Pioneer Passion (13 page)

She shrugged; it was a dead tie. And then
there were the rest of the men from Sandy, the youngest of the help
who was about her age, to Burt, somewhere around thirty. There was
Stuart, Santo and Jake, each one needed baths. Even Sandy who was
so thin he looked as if a light breeze could blow him away like a
puff of lint, but he was the best looking of the bunch. He had soft
brown eyes and a cleft chin. There was a deep crease in one cheek
that promised a dimple whenever he smiled, which was not often.
Haystack was the only one who bathed occasionally. If she were boss
she’d make sure... Oh, what’s the use of caring or wishing?

The daylight stretched into dusk before Guy
slammed through the back door. Startled, Rusty nearly dropped a
plate while setting the dinner table. The cowboy watched her for a
minute and she could feel tension radiate in the air.

His voice was cheery, and he said, “Hi, kid!
Evening Mattie.”

The cook turned and offered him a warm smile.
Wiping her pudgy hands on her stained apron she seemed to sense
that they needed privacy and she excused herself to take the wash
off the line. Guy winked at her in appreciation and she nodded in
return.

“Something sure smells good,” he commented.
His broad smile almost made her knees buckle. There was a scraping
sound on the floor as Guy folded himself into a chair that gave
with a familiar squeak. With a slight tremble to her hands, she
wiped them on her pants and said,

“Heard you were in town,” but it sounded more
like question. She fidgeted, thinking, oh, why do I feel so
foolish?

Guy nodded and placed his elbow on the table.
“I’d like to talk to you after supper. I have things to discuss
with you; we can sit on the verandah if you like.”

His slate eyes danced with mirth, causing her
stomach to knot. The laughter in his eyes did nothing to calm her
nerves. In fact, it did the opposite and she wondered what he was
up to now. He sounded so serious that Rusty searched anxiously for
the meaning behind his words and feared that he would send her way.
It wouldn’t surprise her, the way she’d been acting, but, maybe it
was for the best. Although the thought tore at her insides, still,
it was getting harder and harder to live under the same roof. Well,
she wouldn’t beg him to let her stay; she had her pride. Her mind
was plagued with the same questions: Where would she go? Where
would she live, and how would she take care of herself?

To get through supper, Rusty had to clear her
head, but during the meal her mind was troubled with the notion
she’d soon be gone. After supper, a meal she only picked at, she
followed Guy to the verandah. The night was cool and she shivered
more from uncertainty then the crisp air. She stood beside Guy
trying to control her emotions. No matter what he decided her fate
would be, she wouldn’t beg or show weakness.

Now if she could only convince her knees to
stop trembling. Leaning against the railing, she watched Guy light
up a cheroot; the smoke circled his handsome profile. He took a
long draw, and then flipped the unfinished butt into the air. She
watched the glow fall to the ground to explode into a million
sparks. Why did she feel that it was her heart he had just
discarded? Rusty held her breath, watching Guy’s slate eyes as he
seemed to search the night sky.

Guy had spent most of the day mulling over
whether to tell Rusty about his parents. It was time she knew, but
he wasn’t sure she would go along with his new proposal. He figured
the best way to put the past behind her, would be for her to get
away from here for awhile. He wanted to visit his parents and he
believed it would be good for her also. With a grunt he cleared his
throat noisily, once again searching his thoughts about where to
begin. This wasn’t going to be easy. He turned, seeing her
distressed gaze. Was that panic he saw rooted there?

“There’s an important matter that needs to be
discussed.” He placed his hands in his pockets. “I guess I should
have mentioned my family before now but there was never a proper
time. With things, err… you know.” He blurted out the next
sentence, “Hal Strong is one of the wealthiest cattleman in Nevada
and he happens to be my father.”

He searched for a reaction: Disbelief, anger,
confusion, but all he saw was a blank expression and uncertainty
lodged in her eyes. He continued, “I wanted to be the foreman on my
father’s spread to earn the trust fund that was set up for me but
my father wouldn’t hear of it. He claimed that no son of his was
going to be a mere foreman on his ranch.” Guy sighed, “Hal Strong
wanted better things for me and my brother, Kyle.” Never being
candid with anyone before, he was surprised to discover it was
easier talking to her than he had thought.

