Yours Again (River City Series) (23 page)

Chapter 23

Darren
heard the good news about the rescue just as he barreled into town to help. He
and Charlie had seen the smoke and spent the entire night rounding up the herd
and getting them across the river. The wind could shift at a moment’s notice,
and the herd would not be completely safe until the water lay between them and
any further threat of fire. They decided Charlie would stay with the cattle and
make sure they stayed in the clear until they verified all was safe.

The
sheriff filled him in on the details, including how Taos had saved the Ward
boys. Town hardly seemed like the same place. People who just days earlier had
been at each other’s throats were shaking hands and greeting each other like
long lost friends. Several stopped Darren to tell how grateful they were to
Taos. The wife beater rumors seemed all but forgotten. It confirmed for him how
fickle people could be. Darren made his way over to Reverend Miller’s where
Tommy was staying during the chaos. The man appeared more than eager to hand
Tommy over to his uncle’s care.

After
five minutes, Darren knew why.

“The
bad guy grabbed her and dragged her out. Me and Nate was gonna follow but his
pa sent us home.” He wiggled a little on the saddle in front of his uncle.
“Then the fire came and all the people were running and yelling. Nate’s ma
started crying then his pa went to help soak blankets at the well.” Tommy
yawned.

“When
did you go to bed?”

“We
went up to bed when it got late, but we watched out Nate’s window ’til near
morning. Nate’s ma said they found Sammy and she was safe.”

“Yep,
your pa took her home.”

“So
she’s my very own ma for real, now? Like the way Nate has a real ma?”

“Yes.”
Nate was the Miller’s oldest boy. Apparently the two’d had quite a time with
the excitement of the wedding and then the fire. Still, the frustration of
listening to the kid rattle on would wear on anybody. Darren couldn’t blame
Tommy, the boy was just excited. Really excited, and so was he. Though it
didn’t tumble out of his mouth like it did Tommy’s. He almost envied that
ability.

Samantha
had been a constant companion during Darren’s early years, and the fact that
she was now a real part of the family was the best news he’d had in a long time.
She was the only female he could talk to without getting his words all mixed up.
Even when they were kids, she never judged him or thought him less than bright,
like so many others did. He didn’t speak to a soul for six months after she
left.

Tommy’s
relentless questions invaded his memories.

“So
she’ll always be here? And maybe we can go swimming? Maybe every day?” He
paused for a quick breath. “Does this mean I might get a brother?”

Darren
groaned. This ride was getting longer every minute.

“Nate
has a little brother. They do lots together. If I had a little brother I could
teach him stuff I know, like how to do chores, and where to dig for the best
worms, and . . .”

The
boy continued to chatter, but it got Darren to thinking. If his brother was as
affection-starved as he guessed, Tommy might get more than he bargained for. A
slow grin spread across Darren’s face. That might be just what Taos needed to
take a little starch out of his stride. He had a mental image of his brother trying
to handle a couple of little girls bouncing on his lap. Darren threw his head
back and laughed.

“What’s
so funny?”

 “I
was just thinking that you might get s-sisters.” He poked Tommy’s ribs. “Lots
of ’em.”

“Naw,
I don’t like girls much.” Tommy shook his head. “They don’t fish or skip rocks
in the creek or nothin’. They just stand around and giggle all the time.”

Darren
could certainly agree with that, with the exception of Sammy of course. The
house rose into view and it’s shadow blocked the sun’s last rays. The late hour
didn’t slow the stream of questions from Tommy. If anything he picked up speed.

“I’m
kinda hungry. She’ll be here to cook, too?”

“Mmmm.”

“I
like the way she cooks. She always makes stuff I like—and makes sure I eat.” The
small voice lowered to a whisper. “Even when I’m in trouble she sneaks me
cookies and milk, but don’t tell anyone.”

Darren
chuckled. Sammy was exactly what this boy needed. Jimbo greeted them with an
enthusiastic bark as the two climbed off the horse and headed into the house;
Darren was two steps behind Tommy. The boy was off like a shot up the stairs
and Darren had just enough time to hook a finger into Tommy’s back belt loop and
halt his progress.

