Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) (7 page)

Tye locked eyes with him as the camp went silent. Crawford’s open hostility didn’t pierce his mental shield; it only made him mad.

“I hear ye fine,” he bit out, knowing everyone else heard, too, including Lil. “And I’ll do as ye say so long as Lil wishes it so. But if she should change her mind . . . .” Grinning, he swung on his heel and strode away.

“You brassy pup! Stay away from her or else!” Crawford bellowed.

Ignoring him, Tye kept walking until he found a quiet place to sit and eat. He was more angry at himself than at Crawford, because he knew damn well he ought to do as the man said.

A while later, with the smell of singed cow hair stinging his nostrils, he released a newly branded calf and watched it scamper off. Mopping his sweaty face with his bandanna, he waited while another calf was roped and towed, complaining, over to the fire. He was on his knees hogtying the animal when David walked up. He’d been late riding in for the nooning and had missed Tye’s run-in with Del Crawford.

“Tye, I need a word with you,” he said, motioning toward a scrub oak a short distance away.

“Aye.” Rising, Tye followed him to the tree. It wasn’t big enough to provide much shade, but some was better than none.

Arms crossed, David peered at him. “You had words with Del Crawford, I hear.”

“That I did.” Tye sighed in disgust. He should have known someone would tell the boss.

“Look, I don’t want trouble with Del.” Glancing toward a second fire, where the Crawford brothers worked, David added, “I’m hoping they’ll go partners with me on the spring trail drive. Besides, there’s enough bad blood between us already.”

Tye scowled. “I meant what I told the man. I’ll stay clear of Lil as long as that’s what she wants.” He started to leave, but David’s stern voice halted him.

“One more thing, Tye. Don’t hurt her.”

“Like
you
did, ye mean?”

Surprise and anger swept across David’s face. “Since you know so much, or think you do, I won’t bother to deny it. But I repeat, don’t hurt her.”

“I’ve no intention of hurting her.” Tired of being warned away from Lil, Tye strode back to the branding fire. Everything in him rebelled at David’s meddling and Del Crawford’s angry threats. Still, he would keep his word so long as Lil wished him to.

After their talk, he and David treaded lightly around each other for several days. Mornings, Tye rode circle. Afternoons, he helped brand late calves, holding them down while someone else applied the hot iron, cut earmarks and castrated the bull calves – all but every tenth one, needed for breeding. Through it all he avoided contact with Lil. However, nothing could keep him from glancing her way when she was near.

He admired the flash of her brown eyes beneath upswept brows, the soft indentation of her cheeks, and the way her enticing lips blossomed into a glorious smile on rare occasions. God, how he longed to kiss her at such moments! When he thought of caressing her sleek curves, his longing became a physical pain. He was torturing himself but couldn’t seem to stop.

* * *

The cool breezes of October arrived as the roundup neared its close, for which Tye was grateful. This morning the heat of the branding fire actually felt good.

Lil and her father were out with the herd, helping to separate cattle still in need of a brand. David stood by the chuck wagon with Jeb Crawford, drinking coffee while they made plans for tomorrow. Tye grinned when Jeb had to repeat himself again. Jessie was due to give birth any time now, and David was growing more distracted and jumpy each day.

Minutes later, a distant shout rang out. Tye turned his head and saw Sul Smith approaching camp at a hard gallop. Left to look after the homestead – Reece being unable to do much due to his bad leg – Sul had orders to come after David should Jessie’s pains begin.

“Jessie!” David cried. Tossing his cup aside, he ran to his appaloosa stallion and vaulted into the saddle. The horse danced under him, sensing his agitation.

“It’s started!” Sul gasped as he dragged his lathered mount to a skidding halt. Man and horse were breathing hard.

“How long ago?”

“Dunno. She didn’t say.”

David shot a wild glance at Jeb Crawford. “I’ve gotta go! Jessie’s having the baby!”

“Well, what are you waitin’ for? We’ll handle things here.”

Giving a yell, David spurred his horse into a flat-out run.

Sul shook his head. “He took on thataway . . . the first time, too,” he said, still winded. “Damn near paced a hole in the porch ’fore it was over.”

Tye considered following David but reasoned Jessie wouldn’t want to see anyone but her husband right now. So he waited and rode back to the homestead later with Luis. The
vaquero
had spent most nights under the stars during roundup along with Tye and the others, but he wanted to be with his children tonight since their mother would be tending Jessie.

They arrived shortly after dusk. Nearing the corral, Luis pointed to the house, where light from the parlor window showed David pacing the front porch just as Sul had described. “It is good I came. Maria is busy. She was midwife also for Noracita’s birth, and it took many hours.” Reining in, he dismounted beside the corral gate.

Tye shook his head, eyeing his brother-in-law. “Looks like he could do with some tending, too,” he said in amusement, alighting from his saddle.

Luis grinned. “
Sí
, perhaps you should go and keep the
patrón
company. I will see to your horse.”

“Aye, I suppose I’d better.” Thanking Luis, Tye headed for the house. As he climbed the porch steps, he noted David’s haggard appearance.

“Good evening,” he said.

“Evening,” David muttered. He strode back and forth, never missing a beat.

Tye removed his hat and slapped it against his pant leg to knock off some of the accumulated dust. “How’s she doing?”

“How the hell should I know? Maria won’t let me in there.” Halting abruptly, David plowed a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bark at you. But Maria only allowed me a few minutes with Jessie, and now . . . . Christ! I hate this waiting and not knowing!” His voice sounded ragged with worry.

Tye laughed. “Well, you’d best resign yourself before ye end up with apoplexy. I should think you’d be used to the wait, having gone through it before.”

