Texas Tender (28 page)

Idalou decided that being disgusted with herself was a rotten way to feel. Everything was going wrong. Worse, she was part of the problem. If she hadn't lost the bull, Will wouldn't have remained in Dunmore. If he hadn't remained in Dunmore, he wouldn't have been sheriff, wouldn't have met Junie Mae. And she wouldn't be caught between falling in love with him and trying to convince herself he wasn't the father of Junie Mae's baby.

“I'm just saying what people are going to whisper,” Idalou said. “I'll do what I can to stop the rumors, but nobody listens to me after all the things I've said about Jordan.”

“You can't leave me,” Junie Mae said. “Everybody knows Will likes you. If you stay, nobody will believe he's the father of my baby.”

Idalou knew Junie Mae was right. If she left now, she might as well point her finger at Will. “All you need to do is name the father. You don't need me.”

“I can't do that,” Junie Mae said. “I don't want to be connected with him in any way.”

“Is he such a terrible person?”

“Yes. I'm not excusing myself, but he took advantage of my weakness to seduce me, then turned his back on me. When I told him about the baby, he swore it wasn't his, that he'd brand me a whore if I tried to pin it on him. I don't know what I would have done if Will hadn't promised to help me.”

Idalou knew what she had to do. It didn't matter that she was wrestling with jealousy. It was even worse that she had doubts her head told her were unfounded while her heart said to be careful or she might get hurt. Will had stood up for her and he'd stood up for Junie Mae. He had no reason to help either one of them, but he'd put himself on the line. She could do no less.

“I'll move to the hotel with you,” she told Junie Mae. “But as soon as I'm sure nobody thinks Will is the father of your baby, I'm moving to the ranch. Carl and I need to start thinking about rebuilding. I'm not running away.”

“Aren't you?” Will asked.

Not running away as much as trying to figure out her life. Was she in love with Will? If so, could she live the rest of her life with even the remote possibility that he was the father of Junie Mae's child?

Was it possible for her to forget him?

No. Whatever the future might bring, she would never forget Will Haskins. She'd never met a man like him. She was certain she never would again. “So many things are tied together I don't know what I feel.”

“I'll go see about the hotel,” Will said.

Being left alone with Junie Mae felt awkward. There had been times when Idalou believed her life would have been perfect if Junie Mae had never come to Dunmore. Then she'd remember that she'd probably have married Webb. She knew now she had never loved Webb and he hadn't loved her.

“You hurt him,” Junie Mae said to Idalou. “It was cruel of you to do that.”

Idalou opened her mouth to refute Junie Mae's accusation, but no words came out.

“I told you he's not the baby's father, but you don't believe me.”

“I do. I know Will would never do anything like that.”

“Part of you knows it, but not all. Will could see that. It hurt him because he's in love with you.”

“We haven't known each other long enough to be in love.”

“It doesn't take more than a minute to fall in love with the right man.” Junie Mae looked down at her hands in her lap. “I know because that's how fast it happened to me.”

Will wiped his mouth with his napkin. “As always, supper was perfect,” he said to Mrs. Davis, who visibly swelled with pride.

“It's nothing but ordinary fare,” she protested.

“But prepared with outstanding skill.”

“Delphine loves to cook.”

Andy Davis's pride in his wife was easy to see, but Will wasn't sure which he was more proud of, her cooking or their children. In addition to Louise and Sarah whom Will had already met, Andy had four boys, Jack and Riley, who were old enough to help their father in the mercantile, and Bud and Corky, who had picked at each other during most of the meal when their parents' gazes were directed elsewhere. It reminded Will so much of himself and Pete growing up that he winked at them. That caused the little boys to giggle, which earned a reprimand from their mother.

Delphine rose from the table. “It's time for us to leave the sheriff and your father to their coffee,” she announced.

