Her Bodyguard (20 page)

Gathering her courage, Mari opened her eyes, checked the ground below for slithery things, then swung to her feet. Luke lay atop bare dirt, propped against a saddle, his hat pulled over his eyes. His chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. He appeared to be fast asleep.

Mari seized the opportunity to escape down to the river to wash. Just as she left the campsite, Luke let out a snore that had her jerking her head around, eyeing him suspiciously.

His lips twitched. The villain was awake and pretending otherwise. In that instant of recognition, pique overrode Mari’s embarrassment. She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue at him. His laughter rang in the air and followed her down toward the water.

When she returned to the campsite, washed and prepared to take him on, she found both horses saddled and Luke ready to ride. He handed her a kerchief filled with blackberries saying, “This will have to do for breakfast, I’m afraid. If I remember right, we should run across a stand of peach trees not too far along the trail back to town.”

That, apparently, was that. No recriminations, no sly remarks, not even any teasing. And he had taken care of breakfast. Mari could have kissed him for making it easy for her. But then, kissing was what got her into trouble in the first place, wasn’t it?

Luke set a hard pace, and they made good time, stopping once for peaches, then periodically to rest the horses. They didn’t converse during the ride, and he limited talk to neutral topics during the breaks. Mari was glad of it. She told herself so, anyway.

She didn’t know what she’d say if he asked if she wanted to take up where they’d left off last night before the snake sighting.

She pondered the question at length during the journey, giving the matter serious thought. Pros and cons showered through her mind like a springtime rain. So intent was she upon exploring the possibilities that she didn’t immediately notice when Luke abruptly reined his horse to a halt and pinned her with a glare. “Would you quit staring at my butt?”

Mari felt the heat of a blush crawl up her face. “I didn’t…I’m not…I…uh…I apologize.”

“You know, Mari, I’ve tried to be a gentleman about this, but I’ve about run out of patience. I’m trying to get us to the Trickling Springs Hotel just as fast as I can.”

“You are?”

“I am.”

“So, are we going to…?”

“That’s up to you. I thought about it all night long. I figure I’ll get you within tossin’ distance of a bed, and then it’s up to you. You’ve had time to sleep on the notion now, so that lets me off the hook as far as taking advantage of you goes.”

Mari scowled at him. “Why in the world are you worrying about that? You’re an outlaw. You make a living from taking advantage of people.”

He scowled right back at her. “Not virgins.”

“You don’t steal from virgins?”

“Their money, maybe. Not their virtue.”

Mari lifted her chin. “Well,” she drawled, “aren’t you Mr. Ethics.”

“Actually what I am is hot and hungry and hard as a petrified fence post, and that makes for a damned uncomfortable ride. So keep your eyes on the trail, sugar, and give me a chance here. I’m doing the best I—” He broke off abruptly and went completely still.

“What is it?” Mari asked.

He put a finger to his mouth. Listened hard. “Riders,” he said flatly. “Coming fast.”

He looked around, pointed toward an outcropping of rock off to the right. “There. Get behind those rocks until I can figure out if they’re friend or foe.” When Mari hesitated, he said, “Go!”

“But what about you?”

“I’m the bodyguard, remember? Don’t you think it’s time I do my job? Besides,” he added, flashing her a quick, sharp grin. “I’m hoping to talk ’em into sharing their lunch.”

Mari kicked her horse and rode for the shelter of the rocks. She wasn’t about to hang around and risk another encounter with the likes of Finn Murphy. Luke was right. He was the bodyguard. She needed to let him do his job.

As she drew near her target, she realized the space wasn’t big enough for her and her horse. Glancing around, she spied a stand of cedar trees not far from the rocks. She veered in that direction, guided her mount deeply into the trees, then slid from the saddle and secured the reins. Safely hidden now, Mari moved to a spot where she could watch what transpired on the trail.

While she sought cover, Luke had moved to higher ground. Whatever he saw must have reassured him, because after a moment’s study, he once again descended to the trail. Mari considered following, but he looked in her general direction and waved her off.

Impatient, she waited. Moments later, she spied three riders approaching. They were a rough-looking group. All lean and hard. Two wore brown felt hats, the third black straw. Each of them was armed with pistols and rifles and bowie knives.

