Two Texas Hearts

TWELVE

‘‘HOW ABOUT I KILL THEM BOTH?’’ JAMIE OFFERED AS she leaned against the counter watching Kora cut out the morning’s biscuits. ‘‘Then you’d have no husbands and we could start over fresh.’’

Kora smiled, thankful that her sister was speaking to her once more. She had all the problems she could handle without Jamie’s anger. ‘‘I’ll think about it.’’

‘‘It wouldn’t be that much trouble. We’ve already paid for Andrew’s funeral, and Win’s got enough land around for burying. After what he did to Wyatt and me last night, I’d slit his throat without a second thought.’’ Her eyes danced with excitement. ‘‘Then, of course, I’d have to become an outlaw. I could branch off into bank robbery and be a gun-for-hire, that kind of thing. And I’d still see Wyatt, of course. We’d be the gambler and the outlaw everyone makes up legends about.’’

Kora smiled at her sister’s outrageous daydream. ‘‘You’ll not start your life of crime on one of my husbands. But as for the gambler, what did happen between you two last night?’’

Jamie raised her eyebrows up and down, then shook her head. ‘‘You wouldn’t understand.’’

‘‘Is he interested in marriage?’’ Kora asked as she agreed with Jamie about not understanding. Except for the kiss she’d shared with Win in the barn, she’d never found men as fascinating to be around as Jamie seemed to.

‘‘He’s interested in me,’’ Jamie offered. ‘‘As for marriage, I think he feels about like I do concerning that black curse.’’

‘‘It’s not a curse.’’

Jamie laughed. ‘‘It’s a curse by which you’ve been doubly blessed, dear sister. I’d call that witchin’ luck for sure.’’

Both women grew silent as Winter entered the kitchen. He was dressed in the clean clothes Kora laid out, but he didn’t look as if he’d slept at all. His hair was still damp from the washing, and a touch of shaving soap brushed the corner of his mustache.

‘‘Mornin’,’’ he mumbled as he pulled a cup from the rack. ‘‘Any coffee yet?’’

‘‘I’m not speaking to you!’’ Jamie shouted as she folded her arms.

Kora wrapped a towel around the pot handle and filled his cup. Her hand shook slightly, but if he wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, she would, also.

Only a foot stood between them as she poured. He leaned a little closer. ‘‘How about you?’’ he whispered. ‘‘Are you speaking to me?’’

‘‘I’m not angry with you,’’ Kora said as she turned and put the pot down. ‘‘None of this mess was your fault.’’ Lightly she brushed the soap from his face as she spoke. ‘‘I wouldn’t wish the man dead, but I’m thankful I was with you when he appeared last night.’’

Win’s gaze watched her closely as though bracing himself for another lie. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly at her action. A crack so small in the granite that no one but Kora saw it. She touched the edge of his lip again even though the shaving soap was gone.

‘‘Well, I’m angry,’’ Jamie said from behind him. ‘‘What makes you think you have any right to ruin my life?’’

‘‘I thought you weren’t speaking to me.’’ Win looked over his shoulder at Jamie. In the few days Kora and he had been married, he’d seen Jamie undressed more often then he’d ever see his wife.

‘‘I’m not as soon as I finish yelling at you! You’re not my kin or husband. You’re probably not even my brother-in-law!’’

Winter looked over the brim of his coffee at his almost sister-in-law. ‘‘Talking to me or not, the gambler goes,’’ he said between sips of coffee.

‘‘Brother-in-law or not, the gambler stays!’’ Jamie answered.

‘‘But he’s nothing but a low-down-’’

‘‘You won’t speak ill of the man I may decide to love.’’

Winter sat his cup down. ‘‘You don’t know the first thing about love and marriage.’’

‘‘And you do?’’ Jamie shot back. ‘‘You’re the one who married a woman already married. That’s at least one rule I know.’’ Jamie smiled at the anger building in his face. ‘‘And you didn’t even love her, so I guess that really makes you an expert on love and marriage.’’

They both ignored Kora as though she weren’t in the room as they squared off to take their anger out on each other.

‘‘I know that love is more than what you were doing in the grass last night.’’ Winter’s voice was low and cold.

‘‘I wasn’t doing anything you wouldn’t like to be doing to Kora,’’ Jamie said loud and hot tempered. ‘‘I’ve seen the way you look at her. But you can forget any fantasies you have because, despite her marrying habit, Kora is too frightened of men to enjoy loving one.’’

‘‘You don’t know her as well as you think, she-’’

A loud pounding on the door ended his planned threat.

‘‘I’ve come for my wife!’’ Andrew Adams yelled from the back porch. ‘‘She damn well better be ready to leave this morning, or I’ll drag her home screaming.’’

Winter glared at Jamie. ‘‘We’ll finish this later.’’ He turned to Kora. ‘‘Have you changed your mind since last night about going with him?’’

‘‘No,’’ Kora answered. ‘‘I’ll never go with the man. No matter what his paper proves, please don’t make me go with him.’’

Winter gave a nod. ‘‘Then stay here. I’ll be back for breakfast in a few minutes.’’

He opened the back door and stepped out before Andrew had a chance to poke his head inside.

Kora could hear their voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. They moved from the porch to the hitching post in the yard. Andrew Adams sounded angry, but Winter’s tone was low, almost calm.

