Dorothy Garlock - [Wyoming Frontier] (25 page)

“I figured ya’d do the same.” Sam squatted down on his heels, picked up a twig and absently began to skin back the bark. “Ya’ve bit off a big chaw, Pack. Mara jist might be a widow afore she’s a wife.”

Pack snorted. “I’m not counting on her being a
real
wife. She hates my guts.”

“That bad, huh?”

“That bad. She’s not suited for this life, but she’s got feelings about this place. Hell! She could have gone to town, taught school, married one of them lawyer fellers.”

“She might be more suited than ya think. She ain’t afraid a work.”

“I’ve got to make it safe for her here. That means I’ll have to clear out Cullen and his bunch.”

“Cullen’ll back down. He’ll not face ya. He’s the back-shootin’ kind.”

“How about Sporty Howard?”

“In a crowd he’ll make a show to save his face. By hisself he’s got a yellow streak a yard wide.”

“How many are down there?”

“Five, countin’ Cullen. I plan on backin’ ya.”

Pack’s blue-black eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“I want to stay round for a while.”

“You can do that anyway, Sam. You know that.”

“Yeah. Ya ort a know I’m lookin’ fer a feller. I trailed him here, then he disappeared. I figure he up ’n got hisself killed ’n is buried here abouts.”

“You a law man?”

Sam studied Pack before he answered, surprised at the hint of anxiety in his voice. If he didn’t know better, he’d think Pack had something to hide.

“Not exactly. The man I’m lookin’ fer made off with some gold bars he stole from the Confederacy durin’ the war.”

“Then you’re a government man.”

“I guess ya could call me that. I got asked to do the job cause one a the fellers in on it was my lieutenant.”

“A lot of men on the other side of the law have come through here the last couple of years. Cullen put the word out they were welcome.”

“I figure the feller roamin’ round here nights watchin’ the place might a trailed the lieutenant here same as I did. Funny thin’ about it though. The same feller rides a different horse each time, tryin’ to cover his tracks.”

“How do you know it’s the same man?”

“He sits in the grass the same, always puts his hat down on the left side, gets up by diggin’ in his left foot. Horse veers to the left cause the feller holds the reins in his left hand. I figure he watches with a spyglass.”

“Do you think he’s after the gold?”

“What else?”

“If the man’s dead, whoever killed him took off with the gold.”

“Maybe not. I’d a buried it, waited till thin’s cooled off.”

“Do you think Cullen knows about it?”

“I’m not thinkin’ that. He’d a already tried to sell the bars, dumb as he is. The bars ain’t surfaced yet. They ain’t no good till they’re turned into money.”

“Dust or nuggets wouldn’t be talked about. But gold bars—”

“Yeah. I’m not lookin’ to do anythin’ outside the law, Pack. I’m aimin’ to get the reward money. It’ll be enough to buy me that herd a longhorns ’n give me a start.”

“Well, luck to you, Sam.”

“This is damn good cattle country, Pack.”

“Aye. I’d like to run longhorns if I could raise the money to buy ’em.”

“Charlie’d like a slice a the pie if we could swing it to drive up a herd.”

“He told me.”

Sam stood. “Ya ain’t plannin’ on doin’ nothin’ till mornin’, are ya?”

“That’s time enough.”

“I’ll keep an ear out.”

“I’m obliged.”

Pack’s brow furrowed. He watched Sam head for the bunkhouse. Just for a moment he had thought it was Charlie that Sam was after. He would have hated to go against Sam, but he would have. Charlie Rivers was the best friend he’d had after he lost Shannon McCall. But, hell! That business in Evansville was over and done with long ago. Sam was a steady, deep-thinking man. He’d be a good man to stand by Charlie, especially if he had feelings for Emily, and it sure as hell looked as if he did. By damn. Sam had been as bold as brass about letting Charlie know it. And Emily looked as happy as a dog with two tails.

Despite the worry on Pack’s mind, the corners of his lips tilted in a grin.

TWELVE

Trellis and Travor came into the kitchen from the back porch at the same time Pack came in from the parlor. The boys stood beside the door with their hats in their hands. They looked more alike than ever now that Travor had stopped his swaggering and attempts to act tough. Pack could tell them apart when he saw them together, but he doubted he would know which was which if he met them one at a time in a crowd.

“Want some coffee?”

“We want to talk to you.”

