Promises Prevail (The Promise Series) (53 page)

“Damn, Angel, you go to my head.” She heard him murmur, and she knew the rumors were true. Cougar McKinnely may have found his wife in a notorious bordello, but he loved her.

She pulled her gaze away from the two and moved the brick down on her thigh. If Cougar could love Mara despite her past, then maybe Clint could love her. Maybe she’d go to his head the way Mara went to Cougar’s, and maybe he’d hold her the way Cougar held Mara—as though she was everything precious that made up his world.

The floor creaked as Cougar straightened. He was still looking at Mara, concern on his face. “You take care, today.”

Mara shook her head at him. “You tell me that every day.”

He touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers, his skin was very dark against hers. “I have hopes that one day you’ll listen.”

“I listen.”

“Uh-huh.” The smile that tilted his wide mouth was as soft as down. He flicked her nose. “And leave the furniture upstairs alone, until I get back.”

Mara merely rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“Yes.”

“Then why don’t you do it?”

“When I have your promise.”

Mara blew her hair off her forehead.

“Can I clean house?”

“Yes.”

“Figures you’d agree to that.”

Cougar touched her cheek again. “I’ll have your promise on the other.”

“Soon as you’re out the door, I could break my word.”

The faintest of smiles crinkled the corner of the eye Jenna could see.

“But you won’t.”

He kissed Mara on her head. “You two come on down to the barn when Jenna’s feeling better.”

“Thank you.”

He left the room. Mara’s gaze clung to his broad back as he left, her heart in her eyes.

“I want that,” Jenna said. The declaration landed hard in the sudden silence.

Mara turned, her expression amused. “My husband?”

Jenna knew she was blushing from the heat in her cheeks. Not to mention the laughter in the other woman’s gaze.

“I want Clint to look at me like Cougar looks at you.”

“You want Clint to love you.”

It sounded so stark when said aloud.

“Yes.”

“And you don’t think he does?”

“No.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes.”

“Have you told him?”

Her blush turned to scorching. “Yes.”

“And?”

She shrugged, feeling the emptiness of that “and” to the bottom of her soul.

“He’s kind to me, but he never says it back.”

“That’s not good.”

“No.”

“It will have to be fixed.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.” With a wave of her hand, Mara dismissed Jenna’s efforts.

“We’ll need help.” She walked over to the small desk and pulled out paper and a pencil.

“You think Cougar can’t teach me?” Jenna asked, putting the towel-wrapped brick carefully on the gleaming floor. That was not what she wanted to hear.

Mara snorted, and not in a ladylike manner.

“Cougar would be hopeless at this.”

She scribbled on the paper. With a sharp flourish, she finished writing and folded the paper in half. Mara glanced up from the desk and the smile on her face promised ill for someone.

“I’m calling in reinforcements.”

* * * * *

“Damn it woman, do it like you mean it.”

Jenna flinched at Cougar’s growl and once again let her body drop while bringing the stick she was pretending was a knife into Cougar’s knee. And once again, at the last moment, instinctively pulled back.

Cougar hauled her back up, his breath hissing between his teeth with impatience. “That wouldn’t have even broken the skin.”

“I know.” She’d tried six times, and every time, given in to the sick feeling in her stomach at the last minute.

“If you can’t take out the knee, how are you going to hamstring them?” The question growled past her ear as Cougar tightened his arm around her stomach.

She had absolutely no idea. She did know, however, if she couldn’t master this, she was never going to succeed in her plan.

“I don’t know.”

Cougar took a step back so fast she stumbled.

“Goddamn it, you’d better not be crying.”

She blinked the moisture out of her eyes.

“I’m not.”

He caught her arm and turned her around. Sunlight dappled the barn floor. A stray beam shot through the room and struck her across the eyes, blinding her. She shifted to the left in time to see Cougar fold his arms across his chest.

“You asked me to teach you.”

“I know.” She waved her hand helplessly. “I just didn’t expect…” How could she say she hadn’t expected it to be so violent?

“What?”

She pushed her hair off her face, forgetting about the stick and tangling it in her hair.