“What?”
Tommy questioned.

Darren
surveyed the scene with a shake of his head. There was a shirt on one step,
ruffles and lace of some sort hooked over the banister, and a stocking dangling
from a lampshade. He swallowed his laughter and tried to sound stern.

“I
ought to go first. You never know what might be up there.”

The
boy glanced quickly around. “You think that bad guy’s here?” He whispered with
the excitement of the hunt. “We can take him Uncle Darren, just you and me. Why,
we’ll knock him down and kick him.” Little fists flailed air. “And then we can
call the sheriff and he’ll hang him high.” Tommy placed his hands around his
throat like a noose and rolled his eyes back in his head.

Darren
held out a hand to steady the little body as he nearly tumbled down the stairs
in excitement. From what he could see it looked like the bad guy was a distant
memory, and what he guessed was upstairs would probably shock a boy into
puberty. He scooped up clothes as he climbed the steps with Tommy behind him,
closer than a shadow.

 Taos’s
door was closed, and Darren paused outside to listen. Tommy slid through his
uncle’s knees and pressed an ear to the door.

“Think
they’re in there, Uncle Darren?” he whispered.

“I
think they’re asleep.” He certainly hoped so anyway as he turned the knob and
opened the door just a crack. Samantha’s head was resting on Taos chest and his
arm was curled around her with his fingers tangled in her hair. Taos’s eyes
popped open and focused on Darren.

“Pa’s
awake.”

Samantha’s
head popped up at the sound of Tommy’s voice. She grabbed the sheet and tugged
it higher. “Really, Darren, can’t we have a little privacy?” Her voice
squeaked.

“Sorry.”
He ducked, trying to keep Tommy from running in with his one free hand. “I just
wanted to be sure you were all right.”

“Are
you sure?” Taos’s voice was laced with heavy irritation.

Samantha
poked him in the side. “We appreciate the concern, and we’re both fine. Just
tired.”

Darren
lost the struggle with Tommy and dropped his armload of clothes just as the boy
scooted around his legs.

Taos
and Samantha both sat up in alarm as the small body hopped onto the foot of the
bed.

“Darren
says you’re like a real ma now, just like Nate has a real ma, and you’ll be
cooking all the time and we can go swimmin’ and fishin’ . . .”

Darren
scooped up the boy and slung him over his shoulder. “We’ll be letting you sleep
now.”

The
door slammed shut on Tommy’s chatter and Taos flopped back on the pillows.
Samantha breathed a sigh of relief.

“And
I want a little brother, too,” the voice yelled from the stairs.

She
cast an alarmed look at Taos.

He
was smiling. “You should tell him we’ve already been working on that.”

“I
will not!” She laughed in feigned shock. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind continuing
to work on it.” She slid a hand over his chest. He caught it and kissed her
palm.

“I
feel I have to warn you, ma’am,” he said sternly.

“Warn
me?”

“There
could be some serious squishing involved.” He rolled her onto her back as she
laughed.

Samantha
ran her fingers through the dark wavy locks that fell just over his ears. “So
are you happy with the way things turned out?”

“Well,
there’s a few advantages to being married.” His tongue darted between her
breasts.

“Only
a few?” she giggled as he tickled her ribs and they got back to some serious
loving.

Darren
rummaged around the kitchen for something to eat as Samantha’s laughter floated
to his ears. He leaned both hands on the table and stared out the window. That
kind of happiness could drive a single man insane. Jimbo’s barking snapped him
back to attention and he leaned out the door and hollered for Tommy.

The
two of them searched cabinets and banged pots until Samantha finally appeared
at the kitchen door.

“What
are you two doing?”

Her
voice stopped them both in their tracks.

“Cooking.”
Darren plopped a mountain of lard into the skillet as Tommy jumped down from
the chair he was standing on. He ran to Samantha and took her hand.