“Can you talk and drink at the same time?” Pack poured coffee into granite cups.

“Guess so.” They hung their hats on the pegs beside the door and came to the table.

“What’s on your minds?” Pack straddled the bench and sat down.

The twins sat also, avoided looking directly at Pack, and fiddled with the cups. Finally Trellis spoke.

“Me and Trav’ve been talkin’. We ain’t thinkin’ Mara Shannon ort a be left here by herself. Cullen wouldn’t a done anythin’ while Ma was here, but now that she’s gone, there ain’t no tellin’ what he’ll do.”

“What do you think I should do about it?” Pack took a sip from his cup.

“I, ah, we think you ort a take her with you, or stay here and see
they
don’t bother her.”

“They, meaning Cullen and his bunch.”

“You know what they are, Pack.” Travor gave his older brother a disgusted look. “Cullen thinks to marry up with Mara Shannon and get this place.”

“You don’t think that’s a good idea?”

“Hell!” Travor rose off the bench, then sat back down. “Cullen ain’t fit to wipe her feet.”

“Why the interest in Mara Shannon? You said she was prissy and bossy.”

“She was good to Ma, and she’s been square to me and Trell.” Travor faced Pack, his gaze daring him to scoff because he had changed his mind.

“What do you boys want to do now?”

“We been talkin’ about that too.” Trellis lowered his lashes over his blue eyes and stared into his coffee cup. “We’d go with you, but we ain’t leavin’ Mara Shannon here by herself.”

“What about your pa? What’s he going to do?”

“We’ll find out when he sobers up. He took to the bottle right after the buryin’.”

“Cullen won’t give up without a fight. He’s got too much to lose.”

“We figured that. We ain’t runnin’ out on Mara Shannon, like you’re doin’.” Travor spoke resentfully, clipping each word.

Mara stood at the top of the stairs listening to the conversation below. She had changed into a work dress, taken down her hair and tied it at the nape of her neck. When she had first gone to her room, she had stood just inside the door, shivering with the knowledge that she was now the wife of a big, battle-scarred man who had the devil of an Irish temper. Now that she’d had time to think, her senses had come back full force, and she realized that to marry Pack had been the only option available to her.

It was Travor, the twin who had been so resentful, who was now taking up for her. She recognized his voice. It was a little louder than his brother’s, and he talked a little faster. She had worked hard to reach the lonely boy who hid his real feelings behind his scowl and his swagger. Now, listening to him, Mara could feel her own heartbeat shaking her, and at the same time tears of gratitude brightened her eyes.

“Can’t you stay here, Pack?” Trellis asked.

“He ain’t goin’ to stay, Trell,” his brother sneered. “He’s got to get back to that blond whore at the Diamond.”

“You seem pretty sure, Trav.” There was a mocking tone in Pack’s voice.

“Ever’body knows that you ’n that woman they call Candy are thicker’n eight in a bed.”

“Is that right?”

“Bedurned and bedamned! You know it is. Why’d you rather have her than a woman like Mara Shannon? Mara Shannon can read and she knows things about history and cipherin’. ’Sides, she’s sweet and pretty. She’s Irish, too, like us. That other woman ain’t nothin’ but a bangtail.”

“Watch your mouth when you talk about Miss Camp. You’re pretty quick to judge someone you don’t know anything about.”

“I ain’t deaf and dumb, for God’s sake. I know she works at the Diamond Saloon, and I know that’s where men go to get their rocks knocked off.” Travor’s young, squeaky voice quivered with temper.

“You know a lot for a wet-eared kid.”

“I might have wet ears, but I ain’t got sawdust atween ’em!”

“And I have?”

“You ain’t got no brains, if you don’t look out for your own kin.”

“I’m not blood kin to Mara Shannon. You are.”

Mara’s brow knitted in a puzzled frown. She wondered why Pack didn’t stop arguing with the boys and ease their minds by telling them that he was staying. He was probably sorry he had married her, and was thinking about the woman who worked at a saloon where men went to “get their rocks knocked off.” She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she certainly knew what a whore was.

So
that
was the kind of man she had married! A man who consorted with whores. Defended them! Well! It was no wonder he was reluctant to marry Mara when he had a skilled lover waiting for him in town. For some reason unknown to her she felt both insulted and hurt. Mara placed her hand over her heart and vowed that she would never forgive him. Never, if she lived a million years!

