Last Promise (12 page)

Her admission surprised him. Still, he was embarrassed that he'd allowed himself to go so far. But when he looked at her swollen pink lips, all he wanted to do was kiss her again. And he did.

As before, she wrapped her arms around his neck meeting his passion with equal intensity.

Reluctantly, he forced himself to pull away. Another moment and he wouldn't be able to walk away. “We should get back.”

Mary Ann couldn't speak. She longed for more of his kisses, but she knew they needed to stop before something disastrous happened. She straightened her hair and her dress before Luke took her by the elbow and walked back to the dance floor. He spotted his brothers standing like sentinels beside their wives and steered Mary Ann toward them. His sisters-in-law were thrilled to see Mary Ann and they immediately started discussing their dresses. Luke found it difficult to converse with his brothers, he was trying to process what just happened behind the church of all places.
What was wrong with him?
He knew what was wrong. He wanted to take Mary Ann to her room, lock the door, and not surface for a week.

A man approached Mary Ann asking her to dance and she accepted. Luke noticed no one asked his sisters-in-law to dance. He wondered if these cowboys didn't think he was as mean as his brothers when he got riled. Maybe he should just go out there on the floor and knock that cowboy's bulging eyes back into their sockets and show him just how mean he could be.

“What do you think, Luke?” Colt asked.

Luke didn't respond and Jake jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.

“Huh?”

“What are you thinking about, little brother?” Colt asked, knowing full well where his mind was. All he had to do was follow his eyes.

“Nothing.” He wasn't about to tell them what he was thinking when he couldn't even get it straight in his own mind. He needed to get his thoughts off Mary Ann before he went plumb loco. He glanced around the dance floor and saw Arina dancing with Detrick. He thought he'd be wise to take Arina up on her offer before contemplating getting involved with a woman like Mary Ann. She was a woman he'd have to wed.

Suddenly, Sally Detrick was standing in front of him. “I haven't seen enough of you tonight.”

“Sorry.” Sally was another one who was offering herself up for the taking, and by the way she was dressed he was surprised her old man let her out of the house.

“Well, it's time you made good on your promise to dance all night.” Sally grabbed his hand and pulled him to the dance floor a second time.

Mary Ann tried to keep from glancing at Luke as he danced with Sally, but it was as if her eyes had a mind of their own. She wondered if he was holding Sally as tightly as he'd held her. She wondered if he was telling her she looked beautiful. Would he take her behind the church and kiss her?

The whole time Luke danced with Sally, he tried to remember how she looked that day on the lake where she was all but naked to see if he might work up some desire for her. Nothing. He saw his lips on Mary Ann's delicate skin, smelled her fragrance, felt his fingers threading through her hair. Before the dance ended, a cowboy tapped him on the shoulder, cutting in. Luke started to walk back to where his brothers were standing, but instead made his way to the table to get a drink. He hoped someone spiked the punch. He needed a good stiff drink.

“Would you pour me some punch?” Arina asked.

Luke hadn't even seen her approach. “I think it's spiked.”

“Good, that'll make it better.”

He handed her a full cup. “Are you having a good time?”

“Yes, I am. Judd is a wonderful dancer and I haven't been to a dance in a long time. It's nice to put my troubles aside for a while.”

Luke didn't respond. His eyes were on Sally approaching and she looked to be in a snit. Thanks to Jake he didn't have to stand around and listen to the sparring between the two women.

“Luke, can you come with me a minute, I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure thing.” Luke took his drink with him and followed Jake away from the crowd.

“I saw Sally walking your way and I figured you needed a way out of that squabble,” Jake told him.

“I owe you.” Luke scanned the crowd for Mary Ann and he found her on the dance floor with yet another man.

“I actually had another reason to find you. Joey, from the telegraph office, was looking for you to give you this.” Jake handed him a telegram.

Opening the piece of paper, Luke scanned the contents. It was the news he'd dreaded, but suspected would come. He wished Sam would have contacted him if he had a problem, but Sam was a lot like his brother Colt. They were both men who thought they could handle anything without help. Luke figured that was one of the reasons he thought so highly of Sam. It saddened him to know that his friend died alone. He deserved better. “Sam's dead.”

