The Reluctant Bride Page 14

  “The old man would never fire me. I’m the only reason half the men bother to come into his lousy saloon. I’m prettier than her,” she said, pointing at Tanzy, “and I know what it takes to please a man.” She adopted a wheedling tone. “I could please you again, Russ. Why won’t you let me come out to your ranch? I could make you so happy you’d never want to leave.”

  “It’s no place for a woman.”

  “You were going to take her out there.”

  “She’d have been my wife.”

  “I’ll be your wife. I could be a much better wife than she’d ever be.”

  Russ had worried marrying Tanzy could upset the quiet and camaraderie that made it possible for him to endure his life. He knew instinctively Betty would destroy it.

  “I don’t want a wife.”

  Betty turned rigid with anger. “Then why were you kissing her?”

  Why did he kiss Tanzy? He didn’t know himself, certainly wouldn’t have told Betty if he did.

  “It was a friendship kiss, a kind of thank you.”

  “What for?” Betty asked, eyes alive with suspicion.

  “I was the one kissing him,” Tanzy said.

  “I knew it!” Betty exclaimed.

  “He had just saved me from a potentially embarrassing situation with a student.”

  Why would Tanzy take the blame for something she hadn’t done? It would only make Betty more angry and eager to cause as much trouble as possible.

  Betty made a face of disgust. “If you’re talking about Jem mooning over you like the young fool he is, everybody knows that. He’ll get over it.”

  “Young boys often have momentary attachments for older women. The fact that they’re foolish doesn’t make them any less real.”

  That’s just a bunch of nonsense,” Betty said. “Jem was drooling all over me less than a month ago. I gave him a good slap across his face and told him not to bother me again. That did the trick, I can assure you.”

  “As long as he’s a pupil in my schoolhouse, I will treat him with respect.”

  “Surely you aren’t fool enough to believe any of this stuff she’s saying?” Betty said to Russ.

  “I remember what it was like to be Jem’s age.”

  “You never loved anybody but me,” Betty declared.

  Apparently nothing was going to convince Betty that Russ didn’t love her.

  “We have to go,” he said to Tanzy. Retaining his hold on Betty’s arm, he turned her and marched her out of the schoolhouse. He kept moving, ignoring everything she said, until they reached the main street of Boulder Gap. Then he turned and cut her off in mid-sentence.

  “Stop your hysterical yammering for one minute,” he said, keeping his voice soft so he wouldn’t attract attention, “and listen very carefully to what I’m going to say.”

  “I know you’re angry with me,” she began in that wheedling voice he hated so much, “but—”

  “I’m not angry at you,” Russ said. “I’m disgusted and fed up. I don’t love you and I never told you I did. Don’t argue with me,” he said when she attempted to interrupt. “I don’t know why you decided I belonged to you, but I never gave you any reason to think I did.”

  “You come to the saloon to see me.”

  “I go the saloon to get a drink. You come over to see me. Get it through your head that I’m not going to marry you.”

  “It’s all her fault,” Betty said, her anger flaring again.

  “It has nothing to do with Tanzy. I wasn’t going to marry you before she came here. Now forget all this and go back to the saloon. Why don’t you marry one of those nice cowboys who moon over you? Any one of them would make you a good husband.”

  “I’m not marrying some cowhand,” Betty said disdainfully. “I’m going to marry you.”

  Russ turned and started walking away.

  “You can’t run away from me, Russ Tibbolt. You belong to me. That woman can’t have you. I won’t let her.”

  Russ walked faster, anxious to get back to the ranch. It would be easier to deal with rustlers than a screaming, delusional woman. How could he have ever been such a fool as to think of bringing a female into his own house? He was lucky Tanzy hadn’t wanted to marry him. For once being accused of something he hadn’t done had turned out to be a good thing.

  Tanzy sat immobile, trying to comprehend what had just happened, trying to put it into perspective, trying to say it didn’t change anything. But it did. That one, nearly insignificant kiss had changed her mind about virtually everything. She now had to admit her attraction to Russ was more than merely the normal attraction of a woman to a big, handsome, masterful man. She liked Russ. She was attracted to him, not just to his body.

