The Debutante's Revenge: Western Historical Romance (Debutantes of Durango Book 6) Read online

  Looking at her from under his eyelashes, he grinned. "I know just how to do that."

  A smile crossed her face, and she took her foot and ran it up his leg.

  "Oh?"

  "Yes, and I will later tonight."

  "It's kind of exciting. I'm married to an ex-bank robber."

  He shook his head. "I kind of noticed you prayed for me."

  "Yes, I want you to understand I won't accept lawlessness from any man. You were young and made amends. Don't break a law again. Though I do like the renegade spirit you've been hiding. You should take me to bed tonight and show me the robber side of you."

  A big grin spread across his face. It wouldn't take long for them to do the dishes, and they would be in bed.

  "That I can do. I'm going to plunder your chest and steal your booty. Tease you until you tell me where you hid the money."

  "Oh, I can hardly wait."

  Chapter 26

  The next few months were blissful for Daisy as she cultivated her own garden, growing beans and tomatoes and even a few cucumbers if she kept the deer out.

  As the summer days grew shorter, she felt drained. So tired, that all she wanted to do was sleep and then one morning she woke, and when her feet touched the floor, she started puking.

  Not soft sounds, but retched gagging and thinking she would soon die. Actually, wanting to crawl up in a ball and stay in bed.

  "Are you all right?" Lee asked her concern on his face.

  "I think I ate something bad," she said, but a niggling suspicion hung in the back of her mind like a weight.

  Not yet, not yet, oh please not yet, echoed in her head over and over.

  "Why don't you rest today. You've been exhausted," he said.

  Later that morning after he left, she crawled out of bed and glanced at a calendar he hung in the kitchen. Looking at the days, she looked back to her last menstrual cycle and realized nearly two months passed since the last one.

  When she stood suddenly, she grew dizzy and knew she was pregnant. They were going to have a baby.

  Fear and uncertainty filled her and yet, already she loved this child so much. No, it would not be a spoiled brat like her, but very much loved.

  But how would Lee take the news?

  Surely, he had to know this was going to happen. They had been having sex almost every night and sometimes twice on Sunday.

  Still, he wanted to wait until they had a bigger home. But babies came in their own time. Sitting in a chair, she gazed out the window, and for the first time, she longed to talk to her mother.

  If she calculated correctly, the baby would be born in March. The month with the most snow. A year from the time they wed.

  In the time they'd been married, neither of them had mentioned the word love. But she loved Lee with all her heart. Otherwise, she would have gone home with her father instead of staying here and working beside him.

  With a sigh, she thought of all the things a baby needed and wondered how they would afford it.

  Gazing about the cabin, she wondered if it was selfish to bring a child into their world? No, they would love this baby, and soon, the ranch would be successful and their child would be loved. This was only the beginning of the large family they wanted.

  She worried how Lee would take the news of her pregnancy. It was something she worried over all day. Finally, at dusk he came home.

  When he walked in the door, he took one look at her and said, "What's wrong? You're upset about something."

  "I'm pregnant," she said.

  Overwhelmed, he stood there and stared at her, and then he turned and went out the door, leaving her alone.

  Sinking down in a chair, she began to cry. How could he not want their baby? With as much sex as they had, how could he be surprised? And yet when she told him, he walked out the door.

  Sobbing, she lay down on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

  Was it time to go home and admit defeat, that her husband would never love her or their child?

  Chapter 27

  Stunned, Lee walked out the door and went to the makeshift lean-to, saddled his horse and rode out. He didn’t know where he was going, but he needed space to think.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t want this baby. How could he not? It was him and Daisy and he would love him or her with all his heart. Just like he knew he’d fallen in love with his wife. But just hadn’t said the words yet.

  What he was waiting for, he didn’t know, but he longed to buy her a real wedding ring and take her to town and tell her how she had changed his life for the better. How she brought joy and laughter into their home and made it feel special.

  But a baby. He was enjoying this time together. He knew eventually there would be children, but not right now. Not before he could build them a bigger home. Not before he paid off the note on the ranch. Not before he could give his wife just a semblance of the life she used to live.

  How she must hate him and that small cabin and now they would be adding a third person there.

  For an hour, he rode and tried to think of how he could make their life better. Anything other than going to her father. That he would never stoop to. If the man didn’t want to help them when they married, he would never ask for his assistance.

  Somehow he had to find a way before their baby was born. Their baby. A son or daughter with her sapphire eyes and blonde hair or maybe his own dark hair and green eyes, but either one would be loved.

  Lee turned his horse and headed back to the house. He’d run out like a coward and now he must go back and face his beautiful wife and tell her why he ran out the door. Confess to her that he wanted this child so very much.

  But somehow, he had to find a way to build them a home where they had room for their children.

  As he put the horse in the lean-to and removed the saddle, he heard thunder rumbling in the valley.

  Rain. To wash the earth clean and give them a fresh start.

  Eager, he ran to the cabin, needing to feel Daisy’s arms around him.

  When he opened the door, a pan hit the doorframe beside his head.

  “Get out,” she yelled.

