One Night With a Sweet-Talking Man

by Ana Leigh

  “Just the same, I’m gonna wish on my four-leaf clover he doesn’t leave.”

  “Go over and wake him, honey. We’re ready to eat.”

  Jed was amazed how good his ribs felt, and even managed to pull on his trousers before joining them.

  Caroline had done her usual superb, last-minute preparation of a picnic lunch. As Jed leaned back against a tree, he reflected on how easily she rose to the challenge of anything asked of her. It reminded him of his mother.

  It had been six years since his parents had passed on, and often when he was at sea, on watch during the night, his thoughts would stray to them. He had been out of the country when they had died, and he had missed seeing them laid to rest. And death was such a final ending that if you missed seeing them laid to that final rest, you expected them to walk through the door at any time.

  Deep in thought, he was unaware he was fingering the narrow beaded string bracelet that his mother had given him for luck the first time he went to sea.

  “Why do you wear that?” Garrett asked.

  “I’m sorry; what did you say?” Jed asked, jolted back to the conversation.

  “Why do you wear that bracelet on your wrist?”

  “My mother made it for me.” He held out his wrist for Garrett to have a closer look at it.

  “What does the writing say?”

  “It spells my name: Jedemiah.”

  “How come your mother gave you such a long name?”

  “I guess it was as close to being bibical as my dad would allow.”

  “Why did your mother want a biblical name, Jed?” Caroline asked. “Your brothers don’t have them.”

  “If Mom had her way, her first four sons would have been named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Dad said no way, anymore than he’d allow his sons to be named Bubba or Billy Bob.” He chuckled in memory. “Dad had very strong convictions about some things, but by the time I was born he was willing to make a compromise. Mom liked the name Jeremiah from the Bible. Dad hated Jer, but did like Jed. It would have made me very happy if they’d stopped there, but Mom held firm for an end to the name. My father liked diah ; my mother wanted miah.” So Mom won and they settled on miah. And the compromise resulted in my being christened Jedemiah. A source of endless teasing by my brothers when we were younger.”

  “How come you named me Garrett, Mama?”

  “That was your grandmother’s maiden name before she married your grandfather.”

  “I thought Grandma’s name was Emily. That’s what Granddad always called her.”

  “It was. Garrett was her last name.”

  “Then why did you call it her maiden name? That sounds like it means a girl.”

  “It is: an unmarried girl is referred to as a maiden.”

  “Well, Grandma’s mom and dad had the same last name, and they’re married. I thought if a girl’s not married, she’s called Miss.”

  Caroline grinned. “That, too.”

  “So why are there two different words that mean the same thing? That sure is dumb,” Garrett said with disgust.

  “It sure is, isn’t it?” Her blue eyes sparkled with mirth as they met Jed’s.

  “I guess we should think about packing up and getting back home.”

  CHAPTER

  22

  Early the following morning they all climbed into the buckboard and headed for Napa. Jed told them he needed a few items, not mentioning that a horse for Garrett was among them. It would only start an argument with Caroline. But this was a serious issue with Jed. Garrett would soon be nine years old, and it wasn’t right that he had never sat a saddle. By the time he and his brothers were that age, they could leap short fences and ford shallow streams on horseback, and he only had less than two weeks to teach Garrett how to ride.

  When they reached Napa, they separated. Caroline wanted to shop for a new dress, Nathan had business at the bank, and Garrett chose to accompany Jed.

  “Where are we going, Dad?” he asked.

  “To the livery. It’s the best place to start for what I have in mind.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “I’ll tell you when I’m sure I can get what I want.”

  Burt Thomas, the livery owner, told him of a nearby farmer who had the very size horse he was looking for.

  “Name’s Bill Callahan,” Burt said. “Saw him pass by this morning. If he’s still in town, you’ll most likely find him at the grain store.”

  “Thanks, Burt.”

  “Congratulations on your marriage, Mr. Fraser. Miz Collins is a mighty fine lady. You’re a lucky man.”

