Kiss of Death----3
Chris had helped Manual with both horses and was impressed with the man's skills. After brushing Pony down he'd turned both animals over to the Mexican and walked back towards the front of the house. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but something about the woman's voice sent chills down his spine. Her explanation of why she ended up back in Midfield seemed lame and he knew he would send inquiries to St. Louis and find out what had happened to Robert Stratton. He heard Buck's voice, and recognized the hope in his softly spoken words as Angela Tate, or whatever her name was now, pleaded for him to give her a chance.
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"Just say you'll stay with me and let me show you…give us a chance at the happiness we deserve."
"I'll stay for a while…see what tomorrow brings," Wilmington said and again found his lips on hers as if to release her now would be the worst thing he'd ever done in his life.
"God, Buck, I love you so much…"
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Chris shivered as he heard her words and remembered the chill he'd felt when he first met Angela. The woman seemed like a cold fish to him, but it was not for him to dictate how Buck Wilmington lived his life. He thought about Ella Gaines and the heated words he'd had with Vin Tanner and knew that his role was now that of the Texan. He'd have to wait and watch, but no matter what he'd make damn sure Wilmington would not be hurt. Taking a deep breath, Chris walked quickly around the corner and tried not to look sheepish as he caught the two locked in a passionate embrace.
"Excuse me…didn't mean to interrupt…"
"Ah, hell, Chris," Wilmington said as he pulled away from the woman.
"I'm sorry, Chris. I didn't mean to monopolize Buck, but it's been so long and I can't seem to tear myself away from him."
"I can see that," Larabee said softly and dusted off his jeans.
"Oh my, where are my manners? You must be starving and I can imagine how thirsty you must be. Come into the house and I'll see if Carmon has dinner ready. She's a wonderful chef and was preparing roast beef with stew and some kind of specialty herb mixture she uses."
"Well, Chris, we seem to have a choice tonight. What'll it be, beans or beef?" Wilmington asked with a grin.
"Let me see…think I'll take the beef if that's all right with you and Angela," Larabee said and smiled at the slight coloring of his long time friend's cheeks.
"I would be honored, Chris," Angela said and stepped into the house. The long hallway was wide enough for the trio to walk side by side and Angela linked her arms though each of her guest's arms as they walked towards the back of the house.
Chris cringed inwardly at her touch, and glanced towards Wilmington who seemed enthralled by the attention she lavished on him. Chris knew Buck was a good judge of character and normally he would not interfere, but the gentle rogue seemed to be under her spell as they made it to the dining room. He watched as Angela gestured for Buck to sit on her right and for him to sit on the left. Buck, his usual manners coming to the front pulled back her chair and waited for her to sit down before taking his own seat.
"You really have a wonderful home here, Angela."
"Thank you, Buck, it suits me," the redhead said and smiled sweetly at the man she wanted.
"Yes, it certainly does." Wilmington said of the lavishly decorated dining room with the flowered wallpaper and highly polished furnishings. He looked up as a rotund woman entered the room and looked towards the woman of the house.
"Si, Carmon, you may serve dinner now." Angela smiled as the older woman nodded and hurried from the room. "Carmon is unable to speak, but she understands simple commands and gestures. She was born that way and chose to learn the skills of a chef. Her meals are simple, but oh, you can not imagine how they taste until you've had the pleasure of partaking of her culinary arts."
"I'm sure it'll be great," Wilmington said and smiled as she reached across the table and placed her hand on his. She turned her attention to the second man and smiled sweetly as she spoke.
"Chris, I had heard somewhere that you were married. How is your wife? Did she mind you coming here with Buck?"
"My wife's dead, Angela," Larabee stated and tried to hide the sorrow the words conjured up.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such bad memories."
Chris had the sense that she wasn't sorry at all and that her eyes seemed to glow with the news, but she quickly hid her emotions and reached for the bottle of wine. She offered it to him and he shook his head as she turned back to Wilmington. He knew Buck was feeling bad about her bringing up Sarah and Adam and Chris tried to assure his friend that he was okay.
"Ah, here's dinner," Angela said as Carmon pushed a trolley into the room.
Chris ate the meal in near silence as Angela and Buck talked about the past and her plans for the future. He knew Buck would have a hard time making his decision, but the gunfighter also understood the ladies' man was truly in love with the woman seated at the head of the table. Feeling as if he was intruding on the intimate meal, Chris finished his dessert and accepted a cup of coffee before standing up.
"I think I'll take this outside," Larabee said and turned towards the woman. "Thank you for dinner, Angela."
"You're welcome, Chris. When you're ready to turn in Carmon will show you to your room."