He told Rusty more about his family, much
more than he had originally intended and again he was surprised at
how easy it was to reveal his past life to her. She was the first
person he had enough confidence in to share his feelings, and the
more he learned about the bewitching young lady, the more he wanted
her to be in his life.

“I tried law school, but quit after one year;
it wasn’t for me. I wanted to be a cowboy and work with my hands.
When I returned home, my father hit the roof, so I rebelled by
gambling and spending his money in saloons. Tired of his lectures,
I finally left home and hired out as a cowboy. I didn’t mind the
hard work, but there wasn’t much profit in working for someone
else. Now, I’m thinking of going home for a visit.” He waited for
her reaction to his past and family, but he couldn’t get any
message from her blank expression. His voice tight, he rasped, “Is
something wrong?”

Again, Guy studied Rusty’s features. Her
green eyes blinked at him and her flushed cheeks didn’t go
unnoticed. He stood in wonder of her, thinking she was the
prettiest woman he’d ever met. And the thought made him feel as if
he was caught in her web of magic. Guy shook his head, not sure if
he wanted to deny the attraction any longer. But he was damn sure
of one thing; that prostitute he visited didn’t do a damn thing to
stop his lusting after her.

“I guess I’m just tired,” she replied, giving
a shadowy glance. Rusty turned away and he suspected it was so he
wouldn’t pick up on her false answer. He merely shrugged knowing
she wasn’t totally honest with him and wanted to probe further but
instead, silently walked away. He stopped at the coral and rested
his arms on the wooden fence. Inhaling the night air, he knew she
was right behind him; his body would come alive when she entered
the circle of his life. When she stood beside him, copying his
stance, she didn’t look at him as he spoke to the heavens as if he
were talking to the lonely stars.

“I received a wire today. My sister, Skye, is
marrying a lawyer.” He grunted in a funny manner. “I guess my
father got his wish, twice over since my younger brother finished
what I started. That’s how Sis met her future husband; the two men
became aquatinted in law school. So how about it, do you want to
attend an engagement party?”

It seemed like a lifetime since he’d last
seen them. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to recall where
it had all gone wrong. His father had always patted Guy on the
back, bragging to his friends about what a fine lawyer his son
would make one day. He was a little apprehensive about meeting his
old man again. Even though he had been invited home, there was no
clue in the telegram as to his father’s feeling towards him.

Guy turned, his eyes locked with hers. He
wondered why she didn’t reply. The large limpid pools that were her
eyes blinked languidly. “Well!?” he barked, immediately sorry that
his voice was laced with impatience.

“You… you want me to go with you?” she choked
out, appearing startled momentarily by his curtness, so he softened
his tone.

“Why not,” he asked, puzzled. “I see no cause
why you shouldn’t. The trip will do you good. You did say you’ve
never been anywhere except to town. This is just the thing you need
to get you mind off of...” His voice trailed, recalling the last
time he opened his big mouth. To cover up the slip of the tongue,
he quickly added, “You’ll like my family, and I know they’ll adore
you.” Guy felt that he had given her all the reasons to consider
the trip, except the most important one; he would miss her if she
were left behind. “Well, what do you think?” he probed, seeing her
thick feathery lashes flutter in confusion.

“I don’t know what to think.”

“Look,” he took her hand gently, feeling her
tremble. He wondered why she was shaking so. Maybe it was the
excitement. No, probably the cold night air, he reasoned. “Come
inside, I’ll make you a hot drink,” he offered assuming she needed
something to soothe her nerves. She followed obediently and when
they were indoors, he steered her into the kitchen and boiled water
for tea. After preparing the brew he finished his conversation by
admitting, “I know we got off on the wrong foot and… I’m truly
sorry for the pain I’ve caused you.” He set the tea down in front
of the quiet girl. “I think coming away with me will do you good,”
he stated again.

“Away?” she whispered into her cup, blinking.
The kid licked her lips and they lifted at the corners giving him a
relieved smile, and then she stated flatly, “I guess if you want me
to come it would be exciting to take a trip. When are we going?
What about the ranch?” she asked.

