The Cowboys - Chet Part 22

She'd forced herself to read until after 1:00 A.M. to keep her mind from torturing her with horrible scenarios, all of which ended in Chet's brutal and gruesome death. The same worries kept her tossing in her bed the rest of the night. She only managed to set aside her fears when she remembered that Chet had been lying in this very same bed, his limbs resting in the very places her limbs rested now, only days before. But that set up a chain of thought that agitated her nearly as much. Never, in her entire life, had she imagined herself sharing a bed with a man. Now she couldn't get that thought out of her mind. Having seen Chet naked from the waist up made the imagining all that much easier. She could easily imagine the excitement of running her hands over his smooth chest, his firm waist, his powerful shoulders. She could just as easily imagine being held in his arms. It was frightening. It was exhilarating. It was impossible to ignore.

Then there were the kisses. Melody had only been kissed twice, neither an earth-shattering experience, but she had an excellent imagination. She could also remember the experiences of her more impressionable friends. At the time she hadn't believed much of what they said, but putting Chet in the role of lover made it all quite credible. Melody was embarra.s.sed even to think that word, yet it wouldn't go away. How could any woman think of that man without thinking of him as a lover?

"Are you angry with me?"

"What?" Belle must have been speaking to her, but she hadn't heard a word.

"You've been ignoring me all day," Belle said moodily, looking up from her own needlework.

"Sorry. I'm worried about Chet," Melody said. "He's been gone all day. I thought he would have been back by now. I'm afraid something has happened to him."

"I'm sure he's quite safe. Sydney says he's incredibly fast with a gun. He says no one could beat him."

"Sydney ought to be very thankful that's true."

"He is. He's been quite altered by the whole experience."

"I haven't seen much sign of it." But then, Melody hadn't seen much of her brother. Belle had taken possession of the sickroom like a general of a captured enemy position. She didn't even allow Bernice inside for more than a few minutes at a time.

"It's the kind of thing he wouldn't tell a sister, but would never keep from his mother."

Melody didn't want to disparage her brother unfairly, but she couldn't see him confiding in Belle.

"What did he say?" she asked, wondering if Chet would return before dark.

"He said he knows Blade is faster than he is. He also said Blade was going to kill him even though he was down on the ground. He said Blade had his gun drawn, but Chet walked straight up to him anyway. He said Chet wasn't scared. He didn't even look at Blade. He went straight over to Sydney to see how badly he'd been hurt."

Melody already felt guilty enough that she and her family had put Chet in such danger. Learning of his bravery only made her feel worse. "I hope Sydney appreciates the risk Chet took."

"He's more impressed that Chet could outdraw Blade and the other man at the same time. He's described the entire fight at least a half-dozen times, but he talks as much about Chet's courage as he does about his guns. He said Chet doesn't believe in using guns to settle every argument, but if you're going to stand up for law and order, you'd better be as good with the criminal's weapons as the criminal is himself."

"I'm not sure I like that philosophy," Melody said, "but it's an improvement."

The sound of horses approaching brought her to her feet instantly and sent her running to the window. "It's Lantz Royal!" She was surprised he had the nerve to show up. If he'd been meaning to apologize for what Blade did, he should have come yesterday. If he was coming for any other reason, he could have saved himself the effort. She wanted nothing more to do with him. Belle looked unhappy at having to face the father of the man who'd almost killed her son. Melody came to a quick decision.

"You stay here," she told Belle. "If I meet him outside, you won't have to see him."

Melody was glad to see Belle looked relieved. It was time her stepmother stopped being blinded by Lantz Royal's wealth and power and saw him for the brutal bully he was.

Melody was slightly surprised to see that Lantz looked just as handsome and virile as ever. She didn't know what she had expected, but she'd imagined that somehow the evil he represented would have become visible. He didn't appear to be the least bit embarra.s.sed or upset by what had happened. His smile and swaggering self-confidence were unchanged.

"Afternoon," he said without dismounting. "You're looking mighty fine, as usual."

His compliments didn't interest her nearly as much as the man accompanying him. He watched her from under a hat pulled so low, it obscured all of his face except his mouth and chin. For a moment she thought he looked familiar.

"You haven't introduced your friend," Melody said, trying to keep her voice as cold and formal as possible.

"This is Luke," Lantz said. "We came over to see how your brother is doing."

Melody didn't really hear the last of Lantz's sentence. Luke! This was the gunfighter Lantz had hired to find the rustlers. But what was he doing here unless he was looking for Chet? It seemed everything Chet did for them put him in greater danger.

"I'm afraid I can't ask you to get down and come in," Melody said, gathering her wits. "Belle doesn't want to see you. She hasn't forgiven you for Blade's shooting Sydney."

