The Texan (12 page)

“Just because I think I’m in love with him, that doesn’t mean he’s in love with me.”

“He hasn’t said anything?”

“No.”

“He will. Actions speak louder than words. You’ll see,” Millie said confidently.

Emmie looked up at her friend, excitement shining in her eyes. “I hope you’re right.”

The rest of the day passed quietly for Emmie. She stayed up at the house, resting after her ordeal, and didn’t get the chance to see Josh again. As she went to bed that night, she found it hard to believe that
only twenty-four hours before she had been alone with him at the line shack. The memory of his kiss and touch stayed with her, and left her restless as she lay in her solitary bed.

Emmie knew sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon, so she got up and went to stand at the window. The moon was bright that night and cast its glow upon the miles of Rocking R land. Emmie stared out across the moon-kissed landscape. It was dark and peaceful, and she knew deep down in her heart that there was nowhere else she would rather be. She belonged here.

Emmie let her gaze drift toward Josh’s place. There was a lamp burning in the cabin window, which meant he was still awake, and she wondered if he missed her as much as she missed him. She sighed and turned away.

She had to get some rest.

She had to get back to work tomorrow.

This was her ranch.

Josh sat at the small table in his house, trying to relax. He’d just returned from his trip into town to find Steve, and he was ready to call it a day.

“How did it go?” George asked, going to sit with his brother. He was worried about Steve causing more trouble on the ranch, and he wanted to make sure the man wouldn’t be coming back.

“Luckily, Steve was real easy to find. He was down at the saloon, having a good old time.”

“What did he have to say for himself?”

“He wasn’t happy about being fired, but I think he knew it was coming. I paid him what he was due. Hopefully he’ll move on now.”

“Hopefully” George agreed.

They went to bed then.

George fell asleep right away but it took Josh longer. He’d hoped to get back from town early enough to see Emmie. He’d wanted to tell her and Millie how his conversation with Steve had gone. When he’d ridden in, though, the main house had been dark, and he’d known it would have to wait until morning.

T
he rest of the week passed quickly, and Emmie was glad. They’d been working hard, and she was ready to relax and have some fun—and spend some time with Josh. They hadn’t had a minute alone together since the night at the line shack, and she found herself regretting that.

Saturday morning dawned clear and bright, and Emmie and Millie were eagerly anticipating the day ahead as they went downstairs for breakfast.

“If you can be ready to leave by eleven, we’ll go into town then. That will give us time to get settled at the hotel before everything gets started,” Emmie said.

“Do you always spend the night in town after the social?”

“The dance doesn’t end until late, so it’s easier that way.”

“I’ll be ready, and I’ll make sure Miss Harriet is, too.”

Miss Harriet was already at the table when they entered the kitchen. They found she was talking
with Kate about the day’s activities and was as excited as they were about the upcoming social.

“Why wait until eleven?” Miss Harriet asked. “I’m ready now.”

“Josh and some of the men are going to ride in with us, so we have to wait until they finish their chores,” Emmie explained.

“They should work faster,” Millie teased.

“They’re working plenty fast,” Kate joined in. “They like the idea of a night in town, too.”

“Are you wearing a dress on the ride in?” Millie asked her friend.

“Yes. I can get away with wearing my pants when I’m working, but not today.”

“I guess I’d better wear a dress, too,” Miss Harriet put in, laughing.

They all laughed with her and finished eating breakfast.

“What are you making to take to the dinner?” Emmie asked Kate. She knew the cook always prided herself on the desserts she brought to the social.

“Pecan pies,” Kate said.

“Sounds delicious,” Millie said.

“They are, trust me,” Emmie assured her friend. “Most everybody at the social will be watching for Kate to come in. They all want to see what she’s bringing for the dinner.”

“I’m making four of them, so hopefully you’ll all get a piece.”

“I don’t know. Some of those cowboys stake out the table and pounce on what ever dessert you bring.”

“Yes, I know,” Kate said, smiling. “Burley’s already been up to the house this morning to check on me.”

As soon as they were finished with the meal, they went up to pack what they would need for an overnight stay in town.

It was right at eleven o’clock when George drove the carriage up to the house. The women were ready and waiting for him.

“You ladies look lovely today,” he told them, his gaze lingering on Millie.

“Why, thank you,” Miss Harriet said.

He began loading their bags and then helped them up into the carriage. Soon they were on their way. When they drove past the stable, Josh, Burley and the other ranch hands who were going to town rode out to accompany them into Shotgun.

