Scotsman Wore Spurs (42 page)

One couple, a tall man and a woman obviously with child, eyed her curiously before turning to look toward other passengers descending from the train. The woman appeared somewhat anxious.

Gabrielle moved a little closer, and she saw the woman's eyes. Hazel with flecks of gold. Drew's eyes.

The woman's gaze met hers, and when Gabrielle smiled tentatively, the woman moved forward, one hand drawing her male companion with her, the other outstretched.

“Gabrielle?” Her voice had a soft Scottish lilt to it, and Gabrielle dropped her bag, balanced Ha'penny, nodded her head, and offered her own hand.

The woman took it warmly. “I'm Lisbeth Masters, and this is my husband Ben.” She inspected Gabrielle with frank, though not unpleasant, curiosity, then looked at Ha'penny. “A boy?” she asked, and when Gabrielle nodded, she added, “How wonderful. Our Sarah Ann's been hopping up and down, waiting for her new brother or sister, and now she has one to practice on.” Her eyes went to the dog.

“And who is this?”

“Honor,” Gabrielle said. “I hope you don't mind, but Honor considers himself the baby's protector, and I couldn't leave him behind.”

“Of course, you couldn't,” Lisbeth said, winking at her husband. “I can't wait till Honor meets Henry the Eighth. But how did you get him on the train?”

Gabrielle smiled. “Tears.”

Lisbeth laughed. “Sometimes it's the only way.”

“They wanted to stuff him in the baggage car,” she said, “but he threatened to bite anyone who tried, so when pleas didn't work, I cried copiously.”

“The ultimate weapon,” Ben Masters grumbled.

“Only because men don't see reason,” his wife rebuked. “Anyone can tell he's a very well-behaved dog.”

“Maybe he can teach Henry something,” Ben growled, but Gabrielle heard the fond amusement in his voice.

“And Annabelle, too,” his wife inserted smoothly. “Annabelle,” she explained to Gabrielle, “is Ben's cat.”

“Henry is Lisbeth's dog.” Ben added balefully.

Gabrielle looked from one to the other, felt the love flowing between them in their gentle teasing, and some of her apprehension evaporated. She'd heard no hiss of disapproval over an Indian baby or an unexpected dog, not to mention an uninvited guest. Only an open offer of friendship. Gabrielle felt a sense of kinship with these people already and wondered why Drew had said so little about his wonderful sister.

“Here, let me take the boy,” Ben said. “And your bag. Cute little fellow,” he added with a chuckle as Gabrielle gratefully handed Ha'Penny over. Then his gaze returned to study Gabrielle's face for a moment. “Welcome to Denver.”

“Thank you,” she replied, wondering how soon she could start explaining the circumstances of her trip. She glanced at Lisbeth Masters' swelling stomach, and her own stomach flip-flopped. Would Ben be willing to leave his wife in her condition?

Gabrielle realized her dismay must have been reflected in her expression, because Lisbeth warmly took her arm and guided her toward a buggy hitched to two lovely gray horses. “I'm sure you need a hot bath, and I want to hear all about Drew. Our ranch is a few miles out of Denver, and I hope you'll consider it your home.”

Gabrielle felt as if a giant wave had picked her up and was sweeping her along, so powerful was the onslaught of warmth and welcome from these two people.

Ben Masters was tall, she noted, close to Drew's height, his build a bit heavier but without an ounce of fat on him. Where her Scotsman had always exuded pure devilish charm, hiding the deeper, more substantial qualities she'd found within, Ben radiated sureness and authority and strength. Likely qualities, she thought, for either a lawyer or a marshal.

He handed her up into the buggy, gave her Ha'penny, then assisted his wife with so much tenderness that Gabrielle's heart lurched. How could Drew be such a loner with these two people as kin?

Ben snapped the reins, and the horses stepped off smartly.

Gabrielle had played a theater in Denver with her father before they headed toward Texas, and her eyes stung as the carriage passed the hotel where they had stayed. She felt Lisbeth's hand press hers, and she realized the woman must have been watching her.

“I'm sorry,” she said. “I—I must be more tired than I thought.”

“Of course,” Lisbeth said. “Travel is always exhausting. Perhaps you'd like me to hold the baby.”

