For Love of Charley (11 page)

Cole smiled. “The rooms where the saloon
girls ‘entertained’ their cowboys and miners.”

“Oh, this I have to see.” She turned toward
the stairs.

“I’m afraid there’s not much there right
now,” he said, as she started up. “All the rooms are empty.”

“That’s okay.” She smiled at him over her
shoulder. “I have a good imagination.”

Charley had almost reached the top step
when Cole felt the vibration. The stairs wobbled and a fine haze of dust sifted
down from under the frame. “Charley, stop.” He tried to keep the panic out of
his voice even as he moved carefully toward her.

“What’s wrong?” She stood poised above him,
looking down in puzzlement.

“Don’t move. The stairs are loose.”

“Loose?” Instantly she gripped the railing
and the stairs groaned at the movement. She froze. “Cole?”

“It’s okay, just stay still.” His mind spun
furiously. If he started up after her, his weight would bring them crashing
down. There were probably ladders in one of the other buildings, but he didn’t
dare take the time to find one. There was only one thing they could do.
“Charley, you’re going to have to jump. Do you think you can vault the
railing?”

Her face was pale, but she gave a tiny nod.
“I think so.”

“Okay, it’s going to have to be smooth.
Don’t hesitate once you start. I’ll be here to catch you.” Fear constricted his
chest so tightly he could barely breathe. “On three. Ready?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

He sucked air into his starved lungs.
“One…two…three.”

On the last number, Charley moved. With
both hands gripping the rail, she vaulted. Time slowed to a crawl as the
staircase began to move with her, and Cole’s horror intensified. Instead of
collapsing, the stairs were toppling over right in their direction.

Instinctively, he forced tensed muscles to
relax and then reached for Charley. Letting her weight carry them to the floor,
he rolled, taking her with him, covering her body with his own.

The crash was deafening in the saloon, and
Cole felt a whoosh of air next to him. Dust billowed, covering them in the
sudden silence. For a second, neither of them moved. “Charley?” He raised his
head to look at her.

“I’m okay, I think.”

Cole dropped his forehead onto hers, relief
sweeping over him in giddy waves. “Thank God,” he whispered.

“No,” she said. “Thank you. Those stairs
would have crushed me if you hadn’t been there. I thought this building was
supposed to be safe?”

“So did I.” His tone was grim as he moved
off of her. The edge of the stairs was less than an inch from their bodies, and
he shuddered again at how close they had come. “And I intend to find out why it
wasn’t.”

He stood and pulled her to her feet. Both
of them were covered head to toe in dust. “Let’s get out of here before
something else happens.”

“Good idea.” She took a step and winced.

“Charley? What’s wrong?”

“My leg. Maybe I’m not quite as ‘fine’ as I
thought I was.”

Cole looked down at her leg and his heart
stopped again. “You’re bleeding!” Without thought, he scooped her up in his
arms and headed out the door. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“Cole, I really don’t think it’s much more
than a scratch. It just surprised me when I put my weight on it.”

He balanced her carefully while he opened
the car door, then slid her onto the seat. “Let me see.” Dropping to one knee
in front of her, he turned her leg and examined the tear in her jeans. It
wasn’t large enough to give him a view of the wound, so he inserted his fingers
and tore the material all the way to the hem.

Beginning at the top of her calf, the scratch
ran to just above her ankle, ending at a small puncture. It wasn’t deep, but
the sight of Charley’s blood infuriated him all over again. This should never
have happened, and he would get to the bottom of it before the day was over.

“Well?” Charley was looking in the other
direction with great determination.

“You were right, it’s just a long scratch,
but it looks like you may have a sliver of wood just under the skin. I think I
can get it out.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and braced her
hands on his shoulders. “Okay, go ahead.”

Cole propped her foot up on his thigh and
gripped the top of the splinter between his fingers. With one fast pull, he
yanked the inch-long piece of wood out, and then stanched the fresh flow of
blood with his thumb. “It’s out. You can look now.”

She leaned over, looked, and shuddered. “I
hate blood. Especially when it’s my own.”

He checked to make sure the bleeding had
stopped, then swung her feet into the car. “As soon as we get home, we can
clean it out and bandage it.” And he desperately needed to sit down. Reaction
was setting in, and his legs were so wobbly he could barely stand on them.
Charley could have been killed, and the thought terrified him.

His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel
as he started the car and backed out of the lot. The minute they were back on
the highway, he reached for his cell phone and punched his home number.
“Kristy? I want you to get Hank Farrell on the phone. Charley and I were just
out at Duncan Mills and the staircase in the saloon collapsed while she was on
it.”

There was a second of shocked silence. “Oh,
my stars. Are you both okay?”

“Charley has a scratch on her leg, but
we’re both fine. Now, I want to know who was responsible for marking that
building safe when it obviously wasn’t, and I want to know tonight. I’ll be at
Charley’s. Have Hank call me there, and he better have a damn good explanation
ready when he does.”

