The Cowgirl in Question Part 25

"What happened to the b.u.t.tons on your s.h.i.+rt, Les?"

Les reached down and Rourke knew before he lifted his hand that the bartender was going for the baseball bat he kept behind the bar.

Before Les could swing it, Rourke grabbed Les by the arm and dragged him over the bar.

"Kill the jukebox," Rourke yelled as Cash appeared next to him.

In the next instant, the music stopped and Cash was yelling for everyone to be quiet.

"Where is Ca.s.sidy?" Rourke was yelling down at Les. "Tell me where she is. If you hurt one hair on her head-"

"I saw her follow Les down the hallway toward the back of the bar," someone called from the crowd.

Rourke released Les and ran down the hallway. There were only two doors. A storage room. He jerked open the door. No Ca.s.sidy. And the beer cooler. He pulled open the heavy door, a gust of cold coming out.

He saw her huddled against one of the shelves. "Ca.s.sidy, oh G.o.d, Ca.s.sidy."

Her eyes fluttered open and her lips formed a lopsided smile. "My hero," she mouthed.

He hurriedly untied the belt and swept her up in his arms, rus.h.i.+ng her from the cooler.

"Blankets," Easton yelled.

"There's one in my car," Blaze said, and ran outside.

Moments later Rourke had Ca.s.sidy wrapped in a blanket, in his arms. All the years he'd repressed his anger, he'd also repressed his emotions. But one emotion threatened to drown him as he looked down at her.

"I love you, Ca.s.sidy," he whispered as he pressed his cheek against hers, then pulled back to look into her eyes. "I came home bitter and angry. All I wanted was revenge. Against you. But once I got to know you..." He shook his head. "You are an amazing woman, Ms. Miller. I can't imagine life without you in it."

Cash took Les into custody and searched the bar, finding the drug he'd used to dope Ca.s.sidy. "She's going to be all right. Doc says it will just wear off. But if you hadn't found her when you did, she would have died of hypothermia."

Rourke took her to the closest place he knew of-the Siesta Motel-and got her into the shower with him. It didn't take long to warm her up. He seemed to have a talent for it.

"I love you, Rourke McCall," she whispered. "Do you realize how many years I've waited to say that?"

Epilogue.

Ca.s.sidy woke to the smell of bacon. She opened her eyes. Rourke stood over her holding a tray.

"Hungry?"

She was, she realized, as she sat up and he placed the tray on her lap and sat down on the side of the bed.

He'd taken her to his family ranch. Rourke's mother had insisted the guest room be prepared for her.

"I was going to put her in my room," Rourke said.

Shelby had given him a look. "Ca.s.sidy doesn't want to be in any bed you've shared with another woman, no matter how many years ago it was. Don't you know anything about women?"

"No, but I'm trying to learn," Rourke said.

Ca.s.sidy had laughed.

"Now get," Shelby had said to her son last night. "The girl needs her rest."

Rourke left and Shelby smiled down at her. "I know we've never met, but I've heard wonderful things about you," the older woman said. "I couldn't be happier about having you here. Now, you get some rest. If you need anything, you just press that b.u.t.ton, all right?"

"Thank you," Ca.s.sidy said. She'd closed her eyes, wondering if she'd only dreamed the part where Rourke had said he loved her and she'd said she loved him.

"How did you sleep?" he asked now. Sunlight streamed in the windows, the day bright.

"Good," she said, and realized it was true.

"Eat up, you'll need your strength. The rest of the family is anxious to see you." He handed her a piece of toast with a strip of bacon on top.

She took a bite and looked at Rourke. She felt shy around him. Did he regret telling her he'd loved her? If he really had. "I don't remember much from last night."

"You remember Les drugging you?" he asked.

She nodded. "And I remember most of what he told me in the cooler about Forrest blackmailing him over the coal-bed methane wells Les had sabotaged on the VanHorn Ranch. Les took the gun out of Holt's car, thinking it was Holt's, and killed Forrest."

Rourke nodded, and picked up a piece of bacon, eating it before saying, "He's made a full confession to Cash. He killed Yvonne once he realized she had his Saint Christopher medal. He was afraid she'd seen him as he was leaving, after killing Forrest. It was like a house of cards, once it began to fall. Cash arrested Holt. He's confessed to stealing my gun at the birthday party. I'm sure he'll get off. Mason will hire the best lawyers money can buy."

"Is it really over?" she asked.

"Yes." He touched her check with his fingertips and gazed into her eyes. "It's really over." He moved the tray and pulled her into his arms.

"Ahem," came a familiar voice from the doorway. "Let her eat and get a shower. We're all waiting downstairs," Shelby ordered, then left.

Rourke laughed. "Looks like she's not only staying, she'd ordering everyone around, even Asa, but amazingly he's taking it." He shook his head as if he didn't understand it at all. He rose from the bed and smiled down at her. "See you downstairs?"

Ca.s.sidy nodded.

She showered, finding everything she needed along with some of her own clothing, which Rourke had brought from her house. After brus.h.i.+ng her hair, she dressed and went down the wide stairway to find Rourke was right. The entire family was waiting.

