Chief Cook and Bottle Washer (18 page)

"And the other?" Clint watched him
intently.

Deke grabbed a piece of straw from a nearby
bale and stuck it in his mouth. "The other is about Emma. I wanted
you to miss the rodeo so bad you'd go back to it, and forget
her."

"Forget her? Now Deke–"

"I know what you are about to say. I'm the
biggest fool that ever lived, and I know it. You and Emma are good
for each other, and I started out with the full intention of
getting the two of you together, but . . ."

"You started out. You mean you wanted me to
fall for Emma?"

Deke nodded, feeling like a fool.

Clint shook his head. "And now you
don't."

"It doesn't much matter what I want. It's no
longer in my hands. This is up to Emma. If she wants you, little
brother, I certainly won't stand in her way."

Clint's eyes rounded on his brother with
nothing short of merriment. "You big dumb dope. You think Emma is
in love with me?"

"It sure looks that way. She baked you a
cake, threw you a party, looks at you with those beautiful whiskey
eyes of hers like I don't know." Deke sighed heavily. "She's a fine
woman. And you're a good brother. I planned this, and it worked. So
I guess I should be happy."

"You planned this?" Clint repeated.

"Yeah," Deke tried not to look miserable.

"If this don't beat all." Laughter bubbled
from Clint. "Boy howdy, I never thought I'd see the big Deke
Travers fall so hard, so fast. Look," Clint placed an affectionate
hand on his brother's shoulder. "The three of us didn't want to
conspire against you, Deke. It wasn't our intention, but you're
such a nerd when it comes to women and what you really need. We
decided to give you a little push in the right direction. And it
looks like it worked."

"What are you talking about?" Deke frowned
not liking the fact that his little brother was laughing at
him.

"I'm saying Dad, Rusty, Jake and I and even
the boys in the bunkhouse have been trying to get the two of you,
you and Emma together. You're made for each other. Can't you see
it? And that little gal may not know it yet, but she's in love with
you too, along with little Sweet Pea."

"Why are you doin' this? You know she loves
you." Deke looked deep into Clint's dark eyes finding nothing but
humor there.

"Sure I love her. Who wouldn't. But like a
sister, bro. Like a sister. Now why don't you get your butt in
there and show her who the boss is around here?" Clint smiled.

"Why are you doing this?" Deke demanded.

Clint smiled slyly, "Because, dammit, a man
doesn't say these things often, but I love you bro and I want to
see you happy for a change."

"Me?"

"That's right, you. You've worked your damned
tail off keeping this place going, out of the red so to speak.
You've taken all your time and effort and put it in the ranch. Our
home. And yes, bro, it's my home too. And I do love it here. I just
love the rodeo too. So don't worry so much. I'll stick around till
the irrigation system is working again. I'll help out till you
don't need me anymore then I'm going back to what I love, the
rodeo. Right now that's my love–the rodeo-and my family. Now get in
there and tell her how you feel." Clint gave him a shove.

Deke stumbled, then smiled at Clint. "I can't
believe my own family would ..."

"Would what? Conspire to make you happy?"
Clint shot him a quick smile. "Count on it, bro. I've got to admit
though, you had me worried."

***

The house was quiet and dark. Only a light
shining from under Emma's door lit the hallway. Deke knocked
softly. "Emma?"

Emma cracked her door. "Yes."

The sight of her stole his breath. "Can I
talk to you?"

"Sure, but you'll have to be quiet. Sammie Jo
is nearly asleep." she insisted opening the door wider.

The light shone through the thin material of
her gown, outlining the perfect silhouette of a woman. Deke grew
warm.

"Then come to my room."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," she
insisted, jerking her hand free of his.

"Please Emma, it's important." He insisted,
his intense gaze burning into her like a flame.

"I'm not dressed." Emma tried to dissuade
him.

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters. I'm in my gown, it's
late, and you want me to come to your room. What do you think I
am?" She protested as he continued to pull her into the hallway.
She was shaking her head as he urged her silently into his room and
closed the door behind him. His gaze burned into her as he coaxed
her into his arms.