“Cole, that building was safe. I’d swear
it. I was up and down those stairs myself at least a dozen times today with no
problem.”

“Well, there sure was a problem tonight,”
he snapped. Charley’s head was leaned against the back of the seat, but she
turned to look at him at his tone. He took a deep breath to try and calm down.
“I’m sorry, Kristy. This isn’t your fault. Just get Hank out there to take a
look. I don’t want any more accidents like this one.”

“I’ll call him right now. Is there anything
else you need me to do?”

He glanced down at his dirty clothes.
“Yeah. Can you bring me a change of clothes? I need to get Charley home, and I
don’t want to leave her alone tonight.”

The smile in Kristy’s voice was apparent
when she answered him. “You bet. Shall I just bring your entire wardrobe?”

Cole grinned. “I wish. See you later.” He
clicked the phone off.

“You wish what?”

He glanced at Charley. Damn. She would have
to pick up on that one thing from the entire conversation. “I think Kristy is
trying to get rid of me. She just volunteered to bring all my clothes to your
house.” He tried to sound casual, but was afraid he’d failed miserably.

She was silent for so long they had almost
reached Canyon Bend before she spoke. “And you said you wished? Why?”

Cole turned onto her street and pulled into
her driveway. This conversation had suddenly headed for shaky ground, and he
wasn’t at all sure she was ready to take that step, but he wasn’t going to lie
to her. Instead of getting out, he faced her. “For me, the thought of living
together has a lot of appeal. Does the idea bother you?”

She shifted nervously in the seat, her gaze
moving away from him. “I don’t know. I think it surprises me more than it
bothers me.”

“Why does it surprise you?”

Surprise? Shock would be more like it,
Charley thought ruefully. She glanced at Cole’s face. He was watching her
intently, and she got the impression that he was holding his breath. “Because
you’ve only been back a few weeks now, and last night was the first time we
spent the night together. I know it sounds clichéd, but isn’t this rather
sudden?”

He smiled and moved one hand to her nape.
“I know what I want. Why waste time?”

Her heart was trying to push the words of
acceptance out of her mouth, but she hesitated. It would only make the pain
worse when he left. She had to stall. “Why would you want to move into my place
when you have the Carstairs house?”

Warm fingers caressed her neck, sending a
shiver down her spine. “Truthfully, I’d rather you moved in there with me.” His
voice dropped into the husky range. “Our house, Charley. It always has been,
and it always will be. The only thing missing is you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. He was right. It
was their house. “That’s not playing fair, Cole, and you know it.”

“Is it working?”

She brushed at the moisture on her cheeks.
“I can’t give you an answer now, Cole. I need time to think about it.”

He pulled her closer and let his lips brush
hers. “There’s no rush, Charley. I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you
need.”

Now it was her turn to wish. She wished she
could believe he would stay this time, but she couldn’t. Sooner or later he
would vanish from her life. It was something she knew and accepted. Even as she
watched his tall, muscular form move around the car, a tiny voice in her head
was urging her to give in. Images of waking up with him every morning, sharing
breakfast over the newspaper, lounging together on the couch after work while
they talked, all tumbled through her mind rapid-fire. God, how she wanted it,
ached for it. Ached for him so badly she could taste it.

The car door opened, but when she would
have stepped out Cole stopped her.

“Oh, no you don’t. I’ll carry you.”

“Cole, it’s not that bad. I can walk.”

The look he gave her almost brought her
heart to a standstill.

“I know you can. But when I realized those
stairs were falling with you on them, it scared me half to death. Let me take
care of you tonight, Charley. It’s what I need to do.”

She reached up and put her arms around his
neck.

* * * * *

By the time someone knocked on the door an
hour later, Charley was ensconced on the couch, her foot lying in state on a
pillow Cole had placed on the stool. Not only had he insisted on bathing her
and washing her hair, but after he’d disinfected her cut and bandaged it, he’d
made tea for her. She’d never felt so pampered in her whole life. She could get
used to this, real easy.

“Don’t get up,” Cole told her when the
knock sounded. “It’s probably Kristy.”

“Like I could even if I wanted to,” she
mumbled, reaching for her tea.

He returned with an overnight bag in one
hand and Kristy beside him. The blonde took one look at the thick layer of
gauze that encased Charley’s leg from her knee to her ankle, and paled. “Oh,
heavens. Are you sure you shouldn’t be in the hospital?”

“I’m sure.” Charley tried to hide her grin
behind her cup. “It’s just a scratch.”

Kristy was still looking doubtful. “I’ve
seen less bandages on people in dire need of massive surgery.”

Charley laughed. “I promise, it isn’t as
bad as it looks. I think Cole has just discovered a hidden fetish for gauze.”

Cole’s face reddened slightly. “Okay, so
I’m not a doctor. I figured if a little was good, a lot would be better.”

Kristy grinned at Charley. “Can you walk
like that?”

“Only if I want to look like a penguin that
fell into a bleach bottle.” She indicated the white terry cloth robe she wore.

