The Rancher Takes A Bride (36 page)

"So what are you going to do, Miss Rose?"

"I don't know yet. I've got a little money saved. I think I'm going to California. Make a fresh start and leave behind my parents' ghosts. At least there I won't be known."

"But it's so far, Miss Rose," Isaiah said.

"I know, and that's why I'm releasing you from your duties," she said solemnly. God, it hurt to let him go, but she had to release him, let him stay and take care of his aging parents. Let him live his life for a change.

He stared at her, stunned, as if he'd never thought of the two of them not being together. He bowed his head, and when he raised it, there were tears in his eyes. "I always thought I would hand you over to a husband."

"Isaiah, you have family here who need you. I can't ask you to travel all the way to California and leave them behind. It's not fair. You've been faithful to your promise to my mother all these years—now it's time you took care of your family."

She couldn't let him see her cry, or he would refuse to go, and she knew she was doing the right thing, even if it did hurt.

"When are you leaving?" he asked.

"Tonight is my last performance. I've told the troupe I will not be going on to San Antonio with them. I'm going to travel to Galveston and catch a boat from there."

"You will let me know when you reach California that you're all right?" he asked.

"We won't lose touch, Isaiah. You're the only family I have now. Of course I'll let you know."

Together they stood, and she reached out and hugged him to her close. "I'll miss you so much."

"Not near as much as I will you. I'll talk to you again before you leave."

He released her and made his way to the door.

"Miss Rose, I really had hopes for you and Mr. Burnett. He was a fine gentleman."

Tears clogged her throat before she managed to clear them. "Me too, Isaiah. Me too."

***

Travis had just about killed his horse and himself getting to Waco. In fact, he would have been there sooner if the beast hadn't thrown a shoe. He had to walk her for ten miles to the nearest settlement before he could get her fixed up with a new shoe and continue on.

It was Wednesday night; the play would already be in progress. He was dirty, dusty, and tired, but he didn't care. He thought of finding a hotel room, taking a bath, and getting cleaned up, but was afraid that in the time it took him, the play would end and somehow he'd miss Rose. And nothing was going to keep him from finding Rose.

He tied his horse up outside and swiped at the dust on his clothes in an attempt to brush it off, but it didn't help much. Travis bought a ticket, stepped into the theater, and took a seat. The play was already in the second act, but he didn't care. Just the opportunity to see Rose, watch her, and know that soon they would talk made him feel better.

Somehow he felt that his entire life was riding on this night. All the way here, he'd thought about the words he was going to say.

If only she'd give him a second chance, that was all he wanted.

He watched the play, his eyes mesmerized by Rose. She was amazing, an exceptional actress, and she had been willing to give it all up for him. Until he had refused her his love. As he sat watching her, he hoped and prayed she would listen to him.

The commotion started during the third act. Once again an inebriated man left his seat and made his way toward the stage. Travis felt his heart start to hammer inside his chest as he watched the man stumble toward the stage. When he could walk no further, he started yelling at the women on stage.

"Lift your skirts. Do the can-can and kick your legs!" he cried out. "Dance, girlies, dance."

Just then Rose came to the end of the stage to say her part. The man lunged for her, and Travis was out of his seat, running for the stage.

Rose had retreated when the drunk reached for her, and Travis didn't know if she saw him or not. He reached out, grabbed the man by the shirt collar, and whirled him around. The drunk swung at him, Travis ducked, and his right fist decked the man, knocking him out cold. Travis then dragged him out of the theater, depositing him outside with the local law.

It was then that he saw Isaiah. The Negro man ambled over to him. "I was just going for that man myself when I saw you coming down that aisle. What are you doing here, Mr. Burnett, or need I ask?"

Travis smiled, as he'd always liked Isaiah. "I'm here to see Rose, Isaiah. What else? We have some unfinished business."

"It's a good thing you got here when you did. She's already told this acting troupe she's quitting and going to California. She's catching the stage tomorrow to Galveston. Head'n out of town for good."

Travis cringed as he realized that if he'd waited any longer, he might never have found her. Together, the two of them went back inside and finished watching the play.

When it was finally over, Isaiah shook his hand. "I'll be hanging around until she leaves town, and then I'm headin' back to my family. I want what's best for her. Good luck, young man."

"Thanks, Isaiah." Travis said, and then watched the man amble away.

People were leaving the tent as he made his way around back to the curtained-off areas for the actors.

He came to the makeshift rooms, and as a young lady was going in, he asked her, "Would you tell Rose Severin that someone is outside to see her?"

The woman gave him the once-over and then said, "Sure."

She disappeared into the room, and he heard her call out, "Rose, there's some good-looking cowboy outside waiting to see you."

Rose felt her knees start to shake. He was here, but why? Slowly she opened the curtain and peeked outside. Her heart leaped in her chest at the sight of the man she'd fallen desperately in love with. So that had been him in the audience. She hadn't dreamed she saw him carrying out yet another drunk.

"You're a long way from home, cowboy. What are you doing here?" she asked anxiously.

He held his hat in his hand, his clothes dusty and dirty. His face was haggard, as if he hadn't slept. He looked like hell, but he was a gorgeous sight to behold just the same.

"We have some unfinished business we need to talk about, if you don't mind."

"If it's about your mother's ring, we've said everything there is to say," she quickly informed him.

