Whispers of the Heart (8 page)

“No... I can’t...it isn’t possible. I would have known something.”

“She didn’t want you to know nothing.”

“No! I don’t believe you! I can’t believe you! She wouldn’t...”

“Why? Because she acted so squeaky clean around you?”

“No... I just can’t...If she was so blasted happy whoring for you, why did she leave then? Huh?” Marsha snapped. “If she was so gall-darned happy with her life, why’d she leave you? Why? I’ll tell you why,” Marsha continued angrily, “because you’re full of it, that’s why! She wasn’t a whore. You’re just saying that to make me feel bad. To make me feel dirty somehow. No, she left you because...because,” Marsha stumbled.

“Because why, girl? Go on, tell me, miss know-it-all. Finish your sentence, since you seem to know so
damned much. No? What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Well, why don’t I help you out a bit? She left 'cause she fancied herself in love with one of our marks, that’s why. Why did I let her go? Because she threatened to rat me out to the law if’n I didn’t. Now, go ahead and ask the other question that’s been gnawing at you all these years? Let’s clear the air so we can get back to focusing on business, shall we? After all, these father-daughter conversations happen so infrequently.”

“No, I don’t want to know anything else.” Marsha’s head was suddenly pounding.

“Sure you do, kid.”

“No. No, I don’t.”

“Ah, come on, now,” Jethro antagonized. “Every kid wants to know why their mama abandoned them. After all, she’s off somewhere living a life of ease with her new rich husband, so why couldn’t she take her darling teenage daughter with her instead of leaving her with her reprehensible daddy. Come on, ask!”

“Shut up! I don’t...just leave me alone.”

“Because you were part of the bargain,” Jethro continued relentlessly. “That’s why. I leave her be, she leaves me be. I let her live happily ever after with her new man and keep your young body out of his line of sight, and you take over her job. She even suggested letting you go live at the whorehouse where I found her, to help break you into it faster. So, what do you think of your mama now, girl? Huh?”

“Shut up, you pig!” Marsha shouted, jumping up and storming from the house.

“Hell,” Jethro whispered to her retreating back, “your mama raised her skirts for so many men, I don’t even know if you
are
my flesh and blood. Damn nuisance, though,” he continued his one-sided conversation, moving to the liquor cabinet. “Just like your mama was. A damn nuisance; but I have ways of dealing with nuisances, kid. Just ask your mama. Oh, that’s right, you can’t,” Jethro cackled at his own wit and poured himself a tall glass of whiskey. “Damn nuisance,” he whispered again, tipping the glass back and swallowing the contents in one gulp. He coughed and sputtered, then poured another glass. “Just like Rivers. Well, I have ways of dealing with nuisances,” he muttered again, then raised his glass in a toast to the empty doorway. “Here’s to nuisances. May they rest in peace. Just like that pregnant wife of his.”

“For a city girl, you seem to have a knack for roping things,” Dalian observed playfully, stopping by Kat’s side.

“That’s very kind of you to say, considering the only things I’ve managed to rope around here are three fence posts and a cowhand passing by.”

“I didn’t hear him complain none,” Dalian laughed.

“No, he didn’t,” Kat said, color seeping into her cheeks. “He
did
very kindly point out the direction of my wooden cow and brazenly suggested I might have a directional disorder.”

“Oh, did he now?”

“Excuse me, Dalian,” Chloe called from across the corral, “I’m not sure exactly how this goes. Could you show me again, please?”

Dalian sighed loudly, “You may have a directional disability, but at least you haven’t a learning disability. Excuse me, please.”

