Suspicions of the Heart (24 page)

"No." His eyes nailed her.

"Let's just say I wasn't experienced
enough for him in that department."

"Experienced?" Joe wrestled with that
information for a few minutes, and then glared at her.

"Please don't ask anymore," she
cried.

"All right, Dumplin', but in case
you're wondering if you are that little ice maiden you keep
referring to, I think I'll prove my point." He pulled her
unresisting body up against him and kissed her with all the fire
and passion she had ever dreamed of. When he pulled away he stared
into her eyes and smiled gently into her face.

This time his lips touched hers
tentatively, then over her forehead, down her nose, back to her
trembling lips that welcomed his dominance. An arm pulled her
solidly against him; another ran the length of her, stroking her
body into a gentle awareness.

Passion fused them as her arms went
around his lean waist, where she clung, her fingers playing
tentatively at his belt loops. Sensations torched her as he fitted
her to him. A boneless, melting feeling made her go weak and her
head fell backwards as his lips trailed down her cheek and neck.
Instinctively, she closed her eyes, savoring the ecstasy as his
lips moved against her softly.

His hands moved to cup the fullness of
her breast and her nipples hardened from the slight abrasive touch.
She moaned slightly. Her knees began to buckle and he must have
sensed it as he picked her up in his arms, cradling her against
him. He sat on the bed with her, looking deep into her
eyes.

"You're no ice maiden, and I'm no
saint. I want you, Candy. That's a fact. Here and now. But wanting
isn't enough for me or you. Not until you can trust me, really
trust me; it's not going to happen. I want no half measure. Not
with you. You put that white hat on my head and I kinda like
wearing it. So, warm kisses are going to have to be enough for us
both until the day comes that you really trust me."

"I'm trying," she whispered near his
ear.

"I know. But I don't want any doubts
between us. When we come together, and we will come together, it'll
be because you really want to in your heart. No other
reason."

She wanted to know what it would be
like in his arms, loving him. But what if she froze? What if she
made a complete idiot of herself? And on the other hand, what if
she went totally wild?

He left her there on the bed, thinking
about all the things they'd said to each other. She was beginning
to trust him, beginning to believe in that white hat. And she
wanted to with all her heart.

Chapter
Fifteen

Joe needed to concentrate on what was
going on around him, but for the life of him, all he could think
about was Candy. He suddenly grew protective of her, knowing how
precious a gift she was for some man.

Dammit, he didn't want some other man
having her. He wanted her. This was a brand new feeling. Had
nothing at all to do with the way he'd felt about Lisa. This was
more real, more earth shattering. He was in love with Candy and
didn't know what to do about it. And he had to admit this feeling
was ten times more impacting than what he'd felt for
Lisa.

But there was no time to dwell on his
feeling this morning as Roscoe rode up in a full gallop.

"Guess we'll be moving out tonight," he
told Joe.

"I wish you wouldn't go just yet,
Roscoe. I'm afraid the Sheriff might be right. Whoever is doing
this might be desperate now."

Roscoe nodded. "Yeah, I've been keeping
a pretty close watch on things myself. She kinda acts like it's all
over. She don't realize."

"I know. That's what worries me." Joe
started to turn away, then had another thought. "She told me about
you and Aggie. I'm glad. Aggie's been alone too long."

"I was going to tell you myself, but
I'm glad Candy told you. I wanna marry Aggie as soon we straighten
this thing out with Candy. I've been alone myself and it ain't a
very pleasant feeling. So, do I have your blessing on
it?"

Joe glanced at Roscoe with a serious
look, and then broke out in a big grin. "Of course you
do."

"Thanks, Joe." Roscoe offered him a
shake. "You got any ideas about who might be pulling this crap on
Candy?"

"Yeah, I just can't figure out how it
all ties together yet."

Roscoe spit, scooting his hat back on
his head. "Yeah, me, too. Got any idea how we can stop
it?"

"I got my men taking turns watching
her." Joe looked at him seriously. "Any objections?"

"Hell, no. I want to catch the son of
gun." Roscoe wiped the sweat from his brow. "I don't think Candy's
got a clue."

"I think you're right and best left
that way. She's been through enough," Joe remarked. "So, when you
and Aggie going to get married?"

"Not yet, but soon, if it's all right
with you?" Roscoe fumbled with his saddle horn.

"Sounds good to me. Decided where you
gonna live?" Joe squinted from the morning sun.

"Thought we'd live in her place for a
while, so we can kinda see after Candy once she's home. Thought I
might be able to fix the place up and talk to Candy about putting
our cattle together."

Joe nodded. "That's a good idea. So,
you'll hang around a while longer, then?"

"Whatever she wants to do." Roscoe
shrugged.

Joe eyed Roscoe perceptively, and then
nodded. "You know, I just had a thought."

"I'm listening."

"Maybe we are going at this all wrong,
Roscoe."

"What do ya mean?"

"Maybe we should act as though we
aren't watching her so whoever is doing this will play his hand
out. Then we could catch him."

"Now that's more like it." Roscoe
opened his pouch of tobacco and took out a chaw. "Reckon he'll play
right into our hands?"

"I think he just might."

"But how we gonna keep an eye on her
and not keep an eye on her?" Roscoe scratched his head in
bewilderment.

"I gotta plan..."

~*~

Candy wanted to go home, but there was
something very insistent about her uncle's demand that they stay.
She knew he was only looking after her interests, but she felt the
culprit would be caught soon since Doug had chosen to spill his
guts.

