People Will Talk (5 page)

The group around the heater erupted in
laughter, Cissy's high-pitched squeal rising above the men's
chuckles.

Nora felt an angry knot of tension in her
chest. For whatever reason, she'd become Richard's scapegoat, and
the object of this idiot's moronic humor.

She grappled with the range of possibilities
presented by her furious brain. Unfortunately, getting an Uzi and
wiping them all out might lead to some jail time. They probably
weren't worth it.

As Nora stood there, talking herself out of
committing murder, a sneer appeared on Cissy's face. Challenge in
her eyes, she pitched her voice louder and said, "I just hope Bret
knows what he's doing letting slime like her crawl into his
bed."

"Who says they do it in a bed?" the cowboy
questioned with an ugly grin. "Some women'll put out anywhere.
"

Hot, angry words quivered on Nora's tongue,
urgent and heedless. Before she realized it, she'd taken several
impetuous steps in their direction.

Stopping in front of the circle of men, Nora
said to the cowboy, "Considering who's draped over you now, I guess
you speak from personal experience."

The men around the stove erupted in laughter as
Cissy stiffened, her face darkening as Nora's meaning hit
home.

"Oh, I could never match you," Cissy spat out.
"I don't have the stomach for sleeping with old men for
money."

Nora stood before the group, aware of the men's
avid, expectant gazes. They wanted a cat fight, and would obviously
relish a brawl between the two women.

She should have known better than to have
responded to their slurs. Nothing good could come of this kind of
mudslinging.

Turning away, she walked quickly to the door as
a swell of murmurs and snickers rose from the group.

"Nora." Hoyt's voice caught her as she grasped
the handle.

She turned her head, struggling to keep her
emotions off her face.

''I'll make sure and point out your
announcement to anyone who might be interested," he said. His eyes
were kind, his compassionate gaze comforting.

"Thank you, Mr. Daniels," Nora said before
pushing open the door.

Once outside, the chill wind gusted in her face
like a slap. Nora caught her breath, an angry sob escaping
her.

It wasn't fair! She'd done nothing to entice
Richard's boss. If anything, she had tried to avoid the
man!

Stewing over it didn't do any good. All she
could do was grit her teeth and wait for the jackals to find fresh
meat. But she'd show them. Someday her riding school would be the
biggest thing in Stoneburg. She'd make it happen or die
trying.

******

Chapter Three

The warm smell of horses and sweet hay filled
the barn, warding off some of the chill in Nora's bones. Winter's
return to North Texas had made a rough workout for her and Chessie
this afternoon. She'd cut it short when the wind picked up, but not
before heading out to the fields for a wild gallop that set her
heart pounding.

Nora kept up a steady rhythm, brushing
Chessie's coat in even strokes, focusing on her movements in hopes
of ignoring the prickle of excitement that ran across her
skin.

Every now and then, a clatter from the tack
room reinforced her awareness of Bret's presence in the barn. He'd
breezed in after she started working on Chessie, his brief greeting
and tantalizing grin igniting a flurry of awareness in
her.

She tried to dismiss the memory of the
sensation of being in his arms, the rush of breathless passion his
kiss brought. Unfortunately, her efforts weren't very
successful.

The dim light in the stall seemed almost cozy,
while the mare's breathing accompanied by the shifting sounds of
animal life filled the barn. Blowing on her hands to try to warm
them, Nora ignored the wind shrieking around the
building.

This was where she felt the most peaceful,
sharing a silent communication with a horse. Putting Chessie
through her paces every day gave a structure, a purpose to Nora's
time that far exceeded anything she'd gained from her days living
with Richard.

A niggle of frustration tugged at her. How long
would it take for the people of Stoneburg to accept her again? The
scene in the feed store still grated on her nerves. She'd regretted
responding to the taunts. It hadn't done any good and might have
strengthened Cissy's determination to cause trouble.

The sound of the barn door opening broke into
Nora's thoughts, and a rush of cold air swept into the
building.

Nora glanced over her shoulder and spotted Eve
struggling to tug the door shut.

"Nora?" her friend called out in an anxious
voice, her brow furrowed as her eyes adapted to the dim
light.

"Over here."

Eve tugged at her gloves as she walked over to
Chessie's stall. "God, that wind is awful."

"A real blue norther. Come in and warm up." The
other woman stuffed her mittened hands into her pockets.

"How did Jessica feel about her lesson the
other day?" Nora asked when Eve didn't say anything
more.

"Good. Really good." She paused, a nervous
expression on her face.

"Is something the matter?"

"No, I just dropped by to talk to you about a
... a change in our class schedule. I'm afraid we need to postpone
your visit to talk to the class."

"Postpone?"

"Yes, we have a really busy schedule now. The
TACS test is coming up-"

"I thought you said that was later."

"Well." Eve cleared her throat. "Yes .. ,
."

Nora put the currycomb down on the post. "Eve?
Is there a problem with my coming to talk to your
class?"

Eve's face puckered. ''I'm sorry, Nora. I'm
really sorry! Mr. Stewart, the principal, told me not to have you
come."

"What? Why?"

Her friend looked down, catching her lip
between her teeth.

"Because of the gossip," Nora answered her own
question, her voice hard. "That's it, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'm really sorry."

"I'm such a terrible person that he thinks I'll
corrupt little children just by talking to them about riding?" The
thought sliced her to the quick. This was too much.

