A Cowboy's Temptation, page 12
Now she’d never have the chance.
Darn it, why hadn’t she thought of the consequences before giving herself to him?
“Here it is,” he said, walking up to the first cabin. She felt his stare as he held the door open for her.
Katie’s gaze was riveted on the open doorway. At the back of the cabin she saw the narrow bed with the patchwork quilt and gulped. That would be their bed. She pressed her lips together to keep her heart from leaping out. Then, knowing she couldn’t delay it forever, stepped inside.
It didn’t take more than a quick look around to know what he’d done. She spun on her heel.
He shrugged. “I figured you might feel better in the bunkhouse Jillian prepared for you. Neither of us planned this marriage and until we’re both more comfortable with it, I thought this might be best.”
Gratitude and relief overwhelmed her. “I thought... I thought you’d—”
His blue eyes hardened. “I won’t force myself on you, ever. You never have to worry about that.”
Katie pulled out a chair, sank into it. “I thought you’d insist I stay with you.” Relief made her dizzy. “Thank you. Thank you for giving me some time. I realize you don’t have to.”
“I didn’t have to take you in the back of a wagon either, but I did. This seems the least I can do.” He set her bag down. “I’ll give you a few minutes. My bunkhouse is the next one over, just knock when you’re ready.”
Katie buried her face in her hands. He’d pushed her into marriage but he wasn’t going to push anything more on her. For now at least, she only had to worry about telling her sister she was married. Katie’s fingers dragged down her face. Only, she scoffed. As though uttering the words wouldn’t be the hardest thing Katie had ever done.
Next door she heard Scott shuffle about, heard water splashing. He was washing up for supper. She needed to do the same. Coming to her feet, Katie took a closer look at her temporary home.
It wasn’t a large bunkhouse but it was furnished with all the necessities. The bed, a small table and two chairs. A few cupboards and a narrow dresser. A black stove and pipe chimney in the middle of the room for warmth. Along the back wall over the bed an oil lamp hung from a nail next to a small shelf, which held a few books.
The window had been opened and fresh mountain air tumbled in. On top of the dresser lay a porcelain bowl and pitcher of water, fresh towels stacked beside it. A vase of white daisies, the same Silver had picked for her bouquet, had been placed on the small table. She hadn’t noticed it when she’d sat down. It was a wonder she hadn’t knocked it to the floor with her elbow.
Katie brought one of the tender blooms to her nose. It had been sweet of Jillian to think of flowers. And she had seemed happy to see Katie again. There hadn’t been any scorn or disappointment in her expression. Yet.
She gave the daisy a last sniff and slipped it back into the vase. By the end of the evening her sister would know the truth and then Katie would learn if the last two years had truly changed anything between them.
After washing her hands and face, Katie brushed out her hair and pulled out a creased but clean dress from her carpetbag. There was little she could do about the wrinkles but simply wearing clothes not layered in dust made her feel better. If she were going to face judgment at least she wouldn’t do so looking like a ragamuffin.
Figuring to leave her unpacking until later and not wanting anyone waiting on her for their supper, Katie slipped from her cabin and closed the short distance to Scott’s. Behind his door, his boots tapped the wood floor as he moved about. She couldn’t hear water splashing any longer. Was he done washing? Had he shaved? Was he changing his shirt?
An image of him wearing only pants and boots, his wide, muscular chest uncovered as he skimmed a razor over his cheek sucked all the breath from her lungs. The sun was starting its descent behind the mountain peaks but suddenly it felt like the heat of the day was upon her. With both hands, Katie fanned her heated cheeks and neck.
Scott chose that unfortunate moment to open his door.
His brow creased. “Are you all right?”
