Taming Texanna (8 page)

She stared at Colton for a few long moments before physically turning herself, her anger, and disbelief to her father. “And you, Pa, how dare you give your daughter so little value that you want to marry her off at the first sign of something you didn’t sanction beforehand. I know you want rid of me but I’m ashamed of you. I’m leaving and you men are staying to figure yourselves out. I know you can’t force me.”

She took a deep breath and blew it out before continuing. “I’m cleaning up the house, maybe start dinner, and going for a walk, and you’re not going to stop me. Do you hear me? The next time I lay eyes on either of you, it is because you have come to your senses and decided to be intelligent and treat me the same as a person with dignity and value in my own right. When I marry, it is because I want to marry, not because you told me to marry. I want to be asked. I want to be important, not property. And I want to be treated right.”

Colt heard her and it was her last sentence that told him plenty. She was scared. Scared that she would not be treated well as she felt she wasn’t now with her pa. She wanted to be valued as she was not valued now. She didn’t want to be part of a shotgun wedding to a man who would treat her the same way as her Pa did. The good thing was she wasn’t protesting the marrying part, just the circumstance. She obviously worried if it was better or worse for her given the situation. He needed to earn her trust, but he didn’t really have the luxury of time. It needed to start now with how he addressed her to build the foundation.

“Anna, it’ll be okay, I promise you. Let me do what I need to do.” He continued to use her shortened name, and kept his voice smooth and even but now he added some strength to his words. “But, my dear, do not leave the house, for I’ll want to speak with you directly,” Colton notified her. “I understand some of your fears. Let me speak to your pa and then talk to you.”

“You need to listen to him. There’s no place you need to go that is more important than getting this settled with the marshal. Better resign yourself to it, young lady, you are going to get married as soon as it can be done.” She didn’t even spare her pa a look.

“Colton.” Her voice almost whined, her eyes begging him to understand. He nodded.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you out where I don’t know where you are. There are plenty of cowboys wandering the area this week as the auctions are going on and the cattle drives are assembling.” Colt turned his attention to smoothing her hair to ease his words. “You’re my responsibility to protect now, and I expect to see you when I’m done here. You need to do as you’re told.”

Texanna opened her mouth to complain but after looking straight at Colton, she stomped her foot and received Colt’s raised eyebrow for her trouble. He leaned in and spoke near her ear.

“I wear a belt every day, my dear, and it still slides out quite easily. Shall I demonstrate?”

Her sharp intake of breath told Colton he had made the impression he wanted. She shook her head jerkily and lowered her eyes. He wanted to build her trust as well as her obedience.

He changed his tactic. He lifted her chin gently and spoke low, gazing into her eyes with a gentle smile. “Please? Anna, honey, please let me talk this out with your pa. I know you’re irritated, and I’m sorry for it. Please be where I can talk with you when I get to your house.” 

Colton was trying; he honestly felt drawn to this woman more than any of the others. He tried to communicate his hope that she would agree to wait for him. Thankful that he could almost touch her thoughts, he felt better about her reactions now she had calmed down. She was confused but curious. No, not so much curious but there was a longing. She seemed to understand and, at least, trust that he had her best interest at heart because he continued to look at her with, he hoped, gentle encouragement. He smiled when he heard her quiet sigh.

He didn’t want her to be angry with him because really, she was right. He didn’t want her pushed into a marriage she didn’t want. Colt wanted her, he was convinced of that and equally believed that he would be able to love her in all the ways that word implied, but he wanted her to know she could love him. There was hope she would come to have deep feelings for him just as he knew he would have them for her. He just
knew
she could grow to love him, in the same way, he was already growing to love her.

Texanna abruptly turned, jarring Colt out of his reverie. She had gotten a second wind and both men watched as an angry, and red-faced woman turned and stomped out of their presence in righteous indignation headed home. However, Colton was certain she had less sizzle in her movements than before, and he perceived less angry thoughts. He hoped his trusted intuition wasn’t failing him. He turned to the man she called pa.

