Buch lesen: «Cattleman's Honor»

“I’ve kept you long enough.”

“Another minute isn’t going to matter.” Standing so close, Adam seemed even larger than before, more solid without being the least bit threatening—except to her peace of mind. Emily tried to step back, but her butt bumped the fender of her truck. There was no room to retreat. If she didn’t get out of here, she was going to start batting her lashes and licking her lips.

With one hand he removed her sunglasses and set them on the hood of her truck. Emily’s breath snagged in her throat as Adam cupped her chin lightly. He was near enough for her to see that the green of his irises was only a thin band around the black of his pupils.

“I’m going to be damned sorry I did this,” he muttered. And then he bent his head toward hers….

Dear Reader,

A rewarding part of any woman’s life is talking with friends about important issues. Because of this, we’ve developed the Readers’ Ring, a book club that facilitates discussions of love, life and family. Of course, you’ll find all of these topics wrapped up in each Silhouette Special Edition novel! Our featured author for this month’s Readers’ Ring is newcomer Elissa Ambrose. Journey of the Heart (#1506) is a poignant story of true love and survival when the odds are against you. This is a five-tissue story you won’t be able to put down!

Susan Mallery delights us with another tale from her HOMETOWN HEARTBREAKERS series. Good Husband Material (#1501) begins with two star-crossed lovers and an ill-fated wedding. Years later, they realize their love is as strong as ever! Don’t wait to pick up Cattleman’s Honor (#1502), the second book in Pamela Toth’s WINCHESTER BRIDES series. In this book, a divorced single mom comes to Colorado to start a new life—and winds up falling into the arms of a rugged rancher. What a way to go!

Victoria Pade begins her new series, BABY TIMES THREE, with a heartfelt look at unexpected romance, in Her Baby Secret (#1503)—in which an independent woman wants to have a child, and after a night of wicked passion with a handsome businessman, her wish comes true! You’ll see that there’s more than one way to start a family in Christine Flynn’s Suddenly Family (#1504), in which two single parents who are wary of love find it—with each other! And you’ll want to learn the facts in What a Woman Wants (#1505), by Tori Carrington. In this tantalizing tale, a beautiful widow discovers she’s pregnant with her late husband’s best friend’s baby!

As you can see, we have nights of passion, reunion romances, babies and heart-thumping emotion packed into each of these special stories from Silhouette Special Edition.

Happy reading!

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

Cattleman’s Honor
Pamela Toth

www.millsandboon.co.uk

In loving memory of my mother, Dorothea Coles,

who inspired and encouraged me.

PAMELA TOTH

USA TODAY bestselling author Pamela Toth was born in Wisconsin, but grew up in Seattle where she attended the University of Washington and majored in art. Now living on the Puget Sound area’s east side, she has two daughters, Erika and Melody, and two Siamese cats.

Recently she took a lead from one of her romances and married her high school sweetheart, Frank. They live in a town house within walking distance of a bookstore and an ice-cream shop, two of life’s necessities, with a fabulous view of Mount Rainier. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband, reading, playing FreeCell on the computer, doing counted cross-stitch and researching new story ideas. She’s been an active member of Romance Writers of America since 1982.

Her books have won several awards and they claim regular spots on the Waldenbooks bestselling romance list. She loves hearing from readers and can be reached at P.O. Box 5845, Bellevue, WA 98006. For a personal reply, a stamped, self-addressed envelope is appreciated.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter One

Ignoring her teenage son’s glowering expression, Emily Major shut off the engine of her new pickup truck and slid out from behind the wheel. Heart pounding with excitement, she grabbed a bag of groceries and breathed deeply of the clean Colorado air. In front of Emily was a modest ranch house with a wide, inviting porch, the first home she’d ever had a say in choosing.

“Are you going to sit there all day?” she finally demanded through the open window of the truck.

David hadn’t wanted to come here from their home in L.A., but he hadn’t wanted his mother and father to get a divorce, either. Even though the breakup hadn’t been her choice, Emily suspected that David blamed her for it as well as for moving him to Waterloo.

