at an early age and was taking her father, too—leaving her and Adaline orphans. But she should be allowed to start her life over now and do better than she had. “I should have listened to my father about you. My sister as well. I should have stayed far, far away.”
His eyes glittered and he chuckled. “But you didn’t, did you? I was irresistible.”
“You’re a swine!”
“Ohhh, the princess has a bee in her bonnet, does she?” He stepped closer. “I love when you get mad; when you fight—you’re never more beautiful...”
Frightened, she inched back, keeping him out of reach. Fear swelled in her throat. Wil didn’t negotiate. And fighting fire with fire didn’t work. He’d do and say what he pleased, not caring a whit what the revelation did to her reputation. One word from him and she’d be ruined. She needed to keep her wits about her. Not get caught in his web again. Combating this way would do no good. She needed to placate him. Appeal to his sense of fairness. Did he have a sense of fairness? She wholly doubted. The task felt totally impossible. If she didn’t face him now in private, he’d track her down and not care who heard what he had to say.
Acutely aware of the townsfolk, she inched forward. She wished for someplace private they could talk. “Please, Wil,” she begged, forcing a pleasant smile on her face. The expression felt weird and gruesome, so she looked away to gather her courage. “Please choose your words carefully. I’m just a girl. I need to live here, but I won’t be able to if…”
Wil Lemon here in Logan Meadows was a disaster. Yes, he’d ruin her reputation and laugh all the while. She had no doubt. Even after he’d claimed to love her. And that he’d die for her. What she’d done with him would bring shame to Jake and suspicion on Adaline’s character, even though her older sister was as pure as the driven snow. Hot moisture pricked the back of her eyes, but she’d not show him her weakness. She’d fight him with every last breath she had.
“I know exactly what I’m saying, darlin’. What the truth getting out would mean for you and your high-brow sister. Your brother and his new wife—the reformed soiled dove. My, my, this town does have some history. I’ve done my homework. Ask Daisy to give you some tips when you start serving whiskey and entertaining men in the saloon.” His gaze turned hostile. “That is, if you don’t do exactly as I say. Your sister never even gave me a chance. I wasn’t good enough for you from the start, no sir. Not three ways from Sunday. Her heart’ll break in two to learn her sweet little sister isn’t quite so sweet.” He barked out a laugh. “Don’t worry, love, I like you well enough. And I’m anxious for you to fall back into my arms.”
He stood there, boldly intimidating. Clearly enjoying the power he held over her. He knew how to cut deeply, and he wasn’t holding back. She had to be very careful. Watch her every word from here on out. If she lost her temper, her world would never be the same. “You’re right,” she whispered. “I did have a change of heart.” She glanced around to see if anyone was watching. If this meeting got back to Jake, he’d be furious. Had the two met? Talked? She didn’t know if Jake would tell her. “Still, can’t we be friends, Wil? Be nice to each other? For old time’s sake? We once loved each other. Remember?”
He wasn’t wearing a hat, and a gust of cold wind stirred a thick strand of dark hair into his eyes.
Her heart shuddered, and her fingers tingled to push the silky softness back into place. Once, they’d been lovers. She’d thought she wanted to spend her life with him. The memory conjured up a sweetness she thought long ago forgotten. He’d been her first love … her only love. As if they’d been spoken yesterday his whispered words came flooding back. She needed to be strong—for her family’s sake. Forcing her gaze to the window, she studied the quaint little town Mr. Lloyd created in the bank, wishing she could command herself there, a place with no more trouble and no more tears.
“I remember. And I still love you. All you have to do is be nice.”
Nice? She’d never be nice to him again, not in the way he wanted. Talking about their past made her mouth feel like cotton. She needed to steer the conversation to something else. “Have you seen Jake?”
“Not yet, but I’m looking forward to our reunion. I owe him something, and I mean to pay him back. I’m letting him get used to my being here, before we have our little talk.”
Did Wil know about Jake’s reward? Surely, he had to, if he’d traveled all the way from Newport with the Fords.
“I don’t want to talk about Jake at the moment. Or the weather or anything else.” He glanced at her midsection, letting his gaze linger. When his eyes met hers, the hunger was apparent. “I want to talk about you, Court. And whether you’re carrying my child. A man has a right to know if he’s gonna be a pa. You don’t look any different.”
“Wil!” She rushed forward, frantic with fear he’d speak so openly. Surely, he was enjoying her predicament. He couldn’t care less about her. She’d better formulate a plan—and fast. “Please, if you’ve ever cared a whit about me, about my reputation, I beg you not to speak like that.” From under her lashes, she glanced through the large bank window. A man stood at the counter with his back to her, speaking with the teller, a tall, thin young man who’d smiled at her a time or two since she’d arrived in Logan Meadows. He made eye contact with her now and then went back to his work. “Please,” she hissed through clenched teeth. “Please, Wil, please don’t say anything else. I beg of you.”
He glanced around, his shoulders shrugged, and palms turned up. “There’s that word again—beg. I kind of like the image. The picture I conjure up in my mind.”
“Why did you come to Logan Meadows?”
“I’m not.”
“In that case, I want to marry you.”
Her throat clenched. When pigs fly. You want to use me again. Be in control. “You don’t. You want to get back at my family. Hurt them through me.” Or get your hands on Jake’s reward.
Wil’s eyes narrowed. “You and me had a good thing going. I want that again. Soon.”
“Then you’ll wait forever, Wil, because we’re finished for good. Please, go back to Newport and leave me alone. There’s nothing for you here. Dragging this out can only make the situation worse.” She was cold. Frosty air bit at her face, and she shivered uncontrollably.
Wil shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I can see you’re set.”
“I am. I won’t change my mind. If you stay, you’ll only find trouble. You’ll end up in jail. Or worse. You have a life back on the coast.”
He studied her a long time. “Fine. But you owe me for running off and embarrassing me in front of my friends. You made me a laughingstock, getting the better of me the way you did. Pay me a hundred dollars, and I’ll go away forever.”
A hundred dollars! “I don’t have any money, Wil. You know that.”
“Your brother does.”
“I can’t make a withdrawal. The reward is in Jake’s name.”
His eyes hardened. “Then steal some money. I don’t care what you have to do. The ranch you’re living at is top-notch. I did my due diligence. The Logans are rich. I’m sure you’ll think of something.” His smile broadened. “I’ll give you a week, and if by then you don’t come through, I’ll spill my guts all over town. Tell everyone what kind of a girl you really are.”
The air whooshed out of her lungs in one huge breath. She glanced past Wil’s shoulder, beyond the Shady Creek bridge, and up to the feed store. Movement caught her eye. Tyler was still up that way, but he could return at any moment. “And if I do, you promise you’ll go—for good?”