Hell's Belle (33 page)

She looked
relieved. Del reached for her hand. "Biscuit said you were a little
unhappy. Dismayed that the Vogels—"

"Oh, it's
silly. I don't even want to think about them. I'm just glad I don't have to
worry, with the necklace safely returned."

"Pretty sneaky
how you managed it, too, sewing it into the lining of my coat. But there's
something I should have told you. Hope you won't be mad at me."

He could see that
surprised her. "Why would I be angry? You're always so sensible. If you
haven't said something, there must have been good reason."

"I think it
was." Del purposely began rubbing at her monstrosity of a wedding ring. He
couldn't believe she hadn't removed it before visiting the Vogels. She'd
brought them a necklace like something the Queen of England would wear to a
grand ball—and done it while herself adorned with this misshapen, ungainly lump
of ordinary quartz. Any other woman would have been horrified at the thought.

"Manus Vogel
gave me some reward money while you were lying down, getting over your little
spell."

There. He'd spat it
out. Now he waited for her reaction.

It was slow in
coming. "Oh. I didn't know. But that makes me feel better. Petty as it
sounds, I couldn't help but feel they were a little ungrateful. I did go to
rather a lot of trouble for their sakes. They didn't even know I had the
jewelry. They believed the train robbers got it."

"I didn't tell
you about the money on purpose, and…" Del's nerve faltered. He glanced
away, finishing this last part while staring at a couple of his horses as they
grazed in the distance. "And I spent it on something. Without consulting
you first."

She tried to slip
her hand from his, but he held firm and met her gaze.

It wasn't fiery
with mounting anger, or even particularly intense. Her eyes were just wide and
clear and trusting.

"For Christ's
sake, Twila!" He fell to his knees, laid out by what he'd seen on her
face. By what she felt and knew and telegraphed to him wit those soft, golden
eyes of hers.

He pressed her
fingers to his lips, to his face. "I don't rightly know what to say. You
know that money was meant to be
yours
, and I'm admitting I took it and
spent it."

Her free hand
slipped into the hair on the back of his neck, the small section his cowboy hat
didn't cover. A caress that was sensual and also a benediction.

He swallowed.
"I thought…I never bought you a proper ring. I never gave you a formal
wedding ceremony, or a party with dancing and flowers. And you should have had
it, Twila. I planned to do all that for Betty Lee, and she didn't even deserve
it. She didn't really care. Anyway,  I took the money while I was out looking
for your cousin, and I went into a jeweler's shop and bought this."

He dug into his
pants pocket and pulled out a gleaming gold ring.

"I'd be
honored if you'd exchange vows with me all over again and put that one on your
finger, in place of that horrible lump you've been wearing since we saw the
minister."

For a moment, she
didn't say a thing. Didn't even flinch or blush as a tear trickled down her
cheek. She just stood there, staring at the ring he held out on his palm.
Finally she spoke quietly. "Yes, Delancy. When…uh, is the preacher coming
out here?"

Oh, no. Not
Phillips. Del could see the fear and uncertainty rise up behind her eyes. He
shook his head quickly. "I thought maybe we'd just say a few words right
here and now. We already spoke the clergy vows. I thought…just between us, here
on my land. Sort of seal things, you know?"

Honestly, he had no
idea what the hell made him say such a thing. Maybe the recognition that the
past was truly gone, the future open ahead of them. Maybe coming back here with
Twila at his side, Betty Lee's treachery fully revealed, bitterness mixed with
sorrow over Jordy…maybe things did need a seal. Closing off the past…

"All
right," she answered, "But I'd feel better if you stood up. This is a
little awkward."

A little? He was
kneeling on a pebble as sharp as Biscuit's tongue. "Well, the thing is,
you haven't let me formally ask you and get your answer yet. We rushed it that
other time. I just sort of blurted and begged for us to run off, and you went
along with the plan. Lame as it was."

