Dashing Druid (Texas Druids) (25 page)

He lusted after her, he cared for her in his way, but he’d made it clear he wouldn’t let himself touch her again. If he did, she might get pregnant, and he didn’t want to have to marry her – because he
didn’t
truly love her.

Brushing the drying tears from her cheeks, she nodded in reply to his question.

“Good girl. MacClure would be proud of ye.” With that, he turned and headed for his horse, leaving Lil to wonder why she had ever allowed him into her heart.

* * *

When Del and Jack rode in after supper, Tye was having a second cup of coffee. Nearby, Lil sat cross-legged, silently gazing into the low-burning campfire. Across from them, Chic was engaged in halfhearted conversation with Alabama. The others seemed too worn out and dispirited from last night’s tragedy to say much.

Lil rose as her father tied up his horse and walked over with Jack padding silently behind him. Tye shared her sense of dread at having to tell them about Neil.

“Pa, I . . . I’m glad you’re back,” she said.

“Glad to be back,” Del replied, throwing a puzzled glance at the silent group around the campfire. “Kinda quiet, ain’t it.”

“The boy’s are tuckered out from last night,” Chic said. “You want some grub?”

“Thanks, but Jack snared a rabbit and spitted it for us earlier.” He aimed his frowning gaze at Lil. “You had trouble last night? Is that how come I didn’t meet up with you sooner? And where’s MacClure? I need to talk to him.”

Tye had risen to stand near Lil. He saw her lips tremble as she bent her head and hugged herself.

“What’s wrong?” Del demanded. “And what are you doing in camp, Devlin? How come you ain’t out with the herd?”

“Luis took my shift. I’ll ride night herd with Lil later.” Seeing the trail boss scowl, he grimly explained, “We had a hellish storm last night and a stampede. MacClure was killed.”

“Good Lord!” Del gasped, jerking with shock. His mouth worked silently for a moment; then he swung away, shaking his head. “I can’t believe it.”

“We buried him this morning,” Lil said, voice unsteady. “After . . . afterward, we started rounding up strays. It’ll take another day or two to chase them all down.”

“I’m damn sorry about Neil,” Del muttered after a moment’s silence.

“He was a good
Segundo,
” Jack remarked, high praise coming from him.

Del looked drawn and old when he finally turned around. Sighing, he pinched his eyes between thumb and forefinger.

“Looks like we could be in for more trouble,” he said. “We crossed paths with a trader up ahead. He said the Cheyenne are riled because the Army’s fixing to throw the ringleaders of last year’s uprising in prison down in Florida. A bunch of young bucks have jumped the reservation and they’re doing some raiding. We’ll have to keep a close eye out or we’re liable to lose the horses, maybe our scalps too.”

“Doesn’t sound good, boss,” Alabama commented. “I sure wish we had a few more hands in case of a fight.”

Del grunted. “So do I, ’specially now with Neil gone.” He rubbed his neck and muttered, “I dunno what I’ll do without him. Or who I’ll find to replace him.”

“Why not give your daughter a chance?” Tye suggested, eyeing Lil.

She gaped at him. Picking up her disbelief and uncertainty – mixed with a dash of excitement – he cocked an eyebrow, daring her to take up the challenge.

“Are you off your rocker?”
Del
blurted. “A woman
segundo
? The men would never take orders from her.”

“Oh, but we would. In fact, we’ve been doing so all day. ’Twas
Alabama
who first asked her for orders.” Receiving a disconcerted glance from the stocky drover, Tye didn’t mind putting him on the spot after all the times he’d looked down his nose at Dewey. Not to mention his tiresome pranks.

“I reckon I did, boss,”
Alabama
admitted. “She seemed like the one to ask, being your daughter.”

“I wouldn’t mind taking her orders,” Jack drawled. “She knows cattle good as any of us and she’s easy on the eyes.” His remark drew laughs from the other men.

Tye clamped his teeth together and glared at the handsome Indian. He didn’t like the man practicing his charm on Lil. It pleased him no end to hear her angry reaction.

“My looks have nothing to do with whether I can handle the job or not. You’d better remember that once I do start giving orders, or you’ll be gone so quick you won’t see your own dust.”

Jack instantly sobered “Yes ma’am. Sorry. I didn’t mean no disrespect.”

“I didn’t say I was giving you the job,”
Del
said, contemplating Lil.

She flushed and glanced at Tye. He nodded encouragement and was proud to see her square her shoulders and meet her father’s stare.

“I can do it,
Pa.
”

“You really want to try it after what happened to MacClure?” As he spoke,
Del
shot Tye a glare that said this was his doing.

Tye’s mouth went dry. Christ!
Del
was right. If anything happened to Lil, it would be his fault. He wanted to tell her to forget it, it was a bad idea, but she was already arguing her case.

“Neil’s death was an accident. It could’ve happened to any of us. And yeah, I do want to try it.”

Lifting his Stetson,
Del
plowed a hand through his matted gray hair, then slapped the stained hat back on. He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right, I’ll give you a chance. But you be damn careful. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir,” Lil promised with an exultant smile.

Nodding curtly,
Del
focused on Tye. “Devlin, since you’re so all-fired anxious for Lil to be
segundo
, I figure you can take over the rest of MacClure’s job. I’m moving you to point. I’ll take your swing spot until we pick up another man.” He jabbed a finger at Tye. “And if Lil needs somebody to back her up, that somebody’s you. Agreed?”

