“Will isn’t feeling too well just yet. His throat is worse, and I’m thinking about running into town to pick up some medicine from the doctor once I clean up from breakfast. Mac said he would do the noon meal for me.”
He frowned and tucked an errant curl behind her ear. “Who’s going with you? I don’t want you traveling by yourself.”
“Lefty has some business in town, and said he would drive the wagon for me. Big Bob asked me to pick up a few things for Mrs. Richardson at the mercantile while I’m there.”
“I don’t know that I like the idea of my woman going off to town with another man.” His smile didn’t quite make it.
“Oh, don’t be silly. Lefty is old enough to be my grandfather.”
He had to shake off this distrust of women. She was right, Lefty was old enough to be her grandfather, with a withered, lined face and several missing teeth.
His smile a bit more natural now, he said, “That sounds like a good idea. But save some time for me tonight.” Since the last cowboy had left the room, he touched her gently on her cheek before heading out to his day’s work.
He and Rachel felt so right. Amelia was crazy about her, and Will looked up to him as a son would. One day they would have children of their own, live in the large ranch house, and grow old together. For the first time since Beatrice’s betrayal, he felt confident about a woman.
The rest of the morning passed with Rusty whistling so much, one of the cowboys said if he didn’t stop he would pull out his gun and shoot him. He grinned in the man’s direction and tugged on the brim of his hat. It was hard to hide happiness.
Once he finished his noon meal, he checked on Will, who was fast asleep, cool to his touch. Amelia was busy helping Mac clean up, and with the men finishing up the chores for the day, Rusty decided to ride into town. Maybe catch Rachel and tell her the good news of Will’s fever having broken and talk her into dinner at the hotel.
He quickly washed up, changed his clothes and headed into town.
The hot summer sun had taken its toll on him by the time he arrived in front of the livery. He swung down from his horse and rubbed him with a cloth, leaving him with a bag of oats and a couple of coins to the stable boy. Then he headed to the mercantile to buy a bottle of pop from Mrs. Wells, taking a few minutes to drink it down and wipe the sweat from his face.
He leaned against the side of the building, his knee bent, one booted foot against the wall. He surveyed the area, trying to decide where to search for Rachel first. Mrs. Wells had told him Rachel had been in earlier and mentioned heading to the Café for a cup of tea.
Just as he pushed himself away from the wall, Rachel exited the Café across the street. He had to look twice to make sure it was her because she and another man strolled from the door toward the hotel, their arms wrapped around each other’s waists. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world, and had eyes for no one else except each other. She looked up at the man and broke into laughter at something he said. Even from where he stood, he could see the relaxed attitude of her and the man. They were close. Very close.
Rusty’s mouth dried up and he felt as though someone had kicked him in the gut. Another unscrupulous woman. He’d been right. No woman could be trusted. That had been a nice little act she’d pulled—the solid, dependable, caring mother. A virtuous woman who shied away from relationships with men because of her son.
Damnation! He’d been fooled again. Would he never learn? How many times did he have to be kicked in the teeth before the lesson sunk in?
Rage started in his belly and raced to set his heart pumping. Well, this was one time he wouldn’t walk away. He would confront Rachel and her lover and let her know she didn’t fool him one bit.
He strode to the hotel, flinging the front door open so hard it bounced against the wall, startling two older men reading a newspaper in the lobby. Rusty ate up the distance to the front desk. “Where did the woman who just entered here go?”
Maybe he was mistaken, and they had entered the hotel dining room, and this was all an innocent encounter.
The desk clerk frowned. “You mean Mrs. Stevens?”
“Yes.”
He nodded toward the staircase. “She went up to Mr. Henderson’s room with him.”
“Is that right? What room is Mr. Henderson in?”
“Two-oh six.”
Rusty nodded and took the stairs two at a time. Marching down the narrow hallway, he found ‘two-oh-six’ and banged on the door with his fist.
The man he’d seen Rachel with opened the door, a welcoming smile on his face. Rachel stood not too far behind him, her brows raised in question.
Before he could think of anything to say, Rusty pulled his arm back and slammed his fist into the man’s mouth.
Chapter Ten
“Rusty!” Rachel shouted and raced to the man who sat on the floor, his hand covering his jaw. “What are you doing?”
She bent down on one knee and turned to glare at Rusty, while he flexed his fingers. Damn, the man had a hard jaw.