Page 31 of Texas Glory
“Moving my fence back.”
“With my daughter on a horse, on a rise where she could have easily fallen and been killed. I told you she was delicate.”
“Your daughter sits a horse well, McQueen. The horse is gentle enough that my three-year-old niece rides her. Your daughter was safe.”
“So you say. You’ve got to protect her—”
“I’ll protect her, but I’ll do it my way.”
Angus dropped into the chair. His sons continued to stand, their arms crossed, although Dallas thought Cameron looked as though he might bring up his latest meal at any moment, a thought he didn’t find particularly reassuring.
“You just don’t understand,” Angus said. “Women can’t protect themselves. You’ve got to keep them close or they’ll harm themselves, just as my dear wife did.”
Dallas rubbed his brow, trying to ease his headache. He’d wanted an end to the strife, and he’d only managed to reshape it. “Look, McQueen, she’s my wife now. I’ll take care of her.”
“It’s not easy to hand your daughter over to another man’s keeping.”
“Seemed easy enough yesterday. You couldn’t even bother to drag yourself over here to be with her when the very devil himself took her as his wife.”
McQueen narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t feeling well—”
“My guess is you’d spent the night before drowning your guilt, and a hangover kept you at home.” When the man started to rise from his chair, Dallas held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it, McQueen. Your excuses, your worries, your concerns. I don’t give a damn about any of them. You want to visit with your daughter, fine. Visit with her. But don’t lecture me on how to care for her. You gave that right up when you traded her for my water. She can ride bareback, buck naked across the plains for all I care.”
Dallas was certain the man was going to keel over from heart failure, his face turned so red, his mouth worked, but no words spewed forth.
Dallas stood. “I’ll let her know you’re here.”
He walked from the room and up the stairs. Austin had told him Cordelia had retired to her room after they had finished breakfast. He had a feeling he hadn’t accomplished all he’d planned to this morning. She was still too wary of him.
He knocked lightly on her door. He heard her quiet footsteps on the other side. She opened the door and peered out as though she expected to find a monster on the other side.
“Your family is in my office. They’d like to visit with you … if you want to see them.”
“Yes, I’d like to see them.”
“I need to check on my herd. I won’t be back until after dark. Austin will be here if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Not exactly what he wanted to hear.Be careful. Hurry back. I’ll wait up for you.Any of those would have pleased him
He slapped his gloves against his palm. She flinched.
Not caring much for the sting in his chest that her reaction caused, he turned to leave, stopped, and glanced over his shoulder. “Do you want me to stay while you visit with them?”
“No. I prefer to see them alone.”
He headed down the stairs, knowing he hadn’t accomplished a damn thing that morning.
Cordelia stood outside Dallas’s office, gathering her courage. She had hoped her family would wait to visit, would wait until the ache in her heart had lessened. Taking a ragged breath, she walked into the room.
Cameron sat in a chair holding his head. She supposed the whiskey, and not illness, was responsible for that. Austin had looked much the same when he’d joined them for breakfast that morning.
Boyd and Duncan flanked her father. Her father brought himself out of the chair. She wished he didn’t look so old.
“How are you, daughter?”
She eased farther into the room and sat in a nearby chair. “Fine. I’m fine.”
