The Outlaw Takes A Bride (The Burnett Brides) (24 page)

Was Tucker out of his mind? How could he let some cowboy dance with the woman that was going to be his wife?

Beth stumbled back to the table, where she sat down and removed her foot from her slipper.

Tanner ambled over and sat down beside her. He wanted to take her small foot in his hand and gently rub the limb and soothe away her pain, but he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be proper to massage her foot, though it was tempting.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

“I’m fine, really,” she said.

“How’s the shoulder? It’s not aching, is it?” he asked.

She grimaced. “A little bit.”

“Maybe you should quit for the night.”

“No. I’m having a good time.”

He glanced at her; although she seemed anxious, almost depressed, she told him she was having fun.

What was wrong with his foolish brother?

She slid her foot back into her slipper. Another cowboy came up and asked Beth to dance, and she left Tanner sitting at the table alone. He watched as she glided around the floor with the young buck, and Tanner wanted to strangle his brother. Where was he?

Tucker came around the floor with a young girl in his arms that Tanner didn’t know. He watched as his brother laughed at something the girl said and wondered why he was neglecting Beth. After all, even though Beth was the prettiest woman here tonight, Tucker had spent more time in other women’s arms than in Beth’s.

The band began to play a slow waltz once again, and Tanner saw Tucker make his way to Beth. He watched as his brother placed one hand on her waist and her other hand in his. He groaned as he saw Tucker pull her in closer than was really appropriate, and he had to look away when Beth smiled up at him.

She should be dancing with Tanner, smiling and laughing with him, gazing at him as if he were the most important man in her life. But he could never be that person in her life. That was his brother’s job.

Tanner glanced up just in time to see the song end and Tucker lean down and give Beth a chaste kiss on the lips.

It was more than he could bear. He had to get out of here now, tonight. He couldn’t wait another minute, couldn’t stand the sight of his brother with Beth another moment. For Tucker had not behaved toward Beth the way she deserved to be treated.

He whirled around and marched toward the barn his legs carrying him as fast as he could walk, away from the sight of the two of them together. The wide-open spaces could never hurt as much as watching Beth and Tucker.

He slung open the barn door, strolled in, and began to saddle his horse. It would take only moments to gather his few belongings, but if his horse was saddled and ready, then he could slip into the house, get his things, say good-bye to his mother, and ride away before anyone noticed.

Tanner took the bridle down from the wall of the stall. He slipped the bit into the horse’s mouth and threw his saddle blanket on its back, followed by his saddle. He began tightening the flank cinch and adjusted the foot stirrups. He’d be gone within the hour.

The door of the barn opened, and in walked Tucker.

“There you are,” Tucker said, his mouth dropping open in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“I’m leaving,” Tanner said without ever looking at his younger brother.

“Now?” Tucker said in surprise. “Does Mother know?”

“Nope. Just decided a few minutes ago.”

“What in the hell is the matter with you?” Tucker said, his voice rising. “We have a yard filled with guests and you think now is the time to leave? Do you give a damn about how Mother is going to feel about this?”

Tanner stood and walked to within inches of Tucker. “Who the hell said it was any of your business what I do?”

“When you’re about to break Mother’s heart a second time, I make it my business.”

“You’re a fine one to talk! What about Beth? You’ve been out there dancing with every female within the last fifty miles and left her sitting alone.” Tanner grabbed Tucker by the front of his shirt. “She doesn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

“Get your damn hands off of me—right now. I’m treating her just fine.”

“The hell you are.” Tanner threw the first punch, hitting his brother smack in the nose, popping his head back. A surprised look appeared on Tucker’s face. “If you didn’t want to marry her, why in the hell did you send for her? You don’t deserve a woman like Beth.”

“You bastard, you hit me!” Tucker charged his brother, knocking him to the ground.

Tanner felt his body slam into the earth along with a fist to his rib cage. They were throwing punches, scuffling on the ground trying to get the advantage, when the barn door opened and Travis walked in.

“What in the hell is going on here?” he questioned. He pulled Tanner off Tucker and held him at bay. “Why are you two trying to kill one another?”

Tucker stood and brushed the dirt off his pants, sending his older brother a glare. “Ask him. He’s been acting strange all night. Then I came in here and caught him saddling a horse, leaving again.”

Travis glanced at Tanner. “Is that true? You were going to sneak off again?”

“I wasn’t sneaking off, I was riding out tonight.”

“In the middle of the party that Mother threw for your homecoming and welcoming Beth you were going to leave?” Travis asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, I was,” Tanner said shaking loose from his older brother.

“Your timing is lousy, Tanner,” Travis spat.

“Well, my baby brother doesn’t know how to take care of a woman. He’s been dancing all night with everyone else but Beth.” Tanner’s voice rose. “Why in the hell did you send for her if you didn’t want to marry her?”

Tucker picked up his hat and dusted it off. “You explain it to him, Travis. I’ve got to go before I beat the shit out of him again.”

Tanner felt the blood trickling from his nose and put a hand up to wipe it away. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten into a scuffle with one of his brothers. But sometime while Tanner was gone, Tucker had certainly learned how to throw a punch.

“Come into the tack room. We need to clean you up before you go off anywhere,” Travis said, carrying the lantern into a small room off to the left.

Tanner felt like a boy again as he obediently followed Travis, the memory of other fights returning with a pang to his bruised ego, times when Travis had patched him up when he’d gotten into a fray with either his brother or another kid.

The room was filled with reins, bridles, and cinches hung from the wall. In the center of the room was a worktable with a couple of chairs scattered about.

