Wicked Wyoming Nights (34 page)

“Why don’t you chuck all this right-and-wrong and standing-by-and-forsaking nonsense and just follow your heart. You love him and you’re never going to be happy unless you marry him.”

“I know. I discovered that when I saw him laughing with Iris and realized I was jealous because he wasn’t talking and laughing with me.”

“You know why he isn’t?”

“You don’t have to tell me. I’ve been a fool, but not anymore. I came too close to losing what I wanted most in the world.”

Chapter 25

Eliza was awakened from a sound sleep by a loud, insistent banging. She sat up quickly, fear penetrating the heavy fog of sleep; why would anyone be pounding on her door in the middle of the night unless there were some kind of trouble? She pulled on a heavy robe and fur-lined slippers and tiptoed to her uncle’s room. His bed hadn’t been slept in, yet the clock said ten minutes past four. Where could he be?

“Who is it?” she called out, apprehensive of who might be on the outside and reluctant to open the door to anyone until she was dressed.

It’s Cord. Let me in.”

Eliza’s heart began to pound erratically. She had left Cord at the Burtons’ party only hours earlier. What could he possibly want now? “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I’ve got to see you.”

“No.”

“Open this door, or I’ll break it down.”

“Hush! You’ll have Mr. Blaine up here any minute.”

“He’s not here. Neither is your uncle. Now open up.”

Eliza’s hand shook as she took the key off its hook; she had no doubt but what Cord would be as good as his word.

“What do you want?” Eliza demanded angrily. But Cord’s expression turned her displeasure to apprehension. He was still in the clothes he had worn to the party, but his face was a mask of tightly contained fury.

“Do you know where your uncle is?” he demanded in a voice that brutally swept aside any concern for Eliza’s embarrassment at being dragged out of bed in a disheveled condition to face an old love still dressed handsomely enough to make any female swoon.

“He hadn’t come home when I went to bed,” she muttered, trying to pull her distracted thoughts together. Cord’s unbending, unrelenting gaze banished the last traces of sleep, and a cold, unidentified fear gripped Eliza’s heart. “Do you know where he is? Is he hurt?”

“At this very minute, he, Croley Blaine, and a gang of rustlers are herding freshly weaned Matador calves into a boxed canyon on Sam Haughton’s land.”

“I don’t believe it,” Eliza gasped, anger rising quickly in her voice as she moved away from him. “Why would he do such a thing?”

“The same reason as before.”

“But why would Mr. Blaine be involved? He doesn’t hate you.”

“Croley is greedy. He’ll never have enough money.”

Eliza’s mind reeled from the double shock of Cord’s renewed accusations and fear her uncle might be guilty,
again!

“It’s a he!” Eliza was even more stunned than Cord to hear the words come out of her mourn. It hurt to know he thought more of his ranch than he did of her, and she was furious he would attempt to accuse her uncle again, but she had never before doubted he was telling the truth as he saw it. Did she disbelieve him now? Could this mean she no longer loved him? Surely she couldn’t love a man she didn’t trust.

The idea no sooner occurred man it was banished. Through the fog of confusion and anger her heart shouted its message in loud, unmistakable words: she was hopelessly in love with Cord Stedman and nothing he could do or say would ever change that.

“It’s not a lie,” Cord assured her, his eyes open and brilliantly intense.

But something inside of her pushed reason aside and would not let Eliza accept his words. “I loved you, Cord Stedman, more than I ever thought possible. I would have done almost anything for you, but for some reason plain love isn’t enough. You had to try to drive my uncle from me.” Cord tried to make an objection, but Eliza ignored him. “I thought you could ignore his foolish hatred, but now I see you harbor the same kind of senseless need for revenge that has eaten away at him all these years. I’ve lived with that and I’ve seen what it does to people. I couldn’t marry a man like that no matter how much I loved him.”

