The men laughed, marveling at how easily a woman ran their lives. Adam even told a story of May, Daniel’s wife. The healing from her death had begun, and the memories were no longer so painful to voice. The way the McLains treasured their women hung thick in the room.
When Allie entered, the men fell silent, self-conscious of a woman seeing such vulnerability. They all watched her as she filled her bowl and joined them at the table.
After several minutes of silence, Daniel could hold his tongue no longer. ‘‘Is this the same girl who held a knife on us all the morning I married her to you, Wes? Or did you trade wives somewhere long the trail?’’
Wes smiled. ‘‘Allie, you’ve met everyone but Nichole’s brother, Wolf.’’
‘‘Howdy, ma’am,’’ the bear of a man said as he slid along the bench to within a few feet of her. ‘‘I’m real sorry to hear about you having to marry Weston. He’s meaner than a polecat in quicksand. You want me to kill him for you and make you a happy widow?’’
Allie’s eyes widened in panic.
Wes smiled. ‘‘Stop it, Wolf. You’re scaring her. She thinks you’re serious.’’
Allie relaxed and continued her meal.
‘‘Well, maybe I am,’’ Wolf bellowed. ‘‘One look at this lady tells me she’s far too fine a woman for the likes of you, Yank. And she’s little, too. You should have married a few hundred pounds of woman who could box your ears good and hard now and again.’’ He grinned and danced his bushy eyebrows. ‘‘You want me to skin him for you like we do down in Tennessee?’’
Allie’s eyes widened and she dropped her spoon.
‘‘That’s enough, Wolf,’’ Wes warned. ‘‘She doesn’t get the joke.’’
‘‘What joke?’’ Wolf teased. ‘‘There’s getting to be a pile of McLains in this world. I could thin the herd a bit.’’
In one swift movement, Allie grabbed her knife from her boot and swung along the table to stick the blade to Wolf’s throat.
All laughing stopped.
Wolf held his hands up. ‘‘I was only-’’
‘‘Do not touch Wes,’’ Allie stated without humor. She let the knife remain a moment longer then pulled away and slipped it back in her boot. ‘‘I will kill him myself if he gets bothersome.’’
Wolf’s laughter rumbled from deep within him, and all the men relaxed. ‘‘Mighty nice to meet you, ma’am,’’ he bellowed when he could gain enough control.
He slapped Wes hard on the back. ‘‘That’s one fine woman, Wes. To think I was worried about her being so small up against the likes of you. Now, I’m thinking maybe I should worry about you.’’
Wes watched Allie closely. He’d done it again. He’d judged her short. She’d understood the teasing and played along in just the way Wolf would understand. If she’d cried or panicked, Wolf would have never stopped pestering. She was changing before Wes’s eyes.
Jason hurried into the room as the men laughed. ‘‘Doc, the sheriff’s asking for water.’’
Adam stood. ‘‘I’ve got a feeling Hardy’s out of danger. I’ll check the bandages.’’
He went back to Hardy. Daniel and Wolf excused themselves for the night. All at once, Wes was alone with Allie.
He sat drinking the last of his coffee and watched her move about the kitchen. It seemed like it had been a month since they’d been alone in the bedroom. There was still much to be said between them, decisions to be made, plans.
He could feel her nervousness as she moved about. She was busy doing nothing, but she didn’t leave the room.
Without a word, he stood and walked to the fireplace where she poked at the embers. He took the iron from her hand and replaced it, then pulled her into his arms.
For a moment she didn’t react, then she softened against him. Slowly, she raised her hands and circled his neck.
He lifted her up, molding her to him as he buried his face in her hair. He wanted to hold her tight, to breathe her inside him. But he knew he could have only a part of her and Wes wasn’t sure that would be enough.
TWENTY-THREE
WES SAT ALONE ON THE WIDOW’S WALK, WATCHINGthe sun come up. He’d slept in the study until almost dawn, knowing he couldn’t go up to the bedroom he shared with Allie. Another day was coming, and he had some decisions to make before everyone woke up.
Maxwell held his own despite continued loss of blood from his chest wound. Now that the trouble was over, Adam and Daniel were in a hurry to start home. But the doctor in Adam wouldn’t allow him to leave until he knew Maxwell was out of danger.
‘‘But what of me?’’ Wes mumbled to the rising sun. ‘‘Where am I headed?’’
He unfolded the map and spread it across his leg. The Goliad gold. Maybe it was only a legend. He might be chasing something that never existed.
But what were his alternatives? He could take Allie back to his ranch and scratch out a living until next spring. If she’d go. She’d only promised to stay with him until the danger was over.
Maybe she could remain here while he looked for the treasure, or she could ride back toward Fort Worth with his brothers.
Wes took a swig of an almost full whiskey bottle, making a face as he lowered his liquid breakfast. The liquor wasn’t going to do it this time. It couldn’t make the emptiness go away.
Never, she’d said. Never was a long time.
He tried to tell himself it didn’t matter. He could just be around her and protect her-that was all he’d signed on for in the first place. If she were hurt or dying, then her not being able to make love to him wouldn’t make him turn away. He’d still stay by her side.
But she wasn’t hurt or dying. She was healthy and more than able to feel the passion in his kisses and to react to his touch. She just didn’t want him as a woman should want a man. As he wanted her.
He propped his foot on the railing. What was he going to do with Allie? Or maybe the question was, what was he going to do about the feelings churning inside himself? For, according to Allie, he was going to do nothing with her.
The trapdoor rattled. Wes turned with dread, figuring he was in for another lecture from Miss Victoria. The old woman had been almost silent since the shootings, but he didn’t think it would last.
Wolf squeezed his bulk through the opening. ‘‘You reckon this little walk will hold us both?’’ He glanced at the ten-foot length and three-foot width, as if doubting.
He took one look at Wes and laughed. ‘‘Who cares. We’ll have quite a ride down if it doesn’t. Right?’’
‘‘Right.’’ Wes offered him a drink.
Wolf raised one bushy eyebrow. ‘‘I think I’ll wait until I’ve at least had my breakfast. But thanks for the offer.’’
Wes turned back to the sunrise. He liked and respected Wolf, but Wes wasn’t in a mood to talk. Something told him that wouldn’t matter much to Wolf.
The huge man bumped into the railing as he sat down. ‘‘I’ve been elected to come up here and talk to you. Hell if I know why. Grumpy seems like your natural state to me, and if it’s female problems, I’m not the man to give advice. I haven’t kissed a woman in so long, I forgot how to pucker.’’
Wes took a drink. ‘‘Tell my nosy brothers nothing’s wrong with me, would you?’’
Pulling out his pipe, Wolf nodded. ‘‘Sure.’’ He stuffed the bulb with tobacco. ‘‘Well, that was easy. And to think your brothers were worried about you. But I told them there weren’t nothing strange in a man moping around all night, refusing to eat, and not sleeping in a real bed when he had the chance.’’
Wes cut his eyes at the man. ‘‘Getting rather chatty in your old age, Wolf.’’
He lit his pipe. ‘‘Comes with not having to listen for the next bullet flying toward my head. You know, it don’t make any sense, but in a strange way, I miss the war. Not the killing and hardship, of course, but the way you feel