It was a warm day, and the streets of the town were dusty as they rode in. George stopped in front of the hotel to let the ladies out before taking the carriage to the stable. Miss Harriet and Emmie got down first, and then George reached up to take Millie’s hand to help her.

“Will you save me a dance to night?” he asked, his dark eyes challenging hers. He was looking forward to the evening. Over the last few days he’d managed to spend more time with Millie, and he knew she was a very special woman. He wanted to get to know her better—a lot better.

Millie gave him a teasing grin as she asked, “Just one?”

Right then and there, in the middle of Shotgun, with lots of folks around, George wanted to take her
in his arms and kiss her. It took a lot of willpower, but he managed to control the impulse. He grinned up at her. “I thought there might be a long line, and I wanted to be first.”

Millie’s heartbeat quickened at his romantic words. “You can have all the dances you want.”

“I’ll see you to night.”

“Don’t be late,” she told him, looking over her shoulder flirtatiously as she went to join Emmie and Miss Harriet where they were waiting on the sidewalk.

Josh tied up his horse, got the ladies’ bags for them, and went to speak with George. “Take the carriage on over to the stable. I’ll meet you down at the saloon.”

“Sounds good to me,” his brother agreed. He cast one last quick look Millie’s way and then drove off.

Josh went to talk to Emmie, Millie, and Miss Harriet for a moment.

“It’s going to get a little wild here in town to night,” he cautioned.

“It is? Why?” Millie asked.

Josh quickly explained, “It isn’t often the boys get to come into town and party this way. They’re going to be enjoying themselves, so be careful and stay together if you can.”

He had managed to speak to Emmie earlier that day when Millie hadn’t been around to warn her to keep a lookout for Steve while they were in town. He was reasonably certain the troublemaker had moved on, but there was no way to know for sure. He knew George would be spending as much time
with Millie as he could, but he wanted the girls to remember they weren’t back East anymore.

“We will,” Emmie promised.

“But we don’t have to worry,” Millie protested. “You’re here, and so is George.” Then, giving him a teasing smile, she added, “That is, unless you’re the ones we’re supposed to be looking out for.”

Josh laughed.

“You never know,” he said as he opened the door to the hotel for them.

“I’ll meet you here in the lobby just before four, and we can go over to the dinner together.”

“We’ll be ready and waiting for you,” Emmie promised.

A short time later Emmie and Millie were busy unpacking in the room they were sharing. Emmie finished first and sat down on the bed to wait for her friend.

“So, you’re looking forward to dancing with George to night, are you?”

“Did you have any doubt? I can’t wait. I wanted to spend more time with him this week and get to know him better, but he was working so much, I never got the chance.”

“You will to night,” Emmie assured her.

“And you’re going to get to dance with Josh. I think we’ve got an exciting evening coming up.”

“We definitely do.”

The dust was thick and the heat nearly unbearable as the stagecoach traveled the seemingly endless
miles to Shotgun. The driver was pushing the team hard, for they were running late, and he was trying to make up time. It was obvious to the driver that the area had suffered a bad storm recently, for the roads were far worse than usual and almost washed out in some places. It made the ride rough, and he was certain his three passengers were feeling every bump, but there was nothing he could do about their discomfort except get the trip over with as soon as possible.

Inside the stagecoach, Kenneth sat staring out the window, trying hard to keep his seat. He could not remember another time when he’d been so hot and miserable, and he couldn’t imagine why Emmie liked it out West. True, he hadn’t reached Shotgun or the Rocking R yet, but judging from what he’d seen so far, he had little hope his surroundings would improve.

Two years…

Two years!

The realization that he would have to live out here in the middle of nowhere on Emmie’s ranch for two years gnawed at him, but he kept telling himself the end result would be worth it. And there was still the hope that Shotgun would be a better town than its name indicated. Kenneth wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief and looked over at the older couple, Victor and Margaret Turner, who were riding with him.

“What time will we reach Shotgun?” Kenneth asked.

“We’ve still got quite a ways to go,” Victor informed
him, trying not to smile. The Easterner had said little during their hours together on the stage, and he could tell the man was not enjoying himself at all.

“We will make it before dark, won’t we?” Kenneth was hoping to reach the ranch and Emmie to night.

“We should.”

“Is someone meeting you in Shotgun?” Margaret asked cordially.

“No, I’m going to have to make arrangements to get out to the Rocking R once I reach town.”

“The Rocking R is one of the biggest and most successful ranches in these parts.”

