Ain't No Angel (27 page)

Tyler grinned sheepishly. “That was just an excuse to get you up to the house.”

“Oh, really?” She raised her eyebrows. “And here I thought you were going to give me bad news, or something.”

Tyler’s smile vanished. “Laney. I know what’s on your mind. I hope I’ve proven to you that I’m not going to grow tired of you. I love you.”

Laney leaned up and touched his cheek. She kissed his lips. “And I love you,” she whispered.

And I need to start being open and honest with you.

“So, where is Fort Ellis, and how long will you be gone?” She met his gaze.

“It’s near Bozeman. It’ll take me and several of the wranglers about three days to get there. I’ll be gone a little over a week, hopefully no longer.”

Laney’s brows scrunched together. She leaned over him, resting her forearms on his chest. “Why do you seem so worried?”

“Because I don’t want to be away from you that long.” His fingers grazed her cheek. 

“Are you entrusting me to run the ranch by myself?” She grinned up into his serious face.

 “No. Gabe’s in charge of the ranch while I’m gone. Eddie and Sammy will be here, too. They’ll all look out for you, but I can ask Myra Hansen to come and stay here with you,” he added hastily. “Maybe you want a woman for company.”

“I think I’ll be all right.”

 With Tyler gone, this might be her perfect opportunity to talk to Gabe alone. She had to find out what his deal was where she was concerned. She wasn’t sure how much she should reveal to Tyler about Gabe. Was there anything to reveal? The guy unnerved her with his leering ways, and the things he’d said to her. But he was also Tyler’s foreman and good friend. Guys tended to be pretty close. She’d have a talk with him herself before she mentioned her misgivings to Tyler.

“I don’t want you doing anything foolish while I’m gone, Laney.” Tyler’s voice had grown stern, almost like a parent warning his child. “No riding alone. We still don’t know who harmed the horses. Ian’s men have been on the lookout, and so has everyone at the Double M. We will find who is responsible for the death of Ian’s horses, and Rap’s injuries. I can’t help but think it’s all related. I just don’t know how yet.”

“How well do you know Ian Frazier? His horse won that race, Tyler. I wonder if he had something to do with hurting Rap or the infected colt.”

Tyler shook his head. “Ian lost half his foal crop because of that sick colt, Laney. Why would he risk something like that?”

“Maybe he didn’t count on the colt ending up on his property. Maybe Rap ran him off before he could infect your horses, and then he ended up on Ian’s land.”

“Doing harm to another man’s horses is as bad as stealing,” Tyler said, his voice serious. “It’s a hanging offense. Ian and I have had our differences, but I just can’t see him going to those lengths to try and ruin me.”

“When are you leaving?” Laney swallowed, changing the subject. Talk of hangings gave her an uneasy feeling. It reminded her yet again what century she was in.

“Day after tomorrow. We’ll be back by next Sunday. I just need you to stay out of trouble.” He swiped a finger down her nose.

“Maybe I could go with you,” she suggested tentatively.

Tyler’s arms tightened around her. “I knew you would ask that.” His lips curved in a smile. “And the answer is no. I’m not subjecting you to long days in the saddle and camping out with a bunch of men.”

“But, Tyler, I—”

“No arguments,” he interrupted. His tone let her know that he wouldn’t budge on his decision. “It’s too dangerous for a woman. Driving a bunch of horses over open country means long hours in the saddle, and hard work. Too many things can go wrong on these drives. I won’t have time to keep my eye on you, and I won’t put your life in danger.”

“What about your life? If it’s so dangerous, shouldn’t I be worried about you?” The real possibility that Tyler might get hurt on such a trip unnerved her. This was his job, it was part of life here in this time. That thought didn’t ease her apprehension.

“I’ve got someone important to come home to,” Tyler whispered. “I’ll be extra careful.”

Laney jutted her lower lip out in a mock pout. “Oh, all right,” she huffed. “You boys get to have all the fun. One of these days I want to go on a horse round up.”