  She was disgusted she could allow her principles to be overcome by an emotional reaction. She’d always thought she couldn’t like anyone who violated one of her big taboos. Now she knew better. She liked Russ despite that. His writing had shown her there was a very different side to Russ, one that had little to do with the persona he let people see. She believed he had more capacity to love than she’d ever seen in a man, more capacity to be sensitive to the people around him. She was sure no one knew the real Russ, not even Russ.

  Just as shocking was her physical reaction. The kiss had been brief, hardly more than the brushing of lips. Yet in that short time it set off sparks in parts of Tanzy’s body that had never before been ignited. She’d never felt anything like the physical force that compelled her, despite her shock and surprise, to stay with the kiss so long she was drawn in even more deeply. In one instant She’d gone from complete indifference to a strong urge to bury her hands in his hair and pull his mouth hard against her own. She’d wanted to feel his body pressed against her, to feel his strength, his heat, his desire for her. She ought to get down on her knees and offer a prayer of thanks that Betty had burst into the schoolhouse. No telling what kind of fool she would have made of herself if She’d been left alone with Russ any longer.

  Why had he kissed her? Was it really merely in appreciation for the things She’d said about him? If that was all it was, she could dismiss it and move on. She’d have to deal with her reaction, but it would be easier knowing he attached no importance to the kiss.

  But what if it had been more? What if he really wanted to kiss her because he was so attracted to her that he had overcome his reluctance to have anything to do with women? She couldn’t deny that she wanted it to mean more, that she didn’t want the kiss to be a nearly meaningless gesture of appreciation for a few kind words. She wanted it to have happened because he wanted to kiss her and couldn’t stop himself. Ironic that she’d spent so much time evading men’s embraces, avoiding their kisses, being repulsed by their attempts to grope her body. Now her own feelings had been turned upside down.

  She could say what she wanted, but she was so powerfully attracted to Russ she couldn’t depend on her reason to hold her feelings in check. From now on she’d have to make sure Tardy stayed with her whenever she was in the schoolhouse.

  “Betty Hicks tells me she surprised you kissing Russ Tibbolt in the schoolhouse yesterday,” Ethel said to Tanzy after she seated herself in the only chair in Tanzy’s hotel room. She had been waiting for Tanzy when she and Tardy emerged from the schoolhouse. She’d sent Tardy off with a sharp admonition to do his lessons at once.

  “I wondered how long it would take Betty to go running to you,” Tanzy said.

  The behavior of the schoolteacher is my responsibility. Kissing in front of the children is not acceptable behavior.”

  There were no students in the schoolhouse. Russ and I were alone.”

  “Betty said Jem Bridger was there.”

  “He was when Russ arrived, but he’d already left.”

  “You should have nothing to do with Russ Tibbolt. I warned you about him when you first arrived.”

  “I remember that quite well, but I was glad he did stop by. Jem Bridger has taken the notion in his head that he loves me and wants to marry me”r />
  “Good Lord!”

  “When I tried to explain that I didn’t love him, that I was too old and his parents would never agree, he tried to kiss me. If Russ hadn’t come in just then, I imagine he would have succeeded. The boy is very strong.”

  “I shall speak to his mother at once,” Ethel said. “I won’t have you subjected to assaults by the students.”

  “Please don’t say anything. I think Russ handled the situation quite well.”

  “How did he do that?”

  “By pointing out what Jem needed to do before he could consider marrying anyone. It put the burden on him to make something of himself. The episode may prove to be good for him.”

  That is still to be seen,” Ethel said, not nearly as impressed with Russ’s tactics as Tanzy, “but if you didn’t kiss Russ, why did he kiss you?”

  “It was more a brushing of lips than a kiss. I doubt it meant anything to him.”

  “Russ is extremely handsome and he knows it. He’s used his good looks many times in the past to get his way, but it won’t work anymore. We all know him too well.”

