Chapter Fourteen

Ty and Liza walked behind the house and to the large rock beside the river. The sun was setting in the sky. Ryder and Susie had gotten home a few hours earlier and Ryder had already gone back into town. Susie had been smiling bigger than Liza had ever seen her smile before and Liza was happy for her.

Liza couldn't seem to wipe away her own huge smile as she looked up at Ty's rugged, masculine face. He was looking into the gently flowing water with his arms crossed over his chest.

"When do you have to leave?" she asked softly as she stood beside him.

Ty sighed and lifted one shoulder, "Soon. They'll be expecting me back."

Liza nodded, "Yeah, me too. I'm expected back in Austin for the new school year."

Ty smiled, "You're a teacher? That doesn't surprise me. I thought you kinda looked like one when you got angry with Justin this morning."

"I suppose that means we don't have a whole lot of time together doesn't it?" she asked as she picked at her dark blue skirt.

Ty gave a single shake of his head, "Guess not."

"Shouldn't waste what we do have," Liza added as she bit her lip.

"No ma'am," he growled and he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body close to his before pressing his lips to hers. They stood there in the fading light beside the river lost in each others kisses for a long while. The breeze whipped Liza's skirts against Ty's legs and the sound or the flowing water filled their ears.

"I have a sudden urge to stay in Bakerstown," Ty admitted gruffly as he pulled his lips from hers.

Liza clung to him to maintain her balance and nodded, "I do as well," she replied, "There is an empty schoolhouse just outside of town with no teacher to fill it.."

"Yes, but what job is there for a lawman around here?" Ty questioned, "I would have to be able to work to help support my wife and children." Liza's face fell, "You're married?" she demanded and he saw her brown eyes spark with anger and indignation.

Ty chuckled softly and tweaked her nose, "Not yet," he replied with a wink.

She blushed and looked at his chest. Her head was even with his heart and she found herself leaning her ear against it to hear its steady beating, "I think Brody was wanting to quit. You could talk to him about helping you get elected sheriff. If he recommended you then the townsfolk would stand behind you."

Ty swallowed hard, "Are you saying you'll be my wife?"

Liza heard his heart pick up a slightly faster rhythm. She smiled against the thin black fabric of his shirt, " I believe I am."

Ty couldn't believe this. It was fast. Too fast. But he'd be damned if he was going to turn back now! This woman was beautiful. She had that Texan fire that he was finding he liked, her kiss turned his blood to raging lava and her petite, dainty figure made him feel protective and strong. He might be the older brother but he was the smaller of the two. Standing only six feet to Ryder's six and a half and not quite as broad and strong as his brother. However when he held Liza in his arms he felt damn near ten feet tall.

"I better be going now, Liza. I'll talk to Brody first thing in the morning in town."

"I'm gonna miss you, lawman," Liza whispered as she looked up into his eyes.

Ty fought the urge to kiss her again. If he kissed this little vixen again right now he wouldn't stop until he'd made love to her and since they were out in the open with family and ranch hands within yelling distance, he didn't think that would be a good idea.

He pulled away from her, gave her a half smile that promised her so much more to come and then he stuck his hat back on his head and walked away, leaving her standing there with butterflies in her stomach, fire in her blood and a longing in her heart to be with him forever.

***

Ryder walked out of the mercantile the next morning with a brand new pair of socks on his feet and several more new pairs in tucked into his pockets. He headed down the road to the sawmill where he could already hear the owner hard at it as he sawed the many logs into boards for folks to buy. Ryder had heard that the owner was desperate for workers since his two cousins, who had been running the place with him, had moved away.

Ryder walked in and held out his hand to Neil Reed. Neil was a big man. Nearly seven feet tall and built as solid as an oak tree with thick black hair and small dark blue eyes. He had a handlebar mustache and long sideburns and more muscles than Ryder had ever seen on one person.

Neil looked up from the log he was sawing, set the saw aside and wiped his sweat covered brow, "Can I help you?" he asked in a deep booming voice.

Ryder put on his most charming smile and lowered his hand back down, "My name's Ryder Hampton, sir, and I need an employer. I heard tell that you need an employee so the way I see it this is the perfect solution to your, and my, problems."

Neil eyed Ryder with a mixture of curiosity and amusement and crossed his massive arms over his wide chest, "You look fit enough, I reckon, but I've heard about you Ryder Hampton. Mr. Phelps, the fella that owns the saloon you tore up, told me about you. You trashed his place."

Ryder waved his hand dismissively, "I already talked to him this morning and we're the best of friends now. I had some money in my pocket and now my pockets are damn near empty because I gave it all to him to pay for the damages. I even gave him a little extra just so I could get on his good side."

"And now you want me to hire you to fill your pockets back up?"

"Well see, I'm wanting to get married but the woman I love wants a man who has a job and a way to take care of his family. That's where you come in. You give me a job and I give her the reassurance that she needs to know I can take care of her."

Neil ran his hand over one side of his thick mustache and twisted the end between his fingertips, "I don't know...."

Ryder hopped from foot to foot and rubbed his palms on his thighs, "Please? I really need a job and I could get one dealing poker at the saloon but I really don't think my woman would like that...."

