Dusty Britches (59 page)

Becca looked to Dusty for either encouragement or discouragement, and when Dusty nodded emphatically, Becca turned and took out toward the corral.

Dusty followed Miss Raynetta
’
s gaze as she watched Becca approach Feller.
“
I ain
’
t wrong about this. Take my word for it
. H
e won
’
t disappoint her,
”
the petite matchmaker whispered. Still, Dusty sensed Miss Raynetta was as anxious as she was when the woman nervously linked arms with her again.

Come on, Feller
, Dusty thought.
For once
,
be your same old
,
predictable self
.

Becca approached Feller
,
and he did indeed cease his labor. Dusty noted Becca
’
s state of agitation was obvious by the way she stood swishing her skirt back and forth as she talked to him. Becca nodded, and Dusty was aware of the simultaneous breath
-
holding she and Miss Raynetta were enduring as her sister turned from Feller and began to walk away.

“
Keep watching her! Keep watching her!
”
Miss Raynetta whispered. Then she began to giggle with delight.
“
See the way his eyes drop from the back of her head to…
”
Dusty
’
s merciless
,
sudden clutch on Miss Raynetta
’
s dress sleeve interrupted her
,
and both women fairly squealed with delight as Becca then, having taken far more than five steps, turned to catch Feller watching her. He immediately twitched a shoulder and waved to her when she waved at him.
I
n her excitement
,
Becca nearly skipped back toward the henhouse.

“
She
’
s a wise girl not to draw his attention back this way,
”
Miss Raynetta whispered as she and Dusty instantly be
nt over and studied the ground—
trying to appear as if they
’
d missed the whole scene, in the event a humiliated Feller Lance should glance their way. They giggled together so uncontrollably that finally Miss Raynetta took hold of Dusty
’
s arm and led her to the far side of the house, where they clamped their hands over their mouths and continued in their merriment.

Finally, with heavy sighs, they were both able to gain control of thems
elves.
Miss Raynetta straightened her posture and proudly announced,
“
Was I right? Or was I right?
”

“
You were very right!
”
Dusty lovingly
smiled
at her, and Miss Raynetta seemed suddenly uncomfortable under her gaze.

Looking away
,
she sighed,
“
That was a hard thing for her to do…have the faith to overcome her fear and test him.
”

“
I know,
”
Dusty agreed.

Miss Raynetta looked back to Dusty, her smile fading completely.
“
And what if a man has already passed that test? What if a man has already proven trustworthy and loyal and a woman still pushes him away?
”

The questions were very pointed. But Dusty wasn
’
t ready to hop from Becca
’
s affairs of the heart to her own. As further proof the old Dusty Hunter was beginning to win over, Dusty was not surprised to hear herself blurt out her own pointed question.

“
You still love my daddy, don
’
t you?
”
she asked Miss Raynetta without pause.

“
Oh, honey!
”
Miss Raynetta tossed her head and forced an indifferent expression.
“
That was a long time ago.
”
But Dusty didn
’
t miss the familiar pain in her eyes
—f
amiliar not only because she
’
d seen it there before but because she
’
d felt it herself.

“
But you still love him, don
’
t you?
”
Dusty repeated.

Miss Raynetta brushed at her cheeks
,
which were already the bright pink of blush. She stared at the sky, at nothing for a long moment
,
and then shook her head and seemed to swallow her tears.
“
I suppose that we never get over that first love of our life. Some people are lucky enough to have it forever.
”
Then, looking to Dusty meaningfully, she added,
“
If they have the courage to hang on to it.
”

“
Daddy
’
s still a handsome man, Miss Raynetta. And you
’
re still a beautiful woman. He
’
s very fond of you and very attracted to you,
”
Dusty said in a whisper.
“
I
’
ve been noticing lately how often he talks about you and thinks about you with that big grin spread smack across his face.
”

“
Your daddy wasn
’
t meant to be mine, honey. He was meant for your mama
,
and she deserved him. You know,
”
she said as tears filled her eyes,
“
it broke my heart when she died.
”
She looked to Dusty and put a dainty hand to her breast and continued,
“
I never once thought bad of her or resented her marryin
’
Hank. I want you to know that! She was a wonderful woman, and she was far good enough for him in my eyes. They were so happy together, and I could never try to fill his heart now like she did.
”

“
Not like she did. Of course not,
”
Dusty told her.
“
But Daddy
’
s got more love left to give than most men can give in a whole lifetime. You and Daddy are so young, Miss Raynetta! You can fill his heart…the way you will.
”

“
Sweet thing,
”
Miss Raynetta sighed as she wiped at her sentimental tears,
“
I
’
m goin
’
on thirty-six!
”