Chapter Twelve

“I can't find Arina,” Luke told his brothers. He looked around the dance floor and he didn't see Arina, but he spotted Mary Ann dancing with a different cowboy. The man looked like he'd died and gone to heaven by the way he was staring at her. He didn't like her dress one little bit. He thought about going over and cutting in, but he needed to find Arina and tell her about the fate of her husband.

“The last time I saw her she was dancing with Detrick,” Jake said.

Luke saw Detrick in the crowd so he headed in his direction. “Have you seen Arina?”

“I was dancing with her when some cowboy cut in.” Detrick looked among the dancing couples. “I don't know who he was, but I don't see them now.”

Sally walked up and her father asked if she had seen Arina. “I saw her headed around the back of the church with some cowboy.”

“Did you know him?” Luke asked.

“I've never seen him before.”

Luke and his brothers looked everywhere for Arina, but they couldn't find her. He walked back to the hotel thinking whoever she was with may have escorted her back to her room. When he entered the hotel Eb was behind the desk but he said he hadn't seen Arina. But Luke thought he would check her room anyway. Her door was locked and she didn't answer, so he decided to go back to the dance to see if she had surfaced.

On his way back he thought about Sam. He owed it to his friend to find out what happened to him. He decided he had to go to Arizona to get some answers. The way he saw it, that might be the best thing to do for many reasons. He needed to get away from Mary Ann anyway so he could get his head on straight. It was apparent tonight that she wasn't as indifferent to him as he had thought. Her reaction surprised him, and he'd never been as close as he was tonight to taking advantage of a lady. She was fogging up his brain, and while he wanted her, he wasn't ready to settle down. Arizona seemed like the answer to a lot of his problems.

He reached the dance just as Mary Ann and her uncle were leaving. “Did you enjoy the dance?” Luke tried to keep his eyes off Mary Ann.

“Very much,” George responded.

Finally, he couldn't resist and he looked at her. “Did you dance every dance?” He hoped he didn't sound like a spurned lover.

Mary Ann thought Luke sounded angry, which puzzled her considering he'd disappeared with Arina. Perhaps Arina refused his advances. “Almost.”

“I think she did, I had to plead for one dance. After tonight she's going to have her choice of beaus,” George added.

In that dress, Luke didn't doubt it for one moment, and that suited him just fine. Let other cowboys fight over her. “I'm glad you had a lovely evening. I'll say good night.” He tipped his hat and turned toward the livery. He didn't know why he was angry, he loved being a bachelor and chasing women. He liked having them chase after him, too. Let other men fight over Mary Ann. He didn't care.

Mary Ann didn't know what to make of Luke's attitude, especially considering what had passed between them tonight. What right did he have to be angry with her? She should have never allowed him to take such liberties. Not only had she allowed it, she enjoyed every moment. She didn't know what she would have done had he not been the one to pull away. Yes she did. She would have been disgraced. He didn't even ask to dance with her again. She hadn't lacked for partners to be sure, but the whole time she was dancing with the other men, her mind had been on Luke and his kisses. When he disappeared she was confident he was with Arina since she disappeared at the same time. Then Luke came back acting like nothing had happened between them. Those few moments with him had been life-changing, and now all she wanted to do was cry.

* * *

Before dawn the next morning, Mary Ann was on the staircase poised to step on the second-floor landing when she heard a door opening. She stopped when she realized that it was Arina's room and she didn't want to talk to the woman. She saw a tall, dark-haired man wearing a blue shirt backing out of Arina's door with his holster hung over his shoulder. Luke had worn a blue shirt last night. The lanterns were turned low and the hallway was dim and all she saw was his back, but she knew it was Luke sneaking out at that hour of the morning. She heard Arina's voice before the door closed. “Bye, handsome, come back soon.”

