Chapter Nineteen
Walt was sitting in the hotel restaurant by the same window when the bank closed and Reuben walked across the street and entered the restaurant. Since Reuben had been in the bank all day, other than during his lunch break, the day had been uneventful for Walt. As far as he could see, Reuben was just a little mouse of a man who had nothing exciting going on in his life. He didn’t strike Walt as the kind of man who would do something illegal. If Frank approached Reuben to be his inside man at the bank, Walt thought the little man might die of fright. But there was always the possibility Frank had some knowledge about Reuben he could use to blackmail him. Frank could be one devious son-of-a-gun. Any man who was willing to kill his own sister, particularly a sister as pretty as Rose, had to be a man without conscience. Frank was an outlaw on a whole different level.
Reuben took a seat at a table beside Walt’s. He was so close, Walt could hear what he ordered for dinner. He hoped Reuben was supposed to meet someone so his day wouldn’t be a total loss. So far, he’d learned nothing about him, and the little man hadn’t done more than work and eat. But no one met Reuben for dinner, and the waitress didn’t spend time in idle chitchat with him like she did with some of the other patrons. When Reuben finished his dinner and left the restaurant, Walt motioned for the waitress.
“Would you like something else?”
Walt pointed to the table where Reuben had been sitting. “Do you know the man who was sitting there?”
“Reuben? He’s just a clerk at the bank. He don’t talk much, a bit odd if you ask me. Always orders the same dinner, and drinks hot tea even if it’s a hundred degrees outside. And he never says thank you for nothing, even though he eats here every night.”
Walt smiled when she finished ranting, thanked her and left the restaurant. He spotted Reuben and followed at a safe distance. Reuben walked into the home on the outskirts of town, just as he had earlier in the day. Walt found a grassy spot under a tree where he could watch the house until dark.
* * *
When Morgan walked through the door he smelled dinner cooking. He ran upstairs and put Rose’s ring in his bureau drawer under his shirts before he hurried downstairs. It would be difficult not to give her the ring before their wedding day, but he wanted to surprise her.
“Hello,” he said when he strolled into the kitchen.
Rose turned at the sound of his voice. “Hello. How was your trip?”
“Fine.” He walked across the room and poured a cup of coffee. “By the way, Stevie wasn’t home when I left for Denver this morning, but I left the horse in the corral. I stopped back by on my way home, and he hadn’t returned, so I brought the horse back with me. I wasn’t going to leave him there with no one to care for him.”
“I wonder where Stevie is, with no horse to ride,” Rose said.
“I doubt he’s walking, wherever he is going.” Morgan had ridden around the farm, and he found fresh hoofprints but no sign of Stevie.
During dinner, Morgan talked about Denver, and how it was bustling with people and new shops all over town.
“Emma’s troupe is supposed to perform in Denver before the year is out,” Granny said.
“Maybe you ladies would like to go see her perform,” Morgan suggested. “We could spend a few days in Denver so you could do some shopping.”
Rose had to bite her tongue to keep herself from asking why he hadn’t invited them along today.
Granny glanced at Rose, and said, “That would be lovely. Don’t you think so, Rose? I would love to see Emma perform.”
“Yes, lovely.” Rose looked at Morgan. “Did you do anything exciting in Denver today?”
Morgan hesitated, thinking the cool tone was back in Rose’s voice. “No.”
Granny noticed his hesitation, and was wise enough to change the subject.
After Granny and Rose finished cleaning the kitchen, Rose decided to sit on the front porch so she could talk to Morgan when he returned from the stable. She didn’t have to wait long before she saw him exit the stable, talking to Murph. They chatted for a few minutes, then Murph turned toward the bunkhouse and Morgan headed toward the house.
It was Morgan’s intention to talk some business with Murph tonight, but he saw Rose sitting on the porch when he left the stable and decided he’d rather talk to her. She’d been acting strangely, and he wanted to know what was wrong. “What are you doing out here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
He wondered if she was having second thoughts about marrying him. He pulled a chair up beside her. “Okay.”
She took a deep breath and forged ahead. “I was thinking last night that we haven’t really known each other . . . we didn’t know each other well before we agreed to marry.”
