Dorothy Garlock - [Route 66] (41 page)

“I told him to take her home,” he declared.

“You were with Virgil when he came out to Andy's,” Yates said. “You knew he was trying to take the girls while Andy was away. I heard you tell Virgil to be patient, that he'd get the girls all in good time.”

“I was doin' my lawful duty when I come out there, and this isn't any business of yours. What's he doin' here, Rex?”

“Never mind Yates. This has to do with you. Why didn't you speak up when you heard the girl was missing?”

“I took her out there for him to take home. I didn't know he was keeping her in the shed.”

“Why didn't you take her home?” Yates asked.

“Keep out of this,” Wayne snarled. “It's not your business.”

Rex continued in his mild voice. “You knew she was at Virgil's while we were searching for her. You took the child there against her will. You're guilty of kidnapping, Wayne.”

“That's …bullshit!”

“One of Virgil's boys found her tied up in the shed and took her home. I suspect Ruth Ann will tell that you picked her up on the highway and refused to take her home.”

When the sheriff told Wayne to hand over his badge, he became belligerent.

“Goddamn little bastards are lying,” he shouted. “You're takin' their word over mine. I'm a lawman. Been one for eight years. That ought to count for something. We never had any trouble till
he
came here.” His face had turned a dark red, his jowls quivered. He pointed a finger at Yates. “I should'a shot that son-of-a-bitch the night he put his hand on me. I'd a been in my rights.” Wayne was so out of control with rage that he attempted to draw his gun.

Rex sprang forward and slapped the cuffs on his deputy.

“For God's sake, Wayne! All of this will go down hard against you. Come on back to the lockup and simmer down. The district marshal will be here in the morning. He'll straighten it out.”

On the way home Andy and Yates agreed not to tell Leona that Abe had killed Virgil because he failed to force her to marry him.

“No use her having to think about that,” Andy said.

“I love her. I'm going to marry her, if she'll have me.” Yates looked at Andy. “What do you think of that?”

“I'm glad for both of you.”

“Will you and the girls come with us to Texas? I want her to be happy, and she wouldn't be without the girls.”

“I'm leanin that way. It would be best for the girls.”

The garage doors were closed, and two families were cooking supper in the campground when Andy turned into the drive and stopped beside the garage. Leona and the girls were waiting on the porch.

When he got out of the car, two squealing little girls flew down the path and wrapped their arms around his legs. Leona was not far behind. Yates opened his arms. Without hesitation she went into them. He hugged all three and happily burrowed his face against the warmth of Leona's neck.

Right here was something he thought he'd never have. His heart pounded with gladness. For the first time in many years, he felt that he'd come home.

The girls talked, or shouted, he couldn't tell which, he was busy kissing the tears from Leona's eyes.

“We were so worried,” she was finally able to say. “Andy was determined to go see about you when you didn't come right back. Then we worried when he didn't come back.”

“It's been quite a day. One I'll always remember for more reasons than one.” He hugged Leona and kissed her hard on the mouth, not caring a whit who saw him.

“You're kissin' Aunt Lee,” JoBeth screeched.

“Yeah, and I'm going to kiss you, too.” Yates lifted the child until her face was level with his and kissed her soundly on the cheek.

“I saw Isaac, Ruth Ann,” he said when he set JoBeth on her feet. “He's all right and told me to tell you hello. Everyone knows that he brought you home and thinks he's a hero.”

“I told Daddy about it and 'bout Mr. Ham taking me to Uncle Virgil's.”

“We got a good supper,” JoBeth announced. “Me'n Ruthy helped Aunt Lee. She let us get in the tank.”

“Just what I'm going to do as soon as it gets dark.” Yates looked at Andy with a smile of pure pleasure. “You might want to try it, Andy.”

“I just might wrestle you for first dibs on it.” He chuckled. “Supper sounds good to me right now.”

On the way to the house, Yates, holding tightly to Leona's hand, whispered, “Have you forgotten our date tonight?”

“Date? What date?” Her laughing eyes teased his.

“I've thought about it all day. As soon as it's dark and I have a bath, I'm going to carry you off.”

“Fiddle,” she snorted. “You're pretty high-handed all of a sudden.”

