Angel

Chapter 40

Cassie got a few hours’ sleep on the way home, sitting in front of Angel on the saddle and using his chest for a pillow. He made the ride nice and slow so she could, but not before he offered a confession in a low-voiced grumble. “I’m damned if I want to take you home.” They were both remembering that kiss and crushing hug he’d given her in that relic of a cabin. “If your mother weren’t waiting…” He didn’t finish, and Cassie didn’t answer. But she was smiling as she went to sleep— and more determined than ever to keep her Angel.

The sun was just up when they rode into the yard of the Lazy S. Catherine was on the porch to greet them. She hadn’t gotten any sleep last night herself.

After a backbreaking hug, Cassie forestalled any interrogations with a quick “I’ll talk to you later, Mama. I have to settle something with Angel first.” And she turned to him to add, “I’ll be right back, so don’t go away.”

They both stared after her as she ran into the house. Catherine finally looked at Angel, who hadn’t come more than halfway up the porch steps — to keep his distance from her.

“Did you kill them?” she asked.

“Not with her there.”

“I would have.”

He didn’t doubt it. “Cassie tends to get upset at the thought of me killing folks. She does crazy things to prevent it. Even wanted to challenge Rafferty Slater herself, so I wouldn’t.”

Catherine digested that slowly and with a good deal of dread, though her expression didn’t change. She wasn’t about to mention to him that it sounded like her daughter didn’t want him hurt, at any cost.

She raised a brow. “What’d she do with the Slater who’s still alive?”

“Started bitching at me instead of thanking me for getting her out of there.”

“Then let me thank you—”

“None’s needed.”

She hadn’t thought so. “Do you know what she means to settle with you?”

“No.”

Catherine was afraid she did, but she wasn’t going to warn him. A gunfighter for a son-in-law. She supposed worse things could happen.

With a resigned sigh, she said, “I’ll send someone to the sheriff to take care of those men. Tell Cassie you did the explaining for her. I’m going to bed.”

Angel frowned before the door had closed behind her. She was leaving him alone with her daughter? The same woman who’d wanted him as far as he could possibly get from Cassie?

When Cassie stepped back out onto the porch, it was to find Angel with one arm around Marabelle’s neck and the other hand scratching at her ears. “When did that happen?” she asked incredulously.

“What?”

“You and Marabelle getting along.”

“Why shouldn’t we?” he said in all innocence. “She’s just a big ol‘ pussycat.”

Cassie snorted to tell him how much she was accepting that. He just grinned up at her— until he noticed that she was now wearing her gun. His frown came quick and furious.

“Just where do you think you’re going with that?” he demanded.

“Nowhere.”

“Then what’d you put it on for?”

“Because I’m challenging you to the draw, Angel.”

“That’s what you think.”

“You want that divorce, don’t you?”

His frown got darker. “What the hell’s the one got to do with the other?”

“If you win, I’ll go straight to the lawyer’s office and get the divorce started.”

“And if you win?”

“There won’t be any divorce.”

Angel went very still, his eyes riveted to hers. “Why would you take that chance?”

“It seems to be the only chance I’ve got — to keep you.”

“You want to stay married?”

His amazement made her hold back a decisive answer. She said instead, “I’ve kind of gotten used to it.”

“All right, we’ll draw,” he said, stepping slowly up onto the porch to pace off with her. “But there’s no way you can beat me, honey.”

She grinned at that point. “I might just surprise you, Angel.”

A few seconds later he was surprised. She was damn near as fast as he was. But she was more surprised because today he’d been slow, so slow a child could have drawn faster. He’d let her win. When it occurred to her why, she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck.

“You lost!” she cried happily.

“That’s what you think,” he replied before his mouth found hers and rendered her breathless.

It was a long time later when she said, “I don’t understand. Didn’t you want the divorce?”

“Honey, why do you think I didn’t stop the MacKauleys from marrying us?”

“But you couldn’t stop them.”

“Couldn’t I?”

Her eyes widened. She’d seen him turn and draw within the blink of an eye. He could have prevented Richard from taking his gun that day. And he’d been close enough to Frazer on the way to the house that he could easily have disarmed him and put an end to it there.

“Then why were you so mad at me that day?” she wanted to know.

“Because you all but begged them not to do it,” he replied.

“But that was because I was scared to death you were going to kill them all if they did.”

“Was that your only reason?”

“Actually — yes,” she said with a slight blush. “I didn’t half mind marrying you myself. Of course, I was worried about what my mama would say about it.”

“Are you still?”

“Not really. You wouldn’t believe it, but she’s really been a lot more mellow since she and my papa started talking again.”

“No, I wouldn’t believe it.”

Cassie laughed. “Did I tell you he’s coming for a visit, my papa? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they actually get back together soon.”

“Are we back together, Cassie?”

“I expect you to collect your things and move in here today.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

“Why? You already know the house intimately. It really is an exact copy of my papa’s.”

She was deliberately missing his point — her mother’s guaranteed objection. He let her for the moment. “Did you ever find out why he did that?”

“Not exactly. I would imagine it was to keep the memories fresh.”

“That, and because he still loves me,” Catherine said from the other side of the window they were standing near.

Cassie and Angel turned toward her, only to see her abandon her eavesdropping post and walk away. They both burst out laughing.

“She said she was going to bed,” Angel told her.

“Before she found out just what was going on? Not my mama.”

“Then she’s gone to get her gun?”

Cassie grinned up at him. “That’s not something you’ll have to worry about anymore. If you didn’t notice, she just gave us her blessing by not saying anything.”

“I didn’t notice.”

“You’ll figure her out eventually. You’ll have lots of time to try.”

He pulled her closer. “You can’t imagine how nice that sounds to me.”

“So tell me.”

She was putting him on the spot. Words like he wanted to say to her didn’t come easily.

“I don’t know how you came to mean so much to me, Cassie, but you do. Hell and I couldn’t get through a day without thinking about you, and wishing you were mine.”

“Angel, are you telling me you love me?”

“I guess I am. But you aren’t going to turn me into a cattleman.”

She was laughing and kissing his face. “I wouldn’t try.” But her meddling instincts made her add, “The next sheriff of Cheyenne, maybe…”