Chapter Twelve
Tessa had been dancing with a variety of men all night, and she’d enjoyed each and every dance. She was caught completely off guard, though, by the feelings that swept over her when Jared Trent swept her out onto the dance floor. His strong, powerful arms sent shivers of awareness rippling through her in a sensual assault unlike anything she’d known before. The heat of his body pressed to hers was a firebrand that evoked memories of just how it had felt the other night when he’d broken down the door to save her. They moved in unison to the rhythm of the melody, and she was spellbound.
This was Jared, she tried to tell herself. She could barely tolerate the man. She wasn’t even sure why he’d asked her to dance, except to be polite, and she’d accepted only so as not to cause a scene. She had never dreamed it would feel this way to dance with him.
Tessa looked up at Jared from beneath lowered lashes, studying the hard line of his jaw and the firm set of his mouth. She had to admit that he was a handsome man, in a rugged sort of way. He had an aura of control and authority about him that she found compelling, and the way he carried himself spoke of power and self-confidence. All along, she had thought him arrogant, but maybe . . .
Jared glanced down at her then, to find her gazing up at him, her expression thoughtful.
“You look like you’re worrying about something. Were you afraid that I needed dancing lessons, too?” he asked, smiling at her.
His smile so transformed him that for a moment Tessa could only stare up at him. It was then that she realized she had never seen him smile before. He had a beautiful smile.
“Oh, no! I saw how good you were with Elise and Melissa, and I knew I was safe.” She was glad she’d had a quick response to cover her sudden, unexpected nervousness.
“I’ll always make sure you’re safe,” he said, turning serious.
Tessa instinctively knew he meant it. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he told her, slanting her a wry grin. “Especially the ‘saving you from rough dancers’ part. Watch out for Clint Parker, though. He’s here tonight, and I heard talk that he can be one tough cowboy on a lady’s feet.”
“I’ve had enough personal experience with him to tell you everything you heard is true. He hasn’t asked me to dance yet, but if he comes near me, I’ll expect you to miraculously appear by my side and rescue me.”
It was then, as he spun her around in a graceful move, that Jared thought he caught a glimpse of Boyd standing in the crowd watching them. Jared scowled, then quickly disguised his concern. He didn’t want to worry Tessa. He couldn’t be sure it had been Boyd, and the man had already disappeared from sight.
Tessa had almost relaxed and started to enjoy the dance, when she felt Jared suddenly tense. She looked up, wondering what was bothering him, and found his gaze upon her. His expression was closed, unreadable. She gave him a tentative smile just as the music ended.
Jared escorted her back to stand with her mother. He would have preferred to stay there with her for the rest of the night, but he didn’t trust Boyd one bit. If the man was brazen enough to show up here, he was going to watch his every move.
“Thank you for the dance,” he said distractedly. He walked away from her without a backward glance.
Tessa was a bit startled by his sudden indifference. She watched him stride off into the crowd. He’d left her so abruptly that she was puzzled—and a bit hurt.
It surprised Tessa to find that she cared what the man did. For a moment there, something about being in Jared Trent’s arms had felt right—very right. Her gaze swept over those gathered around the sides of the dance floor, but she could see no sign of him. Jared had gone.
In a fit of irritation with herself, Tessa stiffened her back and looked around to see who wasn’t dancing. She spotted Steve standing alone nearby and started his way. She had no intention of being a wallflower right now.
Julie hadn’t been eager to attend the dance. True, it did give her the opportunity to wear the new gown her mother had bought for her, but tonight she honestly had wanted to stay home and think about Roderick and make plans for his upcoming visit.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Adele Stevens was saying as her husband, Lyle, escorted them to the festivities.
“Indeed, we haven’t danced in quite a while, my dear,” Lyle said, his eyes aglow as he looked down at his wife.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Julie, I meant to tell you before we left the house that you look very pretty in your new dress.”
“Thank you, Papa.”
They neared the crowd and were immediately welcomed by friends.
Will had been biding his time, looking on as the other couples moved about the dance floor. He’d wanted to spend more time with Tessa, but it appeared he wasn’t going to get the chance. She was a very popular woman. Every time a tune ended, she was claimed by another eager male before he could reach her side.