  “Betty Hicks doesn’t. She’s convinced he would have married her if I hadn’t arrived.”

  “Russ will never marry her. He hates women. I don’t agree with his sentiment, but he’s got good reason to feel that way. That’s why I was so surprised when I heard he’d sent for a mail-order bride.” Ethel stood. “Well, I’ve said what I came to say. Just steer clear of Russ Tibbolt. He’s trouble. Always has been.” Her stern expression changed to a smile. “I’ve been hearing good things about your work. The parents are very pleased with their children’s progress. I must say I’ve been impressed with the changes you’ve wrought in my nephew. The boy will never amount to much, but if he continues to improve, at least he won’t be an embarrassment.”

  Tardy has a great deal of potential. He just needs to develop confidence in himself. It would help if people stopped treating him like an embarrassment.”

  Ethel clearly didn’t take kindly to criticism. Both her smile and appearance of satisfaction vanished.

  “It’s good that a teacher should think only the best of her students, but I assure you I have ample reason to feel as I do about him. I’ll be most grateful if you’re able to give me reason to change my mind,” she said stiffly.

  “He’s made so much progress, he’s able to help me with some of the others,” Tanzy said, determined not to be bullied.

  “I expect you to do the teaching.”

  “With all the children at different levels, I can’t possibly find the time to give them all the individual attention they need. I depend upon several of the older children to help me.”

  It was clear Ethel didn’t like this, but she couldn’t dispute the facts. “I will be evaluating your work at the end of the month. We can talk further about it then.”

  Tanzy didn’t know what Russ had meant by that kiss, but he’d done her a great disservice. From now on everything she did would be questioned and viewed from every angle. The wisest thing to do would be to discontinue Russ’s lessons, but she wasn’t going to give in to the prejudice against him. She’d have to make sure Russ never came without Tardy. One more innocent kiss and she’d be out the door.

  “You tired of teaching school yet?” Stocker asked Tanzy. He was in the hotel lobby when she came back after school and walked away from a group of men to join her.

  “No,” Tanzy replied. “I enjoy it.”

  “You’re too pretty to be wasting your time on a bunch of kids.”

  “I have to have a Job, Mr. Pullet. I have to repay Russ the cost of bringing me out here.”

  “If you’d come out to marry me, I’d never make you repay me.”

  “Since you don’t want a wife and didn’t send for me, that doesn’t come into consideration.”

  “I never said I didn’t want a wife,” Stocker said with the kind of leering look Tanzy hated. “I do need someone like you to work in my saloon. Betty Hicks is luring customers over to the Silver Nugget.”

  “Then why don’t you hire Betty?”

  “Because you’re prettier and higher class.”

  “You weren’t so complimentary when you thought I was going to marry Russ.”

  “I was upset that any decent woman would consider marrying him.”

  Tanzy wasn’t interested in what Stocker had thought of her. She was tired and wanted to go to her room.

  “I appreciate your offer, but I much prefer teaching school.”

  “You’re wasting your time—”

  “Let’s start the meeting, Stocker,” one of the men said.

  “You won’t want me here.” Tanzy was eager for a chance to leave, but something made her ask, “What’s the meeting about?”

  “Deciding who’s going out to check on Russ Tibbolt’s herd,” one of the men said.

  “I think we all ought to go,” another man said. “We’ve all lost cattle.”

  “You’re wasting your time,” still another said. “He wouldn’t invite us to go out there if he had stolen cows in that valley. That’d be the same as putting his head in a noose.”

  “This is just a ploy to make us stop suspecting him,” Stocker said. “We know it’s none of us doing the rustling, so it’s got to be him. I say we ride in there together and hang him and every one of those crooks who work for him.”

  “You can’t convict a man without proof,” Tanzy said. “And you can’t hang him without a trial.”

  “This is the Colorado Territory,” someone shouted. “Horse thieving and cattle rustling are hanging offenses.”

