Chapter Nine

Rex leaned his broad shoulder against the window frame of the large bay window, his gaze fixed through the slightly warped glass and on the doctor’s office across the dusty street. It was going to be dark by the time they headed home, and Rex didn’t like crossing the prairie in the dark.

He could talk to Hiram about renting the room at the livery if a cowboy from the saloon hadn’t stumbled over to claim it. That would give Tillie some place to sleep. Rex could just curl up in the back of a wagon. It wouldn’t be the first time he slept in one. He only needed a blanket and some straw, and he’d be fine. He was more worried about Tillie.

“How long has she been in there?” he wondered.

“Two minutes longer than the last time you asked.”

Rex slowly turned his head to look at Whit, who sat comfortably next to the stove. His brown pants were wrinkled from wear, and a small stain marked the corner of his light-colored shirt. He took a sip of coffee as he flipped through the newspaper, his eyes scanning the pages. Rex’s mind raced as he tried to make sense of what he had seen in the woods earlier that day. It couldn’t have been Whit, could it? He must be imagining things.

Rex turned back to the window, the gears of his mind grinding against his worry for Tillie and his suspicion about Whit. The mercantile was empty, so there was no sound but the rattling of the newspaper. Soon that stopped and he could hear Whit’s boots crossing the floor.

“Rex,” Whitney said, standing beside him with a solemn expression. “I gotta tell you something important.”

Rex tore his eyes away from the window for a moment, trying to focus on his brother’s words. “What is it, Whit?”

Whitney scratched the back of his neck nervously. “Look, I... I’m gonna disappear for a bit. Just make sure Ma doesn’t worry too much, alright?”

“Disappear?” As Rex turned to face his brother, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding creep into his tired brain. Part of him wanted to ask what was wrong, but another part feared the answer; and he didn’t want to deal with any more problems. He was torn between wanting to protect his brother and wanting to protect himself from any more emotional turmoil. “What are you talking about, Whit?”

“Never mind that now,” Whit muttered, waving a dismissive hand. “Just let Ma know, will you?”

“Fine,” Rex sighed, looking back out the window. “You know Ma’s leaving for Boston tomorrow? She’ll be gone until the new year.” He craned his neck to look down the main street. Whit’s boot tapped against the wood floor. There was no one on the street, which was odd for that time of day. Rex turned his eyes back to the doctor’s office.

“Boston? Ain’t that far?”

“You know, she has been talking about going home for years.” Rex glanced at Whit, noting the deep lines etched into his brother’s face and the dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Her home is here, with her family.”

“I think she hopes to find Evangeline out there.” Rex winced and reached a hand up to the right side of his head, massaging where a dull ache started pulsing.

Whitney’s eyebrows rose at the news. “Are you taking care of the ranch while she’s gone?”

“Of course,” Rex affirmed. “Speaking of Thanksgiving, will you be back in time for dinner? Or do I need to mention that to Annie, too?”

Whitney hesitated, his eyes darting away from Rex’s questioning gaze. “I don’t think so. I got some things I need to take care of.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

Whit leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Yeah. There have been some unsavory characters spotted around town lately, so be careful? And don’t believe everything you hear about me.”

“What does that mean? Are you in trouble?”

“Trust me, Rex.” Whit’s voice strained with emotion. “You don’t want to know.”

“Seems like trust is scarce these days,” Rex muttered.

“Remember, don’t believe what you hear.” Whit glanced out the window and Rex could see a shadow in the alley between the doctor and the marshal’s office. “I gotta go. Love you, brother. I love the family, too.”

“Take care of yourself, Whit. May God watch over you until you come home.”

With a nod Whit took a hat and overcoat that were laying on the bench and headed into the frigid air. Rex watched his brother as he untied his horse and effortlessly swung his leg over the saddle. It wasn’t until Whit passed in front of the window that Rex realized the outer garments were the same as the man he saw on the ridge.

When he shifted his gaze back to the doctor’s office, Tillie was already in the street. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, a frown tugging at her lips.

Why hadn’t she stayed where he told her?

As if sensing him watching her, Tillie glanced towards the mercantile, but then turned and headed for the livery instead. Rex’s heart clenched with worry—what was she planning?

Anxious thoughts raced through his mind as he followed Tillie, her hurried steps increasing his suspicions. He couldn’t shake the feeling that both Tillie and Whitney were keeping something from him. He prayed silently for guidance as he tried to focus on their current task, but Whit’s cryptic words kept echoing in his head. What was his brother involved in, and could he trust Tillie not to harm his family?

He could sort out whatever mess Whitney had gotten himself into later. Right now, he had a woman to kiss and to keep her from riding away from him, too.

“Honestly, I don’t need the extra money,” Tillie said.

She quickly glanced over her shoulder, her heart racing as she searched for any sign of Rex. She saw a flash of movement in the reflection of the mercantile window, but when she turned to face it, there was no one there. Her nerves were on edge, not knowing if he would show up at any moment.

Wishing she had never taken part in George’s silly scheme, she just wanted to cancel the deal, collect the money, and be done.

“It’s the least I can do, since the horse isn’t for sale any longer.” The stable master held out fifteen dollars towards her. It was five dollars more than the deposit she made on the horse.

“My circumstances have changed, so it worked out for the best. I don’t need the horse either. I’ll just take my deposit and be done.” Tillie took the bills and handed one back to the man. The other she folded up in her hand.

“I wouldn’t feel right cheating a lady out of a horse,” he insisted, pushing her hand away.

“Is there a problem here?” Rex barged in between them, his tall frame blocking their view of each other. He stood chest-to-chest with the other man, his broad shoulders squared and tense.