The boys mumbled their excuses, jumped up from
the table, and disappeared, leaving Mrs. Davis and her daughters to clear the table. That would never have happened in Isabelle's house. The boys cleared the table, washed the dishes, and put everything away. If the kitchen wasn't spotless when Isabelle was ready to start the next meal, they heard about it.

“I'd like something other than coffee,” Andy said. “How about you?”

“I really should be out making my rounds.”

“You've got time for a little brandy. Besides, I want to talk with you.”

Will had wondered how long it would be before someone
talked
to him, but he smiled and said, “A small one. I can't arrest a man for being drunk if I go around smelling of brandy.”

“Nobody in Dunmore begrudges a man the right to get drunk,” Andy said, pouring a deep purple liquid into two glasses. “We just don't want him to make a nuisance of himself. We're thinking about making it illegal to wear guns in town.”

“That's a good idea. It'll make the job of your next sheriff much easier.” Will accepted his brandy, raising the glass to his nose to test the bouquet.

Andy resumed his seat, sipped his brandy, then turned his gaze to Will. “You know, we're hoping we won't need to find another sheriff. Everybody thinks you've done a bang-up job.”

“Things have been easy.”

Andy laughed. “A busted dam, a rustled herd, trouble with Newt, and a stolen bull. Doesn't sound easy to me.”

“I haven't found the bull.”

“I expect it'll turn up eventually.” Andy looked down at his brandy. “That's not what I wanted to talk with you about, though.” He looked over his shoulder, but they could hear the women in the kitchen.

“You're concerned about my relationship with Junie Mae, aren't you?”

Andy glanced up quickly. “Not the way you think. I'm not about to stick my nose into what's not my business—”

“By bringing it up, you already have.”

“I didn't mention Junie Mae.”

“But you were going to, weren't you?”

Andy took a deep breath. “We can't have our sheriff taking care of a woman who's in the family way but hasn't got herself a husband.”

“If that's all that's bothering you, you can breathe easy. I'll be happy to turn in my badge right now.”

“That's not what we want,” Andy said. He swallowed the rest of his brandy and got up to refill his glass. “This is damned awkward. Dammit, Jordan and Lloyd ought to be here. It was their big idea that I talk to you.”

“Well, get it over with so you can sit back and enjoy your brandy.”

“This isn't easy to say. I happen to have a great deal of respect for you.”

“Then let me say it for you. People are upset that I'm paying for Junie Mae to stay in the hotel. Since she hasn't named the father, they feel I'm the one at fault or I wouldn't be supporting her. Everybody knows I can talk a woman out of her virtue as quick as you can castrate a bull.”

“I wasn't going to say it like that,” Andy said, looking deeply embarrassed.

“But that's not all, is it?” Will pushed his brandy away. “They think I'm sweet on Idalou. And as much as they like having me be sheriff, they can't have me taking up with Idalou when I've still got a ruined Junie Mae on my hands. A gentleman would take care of his embarrassment before setting his sights on his next victim.”

“You make it sound so dirty,” Andy said.

“What you suspect me of
is
dirty.” Will leaned forward until his forearms rested on the table. “The real father wants nothing to do with the baby, and Junie Mae wants nothing to do with him. I'm trying to make permanent arrangements for her and the baby, but in the meantime, she has to have somewhere to stay. Since her aunt threw her out and no one in Dunmore has offered to take her in, it has to be the hotel.”

Will paused to give himself time to rein in his temper. He had known something like this was going to happen. Andy was just putting into words what everybody else was thinking.

“You're right in thinking that I'm interested in Idalou, but she isn't sure she's interested in me. I should point out, however, that Idalou is staying in the same hotel room with Junie Mae. Do you think she'd do that if I were the father of Junie Mae's baby?”

“That's what I told Delphine,” Andy said, the words escaping him as though under pressure. “No woman with Idalou's gumption would put up with that.”