Tyler chuckled. “There are some things that women just don’t do, Laney.”

She pushed herself off his chest and straddled his hips. Her eyes narrowed and she glared down at him. “And here I thought you liked that I was different,” she pouted.

 Laney’s heart sped up at her own words. She’d opened the door to the conversation she dreaded. Was Tyler’s mindset about women and their place not as progressive as she’d believed, after all?

“Different? You mean, unconventional?” He grinned, and reached up to cup her cheek in his hand. Her hair spilled down around her face, and he swiped the strands behind her ears. His eyes darkened. “Yeah, I like that you’re different, but I ain’t budging on you going on a week-long horse drive across open country. It’s just plain too dangerous for you.” His other hand caressed her thigh.

Laney smiled seductively. The pulse at his throat increased visibly. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his chest rose and fell faster.

“I could try and persuade you,” she purred. “Besides.” She adjusted her hips around his waist. “I can ride as well as any of your wranglers.”

With a move she hadn’t anticipated, Tyler flipped her off of him and onto her back, and she found herself beneath him before she had time to blink. Her arms snaked around his neck, and she giggled. Darn him. He’d successfully turned the tables on her.

“You’re not one of my wranglers, Laney. You’re my wife,” he growled in a low tone. “Yes, you ride as well as a man. It befuddles my mind how you learned all the things you know, and you sure talk funny sometimes, but I’m getting used to it. In fact, I wouldn’t want you any other way.” He braced his forearms on either side of her, his eyes glowing in silent triumph.

“Well, someday, women are going to have all the same rights as men do.” Laney squirmed beneath him. “They’ll go on round ups and take horses cross country, and they won’t require a man to tag along.”

Tyler’s eyebrows shot up. She raised her head off the pillow to kiss the gloating grin off his face. He deepened the kiss, pulling her tightly to him.

“I never took you for one of those suffrage women,” he whispered against her lips. “I know there’s been talk of women being given the right to vote. Wyoming and Utah Territories already allow it.”

“Are you opposed to that?” Laney pushed her hands against his chest, glaring up at him.

Tyler chuckled. “Hell, no. I’m not against women voting, as long as they have a good head on their shoulders.”

“How would you feel about a woman in charge of a large business? Or even becoming president of the United States? Someday, all of that might be reality, Tyler.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. He rolled to the side and pulled her up against him. “But probably not in your or my lifetime.”

Laney raised her head and stared up at him. So far, she had the impression that Tyler was simply indulging her in bemusement. Her pulse quickened when she asked the next question. “So, if you could ever live in a different time, would you?”

“A different time?” His eyebrows scrunched together.

“Maybe someday people can travel through time,” she suggested.

Tyler laughed. “What time would you want to go to? And what for?”

Laney avoided his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe a hundred fifty or so years into the future.”

Tyler’s hand slid slowly up and down her arm. “I wonder what horses will be like in the future.”

“The same as they are now,” Laney answered quickly. “I think that they won’t use horses anymore for transportation, though. They’ll be used more for recreation, and sport. Something for rich people to spend their money and time on.”

Tyler glanced at her. His eyes sparkled in amusement, and he even shook his head. What must be going through his mind? Did he think she’d completely lost her sanity?

“So how are people going to get around if they don’t use horses anymore? You think it’s all going to be by train or boat?” To his credit, he seemed to indulge her in, what he surely thought, were her crazy notions.

“No. There will be vehicles that will run on engines. Different than steam engines that fuel a train, though. They won’t need to depend on tracks to get around.” She sat up, and added hastily, “Oh, and an even faster way to cover really long distances is to fly.”

Tyler burst out laughing. “People will be able to fly? Laney, I love you and your wild imagination.”

“What if it does happen, Tyler?” She sat up, and stared at him. He wasn’t taking her seriously at all. She couldn’t really blame him. How else was he supposed to react? At least he didn’t outright call her insane.

 “Sounds to me if everyone gets around real fast, no one will slow down long enough to enjoy what’s really important in life.” He pulled her back toward him, and kissed her.