"He didn't mean it," Lantz said. "It was just some of the tomfoolery boys get up to from time to time."

"He was trying to kill Sydney, Lantz. You can't put any other interpretation on it."

"You don't understand boys out here," Lantz replied. "They're nothing like the dandies you're used to in Richmond."

"In that case, I prefer dandies to boys out here. Is that how you behave, Luke?"

He didn't get a chance to answer. "He's a gunfighter," Lantz told her. "He'd be dead by now if he didn't have more guts than your dandies."

"Is that true, Luke?" She was determined to give him a chance to answer for himself. She'd already misjudged one gunfighter. Even though she couldn't think well of a man who would work for Lantz, she didn't want to make that mistake again.

"Of course it is," Lantz said, answering for him again. "Now, I have to see your stepmother." He started to get down out of the saddle, but just then Chet rounded the corner of the house.

If Melody had had any doubts about her feelings for Chet, she had them no longer. Relief so great it robbed her of her strength flooded her body; happiness so overwhelming it practically lifted her off the ground wrapped itself around her. Chet was back. He was safe. It was all she could do not to fling herself at him. She wished fervently that a hole would open up and swallow Lantz and his awful gunfighter. Their presence could never have been more unwanted than it was now. She looked into Chet's eyes, eager for an answer to the questions she'd asked herself ever since Belle had put the idea into her head.

Did he love her?

She saw warmth, a softening in his gaze, and her heart soared. He must love her to have risked so much. He must.

A tremendous swell of feeling for Chet swept through her. More than liking, more than fondness. It was so great, it left her speechless. She loved him. That had to be it. Nothing else could make her feel like this.

It seemed incredible that such a thing could be true, incredible that she should discover it at such a moment. It was even more incredible that she must act as though nothing had changed when everything had.

"What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?" Lantz demanded. "If you had any sense, you'd be halfway to Mexico by now." It was obvious from Lantz's expression that he hated Chet.

"I don't see that's any of your business," Melody said.

"It d.a.m.ned well is when you're harboring a killer."

Melody's emotions, too near the surface, too much in turmoil, couldn't be contained. It pa.s.sed all comprehension that Lantz couldn't see anything wrong in what his son had done, yet he considered Chet's defense of himself a criminal act. "If anybody should be called a killer, it's Blade," she said. "Have you already forgotten he murdered Tom Neland?"

"And your gunfighter shot my boy and Billy Mason."

"Even a gunfighter is allowed to defend himself when he's drawn on by two men," Chet said. "You've imposed on Miss Jordan's patience long enough. Say what you have to say and leave."

Lantz flinched. Melody realized he'd started to draw his gun, then remembered what had happened that first day.

"Melody may be foolish enough to let you stay here until you're well, but you've no say about the ranch," Lantz said.

"The Jordans made me foreman yesterday. I'm responsible for the ranch and the safety of everyone on it. As far as I'm concerned, you're a nuisance we could do without. But if they want to keep seeing you, I'll make no objection. Your son, on the other hand, is a lawless murderer. If he sets foot on this place, I'll have him arrested. If he harms so much as one hair on the head of anybody here, I'll kill him."

Melody felt something inside her go cold. She wanted to get rid of Lantz, but Chet shouldn't have thrown down the gauntlet in such a forthright manner. It would only make Lantz more determined to kill him.

How, in the midst of all this anger and violence, could her love survive?

"How is Sydney?" Chet asked, turning to her. "Can I see him?"

Melody had begun to turn her head to answer Chet when she saw Lantz go for his gun. Before the cry of alarm could leave her throat, Chet had dropped to a crouch, his drawn gun pointed at Lantz. In that same moment Melody saw Luke's hand lash out and strike Lantz's arm at the wrist, causing him to drop his gun.

Fury and disgust filled Melody.

"Lantz Royal, how dare you draw on a man when he isn't looking!"

"Why did you stop me, you fool?" Lantz shouted at his gunfighter. "I could have killed the b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"Too many witnesses," the man muttered in a harsh whisper. He pointed to the porch. Belle and Bernice had come outside.

"That was the act of a coward," Melody said. "Leave and don't come back. You can have nothing to say to us."

"You can be sure I'll be back," Lantz shouted at her, "to throw you out of this house when I take over. And you," he shouted even louder as he turned to Chet, "you're as good as dead!"

"Next time you start to draw a gun on me, I won't hold my fire," Chet said.

"Next time you'll be dead."

"Maybe I'll come looking for you first," Chet said. "That would be easier than waiting." It was obvious Lantz hadn't considered that. He looked shocked.