Her heart leaped into her throat as she took a step back, the crumpled bills clutched tightly in her hand. She didn’t dare meet Rex’s gaze. His piercing brown eyes could read her like an open book.

“No problem at all,” Tillie stuttered. “Just some business with the stable master.” She waved the bill towards the other man, trying to diffuse the tension that had suddenly filled the air.

“The horse the lady wanted to buy ain’t for sale anymore.”

Rex’s thick eyebrows shot up, causing his forehead to crease. His jaw clenched and Tillie noticed the muscle in his cheek twitching. It was clear that Rex was surprised and attempting to control his response. He turned slowly to look at Tillie, his eyes filled with questions she wasn’t ready to answer.

“Is that so?” Rex said finally, his voice low and unreadable. He took a step back, giving Tillie some space. Turning towards Tillie, he held out his hand. “May I?”

She hesitated, her eyes darting between him and the stable master. She felt like a small rabbit caught between two wolves. With a deep breath, she slowly unclenched her fingers from around the bills and placed them in Rex’s outstretched hand.

He unfolded the bills, his eyes scanning over them quickly before he turned back to the stable master. His gaze held hers for a long moment before he looked towards the stable master again. “She paid fifteen dollars for a horse?”

“No. Ten. The extra five was because of the inconvenience.”

Tillie shook her head, her hands clenching into fists. “That really isn’t necessary, Mr. King.”

Rex handed him the money back. “Let me pay for the horse, Hiram.” He reached for his own wallet, but Hiram held up a hand to stop him.

“Can’t sell it to you either, Rex,” Hiram said firmly, refusing to meet his gaze. “But I’ll give Miss Youngerman her ten dollars back.” He handed the money to Tillie, who reluctantly accepted it, clearly feeling defeated.

“Well then, I guess we’ll be on our way,” he said, turning to face Tillie again. There was a hardness in his eyes that wasn’t there before, a guardedness that made her chest ache.

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience, ma’am,” Hiram said, his voice gruff, as he shoved the bill in his pocket.

“Let’s go, Matilda,” Rex said, as he took her arm and led her to where he had tied up his horse.

Tillie practically danced on her toes over to his horse. “You’re hurting me, Rex.”

He instantly loosened his grip. “What did the doctor say?”

“I may be sore for the next few days. He gave me some willow bark tea to make.”

“So, your leg is all right?”

“Just sore.” She rubbed it through the layers of her skirt.

“Then get on the horse.”

“I don’t know if...”

Rex lifted his finger to her face. “I just saw you walk across the street to the livery without so much as limp. You can get on the horse.”

Tillie looked at his face and was met with a stern, unflinching expression. His eyes were hard, a wall built to defend against any emotional intruders. His lips were drawn in a thin, firm line. She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat rising as she looked at the face of the man she was falling in love with.

Not trusting herself to speak without revealing too much, she simply nodded quietly and grabbed on to the mane and saddle horn. Her eyes burned with hot tears as she slipped her foot into the stirrup. As she attempted to lift herself onto the horse, her legs felt weak and shaky from the confrontation and her heart pounded in her chest. She felt Rex’s hands circle around her waist, his warm breath tickling her ear as he moved closer. Lifting her up, as if she weighed nothing, he gently set her on the saddle and stepped back.

“Move forward,” he directed, waving with two fingers. She scooted as much as she could. He untied the reins and easily swung behind her, his warmth enveloping her.

She shivered as his arm wrapped around her waist to guide the horse from town. The closeness was too much, she thought, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest. For a moment, she allowed herself the luxury of closing her eyes and resting against him. His chest was a firm cushion behind her back, his heartbeat steady beneath her ear.

“Hold on to the saddle horn and lean back into me,” he instructed, his voice a low rumble close to her ear.

She complied, her hand trembling as she held onto the saddle. The smell of leather, horse and hay filled her senses. It was distinctly Rex.

What was happening between them?

She wished she knew.

His horse moved with a gentle grace underneath them, the rhythm of its steps soothing. The crisp wind blew against their faces as the sun faded in the distance. Tillie wrapped her hands around Rex’s forearms, holding on to him for support as they navigated through the grassy meadows back to the ranch. The warmth of his body against her back was a comfort she hadn’t known she needed, but now didn’t want to be without.

Rex was silent behind her, his muscular arm a constant presence around her waist.

The silence stretched between them like an elastic band, strained and uncomfortable. She couldn’t take it anymore. “Rex,” she whispered, turning slightly and reaching out to touch his cheek.

He flinched away, his voice breaking as he spoke. “Tillie, don’t. I can’t right now.”

Her heart crushed under his words. She pulled her hand back and stuttered out an apology. “I’m... I’m sorry, Rex.” The distance between them felt like a gorge. Yet, she had never physically been closer to him than she was right now.

She could hear the tightness in his voice as he navigated the horse through the meadows, guiding them towards home. “Just hold on to the saddle,” he repeated, his tone devoid of any warmth or affection.

She turned back to face forward. Her hands released his arm and tightened around the saddle horn, fingernails scraping against the hard leather grip. The journey back to the ranch felt painfully long, with strained silence filling the air. As they arrived, she slipped off the horse without a word, refusing to meet his gaze. The front porch was lit with a warm glow from within, laughter and cheerful voices carried outside.

She hesitated on the steps. She didn’t want to go inside and put on a brave face, but she couldn’t stand out here with Rex, either. He was too close and too far away all at once. Ignoring the weight of his gaze, she limped towards the door, her head held high. Behind her, he remained silent, the only sound being the horse’s labored breaths and then rhythmic beat of hooves as the horse and rider made their way towards the barn.