by Anna Schmidt
Could he?
This whole business was getting out of hand, and he’d be glad when it was all over and he could just get back to work. The west was changing—and not for the better, as far as Nick was concerned. Fancy dress balls? What next?
He had no choice but to deal with it though. Aidan Campbell might have some thoughts about how best to get his men ready. He’d get to town early when he went to call on Grace and speak to Campbell about the party while she finished her shift.
On Sunday, he asked to borrow the buckboard, filled the back with hay, and had Hattie, the Lombards’ cook, pack a picnic for six. Hopefully, Grace had encouraged Emma to invite someone as her escort for the outing. And with both her roommates matched up, he’d have more time alone with Grace—or at least that was the plan.
But when Nick reached the hotel, it seemed Campbell had other ideas. “Miss Elliott and I were to attend a concert, but that has been canceled,” the hotel manager said. “Therefore, it occurred to me that with all of us scheduled to work the Lombard party, this might be a perfect opportunity to discuss the plans while we all enjoy this lovely afternoon.”
Once again, what could he say? “Sure.”
“Excellent. I’ll meet you at the kitchen exit.” Campbell hurried off, presumably to get his hat.
The last thing Nick had expected was a chaperone. Of course, Grace had insisted on including Emma and Lily, but he suspected they were on his side in this—or at least on the side of romance. Campbell was another matter. The way this day was going, Nick half expected Miss Kaufmann to join them. But then he walked around to the back of the hotel and saw Grace waiting for him, and his disgruntled mood vanished.
She wore a green calico dress, faded from the sun and multiple washings. Her hair was pinned up and under the straw hat she’d worn on the train. She sat alone on the bench outside the kitchen exit, her hands folded in her lap and her face turned up to the sun. Her eyes were closed, and she was so lovely that Nick stopped to stare at her, not wanting to disturb the portrait of serene beauty before him.
Just then, Lily and Emma came bustling out the kitchen door, Lily’s voice carrying across the yard. “Really, Emma, I don’t know what your problem is. Would you rather stay cooped up in that tiny room? You really need to learn how to have some fun. Sometimes you’re as stuffy as Mr.—”
The rest of her sentence froze on her lips as Campbell stepped outside. He was half turned away from the group, giving final instructions to his assistant manager, who hovered just inside the kitchen door, pencil and paper in hand as he scribbled notes and nodded.
“Well, looks like we’re all here except Jake,” Nick said as he approached the group. Grace was standing now, apparently out of respect for the manager’s presence.
“Right here,” Jake called. He spotted the wagon Nick had parked behind the hotel. “A hay ride? Great idea.” Without waiting for the others, he strode over and spread the blankets Nick had brought from the ranch over the piles of straw. He offered his hand first to Emma, then Lily, and finally Grace. “Ladies, your carriage awaits,” he said, then looked at Aidan, apparently realizing for the first time that the hotel manager was part of the outing. “Sir.” He extended his hand to Campbell as well. “Nice you could join us,” he managed.
Nick swallowed a chuckle. If nothing else, this was going to be an interesting afternoon. He walked over to the wagon and prepared to close the flap at the back. “You know, folks, you might all be more comfortable if somebody rode up front with me.” He focused his attention on Grace and, when no one else volunteered, extended his hand to her. “Miss Rogers, would you do me the honor?”
Other than Lily hiding a delighted smile behind a gloved hand and elbowing Jake, no one spoke. Grace hesitated, then allowed Nick to lift her from the wagon. He was tempted to prolong the time spent with his hands nearly encircling her small waist but was keenly aware of Campbell watching.
“The view’s better from up front,” he said, speaking loud enough so that it seemed he was speaking to the whole group.
“I like the view back here just fine,” Jake said, his eyes on Lily.
“Stop that,” she hissed, glancing at their employer. “You’ll get us both sacked.”
Nick had just helped Grace up to the front seat when Aidan cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention.