She smiled and his
heart expanded. Jesus, but this woman was dear to his very soul, to his every
breath.

"Twilagleam
Bell Mitchell, do you solemnly swear to love me and cherish me all the days of
your life?"

"I do!"
She seemed to take it like a child's game. "And Delancy James Mitchell, do
you solemnly promise to love me and cherish me all the days of your life?"

"I do,
honey."

She bent to kiss
him. "Then arise, fair prince."

Oh, something was
arising, all right. Del got to his feet and pulled her up close to the cradle
of his pelvis so she could feel it rising, too. "I swear I'll be faithful
to you, take care of you and our children, until the last breath leaves my
body. I promise I'll make love to you whenever you want it, until I'm
exhausted. Then I'll get some shut eye and do it again."

He pulled the quartz
monstrosity off her finger, pitching it over his shoulder, and slid the shiny
replacement on her hand as he sought her lips. The kiss he gave her was sweet
and hot. The one she gave him back melted his bones.

She giggled and he
chortled with glee, and released her maybe a little too abruptly. She stumbled
a bit. There was a loud popping sound, and then she was sitting in the dirt,
gazing up at him with something like stunned amazement on her face. "Del,
I think I just broke my ankle."

He bent down.
"Oh, now honey! It's probably just sprained. Let's take a look—"

Nobody's leg was
meant to go like that.

She'd actually done
it. Gone and twisted her ankle on the rocks so badly, she'd broken a
bone."I got to get you up to the house and send somebody to fetch the doc.
Come on, Twila. Put your arms around my neck and hang on. That's a girl. Well,
you can't say our life isn't one big adventure, huh? First raccoons and now a
busted ankle. If those rocks were a horse, I'd come back out and shoot
them."

He kept talking,
making stupid jokes, praying. All the way back to the house. He tucked her into
their bed, stripped away her clothes, and helped her into a clean nightgown.
Barked at every man on his payroll, and generally felt like the world's
rottenest son of a bitch. What kind of man went out to propose to his ladylove
on bended knee and ended up busting her leg?

He was half crazed
with worry and liquor by the time the doctor left.

"She's all
taped and bound up. There's going to be some pain the next several days. I'll
leave you this laudanum. Not more than an occasional small spoonful in a glass
of water, though. Don't like my female patients in the family way to be
insensate for long. Keep the leg elevated, and don't expect miracles. She may
have a limp."

"She will
not
have a limp," Del snarled back.

"Well, we hope
not, but—"

"She will not
have a limp or any problems with the child because I won't stand for it! Do you
know how much I love that woman? Do you?"

"Oh,
boy." Sandy Thayer pried Del's fingers off the doctor's shoulder.
"Del, you're feeling kind of tense and worried. We understand, but
whatever happens, it's not Doc's fault. You're talking out of that bottle. He's
done now. Why don't you go in and see Twila?"

Del shook Sandy off
him and crept to the bedroom door. He cracked it open and saw her. Pale and
lost in the big bed. In her usual spot, right smack in the center of it. He
fought back tears as he realized he'd automatically lain her down where she
usually slept—but her spot couldn't be under him for…hell, maybe not for a very
long time. He crossed to the bed and slid his arms under her, edging her to one
side.

She murmured a
protest and Del whispered soothing words. "Hush, Twila. You need to rest.
I'll be coming to bed soon."

"Del?"
Her eyes shot open. "
Now
, Del. I want you with me now. Please? The
pain is bad, but I don't want that medicine. I don't think it's good to take
that with a baby growing in me. And the doctor says there is, and it's fine.
Could you just send everybody else away and just hold me?"

She could've asked
him to rob a stagecoach or lasso a star. Something hard. This he could do
easily enough. Hell, he
wanted
to do it.

