Heart of Texas Vol. 3 (35 page)

Ellie was nowhere in sight and George was busy with a customer when Wade entered the store. A couple of local ranchers were hanging around the place, as well. Clyde Lester and James Ferguson sat on the front porch drinking cold sodas.

“'Afternoon, Reverend.”

“'Afternoon,” he returned and went in search of Amy.

He found her in the back of the store with Lyle Whitehouse. Lyle seemed more interested in talking than in buying. Amy didn't see Wade and he suspected Lyle didn't, either. He moved closer, not to eavesdrop on the conversation but…All right, he couldn't help being curious.

“…like to get to know you better,” Lyle was saying.

“Thank you, but as I said, this saddle soap is the best one on the market.”

Irritation edged her voice. It was all Wade could do not to interfere, but he knew Amy wouldn't appreciate that.

“I noticed you first thing the night of the big dance.”

Amy replaced the soap on the shelf. She didn't respond.

“I was thinking you'd be a lot of…fun.”

“Is there anything else I could interest you in?” she asked coolly. The minute the words left her lips, her cheeks flushed red. “You know what I mean…”

“Sure thing,” Lyle said with a laugh. “And you know what
I
mean.”

“If George or I can be of any service, please let us know.”

Wade glanced around and wondered what had happened to Ellie; generally, as owner of the store, she was highly visible. He frowned. As far as he knew, Amy had been hired as a bookkeeper, not as a salesperson. He wondered when she'd started dealing with customers and why she hadn't told him about the additional duties Ellie had given her.

“As a matter of fact,” Lyle said with a sly grin, “there
is
something you can do for me.”

Amy regarded him warily and Wade could see that the ranch hand's proximity made her uncomfortable.

“What's that?” she asked politely.

“As it happens I'm looking for a date Saturday night. Rumor has it you're single.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I'm busy.”

“Not
too
busy though, right?”

“Yes. Far too busy, I'm afraid.”

Amy was about to move away when Lyle placed his hand on her shoulder and stopped her, pinning her against the wall. His oversize belt buckle nudged the mound of her stomach, and Wade felt revolted.

His hackles went up. He couldn't tolerate the idea of any man touching a woman without her consent. As far as he was concerned, Lyle had stepped way over the line. But rather than make a scene, he decided to wait for a few more minutes and let Amy handle the situation herself.

“Ah, come on, Amy,” Lyle urged.

“No, thank you.”

“What am I missing that the preacher's got?”

“Good manners for one thing,” Amy said, trying to get past Lyle. But he held on to her, his grip tightening.

“We could have a lot of fun together,” he said. “And once the kid's born you and me could—”

“Let me go!” she demanded.

Wade couldn't remain silent any longer. “I suggest you do as the lady asks,” he said, stepping closer.

Lyle snickered and met Wade's look head-on. “What lady?”

Amy closed her eyes as if she'd been physically slapped. Without even knowing what he intended, Wade stormed forward and grabbed Lyle by the shirtfront and half lifted him from the floor.

“I believe you owe the
lady
an apology,” he said from between gritted teeth.

“This ain't none of your business, Preacher.”

“Wade, please,” Amy pleaded.

Wade ignored her. Nose to nose with Lyle, he said, “I'm
making
it my business.”

“Is that your bun she's baking in her oven, too?” Whitehouse sneered.

“We're taking this outside, you bastard.”

“No!” Amy cried.

“Fine by me, Preacher man. I'll be happy to kick your butt for you.”

Wade released him, and Lyle eased his neck back and forth a couple of times. “Anytime, Preacher man,” he muttered. “Any time.”

“Right now sounds good to me.”

“Wade, don't.” Amy grabbed hold of him, her fingers digging into his upper arm. “It's all right, please. I don't want you getting hurt on my behalf.”

“I can hold my own,” he promised her. He turned and followed Lyle out the front door.

Lyle had his fists raised by the time Wade got outside. He squinted his eyes against the bright sunlight as he rolled up his sleeves.

“What's going on here?” Clyde Lester asked.

“Preacher and I have something to settle man to man,” Lyle answered.

“Wade, you wanna fight this guy?” Clyde was clearly shocked.

He raised his own fists. “You're damn right I do.”

The older rancher looked flustered and unsure. “George,” he shouted, “we got trouble here.”

George called out to Wade, who turned at the sound of his voice. He didn't even see the fist coming. Lyle's punch hit him square in the jaw. Unable to stop himself, he staggered a couple of steps sideways.

Clyde and his friend cried out that Lyle had cheated. But Wade figured he'd deserved that sucker punch. It would be the last swing Lyle took at him, though.

Wade let out a roar and surged toward Lyle, tumbling them both onto the ground.

Snatches of speech made it into his consciousness. He heard Amy pleading with someone to stop the fight. Clyde was still yelling that Lyle was a cheat. Then George shouted that he was phoning for the sheriff. Soon afterward he heard Lyle grunt with pain. Or perhaps he was the one grunting. Wade didn't know anymore.

High school was the last time Wade had been in a fistfight, but he was strong and agile, capable of moving fast. And he wasn't a coward. Some things were meant to be settled this way, although he generally avoided physical confrontation. But no one was going to insult the woman he loved.

He got in a couple of good punches; so did Lyle. They circled each other like angry dogs and were about to resume fighting when Sheriff Hennessey arrived.