David didn’t honor her with a reply. His arms were folded across his chest and his head was turned away. His bleached hair was hidden by a baseball cap, and the sun glinted on the small gold hoop in his ear.

Emily had no idea how to reach him anymore. The loving little boy who had believed she’d hung the moon had been replaced by a brooding stranger with a partially shaved head and a permanent curl to his lip. Sometimes the pain in his eyes, brown like her own, broke her heart.

It was for David’s sake that she’d uprooted the two of them and her business. She would do anything to keep her son safe, but he hated everything she did. Sometimes she wondered whether he hated her, as well.

With a sigh, Emily dug the new brass key from her purse and headed up the path to the house. She’d been here once before, after spotting the classified ad in a real estate magazine. She’d been desperate to get out of L.A., but David had of course refused to come with her to look at the property—just as he’d refused to believe she would consider moving to the American wasteland, as he called anything outside southern California.

They had spent last night in town, sharing a motel room equipped with sagging beds, a bathroom faucet that dripped all night into a rust-stained sink and a black-and-white TV with two channels. Now their suitcases and David’s motorbike were in the back of the pickup. The truck with the rest of their belongings was supposed to meet them here this morning.

When she’d driven through the center of the sleeping town late last night, David had made rude comments about the false-fronted buildings, the cowboy they’d seen walking down the wooden sidewalk and the community in general. Finally, Emily, exhausted by the long drive and the uncertainty gnawing a hole in her stomach, had lost her temper and snapped at David. He’d barely spoken since, but at least he’d stopped sneering long enough to wolf down a huge country breakfast this morning at the little café on the rustic main street. Beneath all the bravado and attitude, he was still a typical sixteen-year-old with a hollow void for a stomach.

“What are you doing?” he called out as she lugged the bag of groceries up the front porch steps.

Encouraged, Emily plastered a wide smile on her face and turned around. She pushed her sunglasses back up her nose with her free hand. Despite the cool breeze, the spring sunshine was dazzling. After the cacophony of noise in L.A., the silence here was a sound in itself.

“I’m going inside our new home. Why don’t you come and look around?” she invited with a sweeping gesture.

To her surprise and delight, he opened the door of the pickup she’d bought for the move and unfolded his gangly body from the cab. If he walked any more slowly, he wouldn’t be moving at all, but she hid her irritation beneath a veneer of patience as she waited for him to cross the yard. He’d shot up this year and the girls back home had started to notice him, one more reason he resented the move.

When he finally joined Emily, their gazes were level, even though she was standing three steps above him. “It’s your new home,” he replied, his attractive features distorted by his hostility. “I’m moving back to Brentwood with Dad.”

Dismay pricked Emily’s balloon of happiness. She reached out to touch his shoulder, but he jerked away. Letting her hand drop to her side, she bit her lip and debated breaking the news that his father didn’t want him. Stuart had a new family now, a wife who was much younger than Emily and a baby conceived before his separation from her. True to form, Stuart had allowed David to believe that Emily’s vindictiveness was the reason he couldn’t live with his father in his sprawling new showplace, that the court had sided with her, and that Stuart’s hands were tied.

“We’ll talk about it later,” Emily said now, silently calling herself a coward for postponing the inevitable as she juggled the groceries and unlocked the solid front door. It opened directly into the living room, which was minuscule by the standards they were both accustomed to, but was perfectly adequate for the two of them. On one wall was a lovely fireplace built by the former owner with rocks he’d hauled from the surrounding land.

Ignoring David’s derisive snort, Emily crossed the wood floor and went through an archway to the cozy dining room. Two big windows trimmed with leaded glass faced east, framing a view of rolling pasture that stretched out like a shaggy gold and green carpet as far as she could see. Twenty acres of that pasture was hers.

Emily tore her gaze from the view and continued to the kitchen. The appliances were outdated, though functional, and would eventually have to be replaced, but the oak cupboards, lovingly handcrafted and polished to a satiny gleam, were as appealing as the first time she’d seen them. Setting down the bag of groceries, she stowed the perishables in the refrigerator.

“Where’s my room?” David demanded from behind her. “Or do we have to share, like last night?”

The town’s one motel had been booked nearly full with attendees of some local livestock auction, an event that hadn’t escaped David’s contempt, and they’d been fortunate to get a room at all.

