She smiled. “Afternoon, Mr. Goodnight.” She touched Ben’s sleeve. His muscles flexed beneath the heavy blue cotton.
No smile lit his face as he turned to her. “Excuse me a moment, Mr. Goodnight. I need a word with Miss Scott.” Ben tapped his fingers to Cora’s elbow and led her away, without bothering to formally introduce her to his companion.
“What’s wrong?” As if she couldn’t guess. His eyes spat fire. She should have listened to her intuition to stay clear of him for a while, but how could she do that when there was business to discuss?
“Nothing.” He hooked his thumbs over his gun belt. “I’m talking with Goodnight like you asked me to. If I have any questions, I’ll find you.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t need to be told my place.”
“You’re sure good at telling everyone else what to do.”
“I didn’t tell you what?—”
“Right.” He snorted.
She’d only been looking out for his safety. “I’m sorry I asked to speak to you in front of the men at the corral.” She crossed her arms. “But I need to be part of your meeting with Goodnight. That’s the whole reason I came.”
He narrowed his eyes. “The night we stood out by the corral talking, you asked me to negotiate for you.”
“But then later, you said I should come too.” She jabbed a hand to her hip.
“Travel with me in case there were questions, not stand over my shoulder monitoring every word.”
“I’m not about to go beautify the picnic table while you men decide the fate of my cattle.”
His voice turned to flint. “You want to negotiate? Go ahead. Leave me out of it.” He pivoted toward the stables, opposite direction of Goodnight.
Cora swung her hands wide. What in the world? She wasn’t going to stand by and be left out of the decision-making. He’d pushed for her to come—before she’d intervened and caused him to lose face in front of the other men. She huffed out a breath. If she joined his discussion with Goodnight after her having interrupted Ben for a second time today, it’d as if she were taking charge.
“Ben?” She hurried after him and grabbed him by the arm. Heat poured through his sleeve.
His eyes sliced into her.
Her hand dropped. If she didn’t remedy this, he might still go off and hop on some insane stallion. “I…” Pulling the words up through her throat to her tongue was like wrenching up a bucket of lead. “I trust you to negotiate for me.”
“Hmmpf.” His glare flicked over her from head to toe. “No, you don’t.”
Her sharp exhale flung a stray strand of hair from her cheek. “I’m trying to.” She twisted her hands together. Couldn’t the man see trusting him was like extracting shrapnel?
His shoulders eased down. “I believe you are.”
The ratcheted tightness in her chest loosened. “You could talk to me before you sign any final papers.” Was she really going to let him handle this without her?
“These men don’t sign papers. They shake on it. A man’s word is his bond.”
Like Ben’s bond to Jeb. He’d traveled to Texas to honor his word to her brother. Paid Coffin a thousand dollars, endured her ingratitude…and she was worried about trusting him? It was amazing he still talked to her. The way he looked at her, letting him negotiate would just be the beginning of her making amends for not believing in him today.
She dug her nails into her hands and swallowed a stomach full of objections and temper. “All right, but I want a full report.”
An hour later, she sat on a log, nibbling on bites of pork roast, ignoring the conversations going on around her. Goodnight and Ben talked so long that Mrs. Gary carried their food to where they’d taken up residence on two barrels beneath the oak tree. Charlie sat with Tyler. A few people stared at Charlie, probably due to his skin color, but proceeded to treat him naturally.
She swatted a fly. The shadows lengthened. If those men didn’t hurry?—
Cora’s tin plate clunked as she set it down and jumped to her feet.
Ben strode around the corner, empty plate in hand, head high, shoulders back, no trace of a glare or clenched jaw.
She hurried over. “So what happened?”
