Keegan's Lady (30 page)

He sat on his pinto as though waiting for Caitlin's response. She made none. Only Ace, who felt her shaking, knew what the silence was costing her. He had won, after all, he realized. She was his wife, for better or worse.

As her brother rode from sight, she turned woodenly toward him. Her eyes huge splashes of blue in a face gone tight with pain, she said, "How can you possibly believe we can build any kind of life together? You've just driven a wedge between me and the only person in this entire world that I love!"

She jerked away from him and fled into the house. Ace was left standing there, the morning wind feathering through his hair, its cool caress helping to clear his mind and enabling him to take a step back from the emotions that were roiling within him.

The only person in this entire world that I love. Ace closed his eyes. How can you possibly believe we can I build any kind of life together? They obviously couldn't. He had driven a wedge between her and her brother, and whether it made any sense to him, she would mourn the loss until he rectified matters.

Just the thought of having to apologize to Patrick O'Shannessy made Ace's guts churn. The bastard didn't have an apology coming, goddammit, and snowballs would melt in hell before Ace gave him one.

Even as that vow took shape in his mind, Ace scoffed at himself. He was new at this marriage business, but even so, one lesson had already been driven home to him. He could no more ignore the pleading look in Caitlin's big blue eyes than he could stop breathing. Ever since meeting the girl, he'd been in way over his head and barely managing to tread water. He'd probably find himself hotfooting it over to the O'Shannessy place to apologize to Patrick before the sun went down.

Struggling to keep his emotions from showing on his face, Ace turned to confront his brothers. His gaze went first to Joseph. Blond hair trailing in the wind, whipcord-lean body a slow harmony of motion, Joseph came to brace a boot on the bottom step of the porch. After regarding Ace for several long seconds, he bent to spit, then gave his head a bewildered shake.

"Do you ever do anything the normal way, big brother? The last I knew, you were a confirmed bachelor. How the hell did you end up married?"

As quickly as he could, his thoughts mostly with Caitlin, Ace gave his brothers a quick accounting of the previous night's events. "The long and short of it is," he concluded, "you have a new sister." He looked each of his brothers in the eye. "As you witnessed, hers has not been an easy life. I'd appreciate it if you'd all walk a wide circle around her for a while. Give her time to get to know you before you scare her to death by being your usual obnoxious selves."

“Our obnoxious selves?" Esa rolled his eyes. "Like we've ever been anything but gentlemen around a lady."

Ace thought that was a slight overstatement, but he refrained from saying so. Lowering his voice so Caitlin wouldn't hear, he replied, "It doesn't take a genius torealize Caitlin has probably been mistreated more times than not, and that's putting it mildly. I'm serious, Esa. Be on your best behavior."

Joseph cocked an eyebrow and pursed his full lips. "Why'd you let the bastard walk away? He belted her agood one, for Christ's sake. If it had been up to me, he would have left here ass up over the back of his horse!"

Ace sighed. "She loves her brother, Joseph. The fact that he doesn't deserve it is beside the point. He needs his butt kicked. I don't deny that. But I couldn't bring myself to hurt her that way."

Joseph snorted, clearly disgusted. "The miserable: little turd better watch his step. If I ever run into him when she's not around, I'll beat the holy shit out of him."

"No," Ace said softly, "you won't. I want your word on it."

Joseph's blue eyes went narrow with anger. "You're kidding, right?"

Ace hooked a thumb toward the house. "That girl in there is part of our family now. Whether we like him or not, that makes her brother a part of it, too."

"I'll be damned! Patrick O'Shannessy? He isn't any kin of mine!" Joseph glanced at his younger brothers. "Don't just stand there with your tongues stuck to the roof of your mouths. Tell him I'm right!"

David cleared his throat. "She's upset about Ace smacking him, Joseph. We ain't none of us gonna be too popular with her if we treat her brother bad."

"Conor O'Shannessy killed our pa!" Joseph fastened a fiery gaze on Ace. "Just 'cause you've turned traitor doesn't mean I have to. I'll accept the girl into the family because you married her, but not her goddamned brother he's been a pimple on my ass ever since we got here. Just think of everything he's done!"

Ace met Joseph's unflinching gaze. He knew what he had to say, but his throat felt paralyzed as he forced out the words. "I'm not going to defend Patrick O'Shannessy. He's a miserable little shit, and we all know it. But now that I'm married to Caitlin, that's beside the point. It’s your choice, little brother. If you can't honor my wife by showing the proper respect for her next of kin, then pack your things and ride out."

"What? You saying you want me to leave? I don't believe I'm hearing this!"

"Believe it. I won't stand for that girl in there being put through any more heartache. If that means kissing her brother's ass, then pucker up or saddle up."

Joseph rammed his fists on his lean hips and kicked viciously at the dirt. "If this ain't a hell of a note, I don't know what is!"

"It is kinda harsh, Ace," Esa put in softly. "Give us some time to get used to the idea, why don't you, before givin' us ultimatums."

