Whirlwind Groom (15 page)

Her gaze shot to his. “Of course not.”

The satisfied smile on his face told her he'd said it only to get her to look at him. Well, now she had and her chest grew tight. She had missed him. The admission had her squeezing her eyes shut briefly. She wanted to press her lips to his throat, his jaw, his mouth. The urge was strong, strong enough that her hand tightened on his shoulder as she forced herself to remember why she'd come to Whirlwind. Reminded herself that Davis Lee didn't trust her.

Some part of her mind registered the start of a new song. “With the way all the women were carrying on about you being here, I was beginning to think you didn't know how to dance.”

“I know how,” he growled.

“You're very good.”

“I've had lots of practice.”

“In Rock River?”

He faltered, his foot coming down hard on hers.

She jerked in reflex. “Oomph!”

“Sorry.” The hand at her waist steadied her as his gaze narrowed. A muscle ticced in his jaw. After a long moment, he asked, “How are your shooting lessons with Jake going?”

“Fine.” Her question about Rock River had caught him by surprise. Josie wondered if he ever talked about it.

“Why Jake?”

She frowned up at him.

“What made you ask him in particular?”

You're leaving me high and dry.
“Since he's a deputy, I figure he must be good with a gun.”

“Is that the only reason?”

She tilted her head, wondering if he guessed at her other motive. “What other reason could there be?”

“Answer my question.”

“He's a good shot. Well, I think he is anyway. And he's a good teacher. He's very…patient.”

Davis Lee's hand tightened on hers. The look in his eyes seared straight to her soul. “Josie?”

“Hmm?”

“About that kiss.”

She inhaled sharply, her gaze darting around even though the music was loud enough to keep anyone from hearing him. “I can't believe you're bringing that up.”

“I reckon we should clear the air.”

“You're not going to apologize, are you?”

“Do you want me to?”

No. She wanted him to kiss her again. Now. “We shouldn't do it again.”

“I know.”

Disappointment slashed through her, but she knew she couldn't get further involved with him. She realized suddenly that he had partnered her through four dances. She tried to disentangle her hand from his. “We've danced together too long.”

“Too long for who?”

Want slid slyly through her, tugged hard. “People will certainly think we're a couple now.”

He stopped in the middle of the floor. “All right.”

As he walked her back to Catherine and Susannah, Josie tried to determine what he was thinking. She couldn't read anything on his rugged face. He bowed politely over her hand and thanked her then walked away.

“Four dances?” Susannah had a mischievous gleam in her eye.

Catherine grinned. “There's no denying he's interested now, Josie.”

“I guess not.” But she knew his interest was more about suspicion than romance. And heaven help her, she wanted it to be the other way around.

F
or the next two hours, Josie watched him surreptitiously. Her invitations declined considerably after their dance and she knew it was because people believed the same thing about her—
them
—that Susannah and Catherine did. Why didn't he just leave her alone?

While he danced with Susannah and Catherine, Cora and Pearl and nearly every other woman in the place, Josie answered inquiries about her seamstress services. As people began to leave, she walked down the table searching for her pie tin. She found it, glad to see only crumbs remained. Cora had disappeared after her dance with Davis Lee so Josie turned to look for her friend.

“I told Cora and Loren I'd see you home.”

She whirled at the sound of Davis Lee's voice. How had he snuck up on her like that? A quick scan of the building showed no sign of Cora or Loren. In fact, there were only a few people left and they were gathering up wraps and dishes to leave. “I can ride back with Catherine.”

“She's gone, too.”

Josie's nerves fluttered as she searched the remaining faces and saw he was right.

“If you're worried you might have to ride, I brought a buggy.”

“It's not that.” Why had he agreed to take her home? He'd made it clear the other night that he preferred not to spend time with her. She licked her lips. “I can't go back with you alone. People will talk, Davis Lee.”

“They already are.”

“That doesn't mean we have to add fuel to the fire.”

“I'm taking you,” he said firmly.

What choice did she have? Her friends were gone and she didn't fancy walking back. Still it irked her that she was at his mercy. “If I say yes, can I ask you a question?”

He gave her an impatient look. “Why is everything a negotiation with you?”

“Can I?”

His gaze turned sharp. “All right, but not until we're in the buggy.”

She nodded and went to retrieve her coat and gloves from Lettie Eishen. “Thank you for a lovely time,” she told her hostess as she took the items.

The woman's smile softened her square face. “I've been admiring your coat. Did you make it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you looking for work?”

“Yes, ma'am.” She had finished the tablecloths for the hotel and soon Catherine's dress would be finished. After that she had only one current order, nightshirts for Lemuel Tucker back home.

