A Window in Time

by Carolyn Lampman

  “That horse is barely broken to the saddle.”

  “You picked him, not me. Anyway, I think I proved my point. Now will you let me help exercise the horses?”

  “No,” he said flatly.

  “No! Why not?”

  “Because it’s company policy. Nobody but employees of the Central Overland and Pike’s Peak Express Company ride these horses.” Lucas tossed his reins to Billy. “You don’t qualify.”

  “You made that up,” she yelled as he stomped off to the barn. “Darn it, Lucas, come back here... Oooo that man!”

  “He didn’t exactly make it up,” Billy said. “The company put Lucas in charge of the horses. He decides who rides what.”

  “That figures.”

  “How did you manage it?”

  “What, making Lucas mad?” Brianna glared at the barn. “I don’t know. It just seems to come naturally to me.”

  “No, I mean how did you control Franklin?”

  “Oh, that. I charmed him, of course. He’s not unreasonable like some people I know.”

  Billy laughed. “Maybe you could charm Lucas the same way.”

  “I doubt it. The secret is letting the horse get used to you. The more I’m around Lucas the more we irritate each other.”

  “Aw come on, Brianna,” Billy said with a grin. “Petting Franklin might have gotten you on his back, but that’s not what kept you there.”

  Brianna glanced at him in surprise. Billy had never called her by name before. For that matter, it was the first time they’d carried on a decent conversation. “Actually, it wasn’t so much a matter of controlling him as figuring out what he wanted to do,” she admitted. “He’s trained to run, so I let him.”

  “And?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Not quite. I saw you give him something.”

  “Oh, you mean the sugar lump.”

  “Sugar?”

  Brianna nodded and reached into her pocket for the last lump. “Horses love it. I’ve never seen one yet that didn’t have a sweet-tooth.”

  “I’ll be damned.”

  “Don’t tell Lucas,” she said as Franklin accepted the sugar eagerly. “He’d probably say I cheated.”

  Billy grinned. “Don’t guess it will hurt to keep him guessing a bit. I’ll put Franklin away if you want.”

  “Why thank you, Billy, and thanks for letting me borrow your boots.”

  “Happy to. It was a pure pleasure to see you get the best of that ornery old cuss.”

  Brianna wondered if he was referring to Franklin or Lucas. Not that it mattered, she thought with a wry smile. It was an apt description for both.

  In spite of her altercation with Lucas, Brianna was fairly pleased with herself as she turned toward the cabin. She might not have accomplished what she set out to do, but it looked as though she’d finally broken the ice with Billy.

  Her theory was proven correct when Billy returned from his hunting trip several hours later. With eager pride, he handed Brianna the skinned, gutted carcasses of two jackrabbits. Somehow, she managed to hide her instinctive recoil and accepted them as the valuable gift they were meant to be.

  Cut up, liberally coated with flour, and fried like chicken, the fresh meat was a welcome change at supper. Though Brianna was a bit skeptical, she was pleasantly surprised by the taste, and was soon eating as enthusiastically as the men. As far as food went it was a very successful meal.

  Billy was so completely different, it was like meeting a new person. Though he didn’t exactly chatter, Brianna found him surprisingly good company. It was just as well, for Lucas didn’t utter a word during the entire meal. Every time Brianna looked his way he was glowering at his plate. He ignored her so pointedly that Brianna had to fight the urge to hit him. By the end of the meal she was ready to give him a piece of her mind in no uncertain terms.

  As usual, Lucas didn’t cooperate. The minute supper was over, he stalked outside and stayed there until long after Brianna put out the light and went to bed. Usually she was asleep minutes after she slipped beneath the blankets, but tonight was different. The hot, muggy weather coupled with her irritation at Lucas kept her wide-awake. Even the bright fullness of the moon worked against her. It was like having a streetlight shining in the window.

  Brianna was still wide-awake when Lucas came in at last. She feigned sleep, watching him beneath lowered lashes as he moved around the small cabin. When he paused in front of the open window and glanced her way, she closed her eyes, afraid he’d see she wasn’t really asleep. As she lay there listening to his movements, she realized his hair had been gleaming unnaturally in the moonlight almost as though it were wet. Wet? Of course, he’d been swimming!

