Suspicions of the Heart (15 page)

"Yes, she was a beautiful woman, a
full-blooded Navaho."

"You don't say? Love like that doesn't
come too often in life. I should know. Me and my Frank had some
good days, too."

"What happened?"

Aggie's face contorted a moment, then,
stirring her tea with a spoon, she answered quietly. "Got gored by
a bull."

Candy's face went white. Her recent
scrimmage with a bull had scared her witless; she could certainly
sympathize. "He was in Rodeo?"

"No, you see we had this bull - meanest
thing you ever did see. Course Frank enjoyed watchin' the boys try
to tame it. But Frank felt sure he'd settle down once we got him
out on the range. He didn't. One evening, late, Frank and Joe were
out rounding up stock and Frank dismounted to pull a calf out of
some bramble. That bull came charging at him. Joe saw the whole
mess. Even tried to put himself between them, but he just wasn't
fast enough."

"Joe? Joe Munroe?" Candy shrieked with
surprise.

"Yeah, he's my nephew. You know
him?"

"Yes, we've met. You mean he was
visiting when it happened?"

"No, I mean he stayed with us that
summer while his folks went to the Cancer Center in Houston," Aggie
replied gulping her tea as her eyes misted.

Candy knew she shouldn't probe, but her
curiosity was stirred. "Cancer?"

"Yes, Joe's daddy was dying of cancer.
Joe took it hard, but he was too stubborn to let anyone help him.
And his uncle died from that ornery old bull. Joe's buried a lot of
kin in his day, poor boy. Guess that's why he puts up with me; he
sets a great store in family."

The story touched Candy, and cold
chills ran up her spine. "It must have been hard on
him."

"Yes, but you'd have never known it by
the way he acted. No, sir that boy became a man in one short
summer. He took care of the ranch from then on. He's a strong one,
even though there are times when he shows his emotions, special
times at least to me."

"Are you his only relative?" Candy
straightened in her chair, her eyes widening with
understanding.

"Oh, he's got a few cousins scattered
here and there. No brothers or sisters though."

"Why don't you live with
him?"

"Ain't no need. Got my own place. This
is home."

Candy looked about.

"Well now, I hope that don't change
things between you and me, just because I'm his aunt."

"No. No, of course not."

"Good, cause I need a little female
companionship every now and then. And most of them fuddy-duddies in
town don't cotton to my rough ways."

"I'd like to be friends,
Aggie."

"But you don't hold with Joe much, do
you?"

"I don't know much about him really."
She left it open. If Aggie wanted to talk about him, she'd
listen.

"Give it time, you'll learn. Joe's hard
to get to know. But there ain't a better young man ever lived. He's
helped me with my place. Helped me keep my independence. And he'd
give you the shirt off his back if you asked him."

So, she wasn't going to offer any more
information. Why did that disappoint Candy? Still, she'd
unknowingly explained a few things. If Joe witnessed his uncle's
death, it might explain why he rushed in to save her from that
bull. Like seeing fate twice. It must have unnerved him as much as
her. He wasn't being brave, nor heroic, he just didn't want to see
another person die that way. That made sense. She could respect
that.

Candy leaned back in the chair, her
mind full of questions. But she couldn't ask them. Not
yet.

"That's a might small trailer you live
in," Aggie remarked as she got up and poured them some more
tea.

"Yes, it gets a little crowded these
days." Candy chuckled. "Especially since we have
company."

"Company being that city fella that's
staying' over at Joe's I guess?"

"Yes, have you met him?"

"Briefly, yes. I've already got a few
conclusions of my own about that one. He's a might peculiar cuss,
with those flashing green eyes and all that blond hair that don't
ever get out of place. Why, I bet he sprays it with hair spray,
too. The way it stays put on his head. It ain't natural." Her voice
held agitation. "So, is he your man?"

"My man?" Candy nearly choked on her
tea. Aggie sounded remarkably like her uncle. "No, not any more.
He's my ex-husband. He and my father were very close and, when dad
died, I guess Fargate sort of felt responsible for me or
something."

"Ex-husband? You must have married him
young?" Aggie cast her a quirked brow and eagle eye.

"Yes, three years ago. I guess I was
pretty naïve," Candy admitted ruefully.

"I don't like him," Aggie blurted
out.

Candy looked Aggie in the eye. "Really,
why?"

"Well, I'll tell you. I judge a man how
he sits a saddle or wears his hat, and that rascal don't do either.
That's enough for me, honey. Any grown man scared of
animals."

"But he's a city man,
Aggie."

"I know, that's another thing against
him, in my book. But I guess what riles me most is how I've heard
him talk about Roscoe."

Candy paid attention. Aggie had picked
up on the same feeling. "What do you mean?"

Aggie shrugged, and then leaned way
back in her chair. "Well, he thinks Roscoe has influenced you to
stay here. And he thinks Roscoe has been the one trying to scare
you. Aside from all that, he's too snoopy."

"Snoopy?"

"Joe says he watches everything like a
hawk. Like he's got plans." It was plain Aggie was trying to decide
whether to tell her something the way she kept hedging. "Joe's told
me all about those close calls of yours. First, at the rodeo, then,
at the ranch. Everybody knows what you've got…"

"What I've got? What have I got?" Candy
stood up in shock. Shouldn't someone tell her?

Aggie squinted. "That land of yours is
right smack dab on the biggest water hole you ever saw. On top of
that, everybody knows it--wants it. It could be anybody trying to
scare you off your land."

"Scare me off my land?" she shrieked.
"But they didn't even know I had land at the Rodeo."

"Maybe they did. Maybe they knew about
old Hank's land. He certainly didn't keep any secrets. Yes, ma'am,
your land." Aggie affirmed with a nod.

