by Jodi Thomas
She didn’t know how to take the compliment, so she answered, “Thank you, Mr. Morgan.”
“Call me by my first name, Callie. We’re married now. Call me Luke.”
She liked his name. “Well, Luke Morgan, I didn’t tell you when we met that it’ll take two months of hard work to round up half my herd once the snow clears. Most of them are out on winter grass and some will need branding, which might be a problem if the ranch hands quit after my stepfather leaves.”
He waited like a man sitting halfway up a mountain waiting for an avalanche to fall.
She kept to the facts. “When my father died, my mother put the ranch in my name. Since she died before I turned eighteen, the court appointed my stepfather as guardian. He threatened to have me committed to an asylum if I tried to take control of the ranch. I was happy to let him run the place as long as he left me alone at a little cottage on the far corner of my property, but his soon-to-be next wife wants me gone.”
“So you found me. I’m now your next of kin.”
“Right. Now he has to leave. But—I’d want it to look like we’re married. I mean really married,” she finished, hoping he wouldn’t ask for details. “If my stepfather thought it was a trick, I’m not sure what he’d do.”
She tried not to think about what would happen if she pushed Howard too far.
“I’ll play my part,” he said finally. “For this to work, we have to have a real marriage.”
“When you leave, I’ll just tell folks you left me. No one will be surprised.” Even if he was a crook and took her for every dime she had before he left, she’d still thank him. She’d still have her land.
He reached across the table and covered her hand with his.
When she jerked, he held firm. “I’ll keep my word, Callie, and when I leave, you paint me as bad as you need to for folks to put the blame on me. It won’t matter to me, but it’ll make life easier for you having to live in this town.”
She nodded and stood, pulling away from his grip. “We’ll need to buy you clothes for this part of the country.”
“And you a dress,” he said as they walked out. “A woman should have a new dress on her wedding day.”
“I don’t wear dresses,” she said. “I spend most of my time working with animals, and dresses get in the way.”
“Would you wear one for me?” he asked politely. “If only for today.”
It was a foolish thing to ask, but she saw no harm. If they were going to have to act married until spring, she could give a little.
They shopped for an hour. She picked out his clothes, and he chose a dress for her. She giggled when he wasn’t sure how to put on a Stetson, and he laughed as she twirled in her new dress.
There was a kindness in his voice that tinkled like wind chimes when he spoke. She could see deep sadness in his gaze when he looked away from her. It was as if he saw no joy in his past or future.
The schoolteacher had been right; he’d had his reason to live knocked clean out of him by a heartless woman. Callie couldn’t help but wonder if he’d cared about anything would he have married her.
“Thank you,” she whispered as he held the door for her.
“You’re welcome,” he answered as if he knew she was thanking him for far more than opening the door.
When they walked back to the wagon, Howard Thornville and the sheriff were waiting for them. Luke might not know who the men were, but his arm slid around her waist, pulling her closer to him. The knowledge that someone wanted to protect her warmed her.
“Arrest this man,” Thornville shouted, waving his finger at Morgan.
The stranger she’d married removed his new hat and shifted slightly to face the man before them wearing both a gun and a star.
Luke faced the sheriff without giving her stepfather a glance. “What crime do I need to be arrested for?”
Callie saw another man within the Luke Morgan she’d married. A stronger man.
“Mr. Thornville says you kidnapped his crazy daughter.” Sheriff Adams looked bored. “He says you’ve probably already taken advantage of her.”
“I married Callie Anne this morning.” Luke’s words shifted slowly to steel. “And I assure you she’s not crazy, and she hasn’t been kidnapped or taken advantage of.” He winked at her as he said the last words and she blushed, which was exactly what he probably wanted her to do.
When he turned back to the sheriff, his voice hardened. “She’s my wife and I’ll not have her disrespected or talked about as if she’s a person who didn’t hear every word you said, Sheriff.”
Howard Thornville swore and moved toward Luke, but Adams stepped between the two men.
“Now calm down, Thornville. I’ll check this out, but if what he’s saying is true about them being married, I’d say she’s no longer your problem.”
“But he married her without asking me?”
The sheriff shrugged. “She looks to be of age and everyone in the county knows you’ve been trying to marry her off for years. So I suggest we get the facts.”
The sheriff tipped his hat to Callie, something he’d never done. “Is this man your husband by law and by choice?”
“He is,” she whispered and felt Luke’s hand close around hers. “I married him for love, Sheriff. Lindsey Baxter and Quentin McCaffree witnessed it.”
“Then I wish you the best, Mrs. Morgan.” He turned and pulled Thornville in his wake. “Sorry to have bothered you folks,” he added over his shoulder.
Luke’s intelligent gaze told her he saw the whole picture and didn’t need to ask more. He took her hand. “We need to do a few things to protect your interests, Sunshine. I think you’re right. Your stepfather does mean you harm. Right about now he’s realizing he’d have to pass through me to get to you, but there are other ways he might try to hurt you.”
She almost hugged Luke. He believed her. Then she giggled. No one had ever called her “Sunshine,” and this man said it like he meant it as an endearment.