Dandy. Especially with embarrassment adding another layer of heat to her face. Combined with her sunburn she must look like an over-ripe tomato. And there he stood, skin looking like spun gold. His hairline was damp from his recent washing and he’d combed his chocolate-brown hair. A grey chambray shirt replaced the blue one he’d worn earlier. The sleeves were rolled to the elbows and displayed his corded forearms. He’d left three buttons open at his collar, tempting Katie with the dusting of dark hair poking through. She remembered exactly how it had felt between her fingers. Under her lips.
Clearing her throat, she answered, “I’m fine. I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long.”
He took in her simple cream-colored dress with the lace-trimmed sleeves that fell to her elbow. She’d chosen to pack this one as the cinched waist and snug bodice accentuated her curves. Seeing a hint of red under the gold of his cheeks confirmed he’d noticed.
“We should go.” Katie was first to speak.
“Yeah,” Scott agreed.
In silence, they retraced their earlier steps to the house. He didn’t offer his arm but his hand was warm and firm on the small of her back when she climbed the stairs. Skirting around her, he opened the door.
Katie stepped into the small, but welcoming home. Immediately before her were the stairs that led up to two bedrooms. The parlor on the right was furnished in a way that encouraged lingering and Katie could easily imagine her and Jillian settled on the sofa enjoying tea while engaging in long conversations. The room had none of the fussy trappings of houses in the city and was more welcoming for it.
“Come and join us,” Jillian said from the entryway of the kitchen.
Katie looked from the table where Wade and Annabelle sat—how could the five of them eat so much food—to her sister. Though Jillian smiled, Katie thought she looked pale and tired. A few wisps of her auburn hair had pulled free of her braid and curled softly around her face, making her look more fragile than Katie had ever seen her. Jillian’s hands spread over her lower back as though it hurt. Guilt cloaked Katie. She’d put her heavily pregnant sister through the trouble of preparing a bunkhouse, worrying about their late arrival, and fixing a large meal. And the worst was still to come.
“You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble,” Katie muttered. And no doubt once Jillian learned what had taken place today she’d agree.
“I didn’t.” Jillian replied, some of the pleasure fading from her face. “Annabelle helped, so did Eileen before she went home. Besides, with working men, I’ve gotten used to making plenty and I wasn’t sure if you’d have been fed in—”
Jillian caught herself in time. Clearly she didn’t want Annabelle to know Katie had been in jail.
“When you were in Chico.” She finished, looking somewhere over Katie’s shoulder.
“It looks wonderful, Jillian,” Scott said and ushered Katie further into the room.
“Aunt Katie you get to sit by Uncle Scott,” Annabelle announced.
Before Katie could protest and offer to sit next to her niece instead, Scott pulled out a chair opposite the young girl.
Knowing she had to play a role, at least until Annabelle was in bed, Katie didn’t put up a fuss. Thanking Scott for his chivalry, she took her seat. The smell of sunshine on his shirt drifted over her as he pushed her chair closer. His hand brushed her shoulder. The contact didn’t last longer than a few seconds but she felt it from her scalp to her toes. Seeing the glass of water next to her plate, Katie took a long drink.
“Is it true you were in jail?” Annabelle asked.
Katie choked.
“Annabelle,” Wade reprimanded. “Mind your tongue.”
“Where did you hear such a thing?” Jillian asked her daughter.
Annabelle was no doubt trying to look contrite but the diamonds sparkling in her blue eyes told another story.
She clasped her hands in her lap. “I heard it at school.”
“You don’t need to repeat everything you hear at school, Button,” Wade chided.
“I know, Papa.”
Jillian dropped into her place at the opposite end of the table from her husband. “It still amazes me how fast gossip spreads in a small town.” Green eyes much like her own looked to Katie. “You’ll want to remember that. Whatever you do today will spread across town by daybreak tomorrow.”
Such as marrying a stranger I bedded in a wagon in the middle of a rainstorm?
Katie set down her glass before she dropped it. “I’ll try not to get arrested again tomorrow,” she said, making light of her time in jail in an effort to break the serious mood.
