Samantha James (33 page)

July passed into August, and August into September. Kane had been gone less than a week when Buck Russell began calling on her. The first time was to express his sympathies for the loss of her father. The second was to escort her to Sunday services in town. Out of courtesy more than anything else, Abby had asked him to stay for dinner. Dillon hadn’t been pleased when he found out Buck’s visits had become almost a daily occurrence.

“How come he’s sniffing around your skirts now, little sister? Why after all this time?”

“You haven’t liked him since the time he bloodied your nose over that Hawkins girl when the two of you were fifteen,” Abby said crossly …

His jaw thrust out. “He’s no bargain, Abby. He was a womanizer even then. Hell, he still is! He’s a regular at the Silver Spur. Believe me, I know. Why, Pa wouldn’t have let him anywhere near you!”

“Whatever faults Buck Russell may have, he’s a shrewd businessman,” Abby said challengingly. “He knows this land and cattle like the back of his hand—in fact, he’s a damn good rancher. Even Pa thought so.”

“He’s not the right man for you, Abby. You know it as well as I do. Hell, we both know it’s the Diamondback he wants!”

Abby’s lips tightened. She wasn’t going to blind herself the way she had with Kane. She suspected it wouldn’t be long before Buck Russell proposed marriage. Buck might not be a prize, but he knew how to run an operation the size of the Diamond-back. These past two months had taught her she couldn’t handle it all herself. She needed someone she could rely on day after day—not someone like Dillon who lent a hand only when he could spare the time—and more importantly, because he felt he
had
to, not because he wanted to.

“You know as well as I do the Diamondback meant everything to Pa,” she said sharply. “I’m simply looking out for the future—”

“The future,” he snorted. “Sounds to me like you’ve got a lot more on your mind than an escort for the Saturday-night shindig!”

“And what if I do? I’m twenty-one years old. It’s high time I got married!”

“Not to the likes of Buck Russell!”

For the life of her, Abby didn’t know when she’d ever seen Dillon more furious. But there was no use pining for what could never be—if she’d learned nothing else these past weeks, she’d learned that.

Dillon paced around the parlor. Finally he ground to a halt on the braided rug before her. “What about you, Abby? What about what
you
want? A pen full of steers and acres and acres of grassland won’t keep you warm at night. It won’t keep you company when you’re old and gray!”

Her laugh was short. “My, my, this is certainly a change. When did you decide to start cozying up to home and hearth?”

He glared at her. “This isn’t me we’re talking about here, little sister—it’s you. Which reminds me … What about Kane?”

Abby drew a sharp breath. Kane was the one thing she didn’t want to discuss, not with Dillon or anyone else. She struggled for a calm she was far from feeling. “Kane has nothing at all to do with this,” she said shortly.

Dillon’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t play innocent with me, Abby. I had a feeling something was going on the way you fell apart when he got shot. Then when he was here at the ranch you hardly left him alone for two minutes! It was pretty damn obvious you were sweet on him.”

Abby flushed painfully. She hadn’t realized she’d been so obvious … But Dillon’s reaction was puzzling. She had been so convinced the very idea of his sister associating with a man like Kane would have blown the lid off his temper.

“It’s probably better that he did go,” she said, her voice very low. She had told Dillon about Kane’s wife and how he’d been framed for her murder. “Even if he didn’t kill his wife, he rode with Stringer Sam—”

“Even the best of men make mistakes, Abby. Sometimes a gut reaction is the only thing a man can rely on.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Believe me, I know. And if I had thought Kane was a cold-blooded murderer, he wouldn’t have set foot on this ranch. He sure as
hell
wouldn’t have stayed in this house with you. And there’s a part of me that wonders if Kane wouldn’t be a damn sight better for you than Buck Russell.”

His defense of Kane made her want to hang her head in shame.

“I’m afraid I can’t agree,” she told him quietly. “Besides, Kane’s gone. And it’s just as I said—I have to look out for the ranch.”

Dillon rolled his eyes. “So we’re back to that again, are we?”

His condescending tone sparked the fuse on Abby’s temper. She jumped to her feet. “Lefs be honest with each other, Dillon. Why don’t you just admit this ranch doesn’t mean a damn thing to you—it never did!”

