Charlene Sands (14 page)

Brett’s handsome face contorted, twisting his mouth into an ugly snarl. “When I heard the news about Lizabeth, the gruesome details of her death, I blamed Tyler. I hated him.”

Alarmed at the venom in his tone, she asked, “Do you hate him now?”

Brett became thoughtful, giving Lily a long look. “No. I treated him unkindly. We had a misunderstanding. Both of us were aching from losing Lizabeth. He told me never to come back. But, you see, I love Bethann. She is a part of my sister. I came back to make amends.”

They stopped when they reached the whitewashed picket fence surrounding the church. The sun shone brightly overhead and the sweet smell of jasmine lingered in the air. “Will you be here long?”

“I have business in Sweet Springs—a venture I’m thinking of investing in. I shall be around for some time. I’m hoping to see Bethann again. I’d like her to come to know her uncle Brett.” He smiled crookedly.

“Bethann would like that, but Tyler…”

“I just wanted you to hear my side of the story,
Miss Lillian. Now, I think I best get you back. The sun’s scorching those pretty cheeks of yours.”

Lily’s eyes grew wide and her cheeks flamed. She put her head down as they changed direction. Once they reached the middle of town, Brett took her by the hand. “Thank you again, for listening.” He reached into his vest pocket and placed the pearl comb she’d admired at the emporium into her hand. “This is for you.”

Lily stared at the comb in complete surprise, then lifted her eyes to him. “No—I couldn’t.”

“Please take it. A token for treating me kindly the other day. After all, you could’ve shot me.” He chuckled. “And letting me spend time with Bethann, well, that was real good of you.”

“But I—we aren’t…is this proper?” she asked on a breath.

Brett cocked his head to the side. “It’s proper. You’re the first friend I’ve made in Sweet Springs. I hope, one day, you’ll think on me as a friend, also.”

Lily wound her hand around the comb. “Thank you. It’s a thoughtful gift.”

“Lily!” The sharp warning from behind made Lily’s breath catch. She froze, recognizing the familiar jingling of spurs. Tyler’s approaching footsteps sounded more menacing the louder they became.

The pearl comb fell from her grasp. Brett bent to retrieve it. He handed the comb back to Lily, covering his fingers over hers just as Tyler reached them. Brett Muldoon’s eyes were steady as they reassured her.

“Get away from her, Muldoon.” Tyler practically spit out the words, yet he stood with a deceptive calm.

Brett smiled sardonically at Tyler. Lily, still frozen on the spot, felt Brett’s fingers travel over hers before
releasing his grip. “Just helping out the lady, Kincaide.”

“The
lady
doesn’t need your help.”

“Tyler!” Lily came to her senses when she realized the men were speaking about her as if she were transparent. “Mr. Muldoon and I were having a conversation.”

The grim set of his jaw told Lily what he thought about that. His chest heaved; he seemed to be struggling for patience. At the moment Lily didn’t care about his disposition. He’d been unbearable these past few days.

Tyler glanced at the comb she held in one hand and gave her an accusing stare. “Fine, finish your conversation.” He folded his arms around his middle and rooted his boots to the sidewalk.

Brett stepped back, smiling at Lily. “I think Miss Lillian and I have finished our talk.” He tipped his hat. “Thank you for the stroll and I’m glad you like the comb. Wear it well.” He turned and left Lily alone with Tyler.

Tyler grabbed her under the elbow and began pulling her in the opposite direction. Lily tried to remove herself from his grasp, but his fingers dug in and wouldn’t let go. “Tyler, let me be.”

“No, Lily. Not until I have my say.”

She struggled to keep up with his long strides. “Where are we going?”

“Quiet, Lily, just quiet.” There was anger in his tone, but oddly, Lily thought it seemed directed at himself.

He continued to drag her along. Lily was too irritated at his abrupt behavior to give much mind to the stares she was receiving from curious onlookers. Men
smirked, woman gazed with knowing smiles. Emma Mayfield came out of the supperhouse with dishtowel in hand, wide-eyed, registering each step she and Tyler took. Tyler’s tirade would soon be headlining the
Sweet Springs Chronicle,
no doubt.

But Lily balked when she realized Tyler’s intent. With a slight shove, he nudged her into the Springtime Hotel.

“Tyler, please.” Lily’s eyes darted around the lobby. No one but the desk clerk was present. Thankfully.

“I need a room,” Tyler barked.

