A frown crossed her face. "I just want a man who loves me for me."
"I want the same," he said and rolled over, stood, and went to his horse.
They needed to get back before things got out of hand. If he made love to his wife, he feared she would forever have his heart.
Chapter 18
Three mornings later, Daisy screamed when she came out of the root cellar and saw the pan of grease had ignited. How had that happened so fast?
Flames shot up toward the ceiling, and she needed to put it out quickly or the whole place would burn to the ground.
Taking her apron, she tried to beat the fire out, but the material disintegrated. Without thinking, she grabbed the pan handle.
A scream ripped from her throat as the pain seared her. Oh, no, she was going to burn down their little cabin.
All she had hoped to do was surprise her husband with breakfast when he returned from feeding the horses.
"Lee," she screamed, knowing she was out of time to stop this on her own.
The door burst open, and he rushed in, took the potholder and carried the pan outside.
Sinking onto the settee, she cradled her hand and cried, the agony overwhelming her. Fear caused her knees to knock at the realization she almost burned down the cabin.
Now she would have to face him and try to explain what happened. Once again, he wouldn't trust her. And she couldn't blame him. Once again, she had failed.
When he came back in, he glared at her. Now he would yell at her.
"Never walk away from a pan with grease in it."
Sniffing, she nodded. "After I built up the fire on the stove, I ran down into the cellar to find the basket with the eggs and when I came back, the pan was flaming."
"Always gather what you need before you start cooking," he said, taking a deep calming breath. "If the cabin burns down, we're without a home."
"I know," she whimpered.
"Did you burn yourself?"
"Yes," she said, trying not to cry, her hand palpitating with pain.
"Let me see," he said.
Slowly she opened her palm and the sear burns from the skillet marked her skin. Throbbing pain filled her.
"Ouch," he said.
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
From the cabinet, he pulled out a tin and returned with a clean cotton rag.
"Open your hand," he said. Crying, she watched as he gently rubbed the salve over the burn and wrapped her hand in the cotton. Not only had he not yelled at her, but now he cared for her injury.
Would he always be this understanding? This caring? Or would they hate each other eventually? Soon, she must make her decision. Time was running out.
As he gazed at her hand, he sighed. "That's going to hurt for several days."
"I'm sorry. I can't cook and now I can't clean. I'm not much use to you," she said sniffing.
Operating a successful ranch took at least two people, and she wanted to help Lee if she stayed. Not be just a burden.
Her husband sat beside her on the settee and took her into his arms. "You're learning."
With his fingertips, he wiped the tears from her eyes. "We could use a break and I need to get some things in town. Why don't we go into Pagosa this afternoon and eat dinner at the café?"
A weak smile crossed her lips. "We can do that?"
Since she knew they had very little money, she hated to impose and cause him to spend more than they should.
"Yes," he said, smiling at her. "Let me check on the cattle. Several are expecting babies and I don't want a wolf or a coyote to get them. Once I make sure the babies have not arrived then we'll go into town."
Would he let her purchase a few items? Especially, since she needed to work on his shirts and socks.
"That would be really nice. Would it be all right for me to buy some thread while we're there? I'd like to repair some of your shirts."
"Of course," he said and grinned like she agreed to have sex with him. The man could be so easily pleased. The sudden realization she wanted to make him happy left her bewildered.
"Are you hungry?"
"No, my hand is throbbing," she said. "I'll lie down and rest before we go."
This morning scared her, and she needed some time to gather herself before she went into town with him.
"If it doesn't stop hurting, we'll go to the doctor."
"Go do your chores, and then we'll go."
Reluctantly Lee stood and looked at the mess on the stove. "Are you going to be all right?"
"I'll be fine."
With a smile, he walked out the door, and she sat back and considered what happened. He could have yelled and screamed at her, but instead he said you're learning. She could have burned down their home and instead he cared for her burn.
Laying her head back, she thought about the man she married. Her husband kissed like the devil, he was handsome and kind, and why was she still waiting? Why had she not made her mind up about staying with him?
All her life, she dreamed of marrying a rich man. A man who showed her the world, let her buy whatever she wanted, and owned the finest house in Durango. Instead, she married Lee.
Was he what she truly wanted?
An hour later, she changed into one of her finer dresses and was waiting for him to come back, when she heard a horse ride up.
Thinking it was Lee, she ran to the door and flung it open to see her father. Anger filled her at the sight of the man who put her in this precarious position.
"Daisy," her father said, sliding off his stallion.
As he walked toward her, she didn't say a word. She didn't welcome him into their home, she said nothing, but stood to the side as he entered the house.
What did he expect? Shaking with rage, she waited.
"Look, I understand you're angry with me. I've had some time to cool down and think. I'm sorry I forced you to marry. Pack your things and come home with me. We'll figure this out somehow."
Was this what she wanted? Did she want to return home with the man who insisted she say sacred vows to Lee? What about those vows? She was a married woman.