Emily ignored his sarcasm, but his attitude was eating at her patience and spoiling her pride of ownership. “You have your own room,” she replied with forced cheerfulness. “You’re way too messy for us to be permanent roommates.”

Before he could say anything more, she brushed past him, leading the way back through the dining room to a short hallway. As well as three adequate bedrooms, the house had, astonishingly, two bathrooms, one adjoining the master bedroom. She paused in the doorway of the other one.

“This is yours,” she said, gesturing, “but you’ll have to keep it picked up, because company will be using it, too.” Their home in Brentwood had included a private bathroom off each of its five bedrooms, as well as two powder rooms on the main floor, one bigger than the kitchen in this house.

There was no point in looking back. The past was behind them and the future was hers to determine without asking anyone else’s permission.

“Like we’ll have any company here,” David complained. “We don’t know a soul in the whole damn state.”

“I’ll let that one go,” Emily replied, hanging tight to her temper, “but any more bad language and your bike stays parked for a week. If you want to ride the bus to school, keep it up.”

“Aw, geez!”

“You know the rules,” she continued, ignoring his outburst. “I understand how difficult this has been for you, but it’s no picnic for me, either.”

“The he-eck it isn’t,” he burst out. “You can work anywhere, but my life and my friends are a thousand miles away!”

“So’s the hood who could have killed you!” Emily said without thinking. The boys who’d shot at David while he was jogging before school had never been apprehended. Her son had steadfastly claimed not to have recognized them, nor could he remember anything about their car.

Now his jaw clenched as she touched his arm fleetingly. Flogging him with constant reminders of the incident would get them nowhere. “You’ll make friends at your new school,” she promised, hoping his appearance wouldn’t set him apart from the local kids. “Now let’s look at the rest of the house before the truck gets here with our stuff.”

For a long moment he returned her pleading stare with an obstinate one of his own. Then he ducked his head, giving her a glimpse of the bewildered child behind the defiant rebel, and stepped aside. Emily pushed open the door to the room directly across from the bathroom.

“This is yours.” She let him go in first, knowing how different it was from his former retreat with its custom entertainment center, computer desk and small refrigerator. He stood in the middle of the floor with his shoulders hunched, but at least he looked around. The corner room had windows on two walls. The third held an ample closet and a built-in bed frame with drawers underneath.

David glanced at Emily and shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess.”

Not surprised, she nodded and quickly showed him the remaining two rooms. Her bedroom would be the one with the adjoining bath that she’d been surprised an old bachelor would bother with, and the other would serve as her office. She planned to turn one of the nearby outbuildings into her studio.

Trained by a respected old master back in L.A., Emily restored rare books. While living in California, she had developed a large client base and she now turned down more commissions than she accepted. Her income, though not on a par with that of her ex-husband, was sufficient to maintain herself and her son comfortably. The only money she accepted from Stuart was the court-ordered child support payments that went directly into David’s college fund.

Before she could think of anything else to say about the house, a rumble from outside alerted her to the arrival of the moving truck. Emily was relieved it was on schedule. Once the unloading was done, she and David would have plenty to keep them busy. With the first show of real interest since they’d crossed the California state line, he hurried past her toward the front door.

“Adam, it’s just dinner. Denise Sparks seems like a nice woman. C’mon, give her a chance.”

Travis Winchester’s voice was as irritating as the whine of a mosquito, and his older brother, Adam, ignored it as he stalked past the feed store cash register to the exit. Adam had enough on his mind without dodging Travis’s clumsy matchmaking attempts.

Head down, cheeks burning, Adam pretended not to notice the cashier’s smirk or the curious glances from several other customers who had overheard Travis’s plea. Adam would have liked to wring his brother’s neck. Ever since Travis had married his mail-order bride, he’d been determined to see Adam get hitched, as well.

Dammit, why wouldn’t anyone listen when Adam told them he tried never to make the same mistake twice? Except for his daughter, Kim, his marriage had been a huge blunder he had no intention of repeating.