“You sure have you a little spitfire there, Mr. Grant.”

“She’s about to be your spitfire, Marshal.”

Chapter Five

Texanna stomped her foot again as she raged off the stoop of the sheriff’s office in disbelief at her dumb luck. Damn if she had not gotten her pa mad this morning, all of this would have blown over by dinner. However, the marshal did a good enough job still to have some signs left that morning. She had looked at them last night and again this morning and felt a little thrill, but now there was still a thrill but also irritation and regret.

For her pa, that was it. He would not be dissuaded. She glimpsed something that was almost gleeful on her pa’s face. Was it relief? As she thought on it, she wondered what that little smile on Colton’s face was about as well. Did he believe that a ruined reputation, thanks in part to him, was a funny thing? Maybe he was laughing at the show she was sure her father was continuing to put on right now. Oh, she hated men. Well, not hated them, exactly, but she had no idea what to expect most days.

When Colton looked at her in the sheriff’s office earlier and tried to convince her to stay around the house until he could talk to her, it made her irritated that he would so readily accept the plan of her pa without even consulting her. Her intention had been to slam the door, stomp off the porch and kick up a fuss as neither man had witnessed before but when Colton gave her a look of such entreaty, it assuaged her hurt feelings. Her fury cooled as the man she had dreamed about for months asked her to give him a chance to make things right. She could give him that. She wanted to give him that chance.

Texanna decided what was done, was done. She set about cleaning the little bit that needed doing and stormed out of the house intent on going for a very long walk. About a quarter mile down the road, she remembered what Colton had said to her. She knew that if the marshal told her to stay put, she would get more than she bargained for if she didn’t stay, so she turned around. Her memory of how he had scorched her bottom was clearly etched in her brain, and she was not anxious to give him another reason to repeat the experience. Darn him, she needed to clear her head and figure out what she was going to do if she did marry that gorgeous man.

She sighed and sat down on the tree stump just off the road to calm down and do a little thinking. She hoped her desires were put in the consideration column when these men talked, but women didn’t get much say with some people and especially where her pa was concerned. She hoped Colton saw things differently. She stood up and instead of heading toward home, she unconsciously headed toward the creek that called her name every time she needed to put her mind to something or just to be alone.

***

In the makeshift marshal’s office, Colton offered a chair to Mr. Grant, and they sat down. Colt needed to control this conversation at the get-go.

“Horace, you don’t mind me using your first name, do you?” At the hesitant but permissive nod, Colt continued. “Horace, can I clarify anything for you? We didn’t do anything improper but are there other areas of concern?”

“Nothing except look at the naked ass of my daughter, you mean.”

“Well, yes and no. I dropped her trousers, yes. She was already bare.” He tried another angle. “I’m not sure what she told you so I’m hoping you could tell me what you know, and I’ll fill in any blanks that need to be filled.”

“Trousers? She was in trousers?” Mr. Grant seemed astonished.

“Right. That a problem?”

“I told her to get rid of those but I should have known she didn’t. That girl does what she wants and it doesn’t matter what anyone says. I told you she was no good, just like her ma.”

Colton was going to have a few words with his bride as soon as she had spoken her vows. She obviously had a penchant for not following the rules. He expected her to listen to him. If it was an issue important enough to put a fence around it, she’d better not jump that fence without a darn good reason. At least she had been truthful when caught; that had to count for something. However, her not doing as she was told didn’t excuse her father for his behavior toward her. That arm he knew would be forming bruises as they sat here, the face slap, and the derogatory words were all unacceptable.

Colton poured coffee, offering some to the father. Horace reached out his hand and grabbed the cup from Colton, sipping the hot brew before sitting it on the desk between them. Colt sat back down to listen to Horace Grant, who was providing a stranger more courtesy than he had his own daughter. Mr. Grant didn’t raise his voice to Colton. He didn’t try to intimidate him or manhandle him. He listened to his words. Things he did not do for his daughter. Even though she was a handful of untamed woman, you got more bees with honey than vinegar.