Morgan looked at her and nodded.
“Well, I was thinking . . .” She paused.
“What were you thinking? Do you want to call off the wedding?” If that was what she had to say, he didn’t want her to waste time trying to find a nice way to say it.
Her eyes widened. “Oh no. I was just wondering if you had been seeing someone else before I arrived.”
Morgan felt a sense of relief. “By seeing, do you mean courting?”
“Yes. I didn’t know if you had a serious relationship with someone before me.”
Did she not know him at all? He’d done nothing to make her think he had an interest in someone else. “Rose, if I’d been courting someone, I would have ended the relationship before I asked you to marry me. No, I wasn’t serious about anyone, and by asking that question, I’m not sure what kind of man you think I am.” He was offended, and he didn’t try to hide it. He knew women were interested in him, and he could have married over the last few years if that had been his aim.
Rose hadn’t considered that her question might insult him. “It’s just that so many women stopped to speak to you the other night, and I hadn’t even considered you may have had someone else in your life.”
“If you’re asking if I’ve spent time with several women, the answer is yes. But I’ve never asked one to marry me.”
“I’m sure if you did, they would have said yes.” Rose knew without a doubt any of those women would have loved to be married to him.
“I’d like to think so. But I asked you, and I want you. Not someone else.” Here he’d ridden to Denver to pick out a wedding ring for her, and she was basically calling him a scoundrel.
“But last night, you seemed to want me, and then you just stopped. And I thought when you suddenly said you had to go to Denver, you were planning on seeing another woman.”
What in the world was she talking about? First, she wanted to know if he was courting another woman, and now they were discussing last night. “Rose, what are you talking about?”
Rose’s face turned red, and she was thankful it was getting dark so he couldn’t see how embarrassed she was. “I thought you wanted to be with me last night.”
“In your room? Is that what you are talking about? I did want to be with you. But what has that got to do with me courting another woman?” She was confusing him.
Rose looked down. How could she possibly ask this question? She’d started this conversation, so she was determined to see it through. “If you wanted . . . me, why did you stop last night? Do you have a woman in Denver that you went to see to . . .” Under no circumstances could she finish that question, no matter how much she wanted to know.
Jumping from his chair, Morgan started pacing in front of her. Surely, she wasn’t asking what he thought she was asking. “Let me get this straight. Because I stopped kissing you and . . . because I stopped, you think I am so weak at controlling my urges that I found it necessary to go to Denver to see some woman to seek companionship?” He was proud of himself for asking such a question in a gentlemanly way.
Rose was sure her entire body was beet red. Now that he’d summarized what she was thinking, she was beyond embarrassed. “It’s just that I didn’t know why you stopped.”
Morgan threw his hands in the air. The woman was infuriating. “Of all the harebrained comments.” He leaned over, placing his palms on the arms of her chair, his nose just inches from hers. “I stopped because I wanted you. I stopped because in another second we would have been in your bed. I stopped because I respect you. I stopped because I thought you were a lady. I stopped because Granny was just down the hall. But most of all, I stopped because I’d like to think I have some character, and I can control my baser instincts.” He wasn’t about to admit that last night he’d been holding on to his control by a very thin thread.
Rose blinked. He was angry, very angry. She didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t intended to make him angry.
Morgan scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the door. “But since you are obviously no lady, and didn’t want me to stop my advances, we can take care of that right now.”
Rose was stunned. “What do you mean?”
Morgan opened the door, walked through, and kicked it shut with his boot. He walked to the staircase, hesitated as he looked at her, and said, “I mean we are going to do what I wanted to do last night, since you have no objections.”
“But . . .”
If he hadn’t been so angry he might have laughed at her stunned expression, but he set her on her feet instead. He started unbuttoning his shirt as he turned to walk up the staircase. When she didn’t move, he turned around. “Aren’t you coming?”
“But . . .”
He raised one eyebrow at her. “Well?”
“I didn’t mean . . . well, I meant . . .” She had no idea how to explain her feelings.
Morgan unbuttoned his last button, pulled the shirt from his pants, stripped it off, and tossed it on the banister. “I thought you’d be in a hurry since you want me to prove to you that I wasn’t with another woman in Denver.”
