Tall, Dark, and Texan (30 page)

After that first night, I thought it would never happen again. But it did. We never spoke of the nights he came to me, but the memory hung between us. When he found out I was pregnant, he slapped me so hard I passed out. I woke with my mouth bleeding. He was gone and didn’t return for almost a month. When he did, he looked weaker than ever, and I remember thinking that somehow it was my fault.

“Eli didn’t bother me for almost a year after Emily was born. He even stayed in some nights and ate meals. My life settled into a routine, and I remember thinking I could be happy with the store to run and a daughter to raise.

“Then the visits started again. Not often, and never a word of warning. I’d just wake feeling him pushing my gown up and bruising my legs with his grip. Sometimes he’d say he was sorry. If he was very drunk, he’d call me names and say it was all my fault for tempting him. Sometimes Emily would wake and cry, then he’d leave.

“When he died I took all the money I’d hidden under the bed. I knew the store wouldn’t be mine, even though he’d told me it would be. I think I always knew; maybe that was why I tucked away money. I came here because I had nowhere else to go.”

Teagen waited until she finished before he touched her. When he opened his arms, Jessie crumpled against his chest. “Don’t you see, Teagen? You were my only friend too.”

She cried so hard he felt her whole body shake. “I’m sorry I lied,” she whispered. “Don’t hate me.”

At that moment Teagen hated himself more than anyone. He shouldn’t have made her tell him the details. He’d made her relive the hell she’d survived in for years.

“Stop, Jessie,” he ordered. “I don’t hate you. Not anymore. Not ever.” He kissed her hair. “You could have told me the truth from the first.”

She shook her head.

He guessed she was right. He’d lived his life in black and white and never seen the gray until today in the cellar. She’d lied, she’d hid money, she’d survived.

Wiping her tears away, he looked down at her. “Swear you’ll tell me the truth about one thing.”

“All right.”

“Did you marry me to save your children?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Then you lied about loving me when the preacher asked?”

“No, Teagen, I’ve loved you for years.”

He frowned. He wasn’t comfortable with the word
love
. When said between a man and a woman, it seemed to come with far too many hooks and strings.

She smiled as if she understood his thoughts. “I’ve had years to love you, dear, but I’ll be happy if you just find me tolerable to be around.”

He fought to keep from smiling. “I could do that.”

She patted his cheek. “Now you have to get your sister to let us out. It’s almost lunchtime. Rose is probably already asking questions about where I’ve gone.”

Teagen didn’t move. “Swear you’ll never lie to me again, Jess.”

“I swear.”

“And,” he ran his fingers through his hair, “I find you more than tolerable. I don’t even mind if you call me dear when it suits you.” He frowned. “But no other names. You wouldn’t believe some of the foolish things Tobin’s wife calls him. Liberty seems to think he’s her own private pet that she has to rename every day.”

“All right.”

They sat for a while, holding one another in silence; then Teagen banged on the door, and Sage let him out. They didn’t say a word, but he nodded once to his sister, silently thanking her for standing up for his wife, even if it was against him.

Sage smiled and sat down at the table with the girls, who were playing toss the biscuit behind Martha’s back.

Jessie hurried to help with lunch. Teagen intercepted the crumbling biscuit and ended the game before Martha noticed. Rose frowned at him but didn’t say a word. Emily wouldn’t face him, and Bethie was too busy licking the butter off her biscuit to notice the game had ended.

His wife ate next to him without looking his way. Teagen let the conversation flow around him. With this many women in the room, he never noticed a pause in the talking long enough for him to say anything.

He finished his meal, grabbed his hat, and started out.

Jessie caught up to him on the porch. She didn’t say a word; she just kissed his cheek and went back inside. Teagen tried to remember how mad he’d been at her. They had a great deal of talking to do, but he had a feeling she’d be doing it in his arms.

He stepped into the rain that had slowed to a drizzle.

THE AFTERNOON PASSED IN A BUSY HIVE OF ACTIVITY. Jessie couldn’t seem to stop smiling. No lies lay between her and Teagen. She didn’t have to worry about him finding out about the letters. He knew and understood. The man she’d dreamed of lived in more than letters; he existed.

