Bonds of Matrimony (31 page)

“If it weren’t for that
damned cow, I would take you to the nearest inn and spend the rest of the day
admiring your beauty without the blasted trousers and hat on,” he spit out
quickly as they approached the front door of the doctor.

She didn’t have time to
respond, but the idea was certainly more appealing than turning around and
racing back to Marcus and the chaos on the ranch.
 
But Marcus was depending on her.
 

Colton was familiar with the
veterinarian and quickly explained the situation to the slightly balding young
man.
 
He quickly grabbed his
equipment and medicine bag while Colton saddled up one of his horses.
 
And although Dr. Miller wasn’t as
capable a rider as Webb and Chase were, he rode quickly enough.
 

She took the reins of the
doctor’s horse and promised to tend to his horse while he tended to their
cow.
 
Colton dismounted and
followed her into the stables, leading his own horse by the reins.

They put the three horses
into individual stalls and watered them.
 
She entered the stall with the doctor’s horse and began rubbing him
down.
 
Colton wandered from stall
to stall, pretending to look at the horses.
 
As soon as he’d assured himself that they were alone in the
stables, he slipped into the stall with her and pulled her into his arms.
 

“I’ve been thinking of this
all day,” he mumbled between kisses.

Her legs were still sore
from our activities the evening before.
 
And her muscles were even tighter after having ridden to Midland and
back as fast as they had.
 
Suddenly, her muscles gave in, and she leaned against his body for
support.
 
“Me, too.”

He pulled his mouth away
from hers and looked down into her eyes while his hands wandered lower and
cupped her rear.
 
“I was looking
forward to a swim this afternoon,” he said naughtily, pulling her against his
pelvis and rubbing against her erotically.

Chase rubbed her hands over
his broad chest and shoulders, still reveling in the feel of him.
 
“Hmm,” she moaned pleasantly.
 
“Marcus needs my help.
 
He’s still short two men.
 
Bells isn’t back yet, judging by the
empty stall.”
 
Colton dipped his
head and began nipping the side of her neck and ear.
 
She tilted her head to allow him better access.
 
“I really can’t, Colton.”
 
His warm tongue traced a path over her
collarbone, raising goosebumps.
 
“But if Bells returns soon with Dr. Burns, then he’ll be here to help,
and I might be able to get away for a little bit.”

His mouth found its way back
to hers, and his tongue caressed hers slowly and sweetly.
 
He groaned in her mouth as his arousal
pressed against her.
 
“And assuming
my men have things under control at the ranch, I’ll be free for a long
swim.
 
What are the odds that we’ll
both be needing a long swim at the same time this afternoon?”

“Odds, Mr. Webb?
 
Well, I don’t know.
 
I’m not exactly a gambling kind of
lady,” she answered demurely.

He grinned at her and pulled
away.
 
He swatted her rear
playfully as he stepped out of the stall.
 
“Miss Fairfax, I think you’re wrong.
 
I can think of a time or two when you’ve taken some big
gambles.
 
Just last night, in
fact.”

“It hardly seems a gamble
when such enjoyable results are guaranteed,” she shot back.

He winked and turned away,
retrieving his horse from a stall and heading back to his own ranch.

Chase had only just finished
tending to the two horses when she met Marcus outside the stables.
 
He was alone.

“Where is Dr. Miller?” she
asked.

“Checking on another
cow.
 
She’ll be giving birth any
day now.
 
Is Webb gone?”

“Yes,” she answered simply,
not trusting herself to not give away their secret with her expressions.
 
She didn’t dare say anything more to
draw Marcus’s attention.

“I’ll have to thank him
later.
 
And thank you, as well, for
riding to Midland for me.
 
We
needed Dr. Miller here.”

“I know we did.
 
And you’re welcome.”

“In all of the excitement, I
forgot about Stockton.
 
I never
should have sent you alone.
 
As
soon as Elisa started yelling about the dangers of a woman traveling alone, I
remembered and felt awful.
 
She
told me to send Webb after you.
 
I
hope you didn’t mind.”

           
Mind?
 
She wasn’t certain he was being
serious.
 
Chase wondered if he knew
and was merely testing her to see what her reaction would be.
 
She studied his eyes and decided he was
being sincere.
 
“I was grateful to
have someone with me.
 
Ordinarily,
I wouldn’t mind, but as you said, with Stockton in town…” she didn’t need to
finish the thought.

           
He
nodded in understanding.
 
“Well,
I’m sorry I sent you alone.
 
And I
thank you for going in spite of my oversight.”

           
She
shrugged, uncomfortable with this side of Marcus.
 
He was usually more sarcastic and annoying.
 
“It’s okay.
 
Nothing happened.
 
And by tomorrow, Stockton will be on his way out of town.
 
I, for one, will breathe easier knowing
that.”

           
Unfortunately,
Chase wasn’t destined to breathe easier yet.
 
After Bells returned with Dr. Burns, she was heading to the
stables to saddle up Artemis for a ride to the pond.
 
