The Makings of a Good Man by Lietha Wards (2)

“Through there, hun.” She pointed to a door off the kitchen. Beth made three more trips, then May heard the washer going. One thing was for certain, that girl wasn’t the least bit lazy. After a few minutes, Beth came back into the kitchen with her hands on her hips, looking around the room.

May knew she was looking for something else to do, so she obliged her. “Why don’t you do me a favor and collect some eggs from the chicken coop for Mr. Davis’ and Ben’s breakfast? These old knees of mine give me aches when I do too much work by this time of day.” She pointed to the back door. “There’s a basket out on the stoop.”

“Oh, okay,” Beth beamed and left.

There was nothing wrong with May’s knees, but there was a reason why Beth didn’t want to go home and she didn’t mind making her feel useful. She couldn’t help but like the young woman. She was efficient, sweet, and full of passion. May hoped Marshal would see that too.

About five minutes later, May heard a muffled curse and rolled her eyes, knowing full well the bull would be in the kitchen right about—

“What the hell happened to my room!”

—now. She turned to see his large form filling the doorway. “You hush up, and it was filthy.”

He arched his brows. “It was comfortable.”

“Don’t you glare at me, Mister,” she warned, seeing his eyes darken. “I sent the young gal in there to collect laundry. Obviously, she’s been busy.” Beth didn’t know that May didn’t touch Marshal’s room except to change the towels and sheets every third day because he liked it the way it was. Not only that, he was old enough to pick up after himself.

The man wasn’t a complete slob because everything else on the ranch was spotless and ran sound. He even kept his study immaculately tidy. It was just his room he left a mess. He’d take his clothes off where he stood and step over them rather than pick them up, and he never made his bed. Even when he was younger, May couldn’t get him to do it.

“I can’t find my smokes,” he added in the same hard tone.

“Good,” she said, casting him an indignant look as she proceeded to slice the roast. “You don’t need that bad habit.”

“You know better than to clean anything up in there, now everything’s messed up,” he glowered. “And why did you send her to do it! I could have been in the shower.”

“By the looks of it, you need one,” she said, running her eyes over his dusty clothes and dirt-smeared face. Like he would care if that pretty young thing saw him in his birthday suit, she mused. She loved him, but he was a rounder and knew how every inch of his body looked to the opposite sex.

He waved an arm angrily and spun around and left, but not before hollering, “Keep her out of there!”

***

Beth had a blast collecting eggs. She’d never been in a chicken coop before, but she was fascinated by them. Her basket was half-full already, but she didn’t know how many May needed. She’d do one more nest, and then call it quits. However, when she reached for that last set of eggs, something moved and then hissed.

 

Chapter Three

 

Marshal was in the process of stripping out of his clothes and tossing them on the now clutter-free carpet when a blood-curdling scream ripped through the house. In a split second, he was outside, following the sound without his shirt, socks, or shoes, and his belt was hanging undone.

He ran by a stunned May, who was also going out the back door, to see Beth running toward them from the chicken coop, tossing the basket of eggs in the air almost as though it would propel her faster across the yard. However, she didn’t stop there. She leaped onto Marshal, wrapped her arms around his neck, and folded her legs up around his chest to get her feet the farthest off the ground. He, in turn, wrapped his arms around her to hold her in place or he was sure she’d be on his shoulders in another second. “What the hell! Woman, hold still! I’m not a God-damn ladder.”

She didn’t hear him because she still staring wide-eyed at the building while pointing and screaming toward it. “Snake!—snake!—snaaaaaaakkkkeee!”

Ben came crashing out the back door at that moment. “Beth, are you okay?”

“Did it bite you?” Marshal suddenly became concerned because of her reaction. “Beth—Dammit, answer me!”

“No! Kill it!” she answered, unable to take her eyes off the door of the chicken coop as if the snake was going to go supersonic and slingshot out of there to attack her.

Marshal looked over his shoulder. “Ben, go see what she’s screaming about.” Ben nodded and trotted toward the coop, biting his bottom lip so he wouldn’t burst into laughter at the sight of his uncle trying to control a squirming Beth.

“No,” Beth protested. “He’s just a kid.”

“He’s capable, trust me,” he responded, looking at her pale complexion. “Can I put you down now?”

She turned and looked at him and rapidly shook her head, still wide-eyed, making her green eyes even more appealing.

He would have laughed, but she felt too damn good and it was having a serious effect on him to have her cling to him like she was. He could feel and hear the rapid breaths she was taking because her breasts were actually nestled in the crook of his neck. Obviously, she was too scared to realize how dangerous that was to a man, especially with the breasts this woman had. He could tell they were moderately bigger than her small frame should normally allow, but from the feel of them against his jaw and neck, they weren’t augmented. They were soft and warm—he nearly groaned—and probably nicely pliable under his large hands.

It wasn’t as if she was remaining stationary either—she kept trying to squirm and currently had her bottom planted on his forearm while his other arm held her folded legs tightly against him. He needed to hold her because of the amount of wiggling she was doing—he was sure she’d end up planting one of those sneakered toes in his groin by accident. That probably wouldn’t be a good idea right now because he was getting harder by the second.

Just then, Ben came out of the chicken coop, holding what looked like a small garter snake. Beth screeched and tried to wiggle on him some more.

“It’s harmless, Beth,” Ben said with a grin. “They don’t bite.”

May laughed and went back in the house as Ben tossed the snake off into the long grass behind the coop.

“Beth.”

This time it was Marshal’s voice, and she looked at him. His face was barely inches from hers when he spoke and his voice sounded strained. “I am a man, for Christ’s sake, quit your damn wiggling,” he said through clenched teeth.

Beth froze, seeing his eyes darken, but not in anger. It was something else and it sent a warm flushing feeling through her entire body. “Oh,” she said in a barely audible whisper, finally realizing that she was clinging to him. It didn’t help that his upper half was bare. He felt amazing. There was no other way to describe it. He was hard as a rock and obviously strong based on how easily he was holding her. She could feel the muscles in his arm contract under her bottom and couldn’t help the blush that heated her face from feeling it there. Furthermore, she seemed to be pressed against him rather intimately.

“I gotta set you down,” he added, relaxing his hold and letting her slide down his body until her feet landed softly on the ground. He should have realized that was a mistake before doing it—the feel of her soft feminine body moving down his had him as hard as granite.

As for Beth, it hadn’t gone unnoticed for her either. He didn’t release her right away and their gazes were still locked on one another’s. She completely forgot about the snake with his strong arms wrapped around her, then she began to realize other things about him besides him being half-naked. He smelled like sweat and man, and she was clinging to him as though her life depended on it. For some reason, it flooded all five senses and not just her nostrils this time, and the warm flushing became more pronounced. “Oh dear,” she said breathlessly.

Marshal had never before felt the urge to toss a woman over his shoulder and drag her to bed like he did at that moment. There was that look of raw wonder again and it just about had him undone. “Stay out of my room,” he said tersely as he looked down at her. He couldn’t help but be irritated. He was hot as hell for her and he couldn’t do anything about it in a full household.

She only nodded.

He said something rough under his breath before turning and walking away.

Beth just watched the shape of his strong, receding bare back and wide shoulders and bit her bottom lip. Gosh, he’s so beautifully made, she thought.

Marshal stripped off the rest of his clothes and only turned the cold tap on, glancing around his now spotless bathroom. She’d even replaced the towels. He smirked. Well, she’s efficient, it seems. Glancing down at his erection, he shook his head. In more ways than one. Then he inhaled sharply as he stepped into the shower, the icy water numbing his flesh instantly.

After what she’d done to him, he should have dragged her in there with him. Time and time again, he’d reminded himself not to get involved with her. She was his employee, and the last time that had happened, he’d ended up with a lot of trouble. It wasn’t as if he seduced the woman—she was experienced and willing. He just didn’t realize that she had another agenda.

For a businessman, it was just one of those lines you didn’t cross, but he’d stupidly done so. Now he was dangerously close to doing it again.

Meanwhile, Beth was completely unnerved by the whole situation and the snake had nothing to do with it. Marshal Davis was possibly the sexiest man alive and although she’d tried, she could no longer resist her feelings for him. There was no way she would let him know, though, because he was obviously interested in another type of woman—a woman that she could never be, but she could see why a man would be attracted to her. Her body and demeanor screamed volumes. It was obvious that she knew exactly what to do with a man like Marshal, whereas Beth knew next to nothing about intimacy.