With disdain in his gaze, he glanced around the cabin. "Wow, this is primitive. This is not what you deserve to live in. You're my daughter and you're entitled to so much more."
Odd, he hadn't considered that before now. Why didn't he have the decency to wait until they knew more about Lee? Instead, he rushed her into marriage right that moment. Now he was having second thoughts?
Oh, hell no.
"Nothing happened that day. Nothing. If you had been out in the pasture like you told us, something earth-shattering might have occurred, but when you arrived, I was still an innocent."
Her voice trembled with anger, and she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing she remained a virgin.
"The preacher witnessed you and Lee. He's the biggest gossip in town and I had to do something."
"So you married me off and didn't even think about whether I should know my husband. Momma married off Meg and Fannie and now you did the same to me. I'm still furious with both of you. No, I'm not going home."
Once the words were out, her insides tightened as the realization of what she said was what she wanted. Just this morning, the thought crossed her mind that if she went home, she wouldn't need to learn to cook. She wouldn't almost burn down the cabin. She wouldn't be required to do laundry or any housework. And most of all, she could return to being a spoiled brat.
But was that who she wanted to be?
No, her sister was right. It was time to grow up and while she dreamed of a rich husband, something drew her to Lee. It was possible he was right; they were meant to be together.
"Don't be stubborn, Daisy. You can't mean to continue living in this cabin that smells like something burned."
Oh, that was the wrong thing to say. This morning's cooking disaster was bad enough without her father mentioning it.
"That smell you mention is my attempt at fixing breakfast a
lone for my husband. Yes, I intend to continue living with Lee. You are the one who insisted I marry him. Now I'm committed to staying with him."
The words slipped out of her mouth and yet, they seemed right.
Just then Lee walked in the door. When he saw her father, he stopped and glanced at her.
"Lee, say hello to Papa. He was just leaving."
“Mr. Trippe. How are you?"
"Lee," he said and stared at his daughter. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. A wife's place is with her husband. Tell Momma I said hello."
Her father walked out, his shoulders slumped, a dejected man. Damn, but revenge felt good. Maybe a little too good. Regardless of what happened, he was still her papa, and she loved him.
Chapter 19
Lee walked out of the cabin with Mr. Trippe. He could see the anguish in the man's eyes. Maybe this wasn't the time to talk to him about borrowing his bull, but he was out of time. If he didn't find a bull soon, he would not have the quality of cattle he desired.
"Mr. Trippe."
The man stood by his horse. He looked up, his eyes dazed.
"The reason I went to your house that day was to speak to you about your cattle. To make certain my cattle bloodlines do not become weak, I need to borrow someone's bull. If you would let me exchange bulls with you for a couple of months, I would be grateful."
The man gazed at him, a sneer on his face, his mouth opening with a snarl and then it was like he'd slapped the man.
His rage exploded and he turned on Lee.
"How dare you ask to borrow my bull. You've taken my daughter and now you want me to help your cattle. Hell no. Doubtful even before this all went down, but now, no."
All his attempts wasted on this bastard. "Because I married Daisy, you're refusing to help me make a success of my ranch that would give your daughter the luxury she's accustomed to? Fine. We'll make Whispering Pines work without you. Get the hell off my land."
"She refused to come home with me." The man crawled up on his stallion. "You should know I tried to talk her into coming home. Her mother is crying. We're worried about her, but she told me no. She's not going anywhere."
That shocked Lee. She declined to return home with her father? "All I wanted to do was borrow your bull. Instead, now I'm married to your daughter. Believe me, I got the better deal."
"I should have shot you when I had the chance." Mr. Trippe gazed at the cabin and shook his head. "Our Daisy is living in squander."
Anger rose inside Lee and it was all he could do to keep from screaming at the man to leave. But this was his wife's father, and he had to remain civil.
"You spoiled her. She's a very strong woman and I hate we married under such circumstances. But I'm glad she's with me. Because now she's going to soar. Don't take my word, come back in a few months. And I wouldn't take your damn bull if you gave it to me. We'll make this ranch a success without your help."
Lee turned and walked toward their home, full of rage, and yet his heart was pounding with happiness. Daisy decided to stay with him. When would she tell him?
Chapter 20
Daisy awoke early and noticed Lee no longer lay beside her. Thirty minutes later, he walked into the cabin.
"No breakfast this morning. The clouds are moving in and the air has that damp crispness about it that usually means snow. I'm going to move the cattle in closer. It's probably going to take all day."
Once again, she would be all alone. Late snowstorms were not unheard of in the territory, but normally this time of year, they received a dusting. Nothing like the blizzards in January and February.
"Can I help you?"
"No, I'm going to make certain they have plenty of hay in case we get a spring storm."
That's how her father would handle a storm. All the hands would be moving the cattle. Giving them hay and water.
"I'll fix pork stew for when you come in."
He grinned at her. "How's your hand?"
"Sore, but slowly getting better."
