Cinders' Bride: Mail Order Brides of Texas (14 page)

Damn, life was such a crap shoot. She snuggled against him and he smiled. Maybe it would be worth it to take the shot. The things she did to his body. It wasn’t only a need for release, it was a need to be closer to her, body and soul. He shook his head. When did he get to be some kind of philosopher?

“Is something wrong, Cinders?” Her voice quaked.

“No, sugar. I’m just glad I found you. Life would be pretty boring without you.”

“I’m a source of trouble for you.”

He leaned forward and kissed her head. “You’re no trouble I can’t handle.”

“I’m glad,” she whispered.

It wasn’t going to be easy to keep an eye on her during the cattle drive but there was no choice. Hopefully she’ll be of help to Cookie and stay out of trouble. There were too many ways to get hurt on the trail. She was learning more and more each day but survival was damn near impossible for a greenhorn.

He hoped none of the men balked. Some had their superstitions about women being bad luck on the drive. They’d have to buck up or leave. Shaking his head, he hoped they all stayed. Every hand was needed.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Hell, it must have been scary as all get out to be kidnaped by Long Nose. I’m sorry as can be it happened to you. He hugged her tight and then loosened his hold. I like to think I can protect what is mine.”

She turned her head to look at him. “Is that what I am? Am I yours to protect?”

“You’re my wife.”

Sadness filled her eyes as she nodded to him. She turned away from him and they continued on to the ranch. Was there a better answer? Charlotte would have fainted and there’d be no conversation. She would have found some way to kill herself. The embarrassment alone would have killed her. Her tight circle of friends would have turned their backs on her, and she wouldn’t have been able to survive it.

Shannon was a strong, inquisitive, brave woman who was willing to be a helpmate. Funny, he never thought of marriage that way before. It could be like a partnership where they helped one another for the good of the ranch. He wouldn’t mind spending time with Shannon. She listened to what he had to say and she never shushed him or told him he bored her with his ranch talk.

The other men rode ahead of him except for Tramp. He had his back. Maybe Tramp and Shannon would end up friends. Why was Tramp so against Shannon? He never disrespected Charlotte. In fact, he seemed to be the one person Charlotte tolerated. Go figure.

The rocking motion of the horse put Shannon to sleep and he felt her body relax against his.

“She asleep?” Tramp asked.

“Looks that way.”

“I know she said nothing happened but she was with them a good while before we caught up to them. You’re going to have to get the truth out of her. You don’t want a half-breed growing n her belly.”

“Tramp, I told you before. It’s not your business. I don’t care what happened. Shannon is my wife and she is going to stay my wife.”

“Until she pays off her debt.”

“No, until death do us part. I said my vows and I meant them.”

Tramp nodded. “We have a lot to do to get ready for the cattle drive. I’ll ride ahead and make sure things get done.”

“You do that.” Why was Tramp trying to tell him what to do where Shannon was concerned? It really made no sense. For some reason he took an instant dislike to her. Cattle drive first, though. The rest would have to wait.

Stopping the horse in front of the house, he gently lifted Shannon off his lap and into Cookie’s arms. He dismounted and took her back, walked into the house, and then headed straight to the bedroom. He lay her down and took a step back. She had a few tears in the dress but nothing that would lead him to think she had been violated. A deep bruise marred the right side of her temple. The real proof would be bruises on her legs. Did he dare look?

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, debating what to do. If she caught him, she’d be madder than a wet hen. No, it was better to believe her. They needed to trust each other, not only for the sake of their marriage but for a safe drive. She’d need to follow his orders without question and there couldn’t be any doubt between them. He left her there sleeping. There was plenty to do and not enough time to do it.

Cookie promised to keep an eye on her and off Cinders went to round up the rest of the cattle.

As the day began to wane, he rode to the house. Three buggies were taking up much of the front of the house.
What in tarnation
? Handing his horse off to Keegan, he made his way inside. Instantly, he stiffened when he saw Shannon pale and trembling, her back against the wall.

“What’s going on?” He quickly made his way to his wife’s side.

