Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) (19 page)

Saber's heart wrenched inside her. Reese had
never really had a proper family life; she could
understand why the ranch was so important to
him. If only he'd let her, she could help him. But
he was such a proud man, he probably wouldn't
take help from anyone.

She stood and replaced the book on the shelf.
"Good night, Jake. I am comforted just knowing
you are nearby."

"You don't have anything to be afeard of, Miss
Vincente. If you need me, just call out, and I'll
hear."

She smiled warmly. How perceptive of Reese
to see that Jake only needed guidance and a
home with someone to look up to as his hero.
And it was clear Reese was the boy's hero. Just
as Reese was her hero and always would be.

Saber closed the bedroom door and undressed. She pulled Reese's flannel shirt over her
head and felt it fall softly about her like a smooth
caress. She missed him so desperately. When
she left here, they might never see each other
again. How would she live the rest of her life
without knowing what was happening to him?

It was a long time before Saber fell asleep, because for the first time in her life passion had
stirred her body. She knew what it felt like to
have a man touch her with such gentleness that
she wanted to cry. She knew that she was capable of stirring that same passion in Reese.
He'd wanted her; she knew that.

She felt strangely empty and unfulfilled. She
was consumed by a desire and a need that she
could not understand. But one thing she did
know: NO other man, not even Matthew, could satisfy the hunger Reese had awakened in her.

She closed her eyes, imagining he was touching her. Then she turned her head and sobbed
into her pillow.

Midnight had come and gone before she
closed her eyes in sleep.

Reese left his horse at the stable and started for
the hotel, where he expected to find either Matthew or some of his family. He hoped to hell
Winna Mae was still there, because he could no
longer trust himself alone with Saber after what
had happened between them. He couldn't get
the feel of her satiny skin out of his mind, or the
way her blue eyes shone with passion when he
had touched her breasts.

Thinking about her now made him want to get
on his horse and ride back to the ranch. He
paused at the door to the hotel. He had to have
a woman to help him forget about Saber-he
had to have one now!

He walked purposefully toward the saloon
and thought of Edith with the large breasts that
looked like they would fall over the top of her
gown if she bent over. Then there was the redhead, Dotty, who had tempted him on occasion.
Hell, he didn't care which one it was. He just
wanted a woman!

When he entered the saloon, he found it crowded. He walked directly to the bar and ordered straight whiskey. Edith came up to him,
touching her hip to his and smiling alluringly.
"Well, well, Mr. Starrett, what can I do for you
tonight?"

Her cheap perfume made his senses revolt,
and he remembered Saber's clean, sweet smell.

Edith pressed more tightly against him, her
breasts brushing his arm. "I have been waiting
a long time to get you into my bed. I have heard
stories that when Reese Starrett loves a woman,
she compares every other man to him afterward." Her eyes dilated with expectation, and
she leaned closer to him, whispering in his ear,
"I also hear you're big and thick. I'd like to find
out for myself."

Reese felt nothing but disgust for her. This
woman and ten others like her wouldn't ease
what was bothering him. No one would ever satisfy him but Saber.

"Let me buy you a drink," he said to Edith,
moving a bit away from her.

"Then afterward we could go to my room," she
suggested.

He downed his whiskey effortlessly and threw
money on the bar. "I'm not your man, Edith.
Your hair's the wrong color, and your eyes are
not blue."

She watched Reese leave the saloon, puzzled and disappointed. Just what woman gave him
his itch? Well, whoever it was, she wasn't going
to get to scratch that itch for him-he just
wanted the woman who was eating at his insides. She'd seen his symptoms before. Reese
Starrett was in love, damn it!

A weak sun shining through a gray sky did little
to banish the chill from the air. The people of
Fort Worth were still pondering what had happened to Saber Vincente, and they were even
more curious when they realized that her
brother, Noble Vincente, was staying in town.

A group of women huddled near the general
store watched Noble when he stepped into the
sheriff's office. They put their heads together,
each coming up with a valid reason for his visiting Sheriff Davis.

Noble found the sheriff asleep behind the
desk. He leaned forward and said in a com manding voice. "Wake up, Davis. I hear you
caught one of the Miller brothers."

The sheriff, Bud Davis, opened one eye and
then the other. He thought the tall man dressed
in Spanish trousers and a bolero jacket looked
familiar, but he couldn't place him right off.

"Yeah. We got the youngest. Name's Sam, and
he's plenty scared." The sheriff got to his feet,
hiking up his holster where it had slipped beyond his ample belly. "And who might you be,
stranger?"

"I'm Noble Vincente, and I want to question
Sam Miller."

Bud Davis nodded, impressed by the importance of his visitor. "You got the right to talk to
him if anyone does. You want me to bring him
out here, or you want to go back to his cell?"

"Has he talked?"

"Nope. He's not saying much."

"Then I might want to spend some time alone
with him. He'll talk for me," Noble said, his eyes
narrowing.

"I'll take you back."

The front door opened, and Reese entered the
jail. He paid little attention to the man talking
to Sheriff Davis, because he had more important
matters on his mind. "I hear you got one of the
Miller brothers. I want to talk to him."

"Get in line," the sheriff stated with humor.
"What do you want with him, Reese?"

Noble turned to meet the ice-cold eyes of the
man called Reese. "Are you Starrett?"

Reese knew immediately that he was facing
Saber's brother. "I am. And you must be Noble
Vincente."

The two men took each other's measure. And
Noble was the first to speak. "Is my sister with
you?"

"No. I didn't think it would be wise to bring
her out in the open just yet."

Noble took the two steps that placed him in
front of Reese. "And you have appointed yourself the expert on what's best for my sister?"