Mary Ann was furious, not with Luke, but herself for being upset. It wasn't as if she didn't know he was a rake. He'd done nothing to hide his philandering ways. Why he wanted or needed additional conquests was beyond her. She'd yielded to his seduction willingly, and sadly she couldn't blame him alone. Thank goodness their encounter had ended before she made a fool of herself. A tear streaked down her cheek and she swiped at it with the back of her hand. She'd been awake all night berating herself for allowing what had transpired between them. It was time she faced facts. Luke didn't want any kind of relationship, he just wanted her like he wanted every other woman in town. She was nothing special to him, no matter how he flattered her. From now on she wouldn't give Luke McBride another thought, or the time of day.

* * *

Luke was sitting in the kitchen having a cup of coffee with Colt at dawn while everyone else was still sleeping.

“I didn't find Arina last night,” Luke told him.

“I wonder who she was with if it wasn't Detrick.”

“I don't know, but one thing is certain, Arina would have no problem attracting a man.” He couldn't deny he would be relieved if she found another man to flirt with other than him. He'd questioned if he would be attracted to her if she wasn't Sam's wife. If he met her in a saloon he might have spent some time with her, but she wasn't the kind of woman a man would take home to meet his mother. It didn't come as a great surprise that she'd left the dance with a stranger. He'd learned how aggressive she could be when it came to men and what she wanted.

“She might have spent the night in some man's room somewhere,” Colt said as if he knew what Luke was thinking. “I'm sure she'll turn up today.”

“Yeah.” Luke stood and walked to the stove. “What do you say we start Sunday breakfast? I'm sure Victoria and Promise wouldn't mind.”

Colt smiled at him. “I'm sure they wouldn't.”

* * *

It was Jake's turn to drive the buckboard to church with the women and children in the back. Colt and Luke were on horseback riding alongside the buckboard.

“I noticed no one asked your wives to dance last night,” Luke commented to his brothers.

“They knew better,” Colt replied.

“Everyone was too afraid of Colt,” Promise cut in.

“Afraid of Colt? What about me?” Jake asked.

“You know Colt looks more intimidating than you two,” Victoria added. She frowned at her husband. “And he had that scowl on his face the entire evening.”

Her comment ruffled Jake. “He might look more intimidating, but it doesn't mean he is.”

Luke didn't pay attention to their banter. “Every man there asked Mary Ann. They must have thought I'm not intimidating. Did you see that dress she had on? I can't believe she wore something like that.”

Colt and Jake exchanged a glance. Their little brother sure had changed his tune. He certainly enjoyed what his sisters-in-law were wearing before he saw Mary Ann's dress. “There's a difference. Mary Ann is not your wife.”

Luke processed that observation. “Well, men should be more polite. She's new to this country and they should keep their . . . darn eyes above the neck.”

Before Colt had a chance to caution Luke about his language, Cade asked, “Uncle Luke, are you marrying 'Rina?”

That question got Luke's attention. “Marrying who?”

“Arina,” Cody clarified.

“The lady who has the bosoms,” Cade said.

“Where did you get a notion like that?” Luke asked the twins.

“Where did you hear that word?” Colt asked at the same time.

“Ma said you brought 'Rina and her bosoms to dinner. When Uncle Jake brought Aunt Promise home, he married her,” Cade explained.

“No, I was just being nice bringing her to dinner. I'm not marrying Arina.”

“What's bosoms?” Cade asked. “We didn't get to see 'em because we was with Mrs. Wellington.”

“You'll find out when you get older,” Jake said, laughing.

“A lot older,” Colt told them.

“Ma and Aunt Promise says she likes to show her bosoms. Whatever they are,” Cody said.

“Yeah. Why can't we see them?” Cade asked.

“Ma said they were about to fall out,” Cody said.

Cade furrowed his brow. “Fall out of what?”

“I dunno. All I know is Ma said, ‘I've never seen anyone who likes to show her bosoms so much and if she leaned over they are sure to fall out all over the place.'” Cody repeated Victoria's words in a falsetto voice.

Colt nearly fell off his horse he was laughing so hard.

“That will be quite enough,” Victoria said. Though her voice was stern, she turned her head so they wouldn't see her smiling.

