Texas Tender by Leigh Greenwood Page B

abuse, and now she wanted to marry him. What was wrong with women that once they got a look at his face, nothing else seemed to matter? Everybody knew the best-looking horse rarely had the most stamina, coordination, intelligence, or a decent disposition. Didn’t they understand it could be the same with people? Especially men.
    â€œChoosing a husband is much too important to compromise on,” he said. “If you don’t really love him—”
    â€œI love you,” Mara assured him.
    Unfortunately, she spoke just as Carl walked through the door. For a moment he looked devastated. In an instant his expression changed to anger. He turned his blazing gaze on Mara, but Will was certain it would find him soon enough.
    â€œJust yesterday you said you loved me,” Carl said. “Seems all it took was a pretty face and you forgot all about that.”
    â€œHe saved me from Newt,” Mara said.
    â€œI’d have saved you if I’d been there,” Carl insisted.
    â€œBut you weren’t there,” Mara pointed out. “Besides, everybody in Dunmore is afraid of Newt.” She favored Will with a brilliant smile. “Will’s not. And he can draw faster than Newt. I saw it.”
    â€œI don’t believe you.”
    â€œEmmett saw it, too,” Mara said, drawing herself up to confront Carl. “I can’t love anybody who doesn’t believe me.”
    â€œMara, everybody knows you make up things.”
    â€œI do not. I only exaggerate sometimes.”
    â€œI think you’re straying from the point here,” Will said. “You two are in love with each other. You need to be talking about how to convince your parents that you’re perfect for each other.”
    â€œHow can he be perfect for me when he can’t stop his sister from accusing Papa of trying to ruin them?” Mara demanded of Will.
    â€œHow can she be perfect for me when she thinks she’s in love with you just because you kept a drunk from kissing her?” Carl countered.
    Will thought he’d done a little more than that, but his reputation wasn’t the issue here. “I only stepped in because no one else was helping her.”
    â€œVan would have stopped Newt,” Mara said. “He’s not afraid of anybody.”
    â€œVan is a spoiled, selfish brute who’s not smart enough to know when he’s in danger,” Carl said. “He’ll get himself killed just like Webb did.”
    â€œHow dare you say that about my brother!” Mara said and burst into tears.
    Will looked at Carl for an explanation. “Webb thought he could ride anything with hair,” Carl said, then turned to Mara. “He wouldn’t have been on thathorse if he hadn’t been showing off for his new girlfriend after he’d ditched Idalou.”
    â€œHe wouldn’t have ditched her if she’d stopped accusing my father of being behind everything bad that happens on your ranch.”
    Remembering his own desolation when Jake had nearly died from a gunshot wound, Will felt some empathy for Mara. Still, he was horrified to find himself in the middle of a squabble that was dragging up family skeletons faster than a grave robber. He didn’t know what to do to calm these tempestuous waters—Isabelle was the peacemaker in the family, even if she had to use a big stick to do it, but Isabelle was far away.
    â€œLook, kids—”
    â€œWe’re not kids.” Mara and Carl turned in unison and glared at him. “We’re eighteen.”
    â€œThen stop acting like you’re eighteen
months,
” Will shot back. “You’re not going to solve anything by dragging up things to blame on each other.”
    â€œI don’t have to drag up things.” Mara eyed Carl angrily even though she was speaking to Will. “He and his sister keep handing them to me.” When she spun around to face Will, all traces of anger had vanished.