Will smiled to himself when he saw Julie arrive and knew this was a golden opportunity. Listening to Tessa and Julie talking the other night, he had realized that Julie’s father was a banker in town. Will knew this was his chance to be introduced to Mr. Stevens and learn some information that would help him and the boys with their next job. It was certainly worth a try.
“Evening, Julie,” Will said as he approached them.
“Hello, Will.” She greeted him with a smile. She knew that Miss Maggie liked and trusted him, and she thought him a nice man. “Have you ever met my parents?”
“No, I’ve never had the pleasure.”
Julie quickly made the introductions. They made small talk for a few minutes, and then Will invited Julie to dance. He felt quite proud of himself as he whisked her around the floor. He had just made a vital connection, and he was going to see if he could make it pay off.
Steve had told himself that he was going to the dance to check out the townsfolk and see if he recognized anyone who’d been a part of the gang. He didn’t care about the dancing, and he didn’t care if he saw Julie again. As he stood there watching Julie in Will’s arms, though, Steve knew he’d been lying to himself. He had wanted to see her again, and he definitely wanted to dance with her one more time.
All day, the memory of their dance the night before had haunted him. He had deliberately left the parlor and had gone upstairs to his room before the lessons had ended. He had been lying down trying to fall asleep when he’d heard Julie and Tessa go out on the front porch to talk after Jim had stopped playing.
Steve hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but it had been a quiet night and he’d heard their every word. It was obvious from that conversation that Julie knew exactly what she wanted in a man, and it wasn’t a man like him.
Steve had tried to sleep, but thoughts of how wonderful it had felt to hold her had kept him awake and restless. He lay long into the night, thinking about his life and his future—and wondering if he even had a future.
Now here he was at the dance. When the music stopped, Steve walked straight up to where Julie was standing with Will. He hadn’t meant to do it. He’d told himself it was ridiculous, that he knew exactly how Julie felt, but that didn’t stop him.
“Evening, Julie, Will,” he said, then looked at Julie. “Julie? May I have the next dance?”
The music started up again, and she nodded in response. Julie hoped the hesitancy she was feeling didn’t show as she allowed Steve to guide her out onto the dance floor. She had not been able to forget her reaction to him last night. She told herself now that it was good that they were dancing again, so she could see that she’d blown everything out of proportion in her own mind. But when he took her in his arms, her breath caught in her throat.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Steve said as he led her smoothly among the dancers.
“Why, thank you,” she answered, gazing up at him. She was hoping she could find some flaw in his chiseled features, but he seemed even more handsome tonight than before.
Their rhythm was perfect together as they circled the floor. Steve had hoped his reaction to Julie the previous evening had been his imagination working overtime, but looking down at her now, he knew it had been real—very real. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, and it seemed she was meant to be in his arms. She fit perfectly against him. It was almost as if they were one as they moved to the music. Julie was delicate and lovely, the picture of innocence and beauty—she was everything Steve had ever dreamed of in a woman, but he knew with painful clarity that she could never be his.
Nothing could ever come of what he was feeling for her, but he decided to enjoy the moment while he could. It would all be over soon enough. She would have the man named Roderick whom she’d sounded so excited about, and he would be gone—or dead. Steve inhaled deeply the sweet scent of her perfume, and for just that moment in time, he allowed himself to believe that his life could be this wonderful.
Boyd was laughing as he made his way down a back alley. He’d deliberately let Marshal Trent see him to draw him away from Tessa Sinclair’s side. It was just a matter of time now. Everything had been set in motion. Everything was going to turn out right. He was certain of it. With Tessa unguarded, his plan would work.
* * *
Tessa finished dancing with Sludge, only to be claimed by Clint. She’d remembered Jared’s promise to protect her, but she could see no sign of him anywhere. Smiling, she danced with the awkward cowboy, never more grateful for her innate sense of timing so she could avoid being trod upon. When the dance ended, she thanked him and left the dance floor to get a cup of punch from the nearby refreshment table. As she passed by, she was greeted by many of the townsfolk. She stopped to speak with them, enjoying the easy camaraderie of the night. It wasn’t often that she truly got to have fun, but tonight was proving to be delightful. With so many people around, she gave little thought to Boyd. He couldn’t harm her here. She was safe. It felt good after the last few, tense days of worrying, and she finally allowed herself to relax.