Rose couldn’t have said another word if her life depended on it. When he removed his shirt, her eyes were riveted on his rippling muscles, and she forgot all about their conversation. His bronzed torso was magnificently formed, and her desire to touch him was almost overwhelming. She couldn’t imagine another man on earth as handsome as the one in front of her.
Morgan leaned over her and stared into her eyes. “You know I can’t control myself, so you should hurry and get that dress off before I rip it off.” His hand moved to the top button on her dress.
She slapped his hand away. “I didn’t mean you couldn’t control yourself!”
“Really? Well, what exactly did you mean?”
Rose backed away to put a few feet between them. “I just saw how those women looked at you.” Her eyes were fixed on his broad shoulders and bare chest, and she almost lost her train of thought again. “Then, when we were . . . well, last night after you stopped . . . well, you suddenly mentioned a trip to Denver. I thought it was possible you were going to see another woman.”
Morgan grabbed his shirt and shoved his arms through the sleeves. “Yeah. You said that.” He was reading between the lines. She didn’t trust him. That was the bottom line. Since he didn’t finish what he started last night, she thought he had a backup woman waiting. He distinctly remembered asking her if she trusted him before he’d asked her to marry him. She just confirmed she believed all the lies Frank had told her about him. “The way I see it, Rose, you think I’m as lacking in character as your brother. Maybe I should live up to your expectations.” That being said, he walked out the door and slammed it behind him.
Morgan stalked to the stable, saddled Faithful and slowly rode toward town. He thought of the women he’d spent time with over the past few years. He knew he would be welcomed if he stopped at any of their homes. Maybe he should go visit one of them, since that was what Rose expected him to do. He didn’t question whether he could spend the night with another woman; he knew he could.
He couldn’t keep from asking himself what would have happened if she hadn’t slapped his hands away from her buttons. What if she’d allowed him to remove her dress? She was making him crazy. He didn’t stop until Faithful was in front of the saloon. Morgan wasn’t one to visit the saloon often, but he didn’t care tonight. He needed a stiff drink.
Morgan sat in the corner of the saloon, sipping whiskey. Once he calmed down, he tried to think through his conversation with Rose. He couldn’t figure out another way to show her that he deserved her trust. To him, trust was the very foundation for a good marriage. Perhaps it wasn’t enough.
One thing was certain: He wasn’t going home tonight. He looked around at the gals in the saloon. He could always spend the night here in one of their rooms. If he wanted company, it wouldn’t be difficult to come by. He finished his drink, walked out the door, untied Faithful, and headed to the livery. He was tired, and he was determined he wasn’t going to ride all the way back home tonight. He’d sleep at the hotel, and let Rose think what she wanted.
* * *
Rose left her bedroom door cracked open, waiting to hear when Morgan returned. She’d gotten out of bed at least a dozen times to look out the window to see if there was a light coming from the stable. He hadn’t returned. It hadn’t been her intention to insult him, or to imply that she didn’t trust him. At first, she couldn’t understand why he’d jumped to that conclusion. Now that he’d explained why he had stopped his amorous advances, she felt guilty for thinking there was someone else. He respected her, and she’d thrown his good intentions back in his face. He had every reason to be angry with her. She trusted him. It was all of the other women she didn’t trust.
She may not have wanted him to stop last night, but if he hadn’t she would have been upset that he wasn’t treating her like a lady. She was so confused that she didn’t know what she wanted. She was certain of one thing: She wanted him to come home. Where was he? Had she driven him to another woman’s arms? Loving him was driving her daft. She reminded herself of Preacher’s favorite three words: Love never fails. Problem was, she loved Morgan, but he wasn’t in love with her. He’d made it clear from the start that he was basing their marriage on friendship and trust. Marriage was a sacred union before God, and she felt Morgan would honor his commitment once they married. Problem was, they weren’t married yet.