It didn’t work. Jillian frowned, settled her hands over her belly as though to protect the babe from the influence of its aunt. Annabelle looked completely enchanted, her eyes wide as though it was a possibility her aunt could return to jail. Wade remained quiet, his attention focused on his wife. Katie had no idea what Scott was doing or thinking as she didn’t have the courage to look at him.
More than likely, he was cursing his bad luck for having been the one to get her from Chico.
And so it begins. Katie hadn’t been in the room more than a few minutes and she’d managed to create strain all around.
Wade was the first to break to the silence. “Well, let’s not just sit here, the food’s getting cold.”
He said grace and platters and bowls were passed around. Despite having no appetite, Katie filled her plate. She didn’t want to further upset her sister by not eating.
“Mama says you’re not a veterinarian like she is.”
Katie speared a bite of beef, swirled it through the rich gravy. “No, I’m not.”
“Don’t you like animals?”
“I suppose. I haven’t really been around them much.”
“Why not?”
Because her father had never offered to take her along when he and Jillian went out. She’d been expected to stay home and keep her mother company. On the rare occasions when Jillian wasn’t accompanying him and she’d asked to go, he’d found excuses. “It’s too late, Katie. Where I’m going isn’t proper for a young lady to go.” Or, the one that hurt the most. “Isn’t there a party you’d rather go to instead?”
Granted she had no interest in being a vet. The thought of blood and intestines... But she’d have loved to spend time with him, to have him show even an ounce of the attention he gave Jillian. To know he cared. After all this time, why did his neglect continue to hurt? Katie looked down at the meat as though it held the answer.
“Annabelle,” Wade’s voice was solemn. “Why don’t you concentrate on your supper instead?”
“No, it’s all right.” Katie banished her troublesome thoughts.
Or she tried. She had a bad feeling she’d never be rid of them completely. Nevertheless, she was through living in the past. It was why she’d come west. Time to start anew.
“I was hoping to get that chance now. Perhaps,” she answered, aware she also had her sister’s undivided attention, “you could show me the ranch animals tomorrow. Seeing as how I’m—” Realizing she’d nearly said she was married to Scott, Katie stiffened. “Well, now that I’m here.” She finished, popping the beef into her mouth.
“I can show you the cows and horses and my pony, Peanut,” Annabelle continued, unaware of both the curious glances being tossed between her parents and Scott’s intense focus on his food. “Then there’s the chickens and—Papa, has Misty had her kittens yet?”
“You’d know better than me, Button, you’re in the barn every five minutes checking on her.” Wade looked at Katie and winked.
At his inclusion, some of the tension left Katie’s throat.
“Misty is the mama cat,” Annabelle rattled on. “She stays in the barn and catches mice. Papa says she’ll be having kittens real soon.”
“I’d like that very much,” Katie answered.
The child was a pistol, full of questions and exuberance. Full of acceptance. She could already see if she wasn’t careful the girl would have her wrapped around her finger in no time.
“You two must have hit rain,” Wade addressed Scott as he helped himself to a second helping of beans. “That piece of canvas you thought to take along was soaked.”
Scott shifted in his seat. “Uh, yeah. The sky opened up not far out of Chico and we had to take shelter in the wagon. It’s one of the reasons we were late.”
“You were caught in a rain storm?” Annabelle’s blue eyes were even bigger than the Montana sky. “Was it fun?”
Scott dropped his fork. It clattered loudly against his plate. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
Instead of picking up the utensil, however, he reached for his water. Katie wondered if anyone else noticed his hand wasn’t steady. Knowing her own wasn’t, she gripped her fork tighter.
“I’m sure it wasn’t enjoyable,” Jillian answered.
While the words weren’t phrased as a question, the look she gave Katie and Scott held a bucket full.
Katie dared a look at her husband. A deep flush was rising up his throat. In contrast she could feel the color drain from hers. Mercy, if he kept blushing at that rate there’d be no need to tell Wade and Jillian what they’d done. It would be written all over his face.