“
But that
’
s so young!
”
Dusty interrupted.
“
My granny didn
’
t have Mama until she was forty-three!
”
She lowered her voice again,
“
Don
’
t you long for a baby of your own, Miss Raynetta? I
’
ve always wanted a little brother.
”

Miss Raynetta smiled and shook her head.
“
You sure have changed your tune about things of the heart lately, Miss Angelina Hunter. And you
’
re a mighty big hypocrite to boot.
”
She was quiet for a moment
. She
looked to Dusty again.
“
I
’
ll tell you what. I
’
ll make you a proposition
. Y
ou show me
you’re a-
lettin
’
Ryder snuggle in close to you once in a
while…and I
’
ll…I
’
ll…
”

“
You
’
ll start lettin
’
it show to my daddy that you care for him!
”
Dusty finished for her.

“
It
’
s a deal,
”
Miss Raynetta giggled.

“
Do ya give
me your word?
”

“
Shake on it!
”
Miss Raynetta offered her hand
,
and Dusty
grasped
it, shaking it firmly. Could it be there was another woman, other than Dusty and Becca Hunter, who was trying to find a way to fight her fear of offering her love to the one man she wanted to have it?

Almost as if angels themselves had stepped in, Ryder sauntered out of the barn and tossed some trappings to the ground. Hunkering down,
he
began to fiddle with them.

“
Hm?
”
Miss Raynetta hummed.
“
Fancy that. Ask and ye shall receive?
”

Dusty swallowed hard. Miss Raynetta was innocent in exactly how much harder it was for Dusty to walk up to Ryder at that point than it had been even for Becca. The angel of mercy had no idea Dusty had demanded Ryder not touch her
—
that he
’
d been given such grievous news the day before, after she
’
d dropped off the post.

Anytime you
’
re ready
, he’d said. His words—
the vision of his face that day in the barn
—both
flashed through Dusty
’
s mind.
I
’
ll kiss you in a way you never dreamed of
!
he had promised.

Slowly Dusty turned toward the barn. She took several steps toward him, but he stood up and disappeared into the barn again. Letting out the breath she
’
d been holding, Dusty turned to Miss Raynetta.

“
I can
’
t. He
’
s gone now and…
”

Miss Raynetta quirked an eyebrow and nodded toward the barn. Ryder had just returned, carrying an ax. He began splitting wood. Taking Dusty
’
s shoulders, Miss Raynetta guided her in his direction a few steps before letting go and stepping back.

Dusty walked to where he worked, pausing just a few feet from him. His back was to her. He hadn
’
t seen he
r yet. She could still escape, b
ut then fear would have won
,
and her father would never know of the secret love
waiting
for him. She took one more step toward h
im. Ryder worked at splitting wood,
his skin bronzed from work in the sun
,
and as usual, his shirt, still tucked into his trousers, hung down around his legs. Dusty smiled and took another step toward him.
How funny
, she thought. How funny
that he would take the time to completely unbutton his shirt when it hampered him but leave it hanging down about his lower body instead of taking the slight effort required to toss it aside.

She watched his muscles work as he swung the ax, and she could feel Miss Raynetta
’
s increasingly astonished expression burning into her back. Before she could think twice, she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder as he set the ax aside and bent to gather the wood. He startled and turned his head. Dusty was encouraged to be greeted by
the handsome
smile spreading across his face.

“
Whatcha need?
”
he asked innocently.

Dusty opened her mouth and drew in a quick breath, but no sound came out. What would she say? Could she simply say,
I need you to make love to me here…now…out in the open so Miss Raynetta will see
?
Something inside her told her that were she truly to answer Ryder
’
s question so boldly, it would not make a difference. He would react however he would react whether she spoke or not. For an instant, she closed her eyes, biting her lower lip for courage
,
and drew in a deep breath. When she opened her eyes once more, Ryder had turned around and stood facing her.

“
What?
”
he asked, obviously perplexed.

Without meeting his gaze, Dusty focused her attention on the body before her, placing her hands against the smooth, solid contours of his broad chest.

Don
’
t you ever be afraid to touch me
!
His words echoed through her mind. Afraid! Fear! It had been her destroyer
.
It would lose Ryder for her! Her hands betrayed her inner battle with a trembling that could not be seen by Miss Raynetta from her distance but could be neither missed nor ignored by Ryder. She forced her soft caress upwards toward his shoulders. Their words in the barn several days before had been so harsh
,
and unfinished somehow. Then the newspaper had come, bringing more discom
fort between them. She wondered—
if he did find the patience to deal with her, would he remember what he
’
d promised her about his kiss?