  “I think so, too. And the name’s Jed.”

  “So will you be living here, or somewhere else?”

  “I’m a sailor. My ship will be sailing in a couple of weeks.”

  “Heard tell the whole family was moving out.”

  “Who started that rumor?” Jed asked.

  Burt shrugged. “I heard it from Tony, the barber. He claimed Vincent Calhoun was bragging about it last time he came in for a haircut. Said he was buying up Nathan’s property.”

  “Mr. Calhoun is mistaken. In fact, I’m told that it’s Calhoun who is leaving Napa. Nathan Collins is not selling out, and Caroline and Garrett will remain with him while I’m at sea. Now I’d better try and find this Bill Callahan. Nice talking to you, Burt.”

  “If you have any luck, I’ve got an old saddle that would be perfect for what you have in mind. Knew if I held on to it long enough, it would come to some good.”

  Jed joined Garrett and Buffer outside. “Garrett, do you know who Bill Callahan is?”

  “Sure. That’s him loading that wagon in front of the grain store.”

  “I have to talk to him a minute, so don’t wander off.” Jed went over to the tall, thin man, and introduced himself.

  “So you’re the fella what married Miz Caroline,” Callahan said.

  “Yes, I am. And I’m told that you have a pony for sale.”

  “He’s not really a pony, just the runt of the litter. By now he oughta be full grown, but he ain’t.”

  “Is he sickly?” Jed asked.

  “Don’t seem to be. He’s frisky and eats good. Just don’t grow very much.”

  “He sounds like the very thing I’m looking for. I want to get Garrett started on riding. Is the horse gentle?”

  “Oh, yeah. And he don’t shy away from folks at all.”

  “How much are you asking for him?”

  “Well, since he don’t seem to be growing much bigger, I’m only asking twenty-five dollars. I always figured he wouldn’t be good for much more than pulling a plow.”

  “Then you’ve got yourself a sale, Mr. Callahan.”

  “If we’re gonna be neighbors, my name’s Bill.”

  “And mine’s Jed.” The two men shook hands.

  “Well, Jed, my farm’s just a couple miles south of town.”

  “We’ll swing by your place as soon as we finish here in town.”

  Callahan climbed up on the wagon. “Nathan knows where it is. I’ll be expectin’ you.”

  Jed was elated. He went back and bought the saddle and necessary reins from Burt and carried them to the buckboard.

  “What’s the saddle for, Dad?” Garrett asked. “Don’t you like the one we have?”

  “I think we could use another one. Should we see what your mother’s up to?”

  They went to the small boutique in town. When they entered, Caroline was in front of a mirror studying the pale-green dress she had on. His gaze clung to her as the dress tightened across the curve of her breasts as she turned and stretched in an effort to see her back.

  “It looks great from where I’m standing,” he said.

  She swung around in surprise, then with outstretched arms, she twirled around and laughed gaily. “What do you think of it?”

  “Gorgeous, Cinderella,” he said.

  Caroline blushed at the glow of desire in his eyes.

  She felt heated blood surge through he
r and knew it was part of the hold he had on her.

  After all the past lonely years, she liked being openly desirable in his eyes. She was discovering the excitement of being desired by an attractive man, one who made her tremble just by the way he looked at her.

  She shook her head. “I really don’t need a new dress.”

  “Caroline, buy it,” Jed said.

  “But I really…”

  Their gazes clung in an unspoken message, the way they had done at Fraser Keep the night she was playing the piano.

  “Buy the dress, Caroline,” he said softly.

  “All right,” she said to the woman, “I’ll take it.”

  By the time she changed her clothes and went to pay for the gown, Celeste told her that Jed had already paid for it.

  “You are most fortunate to have such a handsome husband, Caroline, and a generous one, too. Ooh, la, la! I should be that lucky.” She started to wrap up a pair of jeweled pumps that matched the dress.

  “I’m not buying the shoes, Celeste.”