"Let's go," Luke growled. He turned his horse and dug his heels into the animal's sides. His lineback dun sprang forward.

"I'm going to kill you!" Lantz shouted at Chet as he turned to follow.

Melody stood riveted to the spot as she watched the two men ride away. Lantz had sworn he'd kill Chet. It didn't make any difference to him that his own son had started the trouble or that Blade had actually tried to kill Chet and Sydney. It didn't make any difference to him what other people might think, what the law might say. He had decided Chet ought to die, and he had the money to hire more gunfighters if Luke couldn't do it.

It was beyond her comprehension, but she did understand one thing. Chet had to leave. She could never forgive herself if anything happened to him because of her.

"You must go," Melody said to Chet. "I'm grateful for what you've done, but I don't want to be responsible for you being hurt again."

"I agree with her," Belle said. She stood at the porch rail, her eyes following Lantz as he rode into the distance. "I never thought Lantz Royal could be so cruel."

"What are you going to do about Lantz's threat to take your ranch?" Chet asked.

"Let him have it," Melody said. "It's not worth dying for. Belle and the boys can go back to Virginia with me. We can sell the stock. That will give us enough money to get started."

"So you're quitting," Chet said.

Melody felt as though she'd been slapped. How could he call her a quitter when all she wanted to do was keep him and her family safe? "Do you think a few cows are worth getting killed for?"

"I don't care what you do with this ranch once you're sure of its owners.h.i.+p. You can give it back to the Indians for all I care, but you can't let a petty tyrant like Lantz take it away."

"It's my ranch. I can do what I want with it."

"Fine. Sell out, run away with your tail between your legs, but I'm staying. I'm going to teach Lantz Royal there's at least one more man in this world he can't bully. It's a shame the daughter of the first man lacks her father's courage."

"I don't lack courage," Melody said, her cheeks hot with anger. "I'm just not a fool."

Chet's expression turned scornful. "If you were a man, you'd stay."

That hurt incredibly. All her life she'd wondered if her father would have taken her to Texas with him if she had been a boy. Emotion, raw and volatile, spilled over and she lost her temper. She walked up to Chet and slapped him as hard as she could. "Don't you ever say that again," she said, her chest heaving from the force of her anger.

His gaze didn't falter. "I call it as I see it. And from what I can see, you've been running ever since you got here."

Her palm stung from the first blow, but she itched to ball up her fist and punch him. She regretted she hadn't given him a horse the minute he asked and let him ride out of there several days ago. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

"You were itching to sell your part of the ranch so you could get back to your safe and cozy Richmond. Then you were considering marrying Lantz even though you didn't love him. You kept tying Tom Neland's hands so he couldn't defend you or your ranch properly."

"Are you saying I'm responsible for Tom's death?" That would be too much. She'd tie him to a horse and run him all the way to Santa Fe.

"Tom made his own decisions. I'm saying you've been running from Texas ever since you got here. You don't like us, and you don't like the way we do things. It's time to find out what you're made of. Either you're soft and scared, or you've got the courage your father had when he came here by himself and carved this ranch out of land he took and held against men determined to take it from him. I say you should go back to Richmond and let your brothers fight for the ranch. Sydney's still got a few things to learn, but he's got guts."

"His guts nearly got him killed."

"But he didn't die."

"Because you saved him."

"That's how we do it out here. We help each other."

"Like I helped you when you were shot?"

"I had hope for you then."

"Why should you care whether I'm a man or a woman? I mean nothing to you."

Melody's surprise at her own words was mirrored in Chet's expression. She hadn't meant it the way it sounded. Yet the moment the words were out of her mouth, she knew that was exactly what she wanted to know. She was in love with this man who'd insulted her and dared to call her a coward. She wanted to know he'd done it because he cared.

But just as quickly as she recognized and accepted the change in her feelings, she realized Chet wasn't ready to accept the truth. Even if he were, he would never consider confessing it in front of Belle and Bernice. It was unfair to ask that of him now, but she meant to do it later. If she was about to do something stupid, she wanted to know he was equally ready to be insane.

"I don't like to see anybody cheated out of what belongs to them," Chet said, "especially not women."

"How very gallant of you. How many people do you propose to kill to keep this terrible event from coming to pa.s.s?"

"None."

"How will you do that? You were the one who just accused me of tying Tom's hands because I wouldn't let him hire a gunfighter."

"You've been sitting around, waiting for Lantz to strike. I propose to carry the battle to him."

"What will that prove?"

"That he can be in just as much danger as you."

"But he's got twice as many men as we do," Belle said.

"He doesn't have to know we're acting alone."