She sighed heavily and went back in the house to gather her things before saying goodbye to May. Marshal was still in the shower and she had to get out of there to clear her head. If her father knew that she was attracted to the man, there was no telling what he’d do. Then she stopped on her way out of the house, remembering that her car was dead. However, it wasn’t where she’d left it the day before. She scanned the yard and saw it down by a shop, and someone had taken the time to wash it.

Beth was walking toward the building when a tall, lanky man who looked to be in his late sixties came out, wiping his hands on a greasy rag. “I’m Slim,” he introduced himself with a grin, and then he nodded toward the car. “The boss asked me to fix it for you. She purrs like a kitten now.”

Slim suited him well. He was quite gangly and had short-cropped grey hair, and all of his clothes hung loosely on him. “Thank you so much,” she said and meant it. “What was wrong with it?”

“Just the starter. I also changed the oil and the plugs. She’ll do you good now,” he said cheerfully. “These old Veedubs are death-proof.”

“Veedubs?”

“Volkswagens.”

“Oh,” she laughed. “As you can see, I know nothing about cars.”

“It’s fine, miss. If you have any more problems, just park it outside here and I’ll take care of it.”

“You don’t need to,” she demurred.

He shook his head, giving her another smile. “Boss’s orders.”

“Thanks again,” she said, trying to hide her blush as she got in the car.

When she reached her father’s house, she saw several other cars there and figured they had company. One vehicle was quite luxurious and the other was an expensive sports car so she knew they were probably potential clients and she had to be ready to entertain.

He mother met her at the door. “Your father has company for dinner, I’m glad you made it. He was going to call over to the Davis ranch.”

She kissed her mother on the cheek. “Well, I’m home now. I’ll just put my stuff in my room and be right down.” There were many unspoken rules in her house and she knew to fix her appearance before she went downstairs. She also knew not to take too long. Not five minutes later, she walked into the sitting room.

“Ah, there she is!” Martin declared with a look in his eyes that said ‘it’s about time’ despite the enthusiastic greeting.

Beth forced a smile and said her polite hellos.

“This is my daughter, Beth,” Martin said. “Beth, this is Joe Maynard, his wife, Henrietta, and their son, Tim. Joe owns several construction companies around town.”

The couple greeted her politely from their seats on the couch, but Tim stood and shook her hand, holding on to it a little longer than appropriate. This brought her eyes to his. He was a handsome man with blond hair and sharp blue eyes who looked to be in his late twenties. He was tall like Marshal, but not as nicely built; but then, there weren’t many men who were built like him.

“Your father says you’re going to college in the fall,” he said, not taking his eyes off her and not letting go of her hand either. “Taking English Lit.”

“I am,” she said, meeting his gaze again. Then she noticed a flash of something in his eyes. It was definite interest—but there was something else that she couldn’t quite read and her body suddenly became uncomfortable. She withdrew her hand and slipped it into the pocket of her slacks so he couldn’t take it again. He didn’t seem to notice and gave her a handsome smile instead. It occurred to her then that he thought she’d be interested in him. Obviously, he was used to getting women’s attention, but she wasn’t interested. Tim was handsome and tall, but he was no Marshal Davis.

During supper, Tim made sure he sat beside her and flattered her endlessly. Beth figured that must work on other women, but somehow it only made her more uncomfortable. Her parents were deep in conversation with the elder Maynards and either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

“—of course I’m sure Beth would love to go to the dance this Saturday with Tim.”

That brought Beth’s eyes up to meet her father’s gaze, which held a warning not to disobey him. Obviously, they had been discussing her, and because of Tim’s attention and nonstop chatter, she’d missed part of the conversation between their parents. She really didn’t want to go and certainly didn’t understand her father at all. He was usually very possessive, but lately it seemed as if he was almost pimping her out to get clients.

“I would like that,” Tim said enthusiastically.

She glanced up at him and forced a smile while her mind went a hundred miles a minute trying to think of excuses to get out of the commitment, but then she caught her father’s eyes again and knew it wouldn’t be wise to do so. “I’d love to,” she finally lied through her teeth.

“Tim has a degree in accounting,” his mother prattled on. “Why, he handles all of our accounts—”

Beth returned her attention to her dinner, feeling those blue eyes on the top of her head while his parents bragged about him to her parents. It was obvious that the expensive sports car belonged to him. Flashiness like that deterred her. As far as she knew, Marshal only drove a big truck, which he also used around the ranch.

After their company left, she was called into her father’s study.

“Don’t anger him,” her mother begged as she walked by.

“I won’t,” Beth said, still feeling the sting of his hand from the other day.

“Shut the door,” her father told her, taking a seat behind his desk and indicating for her to sit in the chair opposite him.

Beth could see that he’d already poured himself a drink. He never drank in front of others—ever. She sat down on the edge of the leather-covered wingback chair. The whole room was designed for style and nothing in it was comfortable or welcoming. She folded her hands on her lap and waited.

“Tim’s very successful,” he finally said, studying her expression.

“I heard,” she replied, keeping her expression carefully guarded.

He narrowed his gaze slightly, trying to see if she was being sarcastic. He’d always tried to suppress that in her, but every now and then, Beth would let it slip and he had to discipline her. She was turning into a young woman now and she needed to act like it.

Satisfied that she wasn’t being sarcastic, he continued. “I want you to go to the dance with him, and when he asks you out again, you go.”

Her eyes widened.

“His family is worth a lot of money and they’ve just taken me on as their lawyer—so if Tim shows you interest, I want you to play along.” He took a drink from his glass, but kept his eyes on her to see if there was any betrayal in her eyes or expression that she would disobey him. Beth was pretty, very pretty, and he knew how men would view her. She would be twenty-one soon and she should start pulling her weight. He’d already put her inside Marshal’s door, now there were the Maynards.

“But Papa—” He held up his hand, cutting her off.

“Just play along, Beth, that’s all I ask. Don’t you think he’s handsome?”

She actually did, but that didn’t mean she was attracted to the man. She nodded.

“Good. You never know, maybe something will come out of this.”

She doubted it.

“How are things with Marshal Davis, you’ve been getting home late.”

“He owns a lot of businesses besides the ranch, there are piles of—”

“That’s not what I meant, Beth. I know he’s got a lot of property and responsibilities, but I want you to start making suggestions about me to get my foot in the door. His previous lawyer is ready for retirement.”

“Okay.” She nodded, visibly relieved that he didn’t know she’d stayed late at the Davis ranch because the home was much more welcoming and comfortable than her own family’s house was.

“Good, now go help your mother clean up.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, standing up to leave and wishing someone would get her out of this hell. Then she had to deal with her mother praising Tim all through the rest of the evening as she helped her tidy up. Beth didn’t tell her how she really felt about him because she knew it would be pointless. She knew her mother loved her, but her father still wielded control over them all.

Beth went to bed that night and stared at the ceiling. Tim was handsome and seemed very attentive, but for some reason, she didn’t feel that same excitement she did when Marshal was around. On the other hand, Marshal seemed to have no problem pulling that thrill out of a woman and it was obvious that other women felt it too judging from the bodacious blond who’d flounced by that day.

She released a frustrated breath, thinking this was getting far too complicated for her young life. Her father had just told her that he was going to use her to get accounts. It seemed so underhanded, especially when she felt like she was lying to honest people like Marshal. He didn’t strike her as a forgiving type of person, yet he’d shown her a tender side of him when she had that breakdown earlier on. He didn’t pry about it, and he didn’t try to embarrass her about it, either.

It made her feel comfortable around him. Even though she was physically unsettled by his presence, she knew she could talk to him about anything and it would never be repeated or passed along. He would just listen if she needed him to, but she still couldn’t tell him her secrets. She’d kept those to herself for many years and never confided them to anyone. Her family moved quite a bit and her father was very controlling, and she’d never had any close friends. Her father did it purposely, of course, so no one would know what her and her mother had to deal with.

***

The next day, Beth parked in her usual spot in the driveway and noticed several cattle-hauling semi trucks down by the corrals. They must be moving cattle that day. It was easy to pick out Marshal’s large form among the mix of men. He turned and saw her, then lifted a hand in greeting.

She waved in return before he turned back to his task. Even that small gesture of acknowledgment from him seemed to pick up her spirits. When she got inside, she just smiled and shook her head at the two large boxes waiting for her on the desk. She tossed her purse aside and removed her coat before she sat down and dug in.

