Bonds of Matrimony (40 page)

           
The
pond was within sight now, and she squinted, trying to spot Webb’s horse.
 
The pond appeared to be unoccupied.

           
She
was disappointed.
 
No, that was an
understatement.
 
She bit her lip
and blinked her eyes rapidly.
 
“I
will not cry,” she told myself angrily.
 
“Strong, independent women who can shoot do not cry like lovesick
babies.”

           
To
make herself feel better, she dismounted, tied her girl up to a tree, and
pulled her pistol out of its ankle holster.
 
Walking a short distance from the horse and pond, she took
aim at a small pail lying on its side in the tall grass.
 
She used both hands to steady the
pistol and focused on the pail while gently squeezing the trigger.
 
The soft ping was buried by the loud
explosion, and the pail hopped.

           
“Ha!”
she congratulated herself and took aim again.
 
She emptied, reloaded, and emptied the gun again before she
was interrupted.

           
“You
could set off fireworks and send a marching band into town to personally hand
Stockton directions to this place.
 
It might be more effective if you’re trying to get his attention.”
 
He almost had to shout over the echoes
of gunfire.

           
For
a moment, she thought that she might be imagining him standing there mocking her.
 
Chase grinned at his annoyed
expression.
 
“I’m practicing.”

           
He
nodded.
 
“I see that.
 
Perhaps you should practice on your
brother’s ranch, where there are a dozen people to help keep you safe.
 
Alive, even.”

           
“I
was hoping to find you here.
 
I
wanted to see you.”

           
He
shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tipped his cowboy hat farther
back on his head.
 
“Why is that?”

           
“To
thank you.”
 
Chase took a step
toward him, and he backed away.
 
She
hesitated, smiled, and walked more briskly to him, grabbing the waistband of
his pants, making sure he couldn’t get away from her.
 
“Thank you for the pistol.”

           
“You’re
welcome.”

           
“I’m
not done yet.
 
And thank you for
believing in me and for trusting me to take care of myself.”
 
She ran her hands up his muscled chest,
grabbed the back of his neck, and pulled his lips down to her own.
 
He returned the kiss hungrily, and she
found herself leaning into him and deepening the kiss.
 
His hands fisted at her hips, clutching
her to him.
 
“Thank you for caring
about my safety.”

           
He
abruptly untangled himself from her arms and stepped away.
 
“You’re welcome,” he said shortly.

           
“What’s
wrong?”

           
“Nothing
is wrong.
 
I’m glad you like the
pistol.
 
I’m glad you’re a good
shot.”
 

           
She
studied his angry expression.
 
“Are
you angry because I don’t need you to take care of me?”

           
“Don’t
be ridiculous, Chase.
 
I am one of
the few people in this world who appreciates your independence.”

           
That
was true enough.
 
She took a
seductive step toward him.
 
“Do you
know what I appreciate?”

           
“I
have to get back to the ranch.
 
I
just wanted to come let you know that you probably shouldn’t be doing target
practice out here alone.
 
You might
be a bit more careful about attracting attention.”

           
“Of
course,” she answered slowly.
 
Chase
watched him turn away before saying, “What’s happening here?
 
Why do you seem angry with me?
 
I came here because I wanted to see
you.
 
I wanted to be with you.
 
But you don’t seem at all interested.”

           
“Interested?”
he scoffed and turned back to face her.
 
“I have been interested since day one, Chase.
 
But you make it too difficult.
 
You demand and demand and demand.
 
And it is never enough.
 
I could hand you one hundred dollars, and you would get
angry and accuse me of having handed it to you the wrong way.
 
I am not so stupid that I don’t know
relationships aren’t easy, but they shouldn’t be this damned hard, either.
 
And then it occurred to me.
 
This is not what I want.
 
Somehow, I got lost on that damned
ship.
 
I haven’t been myself in
months.”

           
“What
are you talking about?
 
You are
exactly the same stubborn ass you were on that ship.
 
What is it that you suddenly don’t want?
 
You don’t want to make love?
 
You don’t want the passion?
 
You don’t want the secret meetings at
the pond?
 
Or the stolen kisses in
the stable?
 
What?”

           
“You.
 
I don’t want you,” he answered quietly
and sternly.

           
She
stuttered for a moment, wanting to accuse him of lying.
 
Wanting to beg him to take it back and
propose to her again.
 
Wanting him
to love her.
 
But she couldn’t get
the words out.
 
And before she
could manage to put it all together, he was on his horse and riding back toward
his ranch.

***

           
It
hadn’t exactly been a lie.
 
He
didn’t
want her.

           
He
was in love with her.
 
He loved her
body and her eyes and her smile.
 
He
loved her intelligence and her independence and her tough vulnerability.
 