Tessa took up a cup and drank thirstily of the cooling punch. It was just what she needed after having danced so many dances. She let her gaze drift around the townsfolk, but saw no sign of Jared anywhere. She hadn’t seen him since he’d left her so abruptly. She told herself that it didn’t matter if he was there or not, because she didn’t care anyway.
Lifting the cup to her lips, Tessa was about to take another sip when she heard someone call her name.
“Miss Tessa!” a small boy cried in a pleading tone.
Tessa looked over to see him standing in an alleyway nearby. She was surprised that a child so young would be up at this time of night, let alone be all by himself. He surely couldn’t be older than four or five.
“Yes? What is it?” She hurried to the boy and knelt down to talk to him.
“My name’s Rusty—Rusty Lucas! You gotta come with me!” he said, sounding frantic as he grabbed her arm. “It’s my ma!”
“What’s wrong with your mother, Rusty?” Tessa was instantly worried. Obviously the boy was poor and frightened and in dire need of help.
“She’s sick, ma’am, real sick. She told me to come find you. She said you would help her—that you would know what to do.” He looked her straight in the eye as he tugged on her arm.
“Let me see if I can find Dr. Murray.”
“There ain’t no time, Miss Tessa. My ma wanted you. Now. We gotta hurry! Come with me, please,” he begged.
“Tessa? Is something wrong?” Julie had been making her way to the refreshment table when she saw her friend talking to the child.
“His mother’s very ill, and she sent him to find me. I have to go to her,” she told Julie.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, we’ll be fine. Just let my mother know where I’ve gone. Where do you live, Rusty?”
He told her an address that was in an unsavory part of town.
“Tell my mother for me, Julie, will you? I’ll be back just as soon as I’m sure his mother is going to be all right.”
“I’ll go find her right now, so she won’t worry,” Julie promised. “You be careful.”
“I will.”
“C’mon, Miss Tessa. My ma needs you!” He hurried off down the alley.
Tessa knew no fear as she followed the little boy. She was only concerned about the sick woman who sounded so desperately ill. When Rusty crossed the railroad tracks and then started down another alley, Tessa wondered where he was going.
“Rusty? Why are you going this way?” She hesitated at the entrance to the darkened passageway.
“It’s a shortcut, Miss Tessa. Ma needs you now! We gotta hurry!”
His desperation seemed so real, his fear for his mother so honest, that she cast aside the uneasiness she was feeling and started down the pathway.
Boyd almost laughed out loud when he saw Tessa coming. He’d known she would come. He’d known she wouldn’t be able to resist helping somebody. Well, she was helping somebody, all right. She was helping him.
Boyd smiled as he watched the little boy in action. Rusty Lucas might be only five years old, but he was already one hell of a con man—the kid had earned every penny of the dollar he’d paid him.
Waiting in the shadows, Boyd was ready to take his revenge. Tessa Sinclair was going to pay for all the trouble she’d caused him. He was going to make sure she never, ever interfered in anyone else’s marriage again.
As Tessa passed before him, Boyd made his move. He grabbed her from behind and clamped a meaty hand over her mouth before she could even utter a cry of surprise.
“I knew you’d come if I sent a little kid to get you,” Boyd said in her ear as he gave a lascivious laugh.
Tessa went still for an instant, then realized what had happened—she’d been tricked by Boyd! She began to fight, knowing what her fate would be at his hands and refusing to go with him quietly. If she could just break free, she was certain she could run for help and save herself.
Boyd was shocked by her resistance. Sarah had fought him once in a while, but not with nearly as much strength as this one, and after a while Sarah had always cowered before his dominant strength. He had expected the same reaction from Tessa, but she was kicking and twisting, biting and fighting him with all her might. He tightened his grip on her, wanting to stop her struggles against him. They had a ride ahead of them, and he couldn’t be fighting with her while they were on the trail.
Tessa was desperate to get free of Boyd’s punishing hold. Frantic, she fought him with all her might. She knew what he was capable of, and knew she had to escape him. Her hopes faded, though, as he crushed her back against him, his hands painful upon her. As she continued to struggle, he dropped his hand to her throat, choking her.