“Certainly,” Kat laughed, eyeing Chloe with a bemused shake of her head. Gone was the shrewd woman she’d met the day of their arrival, and in her stead was a reticent woman who sincerely appeared to be lacking much mass between the ears. She shook her head again and then refocused on the four-legged wood bovine standing a few feet in front of her. “I’m just as determined to rope you,” she said softly to her target, “as Chloe is to rope Mr. Dalian Rivers.” She twirled the stiff loop in a circle over her head as she’d been instructed. The rope drooped, and Kat sighed. She found this activity fascinating, but would find it more so, if the rope would cooperate with her efforts. She began to twirl it out in front of her again, picking up the momentum. She grinned, feeling as if she was going to get it this time, as the rope and loop remained taut. Slowly, she lifted her quickly tiring arm, until the lasso was spinning rapidly above her head.

“Now concentrate,” A voice whispered near her ear. She squealed and the lasso dropped over her head. Dalian laughed softly. “Now you can add yourself to those items successfully roped today.”

“You, Dalian, are an impish man,” Kat turned and glared in mock displeasure at Dalian, who was gazing innocently in return; a grin on his lips that he tried desperately to control.

“What? All I did was offer a suggestion that might possibly help you overcome your handicap
.”

“Sneaking up on me and breaking my concentration is helpful?” Kat said. “All you managed to do was startle the
tar out of me.” She pulled at the lasso, but instead of coming up over her head, it tightened slightly and she sighed, suddenly frustrated – at the man, the rope, and her ineptness.

“Would you like some assistance?” Dalian grinned.

“Are you going to tell me to concentrate again? Because by my estimation, your prior assistance is what got me all tangled to begin with.”

“Uh, Dalian?” Chloe called from her side of the corral again. Dalian turned and snorted. Kat followed his gaze and couldn’t stop the laughter that escaped.

“It would appear that I’m not the only one who’s managed to get entangled.”

“Yes, but you didn’t do it on purpose.” Dalian swallowed his exasperation. “It’s a good thing our male guests have a propensity for roping or they might think they aren’t getting their money’s worth of my time.”

“I hardly doubt that they are going to take offense at the consideration you are showing to a woman who obviously requires quite a bit of your attention.”

“Careful. You’re sounding just a tiny bit jealous.”

“Hardly, Dalian. I’m merely observing that your male guests are probably envious. I’d wager that each was wishing he was in your boots and Chloe were calling out his name.”

“If even one speaks up, I’ll gladly turn over my size
twelves. Anything to get that woman’s focus off of me.”

“Ever run across a Pit Bull with a purpose, Dalian?”

“Yeah. That one makes the second,” he grinned, nodding toward Chloe.

Kat laughed, “Then you know to watch out for her powerful jaws. She gets ‘em latched onto you...”

“Dear Lord above, don’t even say it. Here, let me get that lasso from around you so that I can go assist Miss Harper. I’m fairly certain that you are in far more genuine need than her.” Dalian reached for the rope, but Kat moved back a step.

“That’s okay,” she said. “I can manage just fine.”

Dalian eyed the rope with doubt, “I’m not sure you can. You truly do have a roping disorder, Kat.” He reached for the lasso again only to have her retreat further.

“No, I can get it off,” Kat said nearly breathless, frantically tugging on the ever-tightening rope.

“I’ve a good mind to let you try, but seeing as how the lasso is designed to tighten with exertion, not loosen, you’re going to end with your arms completely pinioned. Now would you please stand still?”

“Since I got myself into this mess, Dalian, I’d rather get myself out,” Kat whispered, taking another step back.

“I thought I just explained that it would be nearly impossible, and from our conversation not two seconds ago, you blamed me for this debacle, so the least that...” Dalian stopped when his gaze met hers. Immediately he noticed her dilated pupils. His gaze moved slowly over her flushed features and his eyebrow arched –
so that’s it
, he thought. He grinned, and laughed softly when his knowledge registered with Kat. She’d been found out; her secret revealed. Not that she wanted it revealed, he realized. Still...

He stepped closer and she stepped back. His grin widened. He took another step and she bumped into the fence post. He leaned in toward her, “I haven’t encountered too many Pit Bulls, Miss McMurray, but I
have
come across my share of rabbits.”

Kat’s brow quirked with confusion, but then his words sank in, “Are you actually calling me a
scaredy-cat, Dalian?”