“You
gotta help. He can’t do it right.” The boy pushed her toward the stove as Taos
walked in, looking a little irritated.

“Did
you two have to make so much noise?” He glared at Darren. “We couldn’t sleep a
wink.”

“Well
it’s quiet now that Sammy’s down here.” Darren grinned. “You could g-go back up
and crawl into bed.”

Taos
grunted and glared.

“Darren,”
Samantha warned. “You know better than to tug on a tiger’s tail.”

“Hopefully
he’ll be g-growling a lot less from now on.” Darren squeezed Samantha’s
shoulders and sat down at the table.

“Not
if he never gets any
sleep
.” Taos huffed.

Dinner
was filled with easy conversation, mostly answering Tommy’s thousand and one
questions. All three adults were glad to see his eyes finally droop . He was
sent off to bed in short order.

“So
what about this Lawson?” Darren held his cup as Samantha poured more coffee. “You
think he’ll show up here?”

“No,”
Taos paused and thought for a moment. “He’s not really a fighter. He’s more of
a snake belly type. Just tried to grab and run. Don’t believe he‘d stand and go
toe to toe.”

Darren
nodded.

“If
he tries anything, I figure he’ll wait until she’s alone and try to take her.”

“So
. . . I‘m not safe here?” Samantha’s question seemed to take both men by
surprise.

“Absolutely.”
Taos’s voice was unwavering and confident. “He’s not fool enough to confront
both of us at once.”

Samantha
nodded, but didn’t seem totally convinced.

“One
of us will be with you twenty-four hours a day.” He ran his finger along the
back of her hand.

Darren
cleared his throat. “I guess that means I have the day shift.”

Jimbo’s
rousing bark outside the door joined their laughter.

“He
just can’t stand to be left out.” Samantha shook her head as the dog’s voice
slid into a rousing yowl.

Taos
closed the back door to shut out the noise as the three departed for bed.

As
the light in the kitchen disappeared, a shadow moved into the barn.

Chapter 24

Samantha
watched another sunset from the porch—except this time, as Taos Williams’s
wife. She knew her heart, but did she know his? She’d wanted to belong here, to
him, and now she did, but uncertainty still plagued her mind.

Last
night she’d dreamed that he’d had a terrible accident and she had lost him. She
awoke to the sound of his steady breathing and lay awake for several hours with
her hand on his chest, feeling it rise and fall. The fear seemed almost
paralyzing. Was this the same love her mother had known?

Things
seemed to be getting back to normal, but Taos really hadn’t said much. How did
he feel about her, about this? He had been so absolutely set against marriage. Had
he truly changed his mind, or was he just making the best of the situation? She
replayed the last day in her mind. He hadn’t treated her any different than
before, except they shared a bed now. She looked at her left hand. He hadn’t
even mentioned a ring. A small wave of sadness washed over her.

“You
coming up to bed?” Taos stood in the doorway.

“I’ll
be up in a minute.”

He
joined her on the porch. They stood side by side in silence for a few minutes.

“Taos?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are
you happy with this situation?”

“What
do you mean?”

She
let out a long breath. “I mean you didn’t have much say in the fact that we’re
married, and I just wondered if you were happy with how things have turned
out.”

“Well,
it was kind of handed to both of us, but I think it’s turned out well. Are you
not happy with things?”

“Yes,
I am. I just feel like we went from being enemies to being married in a big
hurry, that’s all.”

 “So,
are you saying you want to be courted?”

“Well,
that would be a good place to start if you’d like.”

“No,
I would not like. Why should we go through all that when we’re already
married?”

 “You
suggested it,” Her words were etched with irritation. “I just agreed it might
be nice.”

“I’m
not one of those poetry readers and I don’t know anything about courting a
woman.”

“That’s
not true.” The evening they spent in the rose garden popped into her mind. “You
have the ability, just not the want to I guess.”