At the end of the discussion, both men stood, shook hands. Colton shook because it was polite and he was getting what he had wanted all along. Mr. Grant, Colt figured, because he wanted to seal the agreement of a wedding the next morning. Colton once again grabbed his hat. He followed Horace outside, locking the door behind him. This time, he completed the trip to Texanna’s home as he had intended several hours ago but his business with Horace fairly concluded.

He expected to meet a still steaming woman when he reached her parlor. He smiled as he remembered the anticipated sizzle of her irritation and it went straight to his manhood. He wondered how she would take the agreement he and her pa had arrived at. She might not be happy but he would work on that with her.

Texanna must have decided to wash her pa’s underpants; for it was evident she completed the washing of them as you approached the house. She’d lined them all up on a makeshift clothesline strung between the two main porch supports right out in front. Colton had to stifle a loud guffaw. Horace began snatching the still damp garments off the line quickly, his face growing red.

“It won’t be so funny, Marshal, when she does it to you. And she will, you’ll see.”
Well, she had taken care of the issue that had opened the assortment of problems today. The man’s undergarments were washed. She’d started a stew simmering and had set about making bread, putting it to rise.

Unfortunately, it was also obvious that she was not home as he told her to be. She was gone, and Mr. Grant had no idea where she went when she was upset. The man seemed to barely know his daughter. Was it because Colt found himself so
in
tune with her?

“I’ll just sit on the porch and wait for her if you don’t mind.”

Horace shrugged. “Suit yourself. She’s your problem now. I have work to do.”

Colt decided to spare the man any more than a word when absolutely necessary from now on. It was all he was deserving of at this point. Grunting at the sorriest excuse of a father he had seen lately, Colton stepped off the porch, and over to a willow tree where he pulled off a few wispy tree branches before sitting down. He stripped the leaves to keep his hands busy as he thought about the situation at hand. When she had not returned, he took his knife out to begin cleaning the little bud knobs from the thin branches.

About an hour later, he heard some heavy breathing and looked up into the wild-eyed face of Texanna. He watched her looking at him to the porch floor. She looked like she was about to run as she focused on the pile of switches he had accumulated near him, and he could guess why. It wouldn’t hurt her to sweat a little, but he had never intended to whip her today. He’d not even paid much attention to what the pile was turning into as he whittled. It was just to pass the time. Now that he thought about it again, she didn’t mind him and he was very clear about his instructions. It would be important to establish his authority right up front to avoid any misunderstandings later.

He looked at her for a moment in a thoughtful way and said, “I guess we have things we need to discuss, but we can do it over supper tonight if you like. I figure it’s getting about that time.”

Her frazzled gaze darted surreptitiously at the small pile of neatly trimmed and prepared switches. She rubbed her hands on her dress as she licked her lips.

“Marshal McFadden, pardon me, but I’m not interested in discussing things. I’m sure you have responsibilities that are waiting for you as do I.”

She still had her eye on that pile of very pliable willow branches. The last time she saw a pile like that, it was when she got a thrashing for having led the schoolhouse kids to the creek for a dip during the lunch break. Lord, that was almost ten years ago. Birching, that was what the teacher had called it. When she looked up after her brush off words to Colton, she saw his eyes were on her and he sported a slight smile.

“Colton, I think you should call me Colton, don’t you? Since I imagine we are going to become well acquainted with each other very soon. Well then, let’s just talk here. Come on up and sit here with me.”

She climbed a couple of steps to the porch and grimaced when she saw the underthings moved to the chair to dry. She quickly grabbed them up and placed them in the basket next to Colton. She leaned up against the porch rail, still eyeing the sticks and waited.

“Now then, let’s get a few things out of the way,” began Colton. “I’m sure you were supposed to wait for me to come to you. Funny thing is you weren’t here when I got here. You left no note, and there was not any way for me to find you if something happened. Do you have an explanation for that?”