It still unsettled her to think Doug
Chapman had anything to do with all the accidents. But then, it
figured, too. Who else could have let that bull out, shot a rifle
from so far and not hit her, and stole her trailer? It would take
someone familiar with her routines and lifestyle to do that. She
should have figured that much out for herself.

And she recalled him talking about the
ranch, too. Funny that he would know so much about the place. But
what she couldn't figure was who was behind Doug.

Candy worked with Roscoe nearly
everyday; she only saw Joe during the evening hours, and Joe
managed to keep his distance from her. But why?

Only problem was she wasn't sure she
wanted him to anymore. If he wasn't the guilty one, then he had
acted quite heroically on her part. He had saved her numerous
times. The rodeo arena, the fencing, the sandstorm, and providing
shelter for her. He was beginning to look quite the hero in her
eyes. But why had he done it? Could he possibly be one of those
old-fashioned cowboys who just did the right thing all the time?
The only man she knew like that was her uncle.

The day her trailer was returned, she
decided to take off and go home. She needed to assimilate her
feelings, and get a grip on the situation. She needed to get her
clothes and her life back, and he sooner the better.

After Roscoe rode out, she saddled
Lancer and rode over to the trailer. She unlocked the door and
peered inside. Everything looked the same.

"Nice to be home," she
murmured.

She checked things out. Nothing looked
touched or damaged. Doug and someone else wanted to drive her off
this property? Someone wanted the mineral rights. And it obviously
wasn't Joe. It could be anyone. Someone from town, someone who knew
about the land.

She was about to make herself some tea
and get to cleaning up, when she heard a noise outside. She peeked
out the window but didn't see anyone.

"Uncle Roscoe?" she called out the
door.

But she was shocked to see Fargate
standing in the glare of the sunshine.

"Charles?"

"Why so shocked? I told you I'd be
back."

Candy moved to let him in, an
uneasiness filling her. He looked different somehow. His hair was
disheveled, his clothes looked wrinkled. This wasn't him. Something
was terribly wrong.

"Yes, but I didn't expect you so
soon."

Fargate smiled and glanced about the
trailer. "Doesn't look as though they took anything, does
it?"

"No, doesn't look like it."

In the small quarters of her trailer
she felt almost suffocated by him. She moved toward the kitchen,
offering him some tea.

"Sounds good. I've had a long
ride."

She busied herself and waited to see if
Fargate was going to tell her what he had come for. He didn't. He
acted as though his visit was almost expected.

"So, you've moved back in, again?" he
asked after a long silence?

"No, not yet. I just came over to
straighten up, get some clothes and secure everything as best I
could."

Fargate shuffled his feet, glancing
about the trailer then at her.

"So, want to tell me why you are here?"
she began, casting him a curious glance.

"Candy, I've made an offer of
reconciliation, and I want to know if you are even considering it."
Fargate fastened his eyes on hers.

Candy squirmed, getting up and going to
the sink, looking as busy as she could. "I know you did. But I
didn't take you seriously."

"Why not?" he demanded, his voice
hardening.

"Because it's a little ridiculous. It's
over. Whatever we had, we don't have any more. We aren't compatible
in any way, Charles; surely even you recognize that
now?"

Fargate still watched her every move.
"No, I don't recognize it at all. Time has passed; you've grown up
a little."

"I'm still an ice maiden though," she
reminded him.

"That was my fault. I'll admit. I
didn't handle you right," he insisted, his voice cajoling
her.

Hearing him admit it was his fault made
her feel a little better, but it was too late to think they could
make a go of things now. The one thing she was sure of now was that
she didn't love him.

"It doesn't matter. I don't love you,
and I don't think you love me, either," she began.

"That's your last word on the matter?"
His question held a tight rein.

"That's it."

"That's not good enough, Candy,"
Fargate said, his tone growing colder, more impersonal. His body
grew tense, his expression worried.

"It's going to ha…" She broke off in
mid-sentence when he pulled a gun out and pointed it straight at
her. Her mouth fell open and at first she couldn't speak, she was
too shocked.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked,
when she finally found her voice.

"I'm taking what should have been mine
all along," Fargate insisted.

"Yours? What are you talking about?"
she demanded, coming toward the table and watching his hand tighten
around the trigger.

"I'm the one who talked your father
into this place. I'm the one who wanted him to invest. Me. I played
his son routine right up until the end. Now, it's worth something
and I intend collecting it, since you are too stubborn to see the
potential. I've got a deed here, with the mineral rights on it. I
want you to sign it and I'll be on my way. Now, do you understand?
Do you finally get the picture?"

Candy sank down in the booth away from
him, staring at him and the gun. She couldn't believe he had pulled
such a stunt. How did he think he was going to get away with
it?

"Fargate I didn't think even you would
sink so low," she began trying to find a way out of this that made
any sense.

Fargate took the paper from his coat
pocket and laid it on the table between them.

"Sign it," he insisted, his eyes
pinning her.

"I can't. The mineral rights should
belong to the community because of the water. I can't just sign it
over to you. It might mean survival for the entire
community."

Fargate laughed haughtily. "You really
think I care about this damn little community? Get real. Grow up.
I've had two big conglomerates approach me about this property.
They want it bad, bad enough to pay a handsome price that will take
care of some of my bills."

"Bills? What bills?" she questioned.
"You never had bills before; you were always so diligent about
them."

"You think setting up a big fancy
practice in one of the biggest cities in the state is cheap? I went
into debt to do that. Big debt. A debt I can't pay. Now, I'll have
the money to take care of it, and save my reputation, and nothing
you can do is going to stop me."