His voice was low, seductive. “It isn’t Carmelita I want to spend time with.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. He could read the jumble of emotions in their depths. Shock, at his unexpected admission. Pleasure, that she could evoke such feelings in him. And slowly, gradually, invitation.
“And why would you want to spend time with me?”
She was teasing him. Flirting. It was the first time in her life she’d ever done this. And the realization made her blush furiously.
Mortified, she lowered her gaze, allowing her lashes to sweep down, hoping to hide what she knew he would see in her eyes.
With great tenderness he lifted her chin and forced her to meet his gaze.
“Because you fascinate me, Diamond. You’re unlike any woman I’ve ever met.”
She was certain he could hear the pounding of her heart. “I’d... better get at Pa’s ledgers.”
Very carefully he lowered his hand to his side, where he clenched it into a fist. He had to remember to stop touching her. It always made him... uncomfortable.
He crossed to the front door and stood watching until the banker’s rig disappeared over a distant ridge. Already the storm clouds were gathering overhead. Chester Pierce would be drenched before he made it back to town.
Adam turned to stare at the closed door to Onyx Jewel’s office. He frowned as he thought about what he’d like to do behind that closed door.
Still frowning, he made his way down the hall toward the kitchen in the back of the house, where female voices could be heard in animated conversation. He hoped Cal McCabe and the wranglers returned soon. He needed to put some distance between himself and Diamond Jewel.
Chapter Twelve
“Supper is ready.”
Diamond looked up at the familiar sound of Carmelita’s voice outside the door. She was grateful to close the ledgers and stash them in her father’s desk drawer.
She made her way to the kitchen. When she caught Adam’s glance, she immediately looked away. But she could feel the heat of his gaze, even though she adamantly kept her own averted.
“We missed you,” Pearl admonished her as they took their places around the table.
“I have to get the ledgers ready for Uncle Chet at the bank.”
“Uncle Chet?” Jade looked puzzled. “Father never mentioned a brother.”
“He isn’t really my uncle. But I’ve known Chester Pierce since I was a baby. I’ve always called him my uncle.”
“I see. And why must you prepare ledgers for him?” Jade accepted a tray of thinly sliced roast beef and pork swimming in rich gravy. She took a small portion, then passed the tray to Adam.
“Because he has to know how much money I’ll need this month to pay my wranglers.”
“Is it not the same amount every month?”
“It’s always different. Cal often takes on extra help when the work begins to pile up. Every spring, during calving, we hire extra wranglers. And every fall, for roundup and branding, we add even more. And when we start the drive to the stockyards in Abilene, we need to leave extra help here to see to the ranch chores.” Diamond rubbed at her temple. “I just never thought doing sums would be so tiring.”
“Maybe I could help,” Pearl offered. “I was considered something of an expert at mathematics while I was a student.”
“You mean it?” Diamond couldn’t hide her surprise and her pleasure. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“I’d be happy to. It would be my way of thanking you for your hospitality.”
Diamond looked relieved as she helped herself to corn bread fresh from the oven. “Then, as long as you’re willing, we’ll tackle those ledgers first thing in the morning.” She glanced at Jade. “And then, Jade, if you’d like, we’ll go on a tour of the ranch before you leave.”
The young woman’s lips split into a wide smile. “Thank you. I would like that.”
“Just so long as you take Cal and several of the wranglers along,” Adam warned.
Diamond shot him a quelling look. “Thank you for that reminder. I wouldn’t want to go out without my wet nurse.”
Adam grinned and chose to ignore her sarcasm. As he bit into the beef he looked up and asked unexpectedly, “Carmelita, are you married?”
The housekeeper blinked, then nodded. “Sí. His name is Rosario.”
“Rosario is the luckiest man in the world,” he muttered. “This is the tenderest, tastiest beef I’ve ever had.”
She actually giggled before pressing the platter into his hand for another helping.
Across the table, Diamond practically groaned in disgust. Couldn’t Carmelita see that he was using his charm?