“If you’re through talking foolishness, I’d like to say a few words.” Cord’s eyes were hard, but there was no anger in his voice. “I don’t give a damn what your uncle thinks or says. Others say worse and I still sleep at night. I’ve got too much to do to waste time making up lies and trying to get people in trouble, but I won’t allow anybody to rob me of a single calf, no matter what the reason. I was within my rights when I had Ira arrested, and I thought you were honest enough to see that. My boys were itching to break his legs, but I wouldn’t let them because I wouldn’t intentionally do anything to hurt you.” The fire blazing in Cord’s eyes softened momentarily, but almost immediately it flamed forth again, setting Eliza at a distance once more.

“I love you so much it hurts sometimes, but your stubborn, blind loyalty to a man who has done nothing but exploit you has turned just about everybody against me. It almost cost me my best calves as well. I’ve been so worked up since the trial I haven’t been able to think. It was my boys who found these thieves, not me.”

“Don’t try to make me feel guilty for honoring my vow,” Eliza said fiercely, her swimming eyes staring up at Cord. “You know nothing about love. Ever since I agreed to marry you, you’ve attacked my uncle and embarrassed me. All you ever think of is that everlasting ranch. You never think of me first or pay attention to anything I say.”

“You’re just about all I do think about,” Cord said, gripping her by the arms in spite of her efforts to escape him.

“Let me go,” she said, struggling helplessly against his powerful grip. “I’m not one of your cows to be wrestled to the ground and branded as your property.” But Cord was so intoxicated by the feel of Eliza in his arms he barely heard her words; he could only think of the need that had been tearing at his insides for weeks, a need that only she could satisfy.

“I’ve ached to hold you in my arms.”

“I don’t want you to hold me.”

But Cord pulled her closer to him. His lips were only inches away from hers and the feel of his body all along the length of hers was maddening. Eliza’s struggles grew weaker as his lips found hers and his tongue invaded her mouth; they stopped altogether when his hands pushed her robe off her shoulders, revealing her white, satiny shoulders to his hot gaze. His lips trailed kisses along her neck, his teeth nibbled at her ear, and his hands found her breasts. A moan escaped him, and he suddenly picked her up and started toward the bedroom.

“Stop!” she protested. “Put me down, or I’ll scream.”

“Just thinking about making love to you causes me to break out in a cold sweat,” Cord groaned. “Having you so close is killing me.” He kicked open the door and carried Eliza over to the bed.

“I won’t be loved by a man who accuses my uncle of infamous crimes,” she panted, feeling desire for Cord threaten her control.

“I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind day or night.” He lowered her to the bed and dropped down beside her.

“I’ll not be forced!”

Cord’s body froze, the mask of desire hardening into one of scorn. “I don’t need to force you,” he snarled. “I can buy what you have to give.” Eliza felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her.

“Get out,” she spat. “I don’t want to ever see you again!”

Cord came to a swift decision. “Get dressed, and put on the warmest clothes you have. You’ve got a long drive ahead, and it’s very cold.”

“Drive where?” Eliza demanded.

“We’re going to the Matador. I’m going to
show
you what your uncle is doing.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Eliza said backing away. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Put your clothes on, or I’ll do it for you,” Cord commanded in a voice that caused Eliza’s resistance to evaporate. “I’ll give you five minutes.” He stalked past her door and slammed it behind him.

Eliza felt like she’d been knocked down and trampled on. That Cord, the only man who’d ever valued her for herself and who had beguiled her into giving him her love, could betray her so easily, could pursue her public humiliation so remorselessly, shattered her illusions of the perfection of love. It was a black hell filled with unsolved conflict, unquenched need, and unfulfilled longing. It was chaos, a chilling betrayal that was much more devastating than loneliness could ever be; it was a brutally swift ending to her fledgling flight of happiness, and Eliza felt empty of all that had given her hope and new life. She blindly and mechanically picked out her clothes and put them on.