"Hell, yes," Reese said with the heat of anger.
He had expected the owner of Casa del Sol to be
an arrogant bastard, and he was. "When I found
Saber, you weren't around to ask how you
wanted me to handle the situation. So, to save
her life, I just acted on my own."

"How is my sister, and what measures have
you taken to protect her?"

Reese stared into the dark eyes of Saber's
brother. "She's taken over the running of my
house-she's offered me her advice on how to
saddle a horse. She's taken on the running of my
ranch she is the damnedest, most stubborn
woman I've ever met! How is she? You might better inquire how I've survived her instructions."

Sheriff Davis whitened. No one, not even
Reese Starrett, ought to say such things to Vincente about his sister. With trepidation, he
watched the two powerful men glare at each
other, and he wondered if their meeting was going to end in bloodshed. He couldn't let that happen, and was about to step between them when
he heard Noble Vincente laugh.

Noble extended his hand to a startled Reese.
"You have just accurately described my sister. I
can see now why Zeb was convinced that Saber
would be safe with you. Well done, Starrett."

Reese grinned and shook Noble's hand. "I
don't mind telling you, I dreaded meeting you
far more than the Miller brothers, with Graham
Felton thrown in for good measure."

Noble clapped Reese on the back. "You will
find the Vincente family grateful to you for what
you did. Come, let us question Sam Miller. I
won't rest until I have his brother and Felton
locked away or dead, and I'd prefer to see them
dead. I heard you had to kill Earl. Later I will
want you to tell me all about it."

The two tall men made their way back to the
cells, leaving Sheriff Davis to follow, scratching
his head in confusion.

Sam Miller looked more like a frightened boy
than a desperate outlaw. There was misery on
his youthful features, and he couldn't meet the
eyes of the two hard-eyed men who entered his
cell.

But when he saw Reese, his eyes brightened.
"Mr. Felton, have you come to get me out?"

Noble spoke before Reese had a chance to.
"And if he has, will you tell us where to find your
brother Eugene?"

Sam glanced in confusion at the man he believed to be Graham Felton. "Eugene's looking
for our brother Earl, Mr. Felton. I don't believe
Earl'd run out with the money, but Eugene
does."

Reese sat down on the empty cot across from
the young Miller boy. "Earl didn't run out on you
anymore than I'm Graham Felton. I had to shoot
your brother to get the information I needed to
find Miss Vincente."

Sam's eyes widened, and he swallowed several
times. "Is Earl dead?"

"I'm afraid so. He gave me no choice." Reese
crossed his legs and met the boy's gaze squarely.
"You see, Sam, when you walk outside the law,
bad things happen to you. I spoke to your ma. If
you get out of this, I hope you'll go home and
take care of her."

Sam lowered his head and began to sob. "Our ma will be mightily grieved when she hears
about Earl."

Reese suddenly felt pity for the boy. "I think
she already suspects he's never coming home,
Sam."

Noble had no pity for the boy who had assisted in kidnapping his sister. "You should have
considered your mother's feelings before you
chose your kind of life."

Reese held his hand up to silence Noble. "Miss
Vincente has told me of your kindness to her.
She said you kept Eugene away from her and
protected her. I'm sure if you talk, the sheriff will
look a little more kindly on your part in the kidnapping."

Noble frowned, not sure what in the hell
Reese was trying to do. But he'd wait and see
where the other man went with this.

Sam raised tear-bright eyes. "I couldn't let Eugene hurt her."

"No, you couldn't. I believe that your ma
would be proud of you for protecting Miss Vincente, Sam."

Sam blinked. "Do you think so?"

"Yes. She was the one who told me how to find
Earl, and that finally led me to Miss Vincente."

"Ma wouldn't help you against her own sons!"

"She was hesitant until I told her that the three of you had kidnapped an innocent
woman."

His face flushed with shame. "My ma knows
what we did?"

Reese nodded. "She's hurt real bad, Sam. You
might like to know that I made her a promise
that I tried to keep. I told her I wouldn't shoot
any of you unless you drew first."

He nodded in understanding. "Earl drew on
you, and you had to kill him."

"Yes."

"And you'd keep your promise if you found
Eugene?"

"I would. So far all the law wants you for is
kidnapping. You haven't killed anyone yet.
You'll probably spend time in jail, but it's better
than being dead." Reese moved forward and
lowered his voice. "Now, you have to understand, Sam, Sheriff Davis and Noble Vincente
here didn't make your ma any such promise.
That's why I think you should tell me where to
find Eugene. If I can, I'll bring him in alive. You
don't want your ma to weep over another dead
son, do you?"

Sam was quiet while he considered Reese's
words. At last he nodded. "I don't even know
your name."

"Sam, my name's Reese Starrett."

The boy's eyes widened. "I've heard of you. If Earl pulled on you, he didn't stand a chance.
They say you're fast on the draw."

"But no one ever said I drew on an unarmed
man or shot first, Sam."

"I heard that, too," Sam agreed. "I'll tell you
where Eugene went, but only you."

"You'll have to tell Mr. Vincente, too, Sam. Saber is his sister."

Sam glanced into the cold, dark eyes of the
Spaniard. "No. I won't tell him. He'll kill Eugene
for sure."

"Damned right I will!" Noble said menacingly.
"No one takes one of my family and lives to tell
about it."

Sam hugged the wall, his eyes going to Reese.
"If I tell you, you won't tell him, will you?"

"Think how you'd feel if someone kidnapped
your sister," Reese told him.

The boy lowered his head, weighed down with
shame for what he was about to do. But he had
to try to save his brother. "Eugene's gone looking for Earl across the Mexican border at Los
Lunas."

"What makes you think Earl is in Los Lunas?"
Noble asked.