He chased his
cowpokes away from the house, poked a few embers in the hearth, stripped down
and slid into bed with her. He cradled her gently until she fell asleep. He
wanted to sleep himself, but all night long he kept thinking about how she'd
taken that little stumbling step. Somehow when he replayed it in his mind, he
didn't just let go of her. He kind of shoved at her, pushed her with just a
little impetus…but enough to make her lose her balance. Enough to make his
conscience keep him awake for hour upon hour of guilty recrimination.

He'd wanted to make
a sweeping gesture by giving her the new ring, swearing his devotion. Then he'd
gone and given her that little push…or pulled away when she'd been leaning on
him. Either way, caused her to lose her balance on those rocks.

Shit. Maybe
he
was cursed.

Twila edged back
against the headboard, mindful of the throbbing lump at the end of her shin.
She no longer thought of her foot as being a separate entity joined to her leg
by something called an ankle. She didn't have an ankle. She had a traitorous
swelling that caused her no end of misery. Only part of it physical.

Del was
inconsolable. Somehow he'd convinced himself that he'd unwittingly caused her
stumble and resulting injury. He'd apologized at least thirty times. Twila
thought if he said the word "sorry" just once more, she'd vomit.
Never a remote possibility these days.

She didn't want the
muffins and tea he'd tried to force on her. Didn't need him fussing with
pillows and hovering over her constantly. Lord, he was worse than a mother hen
with only one chick to brood over. Finally Twila thought of a temporary
solution. At least it would get him out of her hair for a short time.

"Del?"

"What is it,
honey? Your leg hurting again, or is it your back? Why are you laying at this
crooked angle? I just plumped those pillows. I'll do it again."

"No!"
Twila couldn't help shouting at him. He was lucky she didn't bare her teeth and
bite him.

"All I was
going to say was I lost my slipper yesterday," she calmed down enough to
get out. "I noticed I've only got one. I think we left the other when you
pulled it off to look at my leg."

"Oh…you're
right. I took it off. It's probably still laying out by those rocks. I'll tell
the boys to keep a lookout and bring it if they spot it."

"Er, no. I
really think you should go get it. It's already been left out overnight. The
dew has probably settled on the leather. Then if the sun bakes it…"

He just blinked at
her. Why could a man never follow the simplest logic to its conclusion?

"Del, it will
shrink! And then when I'm better and I want to wear those shoes again, that
one's not going to fit."

"I'll buy you
another pair. A dozen pairs. I'll take you dancing, Twila. Anything you want.
You just heal up, honey. Don't fret about some old shoe. You just get
well."

She ground her
teeth together. "Delancy, this isn't a case of the ague. I can't just eat
seventeen bowls of soup or wear a mustard plaster across my chest and get well.
This is going to take time. The bones have to knit. I'd appreciate it if you'd
stop feeling beholden to me and go get that slipper. Please."

Grumbling under his
breath about how he really took exception to the notion of leaving her
unattended for even half an hour, he tramped out of the house and across the
porch. Twila noticed he left the front door standing wide open.

Undoubtedly so he
could hear her clang the triangle he'd brought in from the cookhouse. If she
needed anything, she was to bang on the metal the way Biscuit did.

Twila thought it
was absolutely silly.

And probably the
nicest thing anyone had ever done for her.

Next to the new
ring, of course. That was so astonishingly lovely, so breathtaking and
unexpected, she'd lost her balance and broken her leg over it. No matter what
Del thought, Twila knew better. She hadn't been looking at where she was
standing or where she was going. She'd only been looking at the beautiful new
ring and thinking she must be dreaming.

Because all her
tiny hopes and dreams had come true.

* * *

"Hey, Del!
Take a look at this."

"Huh?"
Del had been too busy cradling the lost leather slipper in his hands, staring
at it and wondering how he could be such a monster. To hurt the one person
who'd never done anything but love and honor him. The person he loved more than
he'd ever dreamed possible. Oh, he'd wanted a wife…the same way most fellas
wanted one. Someone to clean his house, sit with him in the evenings, darn his
socks. Have his children.