"I think." His head lowered, his lips grazed
softly against the warmth of her shoulder and up toward her neck as
she totally lost all breath. "You're the most beautiful, alluring,
and sweet woman I've ever known. I think you're perfect," he
whispered as his lips found hers with unerring accuracy.

"Deke," she mouthed breathlessly against his
lips.

"Hmm . . ." he barely managed as he kissed
her over and over again until she slumped in his arms, gave up, and
threw her arms around his neck, pulling him ever closer.

Her small body seemed to fit him perfectly,
melding against his like hot glue. Her breast needled his chest and
he wanted nothing more than to go on kissing every part of her
body. He wanted to know her like the back side of his hand. He
wanted to taste her, inhale her, and feel her all over him.

It was all he could do to keep himself from
throwing her on the bed. But Emma was not like other women. Emma
was different and Deke had recognized that from the start. He knew
he would have to give her some space, and take it slowly, although
doing so would throw his own body into havoc.

"I'm not perfect Deke," she whispered between
kisses.

"No? Convince me."

"This isn't right, I don't want you to think
. . ." she began trying to stop the onslaught of kisses he reined
on her. But the more he kissed, the less she pushed away.

"I don't think Emma. . . I feel when I'm
around you."

"But I don't want . . ."

"What–my kisses?" he murmured taking her
mouth once more, gently tugging on her lower lip between his teeth
till her mouth opened and he absorbed her. She tasted sweet, like
honey. And the eagerness of her thrusting tongue told him she did
want . . . much more, just as he did.

"Emma," he whispered her name reverently, as
he continued to kiss her into a mass of putty, playful putty. Warm
putty.

When her breasts swelled against him, he
pulled away enough to assuage the aching need to touch. One hand
gently cupped a full breast, as his thumb passed over it several
times. The thin material creating friction.

She groaned, "Oh please . . ."

"Please don't, or please do?" He chuckled
softly, his eyes burning into hers.

"I'm only human, Deke," she whispered, as his
mouth lowered and captured the peak of her breast through the thin
material of her gown.

She groaned uncontrollably.

Slowly he lifted his head, his eyes like
liquid pools of blue. "You're as beautiful as a bluebonnet in
spring, you have a heart the size of Texas, a mind as pure as a
snowflake, and you know how to make a man feel ten feet tall when
he kisses you. Now do you know how you stand with me, Emma?"

His gaze held her captive. "I–I think
so."

"There's so many things I want to say. But
I've got to know something, Emma."

"What," she barely murmured.

"Do you love my brother Clint?"

She pulled away enough to look into his eyes,
"Well yes, of course I do. Like a brother."

"God I'm glad you said that." He muttered
pulling her closer and needing to taste her lips once more. "And
Charlie, how do you feel about Charlie, now?"

"Charlie who?"

"Good, kiss me one more time before I let you
go back to that cold bed of yours."

With that he smothered her next words with a
kiss that threatened to undo all his better intentions. His lips
touched her nose, her eyelids, her cheek, her earlobe, her neck,
and slid to the valley of her breasts. There his lips swept over
her gently, in a soft caress.

He turned her loose, reluctantly, his needs
unfulfilled, his heart pounding like a drum.

"Deke," she was at the door, turning the
knob, but a sob broke from her and she rushed back into his arms.
"I don't want to go back to my cold bed, I don't want to be alone
anymore."

"Oh God, Emma," He smothered his words into
her hair as he fought the urge to give in and take what she offered
him. Every time he held Emma he had the unerring feeling she'd
never been touched. But that couldn't be. "Emma," his mouth found
hers and he scooped her into his arms.

Her arms flew around him, as she pressed
herself into him. Locked in an embrace he settled her on his bed,
not pulling down the covers, fighting the urges that came natural
to him. His lips trailed fire over her. He felt her tremble, and
was about to pull away when a scream echoed through the house like
nothing he had ever heard before.

Emma blinked. Deke jumped to his feet, and
listened as the scream came again and they both dashed down the
hallway.

"Oh Sammie Jo–"

Deke turned white as he stayed Emma at the
doorway for a second. "Don't panic honey . . ."

