Ellie's Legacy (23 page)

Ty kept his eyes trained forward. With his hand resting on
the butt of his weapon, he neared what was clearly a rundown shack. Jeb’s horse
stood tethered in front to a weathered post that supported what remained of a
small porch, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Despite the closed shutters, Ty edged off the trail, back
into the foliage and deeper snow. He couldn’t risk discovery now, besides his
feet couldn’t get any wetter or colder.

He inched his way through the knee-high drifts, moving
closer to the side of the cabin. Every few feet, he stopped and listened. At
one point, he felt certain he heard a woman’s voice. When he finally reached
the building, he rested against its side, his ear pressed against the thin
wall. His heart thudded like a hammer on an anvil. It was Ellie!

“Why don’t you let me go, Jeb? This is never going to work.
Even if you get my Pa to take your money.”
Ellie’s voice
held no hint of begging.

A smile tugged at Ty’s lips. Even under the worst of
circumstances, she still had spunk. Now, all he had to do was get her away from
Bryant without bullets flying. Ty waited and listened to the exchange of
conversation.

“Quit yer yammerin’ and be thankful yer Pa agreed to sell.
He thinks once he signs the ranch over, I’m gonna be stupid enough to let you
go. He’s wrong! I aim to keep you around for security. No one even suspects me,
and with this perfect hidin’ place I can visit on a regular basis and make sure
all your needs
are
tended to.”

Ty’s jaw tensed at Jeb’s suggestive tone.
If
he so much as laid a finger on Ellie...
Ty fought the urge to bust his
way inside, but common sense told him to wait for the right moment. Putting
Ellie in further danger wasn’t the answer.

“You can’t keep me here forever.” Her voice rose.

“I don’t have to let you go. No one heard the discussion
between Ben and me. It’ll be my word against his, and with no proof, he’ll just
be a doddering old man who has lost his mind, along with his land.” Jeb’s evil
cackle sifted through the wall’s worn planks.

“You might think you have everything figured out, but–”

“If all else fails, there’s plenty of old mine shafts around
here to hide a body in, so don’t press your luck.” Jeb snickered. “Right now, I
have to get back to Sparta and meet Pa and Joshua at the bank.”

The hair on the back of Ty’s neck stood on end. Why didn’t
the jackass shut up and leave? Jeb Bryant was scum, but he’d get his
comeuppance. Ty would make sure of that.

“Be a good girl while I’m gone, Ellie,” Jeb teased.

Ty clenched his teeth to keep from calling out to her. He
could only imagine what was going through her mind.

The opening of the door shivered the aged cabin wall. He
edged around the corner, to the backside of the building, pulling snow over his
boot prints. The tracks couldn’t be totally erased, but at best it looked as
though an animal had passed by. He stood, holding his breath, and pressed his
body against the rear wall until he no longer heard the sound of hoof beats,
then hurried around to the front.

There was no way to open the heavy lock Jeb had used to
secure the door. Ty knocked and yelled, “Ellie, it’s me. I’m gonna get you
out.”

“Ty?”
Her voice choked with
emotion. “Oh, thank goodness. Please hurry.”

He inspected the shutters, all firmly nailed. “God, Ellie.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “Bryant spent more money on hardware to keep
you inside than was used to put this rickety place together. Stand back.”

Ty raised his booted foot and slammed it against the
weathered wood. The lock stayed secure but the facing started to crumble under
the force. He kicked again, sending the door crashing to the floor.

Ellie stood with mouth agape, gazing first at the huge piece
of lumber at her feet and then at Ty. She flung herself into his arms. “I’ve
never been so glad to see anyone in my life.”

He reveled in the moment, locking his arms around her waist
and holding her close. Her hair smelled of honeysuckle, and the caress of her
warm breath against his neck lit a fire deep within him and brought his body to
life—at least parts of his body. He muttered an oath, quickly holding her at
arm’s length. “Are you all right? He didn’t-didn’t touch you?” If Ellie glanced
down she would surely notice the profound affect she had on his manhood.
Luckily her gaze locked with his.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “You got here in the nick of time.
How in the world did you find me?”