Adam turned his smile on Jade. “You’re a long way from home, Miss Jewel. Tell us about your life in San Francisco.”
This brought a smile from the young woman. “My mother and I made our home in a suite of lovely rooms looking out over the city. From my bedroom I could see the ocean, and the ships like the one that had brought my mother to this country from China.”
“Did you go to school?” Diamond asked.
“I did not attend school, but my mother saw to it that tutors were brought to me, to teach me everything from science to embroidery.”
“Did you learn your lessons in English or Chinese?” Pearl found herself thoroughly enjoying the meal, since it seemed to have few spices. It was almost as good as the beef her mother used to cook.
“Both. I can converse in several Chinese tongues, as well as English and French. It was considered essential to know the language of many distant lands.”
“Why is that?” Diamond asked.
“Because San Francisco is a busy, exciting port. People come from all over the world. Those who do business there must be prepared for many foreign languages.”
“Did you live right in the city?” Adam asked.
Jade nodded. “Father tried to persuade Mother to permit him to buy us a house in the country, away from the bustle and noise of the city.” She paused and realized that this revelation had caused Diamond’s mouth to drop. She cursed herself for her clumsiness. She must remember to keep mention of her life with her father to a minimum. “But Mother had no interest in the countryside. Her life was intertwined with that of the people of the city.”
“Was your house as big as this?” Diamond helped herself to more beef.
Jade smiled. “We did not live in a house. We lived on the top floor of Mother’s business.”
“Your mother worked?” Pearl sipped her tea, then touched a napkin to her lips. “What was her business?”
“She was the proprietor of the Golden Dragon,” Jade said proudly.
“The Golden Dragon?” Diamond frowned. “Your mother bought and sold gold?”
“No.” Jade’s smile grew. It was clear that she took great pride in her mother’s accomplishments. “The Golden Dragon was the largest pleasure palace in San Francisco. It is where my father met my mother.”
“What’s a pleasure palace?” Diamond asked.
Adam coughed.
But before he could say a word, Jade asked, “You mean there are no such things in Hanging Tree? A pleasure palace is a place where men go to forget the worries of the day.”
“You mean a saloon?” Diamond’s frown turned into a smile. “Your mother owned a saloon?”
“I suppose one could call it a saloon. A man can buy a drink. But he can also buy other pleasures.”
“What kind of pleasures?” Pearl asked.
“Cards or dice. Or perhaps the company of a beautiful woman.”
Pearl’s cheeks went from pink to scarlet. Her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in horror. This woman, who called herself Daddy’s daughter, had a mother who ran a... The thought was too horrible.
Diamond, on the other hand, seemed to take no notice. “That’s nice,” she commented idly. She shoved aside her plate, clearly unaware of what Jade was talking about. “Carmelita, did I smell apple pie?”
The housekeeper had lower
ed herself onto a chair and had buried her face in her apron. At Diamond’s question, she managed to lift her head and compose her features. “Sí. I will cut and serve it right away.”
Across the table, Adam watched the various reactions to Jade’s simple description of a pleasure palace. Diamond, in all her innocence, didn’t have the slightest inkling of what Jade had just revealed. She still thought Jade’s mother had owned a saloon. Pearl on the other hand was scandalized. Her features were still contorted in shock. As for Jade, she merely sipped her tea and kept her gaze averted. Her mother’s business was a fact of life. Nothing more.
It would seem, he thought with a grin, that Onyx Jewel’s family tree had just sprouted a fascinating new limb.
It had been raining for nearly an hour. A cold, stinging rain that chilled clear to the bone. If the temperature dropped, it would turn to snow.
Adam was sipping his fourth cup of coffee and polishing off his second piece of pie, when he heard the sound of approaching horses.
“The wranglers are back,” Carmelita announced.
At the sound of booted feet along the hall, Adam looked up to see Cal standing in the doorway, dripping water from his hat and duster. The foreman snatched his hat from his head. When he spotted Adam, his lips turned down into a frown.
“I didn’t expect to see you still here, Winter.”