* * *
Walt watched Reuben’s home until the wee hours of the morning before heading back to the little shack. He didn’t have much to report back to Frank yet, so he’d stay another day, but instead of wasting his time while Reuben was at work, he planned to find a more pleasurable way to spend the afternoon. He was due a little fun while he was in Denver. That big, fancy saloon was near the bank, and the perfect place for what he had in mind. He wondered how a man like Reuben could go to work the same time every day, get off at the same time, following the same routine, day in and day out, without allowing himself some pleasant pursuits at night. Walt would go nuts, just like the old woman who’d lived in the house he was occupying. Sometimes a man had a need to get on his horse and take off, or visit the saloon and tie one on. In his estimation, ranch work was a better alternative than living in the city with a bank job. Of course, even if a man had a job in the city, he could always have a little fun at night. But then, Reuben didn’t strike him as the kind of man who would darken the door of a saloon. What did a man like Reuben do for entertainment? Probably had his nose stuck in a book every night. Walt reached for the whiskey bottle he’d placed on one of the shelves. Reuben might not enjoy what Denver had to offer, but he wasn’t about to make the same mistake.
* * *
Rose left her bedroom early the next morning to prepare breakfast. When she passed Morgan’s bedroom, the door was open and she noticed his bed covers had not been disturbed. She hoped she might have fallen asleep sometime during the night and didn’t hear him return.
While she kneaded dough, she kept waiting for him to come walking through the door. She heard footsteps, but when she turned around, it was Granny joining her.
“You are up early,” Granny said.
“I couldn’t sleep.” She turned back to the stove, trying to hide her misery from Granny.
“Didn’t he come home?” Granny asked.
Rose was surprised at Granny’s question. “How did you know he wasn’t home?”
“I heard him leave. I imagine all of heaven heard the front door rattling on its hinges.” Granny figured they’d argued, but she decided not to meddle in their business.
Rose’s eyes filled with tears. “No, he didn’t come home.”
Granny hurried across the room and took Rose in her arms. “There, there, honey. He’ll come back soon. This is his ranch.”
Rose couldn’t help but laugh through her tears. “But he was so angry with me. I made a mess of things.”
“He won’t stay mad. Just give him time. You two will work everything out.”
“I’m not so sure. He was very upset. I’m afraid I pushed him into another woman’s arms.”
“Rose, it would take more than one argument to send him to another. Morgan is not that kind of man.”
“That’s what he said. He thinks I don’t trust him because I asked him if there was another woman in his life.”
Granny looked into her eyes. “Don’t you trust him?”
“He’s never given me a reason not to trust him. But where is he? You saw how those women flirted with him.”
“Yes, I did. But I also noticed he introduced you to each one of them as his future wife. He certainly didn’t behave like a man trying to hide something. Remember the Good Book says love endures all things.”
If only Morgan loved her, then perhaps they would survive their argument. “I wanted to know why . . .” She paused. She didn’t know how to tell her grandmother what had provoked their argument. She was angry because Morgan had been a gentleman.
They heard a horse ride in, and men’s voices outside. Rose ran to the window and looked out. “He’s here.” She watched him as he spoke with Joseph and Murph for a few minutes. Then he led his horse to the stable. When he exited the stable he was riding another horse, and rode away with Murph by his side.
* * *
“Where were you all night?” Murph asked. He’d seen Morgan leave the ranch late and not return until morning.
“At the hotel.”
Murph knew something was on his mind. “What’s wrong with you this morning?”
“Nothing.”
“You and the little woman have a fight?”
“Something like that.”
“You better treat her right, or some hombre might take her away from you.”
Morgan glared at him. “Yeah? I’d like to see him try.”
“Did you go to the saloon last night? You hungover?”
“Yeah, I went to the saloon. No, I’m not hungover. I only had one whiskey.”
“Is that the reason Rose is mad at you?”
“No, she doesn’t know where I was. But I bet she thinks I was with a woman last night.”
Murph was beginning to understand the reason for Morgan’s bad mood. “She thinks you are seeing another woman?”
“Woman, or women. I’m not sure. All I know is she basically said she doesn’t trust me.”
Murph knew how much Morgan valued trust. It didn’t make sense to him why a woman wouldn’t trust the man he would trust above all others. “Why did she agree to marry you if she doesn’t trust you?”
The situation was as confusing this morning as it was last night. “Now there’s a question. Beats the heck out of me.”