The Trailrider's Fortune (43 page)

"Mornin',
Sparkle. You're turnin' into some cook. You sure you don't want to stay on
here? Maybe marry me instead?"

"Coveting thy
brother's wife already, Travis?" Miranda asked as she wandered in, her
hair in disarray. She gave the air an appreciative sniff. "
Bacon
.
Bacon I didn't have to cook? Marvelous." Sparkle gave her a sympathetic
smile, noticing the milky stains on Miranda's shoulder. It seemed Skylar had
just returned part of his breakfast.

"You look like
a wreck, Rannie," Travis noted.

"That's
because there's no such thing as Mother Nature, Travis. If a female being ruled
the natural world, she would have put teats on the male of the species and let
you fellas get up during the night."

"Boy, havin'
babies sure makes a gal grumpy," Travis informed Sparkle. "She could
take a joke before."

Kayla bounced in
just ahead of her father, and soon the table was cluttered with forks and
plates. The juice pitcher shuttled back and forth between compliments to the
cook. A loud thumping sounded at the front door. Travis got to his feet,
frowning. "Wonder who the hell that could be. Everybody around these parts
knows I don't bolt my door. The locals just barge right in."

He went to the door
and Sparkle waited, but the conversation was too hushed to carry into the
kitchen. She peeked into the front room and let out a squeal. "Jace!
Majesta. I didn't know you were coming."

Travis stepped
aside, or Sparkle would have plowed into him in her rush to embrace the couple
crossing the threshold. "More kinfolk. Looks like I'm movin' to the
bunkhouse," he muttered.

"Or the barn
with your mares," Miranda chided.

"You're just
in time for breakfast," Travis announced, ignoring his sister's taunt.
"Sparkle's showin' off her new kitchen skills." He moved ahead to
round up more chairs.

Sparkle took Jace's
arm and led him into the kitchen. "Let me make introductions. You met
Travis, Rafe's brother. This is Zachary Donaldson and his wife, Miranda. She's
Rafe's older sister. That's their little girl, Kayla. They have a new baby,
too, but he's asleep. Everyone, this is…" She colored and whispered in
Jace's ear. "I don't know what to say you are."

He squared his
shoulders and spoke for her. "My name's Jace LaFleur. Sparkle's my adopted
sister. She's the only relative of sorts I've got. I couldn't be more proud of
her, or love her any more if we truly were blood kin. And I'll prove it, by
risking her cooking."

"
Jace
!"
Majesta squawked.

"Oh, and this
fine woman—who's reminding me I've just managed to embarrass her in the first
five minutes here—is my wife, Majesta."

Everyone laughed
and adjusted positions as two more chairs were crowded in around the table. For
Sparkle, the breakfast was an amazing thing to behold. She hardly ate herself,
too preoccupied with watching the camaraderie develop before her eyes. The
immediacy of the bonding was something she hadn't expected. The Donaldsons and
LaFleurs hit it off at once.

Zach's expression
became sober as he turned to address Jace. "I'd been hoping to get a
chance to speak with Rafe about you. He sent me a letter recommending you for a
new post I have open in your neck of the woods. Have some more bacon?"

Jace shook his
head, looking bemused. Sparkle certainly was. Rafe had sent Zach a letter about
Jace going to work for him?

"Perhaps we
can go out into the parlor and discuss things." Zach motioned for Jace to
follow him, then inquired, "What kind of salary would you demand, Mr. Vice
President?"

"V-Vice
President?" Majesta stammered. She'd risen to follow them.

"Yes,"
Zach grinned at his stunned audience. "Rafe said he knew the perfect
candidate to manage a new bank in Kansas City. First Bank of Omaha's expanding
its holdings. Rafe assured me your husband here is intelligent, honest, and
looking for a career opportunity. If there's one thing Raford's an excellent
judge of, it's a man's character."

"But surely
you must have other candidates. People more qualified." Jace flushed and cleared
his throat awkwardly. "I don't know if he explained my background, but I
don't have any previous experience in banking."