  “Daisy, I needed some time to think things through,” he said, standing by the door. Another pan came flying through the kitchen and smacked him on the leg.

  “Ouch, that hurts. Stop. We need to talk.”

  “Oh yes, we need to talk about how you’re taking me back to my parents. If you don’t want me and our baby, then I’m leaving.”

  Another pan came hurtling toward him and he ducked.

  “Damn it, Daisy, stop.”

  “Why should I?”

  A typical Daisy temper tantrum. By golly their child would never act this way.

  “You know why I’m upset. Do you think I want my wife and child to live in this pathetic cabin? I wanted to wait.”

  Her face turned a shade of red he’d never seen before and tears rolled down her cheeks. “You are taking me home tomorrow. If you don’t want me or our baby, then I’m going home.”

  Running his hand through his hair, he glared at her. “It’s not that I don’t want the two of you. The timing is not right.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “What do you want me to do about that? You have as much of a responsibility in creating this child as I do. So it was fine as long as we were having sex. That was great, but now that I’m pregnant, we should have waited? You don’t make any sense.”

  What could he say? She was right. He had enjoyed every minute in bed with Daisy, but he wasn’t ready for a baby, and damn it, he wasn’t ready to share his wife with a child that would need her.

  Did that make him a horrible person?

  But then a tiny part of him was thrilled they were expecting a child together.

  A pan came flying at him.

  “Get the hell out. You can bed down with the horses in the lean-to. I’m not sharing my bed with you for another second.”

  Lee stepped out the door and heard her sobbing.

 
God, he had screwed this up so badly. All he wanted to do was rush in and say he was sorry. That he couldn’t wait for her to have their child.

  But he was scared. Terrified of the responsibility of another mouth to feed. Would they have enough money from the sale of the cattle to pay the bank loan, and if they didn’t, the three of them would be out searching for a place to live.

  Fear gripped Lee as he walked to the lean-to. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

  Chapter 28

  Daisy's emotions were all over the place. Before they could leave, they waited until her morning sickness was over, and even now, she feared getting sick in the wagon.

  The bouncing, the jostling, everything made her stomach rise and fall and she worried about throwing up at her parents’ feet. This morning, she wanted to ride her horse, but Lee insisted they take the bouncy buckboard. The man told her she would not be riding again until after the baby arrived.

  Seemed kind of silly, but she wasn't going to argue with him. Last night, the bed had been lonely without him. Now she regretted her rash decision to rush home to her mother and father.

  All she needed to know was that he loved her and wanted their child.

  Yes, she longed to visit her mother. Meg had Martin's grandmother there to walk her through a pregnancy.

  Yesterday, she said she was leaving him, but she really wanted to stay. It was just she longed for her mother's voice, her advice, her consoling and maybe her comfort if Lee didn't take her home.

  While it would be good to see them, she hoped they would accept her husband and her baby. This was her life, her marriage, and soon a family of her own. All she needed was for Lee to say he loved her and wanted their child. Regardless, she had enough love to share with both him and their baby.

  Now if only he would love their child. Before her marriage, Daisy had never lacked the security her parents provided, so in some ways, she understood Lee's fear. Together they were bringing into the world a tiny human being who would be dependent upon them to love and care for.

  The idea terrified her, and she wished Lee would hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right.

  His actions showed her that he cared about her and their soontobe little family. But he never said the words she longed to hear. Married for six months, by now, she would have thought he would say those three little words that meant so much.

  Only her heart knew Lee was the man she loved and she couldn't wait to meet their baby. If he deserted her, she would be devastated. Completely lost.

  "Are we getting close," she said, knowing her bladder was tired of all this bouncing.

  "About quarter of an hour, I think," he said.

  She wore her best dress in anticipation of seeing her parents. It was past time for them to get over their snit and accept Lee. If not, then their grandchild would never know them.

  The wagon wheel hit a big rock and the wood made a snap sound. Suddenly the rickety vehicle lurched to one side, the axle hitting the ground with a hard thump. Screaming, she grabbed the frame as Lee tried to bring the horses to a halt. And then she was flying through the air.

  Oh no, the baby, she thought as she slammed into the muddy sod and the world around her went dark.

  Somehow Lee managed to stay in the buggy and pull the frightened animals to a stop. The buckboard lay on its side.

  "Daisy," he screamed as he ran to her. Lying in the bar ditch, her arm, hung at an odd angle, and her leg, snapped in two at her calf.

  Guilt slammed him. He hadn't seen the rock. What about the baby? Leaning over her, he felt her breath and she moaned as he attempted to lift her. She was out cold. Gazing around at the empty road, he couldn't leave her and yet he needed help.

  Distraught, he realized he wanted them both. Daisy and the baby. They were his life and he loved his little family.

  Probably only half a mile from the gate to her parents’ ranch, his only hope was his Colt 45.

  Pulling out his pistol from the holster he wore around his waist, he fired three shots in succession, the code for help.

  "Please God, please let someone hear me."

  Ten minutes later, he raised his gun again and fired three more shots in rapid sequence. Then he saw riders racing toward him.

