head, Callum scoffed at his friend. “Aw, hell, Ben. She’s not worth dying for. If she wants you so bad, she should leave Eller. This screwing around behind his back is no way for either of you to behave. Ki and Mary would kick your ass if they knew what you were up to. Hell, your brothers would join in on the ass-kicking.”
Ben sighed and looked toward the open door at the lengthening shadows. His expression relaxed slightly. “It’s true, I know. I tell myself to stay away from her, but she looks at me and speaks to me. She touches me. I forget everything, Cal. Everything. She is hot molasses in my blood.” He swung his gaze back to him. “Did it feel like that for you when you were with her?”
Callum shook his head slowly. “She was sweet and pretty, but I wasn’t in love with her. Not even close.” He shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong. I would have taken her if she’d offered, but she was holding out for marriage. She got what she was hankering for.” He shoved away from the stable wall to stand on both feet. “She’s another man’s wife, Ben. That should be the end of this discussion. I don’t give a good goddamn if she feels like hot satin around your dick or if she screams and claws at you like a wildcat when she comes – she vowed to be faithful to another man.”
Ben closed his eyes for a few moments and when he opened them again, clarity and conviction shone out of them. “You’re right, of course. It must end.”
Callum stepped over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “It will be better for her, too. If Eller thinks she’s messing with another man, he’ll make her even more miserable than she is already. Be the bigger person and walk away from this, Ben.”
Ben nodded, jerkily. “It will be done.” He went to his handsome black pony and swung nimbly up into the saddle, then kicked him into a trot for home. Callum leaned a shoulder against the wall, his attention fixed on Ben’s departing figure and his thoughts circling to the trouble that could be following the lovesick cowboy. He must be out of his head over Lilah to ignore the obvious – that when Eller got wind of it, he’d fly into a murderous rage. To Eller, his wife bedding down with another man was intolerable, but if that other man was an Indian? He’d be reaching for his gun or a hanging noose.
The faintest scrape of a shoe and rustle of clothing pricked at his senses and Callum looked over his shoulder toward the back of the stables. That’s when he caught the scent of apple blossoms and lavender.
“You fixing to bed down out here tonight, Banner?” He heard her soft gasp. Pivoting around, he watched her emerge from the shadows. She held two bottles with rubber teats stuck in them and she set them on top of a barrel as she passed by it. Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment.
“I asked Mary if I could feed the orphan calves this evening before I headed for home.” She shrugged. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I didn’t know if I should show myself when I realized what you two were talking about.”
“It’s getting late. You’d best be getting home.”
She tipped her head to one side. “Do you believe him? Do you think he’ll end his affair with her?”
He started to tell her to mind her own business, but her genuine concern changed his mind. “I believe him. He’s smart. He knows right from dead wrong.”
“But if he’s in love . . ?”
“Love makes a difference?” he asked, dubiously. “First of all, I don’t think he’s in love. I think he wants to be her hero. Ben’s always gone after gals who are downtrodden or needed help of some kind. Second, it doesn’t matter. Love her or not, he’ll get himself killed if he doesn’t quit her.”
She sighed and moved closer, kicking at the straw and encouraging dust motes to dance in the orange-tinted air. “You’re not a teeny bit jealous?”
He felt his eyebrows rise at her question. “Do I look or sound
Ben sighed and looked toward the open door at the lengthening shadows. His expression relaxed slightly. “It’s true, I know. I tell myself to stay away from her, but she looks at me and speaks to me. She touches me. I forget everything, Cal. Everything. She is hot molasses in my blood.” He swung his gaze back to him. “Did it feel like that for you when you were with her?”
Callum shook his head slowly. “She was sweet and pretty, but I wasn’t in love with her. Not even close.” He shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong. I would have taken her if she’d offered, but she was holding out for marriage. She got what she was hankering for.” He shoved away from the stable wall to stand on both feet. “She’s another man’s wife, Ben. That should be the end of this discussion. I don’t give a good goddamn if she feels like hot satin around your dick or if she screams and claws at you like a wildcat when she comes – she vowed to be faithful to another man.”
Ben closed his eyes for a few moments and when he opened them again, clarity and conviction shone out of them. “You’re right, of course. It must end.”
Callum stepped over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “It will be better for her, too. If Eller thinks she’s messing with another man, he’ll make her even more miserable than she is already. Be the bigger person and walk away from this, Ben.”
Ben nodded, jerkily. “It will be done.” He went to his handsome black pony and swung nimbly up into the saddle, then kicked him into a trot for home. Callum leaned a shoulder against the wall, his attention fixed on Ben’s departing figure and his thoughts circling to the trouble that could be following the lovesick cowboy. He must be out of his head over Lilah to ignore the obvious – that when Eller got wind of it, he’d fly into a murderous rage. To Eller, his wife bedding down with another man was intolerable, but if that other man was an Indian? He’d be reaching for his gun or a hanging noose.
The faintest scrape of a shoe and rustle of clothing pricked at his senses and Callum looked over his shoulder toward the back of the stables. That’s when he caught the scent of apple blossoms and lavender.
“You fixing to bed down out here tonight, Banner?” He heard her soft gasp. Pivoting around, he watched her emerge from the shadows. She held two bottles with rubber teats stuck in them and she set them on top of a barrel as she passed by it. Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment.
“I asked Mary if I could feed the orphan calves this evening before I headed for home.” She shrugged. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I didn’t know if I should show myself when I realized what you two were talking about.”
“It’s getting late. You’d best be getting home.”
She tipped her head to one side. “Do you believe him? Do you think he’ll end his affair with her?”
He started to tell her to mind her own business, but her genuine concern changed his mind. “I believe him. He’s smart. He knows right from dead wrong.”
“But if he’s in love . . ?”
“Love makes a difference?” he asked, dubiously. “First of all, I don’t think he’s in love. I think he wants to be her hero. Ben’s always gone after gals who are downtrodden or needed help of some kind. Second, it doesn’t matter. Love her or not, he’ll get himself killed if he doesn’t quit her.”
She sighed and moved closer, kicking at the straw and encouraging dust motes to dance in the orange-tinted air. “You’re not a teeny bit jealous?”
He felt his eyebrows rise at her question. “Do I look or sound
Similar Books
