Dusty Britches (72 page)

His expression turned from anger to something like having been beaten.
“
Dusty…I
’
m thirty years old. I
—”

“
You
’
re only five years older than Ryder
,
and you don
’
t think he
’
s too old to do it. Do y
a
? You don
’
t think my own daddy
’
s too old!
”
He was silent.
“
I know you, Feller. You
’
ve been tellin
’
my daddy to reach out and take Miss Raynetta
,
and you
’
ve been tellin
’
Ryder ever since he got here that he shouldn
’
t waste his time in waitin
’
for me to come around. I know you. Well, practice what you preach for once
, Reverend Feller Lance!”

Feller
let
his head
droop
for a moment
. W
hen he looked back to Dusty
,
he whispered,
“
She
’
s so…so perfect! But, Dusty…I used to take her swimmin
’
in her bloomers, for pity
’
s sake! I taught her how to ride a horse
.
I showed her how to play marbles!
”

“
And now you
’
re gonna show her how wonderful it is to have the man you
’
ve loved for so many years finally belong to you.
”
Dust
y paused. S
he could see the fear in him. She could see his struggle with his feelings.
“
She
’
s no little girl anymore, Feller. And you
’
re not just some new cowboy with a fancy for the boss
’
s daughter.
”
Dusty looked away.
“
I
’
m…I
’
m goin
’
for a walk.
”
She looked back at him.
“
And when I get back, I don
’
t want to find Becca in the kitchen cryin
’
over you again.
”
S
he turned around and walked away from him.

Whatever it was
,
it was bad. Feller knew that for sure. Dusty looked like she
’
d met death face
-
to
-
face and lost. His
mind’
s first
inclination was to go after her,
take hold of her arm
,
and force her to tell him what had happened.
Yet
his heart caused him to look toward the house. Whatever had happened to upset Dusty had no doubt upset Becca as well. And after a
ll, Dusty was right. H
ow many people had he watched waste their lives away because of pride or fear? Inhaling deeply and summoning all the courage in him, Feller
ran
to the house. He didn
’
t even knock
—
just leapt onto the porch in one clean move
, burst through the back door and
into the kitchen.

“
Becca?
”
he hollered
. H
e didn
’
t see her at first. Then he heard a whimper. He looked down to see her sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall
—
tears streaming down her face as she dabbed at them furiously with her apron.
“
What is it, honey?
”
he asked, going to her immediately, pulling her to her feet and gathering her into his arms.

“
It
’
s fallin
’
apart, Feller,
”
Becca sobbed, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
“
Everything I dreamed for her! It
’
s gonna die and…
”

“
No,
”
Feller mumbled into the softness of her hair. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the purely feminine scent of it.

“
He has to leave,
”
Becca cried, looking up into his face.

“
He won
’
t leave her,
”
Feller told her.

“
He has to! He
’
s in trouble! If he doesn
’
t leave…a woman came to the ranch and told us…and Dusty
’
ll let him go. She doesn
’
t have a choice!
”

Feller took Becca
’
s sweet, beautiful face between his rough, strong hands. He brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.
“
It
’
s not her choice to make, Becca. And Ryder won
’
t leave. I know it,
”
he assured her lovingly.

He watched as the fear apparent on her face deepened.
“
You
’
ll never leave, will you, Feller?
”

“
I may leave your daddy
’
s ranch someday,
”
he whispered,
“
but not without you.
”
There, he
’
d said it. He
’
d set his foot firmly on the path
,
and he
’
d follow it now
—
wherever it led.
“
If ever I leave here…I
’
ll be takin
’
you with me.
”

He watched as Becca struggled to believe she
’
d heard him say what he had. Her tears slowed
,
and her pain-filled eyes searched his for confirmation somehow.
“
Wh
-
what do you mean?
”
she managed.

“
I mean exactly what you
’
re standin
’
here
hopin’
I mean.
”
Feller smiled down into her beautiful face.

“
Wh
-
what do you think I
’
m hopin
’
you mean?
”
She was so adorable. He couldn
’
t help but chuckle.

“
I think you
’
re hopin
’
that I
’
m gettin
’
ready to say somethin
’
to you
I should
a said long before now.
”
He could see the excitement light
up her
eyes like the fireworks all those weeks ago had lit up the night skies out at old man Leroy
’
s.

“
All right,
”
she whispered.
“
What is it I
’
m hopin
’
you
’
ll say to me?
”

“
I love you,
”
Feller said without pause. He w
atched as her tears began again—
in profusion.
“
I
’
m sorry it took me so long to tell y
a
.
”

Becca collapsed against him, her head resting on the power, strength
,
and security of his chest as she cried. He returned her tight embrace for a moment before taking her face in his hands again.

“
Really?
”
she asked him.
“
Do you really?
”

He chuckled as he let his thumb brush her tender lips.
“
Yes.
”

“As much as I love you?”
she asked
. A
moment of fear passed
over
her expression.

“
More,
”
he confirmed.

“
You couldn
’
t possibly,
”
she told him, smiling through her tears.

“
Do y
a
trust me?
”
he asked her then.

Her brow puckered in a puzzled scowl.
“
I
’
ve never trusted anyone like I
’
ve trusted you,
”
she told him.

“
Then trust me now. Ryder won
’
t leave Dusty. I promise you. He won
’
t leave her again. And he won
’
t die either.
”

Becca nodded, trying to believe him.
“
Okay,
”
she whimpered.

“
And now that you know he won
’
t
,
that it
’
ll be all right…somehow…let me just warn y
a
that I ain
’
t too awful good at cou
rtin’ and all. I’ve gotten kind
a rusty in waitin
’
around for you to grow up.
”

“
Don
’
t lie,
”
she said
,
smiling.
“
I remember the girls in town
.
I know how they still
—”

“
There
’
s girls in town?
”
he teased.
“
I hadn
’
t noticed for
’
bout…oh, least two years now.
”

“
Really?
”
Becca sighed delightedly.

Feller chuckled. He adored the way she melted against him
,
t
he way her eyes twinkled as he teased her. She was an angel, his
Becca—a
beautiful, wonderful, fully grown-up angel he held in his arms.
“
Yes, really.
”

“
I love you. You
’
ll never know how much or how long I
’
ve been lovin
’
you,
”
she whispered.

“
How long?
”
he mumbled as he looked at her lips again. He couldn
’
t keep his eyes off her tiny, soft, pink mouth.

“
As long as I can remember. And I can prove it.
”

“
Can y
a
now?
”
he
chuckled, his
head
descending
toward hers.

“
Yes,
”
she breathed as his lips touched hers for the first time.

Feller Lance realized how important restraint was. He wanted to fairly attack his
Becca with a demanding passion—a passion he’d
spent so long secreting.
Still, he taught her how to kiss him—taught her
very carefully, very tenderly. This wasn
’
t marbles, after all.
Yet
when she let her arms go around his neck, pressing her body firmly against his, he could resist her no longer
and gave into his love for her—
his desire to hold her and own her. She tasted like
h
eaven! Felt like
h
eaven! Becca Hunter was heaven! And he knew by her kiss, by the sigh of blissful relief
escaping
her
, Dusty had been right: a
ll along Becca had belonged to him.