“I have something to say that may make our venture today a good deal more enjoyable,” he announced.
Grace turned to look back at him, and everyone else gave him their full attention.
“Today, I am simply Aidan. Tomorrow, we will resume the formalities, but whether or not you believe it, a man in my position needs time like this to enjoy the company of charming friends. So, may we all just relax and relish the time we have to be free of responsibility? Jake, that goes for you as well—just friends out for the day, all right?”
Nick glanced at Emma, Lily, and Jake. Their mouths were open, but clearly, they were speechless. “Sounds like a great idea, Aidan.” He climbed aboard and took up the reins. “Lily, you’re in charge of entertainment—singing should it be called for, games, that sort of thing. Jake, you scope out a good place for our picnic, and Emma, you take charge of the food. Aidan, on our way home later, I’d be obliged if you took the reins.”
“You’ve forgotten Grace,” Lily protested.
“Oh yeah—Grace.” Nick pretended to be stymied, then snapped his fingers and grinned. “Grace is our navigator.”
She laughed. “I don’t know the first thing about where this road leads or what might lie beyond the edge of town.”
“Ah, but when we come to a fork in the road, Grace will choose this way or that,” Aidan offered. “We have a plan, so let’s be off.”
If anyone had told Nick it would be Campbell himself who set them all at ease, he would have laughed long and loud. But looking back at the man who had shed his usual morning coat and stiff collar for canvas trousers, a homespun shirt, and suede vest, he realized Aidan Campbell was not at all the prim and prissy man he and the other hands had thought. Beneath the rolled-back sleeves of his shirt, Nick noted muscular forearms, which spoke of physical labor and a man able to defend himself should the need arise.
Once they had left town, Nick turned the team toward the road that led west to Santa Fe. The route was lined with scrub sagebrush and different varieties of cactus. Nick heard Jake working hard to impress Lily with his knowledge of Santa Fe, while Aidan attempted to engage Emma in conversation without much success.
“See that plant?” Nick nudged Grace as he pointed to a low-growing cactus near the edge of the trail.
Grace shuddered. “It looks so prickly. I mean, I would hate to accidentally fall on something like that.”
“How would you feel about eating it?”
She stared at him. “Eat it?”
“It’s called a prickly pear cactus, and most women in these parts know how to make a right fine jelly from the fruit. It’s too sweet for my taste, but most folks like it.”
“What are those ones that look like they have fingers?” Grace asked.
“Cholla—also known as ‘jumping’ cactus.”
“Why jumping?”
“Well now, the cholla is about the meanest, sneakiest cactus in the desert,” Nick explained. “They can grow to eight feet tall, but no matter how small or big they are, they have these needles that seem to jump off them if you so much as touch them with the toe of your boot.”
“Ouch,” Grace said.
“Ouch indeed. Those needles seek moisture—like your skin—and when they find it, the point can curve, locking the needle in place and making it the very devil to remove.” He let that sink in, then added, “On the other hand, the blossoms give us some of the most impressive color you’ll find in a desert, especially in spring.”
She sighed, and for the first time since he’d helped her up to s
it beside him, he realized she had relaxed. “It’s like a different world, so different from Missouri,” she said. “It’s lovely in its own way, isn’t it?”
“In spring when everything is in bloom, it’s pretty special,” he agreed. “Even at this time of year, if we get a solid, soaking rain, you’d be amazed at the color.”
“Have you lived out here your whole life?”
“Most of it. I guess I was somewhere around six or seven when my folks came west.”
“From where?”
He smiled. “My parents were city folks. They came from Philadelphia, and to hear my pa tell the story, they didn’t know the first thing about ranching. But they learned, and taught me and my brothers as well.”
“No sisters?”
“Nope. Ma always said she was outnumbered by Pa and the four of us boys, but I think she liked it just fine.”
“You haven’t told me much about your family,” Grace said.