Mari shifted farther back into the trees. Tense, she watched the men approach her bodyguard. She was too far away to read their expressions, but Luke appeared loose and relaxed rather than on guard. Of course, considering his lack of success as a bodyguard, no telling what she should expect.

Then the black-hatted man reached into his saddlebags and Mari held her breath. The rider drew out…

“Lunch?” Mari watched in surprise as Luke took a bite of what appeared to be jerky. Be hanged if the man didn’t get lunch, after all.

The men dismounted and Luke started talking. Mari watched while he finished his jerky and started on a piece of bread, gesturing with it while he spoke. Minutes later, the four men broke into laughter. Well, didn’t the four of them just look all cozy and friendly? Obviously, these folk were not foe.

Mari retrieved her horse and headed back to the trail. As she approached, the men fell silent. The three newcomers watched her warily. One of them took a step backward. Luke smirked and said, “Show ’em your hands, Maribeth, so they know you’re not carrying.” After a significant pause, he added, “A cactus.”

Embarrassment caused Mari’s cheeks to flush with heat as the men shared grins of amusement. She’d make Luke pay for that once they were alone again.

Mari dismounted and offered the group a polite smile, waiting for Luke to perform introductions. Instead, he addressed the man in the straw hat saying, “I think I’ve told you everything. Y’all can head on out. Happy hunting.”

“We’ll get the job done,” Straw Hat said. “You know you can count on us, boss.”

One of the other men handed Mari a neckerchief with its ends tied together. Peeking inside, she spied two biscuits and three strips of jerky. “Thank you, Mr…?”

He tipped his hat but didn’t reply. Taciturn fellows, she thought as the riders mounted their horses. With an arch of her brow and a pointed look, she demanded an explanation from Luke.

“They’re going after Murphy,” he told her as he sent the men off with a salute.

“Oh?” Mari settled an even more interested stare upon the departing riders. “Who are they? How did they happen to be here?”

“I sent for them yesterday. We’ve been looking for that son of a bitch for a long time.”

“Who is ‘we’?”

“
We’d
better get going. Still a ways to ride into town. You gonna eat both those biscuits? I’ll take one if you’re not.”

“Luke!” she said in a warning tone. “Who were those men?”

“Friends of mine. Don’t ask any more, Mari. I don’t want to lie to you.”

She thought about that a moment. “Are they members of your gang?”

“Damn, but you’re a hardheaded woman.” He exhaled a frustrated sigh. “All right, they were members of my gang. Those men were Texas Rangers. They’re hunting down Finn Murphy and the Brazos Valley gang to capture them and bring them to justice. I sent ’em a telegram, and they dropped what they were doing and came here straight away.”

Mari narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Just be that way. I guess it doesn’t matter who they were as long as they shared their biscuits.”

“That’s right,” he shot back. “Now you get it. So, are you ready to ride?”

“Definitely. The sooner we get there, the better.” She climbed back onto her horse.

“That’s what I say.” He swung up into the saddle.

“Good.”

“Fine.”

They rode for almost half an hour without exchanging another word. Finally, Luke yanked back hard on his reins and said, “It was the truth, Mari.”

“What was the truth?”

“Those men. They really are Texas Rangers.”

She reined her horse to a halt. “Right. You made your point, Luke. If you want to keep their identities secret, that’s your business. However, I’d prefer you simply say it straight out. I abhor liars.”

“Dammit, I’m not lying.”

“They called you ‘boss.’”

“Well, I am their boss.”

Mari sniffed with disdain. “That’s ridiculous. I might have believed you corrupted one Texas Ranger into joining your outlaw gang, but three?”

“I didn’t corrupt anyone into doing anything. Mari, I’m a Texas Ranger, too.”

Luke, a Texas Ranger. Right. Sister Gonzaga might have bought that he, but Mari knew better.

“I’m captain of a special company appointed by the governor to conduct a secret investigation of suspected collusion between law enforcement and outlaw gangs operating in the Fort Worth to San Antonio corridor.”

Mari looked at him, took his measure. “Sure you are, Mr. Garrett. And I’m the Tooth Fairy.”

LUKE BROODED the rest of the way to Trickling Springs. He stewed off and on all night in his hotel room—his own, personal, separate, lonely hotel room—and by dawn, he’d worked himself into a smoldering temper.