Mara reached behind her, slammed the door smartly, then walked down the stairs into a silent kitchen. Be casual, she ordered herself, while the pulses thudded angrily in her wrists. He had a lot of nerve to sit at her table, eyeing her the way he was after he had just defended a fallen woman, a woman so tarnished that even a boy like Travor knew her reputation.

She stopped behind the twins and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Are you hungry?”

“No, ma’am,” they answered in unison.

Mara looked over their heads and into Pack’s midnight blue eyes. “Has Pack told you the news?”

Twin heads swiveled to look at her. “What news?”

“I’ll leave the telling to him. After all, he’s the one who will have to balance his
loss
against his gain.”

Mara’s chin angled up as she turned away. Pack couldn’t suppress a twitch of his firm lips. So she had been listening and heard what was said about Candy. Mara Shannon McCall Gallagher would never understand about a woman like Candace Camp, better known as Candy to the miners and rail-roaders who spent their money at the Diamond Saloon. The uppity little snob didn’t know what it was to scrounge to keep body and soul together. She’d had a soft life at the school. She looked at him now as if he had just crawled out of a pig sty. Damn her! Charlie had been right. He might not have any peace from now on, but life with her wouldn’t be dull. They’d start off right. He’d teach Miss Priss not to bait the bear.

“Come around here and we’ll tell the boys our news.”

“You’re the one with the Irish gift of gab. You don’t need me.” Mara went around the end of the table on her way to the wash bench to wash her hands. Pack’s arm shot out and circled her waist. She didn’t have a chance against his great strength. She lost her balance and he pulled her back and down onto his lap before she could take a deep breath. “What in the world do you think you’re doing? Let go of me . . . damn you—”

“Hush, wife. I’ll not have you cussing. Boys, meet your new sister. Mara Shannon and I are married. Sam rode after the preacher. He came back and tied the knot—good and tight and legal. We’re man and wife. What do you think of that?”

Mara could feel Pack’s hard thighs beneath her buttocks and the arm that locked her to him was unrelenting. She squirmed, trying to break free. At least he hadn’t told them that she had asked him.

“Let me up—”

“Sit still, sweetheart. And don’t look so embarrassed. The boys will have to get used to me holding you on my lap. We’re all going to be living here together. We want them here with us, don’t we, darlin’? Tell them that they have a home with us for as long as they want it.”

“You’re married?”

Mara didn’t know which twin had spoken. It didn’t matter. Pack pulled her back against him so tightly her rib cage rested on his forearm. She considered butting him in the face with the back of her head. Considered it and rejected it. He would be just mean enough to retaliate.

“Tell them, honey,” he whispered. His lips nuzzled her ear before he caught the lobe gently between his teeth. “You taste just as sweet as ever, darlin’.”

“I . . . we want you to stay. You can have the room at the front of the house.” The words burst from Mara’s mouth, then she snarled between clenched teeth, “Let go of me, you dolt!”

“You’re married? Well, doggie! Well, confound me for a two-headed hoot owl!” Trellis jumped up and slapped his brother on the back. “I tole ya. Didn’t I tell ya, Trav?”

“Trell said you’d not go and leave her here. He said you’d think a somethin’. I just never thought a you
marryin
’ her. I never thought Mara Shannon’d have you. Why, she could have any town man she wanted. She could’ve even got a railroad conductor if she’d a wanted.” Travor had a pleased grin on his young face. Neither of the boys seemed to notice Mara’s struggles to free herself from Pack’s tight hold.

“I guess I must be more important than I thought if Mara Shannon would take me over
all
them other fellers—even a railroad conductor. My, that’s aiming pretty high.”

Because her head was whirling, Mara sputtered when she tried to explain. “Some . . . times circumstances—”

“Bring lovers together.” Pack interrupted her with such a quick tightening of the arm locked about her waist that it forced a puff of air from her mouth. “Isn’t that what you were going to say, sweetheart?”

Trellis’ admiring eyes stayed on Pack. “Ma would be real tickled about it.”

“I take it you boys approve of your new sister?”

“You bet!”

“It’ll put a end to Cullen’s plans. He’s goin’ to have a shit-fit! Oh . . . sorry, Mara.” Travor didn’t look as if he were sorry. He was still grinning, but his twin’s smile faded to a frown.

“Yeah. Cullen ain’t going to like this none a’tall. You’re goin’ to have your hands full, Pack. But me ’n Trav will stand with you.”