"He did
explain, but no, I haven't any other candidates I wish to consider. The job's
yours if you want it."

Majesta gasped and
turned to Sparkle, who'd also edged into the front room. "You're marrying
a most extraordinary man. Jace and I both liked Doctor Barlow, but I have to
say I've never met anyone quite like Rafe. Or the others in this wonderful
family. We owe him a debt of gratitude. I believe you're owed much the same,
Sparkle."

"Me? What have
I done…other than cause disruptions?"

"Been strong
enough to remain true to yourself in spite of what we said," Majesta
answered, embracing her. "That's never easy. Had you not done it, things
would have turned out differently for all of us."

Something in
Majesta's eyes then told Sparkle that Majesta had been aware of her secret
longings for Jace. She'd known all along, yet wasn't criticizing. Quite the
opposite. She appeared genuine in her praise. Sparkle found she suddenly craved
some fresh air. She made excuses about needing to do something in the kitchen,
then swiftly walked through it and out the back door, striding several yards to
the side of the ranch house.

She couldn't
believe what was happening. Jace and Majesta folded into the Conley family as
if it were the most natural thing in the world. Majesta had known about
Sparkle's infatuation. Rafe had sent Zach a letter recommending Jace for a job
at a new branch of his bank. It was hard to believe, and yet—

Her thoughts broke
off as a swirl of dust in the distance caught her eye. She spotted a rider on a
sorrel coming up the gentle rise from the main gates, and started running.

"
Rafe
."

She barely let him
dismount before flinging her arms around his neck. "Oh, I love you, you
incredible man. You're too sweet, you know that?"

Rafe bent down to
retrieve his fallen hat from the dust at his feet. "Mornin' to you, too.
Be nice if you'd let a fella tip his own hat to his intended."

"Jace and
Majesta are here. You invited them to the wedding, didn't you? And you made
Zach give Jace a job with his bank. I can't thank you enough."

"So that's
what's got you fired up. I thought maybe you slept on things last night and
woke up starved for my affections. I could use some of yours." He caught
her buttocks in both hands and pulled her against him, giving her a randy kiss.

"I know you
did all this for me."

He shrugged.
"For you and for Jace, too. Ain't as though I ordered Zach at the end of
my pistol, or nothin'. Made a suggestion. Jace is a right smart fella, even
after takin' a bullet to the head. Hell, maybe that's what made him so smart.
Might've done the same for me, if anyone had pumped one into my noggin, 'stead
of every other damned place."

"I can think
of one they missed," she purred.

He gave her a mock
look of disapproval. "You keep talkin' like that, folks inside are liable
to find us doin' the dirty deed in the barn."

"Me?" she
laughed. "What about you, grabbing me and kissing me like that, talking
with your drawl? As if you don't put that on deliberately to get me all riled.
I can't help that it works."

"Does, huh?
You mean from the first, I could've just
talked
you into bed with
me?"

"As if you
didn't."

He released a
chuckle and started to lead her into the house, but she caught his arm.
"Wait a minute. Jace told me you asked him to give me away. You'd asked
once about my father. I never had one."

He swallowed.
"Sort of figured that."

"Part of the
reason I wanted to see Paris is because my mother had come from a wealthy
family. Her parents took her to Europe. That's where she learned to read tarot.
I loved her stories about Paris. She was never bitter about the past, or the
fact that after having a glorious upbringing, she got pregnant with me out of
wedlock. Her parents cut her off without a cent. She ended up dirt poor."

Rafe sighed,
waiting.

"I wanted the
calico because I was sick of handed-down rags from the families who employed
her. We lived in one small room in Jace's house. She couldn't afford decent
clothes for either of us."

"You don't
have to tell me all this. It doesn't change what's between us. You must know
that."

