Heart Of Texas (Historical Romance) (27 page)

Gabe didn't love him, though he'd wanted to
when he was younger, and he certainly didn't respect him, but no man should have to die alone,
not even Cyrus.

Cyrus's hand clamped harder on Gabe's.
"Sorry... sorr..." He went limp. Gabe felt like a
fist had slammed into him, and then there was
emptiness inside. He reached up and closed his
father's eyes and turned to retrieve his rifle.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Teague said from just behind him. "The last of the Slaughters
will die here today." -

"You've already spilled enough blood today. My
father didn't even have a chance to defend himself."

Teague cocked the gun, releasing another bullet into the chamber. "Don't pretend you care
when I know you don't."

"What you did is murder," Gabe said, straightening to his full height. "Cold-blooded murder."

"Why don't you pick your rifle up? You might
stand a chance."

"I won't, play your game. If you're going to
shoot, do it." Gabe folded his arms over his chest.
"You're a dirty coward, but have you ever shot a
man who was looking at you?"

Gabe was playing for time, hoping Flint would
arrive before it was too late. He didn't fear death;
he just wanted to live long enough to see Casey
again.

"You had everything I ever wanted. If Cyrus had
been my pa, I'd've made. him proud of me. You
were just a little half-breed, and you didn't deserve to be his son."

"Apparently my father agreed with you."

Teague leveled the gun barrel at Gabe's heart.
"So now you die beside him."

Gabe knew he had just run out of time. He
knew Teague's marksmanship; he rarely missed.
He waited for the impact.

A shot rang out, but it didn't come from the foreman's rifle. It came from the small hill just to
Gabe's right. He jumped to the side as Teague
fell. He let out a relieved breath, expecting to see
Flint.

Harwood laid his rifle aside and walked closer
to see if Teague was dead. He nodded in satisfaction and stood. "It looks like I came along just in
time."

Gabe nodded. "Thanks. You were almost too
late."

"I followed Miss Hamilton when she rode out
to meet you just keeping an eye on her like we
agreed. I was about to leave when I saw your pa
riding up. So I hung around to see what was happening." Harwood smiled slowly. "Teague caught
you by surprise, didn't he?"

"Yeah. I'm not as sharp as I should be."

"It's the woman." Harwood laughed. "Those females got a way of messing with a man's mind,
making him careless, 'cause he's always thinking
about her."

"I can't disagree with you there." Gabe stuck
out his hand. "You saved my life, Ranger."

Harwood stepped over Teague's body and bent
down beside Cyrus, making sure he was dead.

"He didn't know Teague was there. Otherwise
he'd be alive."

"Too bad. All that money and all that power
snuffed out with one pull of the trigger." He
glanced up at Gabe. "I guess this makes you a
wealthy man."

"I don't think so. My father would never have
left Casa Mesa to me. And I wouldn't want it if he
had."

Harwood nodded. "I can see how you'd feel
that way. Your cousin is just over the rise."

"I know," Gabe said. "I heard him."

Ron Harwood stood on the porch with his hat in
hand. "Can I talk to you, Miss Hamilton?"

Casey came out of the door, wiping her hands
on her apron. "Of course you can, Ron."

"Well, ma'am, it's like this." He looked sheepish
for a moment, dreading that he had to tell her
the truth. "I kind of misrepresented myself to you.
And I want to set everything right, because I'll be
leaving in the morning."

She felt her hopes dashed, but she'd half expected him to leave-Cyrus cast a long shadow
over the Spanish Spur. "I had hoped you would
like it here, Ron. My brother tells me you are a
good worker." She met his gaze with a probing
one of her own. "You don't seem to me to be a
man who could be scared off by Mr. Slaughter."

He thought she was such a sweet lady, and she
had enough troubles without him adding to
them. "It's not like that" He let out his breath and looked at her squarely. "This is going to take
some telling."

"I have time," she said, crestfallen because they
would be without help again. Where was she going to get someone else to work for them, with
Mr. Slaughter threatening everyone to stay away
from the Spanish Spur?

"You see, my name really is Ron Harwood, but
I am a Texas Ranger, not a cowhand."

She was puzzled. "I don't understand. What is
a Texas Ranger?"

"The Rangers are a branch of the law. Sometimes when someone is operating outside the law,
they call us in to investigate or make an arrest."

Her eyes clouded. "Why would you ask to work
for us if you are the law?"

"Because Gabriel Slaughter came to my office
in San Bastion and asked me to have the Rangers
look into Cyrus's dealings and to protect your
family."

She nodded, beginning to understand more
about what Gabe had done. "He went against his
father to help us. I didn't know it at the time."

Harwood looked at the toe of his boot. "Cyrus
Slaughter won't be a problem for you anymore,
ma'am." He didn't know any other way to say it
but to blurt out the truth. "He's dead."

Her head snapped up, and her hand went to
her throat. "Gabe! Is he all right?"

"Gabe had a close call with a man named
Teague. You may have heard of him; he was the old man's foreman. Anyway, Teague shot Cyrus,
and he was getting ready to draw down on Gabe.
I had to shoot the man."

She frowned, trying to sort out everything he
was telling her. At last she nodded. "Gabe wasn't
hurt at all?"

