Texas Proud (Vincente 2) by Constance O'Banyon Page A

word to your housekeeper and she will be here shortly. Perhaps you'd
like her to remain with you until you are well
enough to go home."
    Rachel considered how comforting it would be
to have the formidable Winna Mae with her.
"Thank you. I would like Winna Mae here with
me."
    He crossed his long legs and laid a hand on his
boot. Still feeling shy in his company, she concentrated on his hands. There was strength in those
hands, but she had felt the gentleness in them as
well. She blushed when she thought about him
touching her in the most intimate way.
    "Don't think about it, Rachel," he said, reading
her thoughts. "It will never happen again."

    She plucked at the sheet. "You must think that
I'm"
    "I think you were an innocent, playing with fire.
Thank God you didn't get burned."
    "Only shot," she said with irony.
    "I must not tire you. I just wanted you to know
that I intend to do everything in my power to find
out who shot you."
    She watched the pulse beating at his throat. He
was such an intense man and she had felt the passion that burned within him. She must not forget
that he was her enemy. "This is your bedroom?"
she asked, changing the subject.
    "Yes." He smiled slightly. "It's the only room
with a bed."
    "Where do you sleep?"
    "The room across the hall."
    "I'll try not to put you out of your bed longer
than necessary."
    He stood, the smile still playing on his sensuous
lips. "I like you in my bed."
    Against her will, pleasure pulsed through her,
and she could almost feel the touch of his hands
on her body.
    Without another word, he moved to the door
and was gone, leaving her pondering his words.
    Rachel realized that her life and Noble's seemed
unendingly linked together. No matter how hard
she tried, she would never forget that for a short
time, their bodies had touched. And she had a feeling that Noble would never forget either.

    She felt suddenly cold, and a shudder raced
down her spine. Someone had seen her and Noble
in the river. Who was it?
    She closed her eyes. Whoever had shot her
would still be gunning for Noble.

     

Winna Mae had been residing at Casa del Sol for
a week. On arriving, she had made her presence
felt right away. She had immediately taken over,
issuing orders and expecting them to be obeyed.
Fortunately, she spoke enough Spanish to convey
those wishes to Margretta, who gladly relinquished Rachel's care to her and eagerly did
Winna Mae's bidding.
    Winna Mae had just finished braiding Rachel's
hair, and now fanned her with a brightly colored
folding fan. "You will be well enough to go home
next week," she announced in her usual abrupt
way.
    "I've been here for twelve days," Rachel said ruefully. "I can't get back to the Broken Spur fast enough to suit me." She could have added that
during the time she'd been there, Noble had visited her only twice. She didn't know why that
should matter to her, but it did. She could imagine
all sorts of reasons that kept him away, but only
one seemed likely. He didn't trust her not to repeat
her little performance at the river.

    Would she ever be able to live down the humiliation?
    Winna Mae was smoothing out the covers and
she glanced up at Rachel, speaking with her usual
directness. "You have been shown every kindness." There was reproach in her voice. "You are
alive because of Noble Vincente's quick action.
You should remember that."
    "Yes, I know," Rachel concurred. "I have so
much to think about. I have never been so confused."
    "If you are worried about your health, the doctor said there would be no lasting effects and only
a small scar. He praised Noble's steady hand as
the reason the scar was not larger."
    "It doesn't sit well with me that I must accept
the hospitality of the man who murdered my father."
    "There would be a strange contradiction in a
man who kills the father but saves the life of the
daughter. Don't you agree?"
    "I admit that I have recently begun to have
doubts about Noble's guilt,"