“We’re here to help,” Polly announced. “We heard what happened and we came to help her bathe and the like. She won’t tell us about the attack. In fact she keeps insisting she wasn’t raped.” Folding her arms in front of her she shook her head. “We all know she’s lying.”

Rage flooded his veins. “Get out! All of you! Can’t you see how upset you’ve made my wife? She wasn’t with the Indians long enough for anything to happen, not that it’s your business. Now leave!” He held the door wide open and waited while the women passed by. Most were red-faced and more than a few whispered sorry.

Polly stopped in front of him. “Really, Cinders—”

“Out!”

She sputtered and left.

He took long strides to get to Shannon. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “They are the craziest bunch of busybodies I’ve ever come across. It took everything I had not to grab a knife and start waving it at them. No wonder women would rather die than be caught. Nothing happened to me and look how they treated me. Hopefully it’ll blow over. I’m sick of those higher than thou women who want to ‘help’.”

Sighing in relief, he pulled her close. “You constantly amaze me. Now if the cattle drive goes off without a hitch, life will be perfect.”

She nodded, but the lack of a genuine smile concerned him. She made light of many things, but he had the feeling she felt them deeply. It sure will be different bringing a woman along.

He smiled.

“What?” she asked.

“I was just thinking you’ll be the first woman I’ve ever been pushing cattle with.”

“Oh! I need to help Cookie!” She jumped up and raced out the door. A moment later she was back. “Thank you for rescuing me again.”

She left before he had a chance to reply.

Chapter Eight

The sun had barely made an appearance before Cinders lifted her onto the bench of the food wagon. Cookie wore a closed don’t-talk-to-me expression, so she stayed silent as Cookie drove. It was a bumpy ride and she held on tight to the side and to the wagon bench, fearing she’d be catapulted any second.

Cookie began to mumble and shake his head.

Taking a deep breath, she dared to talk to him. “Is something wrong?”

“Ain’t supposed to be any females on the ride. It’s bad luck.”

“I’m sure I’m not the first. I'll bet you’ve heard of some before.”

“The reason you don’t hear about them is because they all got kilt.”

She blinked and stared at him. She’d find a way to push past his bad mood. “I can be a big help to you.”

“Never needed help before.”

“You are one grouchy man, Cookie. Maybe it’s my bad luck that I got stuck with you!”

Cookie smiled, winked and urged the horses  to move along. “We need to get ahead and get food ready. Those cowboys get hungry. Don’t take any back talk from them neither.”

“I don’t think—”

“It happens. Too much time in the saddle and little sleep makes for a motley crew. They get like bears with no eats. You just let me know.”

Since she knew all the men, it didn’t concern her. Hard work was expected and she intended to make Cinders proud.

They rode at least another hour before Cookie stopped. He jumped down from the wagon, came around to her side and gave her a hand down.

“Can you get a fire going? The first thing is coffee, lots of it and strong too. I had beans soaking overnight. We’ll cook those along with some biscuits and then add some beef. We’ll make enough biscuits to do for tonight so don’t be giving out extras of anything. I run a tight wagon.”

“I’d better gather the wood.”

“Don’t go too far. Getting lost out here is hell.”

Nodding, she walked towards the woods. She picked up as much wood as she could carry, keeping the wagon in sight the whole time. She returned and started the fire. “What would you like me to do next?”

Cookie smiled. “Might not be so bad having you around.”

By the time the food was ready, the men and the cattle were getting close. Cookie was right, they weren’t full of niceties. They each grabbed a metal plate and waited for Cookie to fill their plates. Most sat around the fire, eating and talking. A few looked to be grabbing a few minutes of sleep. Tramp rode in and nodded to her, but it was Cinders she waited for.

Finally, he rode in with a few of the younger hands. His face was plastered in dust but she didn’t care. Just seeing him alive and well made her heart jump.

“Hope there’s some left for us,” he said staring into her eyes.

“Of course there is,” Cookie answered.  “Best eat quick though, it’s time for me and Shannon to pull out.”

Cinders dismounted and stood directly in front of her so she had to crane her neck to see his face. “You okay? The days can be extra-long and we aren’t even half way through the first one.”

“I’m fine, Finn.”

He laughed. “Not my name. You keep trying though.”

