The Outlaws: Sam (5 page)

"I'd care about any child who hates and fears
the man his mother plans to marry."

"Andy and I need Taylor. I've done my best
since Uncle Hob died but I'm not knowledgeable enough to run a
ranch. Taylor is, and he has the means to make our lives easier."
She stared him in the eye and said, "Andy needs a father."

"You've managed to convince yourself, but not
me. There will be no divorce. It's time you learned you can't have
everything your way. Think of your son for a change."

"Andy is my reason for living!" Lacey all but
screamed. "Father died, you were gone, I had no one but Andy. Uncle
Hob literally saved us both when he asked us to make our home with
him in Texas. He loved this ranch. It was his dream come true. The
least I can do is save his dream."

"You owe me a helluva lot more than that.
Betrayal isn't a pretty word."

"Tell me truthfully, Sam. What can you give
me and Andy? Do you have the money to save the ranch? Do you have a
home? Property? What can you promise us?" She shook her head.
"Nothing, I suspect. Something brought you to Texas, dare I ask
what?"

Sam wasn't in the position to answer most of
those questions. How could he tell Lacey he was an outlaw, though
wrongly accused? He had nothing. No home. No property. Very little
money. But he wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. She
had to pay for betraying him. Besides, preventing the marriage
between Lacey and Taylor would benefit Andy.

"You're right. I have neither home nor
property," he confirmed, "but I have a wife that has both. Now if
you'll excuse me, I've had a long day."

He turned his back on Lacey, which was the
wrong thing to do. She flew at him, pounding his back with her
fists and sobbing her frustration.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

Sam spun around, grasped her arms, and pulled
her against him. "You know why."

Her fury was palpable. He imprisoned her
against him and stared into the smoldering depths of her green/gold
eyes. What he saw there set him back on his heels. He recognized
despair, and hopelessness, and something else. Something startling
and confusing. He saw need. Need for him, Sam, not Cramer.
Something snapped inside him, opening a floodgate of emotions.

A groan rumbled in his chest as he lowered
his head and captured her lips. She went still in his arms, her
body stiffening. Her eyes widened, then closed when he deepened the
kiss, parting her lips with his tongue. Her taste, her scent, the
way she suddenly melted against him, all these and more dragged
forth long forgotten memories, a long forgotten love.

Lacey couldn't resist the lure of Sam's soft
lips. This was the man she'd once loved beyond all reason. This was
Andy's father. She whimpered a protest when his hands slid up her
back and around to her breasts, cupping their fullness. She sighed
into his mouth when his fingers teased her nipples.

"Why did you betray me, Lacey?" Sam whispered
against her lips.

The bubble burst. Lacey attempted to free
herself from the circle of Sam's arms, which suddenly felt hard and
unyielding. "I didn't."

His arms tightened. "Who is Andy's
father?"

Lacey gazed up at him, controlling with
difficulty the panic rising inside her. Did he suspect? "You tell
me."

He shoved her away. "Don't play games with
me. You'd like me to think he's mine, wouldn't you?"

Lacey wiped her lips with the back of her
hand. "That's the last thing I want you to believe. You'd better
leave. I need to find Andy and feed him his supper."

"I'll find him for you," Sam said after a
lengthy pause. He started toward the door.

A disturbing thought came to Lacey. "Sam,
wait!"

Sam turned slowly, his dark brows raised in
askance.

"Do Rusty and the ranch hands know? About us,
I mean."

"Not yet, but I doubt they can be kept in the
dark for long."

Then he was gone, leaving Lacey confused and
traumatized.

What had gotten into her? All Sam did was
touch her and she was lost. She prayed he'd never discover just how
powerfully drawn she was to him. Their lives could have been so
different if only he believed in her innocence.

What had happened to Sam during the years
they were apart? she wondered. She knew he had brothers because
he'd mentioned them often. There was a farm in Kansas, too. But Sam
had as much as admitted that he had nothing, no money, no home and
no property. There was a mystery here she wasn't even close to
solving. Something had happened to bring Sam to Texas. Something
she was probably better off not knowing.

