Ellie's Legacy (13 page)

“Good idea,” Ben said while fighting a yawn. “I trust your
judgment. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna take a little nap. Whatever was in
that concoction the doc made up is making me real
tired.
”
He rolled over, turned his back to Ty, but glanced over his shoulder.
“How about shuttin’ the curtains for me.
I never was one for
sleepin’ during the light of day.”

Ty pulled the window coverings back into place and left the
room. He closed the door behind him. For a moment, he stood in the hallway
wondering where Ellie had gone.

The logical half of him wanted to talk to her, and the
cowardly half wanted to run in a different direction. Damn, what she did to his
brain. He didn’t have a clue what to say to her. He expelled a loud whoosh of
air. Horses were sure a lot easier to read than women. Ben trusted his
judgment? Hell, Ty couldn’t even make this simple decision.

At the back door, he plopped his hat on his head and set the
brim in his usual sheltering style. He turned the knob and came face-to-face
with Ellie.

Chapter Ten

Ellie’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat.
She took two steps backwards, moving away from Ty and onto the porch. Still in
her nightclothes, she nervously tightened the sash around her waist and
fidgeted with the tip of the material. She gazed up at him.

Beneath the brim of his hat, surprised eyes quickly narrowed
into a sweeping glance from her sock-clad toes back to her heated cheeks. She
braced herself for the lecture she deserved, but he remained mute. The awkward
silence cried out for someone to speak. She swallowed hard and spoke in unison
with him.

“I think I owe you an apology.”

Their words were exact and created the perfect duet.

Ty’s mouth spread into a grin.
“Seems like
we have the same thing on our mind.”

Did they? Ellie wondered. She flashed a nervous smile. Maybe
his act of contrition would help her explain her earlier rudeness. “You go
first.” Anxiety tugged at her innards, waiting to see what exactly he wanted
her to forgive.

“Fine.”
He took a deep breath. “I’m
sorry I was bold enough to tell Doc Smith I was takin’ you to the dance.”

Her smile faded, her spirits sagged. That was it?

“Why do you look so sad?” he asked, scratching the side of
his head. “I apologized.”

She turned away to hide the tears in her eyes. It certainly
hadn’t been the “I’m sorry” she wanted. What about laughing at her and making
her feel the fool? Evidently he sought a way out of taking her to the Fall
Festival and thought that denying his admission to the doctor was it. Fine!

His hand grazed her shoulder, startling her. “Ellie, what
did I do now?”

When she didn’t answer, he walked around to face her. His
fingers cupped her chin and brought her eyes level with his—sky blue clouded
with sincerity. “I can’t seem to do anything right. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

She backed away to escape his unintentional caress. Despite
her mixed feelings, his touch still brought strange warmth to her body. Ellie
took a deep breath, and shaped her lips so her exhaled air blew upward into her
clouded eyes. She hated that her anger resulted in tears these days. She wanted
to be mad, not pathetic.

After a nervous swallow, she clasped her hands, continuously
wringing them. “I-I was expecting quite a different apology, not a feeble
attempt to get out of taking me to the dance on Friday. Luckily for you, I
think Pa’s illness will keep you from that sheer torture.” She concentrated on
keeping the weepiness from her voice.

Ty’s brows rose, puzzled eyes stared back at her. He raised
his hands, questioningly. “I—”

“Oh please don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking
about. How could you possibly want to go to the dance with someone you find so
funny?” She walked around him and stormed inside.

Ty ripped his hat from his head and slapped it against his
thigh. “Damn, she’s gonna drive me nuts.”

What’d happened? He had no idea what he did to make her so
mad again.

He replayed his actions in his head, a sincere apology,
a
friendly smile. What was so wrong with that? If he wanted
an answer there was only one way to get it, ask her. But did he dare? Every
time they spoke she ended up with a temper rivaling the blazing color of her
hair. He exhaled loudly, somewhat excited by the mental picture of sunlight
dancing in her copper locks.