  Sinking down on the ground, he cradled her head in his lap. "Please don't leave me. I love you," he whispered as he brushed the tears from his eyes.

  "What happened?" It was Sidney Trippe. "Dear God, Daisy."

  "The wagon busted a wheel. As I brought the buckboard to a halt, she fell out."

  "You son of a bitch, you've killed my daughter."

  "No, she's still alive. We've got to take her to a doctor."

  Now was not the time to argue. They had to find a medical hospital.

  Sidney glared at him before he turned to his foreman and said, "Bring another wagon and tell her mother. We need to take her into town to Doc Benson.”

  "Yes, sir," he said riding away.

  "I'm going to make you wolf meat."

  Lee was done with the man's threats. "Stop. Another ten minutes and we would have been at your house. Daisy wanted to tell her mother she's expecting our first child. Don't you think I feel bad enough?"

  The man walked away and Lee watched him wipe away tears. When the wagon arrived, her mother was sitting in the front. Immediately, she jumped down and ran to her side.

  "Oh dear God, it's Daisy."

  The woman grabbed her wrist and found a pulse. With Daisy's head in his lap, he sat there staring at the two people who caused them so much grief and yet he also felt so thankful for. Because of them, they married. Because of them he had the love of his life. Because of them, he and Daisy were expecting a child.

  "She's still alive, let's get her in the buckboard and take her to town."

  The men carefully lifted her into the back and Lee crawled in with her, holding her, he did his best to keep her from bouncing around. Mr. Trippe tied Lee's horse to the back of the wagon.

  In no time, they were in Durango at the small clinic on Main Street. Gently they carried her inside and the doctor immediately started to check her out.

  Standing by her side, he held her hand, wishing he was the one who was hurt, not her.

  "She's pregnant," Lee said. "She'll be devastated if the baby doesn't survive."

  Her mother turned on him. "Young man, it would be better if she lost this child and you, as well."

  The doctor glanced at them. "Take your disagreements outside or talk nice. My patient doesn't need to hear arguing."

  "I'm not leaving," Lee said, thinking her parents would always hate him. No matter what, they would never accept him.

  Finally, after the medical expert examined her, he turned to Lee. "Her arm and left leg are broken, and she has a slight concussion. Any time, I expect her to awaken, but I want to keep her here for now. Until I know she's going to be all right."

  "What about the baby?"

  "We'll have to wait."

  The doctor immediately began to set her bones with Lee watching. At dusk, he knew he had no choice but to leave. As it was, he wouldn't arrive home until after dark.

  Lee didn't want to go off without her, but the cattle sale was this week. Without selling, they would not have the money to pay the bank loan. Or the doctor.

  With a sigh, he gazed at Daisy, wishing she would awaken. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "I've got to go, but I'll be back. I love you and our little girl."

  He rose and glanced at her parents. "Can I depend on you to watch her?"

  Like a rooster, her mother became all indignant. "Young man, she is our daughter. Of course."

  There were no other options. "The cattle sale is this week, so I have to go."

  His pride refused to tell them that without the sale, they would be without a home.

  Sidney Trippe didn't say anything but gave him a snarky smile. "Don't worry. We'll always be here for our girl."

  And never let him see her again was what he feared. Why did
he have this terrible intuition that their life together was over? Everything changed in a split instant, and now, if he didn't go, he never would. In order to support his wife and child, he had to leave her with the people who hated him.

  "I'll be back for her."

  Chapter 29

  A week later, Lee rode into Durango anxious to visit his wife. The doctor had kept her in his small clinic since last Sunday.

  On Wednesday, Lee sold half his herd to make enough to pay off the bank note, but now an iciness filled his stomach. How much had her hospital stay cost him?

  When he walked in the door, she was sitting in bed, looking through a catalog. As much as he wanted to run her, he continued onto the doctor's office, wanting to learn about her condition. Afterward, he hoped she would speak to him.

  As he entered the office, the man looked up.

  "Mr. Sackett, good to see you."

  "Thanks for taking excellent care of my wife and baby," Lee told him. "How is Daisy? How about the baby?"

  "Your wife is healing. The baby is fine. We've kept her on bed rest this week. I think day after tomorrow, she can go home to her parents. I'd like her to stay there for the next two weeks. Then if she's doing all right, you can take her home to Pagosa."

  Though he wished he was taking her back with him right this moment, he didn't want to rush her injuries to heal. At the family ranch, they had servants to wait on her.

  Now for the hard part. How much had all this cost him.

  "Can you tell me what your bill is going to be? I've just sold some cattle."

  The doctor leaned back. "We can make an arrangement with the bank if you need too."

  Lee thought about it for a moment, but his pride got in the way. No, he would pay for his family up front. No more loans. The pressure of worrying about the note was too stressful.

  "How much, Doctor?"

  "We've been taking care of her for a week. Plus setting the bones and the cast. Close to two hundred dollars."

  For a few minutes, Lee seemed dizzy and worried he would pass out from the knowledge he was broke again. The sale of the cattle would not cover the doctor bill and the bank note. Not wanting to make the wrong decision, he needed to think about how to handle this.