She didn’t believe him.
He
couldn’t damn well believe
that
. For the first time ever, he cared that someone knew he wasn’t an outlaw and what happened? She thought he was a liar. It really chapped his butt.

For some reason, he wanted her respect. Her admiration. He wanted her to know the real Luke Garrett.

To hell with that.

Rain had moved in overnight and dim, gray tight provided only minimal illumination for Luke as he picked the lock on Mari’s hotel room door and slipped inside. He took a moment to appreciate the picture she made, lying in bed like a fairy-tale princess, her golden hair fanned across her pillow, a touch of rose in her flawless, sun-kissed complexion. A hint of a smile in her lush, pink lips. She wore the crisp linen sleeveless nightgown she’d purchased at the general store yesterday upon their return to town. It buttoned up the front and delicate lace trimmed the modest neckline. The top two buttons were undone, revealing a tantalizing amount of skin. In an effort to be a gentleman, Luke did his best not to look as he sat at the end of her bed, reached out and gave her shoulder a shake. “Wake up.”

Mari’s eyes flew open. She blinked twice, a startled look in those gorgeous sapphire eyes. Then the light in her eyes changed, turned fearful. “What’s wrong? Murphy?”

Luke scowled. He hadn’t intended to frighten her, but dammit, he wanted this settled. “This has nothing to do with Murphy. I want you to ask me questions about my job.”

Again, she blinked twice. Then, abruptly, she sat up and clutched the sheet to her chest. “Are you crazy?”

“That’s not the sort of question I want you to ask.”

“What time is it?”

“Sun’s up. That’s not the right kind of question, either. Ask me about the Texas Rangers, Mari.”

For a long moment, she simply looked at him, stared at him as if he were a bug. Then she folded her arms. “Are the Texas Rangers downstairs ready to arrest you?”

Exasperated, Luke sighed. “You’re determined to be difficult about this, aren’t you?”

“Excuse me? I’m the one asleep in bed. You’re the one breaking into my hotel room. I should think the difficult label belongs to you.”

“All right. I’ll start.” He looked away from her, toward the soft rain falling outside her window, and collected his thoughts. “I was already well connected with a number of unsavory characters in Texas when I did my first job for the Rangers back in eighty-three. Because we figured those connections might be useful, when I officially joined the force a year later, we kept the fact quiet. Until yesterday, the only people who knew the truth were the five men in my company and the governor himself.”

“How convenient,” Mari observed.

He wanted to snarl at her snotty tone, but he refrained. “Like I said yesterday, most of my work involves gathering information about the outlaw gangs who operate out of Fort Worth. Train robbers. Bank robbers. Cattle rustlers, too, although they’re not as high a priority. Twice now I’ve been ‘convicted’ of a crime and sent to Huntsville in order to infiltrate a gang.”

“Uh-huh.”

This time he did show her his teeth. “My special interest is recovering stolen items of historical interest. In fact, I was involved in just such a duty the night of the Spring Palace fire—until the McBride family interfered with my plans. Ask me questions, Mari. Ask me whatever it will take to prove to you that I’m telling the truth.”

Mari leaned back against the headboard. She drummed her fingers against her arm. For the first time since she’d opened her eyes, Luke sensed she just might be ready to listen.

He expected her to ask him something about the governor or the clandestine nature of his activities. Instead, she surprised him. “If your position is so secret that only six people know the ‘truth,’ then why in the world would you tell me about it? Isn’t that compromising your job?”

“Not unless you decide to sashay on down to the telegraph office and send out a statewide bulletin. Do I need to fret over that?”

She wrinkled her nose and sniffed. “No one would believe it, even if I did.”

“But you won’t do it.”

“No, I won’t.”

“I knew that. You are a trustworthy woman, Mari McBride, and I can only think of one other woman I would say that about.”

“Oh?” Curiosity gleamed in her eyes.

“My sister, Janna,” he responded, answering her unspoken question. “She moved to Galveston awhile back, lives there with her two little girls. Although they’re not so little anymore, I reckon. Young ladies, now.”

Mari fluffed her pillow, then settled back against it. “So, let me get this straight. You think I’m trustworthy, so you broke, what was it, seven years’ worth of silence to fill me in on your deepest secret? What would your men think of you putting them at risk that way?”