Ty shook his head to rid the image and plopped his hat back
on his head. This was definitely not the time to talk to her. He’d wait until she
cooled down a bit before riling her again. He pulled his hat brim low to shade
his eyes from the bright sun, stepped off the porch and walked toward the
corral.

His still-saddled horse wandered the confines of the pen. Ty
had been in such a hurry to see about Ben’s condition, he totally forgot about
his mount.

Ty closed the gate behind him and crossed the enclosure to
the animal. Still skittish, the black, measuring at least sixteen hands, had
regal lines, a long flowing mane and a shiny tail that almost grazed the
ground. At Ty’s approach, the stallion snorted and nodded his head nervously.
There was still a streak of wild in him Ty admired.

Sort of like the one in Ellie.

He slowly extended his hand toward his un-named horse,
allowing the animal to recognize his scent. The big black calmed, but his wide
eyes remained apprehensive. Taking hold of the bridle, Ty steadied the
stallion’s head and stroked his muzzle. “That’s it. Good boy. I’m goin’ have to
call you something besides Blackie. That’s too common for a beauty like you.”

As he scratched the animal’s ear, Ty pondered what to call
such a spirited steed. Totally black like a moonless night, the horse ran like
the wind, and was strong and proud. Finding a name wasn’t as easy as it
sounded.

Lately, nothing turned out as simple as it seemed. His mind
traveled back to Ellie, and how something as effortless as an invitation blew
up in his face. He must have been born in the shadow of a rain cloud. He
exhaled a whoosh of air and returned to thinking of a better handle than
“Blackie”.

How had he just described the black?
Strong
and proud?
Those words rang true with Ellie, too. Yes sir, she was
strong-willed and prideful.

Something snapped and he realized the obvious. That had to
be it! He had hurt her to the quick when he laughed at her. It’d been his
reaction to her wearing a gun. Oh Lord, he thought, another apology, but maybe
this one was the right one. He still planned to wait until she simmered down a
bit.

He turned his attention back to the black, and then it came
to him like a bolt from the sky. His very own dilemma, in the shadow of a rain
cloud, held the perfect name. “I like that,” Ty smiled. “Something darting
through the dark of night describes you to a tee. Well, boy, how do you like
Shadow as a name?”

As if understanding, the horse nodded his majestic head and
whinnied.

“Shadow it is,” Ty chuckled, “and maybe after I set things
right with Ellie, my name won’t be mud anymore.”

He led the black out of the corral and into the barn, and
removed the animal’s saddle, bridle and blanket. The chill inside the barn
predicted an early season change.

Ty shivered, wishing he’d grabbed a jacket from the
bunkhouse. He began currying Shadow’s new winter growth, brushing it smooth and
adding sheen to the inky color. In the eye of Ty’s mind, he saw the shine of a
copper penny.

He threw the brush against a far wall, annoyed that
everything he did brought Ellie to mind.

Shadow jerked in reaction to the noise, and Ty stroked the
animal’s muzzle to calm him. His musings even affected his horse. Hopefully
these bouts of lapsing into thoughts of her were temporary, like Ben’s bout of
the ague.

Ty opened the stall, put Shadow inside and secured the gate.
He filled a feedbag, hung it on the animal’s head and gave him a pat on the
muzzle. His gasp resounded in the silent barn when he turned and saw Ellie
standing right behind him.

She had changed into her denims and boots. The top three
buttons of her shirt remained unfastened, revealing milky-white skin and just
enough of her full bosom to make his breath catch in his throat.

“Put your eyes back in your head,” she said. “I didn’t mean
to scare you.”

It was true, seeing her in those bottom-hugging pants and an
unbuttoned shirt did frighten him, more than she knew. He swallowed hard. “You
didn’t scare me, you surprised me.”

“Well, whatever, I need to talk to you.” She walked to a
nearby hay bale and sat.

He leaned against the stall railings and crossed his arms,
needing to keep distance between them. “I thought you were mad at me.”

Looking at her from a side view worsened matters. Her gaping
shirt revealed the rounded crest of a firm breast. His heart rate inched up a
few notches, and courtesy told him not to look. The request fell on deaf ears.
He couldn’t tear his gaze away.