David shot him a fierce glare. “Someday, you’ll learn how it feels to stand by helpless while
your
wife fights to bring
your
child into the world. I promise you won’t be laughing then.”

Nonplussed, Tye stared at him, imagining Lil Crawford with a dark-haired infant cradled against her breast. Saints above, she truly had bewitched him! He was not looking for a wife or children, he firmly reminded himself. Then he thought about how dangerous childbirth could be. Women died from it all the time. That wouldn’t happen to Jessie. Surely not!

“You’re right,” he said unsteadily, dropping onto a cane-bottomed porch chair before his knees buckled. “I ought not to make light of the situation, but I can’t bear to think of something going wrong.”

The fire in David’s gaze died back. “I know. God, I know.” He sighed heavily and resumed wearing a path in the floorboards.

Steadying his voice, Tye asked, “Where’s the wee colleen and your father? I’m surprised he’s not keeping vigil with ye.”

“He’s looking after Nora. She wanted her mother, and I couldn’t make her understand. I don’t have the patience right now.” Pausing again, David stared hard at the door, as if willing Maria to appear with the news he waited to hear. He pinched his eyes tiredly. “Damn, why does it have to take so long?”

This time Tye held his tongue.

His stomach growled a moment later. He and Luis had left camp before supper. “Uh, are ye hungry, by chance?” he asked, ashamed of his ravenous appetite at such a time.

David was on the move again. “No. But I . . . I think Maria left something out if you want to eat.”

“Mmm. Well, maybe I’ll just have a bite or two.” Excusing himself, Tye followed the main corridor through the house to the patio out back. He washed up quickly at the well and went to scrounge what he could from the kitchen. The old cookhouse still stood in a far corner of the patio, and Maria used it when cooking for the ranch hands, but David had installed a kitchen for Jessie when the ranch house was rebuilt. Recalling how proud she was of her fancy six plate cook stove and other conveniences, Tye prayed she’d be enjoying them for a long time to come.

Once he’d filled his belly he rejoined David, finding him with his hand braced on the porch railing, staring into the night. Tye watched him for a moment, then turned and strode back into the house, heading for the liquor cabinet in the parlor. Within moments, he returned carrying two glasses half-filled with amber liquid. He offered one to David.

“Whiskey. Drink it.”

David eyed the glass undecidedly, then took it and swallowed the contents in two hefty gulps. “Thanks,” he gasped.

Another round, and Tye convinced him to sit for a while. By then Reece had joined them, finally having gotten Nora to sleep. Tye brought another glass from the parlor and they engaged in sporadic conversation, trying to keep David calm while the night air turned chill.

Not much later, they heard Jessie cry out. David uttered a strangled oath and sprang to his feet. A newborn’s plaintive wail reached their ears. Standing near the railing, Tye sighed in relief and sagged against the roof support at his back while David collapsed in his chair again.

“By golly, I’ve got another grandchild,” Reece crowed, slapping his good leg.

They went inside to wait, and Maria finally walked into the parlor holding a small, blue-swaddled bundle and smiling broadly.

“A boy,
Señor
,” she announced as she laid the infant in David’s arms.

Tye recalled Jessie proclaiming she would have a boy this time. Had she foreseen it in one of her visions? Quite possibly.

“Jessie was right,” David said hoarsely, gazing at his son, who stared back at him with wide, baby-blue eyes. “He’s a big boy.”

“
Sí
, like his
padre
and his
abuelo
,” Maria said, drawing proud grins from both men.

“He has his mother’s hair color,” Tye remarked. “I wonder if he’ll have her temper.”

David shot Maria an urgent look. “The
Señora
, is she all right?”

She nodded in reassurance. “She is fine, only tired. She waits for you,
Señor
David.”

That was all he needed to hear. Watching him dash from the room with the baby, eager to be with Jessie, Tye wistfully thought of Lil again. Good Lord, the woman truly was driving him mad!

* * *

Lil learned the results of the blessed event the next day, along with everyone involved in the roundup. David was proud as punch over his son, who he and Jessie had named Reece Devlin Taylor. Granddaddy Reece must be mighty pleased about that.

To Lil’s surprise, the envy she had long experienced toward David and Jessie was absent. In fact, she actually felt happy for them. It occurred to her that Jessie’s brother might have something to do with this change in her attitude.

Nonsense! She didn’t even like Tye Devlin, and she wasn’t about to forgive him for grabbing her and kissing her. Not to mention what he’d said to her. He’d shown he was no gentleman.

Huh! He was a rude, no-account Irish Yankee! She was glad her father had ordered him to stop pestering her, glad the handsome devil had quit trying to win her over. He might claim he was waiting for her to change her mind and show she wanted his attentions, but she didn’t believe that for a minute. He’d been toying with her, plain and simple. Now he’d tired of his cruel game, just as she’d expected.

She wasn’t dumb enough to think she could really attract such a man. Sure he’d kissed her, but like he said himself, it was only a kiss. It meant nothing. The same as those kisses David had given her so many years ago, when she was too young to know he was only playing with her. God help her, she mustn’t start mooning over Tye Devlin the way she had over David. She knew where that road led. To heartbreak, that’s where.

The trouble was, she couldn’t forget the feel of Tye’s body pressed against hers, the strength of his arms around her, the warmth of his lips as he coaxed her into returning his kiss. Thinking of all that as she chased after an unbranded yearling, she was flooded by a desperate longing to be in Tye’s arms again. Furious with herself, she spurred Major onward, determined to rope the tricky longhorn and drive the blasted Irishman from her thoughts.