Ain't No Angel (26 page)

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Tyler poured tea and coffee into two separate cups. He glanced out the kitchen window, staring into the night. The only visible light was a faint glow coming from the direction of the bunkhouse. Earlier, while Laney slept in his arms, he’d heard hoofbeats over the splattering of rain. Gabe and the boys who’d stayed in town overnight must have decided to make the ride home in the storm. He was grateful he’d made the decision to bring Laney to the house rather than spend any more time in the barn. His lips curved in a smile.

Damn! He’d known for days that he couldn’t control his hunger for his wife much longer, but to give in to his desires in one of his barns, and that she’d been a more than willing participant, had been most unexpected. His body heated with renewed want at the memory. Laney’s uninhibited lovemaking had obliterated the last remaining ounce of self-control he possessed.

Even though his suspicions that she wasn’t an innocent had proven to be right, her boldness, coupled with an uncertainty and uneasiness, had surprised him.

Tyler carried the cups to the main room. It was time for some answers. He loved Laney with all his heart, but curiosity about her past ate at his insides. He wanted to take away all the apprehension and fear he’d seen in her eyes, and assure her that he would take care of her. In order to do that, he needed to understand her better.

Laney sat on the couch, curled up and wrapped in the blanket he’d brought earlier. She offered him a tentative smile when he approached, but the worry in her eyes was unmistakable. Tyler set the cups on the small table next to the couch, added more wood to the fire, then sat beside his wife. He lifted the blanket away, and faced her. He opened his arms, and Laney nearly leapt onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck like a distraught child clinging to its mother. Tyler frowned. She’d always been so sure of herself, so strong. Why had her demeanor changed all of a sudden to that of a weak and sappy female?

“Laney,” he whispered against her ear. “I still like you.” He brushed his lips against her cheek. The feel of her silky bare thigh against his calloused hand sent renewed heat through him. He lifted her head away from his chest so she’d look him in the eyes. “In fact, I like you more than ever.”

His eyes roamed her face, gauging her for a reaction. He waited. She looked like a cornered colt, frantic and finding no way of escape.

“You’re the first guy who’s made me dinner after . . .” She dropped her gaze.

Tyler swallowed. She wasn’t going to give him answers freely. She was scared to death. He inhaled a deep breath.

“Laney, my mother worked at the saloon in town when my father met her,” he started. Perhaps if he put her mind at ease, she’d be more forthcoming with information of her own. “He loved her, regardless of her past.”

Laney’s eyes widened. She stared at him. “One day, she apparently decided she didn’t want to be married to him anymore, and left. I was twelve years old at the time. I haven’t seen her since. It destroyed my father, and he became a bitter man. I grew up surrounded by his bitterness, and swore I would never love a woman. Then you came along, and I fell in love with you the moment I set my eyes on you.”

“You did?” she asked quietly, disbelief in her eyes.

He smiled. “Yeah, I did. I fought it at first. I didn’t want to like you. I didn’t want these feelings.” He chuckled. “Hell, I’m still scared to death of them.” His face sobered, and he held her chin to keep her eyes on his. “What scares me the most is that I don’t want to lose you, that someday you’ll decide to leave, and perhaps return to your old life.”

“I’m scared of the same thing, Tyler,” she whispered. “That you’ll get tired of me.”

Tyler cupped her face between his hands and pulled her to him. He settled his lips over hers, gently at first. The soft moan in her throat drove him to greater urgency. One arm snaked behind her back, and he crushed her against his chest, as if he could hold her to him forever. At the brink of losing control, he forced his mouth away from hers. 

“I love you, Laney,” he rasped against her cheek. “Whatever is in your past, whatever you’ve tried to run from, it doesn’t matter. It’s what brought you to me.”

Laney sat up straighter on his lap, and gazed into his eyes. She lifted her chin. He smiled inwardly. There in front of him was the woman he fell in love with. Proud and determined.

“I stopped believing in love a long time ago,” she said slowly. “I stopped believing, until I met you. Most of my life, I’ve been shoved from foster home to foster home because my mother didn’t care enough about me to straighten out her life.” Her tone had gone bitter. Tyler tried to comprehend her phrases, but he wasn’t going to ask her to explain.