Before she knew it, they were packed up and ready to go. Her rear-end protested as she sat on the bench, but she kept a firm smile on her face.

Later that day agony hit her body, but she refused to show any weakness. She had to bite her tongue from groaning a few times, but she made it through. The last cowboy had been fed and the food wagon was ready for the morning. She watched as the firelight danced across the men’s faces. The sky was a bit cloudy and it blocked the stars and the moon. Everything beyond the circle of fire was pitch black. Many of the men were getting their bedrolls ready and for the first time she wondered where she was supposed to sleep. There didn’t seem to be much room in the wagon.

“Hey, Cookie. Where do we sleep?”

He scratched his jaw for a bit and shrugged his shoulders. “Didn’t give it much thought. I sleep under the wagon. I suppose there is room in the wagon for you to curl up a mite. As we use more supplies there will be more room.”

She used some of the heated water to wash up, then started to climb into the wagon. The pain almost made her cry out.

“Where are you going?” Cinders’ voice washed over her.

“I figured I’d sleep in here. I don’t have a bedroll.”

He encircled her waist with his large hands and lifted her down. “You sleep with me.”

Her whole body trembled at the sensual nature of his voice. Why would tonight be any different? After all, they slept together every night. Swallowing hard, she turned to face him. “I’m tired.”

“I suggest we get to bed then.”

The sound of her heart thumping pushed all other sound out. She reached into the wagon and grabbed her gown. “Show me the way.”

“It’ll be my honor to show you, honey,” he whispered, and his warm breath blew against her ear. Taking his offered hand, they walked beyond the light of fire. “I staked out a place earlier.”

“Is it safe?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way. Come and sit on the bedroll. We might as well get comfortable.

She sank down onto the blanket, wondering what was going on. She had an inkling, but surely if he’s wanted her before, he’d have taken her at the house. A breeze rustled through the trees as Cinders got down on his knees. He pulled her up until they faced each other, then swooped down to kiss her.

She cried in delightful agony at the sweet feel of his lips on hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck she drew him closer and before she knew it, he’d taken her hair down and fanned it out along her shoulders.

“You have lovely hair.”

There was no chance to answer. He took her lips again and probed her mouth with his tongue. His kisses were pure magic and before she knew it, she was bare to the waist. It was unseemly and exciting at the same time. When he dipped his head down and took one of her nipples into his mouth, she decided exciting was the way to go. Never had she felt such wonderful things. He kissed one, than the other, taking time in between to gently suck her. Desire ran through her and she needed to be with him in every way.

“Perfect,” he whispered, kissing his way down to her waist. He made quick work of getting her skirt off and stripped her until she wore nothing.

“Cinders?” He didn’t answer and just kept kissing her breasts, her belly, along her legs and when he kissed the inside of her thigh she thought she was going to fly right off the blanket. He put a finger inside of her and then another. He gently moved them until her body hummed.

Pulling back, he undid his pants. He eased his body on top of her and she enjoyed the weight of him pressing against her. His hardness started to enter her and it stung. She opened her mouth to cry out but he silenced her with a deep kiss. It hurt, it hurt pretty badly and she stiffened.

“Give it a second. It’ll get better.”

She barely nodded, trying to relax. He stayed still inside her and began to kiss her neck. Before she knew it he was moving inside her and this time she enjoyed it. There became a nice rhythm to their movement and she smiled. Whew, so it’s not a duty after all! An intense sensation of something building within her rocked her to the core. Her whole body tingled as she lost control and reached a pleasure she’d never experienced before.

Suddenly he stiffened and groaned into her mouth. He collapsed and lay on her for a moment, then he eased off to the side. “That was worth waiting for. Here, honey, put on your gown. Morning will come soon enough.”

The weight of his arm around her as he pulled her close brought a smile to her face. She was finally his wife; his real wife. And the best part was it was a decision he made. She beamed from within and fell into a deep sleep.

****

Cinders sat up and stretched. His body hadn’t felt this recharged in forever. He gazed at his wife and a tenderness welled up inside of him. Too bad there wasn’t time for more… “Honey, time to get up.”