Several hours later, she was halfway through the first box when the sound of someone clearing her throat made her lift her head. Cindy Parson walked in the room and looked around as if she had every right to do so.

“So this is where he keeps you,” she said, strutting over to Beth’s desk, then wiping her finger along it and looking at it as if the desk was filthy.

“Can I help you?” Beth said, forcing a smile. It was that or she’d punch the woman in the nose, and she was certain that Marshal wouldn’t take it too well if she assaulted his girlfriend.

“No, I’m just waiting for Marshal, he’s loading cattle.” Cindy smiled down at the younger woman. “He invited me for lunch.”

Good for him, thought Beth.

“You know, if you did something with your hair, you might look pretty,” Cindy said sweetly.

Beth shot her eyes up to the other woman and narrowed her gaze. First off, Beth knew she wasn’t ugly by any means. Secondly, there was nothing wrong with her hair. She liked it long and free, as it was today. Cindy was trying to grate on her, and it was working. However, Beth was a master at keeping her expression passive and she decided she’d play along. “Oh, do you think so?” she asked, leaning back in her chair and making a point to tease it with her fingers as she gave the other woman an innocent look. “I guess I could use a bottle of bleach on it like you did to give it that cheap look.”

Cindy narrowed her eyes. “I was just trying to help.”

“Is that what that was?” Beth smiled. “Because it sounded like you were being condescending.”

“Okay, little girl,” Cindy said, allowing her expression to become menacing. “I’m letting you know right now that Marshal is mine and if you have any thoughts about him in your head, you’d better get rid of them immediately.”

“Funny, he gave me the impression that he didn’t belong to anyone,” she replied, starting to get irritated with the woman for dictating to her.

“He’s the most eligible bachelor around, rich, and my father’s business partner, so don’t you go batting those big eyes at him for anything or I’ll make your life a living hell,” Cindy warned venomously. “I’ve lived around here my whole life and these people know me, so it’s not so hard to spread gossip about the new girl and have it believed.”

That was probably the only threat that could work on Beth because gossip would ruin her easily—if her father heard anything, he would make her pay dearly. Cindy saw her expression and grinned smugly, knowing that she’d found her Achilles heel.

Beth glared at her. “Does he know that all that makeup just covers your scales?”

“Don’t push me or I’ll tear you to pieces,” Cindy hissed.

Beth squeezed her hands into fists and gave the woman an icy glare. “Get out of here before I throw you out.”

Cindy made a spiteful sound, swung around, and made a dramatic exit, leaving Beth glaring at her back. She may be the abused child of an alcoholic, but there was no way in hell she’d take that kind of garbage from anyone else. She had some pride. She was also visibly trembling with rage. How someone could be so cruel was beyond her. For some reason, she’d thought it was limited to alcoholics like her father, but apparently it wasn’t.

About ten minutes later, she heard Marshal come inside the house. There was no mistaking those footsteps on the porch.

“Hey, Beth, are you coming for lunch?” he said as he leaned in the room.

She looked up, seeing that he’d removed his hat and his hair was ruffled like he’d run his fingers through it. It made him look rough, but devastatingly handsome. She would have enjoyed joining him for lunch, but she knew he’d arranged a date with Cindy. She didn’t care much for the other woman, but she didn’t want to interfere. Not only that, she couldn’t stomach watching her falling all over him. “I’m fine.”

He pursed his lips and stared at her with narrowed eyes. “Something’s up.”

She shook her head. “No, I just started making headway and I don’t want to quit.”

“With my endless supply of receipts,” he said.

He had a point.

“I have another box in the truck that I haven’t brought in yet,” he mentioned, drawing himself to his full height and looking down on her suspiciously.

She made an exasperated sound and met his gaze. It was obvious that she was making excuses, and he knew it. “I’m not hungry.”

“Liar.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “Fine. Just because I don’t want to sit and eat with you and your girlfriend doesn’t mean you can force me to because you’re my boss. I was hired to do a job and I’m doing it. I don’t need you to make sure I eat, I’m a big girl. Is that more than enough truth for you?”

She didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but that blonde witch had riled her even though she didn’t show it. It also irked her that Marshal liked women like Cindy. She thought he’d react angrily to her confession, but she should have known better. He just kept surprising her.

He cocked an eyebrow at her defensiveness. “Is that right?”

“Just go away,” she added, feeling like an idiot for letting her emotions get the best of her.

He sauntered over to her desk with that sexy, lazy stride, placed his hands palm-down on her desk, and leaned down so his face was mere inches from hers. She could smell leather, sweat, and a hint of cologne. Her eyes widened as his expression hardened.

“If you don’t get your ass to lunch, I’m going to drag you in there kicking and screaming. You’re thin enough to blow away in the wind and I won’t be responsible if you faint on the job. I’m not a bloody sweatshop owner,” he gritted out. The way she’d been looking at him lately, he thought she had some sort of attraction to him. Yet when he started thinking like that, she’d throw one out there and make him doubt it.

He didn’t want her attracted to him anyway. She was too young and she was his employee. Still, she was highly confusing—and again, intriguing.

He’d been involved with one of his employees eight years ago and she sued him when he refused to marry her. Apparently, she didn’t care about him at all, but just wanted to marry into money. When he’d rejected her, she said she’d take the thing that meant the most to him: his money. Her lawsuit claimed that he didn’t allow for breaks or days off and cited emotional abuse. He actually might have agreed to that last part after the way he cursed her out the front door when he discovered her true intentions.

“Fine,” Beth finally said, unable to fight the look in his eyes. She stood up and marched out of the study, then down to the dining room. When she entered the room, Cindy was already seated at the table and shot her a hateful look. The woman’s expression suddenly changed to one of delight as Marshal stepped in behind Beth. Cindy immediately got to her feet and hung off his arm, telling him how much she’d missed him.

Beth couldn’t stand it. “I’ll go see if May needs help.” She made a face as she turned and headed for the kitchen.

“Marshal, darling,” Cindy said, sparing a glance at the door Beth just went through. “Why do you need that woman? She obviously has some hang-ups.”

“So do I,” Marshal stated as he pulled her chair out for her. He refused to listen to someone else speak badly about his employees.

“Yes, but she’s not very pleasant,” she said, sitting down and batting her eyes at him. “I went to say hello and welcome her to the neighborhood, and she practically threw me out of your study.”

“She what?” Marshal asked curiously. He knew that Beth was in a mood when he showed up, but he certainly hadn’t expected her to be rude to other people. Cindy was prone to gossip, though, which was why he never told her anything important. She was too presumptuous as well, but she was the daughter of a business partner and Marshal put up with her out of respect for her father.

Seeing that she had his attention, she continued. “Yes, she obviously is a little possessive where you’re concerned.”

Was she? He certainly hadn’t noticed, but then again, women acted differently toward one another when a man was involved. “I’ll speak to her.”

He would ask her himself if she’d threatened to throw Cindy out of the house and watch her expression closely to see if she was lying. Cindy’s words miffed him a little, even if he didn’t show her that. It brought his mind back to the woman who’d tried to sue him all those years ago. Could Beth be that vicious? Had he misread her all along?

Part of him wanted to ignore Cindy, but she had no reason to lie to him. Her father was a friend of his and he’d bailed him out when he needed money by buying into the Parson’s two feedlots. Since then, with Marshal’s help, they were doing fairly well. Lately, he’d considered telling Ed to buy him out now that he could afford it. Marshal was stretching himself thin and he wasn’t getting any younger. Two less feedlots would probably give him a fair bit of extra time.

“Would you, darling?” Cindy smiled to herself.

The woman in question came back in with a bowl of salad and May was behind her with a delicious-smelling casserole. Beth became aware of Marshal’s glare and gave him a questioning look as she took her seat. Maybe she’d really made him angry by refusing to have lunch with them. Unable to take that look anymore, she dropped her eyes to her plate and ate in silence. For once, she was thankful that Cindy chatted on endlessly about herself. When lunch was finally over, she breathed a sigh of relief as Cindy asked Marshal to see her out.

Beth started gathering the dishes.

“I’m sure you have enough work of your own, young lady,” May told her as she took the plates from her.

“I suppose,” she said, turning to leave.

“Don’t let her bother you,” May said.

“I’m trying,” Beth answered, not even willing to deny it.

As soon as she sat down at her desk, Marshal came into the room, making enough noise to wake the dead. She didn’t even need to look up to know he was angry. His glare throughout lunch told her that. She just didn’t understand how he could get so worked up because she’d wanted to skip lunch.

