Wildflower (17 page)

A noose of panic tightened around Matt’s neck. “Is your father here?”

Licorice sticks flew across the counter. “No. He’s taking care of my mother, leaving me here by myself to deal with the likes of you.” Daisy again resumed tallying the black sticks.

Completely ignored, Matt turned to leave. She didn’t know the first thing about dress making and had assumed Mrs. Upton would help her buy the material and dress pattern. But if she wasn’t here, that wasn’t going to happen. Not today.

And she didn’t know when she’d be back in town either. She thought of asking Elisabeth, but it would be months before the mother-to-be could appear in public. Matt would most likely already be in Kansas City. Disappointment weighted her heart.

The bright green fabric caught her eye. It really would have been nice to finally own something pretty. She caressed a hand across the material. A baby calf’s ear wasn’t as soft. How would it feel against her body?

“Don’t touch that fabric.”

She snatched her hand away at Daisy’s strident voice.

“It’s for paying customers, right Caroline?”

“That’s right, Daisy. Your
daddy’ll
have to cut off the part that she touched and
burn
it.”

Both girls giggled. A shrill sound like a rusty pulley used to lower a water bucket into a well. Something snapped inside Matt. Something deadly. These two ninny-heads might be prettier than her, but they weren’t better.

She stalked back to the counter. Satisfaction made her smile at the wide-eyed alarm on both girls’ faces. Caroline grabbed her coat and ran out the door, giving Matt a wide berth.

She aimed her gaze at Daisy. “I
am
a paying customer and I want to purchase some of that fabric.”

“What for? A saddle blanket?” Daisy’s attempt at bravado fell flat.

“Maybe. If I buy it, I can do whatever I’d like with it. But a dress would be better. Are you going to help me or will I have to tell your pa you disrespected a customer?”

Blonde curls slowly swished side-to-side. “No-o.”

“Good. Now I’ve got some other things I need as well.” She showed Daisy the list Elisabeth had made. “And the latest copy of
Harper’s Bazaar
.”

Daisy took the list. “How will you pay for all this?”

Matt hesitated. How would she pay? She pulled back her shoulders. “Put it all on the Standing T bill.”

~
~
~

Twenty minutes and nine dollars later, Matt left Upton’s Emporium, a package under her arm. She regretted having to put so much money on the ranch bill, but vowed to pay back every cent from of her share of the stock yard sale.

After tying the bundle to Turk’s saddle, she hurried to the saloon to get Dave, anxious to get the material and pattern to Elisabeth. “I want to stop at the Applegate place,” she said, swinging onto Turk’s back.

The little man frowned up at her. “What for?”

She fidgeted with the reins. “I need to see Elisabeth.”

Dave hoisted himself onto his horse. “But that’s ten miles outta our way. Logan didn’t say nuthin’ about this. He said I was to come to town with you then get to the herd. We have to relieve the boys there, ya know.”

“Fine. You ride to the herd. I can go by myself to see Elisabeth.”

“Doggone it, Matt. You know I’m supposed to stay with you.”

“Then stay with me to the Applegates’.” She pivoted her horse. “The sooner we get there, the sooner we get to the herd, without Logan knowing anything about this.”

She didn’t wait for an answer, but encouraged Turk into an easy lope. Moments later, Dave rode up beside her, still frowning.

The ride to the Applegate ranch only took an extra thirty minutes. Matt had the package in Elisabeth’s hands and was out the door before Dave could even dismount. Together, she and Dave turned their horses toward the east pasture.

Joy tripped down her spine. Elisabeth had promised to have the dress ready for her to try on in a week.
A week
. She didn’t know if she could wait that long.

Shortly past midday, the faint lowing of cattle met her ears. They were close to the herd. She breathed a sigh. They weren’t so late as to cause any suspicion. Rounding a stand of trees, Dave pulled his horse to an abrupt stop. She followed his gaze to the small rise that bordered the eastern pasture.

Two men on horseback, wearing chaps and looking road weary, stared down at the herd. By their movements and their position, it was clear they didn’t want to be seen by the men riding guard. They also hadn’t heard her and Dave approach. Something about how the bigger man sat in the saddle peppered Matt’s memory.

Dave dismounted and gave her a stern glare when she started to do the same. He handed her his horse’s reins then pointed back at the trees. She narrowed her eyes in defiance and shook her head. She wasn’t about to run and hide. He pointed more emphatically, but she crossed her arms, not budging. With an irritated huff, he turned his attention back to the men on the hill.

Turk chose that moment to whinny. Both men whipped around, their guns instantly drawn and pointed at them.

Alarm crawled along her skin. Time stood still. She knew if they decided to shoot, she and Dave were dead since neither of them had thought to draw their own guns.

Then the larger man grinned, a big, leering sneer. Even from the distance, she recognized Roscoe’s smirk. What was he doing here? And who was that riding with him? After an anxious moment, the two men holstered their guns and rode in the opposite direction.