“Now I’m afraid to leave you alone with
him. It’s a wonder he doesn’t have you in traction.”

Charley almost dropped her tea. “I think
the thought did cross his mind. But I promise, he’s a lot better nurse than he
is a doctor.”

“He’d almost have to be.” Kristy turned
back to Cole. “I got in touch with Hank, and he was on his way to Duncan Mills
when I left. He’ll call you as soon as he knows anything.”

Cole nodded. “Good. Did he say how long it
would take?”

“No, but I’m sure it will be a few hours,
at least. You know Hank. He won’t stop until he knows exactly what went wrong.
Try to get some rest. Both of you,” she added, looking at Charley.

“We will. Goodnight.” Charley smiled and
waved as Kristy headed for the door.

“I need to take a shower and get out of
this dirt.” Cole picked up the carryall. “Will you be okay?”

Charley grinned at him. “Unless the house
catches on fire and I have to run for it.”

He laughed. “Okay, maybe I did overdo it
just a little. I’ll fix the gauze when I get out of the shower.”

“Thank you.” Charley gave a sigh of
heartfelt relief.

* * * * *

Cole hung up the phone and glanced at the
clock next to the bed. It was after one a.m. Moving silently, he slid off the
bed and into his jeans. Charley hadn’t even twitched when the phone rang, and
he was just as glad. He needed time to think about what Hank had told him
before he talked to her.

His gaze moved over her. In spite of her
attempt to act brave, he knew today had scared her badly. She had been
emotionally exhausted by the time they went to bed, and he suspected his
unplanned bid to get her to live with him hadn’t helped her state of mind. But
at least she hadn’t said no.

Barefoot, he padded into the kitchen and
flipped on a light. Normally, coffee would be the last thing he’d want in the
middle of the night, but there was little chance he’d sleep again, anyway. When
it was finished, he poured a cup and carried it out onto Charley’s back porch,
perching on the rail as he sipped the hot liquid.

According to Hank, someone had deliberately
sabotaged the stairs in the saloon. The braces had been knocked out from under
them, and the nails had been pried loose from the frame. It was nothing short
of amazing that Charley had made it as far up the steps as she had. If it had
been his greater weight, they never would have held that long.

Hank and one entire crew of men were going
over every inch of Duncan Mills, making sure nothing else had been tampered
with. Cole didn’t think they’d find anything. Whoever had done it knew that of
all the buildings in the ghost town, the saloon was the most likely place for him
and Charley to explore. And there was only one person who had known they were
going to be there that evening. Victor Channing.

Victor’s words from Charley’s birthday
party ran through his mind again.
“I’m warning you for the last time,
Jordan. Stay away from my niece.”
He’d thought it was an empty threat, but
maybe Victor was more desperate than he’d realized. Desperate enough to risk
hurting Charley just to get at him?

Cole ran a hand through his hair in
frustration. Nothing Victor did would surprise him. Briefly, he thought of
calling Ben Zimmerman, then discarded the idea. What would he tell him? That he
suspected Victor was trying to kill him? Not only would Ben laugh him out of
the county, Charley would never speak to him again. No, he’d just have to keep
his suspicions to himself. And keep a closer eye on Victor.

* * * * *

The ringing of the phone yanked Charley out
of sleep, and groggily she reached for it before the murmur of a voice from the
kitchen told her someone had already answered. Cole. The sheets on his side of
the bed were cool, and the scent of coffee and bacon drifted on the air.

She settled back down on the bed, her
sleep-muddled thoughts going over everything that had happened yesterday. While
terrifying, the accident took a backseat to Cole’s later revelation. He wanted
her to live with him.

Why? Because he cared about her? Charley
rubbed her eyes, then rolled onto her stomach and cradled the pillow under her
head. He certainly had been acting like it since the accident. After his shower
they had cuddled up together on the sofa and watched TV, laughing like loons at
a rerun of “Robin Hood, Men in Tights.” It had felt so good, just being with
him.

Somewhere deep inside, she knew she was
halfway to telling him she would move in with him. And yet, something held her
back. When he’d left last time, she’d only had his proposal and one night of
love to deal with, and it had almost killed her. Could she survive a second
time after sharing so much more with him?

He had told her he wasn’t going anywhere,
and she could tell he believed it. But whatever had taken him away from her
before still hung between them. What was stopping it from happening again? She
sighed, and pushed the thoughts from her mind. She loved him, and they were
together. For now, today, that was all she would think about. Sooner or later
Cole would tell her why he’d left. When he did, she would face the choices fate
had handed her and deal with them. Until then, she just wanted to be happy.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, she
pulled a nightshirt out of a drawer and slipped it over her head. Cole was just
hanging up the phone when she entered the kitchen, and she couldn’t resist
putting her arms around him and snuggling against his chest. Every time they
made love it seemed as though the bond they shared tightened even more.
Face
it, Charley,
she thought.
Even if he stayed forever, you’d never get
enough of him.

“Good morning.” She tilted her face up to
look at him and was rewarded with a long, deep kiss.