“I don’t need you to be rude to my friends,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

She snapped her head up. “Rude?”

“Cindy told me what you did. I won’t tolerate it. If you want to behave like a spoiled adolescent, go home.”

“What I did?” she asked in surprise.

“Did you threaten to throw her out of here?”

“Well, yes—but she—”

Christ, he’d hoped it wasn’t true. “Beth, you have no right!” he barked. “You are just an employee and the next time you take it upon yourself to tell my friends what they can and can’t do, I’ll fire you so damn fast it’ll make your head spin!”

He’d worked himself up after Cindy had left by thinking about the whole incident. The more he thought about it, the less he trusted Beth and the more he began to wonder if she was deceiving him. Something wasn’t right about her—she had too many secrets. He’d let his temper flare and it hadn’t calmed down any when he sought her out moments after Cindy drove away. He was also angry with himself for being attracted to her and he took that out on her too.

Beth ground her teeth together, knowing it would be pointless to defend herself. He was raging mad and no matter what she said, he would take Cindy’s word over hers. Like Cindy had said, she’d lived here all her life. Beth was new in town, who would believe her? On top of that, if she lost this job, her father would most definitely snap and take it out on her. That alone terrified her.

“Do you hear me?” he asked, pointing a finger at her.

“Yes, perfectly,” she ground out, furious and completely hurt at the same time. Whatever door she’d started opening towards this man because of the tenderness and understanding he’d shown her just closed with a snap. What he didn’t notice was her judging how quickly he could make it around the desk that stood between them. She didn’t think that a man like him would strike her, but that habit was hard to break.

“Good!” he yelled before he stormed off.

Beth waited until she heard the front door slam before standing up and getting her purse and coat. The emotional damage was done. She knew it was hopeless to try to find someone who’d understand her now—Marshal had been through what she was going through, but he didn’t understand the pain she lived with every day or he would never have spoken to her like that. She struggled to blink back tears, feeling painfully alone. Heading for the front door, she bit her bottom lip to keep them from falling, but she ended up nearly running into May.

“What was he bellowing—” She stopped abruptly when she saw the look on Beth’s face. “Oh dear.”

“I’m done for today, May. I’ll be back on Monday,” Beth said, bowing her head and rushing past her.

May stuck her hands on her hips as she watched the younger woman run toward her car, hiding her face so no one could see her cry.

  

Chapter Four

 

When Marshal came into the dining room for supper that night—exhausted, hungry, and filthy—May tossed what looked like a peanut butter sandwich in front of him. There was no plate, no utensils, nothing—just a plain sandwich. He looked across the table to see Ben eating a huge steak with potatoes and greens.

Ben raised his head and stopped chewing while looking back and forth between the two adults.

“What the hell is this?” Marshal said in bewilderment as he stared at the sandwich.

“That’s for upsetting the young miss,” she snapped, glaring at him.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, taken aback.

“She left here in tears after you tore the hide off her bones.”

He gave her a hard stare. “She threatened to throw Cindy out.”

“Really?” said May, unmoved. “And I suppose she was completely unprovoked.”

“Cindy had no reason to do anything to Beth,” he defended, getting to his feet and glaring down at her.

“Sure she didn’t. That girl will have you leg-shackled in front of the preacher faster than you can spit if you don’t open your eyes,” she shot back before she turned and left.

“Ah hell,” he said under his breath. He looked down at his pitiful dinner, then over at Ben. He still had the same chunk of beef in his mouth, puffing out his cheek, and he was staring at his uncle in surprise. Marshal might have found it comical if he wasn’t so irritated.

“Did you really yell at Beth?” Ben asked, arching his eyebrows questioningly.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” he scolded the boy, evading the question while looking toward the doorway May had just passed through. He certainly couldn’t fire her because she was practically part of the homestead, but killing her came to mind. He muttered a curse under his breath, got up, and headed for the front door. He’d get dinner in town.

As far as he was concerned, Beth had no right to tell Cindy what to do in his house even if she showed up unannounced and uninvited. Marshal knew she’d had a few hard knocks and needed a friend, so he put up with her airs.

As for Beth, she needed to be brought down a notch. She was born into privilege and obviously was used to doing things her way. He wasn’t wrong in speaking to her the way he did—and if she was crying, it was probably faked to get sympathy from May.

So why was he feeling guilty?

When he pulled up in front of the diner half an hour later, he was surprised by what he saw through the window. There was Beth, sitting with Tim Maynard of all people, but that wasn’t what surprised him—it was the hot flash of jealousy he felt at the sight.

Tim was wealthy and closer to Beth’s age than he was. He also had a track record with women that Marshal had heard all about. He’d been no different at Tim’s age, but he was wiser now and Beth didn’t strike him to be a worldly enough woman to resist Tim’s charm.

He watched her as he headed for the front door. She hadn’t noticed him yet because she seemed very involved in what Tim had to say and it rubbed him the wrong way. If she’d been upset like May had told him, she certainly didn’t look it now. Maybe she was a good enough actress to fool May. Regardless, he was going to see for himself.

When he stepped in through the door, she did notice him. Instead of going and placing an order, he walked up to her table, keeping his eyes on her. No, he thought, she doesn’t look upset. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty when May had told him Beth was crying. If she’d been crying, she didn’t look it now.

He noticed a slight flicker in her eyes as she watched him approach her before she quickly masked it and steeled her expression. It made him remember when she’d burst into tears unexpectedly a few days ago. He was pretty sure she hadn’t faked that episode because her reaction was too genuine. He knew enough about her to know that she found the whole thing embarrassing because she tried so hard to guard her feelings.

Tim looked up. “Hi, Marsh,” he said in a friendly greeting.

“Tim,” he said politely before refocusing his attention on Beth. “I need to speak with you.” He saw her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

“Can’t it wait until Monday?” she asked, not wanting to talk to him at all. Just seeing him made her want to cry again. This was becoming a bad habit.

“No,” he said bluntly.

Beth knew he wouldn’t hesitate to haul her out of her seat if she refused. She’d had a dose of his temper that afternoon and didn’t want to push it because he might decide to fire her. Her father’s angry face flashed in her mind and that was what got her to stand up.

“I’ll only be a minute,” she said to Tim, forcing a pleasant smile.

“No problem,” he said, giving Marshal an unsure look.

Before she could say or do anything, Marshal took her arm and led her out of the diner and out of sight of its patrons, about ten yards down the sidewalk, before he turned her to face him. “May says she thought you left upset today.”

“She’s wrong,” she said quickly, almost too quickly because his gaze looked suspicious.

“Did I upset you?”

“No,” she said abruptly, not wanting to remember.

Despite her denial, she couldn’t meet his gaze and that was the indicator he needed to see. For someone so young, she guarded her feelings very well and he’d been stupid enough not to notice because that behavior wasn’t common for her age. Furthermore, her emotional meltdown a few days ago had made him think she was open with expressing her feelings; after all, she’d had no problem giving him hell.

There were those other times, though, when she was defensive if he probed her personal life, and of course, there was the time he’d grabbed her in the stables. Maybe her emotions ran deeper than he’d first thought and she’d formed a protective wall around them. If that was true, he’d screwed up. Maybe she’d been letting him see little bits of herself because she trusted him and he’d crushed her by treating her the way he did.

“Maybe I was a little harsh, Beth.”

A little, she wanted to shout, but this was probably as close as Marshal ever got to an apology.

“However—”

So much for that, she thought.

“—I still want you to be polite and cordial to my guests.”

“Fine,” she said, resigned to leave it alone. She knew he wouldn’t believe her, no matter what she said about Cindy threatening her first. “Is there anything else? I’m on a date.”

He gritted his teeth. “Tim Maynard is a ladies’ man.”

Beth lifted her chin. “As you said earlier, I am an employee. Therefore, your business is yours and mine is mine.” She turned around and went back inside the diner.

He’d asked for that. His eyes ran down over her backside as she went through the door, and he wondered if he was completely wrong about her. Truthfully, he’d never met anyone like her. She was a complete mystery.

“Everything all right?” Tim asked as she sat down across from him.

“Fine, he was just asking where I’d left some receipts,” she lied. Just then, Marshal stepped back through the door and up to the counter. She tried to look interested in what Tim had to say, but her eyes kept flicking over his shoulder to Marshal as he got his food and left without another glance in her direction. Just an employee, she thought to herself.