Travis pulled out a chair. “Sit,” he commanded.

Tanner sat in the chair, watching his brother, tilting his head back to keep the blood from dripping. He wanted to get on his horse and ride as fast and as far away as possible. He wanted to run from the sight of Beth and Tucker together, to escape from the jealousy that was eating away at him inside.

Tucker had what Tanner wanted, and there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

Travis sat the lantern down on the table and reached up into a cabinet. He pulled out a bowl, a small tin of salve and some bandages, and laid them on the table.

From a metal bucket sitting nearby, he poured a small amount of water into the bowl. “Wash the dust from your face.”

“My damn nose is bleeding. I can’t.”

Pulling out the other chair, Travis sat down at the table. He dipped a rag into the water and handed it to his younger brother. “Here, hold this against your nose.”

Tanner took the rag and held it to his bloody nose.

“So, you’re leaving tonight?” Travis asked.

“Yes,” Tanner said suspiciously. His brother was going to try to talk him out of leaving, but there was nothing Travis could do to stop him. He was leaving, he had to get away.

“Why so suddenly?” Travis asked, sitting across from Tanner. He leaned back and propped his ankle on top of his knee.

“Just felt it was time to go,” Tanner said, handing the bloody rag back to his brother.

Travis shrugged, as if it meant nothing that Tanner was leaving.

“Well, you’re a man. It’s not like the last time you snuck off, when you weren’t old enough to make that decision. This time you can come and go when you please. You might want to wipe your face down; it still looks streaked.” Travis handed him another wet rag. “So, will we ever see you again?”

Tanner glanced at his older brother, surprised by the question. “Yes, I’ll come home occasionally.”

“When you admitted you hadn’t intended to come home this time, I wondered if, when you left, you would ever return,” Travis explained, leaning his chair back and gazing at his brother.

“I’ll be back.”

Tanner sensed that his brother’s brown eyes were fixed on him and felt as if he were being examined.

“What? Why are you staring at me?”

“Nothing,” Travis said. “You’ve changed. I knew the war would change you, but I never realized how much. I guess we’re different, too, but you’re not the same kid that left.”

“I’m ten years older. I’ve seen a lot of things . . .”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ve seen things you probably never want to remember. You’re different, and I guess we’re all still adjusting to the changes.”

He handed Tanner some salve. “Here, put this on your knuckles. You scratched them up pretty bad.”

“You and Tucker are different, too,” Tanner said, taking the salve and smoothing it over the back of his hand. Travis shrugged. “I’m sure we are. Mother’s older.” "Nothing has remained the same,” Tanner said, his voice rough.

“No. I guess it hasn’t,” Travis said. “We all grew up while you were gone.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched between the brothers; there was so much that needed to be said, that Tanner knew he couldn’t say.

Tanner glanced down at his red knuckles. “I better be going.”

“Be sure to tell Mother goodbye before you leave. I know she’s going to be upset.”

“Of course. And I’ll try to send you a message ever so often,” Tanner said brusquely “Let you know where I’m at.”

“That would be good. Mother wouldn’t worry quite as much. Also, if something should happen to her, I’d have a way of finding you. She is getting up in years, you know.”

Tanner glanced at his older brother. Did he keep mentioning their mother so he’d feel guilty leaving them all behind once again?

“Look, I realize I’m different. But I didn’t have much choice in changing.”

“Yeah, I guess war does that to a man.” Travis stared across the table at him. “But I can’t help but wonder what besides the war has caused you to change? Where have you been these last ten years besides fighting for the Confederate army? What kept you from returning to us, before now?”

Tanner resisted the urge to put his head in his hands. He wanted to confide in his brother, tell him all the things he’d done, but he couldn’t. His past was his own to deal with, and he wasn’t about to inform his family of what had happened or the ugliness he’d taken part in.

He shrugged nonchalantly as if it meant nothing when actually it meant everything. “I couldn’t return.”

“You know, Tanner, we all worried when you didn’t come home. We didn’t know what to do, whether we should have a funeral or just keep hoping for the day that you came home.” Travis dusted some dirt from his pants and then glanced back up at Tanner. “But now you’re back, and we’re damn happy that you’re here with us, regardless that you’re different. You’re safe, you’re alive, and you’ve come home.”

“I. . .I’ve been surprised you all welcomed me back,” Tanner said, his voice soft.

“Why? You’re still a member of this family.”

“I didn’t think you would want to see me again.”

“We all prayed that you would come home safe and sound.” Travis shook his head. “We’ll still be here if and when you ever decide to rejoin us.”

Tanner swallowed. It was true they had accepted him with open arms and he was the one holding back. But he was still an outlaw, and sooner or later it was going to catch up with him. And then there was Beth. How much more of watching her and Tucker could he take?

Travis took a deep breath. “Whether you decide to stay or go is up to you.” He paused and stood up, stretching. “I’m going back out and join the crowd. I hope you’ll stay at least until the morning, when we can give you a decent sendoff.”

Tanner watched as his brother put his hat on.

“Now, I’m going to go find my wife and make her dance with me again.” Travis extended his hand and gripped his younger brother’s in a handshake. “Goodbye.”

He walked out of the bam, leaving Tanner to make the decision of whether to stay or go.

Damn it! Travis still had this effect on him. He’d always made Tanner feel as if he were misbehaving whenever he was considering doing something questionable. Though Travis was different than when they were younger, he still could make you think twice. He still could make you feel irresponsible.