The sun was almost to the horizon when Sage shouted from the porch, “Riders coming in from the bridge.”

Jessie glanced out the window and saw two big men riding full-out toward the house and Sage running to meet them. She didn’t have to ask; she knew they were Teagen’s brothers. Travis, broad-shouldered and dark-skinned; Tobin, thinner, younger. Both men rode like Teagen . . . like they’d been born in the saddle.

By the time Jessie reached the porch, the brothers had jumped from their horses and were swinging Sage around as if she were a doll. Jessie could hear her squeals of joy. The bigger one, Travis, finally stopped long enough to grab his saddlebags and toss them to Sage to carry while he pulled rifles from a long leather bag tied to the back of his horse. The markings on the leather left no doubt that it had been made by his grandfather’s people.

Tobin, who wore moccasins laced to his knees, took the horses and headed to the barn.

As Travis and Sage walked toward the house, they talked of people Jessie had never heard about. She knew Travis, the Ranger, had married a woman named Rainey, and Tobin had married Liberty, but Teagen had said very little else.

Tobin hurried from the barn, his shoulders loaded down with his saddlebags and two rifles. He dropped them on the porch out of the rain.

Minutes later they were all laughing when they hit the kitchen.

Sage introduced Jessie as the newest Mrs. McMurray.

Tobin nodded without a word and offered his hand.

Travis lifted her off the ground in a bear hug. “Welcome to the family,” he shouted. “Big brother must have had to tie you up to get you to come home with him.” Travis glanced at Sage. “Is she deaf? It’d be a big advantage around Teagen.”

“No,” Jessie smiled. “I’m not deaf, and he didn’t drag me here. I happen to be quite fond of your brother.”

“I’ll thank you to put my wife down,” Teagen ordered as he entered.

The kitchen exploded in laughter.

For a moment she couldn’t tell if the men were hugging or fighting. She felt like a mouse in a buffalo stampede.

“We heard you married, Teagen, but no one who’d ever met you believed a word of it.” Travis slapped his big brother on the back, sending rain flying across the kitchen floor.

Martha hurried down the stairs. “Quiet down, you boys, I’ve got babies taking naps.” She frowned down at the three men from her perch on the second step. “You’re all three dripping onto my clean floor.”

Travis raised an eyebrow. His stare would have frightened a gunfighter. “We’re a little old to strip on the porch.”

Martha shook her head as she headed down the hall. “I give up. If I couldn’t civilize you three, wives don’t have a chance.” She turned her back to them. “I better get a fresh pot of coffee on.”

“Any chance we could get a bite to eat? We’ve been riding hard in rain since before dawn.” Travis spoke to Martha’s back.

“You weren’t here for lunch. This ain’t no restaurant. I serve supper at six. If you want to eat then, your boots better be under the table.”

Teagen grinned. One thing about Martha, she was constant. “We’re hoping a few chickens drown before dinner.” He slipped Tobin the cookie jar, and they moved down the hall.

“Word is trouble’s coming,” Tobin said more seriously. “So we left our brides in Austin and rode in as fast as we could.” He crammed two cookies in his mouth and passed the jar to Travis.

The mood sobered as the McMurrays gathered around the dining table to talk. Sage tossed each a towel, then joined them. To Jessie’s surprise, the men dried their weapons first, then their faces and hair.

Tobin touched Jessie’s arm when she poured coffee and said, “Welcome to the family. My Libby said she can’t wait to meet you.” He tugged something from his saddlebag. “She sent you this as a welcome-to-the-family gift.”

He handed Jessie a present wrapped in white paper. While the men talked, she slipped back in the kitchen and opened it. A deep blue shawl with long fringe tumbled softly into her hands. “Look,” Jessie whispered to Martha, “Tobin’s wife sent me a gift. It’s made of the softest material I’ve ever felt.”

Martha was too busy peeling potatoes to give it more than a glance. “She’s like that. Kind and thoughtful. Not at all uppity like you’d think she’d be with her dad so powerful and rich.”

Jessie brushed her fingers over the gift as if it were breakable. In a month it would be cool enough to wear it, and she could hardly wait.