“I lived with a family that ran a rehabilitation center for injured race horses. That’s where I learned how to ride, and the things I’ve been trying to do with Rap. It’s where I realized that I loved horses, and I wanted to work with them.” She dropped her gaze. Tyler’s fingers grazed her cheek, and he nudged her chin.

“It’s also where I learned about men. My foster father . . .” Her voice trailed off.

Tyler strained his ears to hear her nearly inaudible words. His grip around her waist tightened, and comprehension dawned.

“You were violated by the man who raised you?” Tyler tensed. Anger boiled in him like a tea kettle ready to erupt.

Her eyes blazed. She didn’t look away from him. “I ran away when he wouldn’t stop coming to my room. I haven’t stopped running since.” She licked at her lips, and stared into his eyes. “Since then, I’ve been searching for something, someone, who would love me without turning their back on me.”

She touched her lips lightly to his.

“Every time I’ve let myself get close to anyone, I’ve been burned. I’ve learned that no one is going to take care of me but me, and so I’ve relied on myself.”

“I aim to change that, Laney. I’m here to take care of you.”

Laney pressed her fingers to his lips. “Let me finish. I need to get this off my chest.”

She inhaled deeply.

“I may have taken my clothes off, and been with several men, Tyler. Guys I thought cared about me, but you’re the only one who has ever truly looked at me. No one has ever touched me the way you have, in mind, body, and soul.”

 “And no one else but me ever will.”

Tyler pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “I’ll be sure to thank Gabe for making that crazy bet, and for bringing you here.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Of all the things he’d ever imagined about Laney’s past, he hadn’t expected this.

She hadn’t been a working girl, but bad circumstances had led her down the path she’d taken. Out of desperation, she’d agreed to become someone’s mail order bride. It still didn’t explain the strange way she spoke, and her unconventional ways. Perhaps because she’d been on her own, taking care of herself, she’d learned to dress and behave more like a man.

She tensed in his arms. “Don’t thank him quite yet,” Laney mumbled. “Somehow I don’t think Gabe had anything to do with me coming here.”

“Well, he did pick you. I’m just glad you agreed to come.”

“I’m glad I came here, Tyler.” Laney favored him with a warm smile. “And I’m going to learn how to live here, and wear dresses and all those silly things that go underneath them, and I’ll learn how to cook, and everything else I have no clue about.”

Tyler raised his eyebrows. He chuckled, and flashed a wide grin at her. “Sometimes you say the darndest things, Laney, but I wouldn’t have you any other way. I think I’ve liked having you in britches.” His hand slid slowly along her thigh and under the shirt she wore, and he added in a sultry tone, “In fact, right now I like you best without any clothes on at all.”

Chapter 24

“Hey, old boy, how are you this morning?”

A loud whinny greeted her when Laney walked into the barn. Straw rustled loudly, and the big bay horse paced circles in his stall.

“I’m letting you out today. You’ve been cooped up in here long enough.”

She pulled a rope halter from the hook on the wall post, and quietly entered Rap’s stall. The stallion nickered loudly, and accepted the piece of bread she held out for him.

“You’re going to be a handful today, I can tell. I know you’re eager to get back out with your mares, but you’re not quite ready yet.”

Laney patted the stallion’s neck, and slipped the halter over his head. She ran her hand along the inside of his back leg, and smiled. There had been no heat for the last couple of days. The horse hadn’t been too happy to come off the range and get locked up in a stall. She couldn’t blame the animal, but she had convinced Tyler that rest would be the fastest way to his recovery, and she could treat him easier if he was here at the ranch.

She no longer resorted to the swimming regimen. That was one thing Tyler hadn’t budged on. He refused to allow her or anyone to take the horse into the river. It was his opinion that it was far too dangerous to swim with a horse, and with the latest rains from a few weeks ago, the creeks were swollen and fast flowing. So she switched to hand-walking the stallion for several hours each day, and even tried an herbal poultice Tyler had shown her how to make, that some of the local Indians used for every ailment under the sun. Whether it was the stall rest or the poultice, the horse was definitely improving. The rope mark on his leg had faded, but Laney often wondered who would have harmed the horse on purpose. And to what end?

Tyler had informed Gabe and his crew to be vigilant of anyone found within the boundaries of the Double M, and he ordered regular scouting rides to check on the various bands of horses on the range.

