Texas splendor, p.20
Texas Splendor, page 20
part #3 of Texas Series
Cameron gave a slow hesitant nod. “Hard to believe I lived with a murderer all those years and never knew it.”
“You think there’s a chance he might have killed Boyd?”
“It occurred to me, more than once, but why would he have killed Boyd? Boyd could do no wrong as far as he was concerned.”
Austin heaved a deep sigh. “Damn. Wish I knew who killed him. I don’t like having this guilty verdict hanging over my head.”
“Doesn’t seem to bother Loree.”
“Loree looks at the world differently than most people. Someone murdered her family, but she somehow managed to hold onto a portion of her innocence. I’m afraid if we stay here … if she hears too many people whispering about me, speculating on who I might murder next … that she’ll lose that little bit of innocence.”
“You thinking of leaving?”
Austin shrugged. “I don’t know where we’d go or what I’d do so probably not, but I think about it sometimes. Houston told me once that when a man loves a woman, he does what’s best for her, no matter what the cost to himself. I’d pay any price to see Loree happy.”
“She seems happy enough.”
“I think I can make her happier. I know I can. Houston told me that he thought he might have fallen in love with Amelia the minute he saw her. I didn’t feel that way with Loree, but when she stepped out of that house, I felt as though … I’d come home.”
“Do you think Dallas fell in love with Dee when he first laid eyes on her?”
Austin shook his head, joyful memories surging through his mind like a kaleidoscope of forgotten images. “Nope. He probably fell in love with her when he discovered she had a nose. Do you remember the look on his face when he lifted her veil and saw her face for the first time?” Austin chuckled.
Cameron started laughing. “His face? You should have seen your face!”
“Mine? What about yours?”
Their laughter grew louder, mingling with the dawn.
Loree slipped her fingers between the kitchen curtains and peered through the tiny opening. Austin laughed so hard that he very nearly doubled over, his chin almost hitting his drawn up knees.
“Oh my God!” Becky whispered behind her. “Tell me that’s Austin and Cameron laughing.”
Loree stepped back, surprised to see tears brimming in Becky’s eyes as she peeked through the curtain.
“I could not have asked for a better Christmas present.” Becky squeezed her eyes shut and released a quick breath. “It almost killed Cameron to lose Austin’s friendship.” She opened her eyes and grabbed Loree’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go sit with them.”
“I’m not sure we should—”
“Oh, I am. I know it’ll never be like it was … but this is sure close.” Becky opened the door. “What are you two laughing about?” she demanded of the men sitting on the porch.
Holding her breath, Loree peered around Becky who stood with her hands planted on her hips, her legs akimbo. She saw Austin’s smile increase, his eyes grow warm as he held out his hand. She wanted to crawl back into the house and die until she realized that his gaze was latched onto her.
“Come here, Sugar,” he said in a slow drawl that sent her heart to racing.
She skirted around Becky and slipped her hand into his, thinking his had never felt so warm or comforting, so right as his fingers wrapped around her hand and he pulled her down to his lap. He opened his jacket and tucked her inside like she was a piece of fine jewelry to be protected between velvet. He held her close with one arm and enveloped her bare feet with his other hand. She was eye-level with him and from the intensity of his blue gaze, she would have thought he were only aware of the two of them sitting on this porch in the cold dawn.
“What were you laughing about?” Becky repeated as she plopped onto Cameron’s lap and nearly sent him sprawling backward over the porch.
“We were remembering the day that Dallas married Dee,” Cameron said, straightening himself and putting his arms around Becky.
“What was so funny about that?” Becky asked.
“Cameron had told me that Indians cut off Dee’s nose,” Austin said, his gaze never leaving Loree. She grew warmer, but she thought it had little to do with the heat of his body burning through her clothing. “I told Dallas. It came as a surprise to him to discover his wife had a nose.”