Gabrielle heard the hopeful note in Lisbeth's tone, realized the other woman was truly eager to hold Ha'penny. “That would be wonderful,” Gabrielle replied, smiling as she handed Ha'penny to her. “Frankly, my arms feel permanently locked in holding position.”

“Oh, he's adorable. What's his name?”

“Ha'penny,” she said automatically, then flushed. “Temporarily.”

“Interesting name,” Ben Masters observed dryly.

Gabrielle sensed it was a question, but he was too well-mannered to ask outright. Well, they might as well know the worst. “I … well, I was called Two-Bits on the Kingsley cattle drive, and when we found the baby, orphaned and alone, he was so small that Drew started calling him Ha'penny.”

“Sounds like Drew,” Ben chuckled.

“You were on the cattle drive?” Lisbeth gasped, her voice full of astonishment but bearing no censure. “We knew Drew had joined one, but I've never heard of …” She trailed off.

Gabrielle twisted the folds of her dress in her hands. “It's a long story.”

“Where's Drew?” Ben asked.

“On his way to Texas,” she said.

“But the telegram—”

“I sent the telegram,” Gabrielle admitted. “But I have a letter for you from him. And he probably didn't say anything about himself, but I think he needs your help.”

Ben looked at her sharply.

Lisbeth's face paled.

And Ha'Penny, who had been so very stoic during the trip, chose that moment to start crying, cutting off any further conversation. The horses moved faster as Ben Masters snapped the reins again, and all further questions were postponed.

Gabrielle loved the ranch house that sprawled comfortably beside a wide, briskly flowing stream.

As Ben helped his wife, then her, from the buggy, he gestured toward the barn. “Drew helped us build that.”

Just as he said the words, a small tornado burst from the barn door and hurtled herself into Ben's arms. She was followed by a massive dog who stopped short upon seeing Honor.

“We gotta a new f-foal,” the little girl stammered in excitement.

Lisbeth leaned over and kissed the child's cheek. “That's wonderful. You'll have to show me later.”

“I want to show you
now
.”

“But we have a guest. Three guests,” she corrected herself. “This is Miss Gabrielle Lewis, and she's a friend of your Uncle Drew's. And this, Miss Lewis, is our Sarah Ann.”

The little girl performed a perfect curtsy, then dropped to her knees to greet Honor, who was regarding the much larger dog with a tentatively wagging tail. “He's beautiful!” Sarah Ann declared.

“His name is Honor,” Gabrielle said. She stooped down and showed Sarah Ann the baby. “And this is Ha'penny.”

“Ohh,” Sarah Ann crooned. “He's even better than a pony. I'm going to have a baby.”

“You are?” Gabrielle smiled. “You look a little small.”

“I'm 'most five.”

“Well, that's very big indeed,” Gabrielle said, enchanted by the girl's red hair and sparkling green eyes.

“Yes, it is,” Sarah Ann agreed seriously.

“I think Miss Lewis would like to freshen up after her journey,” Lisbeth interrupted. “Why don't you stay with Pedro and take care of the foal, Sarah Ann?”

“But don't you want to see him?”

“Aye, I do,” Lisbeth said.

Gabrielle thought of Drew, of the urgency of her mission. But a moment wouldn't hurt. “I do, too,” she said.

Sarah Ann grabbed Gabrielle's hand and pulled her toward the barn, followed by Ben Masters and his wife. A beaming Mexican met them at the door. “Señor, Señora, Glory has dropped a colt.
Muy bueno
.”

The four of them went to a stall and peered in. A lovely black mare was nuzzling a dark gray colt, which took a few steps, faltered, then righted itself.

“He's beautiful,” Gabrielle sighed. She'd never seen a newborn colt before; it was all legs and sweetness.

“He
is
beautiful, isn't he, Mama?” the little girl said.

“Indeed, he is,” Lisbeth agreed. “Would you like to name him?”

The little girl nodded. “I'll have to consider it.”

“You do that,” Ben said, his voice warm and amused. “And we'll take Miss Lewis to the house while you consider.”

Sarah Ann, already engrossed in her appointed task, nodded.

Urgency began clawing at Gabrielle again as they walked to the house, Ben carrying Ha'Penny and Honor following closely behind. The large woolly dog that looked more pony than canine loped after them, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.

“That's Henry the Eighth,” Lisbeth explained. “He loves everyone, particularly women.”

