Dusty Britches (36 page)

Cash looked at her in astonishment. In fact, Dusty was astonished herself.

“Dusty, I-I,” he stammered.
“
I can prove myself worthy. I swear! Just give me a chance to have you again.
”

It was the same old argument. No, it hadn
’
t stopped over the past two years. It had lessened, yes.
Yet
Cash Richardson had never quit trying to win Dusty back.
S
he felt sorry for him
in those moments—s
o
rry for him and guilty herself,
for the grief she
’
d given him over his betraying her. Had he deserved it
? Had he,
when she
knew deep within herself she
would
’
ve
eventually
found
another
reason not to marry him anyway?

“
Cash,
”
she began
,
somewhat awash with guilt, “you never had me…n
ever. Not even when y
a
thought y
a
did. I
’
m the one who
’
s sorry.
”

“You’re just saying these things because I hurt you, Dusty,” Cash said. It was clear he didn’t believe her—perhaps thought she was only trying to resist him somehow. “But I know I can win you back.”

Dusty opened her mouth to offer further explanation. However, at that moment, s
he looked up to see Ryder
angrily
striding toward them
. She glanced at Becca. She stood some distance away, talking with Maudie. Becca nodded, and Dusty knew her sister
had sent Ryder to her rescue. As Ryder continued toward them, his eyes burned with annoyance
,
one hand
already fisted. Cash took a step backward as Dusty stepped in front of Ryder, putting a hand to his chest to stay him.

“Ryder,” she said, “h
ere comes Alice and her family
.
Y
-you
need to meet
her husband,
Alex
.”

Ryder looked past her to Cash—furious. Yet, stepping back, he followed as she started toward
Alice
.

“
I don
’
t know why you even stomach him,
”
Ryder growled.

“
Because
I
’
m realizing he wasn
’
t the only one who was dishonest where he and I were conc
erned,” Dusty explained.

Ryder stopped and
scowled a
t her.
“
What do y
a
mean by that?
”

“Dusty!” Makenna exclaimed. Dusty smiled as the little girl ran to her, wrapping her tiny arms around Dusty’s
legs.

“
Hey
there, sweetie,” Dusty giggled. She quickly picked
up the
little girl—grateful for the distraction.

“
You bru
ng Ryder Magics?” Makenna asked, pointing a tiny index finger to the handsome cowboy.

“
My
horse brung me,” Ryder answered. As the sweet little girl smiled at him, Dusty watched his anger and irritation fade. “You know I would
a broke Miss Dusty
’
s back if I
’d
a let her bring me to the picnic
.”

The clever little girl somehow understood Ryder’s humor and erupted into giggles. Makenna
stretched her arms to
ward
Ryder, and he
gathered
her
into his strong embrace. He chuckled as she
kissed him soundly on one cheek
.

“
Dusty! Honey, yo
u look wonderful!”
Alice
chimed, throwing
her arms around Dusty
’
s neck.
The
warm hug from her friend reminded Dusty that hugging had been all too absent in her life.

Alex Jones was carrying Jake on one hip
as he reached them
.
“
Hey there, Dusty,
”
he greeted.

Alex was a handsome man
—r
ather short with light hair and green eyes. His smile was his best feature
,
and Dusty nodded in greeting. He
’
d been a school chum of
Alice
’
s and Dusty
’
s when they were girls
.
Dusty had been very happy for
Alice
when she
’
d married
Alex; he was a good man
.

“
Ryder Maddox,
”
Ryder introduced himself.

“
Alex Jones,
”
Alex said, taking Ryder
’
s
offered
hand.

“
Didn
’
t you and your daddy run the grain shoot in town years ago?
”
Ryder asked.

“
Yes, sir,
”
Alex confirmed, obviously pleased R
yder recognized him. “I heard ya
were back as a hand over to Hank Hunter
’
s ranch.
”

“
Yep. Ain
’
t no better place to hang your hat,
”
Ryder told him.