“And you've turned into a smarty I'll have to take you in hand and teach you to have a little respect for your elders.”

“Your mind's gone soft, Mr. Yates,” she retorted with a sassy grin, her heart going like crazy in her chest.

While Yates washed up for supper, he gave Leona a sketchy account of how they had discovered Abe Patton had killed Virgil. He told about Isaac hitting Virgil so that he would stop beating his mother.

“He's a good boy. I liked the older boys, too. Joe assured me that he and his brother would stay around. They'll have the truck and the buzz saw.”

“I'm sorry Virgil is dead, but he was not a good man.”

“The funeral will be tomorrow. I'll take you if you want to go.”

“No. I'll not go. That part of my life is over.”

“The sheriff is holding the deputy for taking Ruth Ann out to Virgil and not telling about it while we were looking for her. I don't know if he'll go to jail, but he'll never be a lawman again.”

“That will be the worst possible punishment. He loved that job.”

Yates hung up the towel, reached for her and kissed her soundly. “I want to kiss you all the time.”

“You'll have to stop sometime.” She laughed happily. “Or you'll starve to death.”

After supper Yates went to the tank to bathe. Leona tidied up the kitchen, then took a pan of water to the bedroom, washed and put on a fresh dress. She thought about the kisses Yates had given her and the tender teasing words he had said when he returned. He had looked different, younger, happy, like a kid on Christmas morning. Her hand trembled as she dabbed a bit of Evening in Paris perfume behind her ears.

The world could be ending tomorrow, and her only thought would be that she would have tonight with him.

When she heard JoBeth talking to him on the porch, she hurriedly brushed her hair, slipped a ribbon under it and tied it in a bow on top. After slipping her bare feet in her one pair of sandals, she went through the house and paused only briefly at the screendoor before stepping out onto the porch.

Andy was in the swing with the two girls; Yates stood on the steps. When she opened the door, he stepped up onto the porch and held out his hand.

“Ready to go?”

“Where ya goin? Can I go?” JoBeth tried to slither out of the swing. Andy held on to her.

“You're going to stay here and take care of me, sweet pea,” Andy said. “Yates and Leona are going …for a ride.”

“But… I want to go,” JoBeth whined.

“Not this time,” Andy said. “This is Leona's time to enjoy herself without having to keep an eye on you.”

“Aunt Lee won't care if I go.”

“Baby!” Ruth Ann said scornfully. “You can't go. They're going out to kiss and stuff.”

Yates laughed. “I'm hoping it'll come to that.”

Leona was thankful it was dark. She could feel the heat rush to her face.

“Come on. Let's make our getaway while JoBeth thinks that over.”

He didn't speak again until they were in the car and out on the highway. He had pulled her close to him and put her hand on his thigh.

“Is there anywhere you'd like to go?”

“There's not a lot to do.” Now that she was alone with him she couldn't think of anything to say.

“I want to take you to town and walk up and down the street so everyone will know that you're my girl.”

“No! Please, don't. They'll think the worst.”
Please, God, don't let anything spoil this time with him.

“That we've been sleeping together out at Andy's?”

When she didn't answer, he said, “All right, honey, but it makes me mad enough to bite nails. Someday I'm going to take you to the city. We'll go to a spiffy restaurant and to a show, dancing, or even roller skating, if you want to.”

“I'd be a bird on roller skates. I've never been on them in my life.”

He laughed and hugged her arm to him. “To me when I was about fifteen, heaven was roller skating. I even learned to skate backwards.”

“Backwards? Heavens! It's a wonder they didn't put you in a side show. I used to be able to jump a double rope and I was the champion jacks player at school.”

“I bet you were cute jumping rope.”

“And you skating backwards. Did you ever fall down?”

“Lots of times.”

He released her hand and turned off the road onto a lane, then out onto a hilltop where they could see the lights of Sayre in the distance. He turned off the car lights and the motor.

“I've waited as long as I can.”

His arms slid around her. He held her tightly against him for a full minute, then with his fingers lifted her chin. A wild, sweet enchantment rippled through her veins as his mouth moved over hers with warm urgency. His kiss was hungry and deep. The sensation was heightened when his tongue caressed her lips, sought entrance and found welcome.