As if she sensed his stare, Ellie reached up and clutched
her shirt, making a clucking noise at him. She swiveled around, crooking one
knee up on the hay. “I’m not sure if I’m angry or confused.” She stared at the
floor.

“About?”

She raised her gaze. “I acted like a fool earlier, and I’m
sorry. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that.” She took a deep breath and
exhaled. “Depending on Pa’s condition, what…what are your intentions about the
dance?”

Ty stared straight ahead.

Ellie fidgeted, waiting for his response.

He looked at her, intending to respond, but words failed
him. She played with her shirt button.

“You’re not the only one that’s confused.” He finally spoke.
“After the way you acted in front of Doc Smith, I just figured you weren’t
interested in going with me. I have no idea why I told him you were. Call me
stupid.”

Her lips formed a thin line, and her jaw twitched. She drew
both hands into fists, clutching them tight against her chest. “Oh, you just
don’t understand, do you?”

Ty pushed his hat back and shook his head. “I reckon I
don’t. I thought you were mad because I told Doc Smith I was escorting you, so
I apologized. Then you got mad at me for that. Ellie, I’m as stumped as one of
those dead trees we cut down last week. I think I know why you’re still irked
at me, but I’d rather hear it directly from you.”

“If you insist,” she said, planting both feet firmly on the
ground and standing. “I’ll tell you why I felt so angry. You made me feel like
a fool when you laughed at me for wearing a gun. Why did you find that so
amusing? Am I just a joke to you?” She began to pace.

So he was right! How would another apology help now? If only
he hadn’t unsaddled Shadow. He’d jump on and ride out this horrible situation.
He had no idea how to respond without getting in deeper. He had laughed because
it was ridiculous to see her wearing a gun, but that surely wasn’t the answer
she wanted. Stalling for time, and trying to pick his words wisely, he plucked
a piece of hay from the floor and tore it into small pieces.

“Well…I’m waiting.” She folded her arms and tapped the toe
of her boot on the floor.

“I-I didn’t think you were a joke. It was just…a shock.
Everyone else laughed and I got caught up in the moment, I reckon.”

“You reckon?”

He scrunched his face. “That wasn’t what I wanted to say. I
meant…I don’t really know why I laughed. It’s just that I never expected you to
walk out of the barn with a six-shooter slung low on your hip. Where did you
get it? You don’t even know how to use one.”

“That’s what you think.” She put her hands on her hips and
leaned toward him. “You don’t know everything, Tyler Bishop. For your
information, it’s a Smith & Wesson twenty-two caliber and it fires seven
shots. I bought it with my own money and I’ve been practicing at the old mine.”

“What the heck were you thinking?” he asked, tapping his
temple. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is to be out by yourself?”

She cocked her head and pulled herself up to her full
height. “That’s exactly why I need a gun. You aren’t with me every minute of
the day and I need to know how to protect myself. So, I went into town, bought
it, and found a place where gunfire couldn’t be heard on the ranch.”

“Why didn’t you ask me to teach you?”

“Ha! And have you tell me what a foolish idea it was? Or
remind me that ladies don’t wear guns? You know that’s what you would have
done.”

She was right. He probably would have. She shouldn’t wear a
gun. Like Ben had said, it just invited trouble. But he had no intention of
arguing the point with her now; instead he decided to change the
subject—somewhat.

“So, just how good are you?”

“I could probably give you a good run for your money,” she
bragged. “Of course I’m assuming, because I’ve never seen you draw down on
anyone.”

He started to laugh, but remembered that was what got him
into hot water in the first place. He bit his lip to stifle a growing grin.

“Well? She waited. “You think you could beat me to the
draw?”

“Let’s just say I’m fast enough that you would be on the
losing end if you wagered against me.” For emphasis, his hand moved to the butt
of the revolver hanging on his hip and he whipped out the gun, twirled it
around and dropped it back into place.

She rolled her eyes at his display. “I’m willing to put my
money where my mouth is,” she said, cockily. “I dare you to match your talents
with mine. There’s still plenty of daylight left to ride up to the mine and
settle this.”