Page 53 of Texas Destiny
He could only hope that Dallas’s dreams would extend beyond wanting a son once he met Amelia. That he would cherish her as Houston wanted to.
He didn’t think Dallas could avoid falling in love with Amelia. Her grit would appeal to his brother. Houston had dragged her through three weeks of hell, and she hadn’t complained once. She’d make Dallas one hell of a wife.
Bending, he began to crisscross the sturdy limbs one over the other until they resembled a lengthy checkerboard. When Amelia finished her task, he would tie the branches tightly together at every juncture where they met to form a “T.” The opening to the canyon was small enough that his makeshift gate would cover it. He’d secure one side of the gate to one side of the opening in such a way that Amelia could easily swing it across to block off the canyon once he’d brought the horses here.
He was probably insane to try and capture the horses with the few provisions he had and a woman at his side. Austin had been with him before when he’d captured wild mustangs, staying on the perimeter while Houston infiltrated the herd. He wouldn’t have that luxury this time. He wouldn’t leave Amelia to fend for herself, although he imagined she was capable of it, but time was running out. He’d only have her to himself for a little while longer … and then he wouldn’t have her at all.
Dawn arrived. Amelia had slept little, the prospect of watching the horses race into the enclosure filling her with excitement.
Houston had doused the fire as soon as they’d finished eating breakfast. She watched him now as he readied the camp for his departure, her anticipation mounting. He placed a rope halter he’d fashioned on Sorrel. He dropped to the ground and removed his boots and socks before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it on top of his duster.
He turned to face her, and she balled her hands into fists to prevent them from reaching out to touch the hardened contours of his body. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
“Not long. Today, I just need to find them.” He walked across the small expanse separating them and took her hand. “We need to talk.”
Her breath caught. At that moment, she needed a kiss. Lord, she needed a kiss. She fought to keep her gaze locked onto his, her hands from trailing along the scars on his shoulder and chest. She licked her lips.
“I want you to come with me, but I need you to understand what I’m asking. I’m leaving everything here but my revolver, my trousers, and a canteen. I want the mustangs to get used to my smell; the less I have, the less they have to get used to. I’ll stay with them until they trust me enough to follow me. I’ll sneak away at night to get food and water. I’ll bed down where they do. If they take it into their heads to stampede … I’ll do all I can to protect you, but it might not be enough.” He released her hand and started to pace. “Hell, this was a stupid idea. I can’t leave you and I can’t take you with me. I don’t know what I was thinking. I wasn’t thinking. If Dallas knew what I was thinking, he’d have my hide.”
“I want to go.”
He stopped pacing and stared at her. “This ain’t no buggy ride.”
She wrapped her arms around herself to keep the excitement from carrying her to the clouds. “We’re going to ride with the herd? Become part of the herd? This is something I’ll share with my grandchildren.” She dropped to the ground and began to remove her shoes. He knelt beside her, placed her foot in his lap, and worked her shoe off.
“If something happens—”
“Nothing is going to happen.” She hopped up and carefully placed her shoes alongside his boots; the action couldn’t have felt more intimate if she’d done it in a bedroom that only the two of them shared. She whipped off his hat.
“Keep the hat on,” he ordered.
She spun around. He had already mounted Sorrel. “We’re not likely to find much shade.”
She settled his hat back in place, grateful that he hadn’t wanted her to leave it behind. She would have hated for a raccoon to cart it away.
“Climb on that rock,” he said.
He eased the horse over and held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his, using his arm for support as she threw a leg over the horse’s back and scrambled into place. She wrapped her arms around Houston’s bare chest and pressed her face against his broad back.
The world seemed more beautiful than it had the day before; the leaves were just beginning to turn golden and a briskness to the air promised cooler weather would return. They rode in silence for several hours, Houston studying the ground and the terrain. She could have easily drifted off to sleep with him as her pillow. She wondered if Dallas’s back would be this broad, this smooth, this warm.
Houston tensed beneath her cheek and drew the horse to a halt. “There they are.”
Leaning to the side, she peered around him. The mustangs grazed in the open.
Houston prodded Sorrel forward. Amelia was certain the pounding of her heart would drive the horses away. They neared the herd. The stallion lifted his head, eyed them warily, released a shrieking neigh, and took off at a gallop. The mares rapidly caught up and passed him, his silver mane blowing in the wind, his tail lifted in the air.
Amelia wanted to weep. “They ran away.”
Houston rounded his leg over his horse’s head and slid to the ground. Reaching up, he placed his hands on her waist and brought her to the ground. “Expected them to, the first time. That’s why I said I wouldn’t be long today.”
“Why didn’t you chase after them?”
“They would have just run harder. This is their range; they’ll come back. When they do, we’ll be waiting.”
“How long before they accept us?”
“Hard to say.”