She turned her attention back to Tim, who didn’t even seem to notice that she’d been stealing glances at Marshal because he was so enraptured by discussing his accomplishments. She thought it was funny in comparison to her boss—Marshal never talked about himself, except for when he’d told her about his father. However, his father was long since dead and he could talk about it without worrying about the consequences whereas she had no place to go and no money. When Marshal paid her next week, she’d have to hand it over to her father. He always made sure he left her and her mother with no options.

She really hadn’t wanted to go out with Tim after what had happened earlier with Marshal, but he’d shown up to the house after dinner and asked her to go for coffee. Her father gave her one of those looks she couldn’t disobey, so she went.

Tim was handsome, but she wasn’t attracted to him. It was odd, really, because any girl her age ought to be. He was only twenty-five, but already wealthy. She just couldn’t get past his ego. All he did was talk about himself while casting looks at her chest. Most men did—she was petite so her chest looked a little on the bigger side, but she was only a C-cup, which she’d always thought was perfectly normal. She usually wore clothing that downplayed it, but obviously, he’d still noticed. Marshal might be right about Tim being a ladies’ man, but it didn’t matter because she had no say in going out with him.

An hour later, Tim dropped her off at home, telling her what time he’d pick her up for the dance tomorrow night. She held her breath at the look in his eyes. It was almost as if he wanted to kiss her, but she said a polite thank you and made sure she was out of the car before he had the chance.

Her father was waiting for her when she went inside the house.

“How was your date?” he asked while studying her expression.

“It was nice.” She was bored to tears.

“Tim comes from a wealthy family,” he said, watching her carefully. “I think it’s good that you’re dating him.”

Beth wanted to tell him that she wasn’t interested, but she knew it would be pointless. She also knew she couldn’t tell Tim anything because she didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust many people, and she was worried that if she told Tim how she really felt, he’d go to her father. “Yes, Papa,” she said.

“Do you like him?”

“I do,” she answered truthfully, but not the way you think, she added to herself.

“Good.” He nodded his approval.

***

The next day, Beth was thankful that her father went to the office to work while leaving specific instructions for her to go and get a new gown and visit the salon to get her hair done. She complained about it over breakfast, after she’d made the appointment, and her mother shook her head.

“Be thankful that he’s spending money on you, dear.”

“He’s putting me out there as a showpiece for one of his new clients.”

Her mother took a heavy breath. “I know, but what are your options?”

“Options?”

She nodded. “I’ve been married to your father for almost twenty-five years and I will never have a way out.” She held up her hand as Beth started to speak. “Let me finish, dear. I loved him when I first married him, or I thought I did. My father was a lot like him and I thought I was free when I got married. Only I found out when the honeymoon was over that I’d jumped from the fire into the ashes.”

“Leave him, Mom—” As she said it, her mother shook her head.

“I can’t. He’ll find me. He’s done it before.”

“What?” That was surprising.

“I left when I was pregnant with you. I feared for you and that he’d treat you the same as he did me.”

“He found you?”

Her mother nodded. “Your father is worth a lot more than he lets on. He hired private detectives and tracked me down. He never laid a hand on me when I was pregnant, but several weeks after you were born, he beat me so bad I was in the hospital for three days.”

“Oh God! Didn’t the police suspect anything?”

She shook her head. “He was a prominent businessman and has a way with people—you know that. He told people I fell down the stairs. I was so terrified for you that I agreed. He threatened to take it out on you if I told the truth. You were just a baby.”

“Oh Mom,” she said sadly. “I didn’t know. I mean, I always wondered why you didn’t leave.”

“Your father likes the illusion of a perfect family. Ever since then, he’s handled all of the money, all the bills, and our accounts so I can never leave again. I get a small allowance to buy groceries and he sets up accounts at the boutiques for clothing, but it’s all about control, Beth. If Tim offers you marriage and you can get out, you should take it.”

“Mom, I’m not attracted to him that way.” Her mother looked surprised by her confession.

“You seemed to get along so well at dinner the other night.”

Beth shook her head. “He’s charming, but I don’t find him that interesting.” Boring as paint, in fact.

“Well, don’t let on to your father. He has plans for you there.”

She groaned—her mother had just confirmed what she was thinking. She stood up. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got that appointment at nine-thirty.” She made a face, thinking her father was selling her to the highest bidder.

On the way to town, she reflected heavily on their conversation. After hearing her mother’s story, it was no wonder she didn’t understand the problem—her mother would give anything to get out of this house and Tim seemed like a good solution. Beth didn’t see it that way. She had plans. She was going to get her college degree, then leave. Her father would have absolutely no control over her life when she was educated and could make choices, and he could go to hell. She hoped he didn’t have it in his head to marry her off before then.

After she parked her car and walked into the salon, she realized that everyone who was anyone was going to the dance tonight. The place was full and a few more patrons were there trying to get a last-minute appointment.

The hairstylist told Beth that she was lucky she got an appointment and it was thanks to a last-minute cancellation. As with most people in this town, she was very friendly, and Beth had to admit she did like the ambience here over Chicago.

The stylist introduced herself as Lori Tasker and chatted non-stop about her life, which was very refreshing. She was married to the police chief and had a baby girl who was about nine months old. That surprised Beth because Lori looked quite young. She was very slender, with almost a runway model build, and short brown hair and stunning blue eyes. She reminded Beth of a pixie with her delicate, pretty features.

“I’m twenty-two,” she said, smiling at Beth’s reflection.

Beth laughed. “Was it that obvious?”

“I get it a lot.” She beamed. “My mother looks half her age, and I inherited it. My husband gets accused of robbing the cradle a lot. Now—” She paused after she finished trimming Beth’s hair. “—How do you want this styled for tonight?”

“I have no idea. Surprise me.”

Lori smiled. “Who’s your date?”

“Tim Maynard.” Beth noticed that Lori’s smile had evaporated. “What?”

She shook her head and forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”

“You don’t like him that much, do you?” she asked, watching Lori’s expression.

The stylist shrugged while reaching for the blow dryer. “It’s nothing personal, he always seemed pleasant enough. It’s just gossip,” she said. “And I usually don’t put much stock into that stuff or gossip myself. However—” She winked, trying to dispel the other girl’s worries. “He is a dish.”

Beth wasn’t convinced, but Lori flicked on the dryer before Beth could ask her any more about it. The stylist continued to chatter on after that and Beth didn’t have a chance to bring up the subject again. Lori had looked uncomfortable talking about gossip and she didn’t like it either, so she left it alone.

Lori knew Beth was new in town and did her best to make her feel welcome. She’d been in the church when Father Davis asked that of the townspeople. Talking to her for just a few minutes made Lori like her. She asked the newcomer about herself and found out that she was going to college in the fall and working for Marshal Davis.

“Oh,” Lori said with more excitement this time. “That man could write the book on sex appeal.”

That made Beth laugh. She was right.

“Next to my husband, of course,” the stylist added with a grin.

About that time, none other than Cindy came through the door. Beth saw her in the reflection at the counter. The other woman looked up to see Beth and her eyes narrowed. As the clerk led her past Beth’s chair, she paused and made a face before continuing on, but she didn’t say anything.

Lori didn’t miss the interplay and gave Beth a questioning look.

She shrugged. “She’s dating Marshal and thinks I have a thing for him.”

The other woman smiled. “Is that right? Well, if Cindy thinks she can get Marshal Davis, she’ll get old waiting.”

“He doesn’t want marriage?”

“No, he was set up by a previous employee and doesn’t put much trust in women—” She paused, looking at Beth.

It was too late. Beth had already seen her expression. “Let me guess. It was his secretary.” The way he treated her and his keeping her at arm’s length made sense now.

Lori was embarrassed. “Sorry, Beth. I should keep my mouth shut.”

“Well, at least a few things make sense now. He doesn’t trust many people, that’s for sure.”

“No, he doesn’t. My husband and he are good friends, but aside from his brother, I don’t think he has many others. Don’t get me wrong—he’s really well-liked and respected in the community. He’s known to be honest in business too, but he keeps his personal life to himself.”

“Like Cindy,” she mumbled out loud, glancing down the salon to see the woman take a seat in a chair.

Lori leaned down and spoke quietly. “Cindy thinks she has him on a hook, but he’s only dating her because he feels sorry for her. He wouldn’t marry a woman like that.”

“He feels sorry for her?” she said suddenly, remembering how Marshal acted towards her when he held her after her meltdown at the coffee shop.