“Yeah,” she said absently. “I suppose you’re right.” Laney settled back against him.

Tyler nuzzled her neck. “You’d better not let anyone but me hear you talking like this, Laney. You’ll be branded as the loco wife of the crazy horse rancher who lets his woman wear britches and do all sorts of unheard of things to his horses. Folks’ll even speculate that you come from the future. They’ll want to poke and prod at you, to see if you’re like the rest of us, just to find out if people are different a hundred and fifty years from now.”

Well, they would be correct in their assumption that I’m from the future.

“You think I’m crazy?”

“No.” He raised his head and stared intently at her, his eyes glowing warmly as his gaze roamed her face. His hand caressed her cheek.  “I think you’re beautiful, and you have a wild imagination, and you have a way with horses. And I think I love you for all those reasons, and more.”

“Would you go to a different time, leave everything you know behind, at the chance for a better life?”

Tyler stared at her in silence for a moment, then his mouth widened in that smile that always melted her insides.

“I’ve got everything I need right here.” He touched his lips to hers. “I suppose if you ever get the hankering to live a hundred and fifty years in the future, I’ll have no choice but to go with you, but I’d much rather convince you to stay here with me.”

“You’ve already convinced me of that, Tyler.”

She pulled his head toward her, and demanded in no uncertain terms that he kiss her again. He wasn’t taking her serious. For now, she was satisfied with his answers. Convincing him that everything she’d said was true might take a little longer. Perhaps when he returned from Fort Ellis, she’d bring it up again.

Chapter 25

Tyler adjusted the cinch around Charlie’s belly, and inspected the rest of his gear for the final time. He led the gelding from the barn, and his eyes roamed the grounds. The horses he was taking to Fort Ellis were still penned in their corral. For the first time ever, he wasn’t looking forward to making this trip. He shook his head, unable to suppress the perpetual grin on his face. He couldn’t ever remember a time in his life when he’d been happier than he was now. And it was all because of one feisty little gal who occupied his mind and heart.

Delaney. Angel from heaven. Hell, yeah. She certainly was, even if she didn’t believe it herself. She’d managed to pull him from his sullen existence in the short amount of time she’d been here. She’d also saved his animals, and in the process, his ranch, with her vast horse knowledge. He thanked God every day for bringing her into his life.

Tyler chuckled. The conversation they’d had the other morning hadn’t left his thoughts. Laney sure had some crazy notions in her head about traveling through time and what it might be like in the future. He’d never heard anyone have such wild ideas before. And her speculations about what things were like in another time were almost as if she had first-hand accounts of it.

She almost had him believing such a thing was possible. He’d all but expected her to tell him that she had come from the future, and that’s where all of her know-how came from, along with her unusual words and behavior. His wife sure was unlike any female he’d ever met. It got him thinking what it might be like, two centuries from now. He shook his head again.

Now who’s thinking crazy thoughts
?

Laney was sure rubbing off on him, and she had him completely wrapped around her finger. If he wasn’t careful, his neighbors would truly call him the loco rancher mighty soon. He’d almost given in when she asked him if she could come along to Fort Ellis. He’d been prepared for her question. He had expected nothing less from her. As much as he would have liked to bring her with him, Tyler refused to risk her safety simply because he didn’t want to be separated from her for a week. Telling her no had been mighty difficult.

“All set to head out?”

Tyler turned his head. Gabe strode toward him, pointing at the horses. “The boys are ready when you are.”

“Yeah. Time to move out,” Tyler said absently. He glanced toward the house at that moment. Laney stood on the porch, holding a leather bag in her hand. His entire being was tuned-in to his wife. She hadn’t been there a minute ago. It was uncanny how he knew instantly when she was close by.

“Maybe I should be the one to go to Fort Ellis.” Gabe’s laughter broke the invisible current between him and the woman standing by his home, waiting for him.

“You sure you’ll survive a week away from your wife?”