"I can sleep in the bunkhouse…"
"Nonsense. I won't hear of it. You're as much a guest here as Buck is and I won't hear of you sleeping with the hired hands when there's a perfectly good bed in the guestroom. I'll have Carmon turn down the blankets and make sure the room is ready when you are."
"Thank you," Larabee said and quickly retreated from the room.
"He's still as close mouthed about himself as he always was," Angela observed softly.
"He's been through more hell than any man deserves and then some, Angela. Chris ain't never been one to talk about himself much and it's best if you just let him come to you if and when he's ready."
"How did his wife die?" Angela asked.
"Murdered…burned to death while me and Chris were in Mexico selling horses. Came home to nothing but a shell and lost himself in a bottle for a long time after, but he's made it past all that."
"Did he find out who did it?"
"Not sure…seems to be two different stories on that, but somehow I think Ella Gaines told the truth more so than Cletus Fowler."
"Who is Ella Gaines?"
"A woman Chris met a long time ago. She was very possessive of him and had his wife and son killed so she could have him. The bitch came after him again about a year ago and that's when he found out about what she'd done!"
"I hope she's in jail…or did she hang?"
"No, she escaped after Chris was shot and seems to have disappeared."
"I'm so sorry. It sounds like he's been through hell."
"And then some," Wilmington finished and looked out the window as Larabee's dark shadow passed the room they were in.
"I am sorry, Buck, but I want to talk about us."
"What about us?" Wilmington asked as she pulled her chair closer to his.
"I want…I need you to know how much I love you…have always loved you."
"I wish…" Her hand covered his mouth, as she looked deep into his soft blue eyes.
"Don't tell me what you wish right now, Buck, just give me a chance to prove what I say to you. Will you do that for me?"
"I don't know, Angela. A lot of time's gone by."
"I know, but believe me, Buck, I know right down to the minute. I'm not some nervous virgin who's excited about taking the man she loves to her bed. I love you more than ever and I want to feel your arms around me. I want…"
"Sh, Angela, I want the same thing, but you have to think about your reputation."
"None of my hands will talk, Buck, and Carmon is loyal to me. So the only one we need worry about is Chris."
"Chris ain't one to talk about my business," Wilmington assured her.
"Then come to bed with me…love me tonight and we'll take the future as it comes."
"If that's what you really want," the ladies' man said.
"It is…it's something I've wanted for longer than I can remember." The two would-be lovers stood and walked out of the dining room together. She held tightly to him as they enter her bedroom and closed the door behind them. "Oh, Buck, I've waited for this for so long."
"So have I," Wilmington soothed as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the four-poster bed. The soft feather mattress sagged under their combined weight as the rogue gently placed her on the bed and his hands ran down the length of her frame.
'Buck…please…I need you so much!"
"I need you too, Darlin', believe me…"
"Oh, I do," she said as she felt his body shift slightly. She pulled his head down to hers and deepened the kiss she'd started earlier. Tonight she would make him love her and tomorrow he would be hers forever.
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Chris sipped at the hot coffee as he stood looking out over the darkened landscape. He knew where Buck was spending the night and couldn't help feeling guilty at his thoughts. Something was definitely wrong with Angela Tate's story and Chris knew what he had to do. Come daybreak he'd ride into town and send a telegram to St. Louis. Hopefully he'd get the answers, whether good or bad, within a day or so. Taking a long draw on the Cheroot, the gunfighter remembered his own reactions when Vin Tanner had found out about Ella Gaines duplicity. Chris had been angry with the Texan for digging into his business, but Larabee owed the tracker far more than he could ever repay.
Taking a deep breath, Chris walked slowly along the outside of the house. He heard the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking from an open window and hurried past. The sounds of the night filled the air and the far off cry of a coyote added to the slight chill that crept through him. No matter what happened Buck would be hurt, but there were two kinds of hurt. Chris would make damn sure if Angela Tate was even slightly like Ella Gaines she would not have the chance to harm one hair on Wilmington's head. He finished the Cheroot as he made it back to the front of the house and stamped it out before entering through the front door. He smiled as Carmon came out of the kitchen and gestured for him to follow her.
His bedroom was at the back of the house and he entered the bedroom to see the blankets folded back. A basin of hot water sat on the small table near the bed and a clean towel and face cloth hung over the back of a chair.
"Thank you," Larabee said and smiled as the older woman left the room. He quickly washed the trail dust from his face and hands before easing the boots and clothes from his body. The water was gritty with dirt and he knew there would be no point in washing the rest of his body.
'Maybe they have a bath house in town,' he thought as he sank back onto the bed. He hadn't meant to sleep, but the softness of the bed and the warmth of the blankets soon had him slipping towards sleep. The dreams that came bordered on nightmares as Ella Gaines' face floated in front of him, taunting him with plans for the future that included becoming Mrs. Christopher Larabee.