  “Your husband bought them,” Celeste said. “And these elbow-length gloves. He has impeccable taste.” She glanced at the ring on Caroline’s finger. “Yes, indeed, chérie. Impeccable taste.”

  “If you don’t mind, Celeste, I’ll pick up the packages when we’re ready to leave town.”

  Once outside, there was no sign of Jed and Garrett. She saw her father just leaving the bank and hurried over to him.

  “Have you seen Jed and Garrett?”

  “Yes, he asked to borrow the buckboard because he had an important errand to run and told me we should finish our shopping and wait for him at the diner.”

  “Are you sure that Garrett’s with him?”

  “Yes, they rode out of here about ten minutes ago. I had to give him directions to Bill Callahan’s farm.”

  “What in the world would he be going there for?”

  “He didn’t volunteer, so I didn’t ask. I try to stay out of people’s personal business.”

  “Since when, you old meddler?” She slipped her arm through his. “We might as well go have a cup of coffee until they get back.”

  An hour later, still waiting at the diner, Caroline wondered, “Why do you suppose they went to Bill Callahan’s farm?”

  “My dear, I haven’t the faintest idea. But I suspect we’ll find out soon, because they’re back.” Nathan nodded toward the door that Garrett had just burst through with his usual enthusiasm.

  Caroline couldn’t help smiling at his trying to contain himself.

  “What is it, honey?” she asked, hugging him when he sat down beside her.

  “Mama, I’m ’bout the luckiest kid in the world. I bet no kid is happier than me.”

  “Aren’t you going to make us happy, too, by telling us what’s making you so happy?”

  “Can’t right now. I promised Dad I wouldn’t say a word ’til after we eat.”

  Caroline looked at Jed, who said, “I bought him a going-away gift. Something to remind him of me while I’m gone.”

  “How sweet. Is that dress you bought me for the same reason?”

  “Just the opposite. The dress is something to remind me of you while I’m gone.”

  “Well, thank you. It was very generous of you.”

  “I hope I have the chance to see you in it again before I leave.” The cocky look in his eyes said more than any words could.

  “Let’s order our lunch and get out of here,” Nathan declared. “I’ve sat here so long in this wooden booth that my rear end is getting sore, and I can’t wait to see what all the mystery is about.

  “It seems like we’ve all been busy this morning. I filled out papers to have the ownership of my property and sawmill transferred into your name, Caroline, with the provision it will pass on to Garrett at your discretion.”

  “Father, why? It’s yours. There was no need for you to do that.”

  “There’s too much talk,” Garrett declared. “Let’s hurry up and eat so we can get out of here.”

  “Too much talk—coming from the world’s greatest nonstop talker?” Caroline teased. “But you’re right, Father, I’m just as curious to find out about this big surprise, so let’s hurry up and finish our meal.”

  Later, as Caroline approached their buckboard, she stared at the buckskin horse tied to the rear of it.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “That’s Runt,” Garrett exclaimed. “Dad bought him for me.”

  “What do we need him for?” she asked.

  “To teach Garrett how to ride a horse, of course.”

  Her annoyed glance reflected her feelings as she climbed into the carriage. “I think you should have discussed it with me before you made such a decision.”

  “It would appear, Jed, my daughter is ready to leave,” Nathan said and sat down beside her.

  “Caroline, where are the packages from the boutique?” Jed asked.

  “I told Celeste we would pick them up when we left town.”

  “I thought I would tie them to Runt’s saddle so they wouldn’t get crushed.”

  “You consider just about everything, Mr. Fraser—except what you should be considering,” she added.

  “Granddad, are they having another fight again?” Garrett asked.

  “We are merely disagreeing. Isn’t that right, Jed?”

  “Seems like a fight to me, if you’re going to sit there looking uppish with your arms folded across your chest all the way back to the house.”

  He climbed in and took the reins, and Garrett sat down next to Jed. Buffer squeezed into the front at Garrett’s feet.