Groaning, she sat up and grabbed her clothes. He could tell by her jerky movements she was sore. Damn, she was hurting last night from the long day they’d had on the trail and he'd just added to her misery. “I’ll give you some privacy. I won’t be far just at that rock over yonder.”

She nodded as she clenched and unclenched her clothes. She must be self-conscious.

The wait was not long before she'd joined him with the bedroll. He took it from her and they walked back to camp. He hoped they’d have been one of the first to rise but it didn’t happen. Tramp stood leaning against the cook wagon and smirked.

“Enjoy yourself last night?”

Shannon gasped and made a wide berth around him toward Cookie. She immediately washed up and pitched in. Cinders shook his head. He’d never seen her face redder.

“Tramp—” Cinders growled as he took a step toward him.

Tramp put up his hands. “I know it was out of line but it just came out. Sorry, Boss.”

Cinders gave him a curt nod, grabbed coffee and a couple biscuits before he found his horse and rode off.  If Tramp insisted on being a jackass then he was a first class jackass. He should have known the men would notice. He'd all but announced the fact he'd bedded his wife. What kind of man does that? Not a very good one.

He hardened just thinking about Shannon. Her body was made for loving. The way she kissed him back and responded to him filled him with pride. Staying away from her was going to be a huge challenge. It would be easy to tire his body out during the day and maybe she should sleep in the wagon to get a break and heal.

He heard a horse galloping toward him and knew it was Tramp. Tramp pulled his horse up next to Cinders. The sea of cattle filling the area was an amazing site. The outcome of years of hard labor was before him. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Tramp.”

“We’ve been through a lot together. Listen, about this morning. I don’t have anything against Shannon. I just don’t want you made a fool again.”

Cinders’ eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I know you have your pride and all, but what Charlotte did to you was downright wrong. Stepping out on your husband is never okay in my book.”

A sudden buzzing in his ears left him confused. “What are you talking about?”

Tramp’s eyes widened. “You didn’t know. I mean even after her death no one told you?”

“No. Tell me.” His heart lodged in his throat.

“Well, she and that banker fella, Arthur Goodwin, had a thing going. He left town right after her passing on. Are you sure you didn’t know?”

“She always wanted more than I could give. I wasn’t refined enough for her I guess.” His heart sank as he urged his horse toward the heard of the cattle. Everyone knew about her cheating, and that was probably the way of it. How long had he been the laughing stock of the town?

Hell, why hadn’t Polly said anything? Did they all think he knew and he'd just stepped aside like some wet eared boy?  He didn’t want anyone talking about it now. His best bet would be to keep his mouth closed. Damn her and damn all women. Sure, she was a big ole pain, but cheating on him? Disgust for her filled him. He hadn’t even seen what was right in front of him. He was the fool.

He rode hard all day, barley stopping to eat. He changed horses often and kept going. He couldn’t get his mind off Charlotte and her treachery. He saw the hurt expression on Shannon’s face when he barely acknowledged her but it couldn’t be helped. He could do without a woman. Everything just ended in heartache anyway.

He waited until most of the men had bedded down, hoping Shannon would climb into the wagon. She sat by the fire with cowboys snoring all around her. Why didn’t she go to bed? She appeared lost and close to tears. His heart twisted. He’d had enough emotion for one day. He grabbed the coffee and poured himself a cup, giving her a curt nod.

“I was worried.”

“No need to worry about me. I can look out for myself. I’m going to sleep. Why don’t you sleep in the wagon tonight? I don’t need any distractions.”

Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked down at her hands. One tear dropped, then another. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” He grabbed his bedroll and found a quiet place to lay his head. His mind whirled, but finally his exhausted body allowed him some sleep.

****

Weary was the word for her, just plain weary. The days were beyond long and her nights were just as long. Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out what she had done wrong. Cinders all but ignored her and she didn’t have a clue what to do. The sympathetic smiles she got from the men only made it worse. Even Cookie began to mumble about Cinders. She didn’t want that. She wanted them to respect him, not feel sorry for her.

She couldn’t get past the why of it all. If he didn’t want her, then why make her his wife? He obviously was sorry they’d been intimate and it tore her apart. It was his right and she’d expected it to happen, but then again she'd half expected him to send her away.