“It seems so mean,” she admitted, unwrapping a strand of hair from the branch bud.

She flinched when Cougar swore and shoved his hair back over his shoulder.

“Did you think you could just ask an attacker to let you go?”

She lifted her chin as she yanked at the stick.

“No, but do I have to stab them?”

“What the he-eck else are you going to do? You’re no match for a man in a fist fight, you can’t run, and you’re too soft for other things.”

The calm listing of her negatives just made them seem so much bigger.

“Maybe I could knee them in sensitive places?”

Cougar was shaking his head before she finished.

“That’s not reliable and you have to be too close.” He stepped forward into her shadowed area, his expression a combination of amusement and exasperation. She flinched as he brushed her hands aside and took the stick.

“Your best bet is to use what they know about you,” he said as he went to work on the snarled mess, showing none of her impatience, gently untangling the strands.

“Do you really think it’ll work?”

His hands stilled. “Don’t take this wrong, Jenna, but for years you’ve taken whatever anyone dished out to you, not saying a word. If push comes to shove, you can bet everyone will be expecting you to surrender.”

It wasn’t a very pretty picture he painted. She sighed. “They’ll probably be right.”

The stick came free. “I’m counting on them selling you short.”

He said that in that deep drawl that reminded her of Clint. He handed her the stick.

“And when they do, you’ll use that to your advantage.”

She rubbed her fingers down the rough surface.

“I will?”

“Yes.” He motioned for her to turn around.

She didn’t immediately. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because you’re a mother now, and anyone who harms you, harms your children.”

She hadn’t thought of that.

“And you really think I’ll be able to do this?”

“I think if push comes to shove and someone you love is in trouble, you’ll surprise yourself.”

“I’m not so sure if it’s Red.”

His smile flashed across his face.

“The boy giving you problems?”

“He’s so cold and angry.”

“Scared, too, I’ll bet.”

She shook her head, remembering the determination that settled in his eyes and the resentment that curled his mouth.

“He doesn’t have time to be scared. If he’s not working with Clint, he’s here with you or over at Asa’s earning that horse he fell in love with.”

“The boy’s got a goal, that’s for sure.”

“I don’t think it’s a good one.”

“Probably not, but he’ll work through it and be glad for his family when he gets to the other side.”

She shrugged. “I think he just doesn’t think much of me.”

“I’d say he thinks the world of you,” Cougar contradicted, turning her around.

She twisted against his hand to see his face. “What makes you say that?”

“He gave his sister to you.” With a simple push, he finished turning her around.

She stood where he placed her, staring at the dust motes floating through the air. Red had given his sister to her.

“He didn’t argue when I claimed him,” she mused aloud.

“He’s not dumb. He knows a good thing when he sees it.” His arm settled around her waist. “Like Clint.”

She slipped the stick of wood in the slit pocket of her skirt, biting her lip against the urge to ask him how he knew Clint saw her as a good thing.

“This time,” Cougar said, spreading his legs, his hard body a solid wall behind her, “let’s just do it all the way, no matter what. You drop hard on that one side, bring the knife around.”

“Okay.”

“And try to picture someone hurting Tidbit while you’re at it.”

She did, but as always she pulled back, tapping his knee, rolling when she hit the ground to lightly hit the back of his ankles.

He grabbed her skirt. Remembering what he’d told her, she brought the stick down on his hand, closing her eyes as she did so, missing. He sighed as she scooted back.

Cougar got to his feet holding his hand out to her. She bit her lip as he helped her up.

“Maybe I’ll do better if it’s the real thing.”

“Maybe.”

He didn’t sound any more convinced than she, and his “Let’s try it again” had a resigned note she didn’t find comforting. Brushing off her skirt, she stepped into his arm, and vowed to do better.

* * * * *

An hour later her leg was aching, she had bruises on her hips, and she still hadn’t mastered the art of being vicious. It was a relief when the sound of a fast approaching horse interrupted yet another attempt.

“That, I expect, will be Clint,” Cougar said as he walked to the entry, left open for light. He glanced out then back at her. “You left word where you were, didn’t you?”