9781631054617HeLovesMeCole Read online

  But Ben stopped. Once again he turned to her with a bewildered look. For a moment he remained silent. All the while, his golden eyes studied her.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked, hating how timorous her voice sounded.

  For a moment more, he stared at her, then finally turned away. “Did you even bother to read my letter?”

  “Well, yes, of course. At least, most of it.” Her cheeks heated, and she lowered her gaze, but then, at once, she jerked her head up again. “That letter didn’t make a lick of sense, Ben.”

  “In other words, the answer is no, you didn’t read it.” A rush of breath shot out from his lungs. “You know, Em, you pride yourself on always being so smart, always using your head. You talk about how observant you are, about how carefully you listen so you can gather all the facts—”

  “Yes, of course. You know I do.” She interrupted his lecture, folded her arms across her chest and dared him to contradict her. He didn’t even stop for breath.

  “—and you call yourself rational. You’re always going on about logic, but then you take whatever facts you find and throw logic right out the window, jumping headlong to whatever conclusion it is that you want to believe.”

  She drew back, shocked by the vehemence of his attack. “What’s gotten into you, Ben? I swear, I don’t even know you!” Emily waved a hand. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter what you wrote. Let’s put it all behind us now and move on.” Slowly she edged toward the wagon. “Take me out to Kat’s, let me rest a little, and we’ll talk later, all right?”

  Ben didn’t budge. “I’m not going to the J Bar K.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not working there any more, that’s why. If you’d taken time to read my letter, you would have known.”

  “You quit your job?” She knew Kat and Joshua would never fire Ben. He was almost like family. “Why would you do that?”

  “Something better came along.” He gave an indifferent shrug. “A man’s got to go where the opportunities are, Em, if he wants to make something of himself.”

  “And just where is it you’ve gone?” She fisted her hands on her hips. “Who are you working for now?”

  “Tom Henderson.”

  “Oh.” Emily nodded. A few years earlier, Tom had inherited a piece of land and had worked hard to build a successful enterprise breeding horses. Without a doubt, Ben would enjoy working at the horse farm. Emily’s features scrunched. “I thought he had a crew of Mexicans working for him.”

  “Yeah, he did, but they left a while back.” He picked up the valise and shrugged again. “Guess they got tired of Colorado winters and headed back to the Rio Grande.” He nodded again toward the wagon. “I’ll help you up, then I’ll get what I need at the mercantile. It won’t take more than a few minutes.” He pushed his hat back on his head. “After that, I can take you to your folks’ place. I don’t really have time to drive all the way out to the J Bar K.”

  “Yes, you’re awfully busy, I know.” She sighed, wondering how so many dreams could fall apart so suddenly. Little point in talking to Ben about her plans now. Little point in even thinking about them. In a single moment, Ben had spoiled them all.

  * * * *

  As Ben helped Emily into the wagon, he kept a respectful distance. It wouldn’t do to let himself get too close, so close he’d be unable to resist her charms.

  Turning away with a heavy breath, he reprimanded himself sharply. He shouldn’t have come into town. When Tom asked him to go to the mercantile for supplies that morning, he should have come up with some reason to refuse. But he’d never get ahead in life by saying no to the man who paid his wages.

  Besides, when all was said and done, he wanted to see Emily. The last time he’d been with her was the day she’d left for Miss Brundage’s Female Academy, three months earlier. Denver wasn’t all that far, really, but the two of them had agreed not to be running back and forth, but to wait for the Thanksgiving holiday.

  It was part of growing up, Emily had explained. They needed to be mature, to attend to their different responsibilities—hers at school, his at her brother-in-law’s ranch—and then look forward to a joyous reunion in November.

  Ben muttered a few choice words to himself as he headed to the mercantile. Who would have known so many things would change in such a short time? Now, as much as he wanted to see Emily…well, there were other matters to keep in mind.

  He focused his attention on his errand and hurried into the store.