How could you die and not feel the pain? Did it come later when you had time to assess your loss, or was this what death really was, a feeling of nothingness? Did dreams always come crashing down in a stupefying void of utter silence? Could illusions be banished without one final piercing shriek of protest?

Eliza’s brain was too numb to think, but she
would
have answers. Six months ago she would have meekly accepted her fate, but since then she had glimpsed the Elysian Fields where love dwelled, and she could never again settle for anything less than paradise.

“I think you should know I don’t intend to believe anything you show me,” Eliza stated defiantly as she settled into the buggy next to Cord, acutely aware of his harsh, uncompromising posture. Why was she saying these hateful words? Why must she lash out at the one person she needed and desired above all others? Was she too afflicted with an insane craving for revenge?

“Do you have a brand?” The cold night air cut into Eliza’s soft skin as Cord drove his horses forward at a dangerous gallop.

“Of course not. What would I want with a brand when I don’t even own a milk cow?”

There’s a brand in your name, or rather in the name of Belle Sage. It was registered this past month.”

“But I didn’t do it. You’ve got to believe me.”

“I do. You’re still underage.” A fleeting warmth vanished. It wasn’t faith, just cold facts, that made Cord believe her.

“But you will admit it’s an odd occurrence for a woman who owns no land and runs no cows to have a brand. And there’s something else strange about that brand. It’s remarkably similar to the Matador brand. In fact, if you put your brand over mine, mine disappears altogether.”

“Do you mean someone could put my brand on your calves and no one could tell?”

“That’s about it.” Eliza could not doubt his words.

“Why?”

“To make stealing easier. I’ve known for some time rustlers were systematically working this part of Wyoming. They either skin the beef and sell the meat to miners and construction crews, or they rebrand them and sell them to other ranchers. They haven’t come up with a way to get around me and the boys yet, but they’ve been after my herds from the first.”

“But why you?”

“Some would try it for the thrill of proving I’m not invincible. They damned near succeeded too.”

“But how?” asked Eliza, forgetting her uncle in her growing outrage against the rustlers.

“They’re using a hidden canyon on Sam Haughton’s land. That was a stroke of genius. My land completely surrounds it. I never would have thought to look there. Knowing I was at the Burtons’ party and everyone else would be too tied up with Christmas to be watching carefully, they decided to brand them tonight and drive them out at dawn.”

“But how did you find them?”

“It was something Iris said.” Eliza stiffened. “She said it had been an easy night with Croley and Ira both gone. I didn’t pay any attention to it at first, but then I got to thinking. Croley never leaves that saloon, and Ira doesn’t stay away for long because he loves the adulation he’s been getting since the trial. The boys were just setting out when I got back. I didn’t even have time to change my clothes.”

Eliza withdrew into silence. For a time Cord tried to draw her out, but after a while he too became quiet.

To Eliza, it seemed that her whole life had turned into a cruel nightmare. If there was such a thing as malevolent destiny, it was bent upon denying every promise it had held out to her without offering anything in exchange. To have Cord so near, yet see him moving inexorably away from her, was a crueler agony than any she had yet endured.

It was a relief when they at last left the road. The uneven ground forced Cord to slow his pace, though not by much. They passed by the rough track that led to the Haughtons’ cabin, and Eliza wondered how Susan was doing; it was almost time for her baby. The terrain became even more rock-strewn, and minutes later a wall rose upon either side, cutting off the open prairie from view.

“How could they bring the calves in this way without Susan or Sam seeing them?” Without knowing it, Eliza had accepted the fact that Cord’s calves really had been rustled.

“This is only one of several ways in.”

Eliza was taken unawares when they rounded a bend and the sounds of men and cattle and horses and the smells of burning hair and flesh burst upon her ears and nostrils with startling suddenness. Cord dropped his horse into a walk.

“The corral is just beyond that rise. It’s a perfect spot. Not even a cow would think to come here.” Still Eliza did not speak. Cord stopped the buggy. “Get down and be careful to keep under cover.”