“I followed a lucky hunch, and Jeb. He appeared in an awful
big hurry to get to the mercantile before joining in to search for you. I
couldn’t imagine what could be so gol-darned important that it couldn’t wait,
so I watched through the window. It was the blanket he bought that made me even
more suspicious of him.” Ty eyed the item, folded at the bottom of the bed, and
smiled.

“I thank my lucky stars for whatever brought you here.” She
embraced him again, and then stood back, her face turning somber. “I shudder to
think what he had in mind for me.”

“I don’t blame you. I overheard. As you can see, these walls
aren’t all that thick.”

Ellie’s laughter was music to his ears. Thank God, she was
safe. Ty took her by the hand. “I have a lot I want to say to you, but right
now we have to hurry if we aim to get to Fountainhead before the Bryants. I
can’t wait to see the look on Jeb’s face when he walks in on the big surprise
that’ll be waiting for him.”

* * * * *

Dude’s speckled Appaloosa was hitched next to Joshua’s roan
in front of the bank. Jeb’s smile broadened when the two men walked outside to
meet him.

“Howdy,” he said, reining in his mount. “Did you get the
money, Pa?” His heart pounded in his chest.

“Yeah, I got it,” Dude waved an envelope in the air, “but I
still don’t understand what changed Ben Fountain’s mind about selling. Your
brother here doesn’t tell a very convincing story.” The elder Bryant’s eyes
narrowed beneath the brim of his hat.

Joshua shrugged. “I told him just like you said, Jeb. You
know, about Ben being in poor health and all?”

“That’s right, Pa. I guess ol’ man Fountain’s been ailin’
for a spell and decided the ranch is too much to handle.”

“And just when did Ben tell you this?” Dude asked, folding
his arms.

“I—I ran into his foreman in town, and he said Ben wanted to
see me. I took a ride over and we discussed it.” Jeb fidgeted in his saddle,
hoping his lie sounded convincing.

“Sounds a might far-fetched.
Ben’s
always said he’d die before he sold Fountainhead to the likes of me. Are you
sure this is on the up and up?”

“Honest, Pa.”
Jeb did a subtle scan
of the
sky,
hoping lightning didn’t strike him dead on
the spot. He wasn’t used to lying to his father.

Dude’s eyes beaded. “You best be telling me the truth or
I’ll have your hide.” He stepped down from the walkway and struggled to mount
his horse. “Dang rheumatism,” he muttered, trying to heft an obviously stiff
leg.

Joshua followed, stopping to help to lift the offending
limb. “There you go, Pa.”

“Let go,” Dude snapped. “I ain’t a cripple yet.”

Joshua frowned, and rounding to his own horse, climbed up in
the saddle then looked to Jeb. “The notary clerk has gone to fetch his horse.
He’ll meet us down by the livery.”

“Well, let’s go buy ourselves a new piece of property,” Jeb
said, his voice booming with excitement. He spurred his horse toward the
stable, leaving the other two men to catch up.

* * * * *

Cold air seeped through the open door. Ty grabbed the new
blanket, shook it out and wrapped it around Ellie’s shoulders. He paused,
realizing how close her lips were, imagining his mouth on hers, and mentally
savoring the sweet taste of her kiss. It would be so easy since she made no
attempt to move away, but abruptly, he stepped back, feeling a sudden heat
creep into his cheeks. He put his lust aside for the sake of getting her home.

“You wait here while I fetch Shadow. Ain’t
no
use in both of us gettin’ frostbite.” He let out a long
breath and stepped over the fallen door on his way out.

He slogged back through the snow to where his horse was
tethered. With his thoughts on Ellie, he gave little notice to his wet feet and
icy toes. The cold slush was no match for the warmth of her smile and the
affect it had on him. This had to be love.

He reached the thicket where he had hidden Shadow, and after
he snatched his reins from the branch, he led the stallion back to the line
shack.

Ellie stood in the doorway, her green eyes sparkling like
morning dew in the sunlight. He reached for her hand. “We’ll have to double up
on Shadow, but I know a shortcut that’ll save us some time.”

“Wait.” Ellie turned and ran back inside. She reappeared,
clutching her dress to her chest. “I know it’s silly, but I don’t want to leave
this behind. I’d like another chance to wear it…with you.”