“Junie Mae and Idalou warned me this would happen, but I decided to go ahead anyway.” He leaned back in his chair and let some of the pressure ease from him. “Twenty years ago, an incredible woman plucked me and my brother off the streets. We were only two of eleven orphans she and her husband took into their home and adopted. After what they did for me, how could I possibly turn my back on Junie Mae when the father of her child walked away and left her crying in the alley behind her aunt's store? No one in my family would do that. My brother has adopted five kids. One sister, three more.” He let the last of the tension drain away and stood. “Tell Lloyd and Jordan
that I'm leaving at the end of the month, with or without the bull.”

“I never believed you fathered Junie Mae's baby,” Andy said. “Neither does Lloyd's wife. She says no man who'd risk himself and his horse to save a little dog would ruin a woman just for the fun of it.”

“It doesn't matter,” Will said, even though it really did. “I was never going to be here long.”

Andy got to his feet. “I wish you'd reconsider. After all, you've invested money in a ranch here now.”

“That ranch belongs to Carl and Idalou. Catching the person behind their trouble is the only reason I'm still here.”

“Do you have any idea who it is?”

“I'm pretty sure I know, but so far I can't prove it.”

“Maybe the trouble's over. Maybe nothing else will happen.”

“I wish I could believe that. I just hope I can stop it before anybody dies.”

“I know why I have to go to Mara's birthday party,” Idalou said to Carl, “but I don't see why you do. Don't you have any pride?”

“You've got enough for both of us,” Carl said. “At least you had the good sense not to refuse to go with Will.”

“I promised Junie Mae I'd stay with her as long as the rumors were flying about her and Will, but they seem to have calmed down, so I plan on moving out to the ranch in a few days.”

“You've got nowhere to stay.”

“Van said I can use his tent.”

“I don't like him paying attention to you. You're not putting Will off, hoping Van will marry you, are you?”

“I'm not hoping either one of them will marry me.”

“Will would if you'd stop thinking there's something
between him and Junie Mae. No need to color up,” Carl said when she felt the heat in her face. “I know you too well. You're so damned scared of being vulnerable, you'll use any excuse not to let yourself fall in love with him.”

Carl had met Idalou in town so they could take a ride together. He reported that he had found the horse, the cow, and the pigs but had let them continue to run wild because he had no way to feed them. The corral still stood, but it would be at least a month before the grass recovered enough for grazing.

“I'm not scared of falling in love.” Idalou's agitation was communicating itself to her horse. She patted him on the neck, hoping it would calm both of them. “You don't understand.”

“You're the one who doesn't understand.”

Carl's horse was becoming agitated as well. In unspoken agreement, they rode off the trail to the little patch of shade offered by a lone live oak. They dismounted and let their horses graze. Idalou walked about with short, quick strides, while Carl sank down to the ground and leaned against the tree trunk.

“A few weeks ago I asked you what you wanted,” Carl told his sister. “Basically, you said you wanted a family. You didn't say you wanted this ranch.”

“What I want doesn't matter. All we have is this ranch, and we owe Will a bull or a lot of money.”

“You can walk away right now.”

“I can't leave you with all this debt.”

“Why not? I'll get the ranch. It's only right that I get the debt.”

Idalou couldn't explain to Carl how or why she felt at such a disadvantage when it came to Will. Everything that had happened since he'd arrived in Dunmore had served to put her deeper and deeper in his debt. Marrying Will would cancel the monetary debt,
but it would leave the question hanging in the air as to whether she'd married him
only
because she loved him. And the issue with Junie Mae just complicated things.

“I don't want the ranch,” Idalou told her brother, “but the debt is as much my responsibility as yours. If we can't find that bull, then we'll have to sell the ranch to pay Will back.”

“He won't care about the money.”

“You may not understand it, but I simply can't marry a man I'm in debt to.”

Carl got to his feet. “Come on. I have to find that damned bull.”

“Why don't you do that instead of going to the dance?”

“Because I'm in love with Mara and want to marry her. She hasn't figured it out yet, but she's still in love with me.”

“How do you know?”

“Will told me.”

“And you believe everything he says?”