Emma's worst nightmare became a reality. The
screams weren't coming from the bedroom, but the kitchen. It was
Sammie Jo.

Deke and Emma found her lying on the floor, a
chair overturned, one arm very still.

"Oh my God," Emma covered her mouth to
prevent a scream. "She wanted that candy bar this afternoon but I
wouldn't let her have it, she hadn't had supper and I was afraid it
would spoil her appetite. Now look. Is her arm broken?!"

"It's hard to tell." Deke seemed intent on
investigating the area before touching Sammie Jo. He glanced at
Emma and shook his head. "You can't blame yourself for this. It was
an accident. She fell. Come here sweetheart, let's get a good look
at you." Deke instructed, his voice taking on a quality of control
Emma envied once more.

"Yes . . ." she scrambled closer, wondering
why Sammie Jo was still screaming. Then she covered her mouth when
she saw the candy bar only a few inches from the baby.

"Why is she still crying? It must be broken."
Emma cried aloud. Deke examined the room carefully as he took the
baby into his arms.

"I don't know yet. It's harder to tell with a
baby. Most babies don't break bones at this age, but it depends on
how they fall and how far, I guess. There now Sweet Pea, Daddy Deke
is going to fix you up. Don't cry." Deke's voice reverberated
through the house.

Sammie Jo seemed to be calmer, but her body
jerked with each sob. When Deke tried to move the arm that she
protected Sammie Jo screamed louder.

"Wake the others, tell them to call the
emergency room at Rolling Plains Memorial and inform them what
happened. We'll drive there now, it'll be quicker than waiting for
an ambulance to come out here. I can't be sure it's not broken, and
if it is it'll have to be set."

Emma still moved as though life no longer had
a hold on her body. As though she were merely walking through each
motion. She nodded, and rushed to wake Cal, her mind working
overtime.

It wasn't necessary, four grown men scrambled
down the hallway, half-dressed, all talking at the same time, all
concerned looks on their faces.

"What's going on?" Cal asked as he neared the
scene.

"Please call the hospital, Cal. Sammie Jo's
been climbing again. We think her arm's broken. We have to take her
in, now!"

Cal's face went white, "My God. Of course I
will. You two go on. Kids don't usually break bones. Aw now, don't
you worry everything is going to be all right, Emma. They know how
to take care of these things."

"Damn . . ." Rusty uttered when he saw how
helpless the baby looked as Deke carried her to the living
room.

Then without even looking up Deke carried her
straight to his truck.

"We'll follow, as soon as Dad gets the call
made. Don't worry Emma, it will be all right." Jake reassured her
as she ran out the door to the truck.

"Thanks," Emma murmured as she dashed towards
the truck, Clint came running out to hand her a robe and watched
them pull out of the drive. Deke gunned the truck into gear and
sped off down the road, the dust flying.

But there was nothing reassuring about the
ride to the hospital. Deke tried to dodge all the ruts in the road
for the baby's sake. Sammie Jo screamed every time the arm moved.
It seemed like such a long drive, and Emma's heart was pounding so
hard her breath seemed to catch.

"My God, what have I done?" Emma felt close
to hysterics.

"Nothing, you've done nothing, Emma." Deke
reached for her hand, and covered it with his own. "You can't blame
yourself for this. No one can watch a child constantly. Kids get
into things. One of the first lessons a mother learns. It's no more
your fault than it is mine."

"I should have been there. I knew she could
get out of her bed. I knew she was curious. I should have been in
there and this wouldn't have happened. I should have given her the
candy when she wanted it."

"Emma, don't. Stop blaming yourself. There is
no blame, it was an accident. She's going to be all right. You
can't spoil her all the time just so she won't try other ways to
get things. You did right. You are teaching her rights from wrongs,
that's very important, Emma," Deke affirmed.

Nothing seemed to waver his conviction. Emma
grasped on to his positive attitude like a lifeline. Deke was
right, everything would be all right. They'd get her to the
hospital and they'd know how to treat her.

"I still don't think it's broken. There's no
swelling, no bruises," Deke was saying, cradling Sammie Jo's head
in his lap and glancing down at the her.