  “Thanks, Asa,” he said to the proprietor a short time later. Hefting a wooden crate at his shoulder, he returned to the wagon, set the supplies in the bed, then swung up to the driver’s bench.

  “You really want to go out to the J Bar K?”

  Emily nodded but didn’t turn to look at him.

  “I reckon I could take the time.” He picked up the reins, then glanced over his shoulder toward the crate. “Nothing in that box that Tom needs right away.”

  Emily continued to stare straight ahead, but Ben caught a slight smile—or, at least, he thought he did.

  The first mile crawled past in a dreadful, awkward silence. The girl at his side sat as stiff and rigid as a statue. Even so, he liked being near her, loved breathing in the delicate floral scent of her fair skin. He wished he could put her at ease somehow.

  The long road wound through thick stands of pine, their needles still lush and green against the gloomy backdrop of the late autumn sky. From somewhere high above them among the branches, the light-hearted song of a siskin floated down. Ben breathed deeply and loosened his death-grip on the reins.

  “What about your folks, Em?” he asked, breaking the stillness between them. “Aren’t they expecting you? Won’t they worry if you don’t show up at home?”

  She shook her head. “Our plans were a bit indefinite. I had several days of examinations at school. I wasn’t sure when I would finish up or which day I’d be ready to come back.”

  “In other words, your folks don’t know you’re in Sunset?”

  Her shoulders moved slightly. Ben guessed it was supposed to be a shrug. “I’ll send word later and let them know I’ve arrived and that I’ll be staying with Kat. Really, Ben, it’s all right.”

  Relieved that she was still speaking to him after the way he’d treated her earlier, he nudged her slightly. “So, how’s everything going at school? When you left last August, you were excited about it. You don’t seem all that enthused now.”

  “My bad mood has got nothing to do with school.” She edged away from him and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know how you’d expect me to be cheerful after that tongue-lashing you delivered. You’ve made it very clear that you’re not happy to see me.”

  A quick protest nearly slipped out, but he sucked it back. For now, best that he not encourage her in any way.

  “Just making conversation.” He shrugged and threw the words out as if they meant nothing. “It’s a long drive to the ranch. Thought the time might pass more easily if we engaged in a bit of talk.” Measuring his words carefully, he leaned back. “Do you like the academy?” he asked. “How about Miss Brundage? Are you learning a lot from her?”

  Emily pressed her lips together, obviously reluctant to share her thoughts with him. Her reticence hurt. In the past, he and Emily had always been open with one another, had talked freely about their lives, their hopes, their likes, their dislikes. Nothing had ever been off-limits in their conversations.

  Finally, she stirred. Ben turned a curious ear.

  “Actually,” she said, her voice so quiet he strained to hear, “I’ve been thinking about leaving school. I hate it.” She kept her gaze cast downward. “I don’t want to go back.”

  How in hell could he respond? Ben’s thoughts skittered off in a dozen directions. Swallowing down a handful of dangerous emotions, he cleared his throat. It wasn’t enough, and he knew it. He had to speak up.

  “That’s crazy, Em. All you’ve talked about for the last few years is
how much you want to earn your certificate and get a teaching position. You wanted to work with the Ute children, help civilize them. You talked about doing good in the world,” he added, mimicking her in a solemn voice. “Isn’t that how you put it?”

  Her blue eyes widened. “Haven’t you heard?”

  “Heard what?”

  “About…” She shuddered, her voice fading into nothing. “About the massacre,” she finally finished. “Nathan Meeker was murdered by the Utes. His wife and daughter were abducted. They were held captive for weeks.”

  Ben’s breath caught. He regretted his questions and wished now he hadn’t pushed her for an answer. When Emily had left for Miss Brundage’s Female Academy in late August, she’d been filled with righteous optimism about the future, caught up in the noble intentions proposed by Nathan Meeker, the government’s Indian agent. He meant to civilize the Ute tribe, teach their children, and show them better ways to live. Obviously the natives hadn’t accepted the white man’s ideas.