"Oh, honey. You're not terrible." Eve placed
her hand over Nora's where it rested on the stall. "Stewart's just
worried about his job. He's always been a real suck-up."

"Can't they see I'm not like that?" Nora could
hear the hurt in her own voice as outrage flooded her. "I'm not a
witch."

"I know," her friend said miserably. She
glanced nervously at her wristwatch. ''I'm really sorry. I have to
go. Jessica's playing at a friend's house and I'm already late
picking her up. I just had to tell you about this in
person."

Nora picked up the currycomb, her hand
clenching on the handle.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

Glancing up at her friend, Nora said quickly.
"No, of course not. Go get Jessica. I'm okay."

Eve hesitated a moment longer. ''I'll call
you."

"Good." Nora turned away, combing Chessie's
mane, holding her feelings in check to keep from further upsetting
Eve.

''I'm sorry," Eve said again. "Bye."

"Goodbye." A moment later the barn door opened
and slammed shut with a swirl of wind and hay.

Slumping against Chessie, Nora trembled with
the anger that rushed in. Never had she believed it would go this
far. Kids like Jessica were the reason she wanted to teach riding.
How could anyone think she'd damage school children?

Instead of dying down, the gossip just seemed
to be mushrooming. She had to face the possibility that it might
even affect her being able to buy the Turner property. Mrs. Turner
was one of the most upstanding women in town, the daughter of a
former governor, the mother of the mayor of Stoneburg.

She'd been part of the group of women at the
diner that day.

What were the chances that Mrs. Turner would
sell her homestead to a hussy like Nora? It just wasn't fair! Nora
sobbed beneath her breath, her hands shaking so badly she gave up
trying to groom Chessie. The big horse shifted, tossing her head
gently as she eyed Nora.

Leaving the stall blindly, she turned to slam
her hand against the rough wall.

Bret heard a thud. There was no point
continuing to look for the bridle. From the moment he'd turned his
attention to the conversation between Nora and Eve, he hadn't
really seen the stuff on the table in the tack room.

He told himself it was rude to eavesdrop and
even ruder not to let the fact be known, but he couldn't hide in
here, knowing how Nora must be feeling.

Pushing open the tack room door, he stepped
into the barn and saw her slumped against the wall next to the
mare's stall. Even from this distance, he could see that she was
crying.

So much for staying out of it.

He crossed the cement floor to where she stood.
Nora stiffened at his approach, surreptitiously wiping at her
cheeks.

"It's a real bitch, isn't it?" Bret made no
pretense he hadn't overheard. "Here you are paying for something
you never did."

That brought her head up. She studied him
through narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"

"All this gossip about you seducing Richard's
boss."

Nora tilted her head. "You don't think I
seduced him?"

Bret laughed softly. "No, I don't."

"Why not?" she asked bitterly. "Everyone else
in town has tried me and found me guilty."

"The way I see it, not only are you too smart
to play footsie with a guy on the side, you're also too honest."
Bret couldn't say how, but he knew she'd never cheat on a
man.

"Honest?"

He shrugged. "You just don't work that way. I
could see Cissy doing something like that, but not you."

"Thanks." She straightened from the wall, her
normally soft face still hard with anger.

"But the real problem," he went on, "is that
you're letting people in town run over you."

"What?"

"All you need to do is show them who's boss and
they'll leave you alone."

"How? By talking back when they say nasty
things? I've tried that. It just stirs things up more."

"You have to convince them that you can't be
kicked around."

"I can't imagine how I could do that," she
said.

"See, Nora, it's not that you've supposedly
done such a terrible thing. Most folks here in town have done worse
or had worse done to them."

"So why are they tormenting me?" The words
seemed wrenched from her.

" 'Cause you're letting them."

"What can I do about them having trashy minds?"
She shoved away from the wall and paced in front of Chessie's
stall.

"Well, for one thing," he said, "you can stop
acting like a guilty woman."

Nora stopped. "I am not acting
guilty!"

"You don't go out anywhere or do anything fun,
except with Eve and her family. Other than when you're here, you
hide in your mother's house. And when you meet people on the
street, you march past them with hardly a smile."

"They've judged and condemned me! What am I
supposed to do? Invite them over for tea?"

"Maybe not invite them for tea, but smiling at
them is a good idea."

She stared at him, disbelief on her face.
"You've got to be kidding. Me having a cheerful expression will
make them change their minds about me?"

"Honey, you need to show them you don't care
what they think about you. Show them you're not cowering in your
room. You need to throw this stuff back in their faces."

"I don't have a clue about how to do that."
She'd stopped pacing and he thought he saw a glimmer of interest in
her eyes.

He smiled, ready to jump on the opportunity to
help her out and maybe earn himself another of her kisses. "Go out
with me tonight. We'll kick up our heels, drink and
laugh."

Nora looked up at him, an arrested expression
on her face. "Going out with you will show the town that I can't be
run over?"

"It'll show them that you're not gonna be
controlled by the talk. We'll go to the Roadhouse, have a few beers
and dance till dawn." And maybe more, if his luck held.

"I can't go to a place like that," she gasped.
"People will talk even more."

Bret shook his head. "It's just a bar, not a
cathouse. Stop thinking like your mother."

"I am not my mother," she said distinctly. "Not
that there's anything wrong with her."

"No, of course not," he agreed, privately
amused at her response. "But refusing to go to a bar just because
it used to be a little rowdy--that's something your mother would
do."