"I don't have that luxury. This marriage changes things. It has to. This family has never stood divided, and it's not going to start now. Patrick O'Shannessy just became my brother-in-law. Someday he'll be the uncle of my children. All the bellyaching in the world won't change that, so get used to it."

Joseph gave another disgusted snort. "Seems to me you aren't practicing what you preach. Excuse me for pointing it out, but as I recall, you just ordered the son of a bitch off our place and told him never to come back."

Ace hauled in a bracing breath. "Yeah, well, I was dead wrong to do that."

A twinkle of amusement edged the anger out of Joseph's blue eyes. "Can I take that to mean you're gonna eat crow to Patrick O'Shannessy?"

Ace swallowed, hard. "You can."

Joseph chuckled. "Well, hell. . . That makes it mighty difficult for me to saddle up and ride out, big brother Ace Keegan, puckering up to kiss Patrick O'Shannessy's ass? That's a show I definitely don't wanna miss."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Eating crow. As the morning wore on, Ace found himself contemplating the prospect with growing dread. After getting dressed, Caitlin slipped outside while breakfast was being prepared, thereby managing to avoid meeting any of his brothers or joining them at the table. When the meal was finally finished and the dishes were all washed, Ace went to peer out the front windows in search of her. He wasn't concerned that she'd try to run off again, not after seeing her stand up to Patrick as she had, but underscoring his newfound confidence was a gnawing uneasiness. To a girl made timid of men by what he suspected had been a lifetime of abuse, he and his brothers probably seemed like a pretty frightening bunch.

He was relieved when he sighted a flash of blue just inside the yawning doorway of the newly erected barn. Cloaked in shadow, Caitlin's form was indistinct. It took Ace several seconds to determine that she was hunkered down with her hand outstretched. He pressed closer to the glass, trying to make out what she was doing. A moment later, he saw one of the barnyard cats come tearing out the doorway, evidently terrified by Caitlin's overture of friendliness.

The feline's terror didn't surprise Ace. Both of the cats had been raised in the No Name livery stable and were impossibly wild. Joseph had brought them home to control the mice.

Pushing to her feet, Caitlin gazed after the tabby, her posture dejected. Watching her, it occurred to Ace that his bride had more in common with that pathetic, terrified cat than she probably realized.

"Maybe she thought we'd toss her on the breakfast table and dig in like she was our main course," Joseph said from behind Ace. To punctuate the comment, Joseph whistled air through his teeth. "You've got your work cut out with that one."

There was no arguing that, so Ace said nothing. Joseph came to stand beside him, the concern in his blue eyes outshining the bitterness as he watched Caitlin through the glass. "She sure does put you in mind of
Eden
, doesn't she?"

The observation made Ace realize that he'd ceased to notice the similarities between the two women. "Once you get to know her a little, she doesn't look as much like
Eden
as she seems to at first."

"That's usually the way of it, even with identical twins. The difference in personalities, I guess." Joseph scuffed the sole of his boot over the newly varnished floorboards. It was a habit of his, scuffing his boots, especially when he was upset. The scuffing usually turned to kicking when his temper got the best of him. "Do you think maybe it would help if I shaved?"

Ace slanted his brother a knowing look. Under that outer layer of bluster and orneriness, Joseph had a soft heart. It was one of the things Ace most admired about him. Joseph tried to hide it, but every now and then, his sensitivity peeked through. "You might look a little less intimidating if you scraped off the stubble."

Joseph rubbed his jaw, his fingers making a raspy sound against blond whiskers. "Do I look intimidating?"

To compensate for his lack of stature, Joseph had had a chip on his shoulder all his life. Ace knew damned well he'd worked hard to acquire that lean and mean look of his. "Does a badger have teeth?"

Joseph chuckled. "I reckon I'd best shave then. Maybe if all of us follow your example and get slicked up, she'll relax a little."

Ace doubted it, but anything was worth a try. He also appreciated the thought. Joseph's gaze returned to the girl out in the barnyard for a moment. When he looked back at Ace, there was a question in his eyes. "Did everything go okay with her last night?"

Ace nearly told his brother that was none of his goddamned business, but he caught himself. Joseph wasn't asking because he hoped to hear any juicy details. The concern in his expression was proof of that.

Suddenly, it all seemed overwhelming to Ace. His problems last night with Caitlin, then the nasty scene with her brother this morning. He supposed there were some things he would never be able to share with his brother. On the other hand, what had happened thus far wasn't really of an intimate nature, and it just might help if he could talk it out. Joseph had a good head on his shoulders.

"She was as nervous as a whore in church and came to bed damned near fully clothed under her nightgown," Ace said gruffly. "I'm surprised she didn't wear her shoes. Before she could relax enough to go to sleep, I had to give her a weapon to defend herself. Does that answer your question?"

"A weapon?"

"My knife. I told her she had my permission to slit my throat if I hurt her."

"Jesus H. Christ."

Ace heaved a sigh. "Yeah. My sentiments exactly."

