He knew he had to end this. But he wanted one more taste, one more moment of pleasure. He absorbed her heat, her taste, her woman’s scent. At last he lifted his head and took a step back, breaking contact. He saw the look of confusion in her eyes. She blinked, and the soft look was gone, replaced by the stern demeanor of a teacher whose pupil has just committed an unpardonable act.
“There are all kinds of deadly things you ought to look out for here in Texas.” He was surprised at how difficult it was to speak. Especially with the taste of her still on his lips.
“I’ll remember that.” Her throat was as dry as dust, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that. “It isn’t just scorpions and rattlesnakes that slither out from under rocks, is it?”
He arched a brow. He’d give her credit. The teacher was tougher than she’d let on.
He thrust the remains of her parasol into her hand. As their fingers brushed, he absorbed the sexual jolt and turned away quickly.
To his retreating back, she called, “I’ll ask Diamond to come to a meeting tonight.”
“I’ll be busy tonight.” He didn’t turn.
“Then we’ll make it earlier. Before supper. This has to be resolved.”
“Believe me, it will be.”
She watched as, in one smooth motion, he swung into the saddle. His body was all sinew and muscle, taut and lean and sun-bronzed.
A magnificent animal.
A dangerous opponent.
He tipped his hat. In a swirl of dust, he was gone.
Cal pushed his horse to catch up with the strays. As he rode, he called himself every kind of fool for that little scene back there. What in hell had he been thinking of, letting his temper get the better of him? Besides, a lady like Pearl was off-limits. She would never have anything to do with a trail burn like him. Not that he minded. She wasn’t his kind. Too prissy. Too perfect. He preferred the girls at Buck’s saloon. They knew the rules. No promises. No complications. Just a quick tumble and an even quicker goodbye.
He struggled to wipe Pearl from his mind. But it wasn’t easy. The taste of her, like a spring rain, lingered on his lips. The smell of her, clean and fresh and sweet as lilacs, filled his lungs. He glanced down at his rough, callused bands. Hands that had soiled her gown. Though they were loosely holding the reins, he could imagine them holding her, stroking her. His heartbeat accelerated.
Annoyed, he urged his horse into a run and busied himself with the job of herding the strays toward a holding pen. A group of wranglers had already managed to subdue the herd.
“Hey, Cal!” a cowboy shouted.
Cal lifted his hat and waved, then watched with satisfaction as a crew of cowboys swarmed about, opening the gates of a corral, prodding the cattle inside.
“I counted a hundred and twenty-one,” a wrangler called as he leaped from the top rail of the corral a short time later. “Whooo-ee! Looks like you’ve been busy.”
Cal nodded and slid from the saddle. “Strays I picked up along the way. See that they’re branded by morning. We’ll add them to the herd on the north ridge.”
“Sure thing. How’s Culver doing at the line camp?” the cowboy asked.
Cal’s grin was slow, easy. “Glad his time’s almost up. Looking forward to seeing all his old friends, and spending a couple of nights in Hanging Tree.” His grin widened. “Fact is, so am I.”
The cowboy slapped him on the back. “I figured now that you’d moved up to the big house, you’d rather spend your nights eating Carmelita’s good cooking and sleeping in Onyx’s big feather bed. With that stash of fine liquor, why bother drinking Buck’s cheap whiskey in town?”
Cal led his horse toward the barn. Over his shoulder, he called, “There’s more to Buck’s place than whiskey.”
The wranglers winked and nodded and hurried to finish their chores. If the boss was heading to town later, they wanted to be in on the fun.
In the barn, Cal took his time rubbing down his horse and forking hay and hauling water into the stall. Then, slapping his hat against his thigh, he sent up a cloud of dust as he made his way across the yard.
Just outside the bunkhouse, Cookie had a side of beef roasting over a fire.
“Your cooking’s all that Culver talked about at the line camp,” Cal called.
