Breathless(59)

“No, I don’t, but do you think we’ll find time to be alone before the snow falls? I’m almost at the point of throwing you over my shoulder and riding for the border.”

She laughed. “I’m going to go find Regan. She’s heading up some of the children’s races. I’ll be cheering for you at your events.”

He nodded and she left him in line.

The rodeo events were usually set up the same way every year, so Portia knew where Regan would be. She was happy that James and Ruth seemed to hit it off. As she’d told Kent, she was looking forward to cheering for him and couldn’t wait to see how he’d do.

Regan was in charge of the children’s target shooting contest and as she stood at the fence watching, Edward Salt appeared suddenly at Portia’s side as if by magic.

“Good afternoon, Miss Carmichael.”

“Mr. Salt.” Her disdain for him masked, she kept her eyes trained on the event and clapped along with the crowd when a little girl using a bow placed her arrow in the target’s bull’s-eye.

“I’ve been thinking about you.”

Not in the mood for whatever he had in mind, she asked, “What do you want?”

“You.”

She sighed. “I’m not available.”

“I hear you’re in line to inherit your uncle’s wealth. That makes you quite the heiress. Not many Colored women can claim that.”

She stared at him coldly.

“A man would have to be insane not to want all that you are.”

“Surely you don’t believe I’d have anything to do with you knowing what you’re really after.”

“Oh, I want what’s between your legs, too. Don’t get me wrong.”

Portia walked away, only to have him grab her by the arm. “Little bitch. Don’t you dare walk away when I’m talking to you.”

“Release me,” she snarled. She saw some of the men she’d known most of her life, including host Howard Lane, making their way to her side. Glad for their concern but certain she could handle Salt on her own, she gave the odious snake a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and said softly, “You know, I do like a forceful man.”

Under the praise his grip lessened. She cupped his face and while he grinned, she drove her knee so forcefully into his groin, he screamed. Eyes bulging, he grabbed his privates, fell to his knees, and writhed on the ground, mouth and eyes wide with shock and pain. Those who’d been watching cheered. She curtsied.

Mr. Lane arrived and glanced down at the curled-up moaning Salt. “Came to help, but doesn’t look like you need it.”

“Best I could do without a gun.” She thought back on the times her mother had emerged in the morning with her eyes blackened by a customer’s fist. Portia had vowed never to be similarly victimized. Had she been armed, Salt would be nursing more than bruised privates.

Howard said to the men who’d come with him, “Get him out of here.”

They dragged him to his feet and he croaked, “You’ll pay for this, bitch!”

Howard hit him with a right cross that knocked him out cold. More cheers went up. Lane snapped, “When he wakes up, remind him that we don’t take kindly to varmints threatening our women.”

His toes trailed on the ground as they hauled him off.

Howard asked, “Are you okay, Portia?”

She nodded. She was admittedly shaken when he initially grabbed her, but having defended herself and having enjoyed watching Howard put the final nail in Salt’s coffin, she felt much better.

“Then go get you some ice cream. As I remember that always used to cheer you up.”

Giving him a kiss on his cheek, she set off to do just that.

Later, Portia had plenty to cheer about. Kent made it through the qualifying rounds of the bull riding and would ride for the prize money on the rodeo’s final day. He won second place in the steer-roping contest, and he and Blue came in third in the can race. The event called for riders to pick up tin cans from the ground while their horses ran at full speed. Each ride was timed. Riders were sometimes injured when they lost their balance and tumbled out of their saddles from leaning over too far. From the way he and Blue worked together, it was obvious they’d been in similar contests before. Even though they didn’t place first, both Kent and his mount finished the competition unscathed, and that was a first-place win as far as she was concerned.

After the competitions, she and Kent got food and carried their plates to join her family, along with Matt, Ruth, and James Cordell, on blankets spread out on the grass to enjoy their meals. They caught up on each other’s days and listened to the lively music rolling across the crowded meadow on the wings of the evening breeze.

Kent was worried about his father. Although Oliver hadn’t indicated that his death was imminent, that he hadn’t been up to enjoying the day’s festivities had been on his mind all day. He planned to check on him as soon as they returned to the hotel. In spite of Oliver being in his thoughts he’d managed to enjoyed the Lane rodeo. He hadn’t won any first-place money but by taking second and third place he’d beat out a lot of the others and none of them had sported Portia’s bandana. Seeing it still in place made the day even more special.

They were listening to Regan’s hilarious telling of a goat tangling with a pony during one of the children’s races when a man Kent didn’t know walked up. He did recognize the little lady with him, Matt’s Bonnie Neal. Matt kept his head down as if he was afraid the man had come to shoot him for talking to his daughter.