“No, I called you a rabbit, although there isn’t much difference between the two. Both are
skittish as a colt; and would dart away faster than lightening at a perceived threat. You would scamper too, if you weren’t tangled up at the moment.”

Kat huffed at his declaration, “I startle easily not scare easily.”

“You’re scared of me.”

“Hardly,” Kat raised her chin haughtily, but her body refused to stop quivering.

“Dalian!” The two female voices, raised shrilly, snapped Dalian out of his concentrated focus. He turned sharply and Kat felt relief flood through her.

“Ladies,” Dalian said tightly and heard Kat mutter behind him, “Enter the other Pit Bull, stage left.”

Very funny
, Dalian thought. “What can I do for you?”

“Well,” Marsha started, “Mrs. McDonald sent me to let you know that lunch is ready and told me to ask you to bring the guests in. And since you were otherwise preoccupied with this
one
particular guest,” she continued, eyeing Kat with open hostility, “I went ahead and sent the others on ahead. Then I tried to get y’alls attention, but neither of you seemed capable of hearing...”

“I wasn’t aware you’d come visiting today, Marsha,” Dalian interrupted, trying to maintain a polite tone.

“I haven’t,” Marsha said. “Mrs. McDonald offered me a job this season and I took it.
I’ll show my dad how useless I am at doing actual work,
she thought angrily.

“Oh, dear Lord above!” Dalian muttered softly and heard Kat giggle softly from behind
him.

“And since you seemed to have Kat cornered,” Chloe interjected, her own gaze less-than-friendly, “I thought I might see if she needed any assistance. Do you corner
all
of your guests this way, Dalian?” Kat had a difficult time controlling her mirth when she noticed that the cunning Chloe was back. It was easy to see that she wasn’t pleased that Dalian’s attention refused to focus away from Kat. She shot Kat a disgruntled look that all but shouted, “I’m prettier than you so why doesn’t he like me?” but Kat merely shrugged.

“I think maybe I’ll head on inside and see to our
other
guests. You ladies come along at your leisure.”

“That’s a nice way of saying that he doesn’t care to see us any more today, ladies,” Kat said. Dalian heard the smile behind the words and turned to face her again. Kat’s breathing stopped.

“You won’t be going anywhere, Kat,” Dalian whispered softly, “until I release you.”

Kat’s mind took his words and twisted them about, leaving her feeling even more breathless and less than steady on her legs. When he reached for the rope, her eyes widened again and then she felt the lasso loosen. He hadn’t even touched her. Suddenly she felt foolish. Of course, he meant to release her from her lasso. Certainly not what her mind conjured at his words. Still, his parting gaze left her feeling doubtful.

He tossed the rope over the fence post, tossed Kat a look that promised their conversation wasn’t over, and then turned and headed toward the house; Marsha trailing behind trying desperately to get his attention.

“So, what was that all about?” Chloe asked as soon as they were alone. She leaned against the railing with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Just a little roping disability,” Kat said softly, and then turned and started toward the house.

“Roping disability, my eye,” Chloe called after her. “You promised to give me a heads up, Kat.”

“And I will, Chloe,” Kat called over her shoulder.

“When,” Chloe said, running to catch up, “
after
you’ve slept with him?”

Kat stopped dead in her tracks and turned sharply, “Your claws are showing, Chloe,” she said softly.

“With reason. Now why should I sheath them instead of clawing your eyes out?” Chloe said, equally soft.

“I’m not interested.”

“But he is.”

“And that isn’t my fault in the slightest.” Kat closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She released it slowly before opening her eyes again. “Whether Dalian is interested in me or not, I can only assure you that I haven’t done anything knowingly to encourage it.”

Chloe sighed and when she looked back up at Kat, the reserved woman was back. She grinned. “Sometimes you don’t have to. You know what; I don’t think I stand a snowball’s chance in hell with our foxy Mr. Rivers.”