The leather-skinned old man took a pipe from his mouth and grinned, revealing a gap where several teeth used to be. “Reminds him of his mama’s cooking, does it?”
Cal nodded his head. “As a matter of fact, he says his mama was the worst cook he’d ever known. That’s why he’s so crazy about you. You run a close second.”
Cookie slapped Cal on the back, enjoying the joke. “Are we going into town later?”
“You bet. Wouldn’t miss it,” Cal called as he started toward the ranch house.
It was hard to believe he’d gone from bunkhouse to ranch house in the space of fifteen years. He still found it a source of amazement that he was part owner of this magnificent spread, thanks to Onyx Jewel’s generous will. But the truth was, he’d have gladly given it all up to have Onyx back. No man had ever been as important in his life, or treated him better. Like a brother or son. Because of Onyx, his past had been put to rest. And his future was secure.
“Senor Cal,” the housekeeper called as he stepped through the back door.
“Hello, Carmelita.” He breathed deeply. “Something smells great. Even better’n Cookie’s.”
She beamed at the compliment. Though she and Cookie shared recipes and supplies, she thought the old man’s cooking plain, and tolerable only for cowboys who had no choice but to eat whatever was given them. “Tortillas. And for Señorita Pearl, roast beef.”
“She still hasn’t learned to like our Texas spices?”
The housekeeper shook her head. “She resists. But one day she will give in. You will see.” She nodded over her shoulder. “I have a tub of water already waiting in your room.”
He kissed her cheek. “You’re an angel of mercy. How much time do I have?”
She lifted a lid to stir something on the stove, sending a cloud of spicy fragrance wafting across the big kitchen. “An hour. No. Make it two.”
He snatched a steaming biscuit from a plate on the table and headed for the doorway. “I don’t know if I can wait that long.”
But when he climbed the stairs and stepped into the suite of rooms that had once been occupied by Onyx Jewel, he forgot about the time. It was enough to know he was home. Home. He stared around the bedroom, with its massive bed hewn from rough timbers and its stone fireplace. In the adjoining room was a desk and several comfortable, overstuffed chairs. Wide windows offered a sweeping view of mountains glimmering with snow atop Widow’s Peak, and below them the mirrored surface of Poison Creek.
He stripped off his clothes and sank into the tub of warm water. Holding a match to the tip of a fine cigar, he blew out a ring of smoke and closed his eyes. This was as close to heaven as he’d get in this life.
He heard the trill of feminine laughter, and the pad of footsteps as Pearl and her half sisters passed his door, clucking like hens.
Even heaven, he reminded himself, had its little imperfections.
Chapter Three
“Sorry to spoil your first night home with unpleasant business,” Diamond murmured as she kissed Cal’s cheek. “But this meeting gave us an excuse to stay for supper.”
Her husband, Adam Winter, shook Cal’s hand and muttered, “Thought I’d come along so you wouldn’t feel outnumbered.”
“I’m not worried.” Cal stared pointedly at Pearl, who had taken a seat between Jade and Ruby for support. “I’ve faced down loaded guns before.”
“We’re not here to do battle.” Diamond paused as Carmelita moved around the room, offering glasses of wine to the women, and whiskey to the men. When she left the room, Diamond continued, “But since the five of us are equal partners in the ranch, it’s only right that all of us should approve or disapprove any changes.”
?
??I agree.” Cal’s tone was surprisingly cordial as he sipped his whiskey.
“I think we should allow Pearl to give her reasons for wanting to open a school.” Diamond turned to the young woman, who had her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
“A fine idea.” Cal shot Pearl a challenging look.
With an effort, Pearl glanced at him, then away as she got to her feet. She shivered, struck by how handsome he looked. And how dangerous. Beads of moisture still glistened in his dark hair. With his face clean-shaven, all the sharp hollows and planes of his cheeks seemed more defined, and revealed a proud, square jaw. Not really handsome, she corrected. But rugged. Powerful. His dark eyes were his most compelling feature, daring any man, or woman, to look away. His starched white shirt was a contrast to his sun-darkened skin. Each time he lifted his tumbler to his lips, his sleeves stretched tautly over the muscles of his arms.