He smiled. "No. The ring has been found. Walk with me for a little ways and I'll tell you everything," he said.

"Just a minute." She ran back inside, grabbed her bag of personal items, and hurried out of the tent. Travis stood waiting for her, looking tired and saddle- weary.

They walked beside one another away from the tent theater, strolling along, not touching, just walking.

"When did you get in?" she asked.

"About an hour ago," he said. "I would have been here sooner, but my horse threw a shoe. I'm sorry I didn't take the time to clean up. I came straight here."

Oh, my, he had come directly to her, and he now knew where the wedding band was. Rose felt her pulse quicken.

The moon was full as they walked along a darkened street until they reached a park bench. The stars twinkled above, and a cool night breeze blew softly.

"Would you like to sit?" he asked.

"All right."

They sat at opposite ends of the bench, not touching. She was afraid to touch him for fear the resolve she had built would crumble and she would be lost.

He leaned his elbows on his knees and twirled his hat nervously. Rose didn't say anything. He was the one who had ridden all this way to talk to her, and she was going to wait him out.

Finally, he cleared his throat, sat up, and faced her. "I owe you an apology."

Rose almost jerked, she was so surprised at his words. This was the last thing she'd expected from him.

"I'm very protective of my family, and from the beginning I saw you as a threat to my mother. And when her ring turned up missing, I was told you had taken it. I treated you horribly, and for that I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath. "I had you thrown in jail, I kidnapped you, I forced you onto the back of a horse, I treated you like a prisoner at the house, I've accused you over and over of stealing the ring, of being a thief and a whore. Yet you were innocent all along."

Travis gazed straight into her eyes. "You didn't deserve to be treated the way I behaved toward you. I'm sorry, and I hope you will forgive me."

She gazed at him in bewilderment and awe. "I must say that I'm surprised you followed me here just to apologize." She paused. "We had some trying times, but I never felt abused. Just tied down. I accept your apology."

She'd never seen him this way. He seemed to be struggling, wanting to express himself, but having a hard time of it. Her heart went out to him.

Yet something held her back. Some instinct for survival kept her from throwing her arms around him.

"Before you accept my apology, you should know there's more. Seems my matchmaking mother knew that you were the perfect woman for me, and she knew I would protect her at all costs. The ring was never missing, Rose. She schemed to bring us together by falsely accusing you of taking her ring."

"What?" Rose said, outraged. "The ring was never missing? I've been forced to stay at your ranch all this time, and all along your mother still had the ring? How could Eugenia do this? She knew how upset I was at your accusations."

"Looking back, I should have realized something was wrong. The way she kept defending you, protecting you, should have made me realize something about her story wasn't true. I know it doesn't make you feel any better, but I thoroughly chastised her for the wrong she did to you."

"I knew she was trying to bring us together, but I never realized just how far she would go to keep me there," Rose admitted. "But I'm still angry with her."

"And you should be," he agreed.

He jumped up and started to pace nervously. "There's something else I need to tell you. Ever since you left last Saturday, there's a part of me that's been incomplete, that seems missing. I'm not a man who can easily express his emotions, but you were right to leave me that day. Until you left me, I didn't know how much you had changed and improved my life. I didn't realize that you had become my reason for living."

He stopped and got down on one knee. Rose almost cried at the sight of this strong, prideful man on bended knee.

"I didn't know that you had captured my heart. I've fallen deeply in love with you, but didn't know it until you were gone."

Rose gasped, not believing the words Travis was speaking.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold wedding band and held it up. "This is the ring that brought us together." He paused. "Will you please marry me, be my wife?"

Rose stared down at the big, handsome cowboy who was on bended knee asking her to marry him. Who had managed to say the words she so longed to hear. She knew what this had cost him in pride, yet he had done it for her.

A sob escaped her throat and she threw her arms around him, knocking him back onto the ground. They both lay in the grass, her on top of him, kissing.

Finally he pulled back, breaking the seal of their lips. "Does this mean you'll say yes?"

"Yes. I'll marry you, Travis Burnett, bear your children, and even learn to ride horses with you. But I will not learn how to be a proper lady."

He laughed. "I love you, Rose. Please don't ever change or stop loving me."

Covering her lips with his own, he sealed their promise to one another.

Finally, Rose broke off the kiss. "I'm still angry at your mother, but without her scheming, we would never have found one another." She held up her hand in the light. "This little band of gold brought us together and will have kept us together until death do us part."

He kissed her lightly on the nose and laughed. "Even death won't keep us apart. Madam Desirée will find a way to unite us.

***

The Burnett Brides: The Outlaw

"I've Waited Years for a Husband."

 Beth stopped in front of Tanner, her hazel eyes flashing indignantly. "To have someone who would wake up in my arms each morning, a baby to rock to sleep. Isn't that what all women dream of? So why am I so bad for wanting the same things?"

 "You're not as long as you know I'm not good husband material." Tanner took a deep breath and tried not to reflect on what he could see beneath her sheer nightgown. "But you think you can soothe my hurts and make me care about you enough that I'll change my ways."

"I don' t give a fig about your hurts."

Tanner didn't want to stop. "You think that beneath this rough exterior there's a man worth saving, worth turning into a husband. You're wrong."

God, how he wanted her even when she was pushing him, making him feel things he'd long forgotten. He still wanted to feel her arms around him, even while he was trying his best to push her away.