Page 56 of Texas Glory
He led her away from the saloon. “Saloons don’t appeal to me. I never could bring myself to let the draw of a card take away the money I’d worked so hard to earn.”
“But you must relax sometime.”
“When I need to relax, I ride out at night and visit one of my ladies.”
Cordelia was unprepared for the pain that slashed through her. Why had she expected him to remain faithful to her just because they had exchanged vows? Incensed for reasons she could not begin to fathom, she strode off the boardwalk. “I think I’ve seen all I want to see of the town.”
He grabbed her arm, and she jerked free. “Please don’t touch me. Not after you’ve just thrown your mistresses into my face.”
“My mistresses?” He drew his brows together over eyes mired with confusion, then he started to laugh. “My ladies.”
“I don’t see that it’s funny.”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“Obviously not. A gentleman doesn’t mention his other women to his wife. I think we’d both be a good deal happier if you’d married one of them instead of me.” She spun on her heel and started to walk away.
“Dee?”
She wanted to keep walking, but a longing in his voice touched her, reached for her, forced her to turn around. No longer smiling or laughing, he watched her as though searching for something.
“The ladies are my windmills,” he said quietly. “I enjoy listening to them in the quiet of the night. It brings me peace. I’d like to share that with you sometime.”
Incredibly embarrassed, she slammed her eyes closed. “I’m sorry. I acted like a shrew.”
“You should get angry more often.”
Her eyes flew open. The one time her mother had gotten angry her father had struck her down. “Why?”
“Anger puts a fire in your eyes. I’d rather have the fire than the fear.”
“Dallas!” a man yelled.
Cordelia watched as a slender man rushed toward Dallas.
“Tyler, you got a problem?” Dallas asked.
The man skidded to a stop. “Not a problem.”
As though he suddenly noticed her, Tyler jerked his hat from his head. He swept the blond locks from his brow and smiled at Cordelia. “Mrs. Leigh, we met at your wedding although you probably don’t remember me. Tyler Curtiss.”
“I’m not very good with names,” she confessed.
“I’m not very good with faces except when they’re beautiful like yours.” He blushed as though unaccustomed to flirting, and Dallas scowled.
“Tyler designs the buildings and manages the construction,” Dallas said, his voice taut.
She smiled with interest. “So you’re building the town?”
“With a great deal of help. I’d like to get your husband’s opinion on a few things if you can spare him.”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Dallas seemed to hesitate. “Can you find Austin?”
She nodded. “I’m sure he’s still at the general store.”
“I’ll see you at home then.”