"I want you to
understand. My whole life, I've lived in one room somewhere, even when you met
me at the Scarlet Lady. I never thought I'd be part of a big family." She
threaded her fingers through his. "Thank you for marrying me, Rafe. Your
name and your family mean more than you know. Even more than seeing Paris one
day."

He muttered a low
expletive. She'd been looking at the ground, but now glanced up to look into
his eyes. "Can't just stand here and say nothin' after a speech like that,
can I?" he grumbled. "Got to find some flowery words for you."

He looked down at
their joined hands and squeezed lightly. "I'm not good at this. But here
goes. I'll share my family, hang up my peacemaker, empty my bank account, or
sell my soul to make sure you never end up poor or rearin' a child alone, like
your ma." He straightened to his full height. "You have me now, and
however long I've got to live and draw breath, I promise I'll take care of you.

Thursday afternoon
Jace walked Sparkle out behind the main house and placed her hand on Rafe's
arm. The ranch hands and families assembled in the sunshine to watch the
preacher unite Sparkle LaFleur and Raford Conley in marriage. Rafe slid a
golden band set with diamonds on her finger, and sealed their pledges with a
kiss. Sparkle looked into his dark eyes and inwardly thanked the Lord. At long
last she did indeed have Rafe…until death did them part.

Now she sat on the
edge of the bed in his hotel room, smiling as Rafe removed his coat and string
tie. She'd worn the beaded silk. Rafe had arrived in polished black boots, a
black gambler-striped suit and a new black hat. There'd been a barbecue at the
ranch after the ceremony, then Rafe had brought her here.

She handed him a
wrapped object. "You didn't have to get me a weddin' present," he
said kindly. "Becomin' Miz Conley in truth is all I really wanted."
His dark eyes were warm on hers.

"I know. Open
it, anyway."

He did, and stared
in silence for long moments. "Spark—"

He was choked up
completely, she realized. Only half her name got out, and he glanced over at
her helplessly. She cleared a lump from her own throat. "Rafe, I have to
tell you that I'm not sure I can truly predict when or how someone's going to
die. I was very upset the other night…I couldn't bear to lose you again."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I would have said anything to keep you.
Please forgive me."

"You sayin'
you lied to me? Thought you'd sworn you'd never do that again."

"I have a
strong feeling I'm right, but I can't guarantee my predictions will come true.
Please don't be angry with me. Not tonight." She glanced down at the ring
glittering on her left hand.

"Got a
confession of my own to make," Rafe said. "Made some bold promises
about our weddin' night. Boasted about goin' wild and drinkin' wine off your
skin, lickin' cake icin' and such. I don't figure on keepin' my word about
that."

Crestfallen,
Sparkle wondered if she should have waited to tell him about the limits to her
visionary capabilities.

But he leaned down
to kiss her tenderly, and his voice was a husky murmur. "There's a time
for foolin' in bed, but not tonight. I'm about to do somethin' really important
for the very first time. I've never made love to a wife. We waited a long time
for this. I'm fixin' to love you long and slow, Miz Raford Conley, till you
fall asleep in my arms."

"You say the
most heavenly things," she sighed against him.

"I'm goin' to
brand you for good tonight, so there's no mistakin' you're mine—clear to the
bone. Or that I'm yours, just as deep."

* * *

"Sparkle
Conley, you're just bein' stubborn now." Rafe held a thigh in each hand,
parting them wider as he let his lips and tongue hover an inch from her swollen
nub. "I want sausage and fried taters. You're one hell of a cook, and your
husband's starvin'. You makin' sausage for my breakfast like I asked—even if it
is
the fourth day in a row—or not?"

"Rafe, I'm not
sure there's…any sausage left," she gasped, reaching for him, trying to
pull him against her quivering body. Her taut nipples ached, her lower belly
was a fiery knot, and he wouldn't appease her. "How about bacon?"

"How about
you're just bein' contrary? Two can play this game, you know." He dropped
her thighs and sat back on his haunches. "Don't reckon I feel like doin'
this now. We did it those other mornin's this week."