“I remember now. Everyone’s mouth dropped open when he lifted her veil, but I never knew why,” Becky said. She wrinkled her brow. “He married her, thinking she didn’t have a nose?”
“He was a desperate man,” Austin said quietly. “Desperate men don’t always think things through.”
Loree wanted to tell him that desperate women didn’t think things through either. She had been desperate once, so incredibly desperate that she had done something she never would have believed herself capable of doing. At unexpected times the memory would strike like a rattlesnake … only a rattlesnake gave warning. Her memory from hell wasn’t as kind.
She heard the tread of heavy feet and twisted slightly. Dallas rounded the corner, burlap sacks bunched in his hand.
“What in the hell are you doing lollygagging back here?” he demanded without breaking his stride. He tossed the burlap sacks onto the porch. “Get this hay picked up.”
Reaching behind him, Austin grabbed the sacks and handed a couple to Cameron. “Guess we’d better get to it.”
Loree slid off his lap and tightened her wrap around herself. “I need to get dressed.”
Austin’s hand clamped onto her waist, preventing her from slipping back into the house.
“Me, too,” Becky said. “I’ll see you in a little bit, Cameron.”
“Be sure and get the hay off the balcony in Rawley’s room.”
She smiled. “Guess he forgot we were going to sleep in his room last night.” She disappeared into the house.
Austin shifted his gaze from Loree to Cameron. “Why don’t you go on? I’ll catch up.”
“Sure thing.” Cameron hopped off the porch and headed toward a distant scattering of hay.
Austin returned his gaze to her, his fingers tightening their hold.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
She watched his Adam’s apple slowly slide up and down. His blue eyes smoldered like flames on the verge of coming back to life. “Everything is just fine. As a matter of fact, I think it’s been fine for a while and I just didn’t notice.” He cradled her cheek. “I love you, Loree.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “You don’t have to say that just because I did—”
“That’s not why I’m saying it.” He dipped his head slightly. “I’m saying it because it’s true.”
He closed the distance between their mouths, their hearts, with a kiss that made her body feel like a melted pool of wax, warm and molten, easily shaped to fit his desires. And more to fit her desires, desires that spiraled through her. She slipped her hands beneath the shoulders of his sheepskin jacket and felt the comforting heat of his body. He brought his coat around her. Her toes crept over his boots. And the baby rolled between them.
Austin drew away and glanced down at the small mound. Then he lifted his gaze. “Figure we’ll spend the day here, pack up our stuff, go to that Christmas ball that Dee is giving in town … then head home.”
She gave him a quick nod.
“Don’t remind me of any promises I’ve made in the past when we get home.”
Her voice caught in her throat, forcing her to push out the words. “I won’t.”
A slow lazy smile spread across his face and in it, she read a new promise, a promise she dearly wanted him to keep.
With long strides, Austin carried the box of presents to the wagon. He and Loree had been blessed last night with an assortment of gifts that ranged from useable items for the baby to a picture from Faith that he suspected was a horse only because it had been scribbled in brown.
After setting the box in the back of the wagon, he dug through the contents until he found one of the music sheets Loree had given him. He opened it and again studied the black ovals with the strange sticks and flags. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to let Loree explain them to him. If they made sense to her, maybe they could make sense to him.
“Austin?”
Becky’s serene voice came from behind him. He stuffed the sheet into the box, spun around, and realized that he’d lied to Loree.
He’d told her once that a man couldn’t tell if a woman had been made love to, but standing here, staring at the warm glow on Becky’s cheeks, he had no doubt that she had just been well and thoroughly loved.
“I just wanted to thank you,” she said softly.
“For what?”
“For whatever it was that you said to Cameron that made him stop doubting my love.”
“I just told him the truth.” He turned and shoved the box farther back into the wagon.
Becky came up alongside him. “I did love you, you know,” she said quietly.
He met her gaze. “I know.”
“What we had was so incredibly sweet … and young.” She furrowed her brow. “I don’t know if that makes sense.”