Glancing out the window, she saw Andrew Adams waving a sheet of paper at Winter’s face. Win took the paper and looked at it a long moment while Andrew pointed over and over again to the house. Then, to her shock, she saw Winter reach in his pocket and pull out a roll of bills. He peeled off a few and handed them to Adams. The little man took the money greedily. Winter turned slowly and headed back to the house, dismissing Adams with his action.

‘‘What do you think’s going on?’’ Jamie asked as she leaned over the sink.

‘‘I don’t know, but we’re not going back to the dugout with that man,’’ Kora said. ‘‘We were better off in Bryan with me working at the mercantile and you riding the mail runs. If I’d known he wasn’t going to die, I never would have signed that paper Karen Noble threw in the trash.’’

‘‘Looks like he’s leaving, which I’d say was a real good plan if he wants to stay healthy. Win must have bought you lock, stock, and barrel from husband number one.’’ Jamie lost interest as Andrew Adams climbed into his wagon. ‘‘I was hoping for a fight, though it wouldn’t have been much of one. Win would probably just knock him down and Adams would crawl off. He’s a sorry pick for a husband, Kora. Even bleeding and dying, Adams wouldn’t have attracted me.’’

‘‘I wasn’t attracted to him. I simply saw a way out,’’ Kora answered.

‘‘Appears you went a ways too far.’’ Jamie giggled. ‘‘It’s costing old Win dearly. But when you said ‘please don’t make me go,’ I could tell by Win’s eyes that he’d die before Adams made you go. Or more likely kill the man.’’

Kora didn’t want to discuss what Winter had done or might have done. She needed to talk to him alone, but Jamie seemed to be settling in as if waiting for the second act. Kora had to get rid of her or risk hearing about everything she should have said for days. ‘‘Go ask the gambler to breakfast.’’ She tried the first thing she could think of to be rid of her sister.

‘‘Are you kidding? Win will shoot him on sight!’’ Jamie shouted. ‘‘You think he dislikes your first husband, you should see how he feels about Wyatt.’’

‘‘I’ll talk to Winter. Go.’’

Jamie rushed past Winter when he opened the door. For a moment he just stood in the entrance staring at Kora. ‘‘What’s your name, your real name?’’

Kora swallowed. ‘‘Kora Anderson. My mother didn’t think it was important to give girls middle names. I’m just plain Kora Anderson.’’

He stared at her as if weighing every word. ‘‘Don’t lie to me.’’

‘‘I’m not.’’

She wished she could follow Jamie, but she had to face Winter and all his anger. She asked, ‘‘Is he gone?’’

‘‘He’s gone. At least for now. He seemed more interested in getting the money you took than in having you return home.’’

‘‘You paid him?’’

‘‘I did.’’

‘‘I’ll pay you back, I swear.’’ She couldn’t believe after all the pain she’d caused this man she was now in debt to him.

‘‘You don’t have to pay me back, Kora.’’ Winter moved a step closer. ‘‘My guess is Andrew Adams is the drifting kind. He’ll probably move on and you’ll never see him again. If you do, he’ll have a hard time proving a proxy made out to Karen Noble and signed by Kora Anderson is legal. The way he was waving it in my face I doubt he could read the difference.’’

‘‘But by law am I married to him?’’

Winter laid his hand on her shoulder, and she fought not to pull away. His eyes were guarded now, unreadable. The granite man was back.

‘‘I don’t think so, but I have to know something more important than what the law will say,’’ he said with the formality of a judge. ‘‘Do you love the man? Or did you ever love him?’’

‘‘No.’’

‘‘Does he love you?’’

‘‘I don’t see how he could,’’ Kora answered. ‘‘If it turns out that I’m his wife, I’ll leave, but I won’t go back to him. I’ll run. I never want to see the man again as long as I live.’’

Winter gripped her other shoulder and turned her to face him directly as he lowered his voice. ‘‘I still expect you to hold to our agreement. At the end of six months from our marriage I’ll buy your tickets to California.’’

Kora looked confused. ‘‘Our bargain still stands?’’

‘‘It does.’’ His grip loosened.

‘‘All of it?’’

Win refused to act as if he misunderstood what she was talking about. ‘‘All of it. As far as I’m concerned you’re my wife, just as before; but the marriage bed doesn’t have to be part of the bargain. I’ll stay in the study. But as far as everyone knows, you’re still my wife, my true wife.’’

‘‘But I lied to you.’’

‘‘I figure you had your reasons.’’

The lines in his face were hard and unyielding, but he’d settled her toppling world once more with his words. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t love her; he was offering her a harbor, a solid ground she’d never known. A shelter from the witchin’ luck if only for a while.

‘‘Thank you,’’ she whispered, wondering how a man so kind could seem so cold. She’d never love him, or any man, but she’d be his wife if he wanted. She’d stay here until the house was legally hers forever, and then she’d give it to him. Not because he paid Andrew, but because he was willing to fight for her. No one had ever done that. ‘‘I was so frightened,’’ she whispered. ‘‘Not of Andrew Adams, but that you’d make me leave.’’

Winter’s arms closed around her shoulders and pulled her suddenly against him. He should have, he told himself. The one thing he couldn’t stand was a liar. But he couldn’t make her leave, and he didn’t even want to think about why.

She hugged his waist as if holding on for life. Neither said a word as they held each other.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek against the wall of his chest. With her lie, she’d ended what they’d started between them, but he would still stand at her side.