She was stepping off the front porch of the house when she
saw the automobile pulling up the drive.
 
She waved at George Wainwright and waited for his good news as he
climbed out of the vehicle.

           
“Afternoon,
Miss Fairfax,” he greeted solemnly.

           
“Good
afternoon, Mr. Wainwright.
 
News
from town?” she asked simply, not needing to elaborate.
 
In all of the excitement and action,
neither Marcus nor Chase had had the time to sit down and explain the situation
to the other women of the house.
 
She
didn’t want them to overhear her conversation with Mr. Wainwright and piece it
together themselves.

           
“I’m
afraid so.
 
I am spreading the word
that as far as that man is concerned, there is no Fairfax family here.
 
And as far as I know, nobody has told
him nothin’ yet.
 
But he hasn’t
exactly been asking.
 
Seems he is
certain you’re here, and he’s settlin’ in.
 
He’s paid Chantal for a week for each of his men, and he
told her he would pay each week in advance for as long as he’s stayin’ in
town.
 
She asked how long he might
be stayin,’ and he said that depended on how fast he was able to get his
business done.”
 

           
“That
wasn’t the news I was hoping to hear,” she answered softly.

           
“I
wish I could have told you he had already left, but he didn’t.
 
And I thought you should know that it’s
probably not safe for you to come into town for a while.”

           
“Thank
you, Mr. Wainwright.”

           
“Please
call me George.
 
And you’re
welcome.
 
I will keep my ears open
and let you know when I learn anything new.”

           
“Thank
you, George.”
 

           
He
nodded, touched the tip of his hat, and climbed back into his car.
 
As Chase watched his car drive away, she
thought of Colton at the pond.
 
And
no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to go meet
him.
 
If Stockton knew where she
lived, he would be there soon.
 
And
she’d rather he find her at the house with her brother and his ranch hands than
alone on her horse on her way to the pond.
 
And having made that decision, Chase turned and walked back
into the house to see if her sister-in-law needed her help.

***

           
Webb
waited by the pond for over an hour that afternoon.
 
He couldn’t believe that Bells hadn’t returned to the ranch
yet.
 

           
He
began to wonder if Chase was having second thoughts.
 
Perhaps she had realized that he was a mistake, and she had
decided she didn’t want to see him again.
 
But then he could close his eyes and see her standing in that stall,
clearly enjoying their kisses and flirting.
 
What would have made her change her mind?

           
Rather
than lie around all afternoon trying to figure out the woman’s mind, Webb
decided to be more productive and return to the ranch.
 
Perhaps she had been needed even after
Bells returned.
 

           
He
planned to ride out to her brother’s ranch that night.
 
She had been watching for him the night
before and had met him in the barn.
 
He was counting on her watching for him again tonight.

CHAPTER 16

           
“Did
he see you?” Reese asked nervously.

           
“We
wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation if he had,” Chase reminded
her.
 
“Mr. Wainwright is warning
the townsfolk to keep quiet and to not tell him anything.
 
But I am certain that Stockton will
find out we’re here.
 
It is just a
matter of time before he comes here looking for me.”

           
“Was
Lord Booth with Mr. Stockton?” their grandmother asked, ironically using the
respectable titles of the two rogues.

           
“I
don’t think so.
 
I didn’t see
him.
 
But that doesn’t mean that
Booth didn’t pay Stockton to bring Reese back as well.
 
We both have to be very careful,” she
warned.

           
Elisa
frowned and rubbed her protruding belly.
 
“We’ll need to make sure we lock up the house every night.
 
And Chase, you should probably help me
with the chores inside instead of running around the ranch.
 
It’ll be harder for him to sneak up on
you and catch you unaware.”

           
“That’s
true,” Marcus agreed.

           
She
knew that they were concerned for her, but she was suddenly resentful of being
kept captive in her own home.
 
“I
will not let that bastard force me into hiding.
 
I will stay on the ranch, and I won’t go riding off on my
own.
 
But I’m not going to hide
myself away from the world.
 
According to George Wainwright, Stockton has no plans to leave until he
finds me.
 
And he knows that I’m
not far.”

           
Marcus
knew better than to force the issue.
 
He could tell that his sister would not relent on this topic.
 
He nodded slowly and stared at the dark
window behind her.
 
“All
right.
 
I’m going to talk with my
men tomorrow and warn them to keep an eye out for strangers.
 
But if you’re going to insist on
continuing to help out on the ranch, you need to stick close to me or Tom.
 
I don’t even want you with one of the
other hands.
 
I trust that my men
are honest enough to take care of my stock, but I don’t trust that they wouldn’t
turn a woman over for a pretty penny.”

           
“Fortunately,”
she answered with a small smile, “Stockton doesn’t have much more than a pretty
penny to offer.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain,
Chastity.
 
He paid for his fare
over here, as well as his train ticket to Texas and lodging in town,” her grandmother
reminded.
 
“His father may be
paying his bills for this venture.”