by Gold, Ciara
Bryce grabbed hold of her hand and gently pulled. “Runnin’?”
“Bryce, please.” She tried to pull her hand from his grasp. “People are staring.”
“Let ’em. I enjoy your company, and I’d like you to stay. Listenin’ to some good music might be a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon. We don’t have to stay long.”
“I thought you were anxious to get back.” She tried a different tact.
“That was before I realized more entertainment was planned. It’s been years since I had time to waste, and I find I want to waste it with you. Come on. I promise not to scare you with any more talk of stolen kisses.”
“You didn’t scare me.” She gripped the edge of the pew, hoping he would see reason.
“You just suddenly felt the urge to run off.”
“I have work to do.”
“It can wait.”
“You are the most stubborn man I’ve ever met.”
“You’ve said that before, Katy. ’Course, that’s why you like me so much.” He flashed her a wide smile. “It’s my persuasive charm.”
She chose to ignore that particular observation. “Maggie will wonder where we are.”
“Maggie’s busy being courted by Jack. She’s got him takin’ her to her church now and takin’ buggy rides afterwards. She doesn’t have time to worry how you’re spendin’ your time.” Bryce took a deep breath and continued, his voice very persuasive indeed.
“Come on, Katy. Enjoy the day and the music. You work too hard. You deserve this day off.” He laid his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Kaitlin slid back in her seat, accepting his invitation with more grace than she felt. “An hour. We’ll listen for an hour, and then I really do need to attend chores.”
Bryce nodded. Kaitlin looked toward the pulpit, concentrating on the musicians setting up their instruments. Beside her, Charley’s leg jiggled uncontrollably. Kaitlin put her hand upon the child’s thigh to still the annoying movement. Charley shot her a disgruntled glare but stopped wiggling.
The concert began with a violin solo that sparked a chord of loneliness within Kaitlin’s soul. Never before had the feeling been so pronounced, but now, surrounded with a church full of people, those suppressed emotions pushed forward. Bryce could be blamed, for his presence made her desire things she had no business wanting. Home, family, and love had no place in her heart. No—her commitment must remain focused on the movement.
But Bryce made it difficult to remain true to her convictions. His presence sparked ideas that contrasted to those of woman’s suffrage. A secret part of her yearned for a strong male to share her life, to pamper her with romantic words of love. Lately she found herself fantasizing about Bryce.
Bryce slid his arm around the back of the pew, and Kaitlin pretended he did so to get closer to her. If she leaned all the way back, her head would rest upon the crook of his elbow. She kept herself rigid, not daring to even think about such a possibility. Bryce’s other hand rested upon his thigh, tapping lightly to the beat of the music. Across the aisle, she caught Marcy staring at Bryce with unabashed regard. Three aisles over, another group of young ladies gazed his way. Until now, Kaitlin hadn’t realized just how charismatic Bryce appeared to all these women.
He’d just started coming to church with her and, already, the young, unmarried ladies vied for his attention. If any of them had their way, Bryce would be married within a week. To their collective chagrin, Bryce proved choosy with his affections. He’d broken several hearts after only one outing. For some reason, this made him even more popular.
Groaning with frustration, she leaned back, forgetting about the arm draped carelessly behind her. He dropped his hand upon her shoulder and smiled.
“Thanks for stayin’, Katy. This is nice.”
She tensed, unused to such a public display of affection. “Yes. The... the music is very good.”
“Relax. You’re stiff as a board.” He reached out and ruffled Charley’s curls. “Are you enjoyin’ the concert, Charley?”
Charley beamed at him. “Yep. They’re lots better’n Bobby Douglas and Snake Thatcher. Leastwise, it don’t sound so twangy and off key.”
“Perhaps, you’d like to take piano lessons while you’re here,” Kaitlin offered, looking for any topic that might take her mind off of Bryce. “My next-door neighbor has a piano that I feel sure she’d let you come over and use, if you think you’re interested.”
“Naw.” Charley shook her head. “I won’t have no call to learn fancy music if’n I’m gonna own my own cathouse.”
“Cathouse? Did you not understand the Reverend Barker’s sermon on the sins of the flesh?” Kaitlin whispered urgently.
“Sure I did, but since I ain’t baptized in the faith, it don’t pertain to me none.”
Kaitlin closed her eyes in mortification. Charley was going to be harder to reach than she realized. A memory of the private school she’d attended in Boston gave her an idea. Bryce wouldn’t like it, but maybe it would be Charley’s only chance for salvation. A convent owned the school. If she could persuade Bryce to send Charley there, even if only for a year, Charley might be persuaded to change her mind. The daily influence of religion and education surely couldn’t hurt. Charley needed more than either one of them could give her. Kaitlin just had to convince Bryce.
Sixteen
“How was school?” Bryce asked Charley the following afternoon. After his conversation with Pete, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling he’d have to be more active in Charley’s upbringing. He wanted her to have more advantages than young Pete had enjoyed. Perhaps Kaitlin had a point about Charley needing a firmer hand.
“I ain’t going back, and you can’t make me,” she declared, staring out the foggy window at the light falling of snow.
From the kitchen, Kaitlin yelled back, “Aren’t, and you are.”
Bryce smiled. He might have to break his own bad habit of saying ‘ain’t’ if he wanted to help Kaitlin teach Charley. Luckily, he didn’t think he said it too often. “Sounds like your Aunt Katy might have something different to say on the subject.”
“She wants to torture me, Uncle Bryce. I don’t know near as much as kids three years younger than me.” Charley traced a face in the steam-covered glass. “It’s embarrassin’.”
“All the more reason to go to school,” he reasoned.