He loved her kisses and her caresses
and her passion.
 
And he loved
imagining her as his wife and the mother of his children.
 
And most of all, he was terrified to
realize that he suddenly felt he needed her.

           
But
Webb didn’t
want
her.
 
He didn’t want to love her.
 
And he sure as hell didn’t want to
need
her.

           
And
since she found the idea of marrying him so disgusting, he had decided to get
her out of his system.

           
When
he had heard the gunshots, Webb knew exactly what he’d find at the pond.
 
He realized she was endangering
herself, and he suddenly had to warn her against her brash target-shooting
lesson.
 
His heart raced as he
urged the horse to a full gallop.
 
He
found himself getting excited at the thought of seeing her again.
 
And then there she was.
 
Shooting that damned pail out of the
grass.
 
She had looked
delicious.
 
And that had made him
furious.
 

           
And
when they kissed, he knew that she wanted to continue their trysts.
 
They shared a great passion, and she
appreciated what he did to her body.
 
She had a man who could please her and satisfy her appetite, but a
decent enough man who would not dare ruin her by advertising her
indiscretions.
 
A man who would
never want more.
 
A man who would
never ask for love.

           
But
she was wrong.
 
She had changed
everything.
 
Love had changed
everything.
 
And he didn’t want
love.
 
So therefore, Webb
couldn’t
want her.

CHAPTER 23

Slaughter, Texas

Labor Day 1908

           
“You
would look positively lovely if you would stop scowling like that,” her
grandmother greeted as she joined her granddaughter on the front porch.

           
“Is
everybody ready to go?”

           
“Almost.”
 
She sat beside Chase on the porch step
and straightened her simple skirt around her legs.
 
“I’m not a fool, Chastity.
 
Anyone with eyes can see that you’re in love with Colton
Webb.
 
I tried to warn you about
that man on our voyage—”

           
“I’m
really not feeling up to a lecture, Grandmother,” she interrupted
impatiently.
 
Chase recognized the
disrespectful tone in her own voice immediately.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I
only mean to say—”

           
“Shush.
 
For once, listen to me and consider
that perhaps this one time, someone else might know what is best for you.”

           
Chase
turned and saw her stern expression.
 
Stubbornly, she sulked but kept quiet.

           
“You’ve
been drawn to him from the moment you met him.
 
I warned you to stay away from him, but you wouldn’t
listen.
 
I suppose I shouldn’t have
been surprised, but I was.
 
After
all, you’ve never had any interest in men before; but Mr. Webb was
different.
 
He was different from
the very beginning. I have known men like him myself, you know.
 
I recognized immediately that Mr. Webb
is not the kind of man who settles down and marries a lady.
 
Of course, he was charming and polite,
but I didn’t trust that he was entirely sincere.
 
But I was wrong about him, Chastity.
 
He is a truly genuine man.
 
And honorable.
 
And he cares about you deeply.”

           
“That
is where you’re wrong, Grandmother.”

           
“You’re
a fool, Chastity.
 
He cares.
 
Men like him don’t want to marry.
 
But he was prepared to commit his life
to keeping you safe from Mr. Stockton.”

           
“That’s
no reason to marry,” Chase argued bitterly.

           
“I
take it back, dear.
 
You’re no
fool.”
 
Her eyes narrowed
critically.
 
“You’re a damned
idiot.
 
There is no better reason
than that to marry.”
           
“Love
is the only reason,” she asserted.

           
“Love?
 
It’s only a word, Chastity.
 
A man’s actions mean so much more than
a simple word.
 
He was going to
give up his precious freedom for you.
 
To keep you from falling into the hands of a brute.
 
What do you think that is…if not love?”

           
She
snorted and stepped past Chastity, off of the porch.
 
As though on cue, the rest of the family flowed out onto the
porch and into the front yard.
 
George Wainright had joined them for breakfast and took her grandmother’s
arm in order to help her into his car.
 
Elisa slid in beside her with Jacob cradled in her arms.
 
Without a word, Marcus lifted Chase
onto Artemis’ back.
 

           
As
a family, they headed to Cloverdale for the Labor Day celebration.
 
A band was set up in the pavilion while
families on picnic blankets colored the lawn.
 
Children rushed into the watering hole to enjoy what could
prove to be the last swim of the summer.

           
Chase
had been sitting on their blanket watching everyone else enjoy themselves for
nearly an hour.
 
She was nibbling
on a biscuit and watching Marcus and Elisa as they danced to the band.
 
She laughed loudly and leaned into his
body.
 
Little Jacob, as though
sensing the happiness of his parents, cooed and nestled down more cozily into his
aunt’s arms.
 
She lowered my head
close to his and breathed in his baby scent.