They walked across the street to the town’s only bank. Luke showed the banker their marriage certificate then asked that all the ranch funds be transferred to her name.
“You mean both your names?” the banker asked. “We usually put the husband’s name on top, then the wife can sign on the account if the husband says it’s all right.” The banker nodded at Luke. “Knowing women and their little sense for business, you can put a cap on how much she can withdraw.”
“No,” Luke said. “This account is hers. She can do whatever she likes with the money. In fact, from this minute forward, she’ll be the only one making withdrawals. Do I make myself clear?”
The banker straightened and nodded. “Yes, sir, Mr. Morgan.”
That was about the time Callie Anne decided Luke Morgan wasn’t half bad-looking. His strong jaw was set. He’d laced her fingers in his big hand now resting in her lap. Anyone could see he was comforting her as he made all the arrangements. The land and accounts had been in her name since her mother died, with her stepfather as the only one able to sign. At first it had seemed right, since he was her guardian, and later, with her being crazy, no one questioned the fact she couldn’t even draw money on her accounts.
Now, everything had changed.
Luke’s arm brushed lightly around her shoulder when they left the bank. Several people watched them as though expecting her to bolt and run at any moment. They glared at him. He was a stranger and therefore not to be trusted. Even if the folks in town thought Callie Anne was crazy, she was still one of them.
As soon as they were away from the crowd, Callie whispered, “Folks are talking about us. They’re probably wondering where I found you.”
“Do us both a favor and don’t tell them,” he said.
“No one would believe me anyway.”
He stopped and turned her to face him. “I don’t care what people talk about. Nothing in my life was real or like I thought it was. From now on I’m making up who I am. If you want me for a husband then that i
s what I’ll be and call myself lucky for the chance.”
She smiled, deciding he might be the crazy one. “All right. I’ll play along. I’ll be the woman who loves Luke Morgan.”
He smiled. “Only me?”
“Only you.” She saw the need in his eyes then. He was a plain man whose love had been tossed away. Even if they both knew this was far from a real marriage, he needed to feel as if someone, even a crazy woman, cared about him.
Without any thought of the people watching, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers. At first the kiss was hard against his lips and she feared he’d pull away, but after a moment, he softened and let her kiss him.
When she broke the kiss, she smiled up at this stranger she’d married. “The preacher left that part out this morning.”
He looked a little embarrassed that they were kissing in the middle of town, but he didn’t move away. “Thank you for that, Sunshine,” he whispered against her hair.
Hand in hand they went to a lawyer and then to all the stores in town that gave the ranch credit. At each stop he insisted on her picking out something she liked, saying that a bride should have wedding presents even if no one came to the wedding.
By noon the ranch was truly hers, and the buckboard was stuffed with things she’d always wanted to buy. Rocking chairs for the cottage porch. A new set of dishes that all matched. Quilts and sheets and towels that weren’t hand-me-downs from the main house. A huge red clay pot for flowers in the spring and a long mirror framed in walnut daisies.
They spent the afternoon drinking coffee with Quentin in an empty bar until school let out. Then, all three walked over to the schoolhouse so Callie Anne and Luke could say thank you to Lindsey.
Shadows were long by the time he finally said it was time to head home. She’d been hesitating, fearing what she’d have to face at the ranch. Her stepfather knew the game was over; his chance of taking the ranch from her had disappeared.
“Thank you,” she said as Luke helped her up.
“For what?” he asked.
“For the day. I think it’s the best I’ve ever had.”
“Me, too,” he agreed, sliding in beside her on the bench until his leg brushed against hers.
The sheriff caught up with them when Luke collected his trunk from the train station. “You folks be careful,” he said as he walked near. “When I last saw your stepfather he was fighting mad and heading back to the ranch. I told him he’d best be packing, but if I were you two I’d give him a day or two.”
Callie closed her eyes, dreading having to face him. “We’ll do that, but he’ll know we’re going back to the cottage.”
Luke’s fingers brushed her cheek. “Don’t worry. He knows you’re no longer alone.”
“How about I ride out to the ranch headquarters and meet you two in the morning?” Adams looked like he could smell trouble. “Just in case.”
Before Luke could say no, she said, “Thanks, Sheriff, we’ll see you there for breakfast.”
The sheriff nodded.
Luke touched his hat in salute to the sheriff and clicked the team into action.
“Tomorrow,” the sheriff said as he turned away.
For a while, they just rode, watching the shadows grow longer as the road seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon.
“Tell me what you like,” Callie said, more to pass the time. She had no idea what he ate, or how he liked his eggs, or what time he turned in. Did he read by the fire or take baths in the stream? Did he go to church or smoke or write poetry?
Finally, he answered her question with one choice as if the others didn’t matter. “I liked the way you kissed me.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what she’d meant, and she had no idea how to answer him.
Chapter 5
AS he turned in to the ranch, Luke was surprised at the size of the place. From the look of her clothes when they’d married, he expected a dirt-poor spread of worthless ground and thin cattle, not rolling hills of grass with enough buildings nestled in a valley to look like a small town.