“Yes, sir,” the clerk said, noticing the dangerous look Tyler was casting him. The clerk made a hasty turn, lifted a key from its hook and handed it to Tyler.

Tyler didn’t bother signing the register. He shoved some bills at the clerk and turned back to Lily.

“No, Tyler, please,” Lily hissed under her breath. Her humiliation equaled her anger. And confusion was attempting to wedge itself in to make a trio of emotions clamoring in her brain. Why was he doing this? She’d never seen Tyler so…out of control. He ignored her attempts to remove herself from his grasp, tightening his hold even more.

“Lily, we have to talk.” His tone brooked no argument. Tyler was the most stubborn man she’d ever known.

“But not here, please.” Her plea went unanswered. She supposed the damage was already done. Scores of people had seen her enter the hotel with Tyler whisking her along.

Tyler put the key in the door of Room 217. “We need privacy.”

He opened the door, and allowed her entrance in a
gentleman-like manner. Lily wanted to cry from the irony. If her reputation wasn’t ruined from living at the ranch, it surely was now. Tyler wanted to…talk. But who would believe that’s all they would do up here?

Lily shrugged and resigned herself to this talk. She stepped into the room. Tyler closed the door from behind. Lily had never been in a hotel room before. The room overlooked the east side of town. Dark crimson curtains, tied back, welcomed the bright afternoon sun and dust swirls appeared in the streaming ray of light pouring in. The mahogany furniture was sparse, but the double-wide bed seemed to loom like a Brahman bull in a horse stall. Lily swallowed hard.

She heard the distinct click of the latch from behind. Tyler had locked them in. Lily pushed fallen tendrils of hair from her face and glanced at the man who stood with hands braced on the windowsill, looking out.

“You had no right to bring me here like this, Tyler.”

Tyler Kincaide swore silently upon hearing Lily’s softly spoken but firm reprimand. He continued to stare out the window, calling himself a coward. He didn’t want to witness Lily’s condemning gaze, but he sensed her boring a hole smack through his back.

She was right. He
had
no right to bring her here. It was the dumbest blame stunt he’d ever pulled. He asked himself why he’d done it and the answer muddled up his brains. He feared he knew the reason. Seeing that man put his hands on Lily made Tyler crazy.

Brett Muldoon, with his high-priced suitcoats and charming ways, could turn just about any young innocent’s
head. Muldoon wouldn’t care that Lily was inexperienced. He wouldn’t give a damn that Lily was naive in the ways of the world. The man would take advantage of her. Tyler couldn’t let that happen. Lily was under his protection.

Protection? Tyler scoffed at the notion. His gut clenched. He shouldn’t have brought her to the hotel in view of half the townfolk. But as Tyler brought his reasons to the surface, the only one that held fast was he
wanted
to lay claim to Lily for the whole town to see. He’d compromised her, yes. He’d vowed to her he wouldn’t, but seeing her with Muldoon had changed all the rules.

Was he right in assuming Muldoon had gifted Lily with that pearl comb? Hell and damnation. Tyler’d never thought to give her a gift, especially one she held in obvious affection. Didn’t the naive woman know accepting such a fine gift constituted certain liberties for the man to take?

Another knifing pain stabbed at his gut. Had Lily wanted Muldoon to take those liberties with her?

I want to know, Tyler.

Her plea that day by the creek when he’d touched her echoed in his ears. And a nagging thought crept in, one he spent nights awake pondering. He was the one who wanted to show Lily the ways between a man and a woman. He wanted to teach her how passions ignite when a man takes a woman to his bed.

Hell, when she’d first come to the ranch she’d been a shy, plain, tall woman who kept a proper house. He admired her talents, liked the manner in which she carried herself, was grateful for the way she’d taken to Bethann.

She hadn’t aroused him in the least.

Coming home from roundup had changed all that. And it wasn’t just how she seemed to have bloomed into a lovely, rosy-cheeked, golden-haired woman with soft curves that sent his mind wandering—no, it was more than that. She had simply taken to ranch life without a qualm. Her quiet confidence, her ability to get things done, her devotion to Bethann, had all contributed to the way he was beginning to feel about her, the way he wanted her.

He hadn’t even realized it until he’d nearly lost all semblance of self-control when he saw Brett Muldoon making cow eyes at her.