Samantha
turned and went inside and up to her room and stayed there. She sat on the edge
of her bed and listened as he got ready to go to sleep in the room next door.
Her thoughts swirled, circling from irritation to sadness. Irritation at the
thought that he wasn’t willing to put out any effort for her, though she would
do almost anything for him. It seemed a very lopsided trade off.

The
emptiness filled her at the notion that he was just making the best of a bad
situation. She wanted this place and that man so much, but was she willing to
live here under those terms? To love and not really be loved? The hours didn’t
solve the questions.

Taos
waited for her to come to his bed, but she never did. He lay awake for most of
the night, sleep finally claiming him as the first light of day touched the sky.

The
creaking bed in the next room coaxed Taos’s eyes open. A small wedge of light
poked out from under the connecting door between them. He stretched and ran his
open palm over the sheet next to him. She should be here. She was his wife.

The
sound of water splashing and the soft hum of her voice drifted across the
distance. He imagined her standing in front of the mirror naked, water trailing
from her hands into the washstand. Every part of his body tingled as the sound
of the water added reality to his vision. He swore he heard the liquid dance
over her face and drip slowly down her neck toward the dark crevice between her.
.

He
groaned, rolled over and pulled the pillow around his ears. Torture. She was
determined to push him beyond all possible restraint. She was humming again. The
muffled sound sent pin pricks up his spine.

Taos
grabbed the other pillow and pounded it on top of the first one, determined not
to let it affect him. He drew a deep breath and held it for a moment before
letting out a defeated sigh. He wasn’t even convincing himself.

He
had never been good at courting. In truth he hadn’t really done much of it. Sharisse
had flat out chased him, but she had ulterior motives. What he needed was help.
Some good advice. Someone who could keep their mouth shut. Names streamed
through his mind as possible sources of information.

Darren?
Well, keeping quiet was definitely his strong suit, but he had done even less
courting than Taos. A cocky grin came to mind. Charlie. Now he had certainly
done his share. Must be good at it, too, the way the girls always swooned when
he walked by. Charlie would be great with advice, terrible at keeping quiet. The
whole town would know he had to ask for advice about how to court his own wife inside
half a day.

He
knew she was still humming. He couldn’t hear it, he could feel it. Like a tiny
string vibrating from her heart to his. How could she not feel it? Maybe
because she was the one plucking the string and he was the nimrod at the end of
it.

Maybe
someone married would offer better advice. Blake? He’d been married once, but
that had to be over twenty years ago. To hear him tell it he was a great
husband. Of course, he never married again. If he was so great, why was he
alone? Taos pounded the top of the pillow again. No, Blake wasn’t the one to
help, besides he had already laughed enough at Taos’s expense.

What
about the preacher? He and his wife held hands a lot at church. Taos chuckled
softly. If the preacher gave him advice, they might be holding hands and
nothing else for years. Definitely not what he had in mind.

He
rubbed the pillow with his thumb as he imagined tracing the softness of her
skin, the smile on her face, as he reached out and . . .

A
hand touched his arm. He sprang to a sitting position and shoved a pillow over
his lap to hide the evidence of his thoughts. The other pillow tumbled off the
bed.

“Are
you coming down to breakfast?” She looked at him and frowned, leaning over to
place her hand on his forehead. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Uh,
yeah.” He cleared his throat as he regained control. “I mean, I’ll be down in a
minute.”

She
still frowned. “You sure you’re all right?”

“Yes!”
His impatience turned the word into a near shout as he squirmed on the bed.

She
pressed her lips into a tight line. “I was just concerned, that’s all.” The
door slammed behind her.

Great
job, Romeo.

Taos
threw the pillow in the floor and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He
stared out the window at the rising sun. It wouldn’t matter who he asked or
even if he asked. He wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Taos gritted his teeth.

She
knew this courting business wasn’t anything he was good at. She just wanted to
humble him, put him in his place. Well he wasn’t about to start getting
henpecked this soon. He moved around the room gathering clothes and throwing
them on as his temper built to full steam.

The
kitchen was alive with activity as Tommy relayed the latest news from the
fishing hole and Darren tried to help cook.