Candy flopped back into the chair,
stunned.

"And that ain't all."

"No?"

"Nope."

Aggie eyed her seriously now, probably
debating whether to go any further with the
conversation.

"But, Aggie, why would anyone want to
hurt me enough to get me off the land? I'm willing to listen to
reason."

"'Cause you're sitting on a gold mine.
And you're not from around here. Lots of folks figure you might
sell to some big company or hoard the mineral rights, which I'm
sure you own. Yes, ma'am, you got a goldmine."

"I'm not even sure I own the mineral
rights. At least, Fargate hasn't mentioned it."

Aggie nodded. "I figured as much. Like
as not he knows all about the water or the gas."

"Gas?"

"Oh, it's probably too deep to be worth
drilling for, but there's a natural gas line under there, too. The
water would be more practical for the state, though."

"Is that why Joe wanted to buy my
land?"

Aggie's expression changed. "I should
keep my big mouth shut. But it's part of it, I'll admit. He wants
it, that's for sure, but he'd never hurt a fly. Too soft hearted
for that."

"What's the other part?"

"He wants to run his Longhorns on your
land, better grazing, better playas. It would give him room for his
other stock, too."

Candy closed her eyes, and sighed.
"Well, I'm certainly glad you told me, Aggie. I'm in your debt.
This puts a new perspective on things."

"I figured it would."

Candy stood up once more and started
for the front door. She turned and glanced over her shoulder at
Aggie. "Thanks for the tea, Aggie, and everything. I better get
back before Roscoe does."

"Don't rush on his account. He'll be
gone for hours, girl. That auction goes on all day and into the
night sometimes." She chuckled. "You're welcome to stay with
me."

"Thanks, Aggie, another time," Candy
mumbled as she pushed open the screened door. "Why don't you come
to supper tonight, though?"

"What time?" Aggie asked as though she
had been waiting for her to ask.

"Sevenish."

"I'll be there. Thanks for asking
me."

~*~

Candy wasn't ready to go home yet, but
she wanted some time alone to think. She had little privacy lately,
and she needed that space. Until now she had been more than
convinced that Joe was the only one who would want her off her own
land. But now! Anyone could be the culprit. She kept telling
herself not to worry. Nothing had happened since the dust storm. It
might have been some kind of freak accidents. Obviously she had a
lot of rethinking to do.

Then there was Fargate. Aggie was
right--to some extent. He dearly loved to stir up a scandal. One
thing the last few days had reaffirmed, she wasn't in love with her
ex-husband. And he needed to know it.

Why was he here, and pursuing her? It
made no sense. If she didn't know better she'd be accusing him of
wanting to grab her land, but what use would he have of it? She had
a gut feeling it wasn't out of loyalty to her father. She shrugged
away the eerie feeling that her troubles weren't over.

As she stopped along the way to check
the salt rocks, she spotted a dried-up stream, and slumped wearily
under a small mesquite tree to cool off. She hadn't meant to, but
she was tired and, as a light breeze nipped to cool her skin, she
relaxed, and closed her eyes.

A loud unexpected noise had her jumping
to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Then, when she
recognized the man on the horse before her, she raged, "Why don't
you just shoot me and get it over with?"

Joe Munroe slid off his horse and
walked boldly up beside her, a rifle in his hand. With the tip of
the barrel he picked up the small rattler on the ground by her
boots. He tossed it away.

"You shouldn't go sleeping around out
here this time of year," he growled lowly.

Candy's eyes widened. Guilt made her
chin tremble, her brown eyes plead. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
jumped to conclusions." When he didn't say anything, she added, "I
guess I owe you an apology."

"Forget it. You're not going to like
what I've got to tell you. I've got some bad news for you." His
voice was flat, unemotional, unfeeling.

Candy heard what he said, but it didn't
make any sense.

"Did you hear me?" he asked when she
stared blankly at him.

What he was saying didn't seem
important. Instead, she began looking at him. Not just a glance, a
bold faced stare. She noticed the contours of his body, his
hesitated stance, his teamed face. It hit her like a pie in the
face; she was hungry for the sight of him. She hadn't seen him in
days. Not since he broke the bronc. He looked different
somehow.

"Hey," his voice began to soften in
those familiar tones that warmed her heart. His gloved hand reached
out to cup her chin, and forced her to look at him. "I wasn't
thinking either. I must have shocked the hell out of
you."

Huge tears formed in her eyes but would
not fall as she looked up at him.

Then he pulled her into his arms,
wrapping his long arms about her protectively. Her mind registered
nothing but him. She liked the way they fit together so perfectly,
as though made for each other. She enjoyed the heady male scent of
him. But most of all she liked being in his arms. Her arms went
around his lean waist and she rested her head against his shoulder,
enjoying the feel of his chin rubbing abrasively against her
cheek.

Who moved first she didn't know but
suddenly they were kissing, their arms tangling, their legs pressed
against each other. Her fingers played through the thick mass of
hair at his nape, and he groaned, his hand finding her breast with
pin-point accuracy. She strained to be closer. A heat from within
suffused her. Their sudden needs announced themselves. Ever so
slowly they melted to the ground, the burning ache within her
subsiding.

She woke with the sweat trickling
between her breasts, her breathing shallow, irregular.

Her cheeks were on fire, and a dull
throb echoed through her entire body. Ashamed of her feelings, she
mounted Lancer and raced for home as though her life depended on
getting there in record-breaking time.

But she knew something was wrong as she
rode into the yard. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, or
didn't want to. She blinked rapidly and glanced about her. The
lean-to looked the same. The small remuda was grazing in the east
pasture. But something was missing.