He felt the tension in Miss Hamilton, and he
wanted to put her mind at ease. "There wasn't a
single scratch on Gabe as far as I could tell."

"It's so difficult to believe that both those men
are dead," she said as if she'd just realized how
Mr. Slaughter's death might affect Gabe. "Mr.
Slaughter was a wretched man, but I didn't wish
him any harm."

"A man like Cyrus Slaughter has lots of enemies. He met the kind of death that comes to
most men who think they can live above the law."

"Mr. Harwood, I appreciate what you have done
for us, and we thank you for it. I'm sorry you have
to leave-but I understand. What you did took a
lot of courage."

"Miss Hamilton, I've done nothing compared
to what Gabe Slaughter did. He hung in there
doggedly, determined to help your family. So save
your thanks for him."

"I will thank him. He is a very fine man."

He watched her eyes fill with sadness. Gabriel
was one fortunate man. Harwood didn't think
much time would pass before there would be a
wedding in these parts.

Gabe was in a dark mood when he attended his
father's funeral. He wag one of the few who had
come out in the cold rain to stand at the grave
site. The only other mourners were people who
worked on the Casa Mesa ranch.

Gabe tried to feel pity for the man who had
ruined so many lives, but it was difficult not to
think of Nora. He had not heard one word the
preacher had said about his father. He stood
stiffly as people filed past him to offer their condolences.

The one person he did smile at was Juanita, the
cook and housekeeper.

Long after the others had gone he stood there
in the rain, aching inside. He wasn't grieving for
the life that had just ended, but for the lives that
had been changed by Cyrus's greed.

Gabe knew of two small ranches and three
farms his father had taken over in the last year,
and who knew how many there had been before
that?

How did one mourn a man who had destroyed
lives for his own pleasure?

Omous and Flint had not attended the service.
They did not believe in showing respect to a person who did not deserve it. He had considered
going away with his uncle and cousin when they
left, but he didn't belong with them any more
than he belonged at Casa Mesa.

"Gabe."

He turned around to face Casey. She hadn't attended the service, so she must have just arrived. She was dressed in the appropriate black
for the occasion. He couldn't tell whether tears
or raindrops clung to her lashes.

"Do you weep for me?" he asked.

Even now she blinked back fresh tears that
threatened to fall down her cheeks. "Yes, I do. I
stood back from the other mourners because I
could tell you wanted to be alone. I waited-until
everyone left to speak to you."

He breathed in and out. "I don't think this has
hit me yet. It probably will in a day or two. I don't
want you to think I am heartless, but you are
aware that my father and I were not the best of
friends. I'm not mourning his passing."

She touched his hand and then clasped it in
hers. "I do know. But it's all right if you grieve for
what might have been between the two of you."

"There could have been nothing between us."

"I'll be leaving now. I just wanted you to know
that my family is thinking about you in this terrible time."

"Casey," he said, clamping her hand tighter.
"Your family is safe now. You don't need me to
protect you."

She would need him for the rest of her life.
When she was an old woman, she would still remember the way he looked today, with torture in
his silver eyes. She would never forget that he had
ridden into her life and made everything all right.

She would never love another man, because her heart would go with Gabe wherever he went.

Her hand slid away from his and Gabe felt the
first sense of loss-not the loss of his father, but
the loss of something meaningful and beautiful.
"I want you to know... I need you to know that
I'll be heading out tomorrow."

His words came as no surprise to Casey, but
they hit her hard all the same. "You are leaving
Texas?"

"Yes. For good."

Her heart cried out to him not to leave her.
How could she go on without him? "Wherever
you go, remember there is someone wishing you
happiness."

She did not say another word as she stepped
away from him and headed down the hill.

Gabe watched Sam jump down from the buckboard and help Casey aboard. As they disappeared into the rain, he walked the few paces to
Nora's grave just on the other side of his father's.

He clutched his hat in his hand as the rain fell
on him. "Are you with Frank now, Nora? Have you
found the happiness that was denied you in life?"
He closed his eyes. "I pray that it is so."

Gabe realized someone was behind him, waiting a few paces away. He turned to see Fletcher
standing near the road.

With his shoulders straight, he walked down the
hill, where Fletcher fell into step beside him.

"Gabe, the men, well... they asked me to be spokesman. They want to know what they should
do."

"Do? I hope none of them are under the mistaken impression that Casa Mesa belongs to me.
I can't tell any of them what to do, and I don't
know who the new owner is, but I am sure Cyrus
picked someone to be his heir. I always thought
it would be Teague.

"I'11 be leaving now." He shook hands with
Fletcher and nodded at the others who had gathered in a group near the wagons.

With those words, Gabe mounted his horse and
rode away.

Casey watched the rain make wide runnels against
the window, her heart troubled, her sadness deep.

When she had gone to Mr. Slaughter's graveside service, she had not intended to approach
Gabe at all. But when she had seen him standing
there, looking dejected and so alone, she knew
she couldn't leave without speaking to him. She
had wanted only to reach out to him, to let him
know that at least her family was thinking of him
in his pain.

But her sorrow had bitten deep when she had
looked into his tormented eyes. He was still alone,
maybe even more so now.