Lori shook her head. “He does. Cindy was jilted by her fiancé and he ran off with all of her savings about a year ago. Marshal knows what that feels like. His secretary sued him for assault because he wouldn’t marry her. He did have an affair with her, but she turned out to be a gold digger and he dropped her. That was her revenge.”

“Oh no!”

“She didn’t win. However, he’s careful who he dates now. They have to have money and not expect anything from him in that sense.” She inclined her head slightly towards where Cindy was sitting. “The only reason he sees her is because her father and him are business partners at a couple of feedlots. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even look in her direction.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because she spends every second day in here getting dolled up and she spends money like it’s going out of style. Marshal needs a hometown girl, not a debutante.”

There went that. Beth certainly wasn’t a hometown girl. She might not spend endless hours in front of a mirror, but she was closer to being a socialite. Her father made sure she took etiquette classes so she wouldn’t embarrass him. She’d also had to take dance classes until just last year. “I thought you didn’t like gossip,” she suddenly remembered.

“That bit about Marshal you’ll hear and I’d rather you know it from me than the other versions around town. My husband was a character witness for him at the time. It happened about eight or nine years ago.”

Lori finished styling her hair shortly after, and Beth had to admit that it looked very nice. The stylist had managed to pile it on top of her head very neatly, and Beth couldn’t even manage her long curls in a ponytail. She actually looked like a sophisticated lady, but the best part was that she’d made a friend.

“We should get together sometime, Beth,” Lori said as she walked her to the door.

“I’d like that.”

“Most of my friends moved away when they finished high school and my little girl keeps me busy too. I don’t like visiting bars or anything like that, which is what my single friends usually do.”

“Me neither,” Beth replied, not wanting to tell Lori that she was only twenty because it might get back to Marshal. She was sure that scene wouldn’t appeal to her anyway.

“We could go fishing on Sunday. My husband has the day off and he can watch Abigail.”

“Fishing?”

“You’ve never fished?” Lori said with dawning realization. “Wow.”

Beth shook her head. Nor did she horseback ride or know what a feedlot was. This place was such a cultural shock after living in Chicago, but she had to admit she enjoyed meeting friendly people like Lori.

“Well then, it will be loads of fun,” Lori reassured her.

“Do I need to bring anything?”

“Just yourself, I’ll handle the rest.”

After they said their goodbyes, Beth went to the fashion boutique that her father told her to visit. He’d left her an open account there. She found a flattering gown of dark green velvet with a halter-top and an ankle-length skirt. It showed her cleavage a little too much for her conservative tastes, but it was so beautiful that she bought it. There was a matching sheer that she could use to cover herself, if need be.

She drove home in the late afternoon, feeling cheerful. It wasn’t an emotion that she felt often, but she’d made a friend today and Lori seemed very nice. Hopefully, her father would allow her to keep this one. The fact that Lori’s husband was the police chief made her think that her father would agree because he’d want to have a friend in law enforcement.

***

Tim arrived around eight that evening, his flashy car practically spit-polished and gleaming. He waited downstairs while Beth finished getting ready. She saw him pull up through the window of her bedroom. She felt herself getting nervous—not because of Tim, but she because she knew that Marshal was going to be there with Cindy.

Beth’s mother came in at that moment carrying a black velvet case, interrupting her thoughts.

“What’s that?”

“My diamonds. Your father wants you to wear them.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Mom, you know I’m not into jewelry.” Probably because she didn’t own any and didn’t want anything her father would give her.

“It doesn’t matter. He’ll make sure you don’t leave the house without them,” she said, opening the box and taking out a diamond necklace with matching earrings.

Beth relented and put them on.

“You look beautiful, honey,” she said while playing with a few loose strands of hair around Beth’s neck. “You’ll knock Tim’s socks off.”

Beth smiled at her mother. “Thanks.” Not that she wanted to knock Tim’s socks off in any way at all.

“You need to get a move on or your father will be up here in a minute, you know he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

No, he didn’t. She nodded, took a deep breath, and went out the door.

“Wow!” Tim said as his eyes lit on Beth. “You’re beautiful.”

Beth did blush. “Thank you.” She actually did feel beautiful in the expensive material.

“I’ll be the envy of the night,” he added, drinking up her gorgeous figure in the green gown and letting his imagination run wild over what she’d look like without it. When he’d met her for the first time and then when he’d taken her out for coffee, she’d been wearing very conservative clothing. Now, she looked like a Playboy model in that gown.

As he led her out to his car and helped her in, Beth wondered if she should have complimented him too, but from his expression and posture, he already knew how good he looked and she didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. He got in the driver’s side and started the powerful engine, sent her a handsome grin, and tore up the drive on the way out. Beth actually found herself laughing. Maybe this night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

When they arrived at the prestigious event, Beth waited for Tim, who gave detailed instructions to the valet who was going to park his car before he came over to escort her through the doors. She hadn’t realized that the town had the resources for such a fancy affair, but she certainly was impressed.

For the first hour, he walked her through the crowd and introduced her to the town’s elite. At first, she had her arm looped over Tim’s, but somewhere during the course of the evening, he’d taken her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. Beth tried to tug her hand away several times, but Tim just tightened his grip, not even indicating that he noticed her reluctance.

She wasn’t comfortable holding his hand like they were more than just acquaintances, but Tim obviously had other plans. She started to worry. Her father was pushing Tim on her and she’d hoped he didn’t have any interest in her so he’d be the one to reject her.  If her father found out she rejected Tim, he’d be furious. She’d hoped they would just remain friends.

Marshal’s tall form was visible when the crowd broke as Tim led her to the dance floor. Beth couldn’t believe how packed the dance was.

“Hey, there’s Marshal,” Tim said just as the other man turned around and spotted them.

Beth frowned as she saw Cindy clinging to his arm when Marshal turned to face them, but was able to hide it before he saw her. She felt her stomach jump when he let his eyes slowly rake over her form and swore she saw a glint of approval in that gaze until it settled on their joined hands. Marshal scowled.

“Oh look,” said Cindy, leaning closer to Marshal. “Isn’t that your employee—Barb—”

“—Beth,” he corrected not taking his eyes off of Beth.

Beth felt like squirming under that gaze and finally averted her own. She could see the disapproval in his eyes at their joined hands as Tim greeted the other couple. Even if she didn’t see those signs, he’d told her how he felt about her going out with Tim. Why should she care, though? He hadn’t been very nice to her that day and since when did he have the right to dictate who she could be with?

“We were trying to find a table,” Tim said.

“You can sit with us,” Marshal offered. “John is saving our table.”

“Great!” Tim accepted enthusiastically.

Beth nearly groaned. It was hard enough enduring Marshal’s glare for a few moments, how was she supposed to deal with it for the rest of the night?

Marshal clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to reach over and remove Beth’s hand from Tim’s. Now he understood what seeing red meant. Not too long ago, he’d held her in his arms, and he wondered if Tim had had that privilege too. From the way the younger man was clutching her hand, he thought so. He didn’t like it, not one bit.

When they sat down, Marshal spent the better part of his time watching her, not noticing John’s amused look. He drew some satisfaction from the fact that she seemed uncomfortable under his hard stare—he didn’t want her having fun with Tim.

“Dance with me, darling,” Cindy said, trying to stifle her growing frustration that Marshal wasn’t paying her any attention because he couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful, auburn-haired woman sitting across from them. He finally looked at her, but his expression was completely indifferent, and she felt like scratching the other woman’s eyes out. As Marshal stood and pulled out her chair, she started thinking her revenge. Shortly after, an elderly woman asked John to dance with her and he kindly obliged.

After everyone had headed to the dance floor, Tim turned to Beth. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so angry.”

“No?”

“Something obviously chafed his mood. He’s usually easy-going, even though he’s a private person.”

Well, it was obvious now that he disapproved of her being there with Tim, but he’d been very rude to her on Friday over Cindy so she was really confused. She certainly wasn’t going to tell Tim that, though. “Maybe he and Cindy had an argument,” she hedged.

Tim glanced at the couple on the floor and shrugged as if it wasn’t important. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Sure, a soda water would be nice.”

“Nothing else?” he asked, raising his brows. “I could get you something a little more potent.”

“No thanks, Tim. I don’t like alcohol.” She nearly shuddered at the thought.

“Have you ever had a drink?” he pressed, leaning closer to her. “It’ll help you loosen up a bit. You seem a little uptight.”