“Pa! I don’t need anybody nursemaiding me,” Lil protested.

“Don’t argue, girl. It’s this way or not at all. Well, Devlin?”

Tye spread a hand across his chest. “Upon my word, sir, I’ll stay close by her.”

“Humph! You’ve been doing that every chance you get, anyway. Might as well be useful while you’re at it.”

“Pa!” Lil blurted, turning scarlet as a round of laughter broke out among the men.

Feeling a flush climb up his own throat, Tye grinned sheepishly.

“Quit hee-hawin’ and turn in, all of you,”
Del
barked. “I want those cattle rounded up pronto tomorrow. We’ve gotta get to
Wichita
’fore the market’s so flooded we can’t find a buyer.”

* * *

Pausing to rest his horse the next afternoon,
Del
grimaced and stretched his saddle-weary back. He’d just helped bring in more steers, but there were still a bunch missing. Much as he hated to face it, they’d be at this another day. Even then the tally was bound to come up short, though not by too many head, he hoped.

Damn, it was hot. He mopped his face with a sweat-soaked bandanna, longing for the shade of his front porch and a tall glass of Rebecca’s lemonade. Maybe he was getting too old for the trail, like his brother had tried to tell him.

Someone shouted his name. Nudging his sorrel around, he saw Dewey Sherman approach at a dead run.

“Boss, there’s some mighty big dust behind us. They’s comin’ up fast.” Dewey blurted, dragging his horse to a halt. His dark face glistened with sweat.

“Must be the Circle H crowd.”
Del
frowned, recalling Tye’s scrap with Frank Howard. He made a quick decision. “Think I’ll go have a talk with Judd Howard. Tell Lil for me, Dewey.”

“Yessuh, but don’t yuh want some comp’ny? I hear tell that young’un of Mistah Howard’s ain’t too friendly.”

Del
snorted. “The day I run scared from Frank Howard is the day I’ll give up breathing. Just do like I said.” With that, he tapped the sorrel’s flanks and headed south.

As it turned out, he didn’t set eyes on Frank.  Judd and his older boy, Travis, were the ones who rode out to meet him. They drew rein facing each other.

“Howdy,
Del
,” Judd said in his deep, rumbling voice. “Didn’t figure to see you again ’til
Wichita
.”

“Didn’t expect to see you, neither, Judd,”
Del
replied, exchanging nods with Travis – a short-haired, weathered version of his brother. “But we had a stampede the other night and we’re still rounding ’em up.”

Broader and shorter than his sons, Judd tipped his hat back, revealing gray-blond hair, and leaned a hefty forearm on his saddle horn. He smiled slyly. “Well now, maybe I’ll send my boys out huntin’. Might pick up a few
unbranded
mavericks.”

Del
eyed his old friend with fond humor. They’d grown up on adjoining farms in the
Arkansas
hills and had come to
Texas
as young bucks along with Jeb. A lot of water had passed under the bridge since then, but
Del
still regarded Judd as a second brother.

Grinning, he drawled, “Try it, you old range bull, and I’ll put a new curl in your horns.”

Judd gave a barrel-chested laugh, then turned serious. “Sorry to hear about your trouble. Be glad to lay over a day or two and lend you a few hands.”

“Thanks, Judd, but I can’t ask that of you. Anyway, one more day oughta put us back on the road. Just hope we don’t run into those renegade
Cheyennes
. Did you hear about ’em?”

“Yeah, I got the word. Ain’t too worried, though. We’ve got enough guns to handle any trouble. How about you?”

“We’ll do,”
Del
said, hoping he was right.

“You all right on supplies? We’ve got plenty to spare.”

“Thanks again, but we’re okay. No damage done to the wagons.” Studying the reins he toyed with,
Del
added gruffly, “Lost Neil MacClure, though, when he tried to head off the herd.”

Frowning, Judd shifted in his saddle. “Damn, that’s real bad news. He was a good man.”

“Sure was.”

“Think you can rustle up a new ramrod to finish out the drive?”

Del
adopted a deadpan expression. “Don’t need to. The boys already found me one – Lil.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Judd muttered in astonishment.

Shaking his head, Travis chuckled. “Best watch out,
Del
, or she’ll have your job next.”

A wry grin eased its way across
Del
’s mouth. “Reckon she might at that if she doesn’t marry up pretty quick.”

Judd’s hazel eyes narrowed shrewdly. “You think she’ll tie the knot with that Devlin fella Frank tangled with?”

“Frank told you about that, did he?”

“Yeah and I heard plenty about what he’s gonna do to the Irishman the next time they meet. They bumped heads in
Fort Worth
, too – over Lil, I gather.”

Del
stiffened. “I didn’t know about that.” Guessing Lil had known but hadn’t told him, he scowled.

“Dammit!” Travis interjected. “I told Frank back at the ranch to leave Lil alone, but he’s too stubborn to back off.”

Several years older than Frank, with a wife and three youngsters back home, Travis was Judd’s right arm.
Del
thought it a shame his good sense hadn’t rubbed off on his hotheaded brother.

“Reckon this is my doing,” Judd said ruefully. “I let Frank know a while back that I’d be pleased to see him make a match with Lil. I know they haven’t always gotten along, but I thought if Frank put his mind to courting her . . . .”

He shook his head and sighed. “Sorry to bring you trouble,
Del
, but I hoped Lil would settle the boy down.”