Ride The Wind (Vincente 3) (26 page)

Reese had wanted her for so long, he couldn't
stop himself now. He rolled her to her back and
lowered his body on top of her.

He pressed between her legs, and she could
feel him even through his trousers. Saber
squirmed, trying to get closer to him. She didn't
want anything between them but bare flesh.

"Be still," he said in a growl, "or I'll have all of
you, Saber."

She arched her back, pressing herself against
the swell of him.

Reese groaned, pushed her undergarment
aside, and caressed her urgently. "Is this what
you wanted? Is this why you came here?"

His words were angry and like a cold dash of
water in her face. She braced her hands against
his chest, feeling the laborious beating of his
heart. "I didn't have this in mind when I followed you. But once inside the barn, I decided I wanted you." She pushed against him, and he
released her.

"Your plan worked. My hands were all over
you, Saber."

He gripped her arm, but she shoved his hand
away. "You have nothing to reproach yourself
for tonight, Reese. The fault is all mine."

She scrambled to her feet and tugged her
gown into place. Reaching down for her cape,
she slipped it around her shoulders and hurried
toward the door. But she had not gone far before
she came up against the solid wall of Reese's
chest.

She was near the lantern, and he could see
tears on her cheeks. "God, Saber, why are you
doing this? What do you want from me?"

She shook her head, suddenly feeling
ashamed of her actions. "I will say good-bye
now. I don't think our paths will cross again,
Reese."

His hands dropped away. "No. I don't think
they will, Saber. There is just one question I
want to ask you, but I really don't have that
right."

"You can ask me anything you want to."

"Would you marry a broken-down old cowboy?"

"Would that cowboy be you?"

"You didn't let me finish, Saber. Could you so easily turn away from Matthew, who has loved
you for years and has spoken of you every day
I've known him? Could you leave him and marry
me?

She was about to tell her second falsehood of
the night. "I suppose you are feeling guilty, but
you don't need to, Reese. It's not necessary for
you to make me respectable by marrying me.
Nothing really happened between us."

He was silent for a long time. "Would you have
me for a husband, Saber?" His hand trembled
when he touched hers. "Would you?"

She wanted him to reach inside himself and
admit he loved her. "Why?"

"For whatever the reason, I'm asking you to
be my wife." He had not intended to ask her to
marry him; the words just seemed to slip out.
He expected her to refuse his offer and to be horrified that he would dare ask her to marry him.
He felt a deep, empty void inside as he waited
for her to reject him. After tonight, he'd go back
to his ranch and take up his empty life. Nothing
would have any meaning because the goldenhaired woman who'd made him fall in love had
left him.

"Yes," she answered without further hesitation. "I will have you for my husband, Reese."

He reeled in shock at her acceptance. At first
he thought he must have misunderstood. Maybe she wanted to punish Matthew by marrying his
friend. Whatever her reasons were, they didn't
matter to him. He'd take her any way he could
get her.

"What do we do now? Do I go to your brother
and ask for your hand?"

She was willing him to take her in his arms
and confess he loved her, but he seemed to be
in a daze. "I will tell Noble."

They stared at each other, both having so
much to say, but neither willing to mention the
love that burned within.

"I have something I have to do first," he said
at last. "In two weeks' time, I'll come to you at
Casa del Sol to ask if you still want to marry me."

Saber didn't know what she'd expected from
Reese, but it certainly wasn't this cold indifference. "I won't change my mind. I'll be waiting
for you," she answered, rushing past him into
the night. He went to the door and watched her
until she was safely inside the hotel.

He braced his back against the door frame and
stared up at the night sky. This day, which had
begun so miserably, had ended in his getting the
one woman in the world for him.

But could he make her happy? He would sure
try his damnedest. Even if he could keep her
only a day or a week, he wanted her so much it
ripped him apart inside.

He went back inside to finish saddling his
horse. Just the thought of giving her his name,
then taking her to bed, cut his breathing off.

Two weeks was a long time to wait when he
wanted to be with her so desperately!

Spring burst across the land. The prairie grasses
had turned green, and new foals were frolicking
in the fields among the wildflowers at Casa del
Sol.

Saber shoved an apple through the fence to
entice a young colt on wobbly legs to come forward. The colt nudged the apple and then
backed nervously away. The mare, however, was
accustomed to Saber's bringing treats and
pushed her head forward to take the apple, devouring it in a short time.

Noble appeared at her side, grinning. "You
have always had the Vincente touch with animals."

She turned troubled eyes on her brother. "Noble, do you think Reese will lose his ranch?"

"Not if he can help it. He's a fighter, Saber, and
won't give up easily."

"You admire him, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean I want you
to marry him."

"I love him, Noble."

He had balked at the idea of his sister
marrying Reese. He had nothing against the
rancher, but it was only a short time ago that
she believed she loved Matthew. Rachel had
calmed many of Noble's fears, and he did feel
that Reese would be good to his sister. "He won't
accept help from you, Saber. He's too proud to
live on his wife's money."

"But I want to help him. There must be some
way."

"We will think of something." He slid his arm
around her shoulder. "It's a funny thing-I was
not all that willing to give you up to Matthew,
and I'm still not sure I know all that happened
that night of the dance."

"I realized I couldn't marry him because I
loved Reese."

He tilted her chin up. "Has he told you he
loves you?"

"Not in words. But I know he does."

He grinned. "That's why we men don't have a chance around you women. You always know
what we're thinking."