  “Are you sure you feel up to driving?” Nathan asked. “How do your ribs feel?”

  “They’re fine, just a little sore. That hot spring did wonders. I’m glad you thought of it.”

  After a quick stop at the boutique, they headed for home.

  “Will you teach me how to ride right away?” Garrett asked.

  “You have to learn how to take care of a horse before you start thinking about riding one,” Jed advised him. “You begin by being the only one who does anything for him. That will gain his trust. You must see that he’s fed and that there’s water in his trough. You muck out his stall, hose him down, and curry his mane. And you talk to him while you do it.”

  “You mean he’ll understand what I say, just like Buffer does?”

  “Not really. It gets him used to the sound of your voice. A horse isn’t as smart as a dog, Garrett. I don’t think any domesticated animal is, when it comes to being sensitive to human moods and routines.

  “With a horse, it’s total trust. Once that’s established between you, they’ll run until they drop dead if you’re riding them. That’s why it’s essential that you learn the extent of their strength and endurance, so that you don’t abuse that trust.

  “Runt may not be the size of a full-grown horse, but he’ll have the power and heart of one. He’ll want to run, so you have to teach him signals he’ll respond to, Garrett.”

  “What kind of signals?”

  “How to veer right, or left, or straight ahead. When you want him to stop, to go. When you want him to gallop or just trot. It’s all done with the right pressure of your legs and the tension on the reins. That’s the way you talk to them when you’re in the saddle.”

  Awestruck, Garrett asked, “Where’d you learn so much about horses, Dad?”

  “Growing up in Virginia, we had a stable of horses. My parents had seven children and we all rode—your aunt Lissy can handle a horse as well as a man. There were a couple of horses that were used just for plowing, and we’d often race our horses at county fairs.”

  “Did you ever win?”

  “A time or two.”

  “Which one of my uncles is the best rider?” Garrett asked.

  Jed thought for a few moments, then said, “They’re all pretty good, but I guess I’d have to say your uncle Garth. There’s nothing that crazy brother of mine can’t do on a horse. And your unc
le Colt was in General Stuart’s cavalry during the war. There wasn’t a cavalry unit on either side of the war that could equal them.”

  Garrett reached over and patted Jed’s leg. “Bet you can ride as good as any of them, Dad.”

  That’s what he’s always needed, Caroline thought. The anger had slowly eased from her as she’d listened and watched them together. As close as her father and her son were, Jed was bringing to Garrett’s life the precious shared moments between a father and young son. Teaching him skills that a mother would never think to do, would never know how to do.

  And Garrett was absorbing them like they were sustenance.

  She smiled. He had even started to copy Jed’s stance, the way Jed leaned his head when he was engrossed in a conversation. Every day, he absorbed something from Jed that became part of his growth toward manhood.

  He needed the balance of a man’s forthright answers and observations of life, as opposed to her nuanced answers that avoided unpleasantness and hurt feelings. Jed was teaching Garrett how to be a man.

  CHAPTER

  23

  “I bet this feels good on such a hot day, Runt,” Garrett said as he wet down his horse.

  After several days of higher than normal temperatures, they had all come to the river to cool off.

  Nathan grinned as he listened to the young boy talking to the horse. For the past few days, Garrett had cared diligently and devotedly for the horse. Whenever he was missing, they knew he and Buffer could be found in the barn.

  After a refreshing swim, the men lay down to dry off in the sunshine and gave Caroline a chance to protect her modesty while splashing in the water.

  “Dad, I’ve been thinking ’bout something since we came back home,” Garrett said.

  “Uh-huh,” Jed murmured, on the border of dozing off.

  “It’s about Rico.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “If he’s your cousin, how come he’s a different color than the rest of us?”

  “My aunt Elena, who is Rico’s mother, is Spanish, so Rico is a mixture of Spanish and white blood. That’s why he’s darker than us.”

  “Is he my cousin, too, like my other cousins?”

  “He’s actually my cousin, and my brothers’ and Lissy’s cousin.”