It galled Pearl that he could be so completely at ease when she was so tense and edgy. She found herself blushing every time she looked his way, remembering the kiss they’d shared. She’d expected him to be apologetic in her presence. Or at least cool and evasive. Instead, he seemed pleased with himself.
“Like my mother, I studied at Miss Thackery’s School for Young Ladies in Boston, and am a certified teacher.” Even as she said it, Pearl realized how pompous she must sound. “And, like my mother, I yearn to mold the hearts and minds of young people. To fill their heads with knowledge. To broaden their horizons, and open up their small world to the larger world beyond these borders.”
A half-dozen arguments filled Cal’s mind. But the point she’d made about enlarging a child’s horizon touched him more deeply than he cared to admit. Besides, just looking at her had him at a disadvantage. Tonight she wore a gown of pale lavender, with mother-of-pearl buttons that ran from her throat to her waist. Her long blond hair had been swept off her face with jeweled combs that caught and reflected the candlelight. She looked every inch a lady. And completely untouchable. His hand clenched around his tumbler, and he turned away.
“That’s very noble. But why here, on our ranch?” he demanded disapprovingly. “Why can’t you set up a schoolhouse in town?”
The others watched and listened without interruption. It was obvious to them that this duel was between Cal and Pearl. And neither seemed willing to concede a single point to the other.
“Since most of the ranches are scattered in all directions, this is a more central location than the town. Besides, there are no buildings available in town.” Pearl had stepped closer now, hands clasped in front of her. “By my calculations, most of my students should have no more than an hour’s ride.”
“An hour here. An hour back.” Cal shook his head. “That’s a lot of time taken away from their chores.”
Again that note of disapproval.
“I realize that. But it’s a small price to pay for knowledge.”
“Not a small price for their families. A lot of these ranchers barely eke out a living. Every waking minute is spent tending herds and working the soil. They can’t afford to lose even one worker.”
“But they’re only children, Cal.”
“On a ranch, children do the work of grown-ups. The more children a man has, the more land he can work. An eight-year-old girl can rock a baby and make supper, so her ma can plow another field, plant another crop. And a ten-year-old boy can do the work of a man, especially if his pa is off wrangling on a bigger spread for a week’s pay.”
“I...hadn’t thought of that.” Pearl had a quick vision of some of the ranches in the area, the houses barely more than shacks, the herds spread out over huge sections of land that would take days to cover by horseback.
“I realize now that it might be a hardship for parents to send their children to school, even for a couple of hours,” she said softly. “But what about those families who can spare the time? Are you saying I shouldn’t make school available to them?”
“Not at all.” Cal’s eyes narrowed. “My biggest objection is having so many strangers on the Jewel ranch. For the sake of security, I’d like to keep our property off-limits.”
“Security?” Pearl glanced helplessly from Diamond to Jade to Ruby.
“Pa’s orders were to stop anyone who crossed onto Jewel land,” Diamond explained.
“But why?” Pearl was confused.
“Greed,” Cal said simply. “When a man becomes as successful as Onyx Jewel, other men start thinking they have the right to some of his wealth.”
Pearl clasped a hand to her mouth to stifle her little gasp of alarm.
“Greed is what caused a man to murder your pa,” Cal said evenly. “And don’t fool yourself that greed died with his killer. There are plenty of other men out there who resent the success of the Jewel ranch.”
“But what has that to do with my opening a school?”
Cal’s tone grew impatient. “It’s obvious that your father knew better than you how to protect what was his.” He drained his glass in one swallow and turned away.
She felt the snub as surely as if he’d slapped her.
“Supper is ready,” Carmelita said, interrupting.
“Good. I’m starving.” Cal pinned Pearl with a challenging look. “Do you have anything more you’d care to say about this?”
