Part 31 (1/2)
Without warning, Chet tore her from his arms and pushed her away from him. ”It's time to go back.” He barely got the words out. He was breathing as though he'd been running for an hour.
”I don't want to go. I want you to hold me again.” She reached out to him, but he stepped back.
”I don't want to go, either. I want to spend the rest of the night here with you.”
”Why can't we”
”Because I can't control myself much longer. Five more minutes of holding you, kissing you, wanting you, and I'll tear the clothes from your body and take you right here.”
As incredible as it seemed, that matched very closely the thoughts in her own mind.
”I would never forgive myself if I did anything to dishonor you.”
Melody began to think she'd much overrated honor.
Chet took her hand and began pulling her up the path to the town.
”Chet, please stop.”
”No.”
”Can't we talk about this?”
”We've talked too much already. We both know it has to end, so there's no use torturing ourselves, making ourselves miserable.”
”I'm not miserable. I'm not”
He stopped and turned so abruptly that she ran into him. ”I am. I'm so miserable I can't stand it. Thinking about what I'd like to do with you but can't is torture. A man can only stand so much. I've reached my limit. I'm just about to bust.”
He started up the trail once more. Her protests did nothing to slow him down. She practically had to run to keep up. It seemed ironicin the moments when she had time to think, in between dodging rocks and trying to keep from losing her balancethat after turning down several offers, she shouldn't be able to marry the man she loved. The man who loved her. Everything was mixed up.
She reached the top of the bluff out of breath. They must have been gone longer than she'd thought. Light filtered through the windows of several buildings. She heard faint sounds of music and occasionally a raised voice, but she didn't see anyone on the boardwalks. Chet pulled himself together enough to walk by her side, giving the appearance of calm, but she could sense the tempest that boiled inside him. He stopped just inside the hotel door.
”Aren't you coming in?” Melody asked.
”Later. I'm going for a walk first.”
”Chet, I”
”We've said all there is to say. Why can't you leave it at that?”
”Because I love you and don't mean to lose you because of some silly prejudice.”
”It's not silly. I told you about”
”I'm willing to take a chance.”
”You don't know what you're talking about. I do, and I can't let you.”
”I'm old enough to make my own decisions.”
”You're not too old to regret them.”
”I could never regret marrying you.” ”You'd regret that until your dying day.” He turned to leave.
”Where are you going?”
”I don't know.”
”Be careful. Lantz could have sent that killer of his after you already.”
”I'm not afraid of Lantz or his killer. I'm more afraid of you. Go to bed. Maybe some sleep will restore your common sense.”
”My common sense is just fine, thank you.”
But she was talking to empty s.p.a.ce. He had gone. She started to run after him, then changed her mind. He didn't believe she loved him so deeply that she would never regret anything so much as not being with him. She had to find a way to convince him, and she had to do it quickly.
Chet sat alone at the table, an untouched drink before him. He'd walked until he was tired of looking at the same streets, sidestepping the same broken boards, hearing the same voices coming through the same open doorways. He'd found a nearly empty saloon, dropped down in a dark corner, and ordered a bottle of whiskey he didn't want. It wouldn't fix what was wrong with him, and he'd feel even worse when he sobered up. Besides, he didn't trust Lantz not to do something stupid like kidnap Melody and try to force her to marry him. He was the kind of man who would believe she'd be perfectly happy once the deed was done.
She should have gone back to Richmond and married one of her gallant cavaliers. No, she should never have come to Texas. Most important of all, she should never have fallen in love with him. ”You want me to show you how to open that bottle?”
Chet looked up to see a woman who was probably about Melody's age standing in front of his table, hand on her hip and a forced smile on her lips. She was probably tired, counting the minutes until the saloon closed and she could crawl into bed.
Chet returned a weak smile. ”I remember how. I just can't decide whether it's worth the trouble.”
”That bad?”
Chet had no intention of telling her about Melody, but he didn't want to force her to go away. She looked worn out. ”Would you like a drink?”
”I can't drink unless the customer does.”
”Bring another gla.s.s.”
She must have been afraid he'd take back his invitation. She was back in seconds. He poured two drinks. He put his gla.s.s to his lips but didn't drink as he watched her take a gulp from hers.
She leaned back and sighed in relief. ”Thanks. My name's Cornelia, but everybody calls me Corrie. Ain't been a man in tonight who didn't want more than company and conversation.”
”I don't really want either.”
She eyed him suspiciously. ”You ain't going to try to talk me into going back to your room with you?”
”No.”
She relaxed and took a second swallow from her drink. ”You're not drinking,” she said. ”I'll have to leave if you don't.”
Chet poured his whiskey into her gla.s.s. ”There. I'm way ahead of you.”
”Thanks, mister. I hope you come in here again.” ”I'm leaving in a couple of days.”
”Why?”