They all greeted her, but it was Rourke who got to his feet and met her on the bottom step. He looked a little nervous and she wondered why he'd been so insistent about her staying at the ranch for a while.

"Ca.s.sidy," he said, and dug into his jacket pocket. "There's something I want to ask you."

She glanced toward his mother. Shelby was nodding, her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears.

"Will you marry me? I promise to make you a good husband. I'll love you and cherish you and take care of you-"

"Give her a chance to answer," Asa said. Everyone laughed.

Rourke produced a small jewelry box from his pocket. "I love you, Ca.s.sidy."

She stared at him. It hadn't been a dream.

"Help me out here, Ca.s.sidy," he whispered. "Please, say you'll marry me. I know it's sudden but-"

"Yes. Oh yes," she said, and threw her arms around him, then she opened the small dark velvet box. A beautiful diamond ring twinkled up at her.

Rourke took it out and slipped it on her finger. She stared down at it, then at him. She'd imagined this since the age of thirteen and she couldn't have imagined it being more wonderful.

The family rushed to the two of them with congratulations and hugs and tears. Asa offered Rourke land up the road to build a house on and asked him to come back to the ranch. When Rourke looked to her, Ca.s.sidy nodded her approval.

He kept his arm around her, his gaze often meeting hers, as they all talked about the future.

Maybe someday she'd even let him read the letters she'd written him while he was in prison.

ROURKE HAD NEVER appreciated his family as much as he did at that moment. He loved them. And, he realized just how much he'd missed them, warts and all. That's why he'd brought Ca.s.sidy here, that's why he wanted to ask her to marry him with his family around them.

"I've decided to go to law school," Brandon announced. "I wasn't cut out for ranch work. I want to be a lawyer."

There were groans all around.

"This family could use a good lawyer," Brandon argued. "One of us is always in trouble."

Asa patted his son on the back. "If that's what you want, then do it."

They all looked at Asa as if they'd never seen him before. He'd been a different man since Shelby had returned. Rourke still suspected there was more to the story, but Asa and Shelby weren't telling it.

"I could use some help around the ranch," J.T. said disagreeably. could use some help around the ranch," J.T. said disagreeably.

"Well, Asa isn't going to be helping," Shelby said, coming to stand by her husband's side. She took his hand. "He and I need to spend some time together and he's worked this ranch long enough."

"Don't look at me. me. Ca.s.sidy and I are going on a long honeymoon," Rourke said. "I'm thinking something tropical." Ca.s.sidy and I are going on a long honeymoon," Rourke said. "I'm thinking something tropical."

Ca.s.sidy smiled and nodded. "Sounds heavenly."

"You have to get married first," Dusty spoke up. She'd been pretty quiet since Shelby's return. Of all the kids, she was the one who hadn't forgiven her mother or father.

"Will you help me plan my wedding?" Ca.s.sidy asked her.

Dusty's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"I'm going to need a lot of help," Ca.s.sidy said. "And I'm going to need a maid of honor."

"Really? I have some magazines," Dusty said, then flushed when everyone looked at her. "I was just I have some magazines," Dusty said, then flushed when everyone looked at her. "I was just looking looking at them." As far as Rourke knew, Dusty wasn't dating. But the neighbor boy, Ty Coltrane had been coming around a lot, making excuses, always looking for Dusty and trying to get her attention when he found her. She didn't seem to notice. at them." As far as Rourke knew, Dusty wasn't dating. But the neighbor boy, Ty Coltrane had been coming around a lot, making excuses, always looking for Dusty and trying to get her attention when he found her. She didn't seem to notice.

"I suppose you heard that my camp cook broke his leg trying to ride some mechanical bull down in Cheyenne," J.T. complained. He really did need a woman, Rourke thought.

"Buck'll find you a cook before you go up to bring the cattle down from summer pasture," Asa said.

"I hate to imagine what Buck will come up with," J.T. grumbled. Buck Brannigan had been the ranch foreman since Rourke was a boy. He was a crusty old character who grumbled more than J.T. A loner, he stayed up the road in the original homestead cabin and wasn't much help anymore, but a definite permanent fixture at the Sundown Ranch.

"When is this wedding going to be?" Shelby asked.

Rourke looked at Ca.s.sidy. "As soon as possible."

She laughed and nodded. "Can we put together a wedding in the next two weeks?" she asked Dusty.

Dusty's eyes were as big as saucers. "There is so much to do. Flowers, food for the reception, everyone in town will want to come, and a cake and a dress..."

Ca.s.sidy looked to Shelby. "Will you help, too?"

Shelby glanced at her daughter. "Would you mind?"

Dusty shrugged. "I guess not."

"Great," Ca.s.sidy said. She couldn't wait to be Rourke's wife.

"J.T., can you wait to go up into the high country until after the wedding?" Rourke asked. "I want to see you in a tux as one of my three best men."

Rourke pulled his wife-to-be closer and wondered what he'd done in life to deserve this woman. Nothing, he thought. He'd just gotten lucky. And he would never forget it.

Books by B.J. Daniels

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