“It does.”
“If we had gotten married five years ago—even without you going to prison—I don’t know if our love would have survived the passing years. I think we would have been content, but never truly happy.”
Words backed up in his throat and he could do little more than give her an understanding nod.
“I know it’s been hard on you since you got back. Cameron and I just finished talking about some things that we hadn’t really discussed before. I’m willing to make a public announcement saying I was with you the night Boyd was killed.”
Austin felt as though the air had been pulled from his lungs. Emotions clogged his throat. He knew that announcement would cost Becky more than her reputation. It would cost Cameron his pride.
“I appreciate that, Becky. More than you’ll ever know, but I think it would cause more harm than good. That’s the reason I told you not to say anything five years ago. Most people would think you were lying to protect me, but your words would still plant the seeds of doubt about your reputation in everyone’s mind. It’s not worth taking the chance of hurting not only you and Cameron, but Drew as well.”
He watched as relief washed over her face. “Just so you know we’re willing.”
He gave her a brisk nod. “Better get back to your husband. Wouldn’t want to make him jealous.”
“A part of me will always love you, Austin.” She leaned over and brushed a kiss over his cheek. His heart tightened.
“Same here,” he said hoarsely.
He watched her stroll back toward the house, her hips swaying gently from side to side. Within his heart, he bid the love of his youth a silent farewell.
Chapter 15
The Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hotel had changed over the years—like everything else in Austin’s life. If windows didn’t grace the wall, then floor-to-ceiling gilded mirrors did. The room seemed larger than it was as Austin stood beside his brothers, Loree at his side.
While Amelia and Dee rushed around the room making certain everything was in order, the children sat in chairs along the wall, like stair steps, from oldest to youngest, with the very youngest nestled in Houston’s arms. The girls swung their feet, their heels hitting the underside of their chair. Rawley slumped forward, looking bored as hell. Austin understood that feeling.
Dallas’s cook strode in, his legs bowed out like a man who still had a horse sitting beneath him, his fiddle tucked beneath his arm. He wore a fancy black suit that Austin had never expected the man to own.
“The fiddle player’s here,” Maggie announced. “You’re gonna have to dance with me, Rawley.”
Horror swept over Rawley’s face. “Don’t neither.”
“Do to.” Maggie tipped up her nose. “Uncle Dallas, doesn’t Rawley have to dance with me?”
Absently, Dallas waved his hand in the air, his attention focused on his wife. “Can’t see that it’d do any harm, Rawley. Probably be good practice.”
Groaning, Rawley glowered at Maggie, who wore a smile of triumph. Faith slid out of her chair, tiptoed across the floor, and climbed onto Rawley’s lap.
“Dance wiv me, too, Wawley.”
He held up a finger. “One dance.” He glared at Maggie. “One dance.” Holding Faith in place with one arm, he leaned forward and glared at each of his cousins in turn, his finger pointing to the ceiling. “One dance each and that’s it.”
He slumped back against the wall, reached into his shirt pocket, and removed a sarsaparilla stick.
“Gimme some,” Faith ordered.
“It’s my last piece,” Rawley said, even as he proceeded to break it into six pieces and distribute it to the girls, popping the last and smallest piece into his mouth.
He met Austin’s gaze over the top of Faith’s head. “I sure hope your baby is a boy.”
“Reckon we need to even things out a little, don’t
we?”
Rawley gave him a brusque nod. “We men folk are sorely outnumbered.”
Austin laughed, remembering a time when that was exactly what Dallas had wanted: more women out in West Texas.
Breathless, Amelia rushed over and took Gracie from Houston. “I think we just about have everything ready to go.”
“Who’s gonna watch the young ‘uns while you and me dance?” Houston asked.
“I’ll be happy to watch the girls,” Loree said, her fingers tightening around Austin’s. “I can’t imagine I’ll be doing any dancing tonight. In this red dress, I look like an apple that’s been turned upside down.”