Tugging down the brim of his hat, Adam yanked open the front door of the feed store, bent on escape from Travis’s nagging. The bell jangled, and he barely had time to register a pair of startled brown eyes before a woman who’d been pushing the door open from the other direction stumbled forward.

She yelped in surprise as one of her flailing hands knocked his hat off and the other jabbed his ribs. He grabbed her arms, struggling to keep his balance as she fell against him, but their feet got tangled, and they both nearly went down.

“Whoa, steady,” he said as she twisted out of his grip. Her hip bumped the front of his jeans, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Before she could do him real harm, he took a prudent step backward.

“Are you okay?” he demanded as her spicy perfume teased his nostrils.

Her topknot had come loose and a thick hank of blond hair hung down past her ear. “I’m fine,” she exclaimed, her cheeks a fiery pink. “Sorry.”

Adam had never seen her before, or he would have remembered her. “It wasn’t your fault,” he assured her, bending down to retrieve his new Resistol before she could step on it. He slapped it against his thigh to knock off the dust and set it back on his head. “Are you sure you’re not hurt? We hit pretty hard.” He could still feel the imprint of her soft breasts against his chest.

“No, I’m okay.” She was medium height, and she had to tip back her head to look at him. Her brown eyes, beneath feathery brows, were an intriguing contrast to her golden hair, but he realized that she wasn’t quite as young as he’d first thought.

She bit her lip, drawing his attention to its fullness, and she tucked the dangling lock of hair behind her ear. He was about to introduce himself when she excused herself abruptly and ducked around him. He turned to follow her back inside and ask her name when he realized he’d forgotten all about Travis, who was watching him with undisguised curiosity. Sneaking one last glance at the blonde’s retreating figure in snug tan jeans, Adam went down the front steps with his brother hot on his heels.

“That’s a novel way of meeting women,” Travis said when they both reached the sidewalk. “Just knock ’em down. If they get back up, ask them out.”

“I didn’t ask her out,” Adam growled as he circled their truck and opened the driver’s door. “I don’t hit on strange women.”

“You don’t hit on any women,” Travis replied. “Strange or otherwise. I’ve never seen her around before.”

“She’s probably just passing through town. Forget about her.” That was what Adam planned to do.

A brand-new silvery-blue pickup with fancy wheels and California plates was parked in the space next to his. It looked like something the blonde would drive, since it didn’t resemble a ranch rig any more than she did a ranch wife. Her perfume screamed “big city” and the skin where he’d grabbed her arm had been as smooth as warm satin.

Not that he’d noticed.

“Why would anyone who looked like her be passing through Waterloo?” Travis asked as Adam started the truck and backed onto the street. “Is there a movie crew in town?”

Adam shot him a disbelieving glance. “How should I know? Maybe she’s here for the auction. In case you missed it while you were gawking, she and I didn’t take the time to exchange life stories.” He shifted gears and headed down the street, resisting the urge to look around and see if she’d come out of the feed store. Speculating about someone he’d probably never see again was a waste of time he didn’t have to spare.

“I wasn’t gawking,” Travis muttered, “but if I was single, I would have at least gotten her name.”

Adam nearly laughed out loud. “Yeah, before Rory showed up, you were a real ladies’ man.” He didn’t bother to tone down his sarcasm.

Travis leaned forward to fiddle with the buttons on the radio. “What am I supposed to tell Denise about dinner?” he asked over the sound of fiddle music.

“Tell her whatever you want,” Adam replied heartlessly. “I didn’t invite her. And tell that redhead you married to quit trying to fix me up, or I’ll have her shipped back to New York.”

“You tell Rory that.” Travis leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “You don’t have to live with her.”

“Fix your friend up with Charlie,” Adam suggested. “He’s single.”

“Charlie’s been seeing the new nurse from the clinic,” Travis reminded him, looking out the side window.

Who could keep up with Charlie’s social life? When it came to women, he more than made up for both his older brothers. “We’ve got bigger problems than what to do about your friend,” Adam said bluntly. “While you were ordering that fencing, I heard that Ed Johnson sold out.”

Travis’s head snapped around, and he gaped at Adam. “Are you serious? Johnson sold his spread without telling us? Is the deal final?”