The sun glowed in the curls framing her face and spilled
down around her shoulders, a marked improvement from the dusty old hat usually
on her head. And who could deny that adorable crooked grin that tugged at his
heartstrings? He took the green garment from her, carefully wrapped it into a
roll, and tucked into his saddlebag. “See, lots of room for more chances.”

He effortlessly hoisted her up onto the saddle, blanket and
all, and mounted behind her. When he reached for the reins, his forearm brushed
across her breast, creating a bolt of pleasure that corded the muscles in his
bicep, even through his coat. When she didn’t stiffen or complain, he swallowed
his meaningless apology and nudged Shadow down the trail.

With all that was going on, why did his mind keep straying
to lusty thoughts about Ellie? He tried counting the snow-covered shrubs
decorating the hillsides.

A blast of cold air swept through an opening in the trees,
making matters worse. Ellie snuggled closer against him, pulling the blanket
tighter around her. Her subtle movement made him even more aware of their
closeness, uncomfortably so. This time, instead of an accidental rub, he wanted
to reach out and cup her breast, feel the nipple harden in his hand…to taste
her mouth, too.

Suddenly, the crotch of his denims felt downright
constricting, his coat way too heavy. He loosened his collar and began counting
anew. One, two, three…

Where did these strange urges come from? Ellie wasn’t a
whore. She was a wholesome homegrown gal. Ty furrowed his brow, realizing his
thoughts were no less lusty than the suggestive words he heard come from Jeb
Bryant’s mouth. Ellie deserved respect and Ty intended to see she got it,
starting with him. He turned his concentration to his job—getting Ben’s daughter
home safely.

Not wanting to push Shadow beyond his limits of endurance,
Ty kept the pace slow and steady. The virgin snow on the trail showed no one
else had previously passed this way, so he was secure in his plan to get to
Fountainhead before Jeb and the others. With his arms around Ellie, the sun
shining in a crystal blue sky, and Mother Nature’s white blanket spreading for
as far as the eye could see, Ty couldn’t imagine anything better. With his body
relaxed, he moved in sync with Shadow, watching a pair of deer in the distance.

“Ty…” Ellie’s voice pulled him from his reverie.

“Um hmm?”

“You said you wanted to talk to me.” Her words hung in the
frosty air.

He did want to have a serious conversation, but there was so
much to say, and he wanted to do it right, for once. He grappled for words.
“I—I owe you an apology. I’m so sorry about what happened at the dance. I was a
danged fool.”

“No! It was me. I acted like a child.” She turned those big
green eyes of hers upward at him. “Acting like that, it’s no wonder I get
treated like one.”

Ty suppressed a sigh. She might have been a kid at one time,
but not anymore. She was every inch a woman. No little girl could make him
sweat like he was now. He swallowed hard. “It was my fault. If I hadn’t danced
with Clare, everything would have been fine.”

“Well, if I hadn’t let my temper get the best of me and gone
outside—”

“You only went out there because of me—”

Ellie chuckled. “Let’s not get into another argument about
who was wrong. I’ll accept your apology if you accept mine.”

He playfully pinched the tip of her red nose, and then
pulled the blanket up to cover it.
“Deal.”

She held it in place, shielding everything but her eyes, and
tilted her head to look up at him. Her voice was muffled beneath the cover. “There’s
more I want to say to you, lot’s more.”

The tone told him he wanted to hear every word.

Chapter Twenty

As they approached Fountainhead’s arch, Ellie peered up at
the worn and weathered piece of iron shaped into an “F”. “You know, I’ve looked
at this brand for years but this is the first time I ever noticed how beautiful
it is.”

Ty waved at the gate guard, and then glanced back at Ellie.
“Funny how we always take things for granted, isn’t it?”

She snickered. “Just like Jeb is at this very moment, most
likely—so sure that everything is going to work out for him.” Despite her
pent-up anger, she broke into laughter at the thought, anxious to repay him for
every bit of anguish she’d suffered at his hands.

Ty reined Shadow outside the kitchen door. “Better let Ben
know you’re all right. I’m sure he’s worried himself to a frazzle.”