“My mother died when I was twelve. Pa had some bad years after that and eventually sold the ranch and went to work for the Lombards. He was killed in a stampede when I was seventeen. The Lombards gave me his job, and I stayed.”
“Your brothers?”
“Married and scattered around the country.” He glanced over his shoulder toward the back of the wagon. “Everybody doing all right back there?”
There was a general murmur of agreement before the four passengers returned to the debate they were having about whether or not a mountain lion was the same as a bobcat.
“All I know,” Lily said, “is I would just as soon not see either one.”
Nick chuckled and turned his attention back to the road ahead. “Jake, we’re getting close to chow time, so any time you see a spot…”
“There’s a nice grove of cottonwoods by a stream not too far from here,” Jake replied. “Maybe quarter of an hour if you can get those nags to move a little faster.”
Everyone laughed as Nick snapped the reins and let out a shout that had the team of horses picking up the pace and Grace grasping his arm to steady herself. He looked at her hand clutching his upper arm and then at her. “Shucks, miss, if I’d known holding on would be your reaction, I would have snapped those reins a mile or so earlier.”
Her cheeks turned a most becoming rosy shade. She pulled her hand free, clutching the edge of the wooden seat instead as the wagon swayed from side to side. But the motion of the wagon could not stop her shoulder brushing Nick’s, no matter how hard she tried to keep her distance. Truth be told, since she was smiling, Nick figured she kind of liked it.
* * *
Following Jake’s directions, Nick pulled the wagon off the trail and drove over uncharted desert to the creek and its grove of large shade trees, including one that had fallen so that it rested in the creek. As soon as he pulled to a stop, the others climbed down from the rear. Emma and Lily set about choosing a spot to lay out the food, assuring Aidan they knew how to do a picnic “the Harvey way.” Meanwhile Jake unharnessed the horses so they could drink from the creek and graze. Nick climbed down and held out his arms to Grace. Hesitation played across her face, but then she scooted across the seat and leaned down to place her hands on his shoulders as he took hold of her waist and swung her to the ground.
He wondered what it might be like to dance with her. Must have that goldarned party on my mind, he thought as he released her. She hurried away to help the other women while he decided to give Jake a hand with the horses rather than follow.
“I guess you musta heard about this fandango the Lombards are throwin’,” Jake said as if he’d read Nick’s mind. “You know Lily, Emma, and Grace are working the party, right?” He continued without waiting for an answer. “Wish I could be there. Might be a good chance to steal some time alone with Lily. You thinkin’ about maybe trying to find some time with Grace?”
The man had a way of babbling so much that sometimes Nick didn’t catch every word, but he heard that last bit. “Why would I do that?”
Jake stared at him. “’Cause you’re sweet on her. Everybody knows that. At least for you and her, it’s all on the up and up. If I want to see Lily—”
“We’re just getting better acquainted,” Nick corrected.
Jake shrugged. “Acquainted…courtin’… An apple’s still an apple no matter if it’s red, green, or yellow,” he observed and led the horses to the creek.
Nick fiddled with the harness, keeping his eye on Grace all the while. She was laughing at something Lily had said, her head thrown back, exposing the line of her throat. In spite of his determination to take things slow with Grace, he couldn’t seem to block out the image of trailing a row of kisses from her chin to the place where her dress was closed by too many little buttons.
Get a grip, Hopkins. His attraction to Grace could not be purely physical. She wasn’t the type to take that lightly. She was interesting and smart, and he enjoyed spending time with her, but that was as far as things could go—as far as he could allow them to go, at least until he had something solid he could offer in the way of a future. But he couldn’t deny that the more time he spent with Grace or even just thinking about her, the more flexible his plans became. After all, by the time her contract ended, he’d be that much closer to owning the land he’d picked out closer to Santa Fe. Taking a ride past that land was one of the reasons he’d chosen the route he had today.
Nick was used to girls and women who followed a man’s lead, making sure any dreams they had melded with his. Grace was different. He might have figured out a plan for the future, but then just maybe in her plan, he was the one who didn’t fit.