“What makes you say I won’t?” Tyler grumbled, then grinned sheepishly. He adjusted his hat on his head, and turned toward his horse.

“You’re burning daylight,” Gabe said. “You should have been on the trail an hour ago.”

Tyler mounted his horse. “Keep an eye on the fence lines. Anything suspicious, alert Ian.”

Gabe’s brows rose. “Ian?” He laughed. “Frazier is the last person I’d trust, Ty. His horse won that race, remember? He’s the one who wants your contracts. If there’s something suspicious going on, I’ll be keeping my eye on him, not seek his help.”

“Just don’t do anything rash,” Tyler warned. “Wait until I’m back, and we’ll figure it out together what to do.” He glared down at his friend. “And it goes without saying, Gabe. Don’t talk to Laney like you do around your whores. I’ve warned you before.”

Gabe’s grin widened. “I think your wife can hold her own,” he said. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll try my best to keep her out of trouble while you’re gone.”

Tyler studied his foreman. There had always been some sort of undercurrent between him and Laney. It was as if he enjoyed taunting her, and no matter how often Tyler had warned him to back off, Gabe hadn’t heeded his words. Laney hadn’t said a word to him that Gabe was bothersome, or else he would have taken his foreman to task again. In a way, he still needed to thank Gabe. He was ultimately responsible for bringing her into his life.

“Make sure that you do,” Tyler said slowly. He looked Gabe in the eyes, and added, “I appreciate you watching out for her.”

Gabe nodded.

Tyler twisted his body in the saddle, and whistled loudly through his teeth.

“Move ‘em out,” he called to Beau and the two others who would accompany him. Sammy ran to open the gate to the pen, and the horses ran out. Tyler reined Charlie toward the house. He loped up to the front porch, and skidded to a stop.

Laney stood quietly, her face devoid of the smiles and laughter Tyler loved to see. With one fluid movement, he dismounted his horse, and leapt onto the porch. He cupped her head between his hands, and brought his mouth down on hers. Laney melted against him, and wrapped her arms around his middle.

“You be good while I’m gone,” he whispered against her lips.

“I miss you already,” she said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“Woman, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’m not gonna be able to ride away from here.”

“Go,” she said with a quick laugh. She pushed away from him. “It’s only a week. I might as well get used to this, right?”

She thrust the leather bag at him. “I packed you some food.”

Tyler smiled. He accepted the bag, and kissed her one final time.

“I love you,” he said hoarsely, then turned on his heels before he changed his mind and told Gabe to ride out in his place.

Mounting his horse, he glanced toward Laney one final time. She hugged the porch post, and blew a kiss at him, a sad smile on her face. 

“Stay safe,” she called. “I love you. I’ll see you in a week.”

Tyler tipped his hat to her, then nudged Charlie in the sides. The gelding took off at a fast canter, following the band of horses that stirred up dust ahead of him. This would surely be the longest week of his life.

****

Laney pulled the last of Tyler’s shirts from the clothesline, folded it, and placed it in the laundry basket. With the full basket at her hip, she headed back into the house. She hummed a favorite song, wishing she had a radio to break the constant silence.

Tyler had only been gone for two days, and she missed him more with every passing hour. To pass the time in his absence, she planned a thorough cleaning of the house. That would keep her out of trouble, as he would say, and out of the barns.

She had started with Tyler’s room, which they now shared, and moved on to the bedroom that his parents had occupied. After putting the laundry away, she carried a bucket of water and some rags into the room. She thoroughly washed down the wooden dresser and the insides of each of the drawers. Some contained old clothes that must have belonged to Jonas Monroe.

She removed the shirts from one of the drawers, when something fell out from between one of the folded articles. Glass clattered on the wooden floor, sending several chards in all directions.

Laney stepped back and bent down to carefully pick up the pewter picture frame that had fallen to the ground, mindful not to cut herself. The picture inside caught her eye. A man sat in a chair, staring unsmiling into the camera. Next to him stood a woman, an equally stoic expression on her face. One of her hands rested on the man’s shoulder.