Frank leaped out of his patrol car and stared at Wade as if he couldn't believe his eyes. “What the hell's the problem here?” he said, pulling his nightstick from his belt.

“This is between Lyle and me,” Wade said, pressing his finger to the edge of his mouth. His jaw ached, and one eye felt like it was already swelling. Lyle's face looked as if he'd been put through a garbage disposal. Wade figured he didn't look any better.

“Lyle, what happened?” Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Wade, the sheriff tried the other man.

Lyle held Wade's look. “Nothing we can't settle ourselves.”

“Well, I don't happen to like the way you two decided to settle it. I could haul you both into jail for disturbing the peace. That what you want?”

“It was my fault, Sheriff,” Amy cried, stepping between Wade and Lyle. “Wade thought I needed help…”

Sheriff Hennessey glared at Lyle.

“Were you bothering this young lady, Whitehouse?” the sheriff demanded.

A truck pulled up beside the patrol car and Ellie got out. “What's going on here?”

“Seems like the preacher and Lyle here didn't see eye to eye,” Frank explained.

“I didn't do anything but talk to the little lady,” Lyle muttered. “Seems the preacher thinks he's got squatter's rights with her. He's—”

“Leave it right there,” Frank said, stepping closer to Lyle.

“Are you going to arrest anyone?” Ellie asked.

Frank gave Lyle and Wade a hard look. “Is this over or not?”

Wade narrowed his eyes, which caused him more than a little pain. “If he's willing to let Amy alone, then I'm willing to call it quits.”

“Lyle?” Frank focused his attention on the other man.

“All right,” he growled, reaching for his hat. He shoved it on his head and stalked toward his truck.

“I think we've seen everything there is to see here,” Frank said to the small crowd of curious spectators. He glanced at Wade and his expression said he was disappointed.

Wade wasn't particularly proud of himself at the moment, either. All he'd done was embarrass Amy and himself. He rarely let his temper get the better of him like this. It was a primitive response, he thought grimly. A primitive male response. He'd been in such a rage he hadn't been able to control himself, but damn it all, he was supposed to be an example to the entire community.

“Oh, Wade.” Amy gazed up at him with tear-filled eyes. She raised her hand to his mouth.

He winced when her gentle fingers touched the corner of his lips. The taste of blood was in his mouth and his head pounded. His left eye was swollen almost shut.

“I've got a first-aid kit in the back of the store,” Ellie said.

Amy and Wade followed her to the office, where she took the kit out of the drawer, then left them. Wade was grateful until he saw the tears running down Amy's face.

“Amy, darling, it doesn't hurt.”

Her hands trembled as she tore open a gauze package. “Fighting! Oh, Wade, how could you?”

“I don't know exactly how that happened. Things just escalated. In retrospect, I agree it wasn't the best way to settle this, but I can't change that now.”

“I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“I know, I know.” Just then he didn't want to argue the right or wrong of it. He'd much rather Amy held him.

“Sit down,” she said curtly. He did, and she dabbed at the cut on his lip. “What do you think people will say when they hear about this?”

“Yeah, well, it can't be helped.”

“All I've done is hurt you,” she said in a broken whisper.

He wanted to protest, but she touched an especially sore spot just then. He jerked back from her and brought his finger to the edge of his mouth.

“I think you should see Dr. Jane,” she murmured.

“I'm not that badly hurt.”

“No, but you need your head examined.”

Wade laughed and winced anew. “Ouch! Don't make me laugh.” He reached for her hand and held it in both of his. His knuckles were swollen, he noted, and the skin torn. “A kiss would make everything feel better,” he told her, only half joking.

Very carefully she bent down and tenderly pressed her lips to his.

The kiss left an ache inside him that made Lyle's brutal punches seem insignificant. He loved Amy. He wanted her for his wife, wanted her to share his life and his bed. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her shoulder.

As she hugged him close, he breathed in her warm womanly scent.

“This can't continue,” she whispered and broke away from him.

Wade wasn't ready to let her go. “What do you mean?”

“I'm hurting you,” she said, her voice gaining strength.

She didn't seem to understand the joy and wonder that loving her had given him. He wanted to tell her, but she spoke again.

“Your credibility with the people in your church is going to be questioned because of this fight.”

“That has nothing to do with you. I'll deal with that myself.”

“Your reputation with the community—”

“Amy, stop.”

“No. I won't stop. It's over, Wade, right here and now.”

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. “What do you mean, over?”

She seemed to have steeled herself, because she didn't so much as blink. “Over, as in we won't be seeing each other again.”

Lyle's sucker punch had surprised him less. “You don't mean that!”

“I do. It was inevitable, anyway,” she said.

“What do you mean, inevitable?” He barely recognized the sound of his own voice.

“You and me,” she whispered. “I'd need to tell you soon, anyway.”

“Tell me
what?
” Although he asked the question, he already knew the answer. Amy had decided to reject his marriage proposal.

“I…can't marry you, Wade.”

He sank back down in the chair, crushed by the weight of his pain and disappointment.

“The fact you asked me to be your wife is one of the…the greatest honors of my life. I want you to know that. I didn't make this decision lightly. I've been trying to find a way to tell you all week.”

He was a man of words. A man who loved language, who knew how to use it and could respond to any occasion; it was part of his job, of who he was. But Amy's rejection left him speechless. All he felt was an encompassing sadness. And bitterness.