As Josie slid her arms into the coat, Lettie touched the dark gray velvet, its edging of white fur. “I like how it's longer in the back than in the front and is fitted to the body.”

“It makes a nice look over a dress, with or without full skirts.”

“Could you make me one in dark green velvet?”

“Yes. Would you like white fur trim?”

The woman thought for a minute. “Is there another color you'd recommend?”

“Gray or black would be nice. The green will be striking though, no matter what.”

Lettie thought for a moment. “I believe the gray. That would be different, plus it wouldn't show wear as quickly as the white.”

“All right.” Josie pulled on her gloves. “I can start as soon as I get your measurements.”

“I'll come to town tomorrow.”

After they agreed on a price, and a time to meet the next day, Mrs. Eishen called her husband over and had him give Josie half the cost of the garment so that she could buy the fabric.

Josie said goodbye and turned toward the door. Davis Lee waited for her there and when she reached him, he lightly cupped her elbow and led her to his rig.

“Getting acquainted with Lettie?” He bundled her into the buggy and walked around to climb in beside her. Pulled by a single horse, it was built for two people. The leather seat was soft and more comfortable than she'd expected. The hood shielded them from the cool air and occasional gust of wind.

Josie huddled into her wrap. Davis Lee reached beneath the seat and pulled out a lap robe, spreading it over her legs.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

He snapped the reins against the horse's rump. The buggy lurched into motion but quickly settled into a smooth ride. Davis Lee leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, big hands controlling the reins easily.

Sitting so close to him made her body tingle. His heat wrapped around her in the confined space and every breath brought the scent of him into her lungs. With shaking hands she tucked the lap robe under her legs. The big man beside
her, the clip-clop of the horse, the sound of her own breathing—all played against Josie's nerves. “Can I ask my question now?”

“Go ahead,” he said gruffly.

“Have you ever been married?”

He sat up, looking at her sharply. “No.”

“Close?”

“No.” His gaze narrowed. “That's two questions.”

“Then what happened in Rock River?”

His eyes glittered like steel in the mix of moonlight and shadow.

Well aware of the way Davis Lee's body had gone rigid, Josie proceeded tentatively. “I heard some women talking. They said something happened there, that there was a woman involved and you were run out of town.”

His face went carefully blank and Josie felt an inexplicable tug of regret at asking him. Whatever the secret, he had been hurt by it. Suddenly she didn't want to know, didn't want him to recall painful memories.

“I'm sorry, Davis Lee,” she said quietly. “It's none of my business. I shouldn't have asked.”

He looked back to the road. Silver light drifted across the hard angles of his face, and for an instant he looked so remote, so alone that Josie ached for him.

“I was in love once,” he finally said. “Her name was Betsy Mays. That's what she told me, anyway. I met her when she came to Rock River pretending to be on the run from an abusive father.”

He faced her; his gaze changed from raw to calculating, gauging her reaction to his words. “By the time I figured out she had lied, she'd conned half the town out of their money by saying she planned to use it to help abused women like her to start a new life.”

“And they ran you out of town because of her?” Josie asked incredulously.

“I vouched for her. People didn't take kindly to their sheriff having such lousy judgment. Who could blame them? I'm a lawman. I should've at least
suspected
something about her wasn't right.”

No wonder he was so diligent about watching the stage, checking in with every new arrival. The cold gleam in his eye had Josie swallowing hard.

“As you can probably guess, I have a special aversion to liars.” His voice was soft, ragged with an edge Josie had never heard from anyone. “And I'm real careful about who comes into my town. I'll never let something like that happen again.”

“It wasn't your fault.”

“I trusted her when I shouldn't have. Other people suffered for it.”

Josie fought the apprehension spreading through her. He had good reason to be suspicious of everyone, of
her.
She was lying to him, just as that other woman had. If he ever found out, ever looked at
her
with that same unforgiving bleakness in his eyes, she wouldn't be able to bear it.

She should've changed the subject, done something to keep from giving in to the urge to soothe him, but all she cared about was the pain beneath his words, the blow his pride had suffered. All she wanted right now was to erase the self-loathing on his face.

Without thinking, she lifted a hand and cupped his cheek.

Looking startled, he reined the buggy to a stop, his eyes dark and hot on hers.

“Davis Lee, I haven't known you all that long, but I know you're an honest man, a good man. You care deeply about this town and everyone in it. I'm sure it was the same in Rock River.”

“That doesn't excuse—”

She placed her fingers against his lips, shivering at the feel of his hot breath through her gloves. “We can't help
who we fall in love with. You weren't at fault for the things that woman did. She's the only one responsible.”