“You stupid bitch!” Boyd snarled in her ear as she continued to fight him. “I’ve a mind to kill you right here, right now!” He tightened his hand even more.
Tessa tried to scream, but he was cutting off her air. She could only gasp. When she finally fainted, she slumped against Boyd, and he deliberately let her drop unconscious to the ground.
“You killed her!” Rusty charged, frightened by what he’d just witnessed.
“Shut up, kid,” Boyd snapped. He peered down at Tessa and could still see the slow rise and fall of her chest. “She ain’t dead.”
“Is she gonna be all right?” Rusty asked as he stared at Tessa’s still form.
“Go away.”
“You didn’t tell me you were going to hurt her!” Rusty looked up at him condemningly.
“I’ll hurt you if you don’t get the hell out of here!” he said in a snarl.
Rusty’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m gonna tell!”
“You say a word, and I’ll come after you and hurt you just like I hurt her! You understand me, boy?” Boyd grabbed Rusty by the shirtfront, wanting to scare him. “I paid you for a job, and you did it. I expect you to keep your mouth shut!”
“But—”
“If I hear that you told anybody, I’m going to come looking for you.” His threat was real. “You understand me?”
Rusty nodded in mute obedience. When Boyd released him, he ran away into the night, terrified of the evil he’d just witnessed.
Jared was tense and growing angry. His expression was black as he stood apart from the others, watching and waiting. He was looking for some sign of Boyd, but it seemed the man had disappeared into thin air. His instincts were telling him that something wasn’t right, but if he couldn’t track Boyd down, the only alternative was to stay by Tessa and make sure she got home safely. He might even insist that she let him go through the house tonight and check everything before he left her. Something just wasn’t right.
Jared made his way slowly back toward the dance floor. He was alert, looking for trouble, aware that all was not as it seemed. He saw Miss Maggie with Jim and Julie Stevens, and moved toward them.
“So she went to take care of a woman named Lucas?” Maggie was asking Julie, her expression worried.
“The boy was crying and insisting she come with him. He said his ma needed her right away,” Julie explained.
“She did what?” Jared asked harshly. “How long ago?”
Both women were taken aback by the sharp anger of his tone.
“Just a few minutes. Why? Do you think something’s wrong?”
“Which way did she go?” he demanded. There was no time to discuss anything. He had to find her—and fast.
“Why, it was over here,” Julie explained as she led him toward the refreshment area and pointed out the alleyway where the boy had stood.
“And what address did he give her?”
As she was repeating it, Jared had already started down the alley. “Find Deputy Wells. Tell him what happened and tell him to get my horse and follow me there.”
“Marshall Trent!” Maggie was suddenly frightened. “You don’t think—”
“I’ll be back.” He ran off down the alley and out of sight.
Maggie looked up at Julie, terror in her eyes. “Tessa’s got to be all right. She’s got to be!”
Julie slipped an arm about her shoulders in a supportive gesture. “She will be. Tessa’s just fine. You know how she is when someone needs her help. That little boy was really scared about his mother being sick, and Tessa could no more have refused to help him than she could have stopped breathing.”
Maggie looked a bit relieved at her words. “I hope you’re right, dear. I hope you’re right.”
“Let’s go find Deputy Wells, shall we?” Julie offered, wanting to distract her. As she led Maggie away from the alley, though, Julie couldn’t looking back and wondering why Marshal Trent had been so concerned.
It took Julie a few minutes to locate the deputy, but she finally found him and told him what had happened.
Nathan immediately left the dance to do as he’d been ordered. He raced back to the office and got both their mounts before heading for the address he’d been given.
Jared’s instincts were screaming a warning that all was not what it seemed as he neared the address he’d been given for the sick woman. It proved to be as he’d feared—there was no house at that address and no sign of Tessa. He looked around the dark street, hoping for some clue to her whereabouts, but saw nothing. All was quiet—almost too quiet.
Memories of his father’s death haunted him, but he fought them down. He had to find Tessa. He couldn’t let his own fears immobilize him.
It was then that Jared saw a slight, furtive movement farther down the block. He took off at a run in that direction, gun drawn, ready for trouble.