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Buck awoke to the pleasant sensation of a warm body spooned up against him. The intoxicating scent of roses brought back the memories of earlier times and the wondrous night of lovemaking he'd shared with Angela Tate. She was as bold as he was in bed and they'd found many ways to pleasure each other through the early hours of the morning. Dawn was beginning to creep into the sky when they finally lay sated in each other's arms. He felt her soft breath against his arm and smiled as he pulled her tight. He nuzzled the thick locks of vibrant red hair and luxuriated in the velvety softness of her body. His left hand traveled down her shoulder and along her stomach, stopping at her navel where he continued to lavish his attention on her.
"Buck, if you continue in this manner we'll never leave this bed again."
"If that's meant to stop me, Darlin', it ain't gonna happen."
"I would like nothing more than to stay here in your arms, but this is a working ranch and since I own it I have to…"
"Don't you have a foreman?"
"I do, but he takes orders from me. Besides, I think I smell fresh coffee and bacon."
"I smell only roses…"
"Buck, aren't you hungry?"
"Oh yeah!" The rogue said nibbling at the nape of her neck. He felt her push back against him and chuckled softly as she continued to berate him.
"Buck, you're insatiable."
"Hmm…"
"Oh, God," Angela said and turned towards the ladies' man. She soon found herself lost in the touch of his hands and the brush of his lips against her skin.
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Chris woke before dawn and stretched his lean frame under the blankets. The fatigue of days of travel and subsequent nightmares left him feeling worse than the night before; yet he knew he would not be getting any more sleep. Sitting up and sliding his legs over the edge, Chris rubbed at tired eyes and reached for his pants. He dressed quickly and silently walked out of the bedroom. No one else was up yet as he made his way towards the front door. Once outside he lit a cheroot and sat on the top step of the porch and sighed contentedly. He loved the night and took solace in the quiet that was missing during the hubbub that made up the daylight hours.
He looked towards the house as the sound of movement from within caught his attention. If it were Wilmington he'd join Chris, but if it was anyone else he didn't really want the company of strangers. By the time he finished his cheroot much of the stiffness had left his body and he stood up once more. The door behind him opened and he turned to see Carmon standing there with a cup of coffee in her hands. Accepting the cup he smiled and thanked the woman before settling back on the step once more.
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Buck reluctantly released the woman, fell back against the pillows and groaned as she slid out of the bed. He knew this woman, had explored every contour of her body throughout the night and knew how it felt to be well and truly loved. Her fingers danced along his bare chest, causing him to groan once more as she tweaked the hairs on his chest.
"Damn, Woman," he said and sighed, as she stood naked before him.
"I take it you enjoyed yourself?"
"You could say that," Wilmington told her.
"Buck, you and I are meant to be together."
"After last night I think you're probably right, but why don't we take things slow and make sure this is what we both want."
"I already know, Buck. Can't you see that? Do you think I'm some kind of wanton woman who would take any man to her bed and make love so easily."
"No, Darlin', I don't think that way at all. It's just that you have so much going for you and I have nothing. People would think I'm marrying you for your money."
"Does that really matter, Buck? I mean you and I know how we feel. Why let others dictate our actions. I know we'll be happy and God knows what the lovemaking will be like after last night."
"I know, Angela, and I want to marry…"
"Are you proposing to me, Buck?"
"I…I am, but I don't want your answer right away. I want you to think about what it would mean to you. I mean the ranch would still be yours, but most people will come to think of me as the one running it…"
"And you will be as any good husband should."
"That's easy to say right now, but when that day comes how will you feel. I don't want you resenting ever marrying me. I don't want our love ruined because someone asked me a question about the ranch instead of coming to you."
"I love you, Buck Wilmington and I want to marry you and have children with you…"
"Children," the gentle rogue whispered longingly.
"You do want children don't you?"
"Y…yeah, I do."
"Well, so do I and we're both not getting any younger."
"Maybe not, but you are even more beautiful today than you were when I first met you."
"Thank you, now why don't we get some breakfast and see to running our ranch?"
"Sounds good, bet Chris is already looking at those horses you told me about."
"Does he still like to break them?"
"Yeah, think he always will," Wilmington said and reached for the clothes she handed him. They dressed in silence and he pulled her to him once more. "I could get used to this."
"So could I," Angela said as they exited the room together. They made their way to the kitchen and found Chris seated at the small table set against the window. "Good morning, Chris."
"Morning, Angela…Buck," Larabee said with a grin.
"Hey, Chris, you been up long?"
"Long enough," Larabee teased and saw the smile form on his long time friend's face as he sat next to him on the bench.
"Buck, would you like some coffee?"
"Yes, please, Angela," the rogue said and met his friend's gaze. He could see the teasing light in the gunfighter's green eyes and knew they'd be talking about his plans before long. He'd been by Chris' side when he married Sarah Connelly and now that role would be reversed.