Callie leaned closer. “That’s the headquarters with the main house and a bunkhouse beyond. My grandfather started it and my father added on. As folks who worked for us retired, we added the small places along the creek that runs past the main place. We also have three barns. One for only horses and another for the milk cows. My father thought he’d live long enough to have sons who’d run the place, not an only daughter with no interest in ranching.”
Before they could draw any nearer, she directed him off to a small trail a few hundred feet from the entrance. “The cottage where I live is over there in the trees. It was my grandparents’ first place and where my parents lived the first few years they were married.”
“Why’d you move out here?”
“I ran here when my mother died. I felt closer to her in the cottage. My stepfather just left me alone. The cottage was far enough away from him that he could forget about me. He’d send our old housekeeper out to check on me every morning, but Mamie doesn’t help; she just comes to visit and report in to him that I’m still there.”
“You didn’t mind being all alone?”
“I’m not alone.” Callie laughed. “I have my animals—they’ve always kept me company. My father had been a farrier before he married my mom. He not only shoed horses, he doctored them as well. He’d studied to be a veterinarian in England and when a school opened up in Iowa, I thought I’d study to be one, too. I was almost finished when my stepfather told me he would pay no more money to educate a woman too dumb to marry.”
“I’ve read about veterinarians. You must be valued out here.”
She shook her head. “No one will bring their animals to me. Thornville told them all that I torture anything wounded. The one time someone from town did stop by I’d just finished pulling a colt from a dying mare. The man saw me covered in blood and believed all he’d heard.”
“But you have patients?” he asked.
“Ones I find, mostly. Now and then one of the cowhands on the ranch will bring me an animal they’ve found who’s hurting. I don’t think they believe the lies my stepfather tells. I’ve even healed a few of their horses when my stepfather would have put them down.”
Luke followed the directions she gave without saying a word. He wanted to believe her, but the wounds left by the last woman he’d trusted were still too raw.
He didn’t miss the effort she seemed to be making to act as if nothing were wrong, but since they’d passed the main gate, she’d been watching for movement or strange noises. She expected her stepfather to be waiting for her.
“Did he ever beat you?” Luke asked.
“Who?”
“Thornville.”
She shook her head. “When he first married my mother, he didn’t even notice I was around most of the time. We didn’t have enough in common to bother speaking to each other. After she died, I made sure I was invisible. Now, I go up to the main house with Mamie once a week to clean. My momma would have liked her house kept in order. She and my grandmother both loved the main house. If I didn’t help the old housekeeper, I think Howard would fire Mamie and get another. We have an unspoken agreement. When I’m there he stays away. If I need to say something to him, I have to go over to the bunkhouse or the barn to talk to him.”
She stared at the cottage ahead of them. “He used to make fun of me in front of the hands. When I was younger, he’d laugh at how awkward or stupid I was. When I got older, he kidded me about being crazy. Even introduced me to new hired hands as ‘my wife’s crazy daughter.’ I think he just wanted me gone, and the more I avoided him, the easier I was to forget.”
A movement in the sundown light between them and the outline of the cottage porch drew Luke’s attention, and every muscle tightened.
Callie patted his leg. “It’s only Domino. I call him Dom for short. He thinks he’s the castle guard even if he does have only one leg.” She raised her hand and a prairie haw
k landed awkwardly on her arm. “Domino, meet my new husband.”
The hawk didn’t look the least interested and flew away.
“He likes you,” she said, but Luke seriously doubted it.
As he climbed down, Callie walked across the porch and opened the door to her cottage. A fox darted out, brushing her skirts as he passed. “That’s Checkers; he roams the night.”
Luke carried in two of the boxes they’d bought. “Are we living with many more board games?”
She didn’t have to answer. He could hear the birds as he stepped over the threshold. A lazy old cat, with a multicolored coat, rose from the rug by the cold fireplace and looked at him as if she were angry that someone hadn’t lit the fire.
“Don’t mind Marble.” Callie laughed. “She thinks she lives here all alone. She was here before the crowd came.”
As his new wife lit the lamps, Luke realized this cottage wasn’t like anywhere he’d ever seen. Colorful quilts covered the walls, and beautiful, hand-carved furniture circled the main room. A huge loom framed one wall with lines of earth-tone thread stretched tight. A mammoth fireplace stood along the opposite wall made of smooth stones with holes and shelves built in all the way to the twenty-foot ceiling. The windows were built high and placed so that light would crisscross the room in morning and evening.
“This is beautiful,” he whispered, almost feeling like he was in a church.
“My grandfather built it to catch the whole day’s light. In winter I like to quilt and weave.” She smiled at him, obviously proud that he approved of her home. “I’m never alone here. The memory of my family surrounds me and my friends.”
A skunk waddled out from under one of the tables and walked out the front door as if he hadn’t noticed them.
“He’s fixed,” Callie whispered, “but don’t tell him. He still thinks he can make a stink.”
“Don’t talk to the skunk. I’ll make a note of that.” Luke fought down a laugh.
He almost told her of how dark and colorless his world had been for so long, but he didn’t want to see her smile disappear. “I’ll bring everything in from the wagon, while you put it up.”