Dillon stared at her. But his mind had drifted back in time … Once, he thought vaguely, once he might have been able to settle down here, the way Pa had wanted … A knifelike twinge cut into his heart. How different things might have been, if only Rose had lived! With her at his side, he might have been happy here. Pa’s dream of making the Diamondback a family operation might have been
his
dream, too. But Rose was gone. And so was Pa. And his life had been forever changed …

With an effort he dragged himself back to the present. “What do you want me to say, Abby?” His voice was gritty with suppressed emotion. “Do you think I didn’t think long and hard before I signed up to scout for the army? You were just a kid so you don’t remember. I knew how much Pa wanted me to stay here and work the ranch with him. But I just wasn’t cut out for ranching, for this kind of life.” He paused. “You’re like Pa,” he said finally. “This land, this ranch, meant everything to him—”

“Pa didn’t die for this land, Dillon. He died for
you
.”

That was the one thing he didn’t need to hear, and in that instant, he bitterly resented his sister for that brutal reminder.

“Look,” he said, his voice very low. “I’m doing the best I can—”

“And so am I, Dillon. So am I. I need someone to help me run this ranch. Someone I can depend on. Someone I can rely on.”

His gaze sharpened. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty?” he demanded. “I just couldn’t do things Pa’s way. I’ve got my own life to live, and I’ll thank you to stay out of it.”

“And I’ll thank you to stay out of mine,” she retorted coolly.

He swore. “Christ, Abby, you’re a fool if you sell your soul for a goddamned piece of land!”

“I’m old enough to make my own choices, remember?”

His eyes were cutting. “Looks to me like you’ve already made it.” He snatched up his hat and stalked toward the door.

That had been this afternoon. Abby was still rather upset when Buck came by that evening. Lately it seemed that whenever she saw Dillon, all they did was bicker and fight. She wasn’t about to mention the conversation to Buck, though. They sat outside on the swing that hung from the porch rafters. Darkness gathered all around. Abby was quieter than usual but Buck paid no notice. He was busy talking about the stock he planned to purchase in Denver in several weeks.

Now she felt the slide of his fingertips against the thin calico of her blouse, around and around the curve of her shoulder. “Ever been to Denver, Abby?”

“A long time ago with Pa. I was just a kid, though.” Abby resisted the urge to squirm out from beneath his touch. It flashed through her mind that she’d never felt that way with Kane. Irritated with the thought, she reminded herself that Buck was a handsome man. Most women would have been proud to have him come calling the way he had lately.

“Oh, it’s a wild town sometimes. Always some-thin’ going on. You’d like it, I think.” He paused. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to see it—sooner than you think.”

His tone was low and intimate. Abby found the avid boldness of his look unnerving. “Perhaps,” she murmured. She summoned a faint smile. “Buck, I hate to be rude. But I have an early day planned for tomorrow, and I’m sure you do, too.”

“I guess I do, at that.” A hand at her elbow, he helped her up. His hand remained cupped there as they crossed to stand in the center of the porch. His fingers tightened ever so slightly.

“How about a little good-bye kiss to see me off?” he suggested.

Tall and dark-haired, Buck towered over her by nearly a foot. He really was a handsome man, Abby noted with a curious detachment. Razor-sharp blue eyes gleamed beneath rich brown hair. His features were elegant but masculine. One had only to glance at him to know he was a thorough, capable man. But it was his air of brash confidence that sometimes annoyed her to no end.

“Well, Abby. How about it?” His words were soft and cajoling. His arms were hard about her back and wholly determined as he pulled her close.

She hesitated. Again her mind sped straight to Kane. The next instant she berated herself fiercely for her lack of control—and lack of enthusiasm. Certainly it wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed before …

“Very well,” she murmured. Closing her eyes, she turned her lips up to his.

His kiss wasn’t the chaste peck she expected. His mouth came down on hers, moist and full. Abby inhaled sharply and attempted to draw back. He caught her chin between thumb and forefinger. “Not so fast,” he murmured smoothly. “I’ve waited a long time for this. Why not make it worthwhile?”

