Give Me Tonight

'You?' Cade smiled a little. 'Between Ben and Jeff, it's you. Between the rest of 'em, that damn fence.'

'You feel like I do about it?'

'We need it,' he said gravely. 'We're too big and clumsy an outfit to get along without it. But that doesn't keep me from hatin' it just as much as you do.'

Addie glanced down at Leah, who had twisted around to watch the fighting with wide eyes. 'Did Leah go and get you?' she asked, and Cade shook his head.

'Ben and I just walked out of the sheriff's office, and there you were with Jeff.' He grinned. 'Ben said a coupla new swear words I'm still tryin' to figger out, and went after Jeff lickety-split.'

'Where is the sheriff?' Addie demanded furiously, terrified that Ben would be hurt, might already be hurt, and then the sound of gunshots seemed to puncture her eardrums. Leah flinched and pressed close to her. The sound was repeated, and some of the men broke apart like scalded cats. Sam Dary, the sheriff, was a heavyset man with a definite swagger. He lowered his gun and walked through the crowd, hollering loudly. A small clearing formed in the middle of the street, where Ben and Jeff had been pried apart. It took several men to keep them separated, and they eyed each other with murderous intent, panting for breath.

'Easy, easy… simmer down. You two boys know better than to start somethin' like this when tempers are already runnin' high.' Dary said weightily, his face red and perspiring. 'An' it don't matter who started it, 'cause I happen to know you both been itchin' for this a mighty long time. Now it's over, an' you got it through with. Let's just go on, now, an' start thinkin' on better things to do than git everyone stirred up in sech a way. It's too damn hot to fight. Shake on it and make it a bygone, boys.'

'Shake hands with him? ' Jeff demanded in amazement, and Ben sneered.

'If you think I'm about to-'

'That's enough,' the sheriff said. Slowly the restraining hands relaxed as everyone realized the fight was good and over. Dary braced his hands on his hips, seeming to feel the need to establish his authority. 'I'm still waitin' fer you t' shake.'

'We've stopped fighting,' Ben said, breaking the frosty silence. 'Isn't that good enough?'

Addie was weak with relief as the sheriff nodded reluctantly and the men walked away from each other. Leaving Leah with Cade, she made her way to the street, needing to see for herself that Ben was all right. Anxiously she pushed past the people standing in her path, her eyes fastened on the tall figure several feet away. Moving through the crowd, ignoring the multitude of hands patting him on the back, Ben seemed not to notice her until she reached him.

She summoned a smile with difficulty. 'There was no need to start the whole town brawling, was there?'

He dragged a sleeve across his eyes to clear the sweat and dust from them. 'I told him once what would happen if he laid a finger on you.'

'Are you hurt?'

'No. Hell, he's as soft as the rest of the Johnsons.'

Disgust crossed his face. 'No wonder they have to hire someone else to do their fence- cutting. They don't have the spine or the strength to do it themselves.'

'Soft or not, he managed to do some damage,' Addie said, looking at his bruised face. She ducked her head to hide a sudden wave of emotion. 'Come on. We'll take you home in the buggy.'

'Look at me.' His tone was so commanding that she obeyed without thinking. Their eyes met, hers wide with bewilderment, his gleaming with a bright, hot light. Deliberately he held her jaw with one hand and bent his head to hers, kissing her lustily. Shocked gasps and a few whistles came from the crowd, but Addie was too surprised to pull away. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of sweat and dirt, and she tasted blood as her head was forced to his shoulder by the pressure of his kiss. Dizzily she leaned against him, her heart thundering.

She went weak allover, sinking into a well of fire. The only thing she was conscious of was his mouth on hers, his lips burning, demanding, sweet. When he lifted his head, she stared at him blankly, unable to make a sound. The whole town. He'd kissed her like that in front of the whole town.

'Consider that our engagement announcement,' Ben said, and gestured for Cade, who was grinning widely, to follow them to the buggy.

May was livid when she heard what had happened, so angry that even Russell took care to walk softly around her.

'Do you understand the position he's put her in?' May demanded, striding back and forth across the parlor. Ben braced an elbow on the mantel over the fireplace and watched her expressionlessly, while Russell and Addie sat by each other on the sofa, not daring to make a peep. Russell was smoking like a chimney, occasionally glancing at Addie over the end of his cigar with a subdued twinkle in his eye.

'Fighting over her in the street,' May continued, her voice raising in pitch, 'as if she were some prize and then… and then…'

They all knew the and then referred to the public kiss afterward, an incident fast becoming infamous as the town gossips chewed over the story. Ben lowered his head guiltily in a way that made Addie want to laugh. She knew very well it was an act for May's benefit. Ben didn't feel one ounce of remorse for what he'd done.

May pressed her palms to her temples as if to calm a raging headache. 'My daughter's reputation is ruined. Ruined.'

'Mama, no one took it seriously,' Addie broke in. 'It was just an impulse. Everyone was all stirred up and emotional. It was just the heat of the moment.' She ignored the sideways glance that Ben sent her, knowing there was a diabolic sparkle in his eyes. There had been ever since that afternoon. 'I'm sure he didn't mean to do it. It just… happened.'

'He should have controlled his impulse,' May said, giving Ben a hard stare, and he nodded respectfully.

'Yes, ma'am.'

'And I suspect, Ben Hunter, that you knew exactly what you were doing.' She cut him off as he opened his mouth to reply. 'Don't try to charm your way out of this. Everyone in this room knows you saw this afternoon as a convenient shortcut to having your way, and you didn't hesitate to take advantage of it. Well, I don't have to pretend I approve of your methods of getting what you want. It was ruthless and inconsiderate to gamble with Adeline's reputation as you did today, and I hope for her sake you don't make a habit of it.'

'I don't intend to,' Ben said evenly, and Addie realized that suddenly he was not amused anymore. He was taking May's words seriously, listening to her with a remarkable absence of mockery. He'd always been respectful to May, but Addie would never have guessed he would allow her mother to lecture him like this.

'I'm her mother,' May continued. 'I have a right to speak my piece, and it's your obligation to listen. There's nothing I can do to stand in your way, and I don't intend to fight the three of you any longer. The important thing is, Adeline thinks you're going to make her happy. I suppose you think that too. But you won't if you continue to treat her with so little consideration. She is not to be made a public spectacle, ever again. She is to be treated with gentleness and respect. Her welfare should be considered first, above your own needs. '

As Addie heard May's admonition, she looked down at her hands, her cheeks burning. It was terribly disconcerting to hear herself being discussed as if she weren't even there. She wanted to interrupt, but there was nothing she could say on her own behalf, or Ben's. Only Ben could calm May's anxiety.

'Her happiness, not to mention her welfare, is my foremost concern,' he said. As she saw his steely expression, not even May could doubt what he said. 'That's why I want her as my wife.'

'You know my objections to a marriage between the two of you,' May snapped. 'You know I didn't approve of the idea. And so you put us all into an intolerable situation. It's impossible for me to refuse your marriage now. In fact I have to insist on it.'