“That was Roscoe, wasn’t it?” she asked Dave even though she knew the answer.

He swung onto his horse. “Sure looked like him.”

“What do you think he was doing here?”

“Nuthin’ good, that’s for certain. We need to tell Logan.”

Needles of panic stabbed her gut. Telling Logan about seeing Roscoe would only raise more questions. Like how she and Dave spotted him and his companion when they were supposed to come up on the herd from the west and not the south. If she told him about stopping at the Applegate place, he’d want to know why. How could she explain visiting Elisabeth twice in as many days without confessing about the dress? “Why does Logan need to know about this?”

Dave scowled. “Why you think? Those two weren’t out for a Sunday ride, Matt. They were checking out the herd.”

“You think Roscoe’s turned to rustling?”

“I don’t know, but Logan did fire him.” Dave turned toward the herd.

She blocked his path. “That doesn’t mean Roscoe plans to do us harm. Telling Logan might just cause more trouble.”

“You want to chance losing the herd?”

She inhaled a tight breath. “All right. But I’ll tell Logan. It was my idea to go to the Applegates instead of riding straight here. I don’t want him getting riled at you.”

Dave kicked his horse into a trot. “Me neither.”

At the herd, she said a silent prayer of thanks because Logan wasn’t there. While he probably wouldn’t be too upset about the nine dollars, the prospect of confessing
what
she’d spent the money on was far more troubling.

What would he think about her wanting to be pretty? Would he think less of her? And what if she couldn’t be pretty, even in a dress? Air squeezed from her lungs.

No, she needed to keep the dress a secret, at least for now. Maybe once she was sure—positively sure—she wouldn’t make the biggest fool out of herself, she’d wear it for Logan. Her skin purred at the thought of him sliding that silky material off her body.

As she circled the herd counterclockwise to Dave’s clockwise, she worked to figure a way of telling Logan about Roscoe without giving anything else away. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of a way. Chances were Roscoe probably didn’t mean them any harm. Though Logan had fired him, the former foreman wasn’t the type to turn vengeful. At least she hoped he wasn’t.

~
~
~

Logan sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his boots. Just over two weeks had passed since he and Matt exchanged vows.

Two weeks. Fourteen days of the most intense, erotic sex he’d ever experienced.

He stood. His wife might have been a virgin—hell, was
still
a virgin—but she possessed a wicked, adventurous side. He had yet to find a time or place where she said no to him. Whether in the hay loft at midday or out by the wood pile at dusk, she was always willing and always ready for his cock. She’d even allowed him to take her in the ass. So why was the vast emptiness in his chest growing larger and
more empty
with each day?

Because she wasn’t his. Not truly. Not completely.

He hadn’t taken her in that one place which haunted him every waking moment. He hadn’t pumped his seed into her womb, binding her to him. Forever.

He stood and tucked in his shirt then turned around. She was bent over, picking up her boots, the rounded curve of her backside perched so pretty in the air.

In an instant, he was hard. Though he’d filled her mouth with his seed just a few hours before, he wanted her again.

Hell, he wanted her always.

Why couldn’t he satisfy his hunger for her? Slack this insatiable lust? No matter how hard he tried—and Lord knew he had tried—he couldn’t. The more he had her, the more he wanted her. He wanted her coming against his tongue. Wanted her thrashing with complete fulfillment. Wanted her cries ringing in his ears.

But mostly he wanted his cock in her pussy.

He’d made a promise to himself to allow Matt the time to change her mind about their marital bed. But time was fast running out.

It was just the first of April, but the snow was melting faster than expected. They could be driving the herd up to Abilene in another month. Then she’d have her money. And then she’d be gone. A thought that lodged knives in his heart.

Maybe he should just take her. Throw her down and bury
himself
inside her. He shook his head with an inward chuckle. Right. She’d shoot him if he tried something that stupid.

He followed her out of the bedroom. The swaying of her hips diverted his attention from what he didn’t have to what he could have. Right now.

She stopped in front of the table and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. His palms molded around her breasts and she melted into his chest. He nuzzled her neck. “How ‘bout we go back to bed for a bit? I’m not feeling all that rested.”

She reached her arms up behind her head to circle his neck, giving him better access to her breasts. “You don’t have rest on your mind, Logan Cartwright.” Desire edged her scold.

“True.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth then slowly released it. “Any objections?” His hand cupped her crotch to bring her delectable rear cleft closer to the prominent bulge in his Levi’s. He tweaked her nipples between his finger and thumb. Her breathy moan further heated his blood.

“Do
I
have any objections?” she panted. “No, but—”

“No buts.” Logan took her hands from his neck then leaned her over the table. “At least not that kind of butt.” He worked the fly of her denims. If he couldn’t slack his lust, he shouldn’t try.

She pushed herself upright. “No. Wait. We don’t have time. There are chores to do.” Her argument would have sounded better if her voice wasn’t a husky whisper.

“Chores can wait.”

“Chuck wants to start spring cleaning.”