“I bet it wasn’t near as much fun as being in jail, though, right Aunt Katie?”
“Annabelle.” Wade’s tone snapped through the room loud as a whip.
“I just thought maybe she’d been with real outlaws, is all,” the girl muttered.
Unfortunately, Katie’s mouth responded before her mind could tell her to keep quiet. “Outlaws aren’t any fun, Annabelle. Especially when they’re robbing you.”
Her niece’s gaze whipped to hers. “You were robbed?”
Jillian inhaled so sharply Katie swore she felt the current shift across the table. Katie slid an apologetic grimace Jillian’s way. “I’m sorry. I thought you’d have told her.”
“Why would I tell a ten year-old girl her aunt was robbed?”
Careful, her mind warned before she could make the same mistake. Katie set down her fork. “Because it’s true?” Then feeling her temper rise she added, “And because it wasn’t my fault.”
“Of course it wasn’t.” Wade hurried to reassure.
Katie’s jaw throbbed from clenching it. Why couldn’t it have been Jillian who’d come to her defense? Furthermore, how could getting robbed have possibly been her fault? And, dammit, why wasn’t Scott saying anything?
Strain consumed the room. Like a shadow, it dogged every scrape of fork against plate, every swallow of water. It grew thicker and stronger with each beat of silence, each gaze avoided. Katie was surprised the walls could bear the pressure. She certainly couldn’t for much longer.
Knowing there was no forcing down that last bit of food on her plate, Katie scraped her chair from the table. “I’ll clean up.”
“Oh, but Scott’s not done yet,” Jillian argued.
“Actually, I am.”
He handed Katie his plate. His thank-you would have gone a longer way to making her feel less alone if he’d dared look at her when he’d said it.
“You’re not having seconds?” Wade questioned.
“Sorry, I’m stuffed.”
“But there’s cake for dessert,” Jillian argued.
He shook his head. “Maybe later.”
“Later?”
Scott may as well have spoken in a foreign language for all the sense his refusal seemed to make to Jillian. Then she looked to Katie with a confounded expression that clearly laid the blame for his lack of appetite squarely at her feet. Suddenly not feeling very charitable toward the man who was as deep into this mess as she was, Katie handed him his fork.
“I’m sure a little piece wouldn’t hurt.” She put enough sugar into her smile to rot even the healthiest of teeth.
A flash of temper sparked in his blue eyes when he took the fork. Good. If he could be mule headed enough to insist on a wedding, he should be strong enough to act as though nothing were wrong. Act normal, she wanted to scream, so my sister will stop being mad at me.
Wade at least, seemed to understand. As she took his plate he asked, “What did you think of our mountains when you first saw them? I remember when Henry and May Bell Bramble moved to Marietta from Boston. May Bell couldn’t say enough about them.”
Genuine pleasure filled her smile. “They’re stunning. So beautiful they don’t seem real. I was wishing I had someone with me to share the joy.”
“What happened to Randall?” Jillian asked.
Scott’s head came around so fast Katie half expected it to spin completely off his shoulders. “Who’s Randall?” he demanded.
Katie wanted to strangle him. He didn’t speak when she needed him to but now that another man was mentioned he came across as a jealous husband. Well, she’d concede he was indeed her husband but there was little question in Katie’s mind he was jealous. How could he be? They hadn’t even known each other a day yet. Besides, with the way he’d failed to come to her defense thus far this evening, she was beginning to question if he even liked her, let alone cared enough to be jealous.
“I lost Randall in Indiana.”
“Indiana?” Jillian squeaked. “You came from Indiana on your own?”
The “are you crazy?” wasn’t said verbally but Katie heard it clear as the fork ringing against Scott’s plate.
“Who’s Randall?” he asked again.
Exasperated with both, Katie continued to clear dishes while Jillian cut pieces of cake and passed them out on smaller plates. With the dessert dispensed, Jillian poured coffee for the adults.