"Rachel certainly can read your mind." She
threw back her head and laughed. "Your little
redhead is the perfect woman for you just as
Reese is right for me."

He moved toward the stable and called over
his shoulder, "See you at dinner."

Saber turned back to the house, knowing that
Reese would be arriving any day. She watched
and listened for him and could hardly sleep at
night for thinking about him. She couldn't wait
to go back to his ranch and make it a home for
him. She could hardly breathe when she thought
of the night she would go to him as his wife.
Saber was determined to be the best wife possible. Reese had been alone for so long, and she
wanted to take care of him. She wanted to give
him a family and to make him happy.

She watched as three wagons pulled up to the
house more supplies for the wedding. Noble
had insisted that his sister marry in the Vincente
style, and Rachel had agreed with him. Invitations had gone out all over Texas, and most of
those invited would attend.

Reese rode through the gates of Casa del Sol and
looked about him with the eyes of a rancher. Fat
cattle grazed on plentiful grass, with an occa sional bundle of hay dotting the land. Water was
plentiful, fed by the double fork of the Brazos
River. There was a peacefulness and serenity
here. He galloped underneath huge trees that
arched over the road. When he topped a rise, he
gazed at the magnificent Spanish ranch house
with the red-tile roof. There were barns, stables,
outbuildings, and bunkhouses. Blooded horses
ran behind the white rail fence near the corral.
This was the kind of life Saber was accustomed
to. What kind of life could she expect to have
with him? There was nothing he could offer her
that her brother didn't have more of.

As he rode up to the stable, Zeb came hobbling
toward him. "I was told you was coming, Mr.
Starrett. There's quite a to-do up to the big
house." He cast a sideways glance at Reese.
"You're taking the rose of Casa del Sol. I 'spect
you will look out for her and treat her well."

Reese had to smile at the crusty old cowboy.
"I'll do my best, Zeb."

"I knowed you would. I heard you're a good
man; leastwise, Rachel says so, and she ain't
never wrong about people."

Reese dismounted. "I'll have to remember to
thank her for the kind testimonial."

At that moment Rachel came across the yard
with a welcoming smile on her lips. "Reese. I'm
glad you're here at last." She could tell he was startled when she kissed his cheek and linked
her arm through his. "I'm afraid you are going
to have to suffer through a long bout of singing
and dancing tonight. We at Casa del Sol know
how to celebrate a wedding in fine style."

Reese removed his hat and paused at the door.
"Saber still wants to go through with this?"

Rachel looked into Reese's slate gray eyes. She
saw there the anxiety he was feeling. "I don't
think you can get away from her now, so you'd
better get ready to settle down and become a
married man." Impishness danced in her eyes.
"Father Delion has already arrived to perform
the ceremony."

He ran a hand through his hair nervously.
"What can I offer her compared to all this?" He
made a wide sweeping motion with his hand.
"You've seen my house."

"Saber will have it turned into a home before
you know it. And as for what you can offer her?"
She shook her head and laughed. "I'd be willing
to bet half the women in the state of Texas envy
her because she has caught the elusive Reese
Starrett."

He grinned at the woman who would soon be
his sister-in-law. "You always know the right
thing to say, don't you?"

She opened the door and went inside with
him. "Practically always." She looked thought ful. "Nobel might argue the point with you."

Reese glanced around the entryway with its
elegant furnishings and was struck by another
moment of doubt. He saw movement on the
wide stairs, and Saber seemed to float toward
him. She wore a pale yellow gown, and her hair
was swept on top of her head. Every time he saw
her, he realized she was the perfect woman, and
it scared the hell out of him!

Saber approached him, smiling, and a sweet
scent that he had come to associate with her assailed his senses.

Rachel moved toward the door. "I'll turn him
over to you, Saber. I want to make sure they
hung the Chinese lanterns in the courtyard." She
paused in the doorway and said, "Don't monopolize him, Saber. I know your brother wants to
show him some cattle."

Saber laid her head against Reese's chest, and
his arms slid around her. She was so fragile and
delicate. It frightened him that he would be responsible for her well-being and happiness.

"I would like to have you to myself, but for
now it's not possible." She sighed and went up
on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his.

His eyes dilated, the dark irises becoming passionate swirls. "Saber, do you still want me for
your husband?"

A teasing light came into her eyes. "You haven't found someone else you'd rather marry,
have you?"

"Not likely."

"Then you'll have to marry me." She led him
toward the courtyard, where Rachel was instructing several workmen. "If you have
changed your mind, you'd better run now, because at precisely seven tonight I come down the
stairs wearing the most beautiful wedding gown
you have ever seen."

He stopped near a fountain and stared at the
bubbling water. "It isn't the same gown you were
going to wear if you had married Matthew, is
it?" He didn't know why he should care, but he
did.

"No. That was donated to one of our vaqueros
who had a sister getting married. She was most
grateful for the gift."

"What happens after our wedding? I didn't
want to make any plans until I spoke to you."

"Rachel and Noble will be spending the night
at the Broken Spur with her sister and her husband. We will have this house all to ourselves.
Of course, there will be dancing and singing all
night."

"The Broken Spur was Rachel's ranch, wasn't
it?"

"It still is. Her sister and her husband run it,
but it's Rachel's all the same."

Before Reese could say anything more, guests
started arriving. He was introduced to Rachel's
sister, Delia, and her husband, Tanner. The
guests just seemed to keep coming. Reese met
so many people he didn't even attempt to keep
their names straight.