"What's going on?"

Ryder recognized Brody's voice behind and turned quickly with a smile, "Good thing you're here, Brody!" he exclaimed, "I was telling Neil here that I need a job and he doesn't seem sure that I'd be a good choice. Tell him I'm a good choice, Brody. Tell him."

"You wanna work in the sawmill?" Brody's brow rose slightly, "Ain't you worried you'll get distracted by a termite and cut your hand off?"

Ryder felt a moment of fear for Brody's sanity, "No, of course not. What's so damn interesting about a termite?"

Brody sighed and shook his head, "Not a damn thing." Then Brody turned his attention to Neil, "I'm willing to vouch for him. I think he'd be a good worker for you and if he's not then you can always tell me and I'll shoot him."

Ryder's eyes widened and then he laughed, "You're so funny, Brody!" he exclaimed as he patted the sheriff on the back and Neil watched on with amusement.

Brody narrowed his eyes at Ryder, "I'm not joking. You have to take care of my sister so if you do something to mess up and prove you can't take care of her then I'll shoot you for breaking her heart."

Ryder's face suddenly became serious, "I'll take care of her, Brody. I give you my word on that."

Brody nodded and decided to trust the man's word. He had seen how happy his sister had been yesterday evening when she had finally gotten back home. The smile had still been on her face this morning and she'd been humming, singing and floating on a cloud. Ryder might not be the man Brody would have handpicked for his sister, but then again according to Elizabeth he never would have been completely satisfied with any that came along, but Ryder made Susie happy and what more could Brody ask for?

"I guess you got yourself a job then, Ryder. Get ya some of them leather gloves off the wall and get to trimming down these logs," Neil ordered.

Ryder hooted with excitement and headed into the large sawdust filled building to get to work.

"You really think he'll be okay?" Neil asked as Ryder walked across a log like a balance beam with a saw in his hands.

Brody looped his thumbs through his belt loops, "Yeah, he'll do fine."

Nathan came running up to them and Brody tousled his hair, "You ready to go round up some bad guys?" he asked the boy.

"Sure am. When are you gonna quit like mama wants you to?"

Brody tipped his head in farewell to Neil and led the boy out onto the street, "Just as soon as I can find somebody that wants to take over my job."

"Brody?" a voice called.

Brody turned to see Ty Hampton starting across the dusty street, "I figured you'd be on your way back to Tortulla by now."

"That's actually what I was wanting to talk to you about," Ty replied, taking off his hat and running his hand through his hair. Brody didn't say a word and simply waited on Ty to continue. Ty cleared his throat. "I uh.. I hope I'm not stepping over any boundaries here but I heard tell you were looking to turn in your badge."

"He's getting too old," Nathan agreed as he used his shirt sleeve to polish his own badge.

Brody raised a brow and glanced down at the boy before shaking his head with exasperation and turning his attention back to Ty, "I've almost died a few dozen times and the wife is worried about me. Since I pretty much do whatever she wants, I'm looking to walk away from the sheriff business."

"Well see, I've got the opposite problem," Ty admitted, "I'm looking to get married but I need a job around here in Bakerstown. I've been a lawman for nearly ten years and I'd like to keep being one if I can."

"You want to be sheriff?" Brody asked.

"Yes, sir," Ty replied.

"So you can marry Liza?"

"Uh...." Ty swallowed hard, how did Brody know and just how much did Brody know? What would the war hardened man do to him for the stolen kisses he'd taken from a woman he barely knew?

Brody smiled, but with the rough texture of his skin and the scar on his cheek, the sight was more intimidating than it was friendly, "I don't miss much," Brody informed him, "And I haven't missed the way Liza's been in an unusually good mood the last couple of days since you showed up. I'm a fair hand at math so I figured out that two plus two equaled four."

Ty squared his shoulder, "Guess there's no point denying it. I want to marry Liza and it shocks the hell right outta me but she wants to marry me too. I just gotta find me a job and a place to live."

"You can build ya a place on the ranch if you want."

"No offense, sir, but I'd rather just get a place close to town. Liza wants to get that school up and running and I'd just as soon she wasn't traveling so far to work and back every day."

Brody nodded and watched Nathan drawing shapes in the sand with his toe, "I don't blame ya. Times are dangerous," he agreed, "You give me a few days and I'll get the election scheduled. I'm sure you won't have no problem and you'll be Elizabeth's new favorite person."

"Thanks, Brody," Ty said as he sat his hat back on his head, "You wouldn't happen to know any places around here for sale would ya? I'm not much for construction."

Brody chuckled, "Widow Taylor's place is actually right next to the old schoolhouse. She's getting up in years and wanting to move to Austin to live with her daughter. I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to ya."

Ty held out his hand, "Thanks again."

Brody shook his offered hand and shrugged nonchalantly, "Don't mention it," he replied, "If ya want to pay me back you could just keep it to yourself that I said I do whatever the wife tells me. I have an image as being a cold, hard hearted, jackass to uphold."

Ty grinned, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Pa's lying," Nathan flashed a mischievous grin, "Everybody knows that mama is the boss."