  “I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard.”

  Still shaken, Emily huddled beside him. She grabbed for the edge of her cloak and used it to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

  “You don’t have to teach the Indian children,” Ben pointed out. He hated to see Emily cry. Her tears always made his heart ache, always made him yearn to find a way to make everything in her world all right. For years, he’d been her friend, her protector, her comforter. “You could get a good teaching position in Denver. I’m sure of it. Probably in any town in the state. For that matter,” he grudgingly admitted, “you could probably teach right here in Sunset.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  Too late, he wished he could call back those last few words. “Well, maybe next year, I mean. I’m sure Mr. Hodges already has all the teachers he needs for this term. I’m just thinking about the future. Besides, you don’t have your credentials yet.”

  “Sometimes I’m not sure I want to be a teacher.” When she glanced his way, he saw tears still glistening in the corners of her beautiful, dark-fringed eyes. “To tell the truth, school is a lot harder than I expected it to be. I hate it, Ben.”

  “Give it time.”

  “It’s a miserable place,” she went on, paying him no heed. “I’m not especially fond of Miss Brundage, either. She’s a dreadful old hag who goes out of her way to make sure everybody around her is as unhappy as she is.”

  “It can’t be all that bad.”

  Again, she paid him no mind.

  “And then, there’s Hattie Mae. My roommate,” she explained. “She’s a dear girl, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that she has a tendency to grate on my nerves a bit.” Emily drew in a deep breath. “Mostly, Ben, I don’t like being away from home.” She turned to him, hope shining in her tear-filled eyes. “I don’t like being away from you.”

  His guard went up at once. Every muscle in his body tensed. “That’s no reason to give up your education,” he pointed out. “In fact, that’s a pitiful excuse, if you ask me. Besides, how do you think that makes me feel?” In truth, it made him feel damned good to know Emily Sue missed him, but at the moment, he didn’t dare let on to that fact. “If you leave school, you’ll come to regret it in time, and I don’t want you blaming me.”

  “I’m not blaming you, Ben.” She placed a hand on his arm. “I’m telling you how I feel, that’s all.”

  He hated himself for what he was about to do. He jerked his arm away.

  “Yeah, well, it’s not good to act on feelings. They’re slippery things, you know. Feelings change.” A quick glance toward the girl at his side confirmed his worst fears. Although she tried to look away, he’d already caught sight of the tears sliding down her cheek. It took every last ounce of restraint he possessed to resist reaching out to her.

  Chapter Two

  Ben didn’t hang around the J Bar K. After depositing Emily and her valise in the front yard, he waved and drove away. Socializing with Kat and Joshua Barron would make his task all the more difficult. Although Emily didn’t know it and wouldn’t understand if he tried to tell her, his every thought and every action was for her. Protecting her from any danger—real or imagined—was his top priority.

  And danger definitely lurked around him. He couldn’t see it, couldn’t name it, but he could sure as hell feel it. At times it seemed he could even smell it and taste it in the air.

  As he drove back toward the Henderson place, wisps of fog hung over the ground. Recent days had been unseasonably warm. The mist now presaged a coming drop in the temperature. Snow would quickly follow.

  Maybe that would put an end to the troubles.

  Or maybe not.

  Ben glanced toward the thick stands of aspen and cottonwood that lined the roadway. So many places for evil to hide. As the horse pulled the wagon homeward, Ben kept his gaze riveted on the trees, watching for even the slightest movement.

  His heart thudded when he caught sight of a ghostly apparition that seemed to float through the air and then disappear. Only another murky wisp of vapor, nothing more than the natural phenomenon of condensation. He let out his breath.

  The Mexicans who’d once worked for Tom had often talked about seeing ghosts. They swore they’d seen apparitions, insisted the whole damned horse farm was cursed, and finally packed up and high-tailed it far away.

  They’d listened to too many of the old legends, that’s all.