  Suddenly she was twice as hot and sticky as she’d been before. The thought of visiting the river immediately took possession of her mind, and she could almost feel the cool water caressing her body. With the stage and Seth both coming in she’d probably miss her chance tomorrow. That would mean she’d have to wait until Billy came again. Six days without a bath? Brianna couldn’t bear the thought.

  If Lucas could do it at night, why couldn’t she? With a full moon shining outside, it was almost as bright as daylight. The sounds across the room ceased and Brianna cautiously opened her eyes. Expecting to find Lucas safely tucked into bed, she nearly choked on her surprise. He was standing there, stark naked, gazing out the window at something that had drawn his attention.

  Moonbeams bathed his body in silver, the cool light blurring lines, softening curves and hiding nothing. He looked like Michelangelo’s statue of David, every inch of him superbly muscled and beautifully male. If there was a speck of softness or a hint of flab Brianna couldn’t see it.

  She had no idea how long she lay there staring at him in unabashed admiration, only that she couldn’t have torn her eyes away if she wanted to. Suddenly, almost as if he sensed Brianna’s gaze upon him, Lucas turned his head and looked straight at her.

  Brianna slammed her eyes shut in mortified embarrassment. Had he seen her spying on him clear across the room, or was the moonlight too dim for him to tell? Minutes ticked by, absolute silence filled the cabin. Brianna could feel the heat in her face. Though she knew it was ridiculous, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was glowing in the dark.

  Hoping to fool him into thinking she’d been asleep the whole time, Brianna shifted slightly and mumbled a few unintelligible syllables. A long moment passed, then she heard the quiet rustle of blankets and a deep sigh. She cautiously peeked through her lashes and found him settling comfortably into bed.

  Hardly daring to breathe, Brianna lay there until the sound of soft snores finally came from the other bed. She waited another half an hour just to make sure he was asleep before quietly gathering her things and creeping silently out of the cabin.

  The cold water of the river was just as refreshing as she had anticipated. Unfortunately, it did nothing to cool the heat that filled her with restless energy. No matter how many times she swam across the pool and back, she couldn’t erase the image of Lucas in the moonlight or deny the affect it had on her.

  Brianna didn’t know which was worse, the memory of that gorgeous body and the knowledge that every night he slept less than ten feet from her, gloriously naked beneath his blankets, or the realization that he disliked her more with every day that passed.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Are you finished?” Brianna asked Billy as he sopped up the last of his gravy with part of a biscuit.

  He looked up from his breakfast in surprise. “I guess so.”

  “Then let me get that out of your way.” She whisked his plate off the table, leaving him with a half-eaten biscuit in his hand and an astonished expression on his face. Brianna didn’t seem to notice as she started washing the dishes.

  “Is something wrong?” Billy asked.

  “No, I just need to get some things done this morning.”

  Like pack to leave, Lucas thought with a strange tightening in his chest. “Are you going
to be ready by the time the stage gets here?”

  Brianna gave him a startled glance. “I—I hope to be. How did you know what I was planning?”

  “It wasn’t too hard to figure out.”

  “And you don’t mind?”

  “None of my business what you do,” he said scooting his chair back. “I’ll be in the barn.”

  Billy watched Lucas stomp out the door then glanced at Brianna curiously. “What’s going on?”

  “How in heaven’s name should I know? That man thrives on confusing me. What are you grinning about?”

  “I was just thinking, he said almost the same thing about you.”

  “Oh, he did, did he? Well, I’m sure I couldn’t care less what Lucas Daniels says,” she lied.

  Billy’s grin widened. “He said that, too.”

  “Hmph. Don’t you have to go write to Seth or something?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” he said with a chuckle as he polished off his biscuit and headed out the door.