As she set it high on a shelf, Martha handed her another pot of coffee. “If I know them, they’ll be needing this. When they’ve got planning to do, they drink coffee as fast as I can boil it.”

When Jessie walked back into the dining room, Travis stood and offered her a seat. “You’re a McMurray now; you’ll need to join us.”

She glanced at Teagen, and he nodded his agreement. When she took the nearest seat, she spotted Rose peeping around the door.

Teagen saw her too. “There’s more you need to meet.” He grinned at his brothers. “Rose, bring your sisters in if they are up from their naps.”

The five-year-old came in first, fascinated by the big men. She shook Travis’s hand. “You look Indian,” she said. “I’m Indian every day until noon; then Martha says she has to fold all the blankets. How come if you’re younger than my papa, you look bigger? Martha says you have a son named Duck. That’s not a proper name, but I’m good with names. I’ll help you think of a better one.”

Travis smiled down at the child. “Duck is going to love meeting you.”

Teagen agreed. “Duck never talks, and Rose never stops. They should be great friends.”

While Rose continued asking her new uncles questions, Emily slipped into the room. She looked about to faint with fear. She glanced around like a trapped animal, then suddenly darted to Teagen.

Jessie watched as she tried to hide behind Teagen’s arm. He tugged her gently around and set her on his knee. Emily fisted her hands in his shirt and held on as if her life depended on it. Teagen’s big hand rested on her shoulder.

“It’s all right,” he said softly. “These are my brothers, Em. They are not nearly as frightening as they look. In fact, you’ll probably like Tobin; he’s part horse.”

Tobin stood, walked the length of the table, and knelt down by Teagen’s chair. “You like horses?”

Emily nodded, then buried her face in Teagen’s sleeve.

“I do too,” Tobin said. “In fact, I’m bringing a horse from back East that is so small you can ride it without needing a step to climb up.” He looked at the others. “Libby and I figure with all the kids around the place, a few ponies might make sense.”

“Does he have a name?” Rose asked.

Everyone laughed.

Bethie waddled into the room. Tobin made the mistake of picking her up. A sticky hand patted his cheek, but he’d had enough practice with little ones to not let it bother him.

Martha rushed in, nodded to the men as if she had nothing to ask them about in the months they’d been gone. She gave her full attention to Bethie. “Sorry, the baby is sticky. She got into the honey again.”

“She’s always sticky,” Teagen commented. “We’re thinking, when she grows up we’ll have to marry her off to the first fellow she dances with, because he’ll be stuck on her.”

Teagen glanced at Martha, and she seemed to understand. She nodded once and circled the little ones. “We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us. I got a feeling what needs to be talked about in here ain’t something for little ears.”

Jessie wanted to go with the girls, but she knew that what was about to happen was not just conversation. The dining room had become the war room, and plans needed to be made.

She moved to the chair beside Teagen. He took her hand under the table as he leaned forward and filled his brothers in on all that had happened. Some of the things he said were problems he hadn’t even shared with her.

As he talked, his thumb rubbed gently across her palm as if to remind her that everything was going to be all right.

Travis said he’d been in touch with the Ranger headquarters in Waco. They thought the man who waited outside Whispering Mountain was probably an old ex-soldier from Santa Anna’s army. A dangerous man, hungry for power and believing he had a right to land in Texas. His men called him General, even though the Rangers doubted he’d ever made near that rank during his army days. Those under him were riding for the money they’d been promised.

Tobin added that word was, the General had raided ranches along the border for almost twenty years. He even ran a widow out down by San Antonio after her husband was killed, but her ranch wasn’t big enough for him.

“He’s never come this far north.” Travis swore. “But he must think this place is worth the trouble.”

Jessie had heard Sage and Martha talk about how large Whispering Mountain Ranch was, but she’d never thought of it as more than Teagen’s home.

Tobin’s voice was lower, slower than his brother’s, as if he thought about each word before speaking. “If he saw us ride in today, and I’m thinking he did, he’ll either give up the quest or hit fast and hard before more men come.”

Both brothers agreed.

“The ranch near San Antonio came too easy,” Travis said. “So he thinks he might as well try for more.”