There was no question these were Tyler’s parents. The woman and he shared similar facial features, and as close as she could tell from the black and white photograph, she had the same shade of brown hair as her son. Her hair was styled up and behind her head, and the dress she wore buttoned up her neck. No one would have ever guessed she had been a prostitute.

 The unsmiling man had to be Jonas Monroe. Although he sat rigid, and at first glance appeared stern and cold, his eyes held a hint of warmth, and Laney instantly recognized Tyler’s eyes. She held the photo up closer to her face. Tyler’s father had jet black hair, much like . . . she drew in a deep breath, and stared at those eyes again. A sudden realization hit her. Something that had subconsciously nagged at her for weeks, but had always remained just outside of reach.

Laney set the photograph and frame on top of the dresser. She darted from the room, and out the front door. She marched down the path to the bunkhouse, smoothing down the front of her dress with her sweaty palms. In Tyler’s absence, she had decided it was better not to wear britches.

She knocked loudly on the bunkhouse door. She wasn’t even sure where any of the wranglers were who hadn’t gone with Tyler. The ranch had been eerily quiet all morning. There was no answer from within, so she turned on her heels, and headed for one of the barns. Usually at least one man remained at the ranch, but the place appeared to be completely deserted today. She opened the creaking door to the barn that housed Rap, and peered inside. The stallion nickered from his stall at the far end of the barn. She still needed to turn him out into the small pen for some restricted exercise today.

She headed for the stallion’s stall.

“I might as well let you out while I wait,” she said out loud. Her mind reeled as she reached for the halter hanging on the stall door. Before she had a chance to slip inside the stall, footsteps behind her alerted her to someone’s presence. The hair at the back of her neck rose, and she turned slowly.

“I thought I might find you in here,” Gabe’s deep voice drawled, and he sauntered toward her.

Laney stepped away from the stall, and studied him. Why had Tyler never told her that he had . . .

“I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you, Laney. Now that Tyler isn’t around, we need to get some things straightened out, don’t we?” Gabe stopped right in front of her, and she had to lift her head to look him in the eyes. There was no denying the similarities. She’d seen it before, but she’d never put two and two together.

“Not dressed in your usual garb.” His eyes roamed her from top to bottom. “Finally decided that a woman oughta be wearin’ a dress and not run around in britches?” He sniggered. “But maybe where you’re from, that’s how women dress.”

Gabe’s eyebrows rose, a triumphant sneer on his face. He stepped closer to her. The urge to back up, and put some distance between them overpowered her, but Laney stood her ground. If she cowered now, he’d have the upper hand.

“I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you, too, Gabe,” she said, glaring up at him. She darted a quick glance at the barn door. Being alone with him inside the barn was probably not a good idea, though. She wasn’t exactly afraid of Gabe, but his domineering attitude left her feeling vulnerable and exposed.

He laughed. “Well then, ladies first,” he offered in a smug tone.

Laney angled her head, staring up into his eyes. Tyler’s eyes. With each passing second, it became clearer to her.

“Tell me, Gabe,” she asked slowly. “Does Tyler know that he has a brother? Because he sure never mentioned it to me.”

She studied him for a reaction. His jaw muscles tightened, and his stare turned to ice.

“How the hell would you know about that?” He grabbed hold of her arm, his fingers biting into her skin, and pushed her backwards against one of the stall doors.

“I guessed.” Laney swallowed back her apprehension, and squirmed in his firm grip. “Let go of me.”

“You ruined everything for me. All my plans,” he snarled. His eyes blazed in anger. He didn’t deny what she’d said.

“What plans?”

Keep him talking, Laney. Maybe one of the other wranglers will come along soon.

He laughed bitterly. “You have no idea what the hell I’m talking about, do you? I wonder where the woman who answered my original letter ended up. I couldn’t figure out why you didn’t go along with my instructions, until I overheard you talking to the reverend.”