“.
. . And just as the sun peeked up, I saw ’em start breakin’ the surface.”

“Uh
huh.” Darren was only half listening as he flipped over a piece of ham sizzling
in the skillet. Steam rose and the smell filled the kitchen. Samantha placed
the last of the biscuits in the pan and put them in the oven. No one seemed to
notice Taos’s arrival.

“Know
what that means, Uncle Darren?” No response. “Do ya?” The boy tugged
impatiently on his sleeve, demanding an answer.

Samantha
grinned at Darren, who heaved a long-suffering sigh.

 “What
does that mean, Tommy?” She asked, ignoring Taos as he sat at the table.

“They’s
hungry, that’s what.” He hopped off the chair and scooted it toward the table.

“So
am I.” All eyes turned to Taos, and at least one brow raised at his tone. “What
does a man have to do to get some coffee around here?” His mood was sour and his
temper short. Frustration etched his face.

Darren
cast a questioning expression at Samantha, who shrugged and fluttered her
eyelashes in feigned innocence.

“Have
a long night, did ya?” Darren asked.

Taos
frowned and grunted at his brother.

Samantha
filled a cup with coffee and plunked it on the table in front of him, sloshing
brown liquid over the rim. He ignored her until she turned her back then glared
at her.

Darren
squelched a chuckle. “Like two cats in a toe sack.” His mumbled comment brought
a grunt from Taos and a smile from Samantha.

All
things considered, breakfast was a quiet affair. Taos’s dark mood cast a shadow
over the entire house. Even Darren steered clear of him, finished his breakfast
in record time, and headed out toward the northern range.

“We
goin’ fishing?”

Samantha
smiled at the boy: egg on his lower lip, a stubborn cowlick in his dusty brown
hair, blue jeans tucked into his boots.

“You
have work to do first. Better get to it.”

Tommy’s
face fell and his shoulders drooped at Taos’s command. He shuffled out the back
door toward the barn.

“What
is the matter with you?” Samantha grabbed the wet dishtowel that was slung over
her shoulder and snapped it across his arm.

“Nothin’.”
He set his jaw.

“Nothin’?”
she said. “Then why are you pouting like a child?”

He
rose to his feet, intending to intimidate her. “I don’t pout.”

She
looked thoroughly unconvinced.

“I
just don’t like being told that I have to put on airs for my wife.”

“Put
on airs? I just thought it would be nice to have a little courting, that’s it.”

“I
just don’t see what it matters now if I pick you a bunch of daisies or not,
we’re already married. It’s not like it’s going to make any difference.”

Samantha
turned and stood perfectly still with her back to him.

Taos
shuffled his feet in the silence. He finally went over to the coffee to get a
refill and glanced sideways at her face. The pot stopped in midair. Tears
streamed down her face as she stared straight ahead.

He
put down the pot and cup and reached out to touch her arm, but she flinched
away from him. He dropped his hand to his side and just stood there.

When
she looked up, her voice was strangely calm. “I thought you understood. I don’t
want you to go through the motions of you treating me like I’m someone special.
I wanted you to really believe it.” She stared into his eyes then looked away. “You
know, you’re absolutely right. It’s a big waste of time for a man to pretend he
loves his wife.” She turned and walked out the back door.

Taos
felt like a hole had opened up in his chest. How could she think he was
pretending? Hadn’t he shown her? Been willing to give her what he’d sworn to
withhold from any woman? Loved her in their bed like the sun would never rise?

The
silence of the kitchen amplified the pounding of his heart to a loud drum beat.
His feet were rooted to the floor as his mind raced, then suddenly, soft as a
butterfly’s wings, he heard something.

He
strained to hear the sound again, and there it was. He walked to the open
window that looked out toward the barn. It was almost a giggle, like a baby’s
laugh. He started toward the back door to investigate.

“Taos!”

Samantha’s
scream stabbed his heart. He grabbed a pistol from the holster hanging on the
wall and burst out the door just as a loud shot blast echoed from the barn.