And hadn’t he gone about the very way to secure his desire? He hadn’t given Lily a choice in the matter. By dragging her up here, he had laid his claim. Now there would be no doubts. No man who respected Tyler would ever disturb Lily in any way.

The damage was already done.

“Look, Lily—maybe I shouldn’t have brought you up here, but there’s things you must know about Muldoon.” Tyler finally turned to her, fearful that his expression would betray what he’d been thinking.

“Brett has told me something of himself.” Her chin up, Tyler knew so were her defenses. “He came back here to make amends. He loves Bethann.”

It rankled that she had become somewhat familiar with the man. “He’ll not step foot on Kincaide land ever again, Lily. I don’t want that man near my daughter.”

“But, Tyler, he’s…family. Brett wants to get to know his niece.”

Tyler shook his head. He reined in his anger. Blasting Lily would get him nowhere. It was clear she’d
been taken in by the man. “I said no. He’s not the man you think he is.”

“I barely know him, Tyler. But I see the love he has for Bethann. He said you two had a misunderstanding when…your wife died.”

“Humph.” Tyler didn’t know how much longer he could keep hold of his temper. “Hardly a misunderstanding, Lily. Tell me, are you smitten with him?” He held his breath, caring overly much about her answer.

Lily jerked back, as if she’d been slapped. “I, uh, no. Of course not.”

“You served him dinner at my ranch.”

Lily stared at him, her blue eyes wide with confusion. “He was a relation. I thought it the hospitable thing to do.”

“You spent time alone with him this afternoon.”

“It was an accidental meeting.”

“Was it?” Tyler narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. The fresh scent of Lily’s soft hair teased his nostrils.

“He gifted you with that pearl comb, didn’t he?”

He saw her swallow, then nod her head. His suspicions had been correct. Tyler’s heart hammered, the fast sharp pounding throbbed in his head. Lily had accepted a gift from Muldoon.

“Suppose Muldoon expects more than hospitality from you, Lily. You giving it to him?”

Lily flinched. Blue eyes sparked angrily and the meaning of his words sunk in. She gasped, then slapped his face. Hard.

Tyler grabbed her wrist. His body shook. “You damn fool woman. Don’t mess with the likes of Brett Muldoon. He’ll bring you nothing but heartache.”

“Let go of me, you…big…stupid…fool.” Lily struggled to get loose from his grasp. Tyler decided to release her, but stepped back to protect himself against another sharp smack to his cheek.

He rubbed the spot where she’d slapped him. She packed a powerful punch. His face still stung. “Ah, Lily. Don’t you know what accepting an expensive gift from a man means?”

Lily planted her fists on her hips. He was grateful she’d found another spot to put them besides his cheekbone.

“And what do you suppose it means to the fine community of Sweet Springs when a man drags a woman halfway across town to a hotel room?”

Tyler tugged on his ear, hesitating. “I had to warn you. Men like Muldoon take advantage of kindhearted women. I don’t want him near you again, either.”

“Ha! You don’t have any right to tell me who I claim as a friend, Tyler.”

“I’m telling you right now, do not see that man again.”

Lily pursed her lips. Her blue eyes shot sparks of anger. “What will you do,
fire
me?”

Tyler pounded his hat against his thigh several times. “Damn it, Lily. I’m telling you this for your own good.”

“And I’m telling you this, Tyler Kincaide. I won’t be spoken to that way. I won’t allow you to tell me who I may have as a friend, and I certainly won’t stand here in your company one second longer. I’m leaving!”

Lily lifted her skirts and turned to the door. She yanked on the knob, then realized Tyler had locked
them in. Her face flushed with irritation, she gave him a look so cold it would rival a winter snowfall.

Tyler planted his hat on his head and sauntered to the door. “I’ll escort you home.”

Lily waited until the key was in the lock. She scurried out the door, calling over her shoulder. “No, thank you. Randy will be bringing the buckboard around.”

Tyler stood at the top of the staircase, letting go of a barrage of curses as a few stunned hotel guests stared up at him from the lobby.

Bethann sat on the bed and ran the comb through Lily’s hair. “You got such waves in your hair, Miss Lily. Sure is pretty.”

Lily met Bethann’s reflection in the mirror, watching the child admire her hair. “Thank you, sweetie. Your hair’s just as pretty. We’ve just got to keep the dirt and dust from getting yours so darn matted down.”

Wide-eyed and wrinkle-nosed, Bethann asked, “How’m I supposed to do that?”