Sam couldn't get Cramer off his mind. The
following days were filled with work, work, and more work. And
Andy. The lad seemed to enjoy following him around and he had no
idea why. Andy didn't appear attached to any of the other hands
that way. Not even Rusty, who doted on the boy. Sam had to admit
the lad was engaging, and bright as hell. In fact, Sam was growing
more than a little fond of the boy and he wasn't sure that was a
good idea.

Cramer hadn't returned to the ranch and Sam
figured the man was a coward, but he wasn't about to sell the
scoundrel short. That thought brought another. The relationship
between Cramer and Lacey didn't appear exceptionally warm or
loving. Cramer seemed more interested in the ranch than he was in
Lacey, and for some reason that bothered Sam.

Tonight Sam had taken supper with the boys in
the cookhouse and was walking back to the bunkhouse with Rusty when
he saw Cramer's horse tied to the hitching post, swishing flies
with his tail.

"Excuse me, Rusty, but I need to see Lacey
about something."

Rusty grabbed his arm. "Hold up, Sam. Is
there something I should know about you and Miz Lacey?"

"Not yet, Rusty. You'll be the first to know
if there is."

"I ain't sure what's going on here but I
don't want to see Miz Lacey hurt."

Sam spun around to confront Rusty. "You think
I'll hurt her and Cramer won't?"

"I don't know what to think. I was upset to
learn that Miz Lacey was going to marry Cramer, but I'm not sure
you're the one for her."

"Set your mind at ease, Rusty. Almost anyone
would be better for Lacey than Cramer." He pulled free of Rusty's
grip. "I'll see you back at the bunkhouse."

Sam's mounting anger matched the roiling
storm clouds brewing overhead. If Cramer didn't back off he'd be
damn sorry. He was so emerged in his dark thoughts that he failed
to see Andy skip up to him.

"Hey, Sam, slow down."

Sam turned and waited for Andy to catch up to
him. "What are you doing outside? It's going to storm soon."

"I sneaked out," Andy whispered. "
He's
here again."

"I know. I was just heading for the house to
have a little talk with him."

Andy beamed. "I sure do like you, Sam."

"I like you too, Andy," Sam heard himself
saying. "Tell you what. Why don't you sneak back up to your room
before your mama comes looking for you?"

By the time Sam reached the house he was mad
enough to toss Cramer out on his ear. The parlor was ablaze with
light, but Sam circled around to the back and entered through the
back door. Rita was preparing supper.

"Don't scold," Sam said as Rita opened her
mouth to reprimand him. "There's something you should know, but I'm
trusting you to keep it between the two of us until the time is
right to tell everyone."

Rita's brow furrowed, but she said nothing,
apparently waiting for Sam to continue.

Sam hoped telling Rita was the right thing to
do but he saw no help for it. She deserved an explanation for his
barging into the house without an invitation.

"It's a long story, Rita, but you should know
that Lacey and I are married. We've been husband and wife for six
years."

Sam could tell by her stunned expression that
she didn't believe him.

"It's true, Rita," Sam explained. "My name is
Sam Gentry."

"But...but, Senor Sam, Senora Lacey is going
to marry Senor Cramer. Her husband died in the war."

"As you can see, I'm very much alive. We...we
lost track of one another and she believed me dead. Now that I've
found her, there will be no question of Lacey marrying Cramer. Are
Cramer and Lacey in the parlor?"

"Si, Senor, I will tell her you're here."

"Don't bother, I'll tell her myself."

Lacey sat on the edge of the sofa, hands
tightly folded, listening to Taylor as he paced back and forth in
front of her, ranting and raving.

"How could you have done this to us, Lacey?"
Cramer blasted. "We were to be married in two weeks. Now it will
have to be put off until I can send Sam Gentry packing." He stopped
in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "It's what you want,
isn't it? You don't want to stay married to that penniless cowboy,
do you?"

"Of course not," Lacey said without
hesitation. She wanted Andy's future to be secure, and Taylor could
provide what Andy needed. A home, security, money to give him an
education.

Cramer's smile held no warmth. An
unexplainable chill slithered down Lacey's back. "Good," Cramer
said. "I hoped you'd say that. Leave everything to me, my dear. One
way or another, Sam Gentry will be out of your life. I won't let
him interfere with my plans for the ranch." He paused, as if aware
of what he had carelessly revealed. "Forgive me, my dear, I meant
our wedding plans."