Adam nodded grimly as he swung out to pass a loaded stock hauler. “Apparently so.”

“Everybody knows how bad we need that land,” Travis exclaimed. “Who’d buy it out from under us like that?”

Adam’s hands tightened on the wheel. “I don’t know, but I intend to make some calls and find out.”

Back in the feed store, Emily wandered up and down the rows of work clothes, tack, veterinary supplies and tools, some of which she couldn’t begin to identify. Several other customers glanced her way, but she wasn’t sure whether their interest was because she was new in town or they’d witnessed her embarrassing collision with tall, dark and rugged.

While Emily was here, she had intended asking the cashier if he knew of anyone who might have puppies for sale, but instead she stopped in front of an elaborately tooled saddle. Pretending to study it, she waited for her cheeks to cool off and her heart rate to return to normal. She could still picture the shock in the cowboy’s green eyes right before she crashed into him. He’d been as solid as a tree, and his voice was as rough as the bark on its trunk.

She’d felt like such a clumsy fool, knocking his hat from his head and then nearly stepping on it. He’d grabbed her arms to keep her from falling, and she’d acted as though he was trying to assault her.

She had a vague impression of a strong, weathered face and dark hair, but she’d been too embarrassed to pay much attention. Instead she’d made some inane remark, and then she’d bolted down the first available aisle.

Had she even apologized for almost mowing him down? She couldn’t remember. If she was lucky, she’d never have to face that man again.

The only male who should be occupying a place in her thoughts right now was David. This was his first day at the local high school, and Emily remembered how rough that could be. She’d brought him in yesterday to register, but today she’d allowed him to ride his motorbike. Although she hadn’t been pleased when Stuart had presented it to him without consulting her, she could understand why David would prefer riding it to being dropped off by his mother or taking the school bus.

She hoped he’d make some new friends, if the local kids didn’t think his hair and clothes were too weird. The boys she’d seen looked pretty conventional, and the woman in the office had certainly seemed startled when she’d first glanced up from her computer and seen David, but she’d been pleasant enough while assisting him with his paperwork.

Now Emily noticed the wall clock above the feed store cash register. The real estate agent who’d sold her the property had promised to send over a contractor to turn the shed into a studio, and the man was coming today. Emily and David had spent all yesterday afternoon emptying an assortment of junk from the small outbuilding and scrubbing down the inside. It already had running water, electricity and a solid floor, but it needed some attention before Emily could set up her equipment and work there in comfort.

She had hoped to visit the local library while she was in Waterloo, but any further exploration would have to wait for another day. She’d buy a newspaper on her way out of town and check the classified ads. Perhaps a dog would ease David’s transition. He’d never been allowed a pet before, and now they had room for a menagerie if they wanted. Meanwhile she had a contractor to consult with, an office to set up and dinner to plan.

“I hate it here.” David threw down his fork and slid his chair back so fast that it crashed against the floor. “I want to go live with Dad.”

“I know the first day at a new school can be tough—” Emily began.

“They’re a bunch of dorks and losers!” David exclaimed. At Emily’s pointed glance, he righted his chair. “The building is old and crummy, and it’s too small.” When he’d gotten home earlier, he’d retreated to his room with the door firmly closed, leaving Emily to put her curiosity on hold until she’d summoned him for dinner.

“Why don’t you sit down and finish eating,” she suggested now. “Give it a few days—”

“I’m not going back there.” His cheeks were flushed and his dark brows were bunched into a frown, but his eyes had a suspicious sheen as he plopped back down. After a moment he stabbed his fork into the spaghetti on his plate.

“What will you do if you don’t go to school?” Emily asked, feeling as though she were walking barefoot through a room full of mouse traps. Her own appetite had disappeared with his first angry exclamation. She’d hoped at least one student would make an effort to welcome him.

“I dunno,” he mumbled. “Hitchhike back to L.A., I guess. I could find a job at one of the studios. Dad would help me.”

Emily clasped her shaking hands together in her lap under the table. “Listen,” she said, leaning forward, “I want your promise right now that you won’t do any such thing.” The idea of him alone on some highway, thumb out, made her stomach turn over.