  “Men!” she muttered to herself plunging her hands back into her dishwater. At least Lucas had approved her plan. She’d been a little worried about how he’d react after he refused to let her ride any of the horses. The supplies did belong to the company, after all.

  As soon as the dishes were done, she set to work with a vengeance. For the dozenth time she wished she had some eggs and milk. It seemed like every recipe she wanted to use called for one or both. Even Anna’s cookbook depended heavily on them. Well, one thing she’d learned to do since she’d been here was to improvise. Cinnamon rolls were beyond her, but with a little ingenuity and some sugar, her biscuits should serve the same purpose.

  Brianna was just putting the finishing touches on a plate full of biscuits when she heard the telltale rumble of the stage. She smoothed her apron over her skirt, and patted her hair to make sure it was still tucked securely into the French braid. Then she picked up her biscuits and stepped outside to greet the passengers.

  This time the stage carried only men. They acted pleasantly surprised to see her and her sugar-topped biscuits. It wasn’t long before Brianna’s cup was satisfyingly heavy and the plate nearly empty. On a whim, she picked up a biscuit, poured a cup of water, and intercepted the stage driver on his way back from the outhouse.

  “You look like you could use a bite to eat,” she said with a smile.

  “Why, thank you, ma’am.” He accepted the food with a pleased grin. “Mighty kind of you.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “Is your trunk ready to load?”

  “What?”

  “Lucas said you’d be taking a trunk.”

  “Taking it where?” she asked in bewilderment.

  “Why, to St. Joe, of course” he said, taking a bite of his biscuit. “At least that’s where he bought your ticket for.”

  “He bought me a ticket?”

  “Yep. This is awful good, Mrs. Daniels.”

  “Hmm?” She gave him a distracted glance. “Oh...thank you. Would you excuse me? I need to have a word with Lucas.”

  “Sure thing. We’ll be leaving in about five minutes.”

  Brianna barely heard him as she stalked over to where Lucas was changing the teams. “You don’t waste any time getting even, do you?”

  “Getting even?”

  “Don’t play stupid with me, Lucas. You couldn’t stand the thought of me being right, could you? I proved you wrong, and suddenly the deal we made means nothing.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “In spite of what you think, you don’t own me. I’ll go where I want, when I want, and it just so happens I don’t want to go to St. Joseph.”

  “That’s just the end of the line. You can get a stage anywhere you want from there. I paid extra so you can transfer.”

  “You don’t get it, do you? Open your ears, Lucas. I’m staying! I don’t care if this is 1860, your chauvinistic attitude is straight out of the dark ages, and I’m sick to death of it. We had a deal and you’re sticking with it if I have to shove it down your throat. I’m not leaving just because I proved you wrong by riding that damn horse yesterday.”

  “What’s that got to do with you leaving?”

  “You tell me. You’re the one that’s sending me away.”

  “What gave you that idea?”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she said sarcastically. “Maybe because you bought me a ticket on the stage. Damn it, Lucas, you didn’t even have the decency to tell me yourself. Y-you left it up to the d-driver!” To Brianna’s horror her eyes filled with tears and her voice quavered alarmingly.

  “Brianna...” Lucas took an involuntary step toward her. “I bought you a ticket because I thought you wanted to leave.”

  She swiped angrily at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Well, I don’t.”

  “Then why were you so anxious to get rid of us after breakfast?”

  “So I could get my biscuits baked before the stage got here.”

  “Biscuits?” He glanced over at the group near the cabin.

  “Yes, and they went over just like I hoped they would. I haven’t counted the money yet, but I’m sure there’s enough to pay you for supplies and still have some profit left.”

  “That’s what this is all about?”

  “Of course, what did you think?”

  “That you had finally had enough and decided to leave.”

  “Wishful thinking on your part,” she said with a toss of her head. “Don’t worry, if I decide to leave you’ll be the first to know.”

  Watching her flounce off toward the group near the cabin, Lucas had the absurd desire to laugh. He was right back where he started. Brianna was still an unwanted burden, one he wasn’t likely to get rid of any time soon. The black mood he’d been in all morning suddenly lifted, and he turned back to the horses with a smile.