“How about if I take him out of his stall today. He seems a bit high strung.” Tyler stepped into the stall behind her. His hand immediately found her waist, and Laney’s skin tingled to life instantly at his touch. Smiling, she turned around, and kissed Tyler’s cheek.

“Watch it, cowboy,” she said. “Your men are going to call you loco again if they see you coddling this horse. Or me.”

Tyler grinned. “You’re right. I’m in danger of losing the respect of my men. As long as they’re still doing your bidding at the drop of a hat, the Double M should be all right.” He winked at her, and grinned.

Laney handed him the leadrope. “There you go again, talking like an open-minded man.”

“Woman, you’ve already got me cooking supper with you every night. If I’m caught doing the washing next, that’s when I’ll start to worry.”

“At least we won’t be in danger of the house burning down if you help me with supper. And I haven’t once asked for help from you with the laundry. I think I’ve got that down really well.”

Tyler pulled her into his arms, ignoring the stallion standing next to them.

“He needs to get out, or he’s going to kick down his stall,” Laney whispered against her husband’s cheek.

“And I need to get you up to the house.” Tyler nuzzled her neck, sending chills of pleasure up and down her spine.

Laney wrapped her arms around his neck, and molded her body to his. “We just came from the house,” she murmured against his lips. “You’re insatiable.”

“Where you’re concerned, yes I am.”

Rap shoved his muzzle against her arm at that moment, and Laney giggled. “I don’t think Rap is going to let you forget about him right now.”

She pulled away from Tyler, although reluctantly. For the last two weeks, he had doted on her as if she were a princess. She truly felt like a newly married bride, and was happier than she ever thought possible.

She and Tyler had fallen into a routine that might rival a modern couple. Tyler was usually up at the crack of dawn and let her sleep in the mornings. He went about his day on the ranch, working right alongside his wranglers. Chores here were never ending. If he wasn’t working with a young horse, he helped with the rebuilding of the burned barn, chopped firewood, fixed countless other things that broke on a regular basis, and rode out to inspect his herd.

Laney would often watch him from the front porch of the house, and sometimes join him in the barns. She tried to stay away and let the men do their jobs without hanging around too much. She couldn’t stay completely away from the horses, especially since she had to treat Rap every day. She wanted to fit in as a proper rancher’s wife in this time, and she didn’t want Tyler’s men to think less of him for allowing his wife too many liberties that weren’t considered proper for a woman.

The sick horses were all recovering from their bout with equine flu. The three colts that had the worst cases still coughed on occasion, but Tyler hadn’t lost any of his horses like Ian Frazier had. Laney suspected that, because the Double M was spared, Tyler’s wranglers were more accepting of her in their presence. Many heads turned when Rap came to the ranch, and Laney explained that stall rest was the best thing for the stallion to recover from his injury.

Gabe had scoffed at her plans, but he had no better solution, and in the end conceded that the horse had definitely been injured. His face had gone hard, and a murderous look had passed through his eyes when Tyler mentioned that someone might have deliberately tried to harm the stallion. The rope burns on his leg confirmed it. Gabe himself had taken it upon himself to patrol the range for any possible intruders.

Tyler called a halt to his workday at sunset on most days. He had instructed Laney on how to work the wood stove properly, and how to cook a basic meal of meat, potatoes, and biscuits, or some variations of stew. She was confident enough now to cook a simple dinner on her own, but Tyler still showed up each day to help. After supper, they’d spend the rest of the evening in each other’s arms, talking about the horses, the ranch, and each other.

One subject Laney hadn’t been able to broach yet was where she really came from. She’d lost sleep many nights, wondering whether to tell him she had come from the future. How would Tyler react to something like that? She’d gone over countless scenarios. Would he be angry? Would he reject her? Simply laugh in her face and call her crazy?

There’s only one way to find out, Laney.

Was it worth risking everything? She’d finally found what she’d always wanted. Why ruin that by dropping such a bomb on him?

Tyler deserved to know the truth. He had told her everything about himself, about his painful past with his mother and father. It couldn’t have been easy for a man to do, opening up to her like that. He told her every day that he loved her, and she had no reason to doubt him.

Tyler pushed Rap’s head aside, and reluctantly released Laney’s waist.