His mouth again trapped hers. Though his hold was not hurtful, he allowed no retreat. His kiss was stark and sensual, both persuasive and seductive—it spun through Abby’s mind that he certainly knew his way around women. Yet while she felt no distaste, neither did she feel any pleasure. Indeed, she felt strangely numb, as if she watched from a distance. The pressure of his mouth deepened. His hands skimmed down her spine, feathering over her buttocks. He urged her against his lower body a scant second before he released her.

He ran a finger down her cheek, eyes dark and smoldering. “Why don’t we have a picnic down by the river tomorrow afternoon after church, just the two of us?” He didn’t give her the chance to agree or disagree. “I’ll stop by at two o’clock.”

He disappeared into the night. The sound of hoofbeats filled the air. Abby blinked, just a little stunned. She’d been feeling rather guilty that his kiss left her so unaffected—and he hadn’t even noticed!

“What the
hell
did you think you were doing letting him paw you like that?”

She froze. Her eyes strained, sifting through the gloomy shadows surrounding the house. Just when she was convinced she’d conjured up that silk-steel drawl out of some perverse longing, he stepped forward. The light spilling out through the parlor window caught him in its glow.

Kane
.

Her heart had forgotten how to beat. Her legs felt like Dorothy’s fresh-made jam. His features were drawn, his clothing dusty and travel-stained. He looked leaner than ever. Even as her eyes drank in the sight of him, all she could think was that it was just like him to forego the courtesy of a greeting.

Her spine straightened. Her chin came up. “A gentleman would have made his presence known instead of spying on us like that!”

He shook his head. He was smiling, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you, sweetheart? I’m no gentleman.”

Lord, he was as maddening as ever. “I am not your sweetheart and I’ll thank you to stop calling me that once and for all!”

He hitched his chin to the west, where the other man had ridden off. “I’m curious, sweetheart. Was that Buck Russell?”

He was coming up the steps now. She sensed something hard and dangerous in his manner, something that made her want to turn tail and run for all she was worth. Instead she stood her ground with uneasy caution.

“What do you know about Buck Russell? How do you even know who he is?”

“Midnight threw a shoe just outside of town. The smith was just bursting at the seams when he found out I was headed out here. He was only too willing to bend my ear with some mighty interesting gossip.”

Abby surveyed him warily, Kane’s easy tone belied the tempest alive in his eyes.

“He said you and Buck Russell are real tight these days. Rumor also has it there might be a wedding real soon.”

Abby felt like grinding her teeth. Was Buck responsible for that rumor? She had the sneaking suspicion he was, the arrogant fool!

“Well?” Kane demanded. “Has he asked you to marry him?”

Abby’s temper began to simmer. Who did Kane think he was to reappear in her life again like this—making demands, insisting on answers—as if he had every right to do so!

She glared her dissatisfaction. “I don’t see what business it is of yours.”

“I’m making it my business,” he said between his teeth.

“Well, don’t!” She spun around and marched into the house.

Kane was right behind her. When she realized he had followed, she whirled and gave him a look designed to make him feel lower than a snake.

He grimaced. As if he didn’t already … They stood just inside the parlor. It took every ounce of willpower Kane possessed not to reach for her. A muscle in his cheek contracted.

“Dammit, Abby, tell me. Did he ask you to marry him?”

Too late Abby realized her silence had given her away. God, how she hated the satisfied gleam in his eyes.

“Just because he hasn’t
yet
doesn’t mean he won’t. In fact, I expect he’ll propose any day now. And when he does,” she informed him heatedly, “you may rest assured you
won’t
be the first to know. Because I’ll say it again, Kane—what I do or don’t do is none of your affair!”

She was angry—Kane could see it in the defiant tilt of her chin. “And what if I make it my affair?”

Even as he spoke, his gaze roved her face hungrily. She was thinner, the hollows in her cheeks more pronounced. Even in the dim light, he could see how pale she was—her eyes were bigger and bluer than ever. Was it worry over him that caused the changes he saw? The thought sent his heart soaring.

The next minute she was ripping it to shreds.

“I can’t think why you would want to. You made your choice the night you left here, Kane. You were so eager to leave …. You could have stayed on but you didn’t … Well, this time I don’t care. Go. Stay. Do whatever the hell you like. Just
stay out of my life!”

For the longest time he didn’t say anything. He just stared at her, his eyes as anguished as hers.