“Do I?” It suddenly occurred to her that he’d noticed her trying to pull her hand away and misinterpreted it as discomfort in the crowd. Tim appeared to be too conceited to think she might not be attracted to him. Still, as a child of an alcoholic, she’d vowed never to touch the stuff.

“I’ll be right back, then,” he said, getting up and heading for the bar.

Almost on cue, Marshal took his seat across from her, his eyes still giving her that hard stare. “Where’s Tim?”

“Getting me a soda.” She narrowed her gaze back at him. “Where’s Cindy?”

“Ladies room. Are you sleeping with him?”

Beth felt like she’d been slapped. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“That’s none of your business,” she whispered harshly, hoping no one could hear them.

He stood up. “Come on—let’s dance,” he said abruptly.

She would have refused if he hadn’t taken her arm and practically hauled her out of her chair. If anyone else had grabbed her like that, she would have panicked. Marshal seemed to be able to get away with just about anything he wanted to do to her.

Once on the floor, he held her tight against him. “I told you he was a womanizer.”

“I don’t need advice, Doctor Ruth,” she shot back defensively. He had some nerve telling her what to do after the way he’d treated her.

He chuckled and she felt the heavenly sound vibrate through to the bone. Did he have any idea how sexy that sounded?

“Just watch yourself around him, Beth.”

She pulled back and looked up just to find him staring down at her. His eyes were lighter, less angry now, and if she didn’t know better, she might think he looked genuinely concerned. “Why do you say that?” First Lori, now Marshal too.

“I told you: he has a reputation with women.”

“I can handle myself.”

“That remains to be seen,” he said thickly. Hell, she smelled like lavender and looked like a piece of sensual art all done up in that gown. Never in his life had a woman elicited such a heated reaction from him just by being wrapped up in a velvet and silk gown that clung to every sensual curve. He wanted to unwrap her bit by bit and taste every soft, luscious inch of her. She’d actually surprised him when he first saw her enter the dance hall. His immediate thought was that she was too good for this place. Just the way she carried herself made her look so elegant and classy that he couldn’t see anything else at that moment but her.

She stared up at him. It was almost as if he was referring to something else. He didn’t loosen his tight grip through the remainder of the dance and she liked the tiny thrills that went through her every time his thighs rubbed against her legs. Everything around them seemed to disappear so that it was just the two of them on the dance floor. She savored it, even if the feeling was short lived.

Cindy was openly scowling when they returned to the table, knocking a hole in her brief bliss. On the other hand, Tim didn’t seem the least bit affected and jumped up to pull a chair out for her, asking her if she’d enjoyed herself. Not long after that, Cindy dragged Marshal back out to the dance floor while Beth sipped her drink.

“Tim, this is a little sweet,” she told him.

“It’s ginger ale, they were out of soda water,” he said, giving her a charming grin. “How about we show these old people how the younger generation dances?”

She laughed and nodded.

As the night went on, Beth found herself actually enjoying the evening and Tim’s company, regardless of Marshal’s continuous suspicious looks. Then she started feeling a little lightheaded and wondered if it was because she hadn’t eaten any supper. She started leaning on Tim to steady herself.

Marshal narrowed his eyes at her when she gripped Tim’s arm to help her stand up to go to the ladies’ room, then did the same thing to sit down when she got back. To him, she seemed a little unsteady. “What are you drinking?”

“Soda,” she replied with a smile.

“We should go,” Tim suddenly blurted, rising to his feet. “People are going to start heading home in the next half hour or so and I want to get my car out of the lot before someone runs into it.”

Beth swayed slightly rising to her own feet and Marshal jumped up to help her before she could grab Tim’s arm. She heard Cindy give an indignant huff. Then Marshal framed her face in his large hands and studied her expression.

“Soda?” he asked suspiciously, and she nodded and gave him a beaming smile.

Tim cleared his throat and took Beth’s arm. “I’ll take her home, Marshal.”

“I didn’t have supper,” she breathed, unable to ignore the feel of his hands on her skin.

Marshal glanced over at Tim and reluctantly released her just as Cindy wrapped her arms around one of his. “I’m ready to go too, darling,” she said, ignoring the other couple.

“All right,” he looked pointedly at Tim. “You take her right home, she doesn’t look well.”

“I will,” Tim said, making a salute. Beth giggled, causing him to set his light blue eyes on her and flash her a rakish grin.

Marshal’s eyes narrowed again in suspicion, but Cindy was tugging on his arm and telling him she’d like to leave. She was smart enough to keep her vision of strangling the younger woman to herself.

Beth started to feel more and more lightheaded as Tim drove her home. The streetlights started to blur into a continuous line of light.

“Are you all right, honey?” Tim asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe I should pull over. There’s spot just up here.”

Beth didn’t notice that Tim had pulled down a side road off the highway, out of sight of passing traffic. Before she knew it, he was out of the car and opening her door to help her out. “Where are we?”

“I thought you needed a minute before we continue on because you look a little queasy,” he added with humor in his tone, “I just had my car detailed.”

She smiled

“And it looks like you need some fresh air,” he said, leaning her against the car after he closed her door. “Wait here.”

Beth heard the sound of the trunk opening as she tried to concentrate on her uncooperative head. A moment later, Tim was back with a blanket, which he spread out a short distance away. It wasn’t until he’d gotten her flat on her back and covered her body with his that she realized what he was doing.

  

Chapter Five

 

Marshal dropped Cindy off and ignored her blatant suggestions to stay the night. Something was niggling at him and it was hard to ignore. He got in the truck and started the engine, mulling over the night’s events. He may not have known Beth all that well, but she didn’t seem like herself. If he fathomed a guess, he would have assumed that she was drunk. She said she wasn’t drinking, but then Tim had interrupted and taken her away when he tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

Lifting his hand, he looked at his watch. It was eleven-thirty, and he knew Beth’s parents went to bed early. She didn’t own a cell phone either. He made a mental note to rectify that on Monday.

Looking at his watch again, he sighed and pulled out his own phone to call the Winters’ house. He’d apologize in person tomorrow if he woke them, but maybe they were waiting up for Beth to come home—after all, it was her first night out in a new town. He breathed a sigh of relief as her mother answered after the second ring.

“Laura, it’s Marshal Davis. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No, of course not. What can I do for you?”

“Is Beth home yet?”

“No, I’ve been waiting up for her. Is everything okay?”

“I’m sure it is. She left with Tim at the same time I headed out, but she wasn’t feeling so good.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t worry; I’m sure she will be home soon. Will you call me if she gets home in the next few minutes?”

“Certainly,” she replied and he gave her his mobile number.

After he hung up, Marshal shifted the truck into gear and started to hunt for the missing couple. He cruised by Tim’s apartment first to see if his car was there. When he arrived, the flashy car was nowhere to be seen, and he turned around in the middle of the street and started toward home. If Tim were taking Beth home, he’d pass them on the way to his ranch.

Twenty minutes later, he swerved to avoid hitting someone who was walking in the middle of the road and nailed his brakes angrily. Part of it was his fault—he’d been checking his phone to see if it was working because he’d yet to hear from Beth’s mother. He’d only taken his eyes off the road for a second, but when he looked up, someone was there.

He pulled the truck over to the side of the road and rubbed his forehead. Who was so damn stupid? He left the vehicle running and got out. What he saw shocked him to the core. Beth was staggering down the middle of the road, trying to hold up her torn dress.

“Beth?” His answer was a wretched sob.

“Marshal!”

He ran over to her and gripped her shoulders. “What the hell happened?!”

“I don’t know!” she sobbed, clutching at his jacket. “I only remember small pieces.”

Without another word, he reached down and gently picked her up, then carried her to his truck and set her in the passenger seat. He quickly circled around to the other side of the truck, jumped in the driver’s seat, then spun around in the middle of the road to head back toward town. He reached over and took her hand, drawing her across the seat so she was leaning against him. She turned her face into his shoulder, and he took a deep, worried breath.

“Where are we going?” she asked, finally looking out the windshield.

She sounded so vulnerable that his chest clenched. “To the hospital,” he answered softly.

“No! Marshal, I can’t. I have to go home—My father—” She sat up straight, swaying slightly.

“—Will probably shoot Tim himself if he finds him before I do,” he gritted out angrily and circled his arm around her shoulders to pull her against him again. “Stay put,” he added gently, contracting his arm protectively around her.

“Can you please just take me home?” she pleaded, wrapping her fingers around his suit lapel again.

He spared her a glance and saw fear in her expression. “Are you serious? You need to get checked out.”