Gabrielle couldn't help but smile. She'd never met a more delightful family, not even among her most eccentric theater cronies. Once inside the house, she noted that the furnishings seemed selected for comfort and informality.

A woman dressed in a colorful blouse and skirt protected by an apron hurried out of the kitchen to meet them, a huge smile on her face. “Señora, you saw the foal?”

Ben balanced Ha'penny in his arms. “We did, and we even have another wee one for you to feed.” He turned to Gabrielle. “This is Serena. She's Pedro's wife, and she looks after us all. Serena, this is Drew's friend, Señorita Lewis.”

“Señorita,” the woman acknowledged. “How is Señor Drew?”

“My question exactly,” Lisbeth said. “Gabrielle, you said Drew might need our help. Is he in some kind of trouble?” Concern laced her gentle Scots voice.

“It's a very long story,” Gabrielle said, “and my name is Parker. It's … well, it's a long story.”

Ha'Penny was squirming again, whimpering. Serena reached out and took the baby. “I'll feed him, and start supper.”

“And something cool to drink for the señorita,” Ben added, turning to Gabrielle with concern. “Would you like a bath first, or some rest?”

She shook her head. “There's no time.”

“Then please sit,” he said, “and tell us about Drew.”

“You have to go, Ben,” Lisbeth said. “You know Drew. He's like a dog with a bone. He won't let go.”

“But the baby,” Ben protested.

“It's still two or three months away,” Lisbeth said. “And Pedro and Serena are here. Gabrielle and Ha'penny can stay with us, as well.”

“No,” Gabrielle said. “I have to go, too.”

Both Lisbeth and her husband stared at her. They'd been listening intently for over an hour, distress visibly mounting in Lisbeth as Gabrielle explained that Drew might be on his way to confront a killer, or killers.

Ben had listened in silence, occasionally punctuating Gabrielle's tale with a pointed question. His eyes had gone ice cold and an almost feral expression had appeared on his face when she'd mentioned Killian's name. “I know him,” he'd said tersely. And Gabrielle saw fear invade Lisbeth's eyes at his comment.

“Drew's gotten himself into one hell of a mess this time,” Ben said.

Gabrielle stiffened at what she perceived as a slight aimed at Drew. “He saved my life. He saved the life of one of the drovers during a stampede, risking his own. He saved Kirby Kingsley's life. He's very brave and very competent. It's just that …” Without warning, emotion overcame her, and her lower lip trembled. “It's just that he's not a gunfighter.”

Lisbeth's eyes glowed. “You love him, don't you?”

Gabrielle could only nod.

Ben scowled. “Dammit! I should have known the man couldn't stay out of trouble. Couldn't do it in Scotland, either. I was a damn fool to suggest he head south.”

Lisbeth studied Gabrielle for a moment. “I don't think so,” she said with a smile. “I think he finally found what he's been looking for.” She turned to Ben. “You can find some marshals to help you, can't you?”

He nodded, asking Gabrielle, “And you say Kingsley doesn't know who's behind these shootings?”

When Gabrielle hesitated, Ben pounced on it immediately. “Gabrielle, this is no time to withhold information.”

She shook her head. “I'm not. Kirby doesn't actually know. He's got an idea, but … well, it's something he'll have to tell you himself. Even then, he has no evidence. It's just a guess. The only one who really knows is Killian.”

Ben nodded. “I've heard of Kingsley. Why in the hell would anyone be after him?”

Gabrielle swallowed hard. It wasn't her place to tell Ben—a former U.S. marshal, no less—about Kirby's past sins. So far, she'd said only that her father and Kirby had been friends years ago, that their ranches had been stolen, and that both had been attacked recently. Anything else that Ben learned would have come from Kirby himself. Still, she wasn't about to lie. Oh, no. She was through with lies forever.

Ben was waiting.

“As I said, you'll have to ask Kirby,” she said.

Ben gave her a narrow-eyed look, but he didn't press the point. Instead, he asked, “How long since Drew left for Texas?”

“Five days,” she said. “He and Kirby are afraid Killian might go after Kirby's brother Jon.”

“So it might be too late,” Ben finished grimly.

Gabrielle shook her head. She wouldn't let herself believe that. “I don't think Drew will really go after Killian until Kirby joins him. He only wants to make sure Jon Kingsley is protected.”