“You mean get a job?” he asked with a patently innocent expression.

“Don’t play dumb! I don’t want you hitchhiking under any circumstances.” Her voice was sharp, and she had to take a deep breath before she continued. “We’ve talked about the dangers of accepting rides from strangers.”

He rolled his eyes, but at least his frown had faded. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” He took a huge bite of garlic bread, his jaw flexing as he chewed. Pretty soon he’d be shaving and Lord knew what else.

“I mean it. I want your promise that you’ll talk to me before you do anything like that,” Emily repeated.

She waited impatiently for his answer while he swallowed. When he took a drink of milk, she nearly screamed with frustration. “David,” she warned.

Finally he bobbed his head. “Okay, I promise.”

Emily released the breath she’d been holding. “What about your classes? Your teachers? Anyone good? Anything interesting?”

He shrugged, twirling spaghetti around his fork. “Geometry’s all right, I guess, and the Spanish teacher’s a babe.” He gestured with his hands. “Really built, you know?”

Emily realized he was fishing for a reaction. “But can she teach?”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, and his mouth relaxed ever so slightly. “Who cares?”

“You’re right,” she teased. “If you don’t learn anything, you can always take the class over in summer school.”

He slid down in his chair, and she wondered, as she always did, how he could sit on his tailbone like that and be comfortable.

“Are you behind in your classes?” she asked.

“Are you kidding? I’m way ahead in most of them. There are only a couple hundred kids in the whole school, and that’s for six grades,” he replied. “It’s weird having the younger kids right there.”

“And did you meet anyone interesting, other than your Spanish teacher?” she persisted.

Instantly his frown was back. “Talk about a bunch of hicks,” he grumbled. “You’d think the whole world was into rodeos and cattle ranching. They all dress like Roy Rogers, and they stare at me as though I just beamed down from another planet.”

“I’m sure that to the kids around here California is a different planet,” Emily agreed, “but I’ll bet some of them are curious about you. Maybe they’re shy. Keep smiling and give them a few days to get used to you.”

“You always think everyone is shy, but the truth is that no one likes me here.” David shoved back his chair, but this time it didn’t tip over. “Is there more spaghetti?”

Emily nodded toward the pan on the stove. “Help yourself. Didn’t anyone talk to you?”

“Just one girl,” he said as he piled more pasta on his plate and ladled sauce over it. “She showed me where the library was. It only has five computers.”

“What’s her name?” Emily asked, shaking her head when he pointed first to her plate and then to the stove.

“Her name’s Kim. She’s in two of my classes, and I saw her getting on the bus after school.”

Emily knew better than to express too much curiosity about the girl. “Do you have homework?” she asked instead.

He stuffed the last bite of garlic bread into his mouth. “Yeah.” His voice was muffled, but she ignored the breach in manners that would have sent Stuart into a rage. “I can help you with the dishes first, if you want,” David offered.

Emily beamed at him. Sometimes, when she least expected it, the sweet boy she remembered would make an appearance. Stuart had always worked long hours, leaving her to raise their son alone. Until the incident that had gotten David expelled from his old school, she would have said her relationship with him was extremely close. He was still the most important person in her life, but since the divorce, he had built up a wall she couldn’t scale.

“School will get easier,” she promised rashly. “Give it a little time.”

“Can I call Dad?” he asked as he carried his dishes to the counter.

“Sure, after you’re done with your homework. Just don’t talk too long.” She hoped, for David’s sake, that Stuart would be home this time, since returning David’s calls didn’t seem to be a priority.

While David stacked their dishes, she began running water into the sink, followed by a squirt of liquid soap.

“When are we getting a dishwasher?” he asked as he put the leftover salad in the refrigerator.

“After I get the bill for remodeling the studio,” she replied. She’d spent a big chunk of her settlement for this place, and she was cautious by nature. “Until then, we do it the old-fashioned way.”

Wrinkling his nose at the sinkful of bubbles, he grabbed a towel. “I’ll dry.”

Two days later Emily was in her office going through the mail when she heard someone knocking. Figuring the contractor must be back from town, where he’d gone to buy more supplies, she hurried through the living room and opened the door without bothering to look out the window.