"I just need to speak with Manual and I'll be right back," Angela said, pouring strong black coffee into a cup and placing it in front of the ladies' man. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek, smiled at Larabee and hurried out of the room.
"Chris?"
"Yes, Buck?"
"Is this how you felt with Sarah…ah hell, Pard I'm sorry. It's just, well, I can't seem to think straight. She's something…"
"That she is," Larabee said of the cold-eyed woman who seemed to have Wilmington wrapped around her finger. There was no way he could stand by and see his friend hurt, but until he had evidence Buck would not believe him.
"I'm thinking about settling down for good, Chris. Angela wants a family and so do I, but neither one of us is that young anymore."
"Feeling your age, Buck?"
"Now more than ever. I see Vin and JD and I think about what we were like at that age."
"Hell, yeah, I feel it more and more…"
"I think we all do at some point in time, just don't make a mistake…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Wilmington asked, frowning as he met Larabee's cool gaze.
"Just don't make a snap decision until you're sure you're ready."
"Chris, you sound like you don't trust her."
"I wouldn't go that far, Buck, I just want you to think before you jump in with both feet," Larabee explained.
"That's real good coming from you…Angela ain't Ella, Chris…"
"Never said she was!" Larabee stated angrily and placed his empty cup on the table.
"Well it sure sounds like…"
"Is something wrong?" the red haired woman asked as she re-entered the room.
"No, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all," Wilmington snapped as the blond stood up to leave.
Without a word Chris stood and nodded to his friend before leaving the room. Angela moved to sit beside the mustached man and frowned at the anger written across his face. Something had happened between the two men and she knew it had to do with her. She sensed that Larabee disliked her and it she could find a way to use it to turn Wilmington away from that friendship. He didn't need reminders of his past and they didn't need Larabee's interference. The gunfighter had unwittingly just given her the means to drive a wedge between them.
"Chris doesn't like me very much does he?"
"Doesn't matter what Chris thinks, Angela, only matters what I think right now and all I can think about is you."
"But you and Chris have been friends for a long time, Buck. I don't want to come between you. Friends are important."
"Yeah, they are, but they also need to realize a man's gotta make his own choices."
"I didn't mean to be pushy this morning."
"You weren't, believe me, Darlin', when it comes to being pushy I wrote the book," Wilmington assured her and reached for his coffee. He knew he'd hurt Larabee with his comment about Ella Gaines and he'd apologize for it when Larabee came back inside, but for now his attention was on the woman beside him.
"Maybe you should talk to him."
"I will…later," Wilmington said and drew her into a passionate embrace.
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Chris knew his long time friend had spoken without thinking, lashing out in much the same way Chris had done with Vin Tanner. Striding around the corner of the house he made his way towards the barn and hurried inside. Pony whinnied as he entered and Chris smiled as he patted the animal's neck.
"You up for a ride, Boy?" he asked, reaching for the saddle blanket hanging on the partition between the stalls. It didn't take long to make sure the saddle was properly in place and lead Pony out of the barn. He turned towards the house as Wilmington came towards him.
"Chris, where are you going?"
"Thought I'd take a ride into Midfield, see if they have a place to get a bath."
"Want some company?" the ladies man asked as Angela Tate joined them.
"No, thanks anyway. I'm sure you guys have things to talk about. I'll be back by supper time if that's okay?"
"That'll be fine," Angela said, anxious to have the dark haired man to herself for the day.
"Is there anything you need in town, Angela?" Larabee asked courteously.
"I don't think so, Chris, but thanks for offering."
"You're welcome," Larabee said as he climbed into the saddle.
"Chris," Wilmington said as he grabbed the reins and stopped the gunfighter from leaving. Their eyes locked and Buck swallowed painfully before speaking. "I didn't mean…"
"I know that, Buck," Larabee assured him, smiling as he turned the horse away and rode out of the yard unaware of the cold eyes that stared after him. The landscape quickly changed as he rode away from the ranch and he found the tension easing from tired muscles. Chris didn't mind company, but he'd always enjoyed the solitude of riding alone across unfamiliar territory. He let Pony set the pace and relaxed as the sun made its journey across an azure blue sky as puffy white clouds slowly trekked across the horizon. In the distance he spotted a herd of wild mustang and smiled at the grace and beauty as they moved unerringly towards the mountains. Sighing contentedly he wondered if he was wrong about Angela Tate and was jealous of his friend's newfound happiness. He hoped she was everything Buck remembered, but there was no way he could sit back and relax until he knew her story was true.
'There's only one way to know for sure,' he thought, gripping the reins tightly as he continued towards Midfield and the answers he needed.
TBC