Riley had told him the same thing, but somehow, coming from Josie, the words took on a new significance. They were at the edge of town; the sounds of raucous laughter and voices drifted from the saloon. Friday and Saturday nights always saw the cowboys from neighboring ranches coming into Whirlwind to blow off some steam and spend their pay. Only occasionally did they cause any trouble.

Right now his mind was on the trouble sitting next to him. He reached up and gently removed Josie's hand, folding hers into his much-bigger one. “Josie—”

“Do you know what I see when I look at you?” she asked softly. “A man who would nurse a near-stranger back to health. A man who has the compassion to bring a puppy to a widow to help ease her pain.”

A man who wants to drag this woman into his lap and kiss her senseless,
he added silently. The dark thrum in his blood urged him to do it; so did the soft look in her green eyes. Somehow he resisted, managed to put the buggy in motion and start through town while still holding her hand.

She stunned him. Amazed him. He had thought to tell her about Betsy only to see how she would react, see if guilt would cross her face when he talked about the lying woman from his past. But somewhere in the telling, he found himself confiding in her because he wanted to.

His hand squeezed hers. “I've never told anyone except Riley.”

Emotion flared in her eyes. “You can trust me not to say a word to anyone.”

Trust her?
Instinct told him he shouldn't trust her at all, yet he'd done just that. They reached the hotel and he released her hand, but instead of stepping out of the buggy to help her down, he turned to her. “Since I've been honest
with you, Josie, why don't you be honest, too? Why did you really come to Whirlwind?”

He saw her pulse jerk in her neck. “I told you why.”

Maybe she'd told him part of the truth, but his gut knew she hadn't told him all of it. “I considered that maybe you came here because the memories in Galveston were too painful.”

Her whole body locked up.

“Was it too hard to stay there because you're still in love with William?”

“No.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

“Does your coming here have something to do with the time I found you in my jail?”

She looked down, her voice trembling. “Is that why you're interested in me? Because you think I'm hiding something and you want to know what?”

“No,” he said quietly. His only interest in her
should
be to discover her secrets, but it wasn't. “I'm just curious as to why you would leave your family and move so far away? What's here for you?”

“There's nothing
there
for me.” She fisted her hands in her lap. “My parents are dead.”

His heart clenched. “I'm sorry.”

She fiddled with her gloves, the edges of her coat.

“You have no other family?”

She shook her head.

“Why Whirlwind?”

“Why not?”

He waited, sensing a struggle within her. She gave a hoarse laugh. “I got on the stage, and when it stopped here, I thought this was a nice town. I wanted to stay.”

“So you just ended up here?” he asked skeptically.

Her gaze leveled into his. “Haven't you ever ended up somewhere you hadn't planned to?”

Yes. Back here, by way of Rock River.
“I guess so.”

He knew she was holding back, but he also felt that she was starting to trust him. He wanted that as much as he wanted answers.

She looked so pretty in her ice-pink gown with the moonlight touching her face, skimming the hair she'd gathered back loosely. He wanted to kiss her again, wanted to do more than that.

The Baldwin brothers' blunt questions from earlier tonight replayed in Davis Lee's mind. They didn't think he was involved with Josie the way he'd led them to believe. They had made their intentions toward her very clear, especially Matt. And something inside Davis Lee had snapped. He'd claimed her for a dance, knowing that if he didn't, every man there would know inside of five minutes that she was available. And she wasn't.

He might not trust her, but he wanted her. Until he figured out what to do about it, the only man she spent time with would be him.

He stepped out of the buggy and went around to help her out. At the hotel's front door, he opened it, holding her arm for a moment longer than necessary. He managed to keep from wrapping a tendril of her hair around his finger.

She looked up at him, thoughtful and unguarded. “Thank you for telling me.”

He nodded. As certain as he was that she was up to something regarding McDougal, he was just as certain that she would keep his confidence. “Good night.”

“Good night.” She started inside.

“I'll pick you up tomorrow evening at six-thirty.”

“What?” She pivoted. “Why?”

The look on her face—part eagerness, part apprehension—had him grinning. “For your lesson.”

She stared hard at him. “I thought you were too busy.”

He stepped down onto the street and shrugged. “I've worked things out.”

“I've already made other arrangements.”

“Change them.”

Her chin came up. “But I'm doing fine with Jake.”

She wasn't going to be doing fine or anything else with Jake from now on. “I'll feel better knowing exactly what instruction you're getting.”

“Why have you changed your mind?” Her eyes narrowed.

He climbed into the buggy. “I thought you wanted
me
to teach you.”

“I do. I did.” She shook her head as if trying to clear it. “Why?”

“Don't worry about telling Jake. I'll see he finds out.”

She crossed her arms, looking at him expectantly. He just grinned. When she realized he wasn't going to bend, she said grudgingly, “All right.”