“Nick, are you coming to eat or not?” Emma stood by the creek, hands on hips. “Wasn’t this whole picnic your idea?”
He grinned at her and waved. “Comin’,” he called back and pretended to make one final check of the wagon before striding across the grass to join the others.
Hattie had outdone herself this time. There was enough food to feed twice their number—tortillas, a variety of relishes, bean salad, pickles, fried chicken, and potatoes wrapped in burlap to protect them. Aidan spread the blankets from the wagon on the bank of the creek while Lily found a private spot to remove her shoes and stockings out of sight of the others. She was now dangling her bare feet in the cool water as she enjoyed her meal. Jake took a seat next to her and clearly was not thrilled when Aidan sat down on Lily’s other side. Emma fussed with the food, urging everyone to come back for seconds and thirds, while Grace perched on a boulder near the others to enjoy her meal.
“May I join you?” Nick could not seem to keep his distance. He could easily have stayed close to Emma, watching over the food to keep any insects or other critters away and making conversation as the two of them ate. But no, he went straight to Grace.
“This rock is hardly large enough for me,” she said, smiling up at him.
“No matter.” He plopped down on the ground next to her.
“Emma, come join us,” she called, motioning for her friend and making room for her on the rock she’d just declared too small for two. She was as skittish as a newborn colt, and yet she kept watching him.
As she chatted away with Emma about the food, he stood and cleared his throat. Both women looked at him. “Seconds, Nick?” Emma asked.
“Thought I’d take a walk.” He focused his gaze on Grace. “Care to join me?” The way he said the words, he knew they came out as more challenge than invitation.
Before Grace could answer, Emma relieved them both of their tin plates. “You two go along. I’ll just wash up these dishes.” She headed for the creek.
“Comin’?” Nick asked, deliberately softening his tone. “I’ve got something I’d like you to see.”
They walked along the bank of the creek without speaking. She lifted her skirts when they caught on a burr or shrub. Once, she stumbled and he reached out to steady her, then
immediately released her.
“You seem pensive, Nick,” she said when the silence between them became uncomfortable.
“Just thinkin’,” he replied. They had come to a place where the creek narrowed and a row of rocks made a path for crossing. He went ahead of her, holding out his hand to make sure she made it safely to the opposite shore. “See that land there?” He pointed to a place in the distance where the mountains rose behind a stretch of open flatland nestled at the base.
She nodded.
“That’s the parcel I aim to own. Got a loan, and I’m making regular payments.”
Her smile was radiant. “Oh, Nick, it’s perfect. I can imagine a house just there in that cove of the foothills, and look how the creek winds all through it. It’s beautiful.”
He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Beautiful.” He took a step nearer and, although her expression sobered, she did not move away. He fingered a strand of her hair that blew in the cool breeze. “Look, Grace, the thing is…well, I’ve been thinkin’ maybe—”
“Are you going to kiss me again?” she asked.
“I was thinking pretty seriously about it. Would that be all right?”
She nodded. “I think I would like that.” She reached up to touch his cheek.
He closed the distance that remained between them, wrapping her in his arms as he lowered his lips to hers. She cupped the back of his neck and closed her eyes, and suddenly, he was having trouble breathing. “Grace,” he whispered as their lips met. So much for keeping things simple.
The first time he kissed her, it had been a shock to them both. This time, they knew what was happening. She’d given permission, and he fully intended to savor the moment. He stroked her closed lips with his tongue. To his surprise, she opened to him. He understood the action was purely instinctive, so he hesitated, giving her a chance to change her mind. But to his delight, her tongue flicked his.
She couldn’t know what she was doing to him, and he pulled back, planting kisses on her cheeks and eyelids in a desperate attempt to maintain some control. Campbell wasn’t that far away, after all, and although they had walked some distance from the others before crossing the winding creek and Nick was fairly certain they could not be seen, he would not compromise Grace’s position.