“I need to sleep because I feel terrible,” she tried convincing him.

“Beth, you look worse than you feel, trust me.”

“I have to go home, Marshal. They can’t treat me if I refuse treatment.”

He muttered something under his breath that Beth wouldn’t repeat even in private, then he pulled the truck over and reached for his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling your mother and telling her that you’re okay before I drag you kicking and screaming to the hospital.”

“Oh God!” she choked.

After he told Laura what he was going to do, he hung up and stared at his phone for a minute. She didn’t sound very concerned, even though she’d agreed to his wishes.

“What did she say?”

“She wants me to take you to the hospital.”

Beth buried her face in her hands. “Was my father awake?”

“She didn’t say.” He cast her a curious glance. “Why?”

Beth felt a surge of relief. Her mother would cover for her somehow. She shook her head. “No reason, let’s go.”

Her sudden about-face confused him, but he let it pass because he had other priorities now. He shifted the truck back into gear and tore off down the road.

Once at the hospital, Marshal removed his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, pulling the collar up high around her so he could shelter her from people who might recognize her. He didn’t stop in the waiting area—he ushered her into the first empty examination room he could find before he searched out someone to look at her.

“Matt,” he said when he saw a familiar face. What luck it was to find one of his close friends working tonight, especially when he was friends with so few people.

Doctor Lawford looked up and saw Marshal Davis standing at the counter, the look on his face saying that it wasn’t a social visit. “Hi Marshal—what can I do for you?”

“Can I see you alone for a moment?”

“Certainly.” Matt turned to one of the nurses near him and handed her the chart he’d been working on, following it with several instructions. After she acknowledged him, he walked around the counter and shook Marshal’s hand. “What is it?”

“My secretary got into some trouble.”

“You don’t—”

“No, it was Tim Maynard,” he said, knowing Matt was wondering about a repeat of what had happened eight years ago. “Look, I need a favor. This can’t go on the books. She’s very embarrassed.”

Matt didn’t hesitate to agree. Marshal would do the same for him if it came down to it. “I’ll take a look at her. Where is she?”

Marshal showed him, then shut the door and waited just outside of the room while Matt examined her. He could hear quiet voices within, one male and one female, and he was thankful that she was at least answering the doctor’s questions.

Half an hour later, Matt emerged from the room, closing the door behind him.

“How is she?” Marshal asked, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep from clenching his fists.

“She wasn’t raped.  Though, as stupid as Tim can be, I can’t see him forcing himself on a woman.”

Marshal was visibly relieved. “Thank God.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

“However, he left quite a few bruises on her.” Matt saw Marshal stiffen and his expression harden.

“She is quite intoxicated, Marshal. It looks like she’s fallen down more than a few times from the scrapes on her knees and her hands.”

That visibly shocked him. “No, that’s impossible—she was only drinking soda at the dance. I was sitting at the same table with her when—that bastard!” He finally realized that Tim had put alcohol in her drink. “We’d better call in the chief.”

“I’ve already spoken to her about that—she refuses to press charges.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

“It won’t do you any good, Marshal. She insists that she’ll lie if she has to.”

He released another explanative.

“Right now, what she needs is a friend,” Matt stated, placing his hand on Marshal’s shoulder. “Maybe she’ll come around after she settles a bit.  I can’t give her anything to calm her nerves because it won’t mix well with alcohol.”

“I doubt it. She’s stubborn as hell.” He managed a small smile.

Inside the room, Beth pulled Marshal’s coat tight around her to cover her torn gown. She turned her head and inhaled his scent deeply. Nothing could have smelled so pleasant at such a time, and she found it quite soothing. When he walked in a few minutes later, she automatically started to protest. “I won’t do it,” she said, seeing his hardened expression.

Marshal knew she was traumatized and arguing with her wouldn’t get him anywhere—it would only upset her more. “That’s fine, Beth. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t believe you’d give up this easily.”

His eyes met hers. “I think you’ve had enough stress for one night, don’t you?”

“Yes, thank you,” she said quietly, letting him help her off the examination table. He was being so tender that she felt like weeping again. If only Marshal would treat her like this all the time, then she could finally trust him.

***

The next morning, Marshal barged into Tim’s office building, marching straight into Tim’s office and slamming the door behind him. It was Sunday, and he’d found out the little weasel was at the office thanks to a neighbor. She’d come out to tell him that Tim usually worked on Sundays when he’d started thundering on the apartment door with his fist.

Fortunately for Marshal and unfortunately for Tim, he’d left the front door open. Gotta love small towns, he thought to himself as he marched into Tim’s office unannounced. Tim jumped up and stood behind his chair when the door flew open with a crash. Marshal approached him with a deadly look on his face. Beth might not be willing to press charges, but he planned to teach this idiot a lesson.

“Nothing happened, Marshal!” Tim said, holding up his hands. “I swear to God—I feel like a complete letch!”

“When I’m through with you, you’re going to feel a hell of a lot worse than that!” he bellowed while moving around the desk.

Tim maneuvered himself and his chair around the opposite side to try to keep a safe distance away so he’d have a chance to explain. He’d never seen Marshal so angry, but he knew of the man’s reputation when he did get angry. From what he’d heard, it was a rare occurrence for Marshal to lose his temper, but it made up for all of those times he kept his cool.

He really did feel terrible about what he’d done. He hadn’t realized that Beth was so inexperienced. “I swear to God, I didn’t know she was that drunk! I thought she was into me! I felt she just needed to loosen up a bit—I was wrong,” he blurted out quickly as he reached up and undid a few of the buttons of his shirt and loosened his tie to display a bandage that his shirt collar covered. “She clawed me good.”

“That’s nothing compared to what I’m going to do,” Marshal said as he moved around the desk. “I hope your dental insurance is paid up.”

“I swear to God, Marsh, I didn’t know she wasn’t that kind of girl until she fought back, then I stopped. She got up and ran away. I looked for her for over an hour!” Tim had stopped trying to evade the other man, knowing it was pointless—and maybe he did deserve a thrashing after what he’d done to Beth, regardless of how guilty he felt about it. Marshal was now close enough to reach out and grab him by the tie. “Ask her mother, for Christ’s sake! I called after I couldn’t find her and her mom told me she was with you.”

“I took her to the hospital!” Marshal snarled, bringing the other man’s face close to his. “You shook her up.”

Just when Tim thought he couldn’t feel any worse, he did. “My God! I didn’t know. I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! I’m going to apologize—I swear! I had flowers delivered this morning. Phone her mother—ask her! I was worried.”

Marshal called him a name that made Tim flush, gave him a stern shake as a warning, and then released him. “I should pound you senseless.”

“I was stupid, I know that now,” Tim said, breathing hard and holding up a hand in surrender. “I didn’t realize that she wasn’t experienced—I mean, just look at her!”

“That’s no excuse,” Marshal said, not giving an inch. Just because a woman looked the way Beth did meant nothing. Tim was just too selfish to understand that.

“I know that. I’ll apologize in person. I just wanted to give her some time.”

“You apologize, then stay the hell away from her. She may not want to press charges—” Tim blanched at that statement “—but I’ll tear you to bits if you so much as look at her sideways. You got that?”

“I do,” Tim said quickly. He knew it wasn’t an empty threat. Marshal usually kept to himself, but Tim didn’t blame him for stepping in. Beth was sweet and what he’d done was pretty inexcusable. It had smartened him up towards women—he’d been overly confident in thinking that she did want him.

“You have a lot of growing up to do, Tim, if you think every pretty girl out there wants you!” Tim just nodded. Marshal studied the younger man’s expression. He did look like he felt guilty, but that didn’t change what Beth had gone through—and he told him that before he left.

Regardless of whether Tim felt guilty, Marshal knew it would take Beth some time to get over what had happened to her. Hopefully, it wouldn’t ruin her ability to have an intimate relationship in the future. He gritted his teeth at the thought of Beth being intimate with another man. He didn’t want her to be with anyone else—not after he’d had her in his arms, remembered how she felt and smelled. He kept reminding himself that she was his employee and the last time he’d been involved with one of his staff, she’d made him look like an abusive tyrant. That had led to a six-week trial and his tarnished reputation.

Before he realized what he was doing, he was pulling into Bobby Tasker’s driveway. Even though Beth didn’t want to press charges, he could still let the police chief know what happened unofficially. Bobby met him at the door with a lace-trimmed apron on and a dishtowel in his hand, causing Marshal to laugh despite his foul mood.