Read Online A Texan's Promise by Shelley Gray - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shelley Gray
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remember." Clayton swallowed hard. About a mile outside a sporting house, he and his band of men had found a young girl, beaten and dying. She'd been abducted, used, and discarded by a gang of soldiers fresh from battle. Her shoulder had hung at a wrong angle.
She'd cried and wept when he'd knelt next to her, hardly aware of his promises that he merely wanted to help. When he'd knelt and reached for her arm, to try and help her sit up, she'd kicked and screamed like she was on fire. He'd held himself still, almost welcoming the pain she'd brought. It matched the pain in his heart at her sight.
He'd looked helplessly at Ken. At the rest of his men, who'd stood a respectful distance away. Each had instinctively known that more than one man holding her down would likely send her over the edge.
There, in the alley, in the hot muggy South Texas heat, Clayton had prayed for help, prayed for guidance, prayed for the girl who fought him so fearfully.
Clayton had been crying himself as he'd attempted to cajole her to listen. To settle so he could help set her arm. Find her help. To locate another woman to take her on home.
But it had been too late. She'd died in the struggle, died in his arms.
Her death still weighed on his conscience, and rightly so.
"This—this what you're doing . . . it's the right thing."
Clayton knew what Ken meant. But it was also far different.His feelings about Vanessa were far from pity. Instead, what he really wanted was to take her somewhere secluded and coax her with his kisses, to introduce her to a man's tender touch, to show her that words could mean as much as a hasty kiss or clumsy grope.
But those things were not what she needed, either. "I care for Vanessa."
"I know. It's obvious from the way you look at her. But— even if you didn't—"
Clayton knew. Even if he didn't, there was a girl up in heaven who'd had no one. "Even if I didn't . . . I'd marry her, Ken." Recalling he was a preacher, he turned to Ken. "Is that wrong?"
"I hope not, because I'd do the same thing."
5
As the Circle Z faded into the distance, Miles adjusted his weight in the saddle and tried to pretend he wasn't scared.But it did no good. He was in over his head and barely able to breathe.
"It's good of you to accompany me, boy," Price said from his own saddle on the left. "You're going to be needed when we locate your sister."
"Yes sir."
"I could wring Vanessa's neck for the trouble she's cost me.Cost our family."
Our family? That was a laugh. Price Venture might be married to his mother, he might be running the Circle Z to the ground, he might be trying to father Miles, but he'd never be part of the Grant family.
Even more importantly, Miles knew Price would never replace his real pa. His father had been a man of character, a man who'd protected his mother, cherished his sister, and had hinted that even a boy like Miles had a chance of being a man.
No, Price was nothing like his father.
"When I get my hands on that girl, I'll make sure she's sorry for her actions," Price continued. "She'll mind, then. No doubt about that."
Now that—that there was the truth. Miles knew without a doubt that if they found Vanessa, his sister would be punished severely. His stepfather would have vengeance so heavy on his mind, there'd be little way anyone would be able to reason with him.
Miles knew it was going to take everything he had to keep Price from getting anywhere near Vanessa.
From the moment his stepfather had woken with a hangover, a dark cloud had descended on the Circle Z. Insinuations about Clayton's integrity and Vanessa's character had been thrown about so harshly, Miles had been unable to stem any of the gossip.
Clayton's room had been ransacked. Price destroyed everything of Clayton's that he couldn't take, use, or sell. Vanessa's room had been next, Price being so sure that he would find a note or some kind of clue detailing their plans to run off together.
Yes, that had been the sorriest thing that
She'd cried and wept when he'd knelt next to her, hardly aware of his promises that he merely wanted to help. When he'd knelt and reached for her arm, to try and help her sit up, she'd kicked and screamed like she was on fire. He'd held himself still, almost welcoming the pain she'd brought. It matched the pain in his heart at her sight.
He'd looked helplessly at Ken. At the rest of his men, who'd stood a respectful distance away. Each had instinctively known that more than one man holding her down would likely send her over the edge.
There, in the alley, in the hot muggy South Texas heat, Clayton had prayed for help, prayed for guidance, prayed for the girl who fought him so fearfully.
Clayton had been crying himself as he'd attempted to cajole her to listen. To settle so he could help set her arm. Find her help. To locate another woman to take her on home.
But it had been too late. She'd died in the struggle, died in his arms.
Her death still weighed on his conscience, and rightly so.
"This—this what you're doing . . . it's the right thing."
Clayton knew what Ken meant. But it was also far different.His feelings about Vanessa were far from pity. Instead, what he really wanted was to take her somewhere secluded and coax her with his kisses, to introduce her to a man's tender touch, to show her that words could mean as much as a hasty kiss or clumsy grope.
But those things were not what she needed, either. "I care for Vanessa."
"I know. It's obvious from the way you look at her. But— even if you didn't—"
Clayton knew. Even if he didn't, there was a girl up in heaven who'd had no one. "Even if I didn't . . . I'd marry her, Ken." Recalling he was a preacher, he turned to Ken. "Is that wrong?"
"I hope not, because I'd do the same thing."
5
As the Circle Z faded into the distance, Miles adjusted his weight in the saddle and tried to pretend he wasn't scared.But it did no good. He was in over his head and barely able to breathe.
"It's good of you to accompany me, boy," Price said from his own saddle on the left. "You're going to be needed when we locate your sister."
"Yes sir."
"I could wring Vanessa's neck for the trouble she's cost me.Cost our family."
Our family? That was a laugh. Price Venture might be married to his mother, he might be running the Circle Z to the ground, he might be trying to father Miles, but he'd never be part of the Grant family.
Even more importantly, Miles knew Price would never replace his real pa. His father had been a man of character, a man who'd protected his mother, cherished his sister, and had hinted that even a boy like Miles had a chance of being a man.
No, Price was nothing like his father.
"When I get my hands on that girl, I'll make sure she's sorry for her actions," Price continued. "She'll mind, then. No doubt about that."
Now that—that there was the truth. Miles knew without a doubt that if they found Vanessa, his sister would be punished severely. His stepfather would have vengeance so heavy on his mind, there'd be little way anyone would be able to reason with him.
Miles knew it was going to take everything he had to keep Price from getting anywhere near Vanessa.
From the moment his stepfather had woken with a hangover, a dark cloud had descended on the Circle Z. Insinuations about Clayton's integrity and Vanessa's character had been thrown about so harshly, Miles had been unable to stem any of the gossip.
Clayton's room had been ransacked. Price destroyed everything of Clayton's that he couldn't take, use, or sell. Vanessa's room had been next, Price being so sure that he would find a note or some kind of clue detailing their plans to run off together.
Yes, that had been the sorriest thing that
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