  “I don’t like Russ one bit, but he ain’t stupid,” one said. “We’ve tried to pin something on him for years and we ain’t succeeded so far.”

  “We sent him to jail for killing Toley,” Stocker said. “We pinned that on him.”

  The sudden quiet, the averted gazes, told Tanzy more clearly than anything she’d heard that something had not been right about that trial. Whatever happened, these men weren’t proud of it.

  “I say we don’t waste our time poking around Russ’s Valley,” a man said. “I say we go looking for the missing cows. We ought to search every canyon, pass, valley, and gully within a hundred miles that could hide even two head. We’ll know as soon as we find the cows who’s been doing the rustling, and we’ll have the evidence to hang them.”

  “You’re wasting your time searching all over for cows he’s already sold,” Stocker insisted. “I’m not pulling my men off my herds to send them on a wild-goose chase so Russ can steal even more cows while they’re gone. Either we go in there and hang him without all this fiddle-faddle, or I’ll have nothing to do with it.”

  Stocker stalked from the hotel lobby. The men talked among themselves for a while, arguing loudly for one course of action or another, but ultimately left without making any decision. That didn’t surprise Tanzy. She hadn’t expected they’d do anything without Stocker’s approval and leadership.

  She couldn’t forget the men’s reaction to Russ’s conviction. Maybe it had been a fair fight and Stocker had pressured the jury to convict him unfairly and send him to prison. That would be more than enough reason for Russ to bear a grudge that would never entirely go away. Then maybe she’d overstated the enmity between Russ and Stocker. Maybe Russ wasn’t feuding with Stocker. If he had wanted to kill the other man, surely he could have found an opportunity in the five years since he’d been released from jail. Fear of the law never stopped feuds in Kentucky. She didn’t expect it would in the Colorado Territory.

  It was easier to believe Russ since she’d read some of the things he’d written. She knew it was possible he’d written them just to change her mind, but she couldn’t see any reason for him to worry about the opinion of a woman he didn’t want to marry. Despite the kiss, she hadn’t seen any change in his attitude toward her.

  It must have been a moment of weakness, even loneliness, that prompted the kiss. She smiled to herself as she climbed the steps to h
er room. It was nice to know she had the power to pull him free of his iron reserve for at least a moment. He’d probably cursed himself all the way back to the ranch, expecting her to Start making demands, expecting special treatment, or whatever it was he thought women did that had given him such a bad opinion of them. It had something to do with his mother. That realization made her more sympathetic toward him. It was a shame he wasn’t different. Being married to him could have been quite exciting.

  What was she talking about? She didn’t want excitement in her marriage. She wanted dependability and stability. She wanted a home of her own, children, and the knowledge that they could grow up safely. And she wanted a husband who would see her as his equal, someone whose feelings mattered, whose opinions were to be valued, whose knowledge was important to the success of the family. On that score Russ failed dismally.

  Tanzy knew something was afoot when she saw Ethel Peters, Jem Bridger’s mother, and another woman Coming toward the schoolhouse accompanied by Betty. Their stride, aggressive and determined, and their expressions, grim and angry, warned her that it probably wouldn’t be something to her liking.

  “What are they all coming here for?” Tardy asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tanzy said. Ethel had said she would be checking Tanzy’s progress, but this didn’t look like a progress report committee. The women looked more like vigilantes. Time to go back inside,” Tanzy called out to the students.

  “We haven’t been out our full time,” several protested.

  “I’ll let you stay out longer this afternoon,” Tanzy said.

  “Now go back inside and get to work.”

  The children grumbled, but one look at Ethel’s committee convinced them to follow orders.

  “Tardy, I want you to be responsible for the children until I’m done.”

  Tardy looked stunned. “Me?”

  “Don’t you think you can do it?”

  “Nobody’s ever made me responsible for anything.”

  “Well, you are now. And I don’t want everybody with their noses stuck to the Windows.”

  Tardy headed toward the schoolhouse, a spring in his step, but he turned back with a worried look just before he went inside. Tanzy thought he probably had reason.