Austin gave her a long slow perusal, then leaned over, and whispered in her ear, “I’ve always liked nibbling on apples.”
Her face burned a deep crimson, and he wished he could find some dark secluded corner where he could taste her fully. His only fear was that once he got started, he’d be unable to stop. He couldn’t remember ever wanting anything as much as he wanted Loree at this moment.
People began to arrive. The night they’d gone to the theater, Austin had only seen Leighton’s successful citizens. They were here tonight, but so were the cowboys, the wranglers, the stonemasons, and the carpenters. The ladies who worked in Dee’s hotel and restaurant glided into the room in their fancy gowns and were swept onto the floor to dance before the music began to play.
When the first strains from Cookie’s fiddle filled the air, a roar went up and people began to dance in earnest.
“We’re gonna take you up on that offer to watch the girls if you’re sure you don’t mind,” Houston said.
“I don’t mind,” Loree assured him as she released Austin’s hand and took Gracie into her arms.
“We’ll just dance one dance,” Amelia said.
“Dance as many as you like.”
“I’m going to make my wife stop working and do some dancing,” Dallas said before walking off.
With a huff, Rawley shifted Faith off his lap, stood, and held his hand out to Maggie. “Come on, Brat. You asked first.”
Maggie hopped out of her chair and followed him onto the dance floor.
Austin helped Loree sit in the chair Maggie had vacated, then he sat beside her, easing Faith onto his lap. She reached up and planted a sticky sarsaparilla scented kiss on his cheek. “Love ya.”
“I love you, too,” Austin said quietly.
He glanced over at Loree. “And you.”
She pressed her cheek against his shoulder.
“We won’t stay long,” he promised. He looked toward the waltzing couples.
“They all look so happy,” Loree said quietly.
Cameron and Becky passed quickly in front of them before disappearing in the crowd. “Yeah, they do,” Austin said.
When the music stilled momentarily, Amelia came over and took Gracie from Loree. “Come on, girls. Let’s go get some punch.” Houston scooped A. J. into his arms before holding a hand toward Faith. “You thirsty?”
She nodded and slid off Austin’s lap. Austin watched his nieces, all in identical red dresses, traipse toward the table like performers in a circus parade. He glanced at Loree, her hands folded over her apple red stomach. He leaned toward her. “Do you dance?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I went to a couple of balls in Austin, but that was a long time back.”
He pulled gently on a curl dangling near her temple. “Is that where you met Jake?”
“I told you there was no Jake.”
“Who did you dance with?”
Sighing, she narrowed her eyes. “I danced with somebody named John and … Michael.”
“That’s it?”
“I wasn’t exactly the belle of the ball.”
“What do city boys know?” he asked.
“A good-looking woman when they see one.”
“Not on your life.” He stood, held out his hand, and helped her to her feet.
“Thought I spotted you over here,” Cameron said, diverting Austin’s attention away from Loree. “Would you mind if I danced with your wife?”
Austin caught the look of surprise in Loree’s eyes, and suddenly, he wanted every man in this room to dance with her. “No, I don’t mind.”
“You don’t mind do you?” Cameron asked Becky. “I’ll be leaving you in good company.”
Becky smiled. “Go on.”
Cameron held his hand toward Loree. She hesitated before slipping her hand into his. “I’m not very balanced these days.”
Cameron grinned. “That’s all right. Neither am I.”
Austin watched Cameron lead Loree onto the dance floor. Their steps were awkward, mismatched. Cameron chuckled, and even with the din of the other dancers, Austin heard Loree’s gentle laughter.
“You and I never got to dance,” Becky said quietly.
Austin slid his gaze to her. The royal blue of her dress enhanced the shade of her eyes. “No, we didn’t.”
She licked her lips. “We’re not going to dance tonight, are we?”
“No, we’re not.”
She shifted her gaze to the dancers. “Cameron wouldn’t mind.”