Sam entered the parlor in time to hear Lacey
say, "What do you intend to do about Sam?"

"Leave the details to me, Lacey. I know
exactly how to get rid of Sam Gentry."

Before Lacey could gather her wits, Cramer's
arms tightened around her. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
Lacey had been kiss by Cramer before but this time she felt
repelled by his hard lips and probing tongue. Nor did she remember
his taste and scent being so repulsive. She felt his hard fingers
crushing her breast moments before all hell broke loose.

A roar filled her ears at the same time Sam
came hurtling out of nowhere. Cramer was literally torn away from
her and backed up against the nearest wall.

"I warned you once about bothering Lacey,"
Sam snarled. He pulled his arm back, his hand fisted, ready to let
it fly into Cramer's face.

Lacey grabbed his arm. "Please, Sam, don't do
it." She knew Cramer's vindictive nature and didn't want his anger
directed at Sam.

Sam hesitated, then he shoved Cramer away.
"Get out, Cramer, before I really lose my temper. You can thank
Lacey this time for saving you but I promise I won't be so lenient
the next time."

Cramer slithered away, eyeing Sam with
loathing. "I won't forget this, Gentry."

"I'm counting on you remembering," Sam barked
through gritted teeth. "And just to make sure you won't bother
my
wife again, I'm moving into the big house, into Lacey's
bed."

Lacey couldn't believe this was happening.
Just when her life had gotten back on track, Sam showed up and
ruined everything. He intended to move in with her and share her
bed, did he? Well, she'd have something to say about that!

"You'd better leave, Taylor," she advised. "I
can handle Sam."

"He's a savage. I don't trust him with my
future wife. Stay away from him, Lacey. Sam Gentry is trouble."

"I want nothing to do with Sam," Lacey
averred. "I can't wait until he's out of my life."

"I'll see what I can do to make your wish
come true," Cramer said, slamming his hat down on his head. "I'll
be in touch, my dear."

Lacey confronted Sam the moment the door shut
behind Cramer. "Do you have to settle everything with your fists?
What kind of man have you become?"

"You don't want to know," Sam muttered,
rubbing his knuckles.

Never had Sam wanted to hit a man more. But
Lacey was right. The one thing Sam needed to avoid was the law, and
he knew intuitively that Cramer was the kind of men who wouldn't
hesitate to bring the law down on him had Sam hit him.

"You had no business telling Taylor you were
going to share my home and my bed."

"I meant every word," Sam growled. "I'm your
husband. It's time the hands were told."

"You abandoned me!"

"You betrayed me!"

"You don't even like me."

"I thought the feeling was mutual."

Suddenly Sam's eyes darkened and his anger
renewed itself. "You kissed Cramer."

Lacey's shoulders firmed. "He kissed
me
. There's a difference."

"Did you enjoy it?"

Her mouth thinned. She had no intention of
telling Sam that she'd hated Taylor's kiss. "That's none of your
business. I
am
going to marry Taylor. Engaged couples
do
kiss."

Sam's temper ignited. Grasping Lacey's upper
arms, he dragged her against him, his fingers digging into her soft
flesh. "What else have you done with Cramer? Is he one of your
legion of lovers?"

Lacey exploded. She pushed away from him and
dealt him a stinging blow to his face. Sam was the one who had
abandoned her, the one who refused to listen to her explanation.
How dare he accuse her of promiscuity when he'd probably bedded
more women than he could count.

Sam reeled backward, his hand flying to his
cheek. She'd struck him! No woman had ever done that to him before.
Women liked him. He'd never had problems finding willing women for
his bed. Even Lacey had come to him willingly.

His voice held a note of controlled fury. He
took a menacing step forward. She stood her ground, her chin still
jutting forward. He'd never known her to be pugnacious and he felt
a grudging respect for her courage. Nothing he did or said seemed
to intimidate her.

"Don't ever do that again," he warned.

"You don't frighten me, Sam Gentry."

"Frightening you was never my intention.
Making you pay for betraying me is."