Texas Proud (Vincente 2) Read Online Free Page A

would be a
sensation! There isn't a woman in town who can
match your beauty. You could have your pick of
beaus."
    "Try to understand, Delia; I don't want to leave
here. If I sold Broken Spur to Whit, it would be
like selling a part of Papa, and I'll never do that."
    Delia gripped her sister's shoulders and said
heatedly, "Let the dead go, Rachel. I have."
    "Never!"
    Seeing the anger reflected in Rachel's green
eyes, Delia released her hold. Rachel had a fiery
temper to match her red hair, and it wasn't wise
to provoke her not if she was ever going to convince her to sell Broken Spur.
    "How can you even suggest such a thing?" Rachel asked passionately. "I won't rest until Papa's
murderer lies six feet under." She sprang off the
bed and walked to the door, then paced back to
her sister.
    "He's back."
    Delia was puzzled. "Who?"
    "Noble Vincente."

     

Delia leaped from the bed, her heart thundering.
"Noble's home? Are you sure?"
    "Yes. I saw him."
    "I knew he'd come back." A smug smile curved
Delia's lips. "I knew Noble couldn't stay away from
Texas for much longer."
    Rachel studied her sister closely: Delia's eyes
were bright and her face was flushed with excitement. At one time Delia had fancied herself in love
with Noble, and that was the beginning of all the
trouble that had led to their father's death.
    "I could have killed him today. I had him in my
rifle sights, and I just let him ride away."
    Delia gripped Rachel's shoulder and swung her
around so forcefully that Rachel winced in pain.

    "I don't want Noble hurt do you understand
me?" She shook Rachel hard. "Remember that
any scandal that touches this family will ruin
Whit's chances to win the election."
    Rachel pushed her sister away and glared at
her. "You are the last one to worry about scandal
after what happened between you and Noble.
You're fortunate that the gossips didn't find out,
or Whit's political career would be over before it
started."
    "You're cruel to bring up the past, Rachel. I
don't want to think about it."
    "Be warned that when the time is right, I'll bring
Noble Vincente to his knees. Just how I accomplish that is for me to decide." She smiled secretively, suddenly aware that she was baiting her
sister, and worse still, that she was enjoying it. "I
might let Noble live and wound him to the heart.
He always had an eye for a pretty girl maybe
that's the weapon I'll use against him. What do
you think, Delia: am I pretty enough for him?"
    Delia laughed scornfully. "You, pitted against
Noble? I don't think so, little sister. What will you
wear to entice him your usual male attire? Noble wouldn't even notice you as a woman." Her
eyes swept over Rachel. "Besides, you know nothing about a man like Noble, and he surely
wouldn't be interested in someone like you."
    "As I recall, he wasn't too interested in you either." Rachel watched the color drain from her
sister's face. "He smiled at you, flirted a little, and you fell into his arms, giving him everything he
wanted. Noble didn't love you or he would have
married you when he learned you were going to
have his baby."

    Delia lowered her lashes, looking like a
wounded bird. "I made a mistake but I've paid for
it. God knows I've paid and paid."
    Rachel felt a rush of pity for Delia and softened
her tone. "Noble didn't care about you or the baby.
Even now he probably wouldn't even care that you
lost the child."
    "You don't understand; it wasn't his fault."
    Rachel had tired long ago of Delia's defense of
Noble. "You should be thinking about your husband. I don't like Whit much, but at least he married you and made sure that no one knew about
the baby."
    "And you are too quick to condemn Noble for
our father's death, when the law found no evidence that he shot Papa."
    Rachel looked thoughtfully at her sister. "Most
of our friends are convinced that Noble killed
Papa. Fortunately for you, they believed that the
quarrel was over water rights to the