“
Hank
’
s a good man. A good man.
”
Alex bounced baby Jake a moment when the boy began to fuss
and
then continued,
“
I hear my daughter
’
s expectin
’
a marriage proposal from y
a
when she grows up.
”

Ryder chuckled
,
and Makenna hugged him again.
“
Sweetheart, I
’
ll look like ol
’
man Leroy by the time you
’
re old enough to be gettin
’
married,
”
he said t
o the girl. Makenna only smiled, pinching
Ryder
’
s cheeks.

“
Well,
Al
ice
said Kenna
took right to y
a
the other day.
”
Again Jake whimpered
,
and Alex paused a moment to quiet him.
“
Kenna, you run along and find the other children, darlin
’
. Let your mama talk with Miss Dusty.
”
Kissing Ryder once more on the cheek,
Makenna
wriggled down from his arms and ran off in search of adventure.

“
So,
”
Alex began, winking at
Alice
,
“
I guess I have you to thank for givin
’
my
Alice
her first bird
’
s
-
eye view of a bathin
’
man, huh?
”

“
Alex!
”
Alice
gasped.
“
You shut your mouth!
”

“
You told him?
”
Dusty
asked
Alice
in a horrified whisper
. She couldn
’
t believe
Alice
had told Alex about the two of them
spying on Ryder
way back
.

“You know I tell Alex everything,”
Alice
reminded her.

“
Yes…but…
Alice
!
”
Dusty whispered.

Ryder and Alex both chuckled.
“
Yeah. Them two were always up to no good,
”
Ryder assured Alex
,
“w
hether it was snitchin
’
cookies or a sittin
’
up in a tree a
-
spyin
’
on me skinny
-
dippin
’
.
”
Dusty and
Alice
gasped simultaneously.
“
What?
”
Ryder asked.
“
You two think I didn
’
t know you were sittin
’
up in that tree?
”

Alex broke into a roar of laughter at the look on his wife
’
s face.

“
We weren
’
t spyin
’
on you
,”
Dusty stated.

“You were,”
Ryder argued, grinning triumphantly.

“
We were not!
”

“
Were too.
”

“
Were not!
”

“
Ah
, Dusty! Give it up,”
Alice
giggled.
“
We were so!
”

Dusty was completely
flustered
,
her cheeks fiery red with an embarrassed
blush. He
’
d known all the time?

As the two men stood chuckling,
Alice
simply linked arms with Dusty, straightened her posture
,
and said,
“
Fine. You two boys go on about your silly talk. Dusty and I are here to enjoy ourselves.
”
Turning, she pulled Dusty with her and started toward the quilting.

“
Just for that, Alex can get my turkey and candied yams out of the wagon
and
take care of Jakie
,”
Alice
giggled.

“
I
’
m horrified,
Alice
!
”
Dusty said.
“
All this time he knew we were
—”

“Ah, let it go.
It
’
s funny! And besides…Ryder never said anything
’
til now.
I think that
’
s right sweet of him not to tease us about it.
”
Alice
giggled again.
“
Just imagine how horrified you woul
d
a been if he
’
d taken to teasin
’
y
a
about it back then
.”

“
Not to mention Mama woulda had my hide,
”
Dusty added
,
smiling.

It was sweet to think Ryder had kept the knowledge to himself, especially consi
dering what a tease he had been—
what a tease he still
was
! It would
’
ve been perfect teasing ammunition. Dusty couldn
’
t
keep herself from glancing
back over her shoulder to where Ryder and Alex stood talking. She couldn
’
t stop
a
smile from spreading across her face when Ryder winked at her.

“
Who
’
s gettin
’
married?
”
Alice
asked, and Dusty turned her attention to the quilt stretched out on a frame in the shade of the trees.
“
I haven
’
t heard anyone announcin
’
anything. Have you?
”

“
No,
”
Dusty answered.

“
Well, let
’s find out.”
Alice
tugged on Dusty, urging her to hurry her step.