Adam offered no word of explanation. He merely drained his cup while the foreman turned to study Jade.
Seeing his puzzled look Diamond hastened to explain. “Cal, this is Jade. She’s... That is, Pa was her...”
Seeing her dilemma, Jade said in her softly accented voice, “I am Jade Jewel, from San Francisco. Onyx Jewel was my father.”
For a moment Cal looked thunderstruck. His eyes mirrored his shock. Then, recovering, he managed a bland smile as he extended his hand. “Welcome, Miss Jade. I’m Cal McCabe, Diamond’s foreman.”
An awkward silence settled over the room.
“Will you have coffee?” Carmelita asked.
“No, thanks. Cookie brought grub to the wranglers in the south pasture, and I joined them.”
“Did you see any sign of our gunman?” Diamond asked.
“None. Maybe he’s gone for good.”
“Afraid not,” came Adam’s low response.
“What does that mean?”
“There was another attack.” Adam was rewarded with a look of stunned surprise from the foreman.
Cal turned to Diamond. “Where?”
“At Pa’s grave.” Before Cal could admonish her she explained, “We took Jade there after she arrived. She came all the way from San Francisco to pay her respects.”
“Was it the same as before?” Cal asked.
Diamond nodded. “The bullet could have been aimed at Adam or at me. It landed between us.”
“And I suppose nobody saw the gunman.” He didn’t try to mask the sarcasm in his tone.
Diamond shook her head.
He met Adam’s steely look with one of his own as he said to Diamond, “It seems odd that the only time you’re shot at is when you’re with Winter.”
“I know it’s strange.” Diamond’s tone was sharper than she’d intended. There was just too much happening. Sisters arriving. Bullets flying. And Adam Winter. Especially Adam. He was causing her to think about things she’d never thought of before.
She was losing control. The one area of her life that she could still control was the ranch and its foreman. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Cal. Right now, I think I’d like to turn in.”
“Right.” His tone was equally abrupt. “Good night.”
He stalked from the room.
Diamond waited until his footsteps receded. Then she turned to Adam. “Good night, Adam.”
He thanked Carmelita for the dinner, then bade good-night to the three young women. At the door he took Diamond’s hand in his. He could feel the way she tried to pull back, but he had anticipated her action. His strength was too much for her.
“A word of advice,” he murmured. “I know you value your freedom, Diamond. But don’t be foolish enough to take any midnight rides. At least until this gunman is found.”
Her eyes blazed, but she managed to say simply, “I’m quite able to make my own decisions. Good night, Adam.”
He turned away in disgust. As soon as the door closed, he headed toward the bunkhouse.
Several of the wranglers were seated on their bunks, mending harnesses. In one corner, a cowboy was whittling on a block of wood. A group of wranglers had gathered around the fireplace, swapping stories. Laughter punctuated the steady hum of voices, and drowned out the sound of the downpour outside.
Adam spotted Cal standing by a window, morosely staring at the rain that streaked the pane.
“I’d like to talk to you, McCabe,” he called.
His words caused the wranglers to fall silent. Cal’s head came up sharply. After a moment he shrugged and pulled on his leather duster before following Adam outside. The cowboys remained silent for a moment longer, then began to talk among themselves again, but in a more subdued manner.
Cal stepped into the rain, pulling the door shut behind him. “What do you want now, Winter?”
“I think you’d be wise to post guards around the ranch,” Adam said without preamble.
“Do you?” Cal’s eyes narrowed. “And what else do you think, Winter?”
“I think you’d better assign a couple of wranglers to keep an eye on Diamond. She’s just headstrong enough to do something foolish, to prove that she’s not afraid of this gunman.”
Cal’s tone quivered with indignation. “Since when did you become an expert on Diamond?”
“What’s wrong with you, Cal? You know I’m right.”
Cal jabbed a hand against Adam’s chest, catching a fistful of his shirt. “I know that I don’t trust you, Winter. And I don’t want your advice. Now go on home. And leave Diamond to me.”