“Weren’t you listening?” Guy laughed, amused
at her lack of concentration and silly expression but glad to see
some of her color return to her ashen face. The fact that she had
consented to go and was taking the news better than he expected
lifted the tightness from his chest. She did act strangely though,
but he dismissed that notion. He had given up trying to figure her
out and replied, “We’ll go as soon as possible.” Guy straddled the
chair before he answered her other question. “My ranch is in good
hands and I found a young man in town that needed a job.”

Rusty shrugged wondering what sort of fellow
this man was that Guy would hire him on the spot. Well, he can’t be
any worse than the men that work here now. But, she couldn’t deny
that although they were a motley bunch, they respected Guy and were
good workers. And who was she to judge, her dress was not normal
for a female. “When will he be here?” she asked trusting his
judgment. Trust? The feeling was new and strange to her.

“He’ll be here in the mornin’,” he
drawled.

In her room, Rusty could now laugh at her
stupidity. Her fears were premature and she now felt so foolish
that she only shook her head; his words were not what she had
expected. She had watched as he walked down the steps into the
yard. His long legs moved slowly across the yard like the strut of
a panther and she was mesmerized by the way his pants fit so snugly
across his hips. Was it possible to have such unladylike thoughts
when only moments before her misconceptions reduced her to a state
of total confusion? Was she losing her grip on reality? Or, was she
just relieved he wasn’t sending her away? She had no answers. The
only thing she knew for sure was her love for Guy. Too perplexed to
make any logic out of his rambling discourse, she had followed him
into the yard.

Rusty had listened to the cowboy drone on and
on, catching words here and there. All this news addled her brain,
but she felt her tense features relax somewhat. At the time she
wondered if she had heard him correctly. Was she invited to meet
his family? She turned, swallowing the lump in her throat, thinking
that it was not the time to lose her voice. Licking her lips, she
had waited for her vocal cords to vibrate again, before she was
able to answer the man. The need to sigh long and hard lay dormant
and she had mulled over his words, as she sipped the hot liquid
slowly. Once she believed it was best to get as far away from Guy
as soon as possible, but now… now after the thought of him sending
her away, she was certain, she could not live apart from him. Her
mind felt like cotton, and still weary of her emotions, she was
hoping it wasn’t a dream. When, all this finally registered she
lost a heart beat, feeling relief.

But the relief she had felt now soon turned
to anticipation.

Chapter Fifteen

Rusty heard the whinny of the horse and it
drew her attention to the window. The rider came to an abrupt halt
in the front yard and she felt her breath was cut off when she
recognized, without a doubt, her brother. Damnation! What’s going
on? Confusion and anxiety overwhelmed her but her instincts told
her not to acknowledge Scott first because there must be a reason
for this. Just when she believed that her life was on a smooth
path, again fate had thrown her a curve. Crap!

She walked through the front door trying to
quell her trepidation but it was almost impossible to steady her
erratic pulse. Stepping on the porch, she shaded her eyes seeing
Guy reach Scott’s side. Scott appeared older than his twenty-one
years and very fatigued; it took all her strength not to run into
her brother’s arms. Instead, she bit her lips, swallowing the urge.
Unknowingly, Guy introduced her to her own brother. “Rusty
Crawford,” Guy nodded toward Scott, “this is Nick, Nick
Morrow.”

Shaking hands Scott gave Rusty a look that
begged her not to give him away. She acknowledged him with a nod
wishing she knew what he was up to. She made a lame excuse and left
feeling too tense to remain in the company of the two men. She
couldn’t wait to find out what was going on but didn’t get to see
her brother again that day because Guy kept Scott busy.

That night as Rusty rested her head on her
pillow, her nerves were as taut as a bowstring. Sleep eluded her
for a long time and her troubled mind was filled with many
questions. Finally, out of sheer exhaustion, sleep overtook her. In
the early morning Rusty heard a distant sound. She opened her eyes
noticing it was early, before the sun had a chance to peek its
volcanic head over the crest of the mountain.