  Brianna was still fuming when the stage pulled out. The nerve of that man. Trying to get rid of her that way, and then acting like he’d misunderstood her intentions. It was enough to make anybody see red. Brianna slammed around the cabin straightening up, doing her best to hang on to her anger. It was difficult when she kept remembering the expression on his face when she’d almost burst into tears. He’d looked as upset as she felt.

  Of course, Lucas had been overly touchy all day. He’d left the breakfast table in such a hurry, he’d forgotten to put on his vest. As she picked the garment off the back of his chair, an image of his body covered with nothing but moonlight invaded her thoughts. Irritated with herself, she pushed the enticing picture away and dropped the vest on his bunk.

  It slid from the bed and hit the floor with a clunk. At the unexpected sound, Brianna looked back in surprise. As she bent to pick up the vest the glint of metal caught her eye. His watch fob, of course. How silly.

  Afraid the watch might have been damaged when it hit the floor, Brianna reached into the pocket and pulled it out. For a long moment she stared at it in shock. She’d seen that intricately carved horse head more times than she could count.

  The gold watch in her hand was her Uncle Todd’s most prized possession; he’d carried it as long as Brianna could remember. As a youngster he’d found it in the bottom of an old trunk his grandmother had stored in her attic.

  Brianna released the catch with her thumbnail. If there had been a shadow of doubt in her mind, it disappeared the second she saw the familiar inscription inside the cover. “To Lucas, my one and only love. Marie.”

  Brianna felt sick to her stomach. Lucas was her great-great grandfather. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how badly she wanted it not to be true.

  “Ah, you found it.” Lucas’s voice startled her as he walked up beside her. “I couldn’t remember where I took my vest off this morning.”

  “You left it on the back of your chair.”

  “It’s so blamed hot I didn’t even notice I wasn’t wearing it.”

  Brianna snapped the cover shut and slipped the watch back into the pocket before h
anding the vest to him. “Who’s Marie?” she asked, telling herself it was curiosity not jealousy that prompted the question. After all, her entire family had speculated about it as long as she could remember.

  The muscles in his jaw flexed as he put the vest on. “Someone I used to know.”

  “No kidding,” Brianna said sarcastically then sighed. “It’s none of my business, right?”

  He didn’t answer, just pulled the watch out of his pocket, flicked it open, and stared down at the inscription silently.

  “Look, I’m sorry I asked.”

  “She was my betrothed,” he said heavily. “I carry this watch to remember her.”

  “Oh, Lucas, I’m sorry.”

  “Me too.”

  “How did she die?” Brianna asked softly.

  “She didn’t. Marie married my cousin Charles two weeks after my grandfather finally took my advice and made Charles his heir instead of me. Poor Charles never knew it was Grandad’s fortune and the family business she was after.” Lucas closed the watch and slid it into the watch pocket of his vest. “As long as I look at this watch a dozen times a day, I’m in no danger of forgetting what deceitful creatures women really are.”

  “Not all of us,” Brianna said, stung by his cynicism.

  “Oh, no?” He met her eyes squarely. “Can you swear to me you’ve been completely honest with me?”

  “I-I...”

  Lucas gave her a scathing look. “Don’t bother. I read your letters, or should I say your sad little tales of woe?”

  “Letters?”

  “Did you think I was so stupid I wouldn’t know the difference?”

  “Rider coming in,” Billy called from outside.

  “Be right there,” Lucas yelled back. Then he pinned Brianna with an accusing stare. “I’ve never met a woman I could trust,” he said, heading toward the door. “Lying comes so naturally to your sex, you don’t even realize you’re doing it.”

  Stunned by his revelations, Brianna followed more slowly. No wonder Lucas was so difficult. He’d obviously loved Marie. It wasn’t surprising her perfidy had soured him on women. But to think all of them were the same?

  Seth was just coming into the yard as Brianna stepped through the door. Passing the mail from one rider to the other was just as exciting to watch the second time, and Brianna wondered if it would ever lose its thrill for her.