“I’m sorry about the distance the children will have to travel. And I’m sorry to open our ranch to strangers. But I am determined to use my skills to teach the children of Hanging Tree. With or without your approval.”
“Then I guess you’ll do it. Without my approval,” he said as he headed for the door.
“Are you saying you will never approve?” Pearl demanded to his retreating back.
“That’s what I’m saying.” He never even bothered to pause.
The others glanced at one another, unsure what to do.
“Come on,” Diamond said, linking arms with her husband. “Maybe after a good meal we’ll all feel more civilized.”
She left the room, followed by Jade and Ruby.
Pearl stood very still, experiencing a sudden flash of anger. She had managed to scrub Cal’s dirty smudges from her pink gown, which was left to dry on a hook in her room. But the fingerprints he’d left on her, and the imprint of his mouth on hers, were another matter. They couldn’t be so easily wiped away. And now, as if to prove his male superiority, he had dealt the ultimate blow. He had dismissed her. As easily as if she were one of his wranglers.
As she carried the goblet of wine to the table, her fingers tightened until her knuckles were white from the effort. She didn’t need Cal McCabe’s approval to live her life. And she would prove it to him.
“What can a man possibly find to do at the line camp for months at a time?” Ruby sprinkled cinnamon sugar over her cup of strong coffee laced with scalded cream. It was the only way she would drink coffee, since it reminded her of the cafe au lait of her beloved bayou.
They ate at the big, scarred wooden table in the kitchen, preferring that to the formal dining room, which was used only for company.
While Pearl brooded, Cal seemed almost jolly.
He chuckled. “You’ll have to ask Culver. He chewed my ear off about all the things that needed doing. I barely had time to eat or sleep, with all the chores he had lined up.”
“How can you persuade anyone to take such a lonely job?” Jade asked in her melodic voice. She wore a gown of green silk, with mandarin collar and black frog fasteners. Her sleek black hair fell straight to her waist. Her lovely almond eyes were alight with questions.
“Money.” Cal took a bite of the spicy tortillas and added a pinch more of chopped chili peppers. “The man who volunteers for six months in the line camp gets a bonus, to compensate for the hard work and the long, lonely hours.”
Ruby shivered, drawing a fringed satin shawl around her shoulders. “I could not bear to be alone for that long. I need people around me.”
Jade nodded.
“What about you, chérie?” Ruby turned to include
Pearl, who hadn’t said a word since joining them for supper.
“I don’t think I would handle the isolation very well,” she said softly. “Especially in such a primitive place.”
Primitive. The term annoyed Cal. Did this Boston belle really think Texas was the end of the earth? “You get used to it. I’ve been alone for most of my life,” he remarked.
“Have you ever worked the line camp?” Jade asked him.
He nodded. “On and off through the years, I guess I’ve pulled line-camp duty a dozen times or more.”
There was a collective gasp.
“It didn’t bother you?” Jade asked.
He shrugged. “I managed to stay busy. And when I felt a need to talk, there was always my horse. Or the cattle.” He polished off another of Carmelita’s biscuits and added, “There’s something satisfying about being alone. Gives a man time to sort through a lot of things. There’s time to think, to read.”
“You read?” Pearl asked.
He arched a brow, and once again she felt the ice in his steely gaze. “Did you think you were the only one here who’s ever opened a book?”
Shamed, she bit her lip.
“I would go mad,” Ruby said with a little shudder. “If I thought I had to live like that.”
“You’d be surprised what you can do when you have to,” Cal answered, his voice low with feeling.
Pearl glanced at him, wondering what had brought that sudden note of passion to his voice.
“Señor Cal,” Carmelita said, interrupting, “in honor of your return, I made your favorite dessert.” She placed a slice of apple pie, still warm from the oven, in front of him.
As soon as the others were served, he dug in. “Ah, Carmelita,” he murmured. “Will you marry me?”
The housekeeper giggled like a schoolgirl. “I think Rosario would have your head if he heard you ask such a thing.”