  An odd sensation pitted itself inside Ben’s stomach.

  No such thing as ghosts.

  Easy, of course, for a man’s mind to play tricks on him, for his imagination to run wild and conjure up things that weren’t real. None of the legends surrounding the Henderson property had a bit of substance to them.

  The farmhouse had first been built by a fellow named Joe Love. He’d been nothing more than a common outlaw, and in the end, he’d been shot to death in his own front yard. According to legend, Love had a cache of stolen gold buried somewhere nearby and had sworn to protect it even from beyond the grave. Some folks swore he still haunted the land. Over the years, countless reports of ghostly specters, phantom horses, and disembodied voices had kept the old legends alive.

  But that’s all they were. Legends. The sort of stories cowpokes told when they sat around their campfires on the range, tales told by tired old men to entertain and to pass the time.

  What Ben felt at that moment, however, was real. It was the same prickly, hair-raising sensation he’d felt earlier that day when he’d first driven into town. He’d felt it at other times, too, in recent weeks.

  Somebody was watching him. Somebody was following him.

  He tugged at the brim of his hat and drew the wagon to a halt. With a slow, careful gaze, he surveyed the landscape, studying the surrounding area. To the west, the mountains rose up to meet the sky, and off to the north a gentle pine-covered ridge sloped down toward the valley. Ben rubbed at the back of his neck and sucked in the crisp November air. For as far as he could see, all appeared as it should. Assured that no immediate threat existed, Ben tried once more to chalk the uneasy feelings up to his imagination, just as he’d done the last time, and the time before that.

  But it was too real to be ignored.

  “Damn it.” He slapped the reins over the horse’s back.

  Whoever was watching him was no specter. Ben could feel their eyes upon him each day as he rode the range. He could feel them, too, at night as he blew out the lamp and settled into his bed.

  But why would anyone be watching him?

  He had nothing anyone wanted, but he’d been hired to do a job. Tom Henderson had employed him not merely as a helping hand on the horse farm, but also as a guard. Strange things had been going on around the place. Late at night, eerie sounds arose in the air, and sometimes—so the Mexicans who’d worked there before Ben had claimed—there were strange lights glowing in the distance. Tom refused to believe the events had a supernatural origin. So did Ben.

  Which meant someone very human was behind it all.<
br />
  As he neared the Henderson farm, the fog thickened around him, making it difficult to see more than a few feet ahead. The horse plodded onward.

  In recent weeks, the troubles had increased. Several times the Hendersons had been awakened by noises outside the house, but no one was there. On more than one occasion, they’d come home from trips to town to find the place ransacked, yet so far as they could tell, nothing had ever been taken.

  Someone wanted to drive the family away, and there was only one logical reason.

  Somebody wanted the land. More to the point, somebody wanted the gold.

  But Tom Henderson intended to stay right where he was. He also meant to make sure his family was safe. So far, he’d said nothing to the sheriff. He believed a man looked after his own, solved his own problems, and above all, protected the ones he loved.

  Ben agreed.

  Which was precisely why he didn’t want Emily Sue Phillips anywhere around. Treasure hunters could be a dangerous sort. Neither Tom nor Ben had any idea yet how far the troublemakers would go. When they realized Tom wasn’t packing up and leaving the land, their actions would probably become more violent and threatening.

  Tom’s plan was to catch them first, before any real damage was done.

  Until that happened and they knew precisely who was behind the troubles, Ben intended to keep the curious Miss Phillips as far away as possible.

  Why not simply tell her the truth?

  He’d considered that once, but quickly reconsidered. If Emily caught wind of anything peculiar going on, she would insist on sticking her pretty little nose into the situation, trying to dig down deeper into the matter and ferret out an answer of some kind. She was far too inquisitive for her own good. That was the real problem, the real reason he wanted her back on that stage to Denver as soon as possible.

  Once he knew the danger was past, he’d make amends with Emily.

  * * * *