“Yes, it is,” he agreed, although he really knew very little about the matter. He didn’t offer any more information. He had no interest in making casual conversation with his companions.

Margaret and Victor fell silent as the man turned his attention out the window again. They couldn’t help wondering how he was going to like Shotgun. At that moment, though, the stagecoach gave a violent lurch, and they were thrown around the inside of the vehicle.

Kenneth was caught off guard and thrown from his seat. The stagecoach rocked wildly, and he could hear the driver cursing as he fought for control. When at last the driver brought the coach to a stop, it leaned awkwardly to one side, and Kenneth was hard-pressed to climb out. He finally managed to open the door and jump down.

“What happened?” he demanded of the driver.

Jack, the driver, had already gotten down to check what had happened, and he was swearing under his breath when he saw the damage to the front wheel. When he looked up and saw Mrs. Turner stick her head out the window, he quickly caught himself. “Oh, sorry, ma’am.”

Margaret gave him an affronted look. “Are we stranded here?”

“I don’t know yet. I have to take a look at the wheel.”

Victor climbed out and went to stand with Kenneth as the driver quickly assessed how badly the wheel had been broken.

“I can mend it good enough to get us to town, but I’m going to need your help,” Jack advised the two men.

“What do we need to do?” Victor asked, rolling up his shirtsleeves, ready to go to work.

Kenneth was disgusted for a moment. This would never have happened to him back home—but he wasn’t back home. He was in Texas, and he had no choice but to help. He took off his suit coat and put it inside the stagecoach and then rolled up his sleeves. He had a feeling that they weren’t going to make it to town anytime soon. He took a look around at the deserted countryside, remembering Mrs. Ryan’s story about the Indian raid, and then got to work with the other two men.

“You look positively gorgeous. That shade of blue is lovely on you,” Millie told Emmie as she stood back and stared at her friend. Her gown was simple yet
elegant, and she had arranged her hair up in a sophisticated style.

“Thanks. You look beautiful yourself,” Emmie replied. Millie’s gown was pale green and enhanced her blond hair.

“Do you think I should wear my hair up like yours?” Millie asked, turning to glance at her own reflection in the mirror. She’d chosen to wear her hair down around her shoulders in a mass of soft curls.

“No, it’s perfect just as it is.”

“All right. If you say so. Are you ready?” She was eager to go downstairs.

“I’m ready.”

They were both smiling as they left the hotel room to meet Miss Harriet.

The chaperone was waiting for them.

“Look at you!” she said in delight. “You’re both stunning. I wonder if this town has ever seen two girls as pretty as you.”

Millie gave her a quick hug. “You are so sweet!”

“Come on,” Miss Harriet encouraged. “Let’s go show those boys what real ladies look like.”

“You don’t think I should go back and change back into my pants?” Emmie teased.

“Not to night, my dear. Not to night.”

They left her room and started down to the lobby to meet Josh.

Josh and George had taken a room at the hotel, too. After getting cleaned up, Josh had left his brother and gone out to take a look around town. He’d
wanted to check on Steve and make sure he really had left town for good. He didn’t want any fights erupting to night at the dance. And that was sure to happen if Steve showed up unexpectedly and tried to cause more trouble for Millie and George. He’d been satisfied that things were quiet in Shotgun—or at least as quiet as they could be with everyone in town for the social that night. Now he and George were waiting in the lobby for the ladies, ready to enjoy the evening ahead.

Josh heard them coming first. He looked up just as Emmie appeared at the top of the stairs, and he could only stare at her as she started down the steps to the lobby. She was moving with a supple grace that held him mesmerized until George spoke up from behind him.

“I think your partner’s ready to go to the social,” George told him, a hint of mischief in his voice.

“Sometimes it pays to have a partner,” Josh countered, going forward to meet her at the foot of the stairs.

Emmie knew the men were watching her, and she smiled. Josh looked even handsomer than usual, clean shaven and dressed up as he was. She met his gaze as she reached the bottom of the steps. “We’re ready.”

“So are we. Let’s go have some fun,” he replied.

“You boys behave yourselves to night,” Miss Harriet told them with a smile. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you with my girls.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Josh and George had lost their
mother early in life, but they knew a true lady when they saw one.

“Of course, I might go a little easier on you if you both decided to save a dance for me.”

“I was hoping
you’d
save a dance for
me.”
George spoke up first, charming her even more.

They were all laughing in delight as they left the hotel to join the festivities.