“Let’s get this horse treated, and then I’m spending the rest of the day with you,” he grumbled, and shot a mock annoyed look at the horse. He patted the stallion’s neck, and led the eager animal from his stall. Laney followed quietly, pleased to see the stallion moving freely.

Tyler led him from the barn, and released him in one of the smaller pens. Rap trotted off without any problems. Laney stood against the fence, a satisfied smile on her face.

“Another week, and I think he can go back to his girls.” She turned to Tyler.

“Good. Does that mean I can get back to my girl now?” He settled his hand at her waist, and pulled her closer.

“You’re all done with your work?” Laney raised her eyebrows. “The day hasn’t even started yet.”

“Gabe and the rest of the boys have things under control today. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

Laney angled her head upward to study him. A quick jolt of apprehension rushed through her. What would he need to discuss with her that he couldn’t simply bring up right here?

Tyler grinned. “Don’t look so worried, Laney. It’s nothing serious. I just want some time alone with you, and then I’ll tell you.”

“Okay.” She expelled the breath she’d been holding. “But it’s not like you don’t spend enough alone time with me. Don’t get me wrong. I love spending time with you, but—”

“He’s looking like he’s ready to breed some mares.” Gabe strode up behind them, nodding toward the stallion in the pen. His eyes darted from Tyler to Laney. His gaze lingered on her, a smug look on his face.

Tyler stepped away from her. His hand remained for a moment longer at her waist, then he turned to his foreman.

“Looks like it. We might have a few less foals next spring, but at least we haven’t lost our stallion. And with the gray colt coming three next year, we can give him a small band of mares of his own.”

Gabe smiled. “Sounds like a fine plan.” His eyes still rested on her. “Thanks to your wife here. Who knew she’d be such an asset?”

Laney didn’t waver at his scrutiny. She wasn’t about to let him know how uneasy he made her feel. She still planned to talk to him about the conversation they’d had the night of Myra’s birthday party. So far, she hadn’t been able to catch Gabe alone. He seemed to have made himself scarce in her presence since that day.

Her eyes shot from Tyler to Gabe. What a contrast between these two men. They were about the same height, but where Tyler’s hair was a light shade of brown, Gabe had nearly jet black hair. Tyler was reserved and polite while Gabe was loud and obnoxious. How these two seemed to be such close friends was a mystery to her.

Her eyes volleyed from one man to the other. Something odd struck her as she looked at both men, something that she’d noticed before, but it never quite surfaced in her brain. It was always more of a subconscious feeling.

“Rap can stay out in the pen for a while. Can you make sure he’s got hay and water, Gabe? I have some things I need to talk to Laney about.”

Tyler’s voice broke into her thoughts, and whatever had been hovering at the surface of her mind about Gabe vanished back into nothingness.

“Sure, boss. Don’t keep the lady of the house waiting,” Gabe said. He slapped Tyler’s back, then shot a final unreadable look at Laney before sauntering off toward the barn.

Laney stared after him, her forehead scrunched. She shook her head. What was it about that guy that she couldn’t put her finger on?

Tyler reached for her hand and led her to the house. He hadn’t quite closed the door when he pulled her to him and kissed her with such passion, everything else faded from Laney’s mind. Their clothes were quickly discarded before they even reached the bedroom. Tyler made love to her with the same tender passion she’d come to crave from him, and Laney sighed in his arms when he pulled her tightly up against him.

“I’ve never been happier in my life, Tyler,” Laney whispered against her husband’s chest. “For once, I did the right thing when I accepted the offer to come here.”

Tyler ran his fingers through her hair. “And I’m thankful every day that I married you and didn’t send you off on the next stage like I’d originally planned.”

Laney glanced up at him. Adrenaline coursed through her. Should she tell him the rest of her story? At least feel him out?

“What did you want to talk to me about?” she asked.
Coward.

Tyler leaned up against the headboard of his bed, and pulled her up with him, his arms wrapped firmly around her.

“I have a string of horses that I need to take to Fort Ellis,” he said slowly.

Relief flooded through Laney’s limbs, making them go weak and rubbery. She had almost dreaded what he wanted to talk to her about. She mentally shook her head. She needed to stop thinking the worst all the time. Tyler loved her. There was no doubt in her mind. He was her future.

“Why did you need to whisk me away to our room just to tell me that?” She laughed, and ran her hand up his chest.