Ignoring the danger signals flashing in her brain, she pushed her fingers through his hair. It was so dark, thick and soft. Her head was spinning helplessly from the torrent of churning desires racking her body. The intensity of these feelings was strange to her.

“Oh, oh,” she gasped. “We shouldn't have started this.”

“Why not,” he whispered. “You wanted it. I wanted it so bad, I'd have kissed you right down on Main Street, Sayre, Oklahoma, and thumbed my nose at the gawkers.”

“My head tells me to stay away from you, but I can't seem to help myself,” she confessed in a breathless whisper.

“Honey, you're pretty, you're sweet and perfect. I can't seem to help myself either.” He kissed her lips, her eyes and nose, then pulled back. “Let's get out. It's damned hot in here.”

He got out of the car and held her hand while she slid under the wheel and out. When he closed the car door, it banged loudly in the quiet night.

“There's a breeze up here,” he said as they walked to the back of the car. “Honey, I've put a proposition to Andy about coming with me to San Angelo and working on the ranch. He's thinking about it.”

“What could he do? He can't… do ranch work.”

“He knows business. Ranching is business. I'll need a man I can trust. I want him with me. I want you and the girls. I'll have a big old house, and I want to hear kids running up and down the stairs and you yelling at them to get ready for school.”

“He's …not said anything.”

“He hasn't had a chance.” He leaned against the car and pulled her between his spread legs. “Would you be happy being with me forever?”

“Forever?” she echoed. “Well, it would depend—”
Depend on if you loved me.

He turned her around. His arms encircled her from behind, and warm lips nuzzled the sensitive spot below her ear. His hands moved to cup her breasts, squeezing them gently.

“You're the sweetest woman I've ever known.” She closed her eyes thinking only of the soft purr of his words and the feel of his hands. “I think you've bewitched me, sweetheart.” One hand moved down to her belly and pulled her hips tightly back against him.

“Sweet Leona, say you care about me. You acted as if you did when I came back today.” His ragged whisper was against her ear.

“I don't want to care for you …but I do.”

“You don't want to love me?” he asked. She could feel his heart hammering against her right shoulder.

“I don't want to hurt when you go away.”

“I'm not going anywhere unless you go with me.”

Did he mean that he wanted her to come work for him? Keep house? She was afraid to ask.

She stood very still for several seconds as if absorbing his words. His lips moved hotly over her neck to her cheek, in search of hers, found them, and molded them to his in a devastating kiss. Her senses responded with a deep, churning hunger. She turned in his arms and rose on tiptoe, her fingers clinging to his shoulders.

Stirred by an incredible arousal, she met his passion with intimate sensuousness and parted her lips to glide the tip of her tongue across the edge of his teeth.

“God! Sweetheart. Help me … to stop this while I can.”

“Don't stop.” She moved her hips against him in instinctive invitation.

“I'll not be satisfied with …just this, sweet woman. It'll be all or nothing,” he whispered raggedly and pulled her roughly against his hard arousal, leaving no doubt as to what he meant.

She burrowed her face against his neck. “I know,” she whispered back. “Love me—”

In a little corner of her mind, her logic was warring with her desire.

This wanton behavior is what folks expect of you. You love him. You'll have this to remember.

“Are you sure, honey?”

“Please!”

“Oh, sweetheart…”

It took only a couple of seconds for him to snatch a blanket from the backseat of the car and spread it on the grass. He pulled her down, wrapped her in his arms and lay back on the blanket, pulling her on top of him.

“I'm crazy about you. Kiss me.” The kiss was long and tender. Afterward with her stretched out on top of him, he pillowed her head on his shoulder. “I'm scared,” he whispered. “I've never loved anyone but my mother, and that was different.” He stroked her back with his hard palms. “I need to know, sweetheart, if you love me back. If you give yourself to me I want it to be with love, not lust.”

For a moment she was still. This big, quiet, sometimes difficult man was saying that he loved
her,
Leona Dawson, harlot of Sayre, Oklahoma. She raised up and looked into his face.

“Say it again.” The whispered words caught in her throat.

“That I love you, sweetheart. I'm afraid that you don't love me back. You've not said if you even
like
me.”