Seeing the reaction they were receiving from the adults, Cade said, “Aunt Promise said Uncle Jake and Pa sure had a good time looking at her bosoms, so I don't know why we can't see 'em.”

“Enough,” Victoria said.

Hearing his ma was not happy, Cody moved on to another topic. “Who's Mary Ann?”

Colt and Jake were very interested in Luke's response to this question.

“She's a lady at the hotel,” Luke said.

“Who was dancing with her?” Cade asked.

“Do you boys hear everything?” Luke asked, waiting for Colt to tell them to quit asking so many questions.

“What was wrong with her dress?” Cody asked.

This time Victoria answered before Luke. “Nothing was wrong with her dress; it was lovely.”

“But Uncle Luke didn't like it,” Cade said.

“I liked it fine, but so did every other cowboy.”

“Shouldn't they like her dress?” Cody asked, confused by Luke's explanation.

“Well . . .” Luke started, but Cade interrupted.

“Is she real pretty like Ma? Ma said she was real pretty.”

“Yeah, she's real pretty,” Luke said.

“Why don't you invite her to dinner? Does she have bosoms?” Cody asked. “Maybe we can see hers.”

Luke rolled his eyes when Colt and Jake started laughing again. Their question reminded him of Mary Ann's low-cut gown, and her bosoms, and what almost happened behind the church. Last night's kisses changed everything. “I think I've invited enough ladies to dinner.”

“Nope, you got to bring them home so you can get married,” Cade instructed.

“I'm not wanting to get married,” Luke told them.

“Why not?” both boys asked at the same time.

“I like to enjoy all the ladies.”

“Luke.” Colt's tone was a warning that he was talking to impressionable young ears.

Luke shrugged at him.

“Maybe you can marry lots of 'em,” Cody said.

“It doesn't work that way,” Colt told them.

“What if you like lots of 'em, like Uncle Luke?” Cade asked.

“You have to narrow it down,” Colt explained.

“Did you have to narrow down Ma?” Cody asked.

Colt knew his wife was listening. “Nope, I knew the moment I saw your ma she was the one for me.”

“What a good answer, husband.” Victoria smiled at him. “But as I recall there were several women vying for your attention.”

“What's vying?” Cade asked.

“Your father was very much like Uncle Luke and Uncle Jake, popular with the ladies.”

“Then why can't you marry more than one?” Cody questioned.

“Grown-ups make it hard to understand,” Cade told his brother.

“That they do. But I don't want to marry one or ten.” Luke leaned over to ruffle Cody's hair just as a shot rang out.

“Down!” Colt yelled. Jake pulled the buckboard near a clump of trees and jumped over the seat to position himself over the boys and the women. Colt and Luke backed their horses to the side of the buckboard shielding them the best they could.

“Where?” Colt asked.

Jake and Luke understood he was asking what direction the shot came from, but they didn't know. Within seconds they heard a horse in the distance. Luke and Colt took off after the sound of the hoofbeats. Jake jumped from the buckboard and helped everyone to the ground. Thirty minutes passed before Colt and Luke came back.

“See anything?” Jake asked.

“No, we lost him,” Luke said.

Jake handed Luke his hat with his finger in the bullet hole through the crown. “I think someone was aiming for you, little brother.”

“Looks like I moved at the right time.” He inspected the hole in his hat. “Dang, this was my Sunday hat.”

“Any ideas?” Colt asked as he helped the women in the buckboard.

“Not a one,” Luke answered.

“You haven't been sniffing around any married women, have you?” Jake asked.

“No way. Besides the dance, I haven't been anywhere but the saloon. And I only danced with single women last night.”

“Except one,” Colt said.

Luke quickly went through the list of women he'd danced with. “Yeah, Arina.”

“Do you think this has anything to do with Sam's death?” Colt asked.

“I have no idea. I'm in the dark on this and I'm not sure what I can do about it from here. If that bullet was meant for me, how did the shooter tell us apart?” He might not be mistaken for Colt since he was the largest of the three, but he could certainly be mistaken for Jake.