Adam’s voice was surprisingly soft. And chilling. “Don’t ever put a hand on me, Cal. Unless you want to lose it.”
It was all the invitation Cal needed. He could hardly see through the red mist of fury that clouded his eyes. He went for the pistol at his waist, only to find that Adam was already pressing the barrel of his gun to his chest.
“Drop it,” Adam ordered.
Slowly, purposefully, Cal’s fingers uncurled, allowing the pistol to fall to the ground. He lifted his head, prepared to die. Instead, he was surprised to see Adam toss his own gun aside and unfasten his gun belt.
“What’re you doing?” he demanded.
“You’ve been spoiling for a fight ever since you first met me. I’m about to give you your wish. But not with guns,” Adam added. “You’re going to have to fight me like a man, with only your fists.”
Cal’s hand went to the buckle of his gun belt. “With pleasure,” he said. As soon as his gun belt dropped, he lunged at his opponent, landing a solid blow to the side of Adam’s head.
Adam shook his head to clear it, then managed to dodge Cal’s second attempt. Caught off-balance, Cal was unprepared when Adam’s fist landed in his midsection. The foreman doubled over for a moment. Enraged, he attacked with a string of blows about Adam’s head and chest. Though some landed in the air, several found their mark, and Adam was soon gasping for air.
Hearing the sounds of shouting and scuffling, the door to the bunkhouse was thrown open and the wranglers spilled out into the darkness. Seeing that it was a fair fight that didn’t require their intervention, they formed a ring around the two men. Oblivious to the rain, they shouted words of encouragement to their boss.
The opponents were evenly matched. Though Adam was taller by a head, Cal’s years of wrangling had made him hard and tough. He’d never backed away from a fight in his life, and this was one adversary he’d been itching to engage.
“You keep away from Diamond,” Cal shouted as he smashed his fist into Adam’s chin. “I don’t trust you. And I don’t want you coming around here a
gain.”
“Then see that you do your job.” Adam retaliated with a blow to the nose that had Cal swearing. “A wild creature like Diamond needs a keeper. That’s the only way she’s going to stay alive.”
“It’s not Diamond I’m worried about, Winter.” Cal gave a grunt of pain as another blow landed in his gut. He answered with a fist to Adam’s chest that had him gasping. “It’s you. None of this mysterious gunfire started until you came into the picture.”
Adam butted his head into Cal’s chest, driving him backward into the mud. “And I suppose I’m hiring someone to shoot at me? Or maybe I’m doing the shooting myself, and then appearing mysteriously after the fact.”
Cal sprang to his feet and charged at Adam. Both men toppled, and began to roll around and around, fists flying. “All I know is, Diamond doesn’t need you, Winter.”
“It’s time you took a look at her, McCabe.” Adam momentarily lost his voice as a blow landed in his face. Recovering, he shouted, “She may be your boss, but she’s still just a confused, frightened girl.”
“Girl!” Cal’s fist slammed into Adam’s shoulder and he pinned him to the ground. “I’ve seen the way you look at Diamond. That’s no girl you’re seeing. It’s a woman. And if her pa was alive, he’d have your hide. And since Onyx isn’t here to look out for her, I’ll just have to—”
As he raised his fist, a shot rang out, causing both men to freeze.
“All right,” came Cookie’s voice from the doorway of the bunkhouse. “That’s enough. Now, I want both of you to get up off the ground and take two steps backward.”
Neither man moved.
Cookie fired another blast from his rifle, sending mud and water spraying around their heads. Slowly, reluctantly, Cal lowered his fist and scrambled to his feet. When Adam stood, the two men faced each other, their fists clenched, their chests heaving.
“The fun’s over,” Cookie called sharply to the wranglers. “Get back inside now. Go on about your business.”
The men returned to the bunkhouse, grumbling that their night’s entertainment had ended so abruptly.
“Look at you,” Cookie called, stepping forward between Cal and Adam. “Down in the mud fighting like dogs. And for what? Sounded to me like the oldest of all reasons. A female.”