"Be careful," he said and leaned down and kissed her. "A little send off to keep me warm today."
Several times a day he kissed her, and she was glad. Since the day her father had come to visit, things between them seemed more relaxed. More like a real couple.
She smiled at him and watched as he walked out the door. In the last few weeks, they had fallen into a routine with her feeding and caring for the chickens and other chores around the house.
Later that morning, she put on her coat and hurried out to the lean-to to make certain Josephine had plenty of hay and also she wrapped a blanket around her. The air had gotten colder and the sky began to spit tiny flakes of snow.
For the next hour, she carried in wood, stacking it near the stove that heated the little cabin.
Later, she found a recipe he had for green chili stew and went into the cellar and pulled out pork.
For over two hours, the stew bubbled on top of the stove with her checking it every few minutes.
Time for Lee to come home. Darkness would fall early today, and she worried about him being out there alone.
Glancing out the window, the snow had changed and now came down like it was unleashing one more storm before spring. The ground would soon be covered.
Where was her husband? The time had come for him to be home. She wanted the two of them curled up in front of the fire enjoying the warmth.
From her childhood, the memory of her mother pacing the floor, waiting on her father to come home, flashed in her mind, surprising her. She understood this was part of being a rancher's wife.
An hour passed and when she glanced out again, still no sign of Lee as the last rays of the missing sun slowly disappeared.
What if he was injured?
What if his horse was hurt?
How could she sit here in this warm house without knowing if he was all right?
With a sigh, she removed the stew from the fire and pulled out her long johns and put them on under her dress. Taking her hat, she wrapped her head with her scarf and slid on her warmest gloves.
It would be cold. They might need to spend the night outside if something happened to Lee. Knowing wolves and coyotes roamed the hills, she grabbed her pistol, a couple blankets, and a lantern.
Was she crazy?
Yes, but she couldn't let anything happen to Lee. Something was wrong, or he would have been home by now.
As she pulled the door closed behind her, she said a little prayer they both would return.
Dusk seemed like an eerie time when she finished saddling Josephine and rode out of the lean-to. Before she left, she lit the lantern, so that hopefully he would see her coming in the swirling snow.
As she gazed at the fields of white, she realized he could be anywhere. But he moved most of his cattle near the creek.
Facing the wind, she turned her horse in that direction.
"Lee," she called, holding the light high.
The storm howled blowing hard, doing its best to blow out the flame.
"Lee," she yelled every few minutes.
An hour passed, and she worried she would not find her way back to the cabin. The snow fell harder and faster and it covered her tracks almost immediately.
"Lee," she screamed into the ice, cold wind, and she squeezed her toes to keep the blood flowing.
A dark shadow moved up ahead of her. At first, she wasn't certain if it was a man or a bear, his head was down as he walked against the wind pulling his horse.
Knowing ice could form and be slippery for horses, she didn't hurry, but rode toward him.
He saw her and waved.
When she reached him, she jumped down and hugged him. The man was shaking with cold.
"Lee Sackett, what happened?"
"Roxy threw a shoe. We've been walking for nearly four hours."
Half frozen with snow caked all over him, she grabbed one of the blankets and wrapped it around him.
"Are you all right?"
"Cold."
Water was important, and she gave him a drink from her canteen.
"I should fuss at you for coming after me, but I'm so glad you did. Can Josephine hold both of us?"
What if she hadn't come looking for him? What if he walked the rest of the way home?
The urge to embrace him overwhelmed her, and she threw her arms around his shaking body. "Don't ask me how, but I knew something was wrong. You should have been home hours ago."
"That was the plan," he said.
"Yes, Josephine is strong. We'll have to take it slow, but let's get you home."
Grabbing the reins of Roxy, she tied them to the saddle horn and then mounted her horse. After she was on, Lee climbed on behind her.
The feel of him shaking as he held her left her worried. The man was almost frozen.
"The hard part is going to be finding our way back."
"Give Josephine some slack, she knows where the food and water are. She'll take us home."
With the blanket encompassing both of them, he wrapped his arms around her.
"Don't ever do this again," he said.
"What? You just said you were happy to see me."
"Yes, but you got lucky this time."
While he tried to protect her, she knew enough about snowstorms and what to do if caught out in one. She would have been fine.
"If we're going to make this marriage work, we have to be a team. Something told me you needed help. Remember, you said you moved the cattle close to the river, so I headed that direction."
He kissed the side of her neck. "I like the idea of being a team. But the more I think about you wandering out here in the snow, looking for me, scares me."
The man from Texas lectured her on safety while she'd been born and raised in the territory. When it snowed, you learned how to deal with the cold wet stuff. Yes, it could be deadly if you didn't respect the danger.
“This Colorado girl knows the danger. If I had not come along, you would soon be suffering from frostbite. And if you don't stop harassing me for rescuing you, I may give you another type of bite."
The Debutante's Revenge: Western Historical Romance (Debutantes of Durango Book 6) Page 7