Joseph dug at the floor with his boot heel. "That was a damned fool thing to do, Ace. What if she'd gotten spooked and taken you up on it?"

Ace gave his brother a lazy look. "I'd have taken the knife away from her. What d'you think?" He glanced downward. "Would you stop that? You're going to scar up the goddamned floor."

Joseph stomped his boot on the floorboards as if the very force of the gesture would anchor his foot to the spot. "Sorry."

"Sorry won't varnish the floor again."

Joseph glanced at the slightly crooked window frame. "I hate to tell you this, but sorry became my middle name when we started building this place."

Right now, Ace felt as if his whole life was a little off plumb. He leaned a shoulder against the window frame. "If you were me, Joseph, how would you go about handling her?"

Joseph rubbed his jaw again. "I've never consorted much with skittish females."

"Me, neither."

"Well, big brother, you've got yourself hogtied to one now." Joseph shook his head. "If I were you, I'd break her to ride real slow and gentle, kinda like you would a skittish mare. I'd say she's had some mighty rough handling."

"Break her to ride? Jesus, Joseph. If you don't clean up that mouth of yours, the first thing Ma'll do when she gets here is shove a bar of soap in it."

"She'll have to catch me first."

Imagining his mother lighting out after Joseph brought a smile to Ace's lips. "I sure wish she was here right now. She'd hug that girl up and have her set to rights in no time." Unfortunately, Ace didn't plan to send for his mother or sister for months yet. Not until things in No Name had reached their inevitable boil and then started to simmer down. Things could get nasty when he started foreclosures. "Maybe I should pack Caitlin up and send her to
San Francisco
. She's dreamed of living there, you know. From what I gather, she would probably already be gone if Patrick hadn't swiped her savings."

Joseph pursed his full lips. "He sure is a little bastard, isn't he?"

"Whiskey does that to some men."

"Excuses are like assholes. Everybody has one. Just because you're drunk is no reason to smack a woman."

Ace agreed. Wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, what he thought didn't count for much. It was Caitlin's thoughts and feelings he had to deal with.

"If you send her to Ma, you'll just be postponing trouble," Joseph observed drily. "You're the one who's going to have to sleep with her."

"Is sex all you ever think about?"

Joseph narrowed one eye. "Not all, no. But it'd be fair I to say it occupies a good share of my thoughts most off the time. How about you?"

"Right now, I'd be satisfied if that girl out there just I felt comfortable enough to sit down and have breakfast with me."

Joseph grinned again. "You're as sorry a liar as you are a carpenter. Just do me one favor?"

Feeling disgruntled, Ace snapped, "What?"

"Hide that knife of yours before you go dipping for honey. I'd hate like hell to find you in bed some morning with your throat slit. Who'd give me hell all the time if you weren't around?"

"You've been such a help, Joseph, I don't know how to I thank you."

Joseph tossed a shank of blond hair out of his eyes. "You bit off this particular chunk of trouble, big brother. Now it's up to you to figure out how to chew it. Me? I'm happy with the occasional jug of good whiskey and five dollars' worth of a sporting woman's company. No fuss, no muss, that's my motto."

Until last night, it had been Ace's motto as well. "A man's got to settle down sometime."

"Yeah? Well, go to it then." Joseph cast a final glance out the window. "Looks to me like you're going to have to do some mighty fancy footwork before you do much settling."

***

Thoughts of the knife he'd lent Caitlin still fresh in his mind after talking with Joseph, Ace searched the master bedroom for the weapon before he went outside to fetch his wife. The knife had been a gift from his stepfather when he was just a boy, and he felt undressed without it riding on his hip.

He found the bedroom surprisingly tidy, the bed already made, Caitlin's empty satchels in one corner. As he searched for his knife, he stumbled across some of her things in his bureau drawers and in the dressing room closet, yet another sign that she had decided to stay at the
Paradise
.

Oddly, the knife was nowhere to be found. Feeling like a thief rifling through her personal things, Ace checked between the layers of Caitlin's folded underthings, which she'd stowed in a bottom drawer. Nothing. He allowed his hand to linger a moment on a dingy, nearly worn out pair of pantalets. The scent of her drifted up from the cotton, sunshine and lavender and innocence, all blended irresistibly together. He shoved the drawer closed, wishing it were as easy to put a lid on his male yearnings.

He turned to survey the room with a thoughtful frown. Where would she have put his knife? Unless she had it with her, which seemed highly unlikely, it had to be here somewhere. His gaze came to rest on her satchels. Maybe they weren't empty, after all.

His guess proved to be correct. She'd left some of her personal possessions in the first satchel he opened—a small daguerreotype of her mother, a framed photograph of her brother, a few books, one about
New York City
, another about
San Francisco
, complete with pictures of places of interest. The pages were especially dogeared in the sections about libraries, museums, and the performing arts. A slight smile touched his mouth. His wife seemed to have a yearning for culture and beauty, which he seriously doubted had been fulfilled by living near No Name.