Kaitlin entered the parlor where they’d found a few pieces of furniture to replace the broken ones. Charley sat slouched in one of the smaller chairs while Bryce stood to one side. Kaitlin gathered the latest dress she’d been working on and slipped into the settee.
“According to Mrs. Stone’s report, Charley disrupted class. She became uncooperative when Mrs. Stone tried to help her with math. I’m hoping tomorrow will prove to be a different story.”
He started to offer Charley a bribe, but caught himself, remembering Kaitlin’s earlier advice. If no bribe, then what?
“I don’t need math to be a madam.” She turned in the chair and folded her arms about her waist, her lips forming a pout.
“Charley, you need math to own your own business, no matter what the business might be, and you need to read well enough to look over contracts,” Katy said, glancing up from stitching the hem.
He was glad Kaitlin hadn’t made a big issue of Charley’s desire to become a madam. He knew from experience too much protest would have just the opposite effect. “Katy’s right, Charley. School’s important. I should’ve made you go back in Brownwood, but well, time kind of got away from me.”
Kaitlin cleared her throat. “Charley, maybe this isn’t the right school for you. I went to a school in Boston that was wonderful. It’s just for girls, and you would make lots of friends.”
“You wanna send me away?” She jumped up.
Bryce frowned. “Charley, I don’t think...”
“I ain’t going. You just wanna send me off to get rid of me. I hate you. I hate you both.” Charley ran from the room, the wooden
soles of her shoes drumming loudly on the stairway as she headed for her room.
Bryce stood to follow, but Kaitlin grabbed his arm. “Going after her will only give her the upper hand. All adolescents try to manipulate their elders.”
“But she thinks I plan to send her away. I can’t have her thinkin’ that way.”
“You can set her right on the matter after she calms down some. Besides, sending her away to school might be the best thing. You don’t have to decide now, but you should give it some honest consideration.” Kaitlin paused, tilting her head to one side as if to study him. He frowned, but waited for her to continue. “You handled her well. You didn’t lecture or yell. You didn’t bribe her.”
Bryce nodded. It had taken effort, but he had tried to implement Kaitlin’s suggestions. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For helping me be a better parent. I...I want Charley to have more advantages from life than she’s had so far.”
“So do I.”
“I think you really mean that, Katy.”
“Of course I mean it. How can you think I wouldn’t want what’s best for Charley?”
Bryce shook his head. She would make a good mother. Charley’s idea didn’t seem so crazy now he had time to think on it. He could almost picture himself married to this prim and proper lady. The seed planted itself in his thoughts, taking root. Kaitlin would be adamantly opposed to the idea. Unless...unless he could convince her otherwise. He stared at her stern features, remembering how she looked in the billowing nightgown with her hair falling loose about her face. Perhaps he should give this thought serious consideration.
He frowned, suddenly remembering the danger Kaitlin faced. Even if he could convince Kaitlin to marry him, she wouldn’t be free to do so until the threats against her person ceased. He needed answers, and he needed them soon. Kaitlin meant more to him than Charley’s aunt, and he wanted to see her safe. Tomorrow, he planned to find out as much as he could, and he knew just where to start. He would investigate the source, the town whose postmark graced most of the canceled letters and threats she’d received to date. He aimed to find out about Sarge and what the man meant to Kaitlin.
Seventeen
“Where did Bryce go?” Kaitlin asked as she noted his absence.
If Charley’s eyes had been six-shooters, Kaitlin would be dead right now. She tore her gaze from Charley’s malevolent glare to look at Maggie. Maggie remained strangely silent.
“Maggie?”
“Oh, my. Looks at da time. Jack’ll be here any minutes now.”
Noting Maggie’s poor language, Kaitlin pointed a finger. “Guilty. You’re guilty of something. Now, spit it out.”
Maggie took a deep breath. “Bryce said he hads an errand that might take him a week or two ta complete.”
“You’re still keeping something from me. Where did Bryce go, Maggie?”
Maggie visibly swallowed. “Oresonville.”
“Oresonville?” Kaitlin sank into a borrowed chair. The parlor still remained devoid of most of its furniture. It would take a while for the two of them to save enough to replace all the items lost.
“He broke his promise and left me.” Charley berated her. “It’s all your fault. You chased him away.”
“He’s not permanently gone, Charley. Don’t be so melodramatic. He’ll be back before the week’s out,” Maggie said, her grammar changing for the better.
Kaitlin ignored them both, too stunned by the notion of Bryce heading for her hometown. Maggie knelt beside her. “Don’t you worry none, hon. He’s just worried about your situation, and you left him no choice. He had no other leads.”
“Worried? Why would he be worried about me? He just can’t stand not knowing all the answers.”
“You could have told him the truth.”
“For what purpose? He doesn’t need to know.”
“Aunt Kate, will his trip to Oresonville be dangerous?”
Charley drew closer, chewing on a nail. Kaitlin looked up at the child, not knowing how she should answer.
“Bryce will be fine. It’s a short ride from here.” She gave Charley what she hoped was a reassuring look. “He should be back in two weeks or less.”
“If the weather holds.” Maggie’s muttered rejoinder caused Kaitlin to shift uneasily.
“Bryce strikes me as a man who knows better than to head out with bad weather approaching. I’m sure he made note of the sky and deemed it safe.” Yet even as she said this, she knew he wasn’t used to the Colorado elements. Where he hailed, they rarely saw blizzard type conditions.
“You just never know when a snowstorm will catch you unawares.”
“Maggie, if you’re trying to scare us, you’re succeeding.” She didn’t need Maggie to remind her of the dangers. Enough guilt rode on her shoulders without Maggie’s nagging.
Charley stamped her foot impatiently. “I wasn’t talking about the weather. I was talking about the bad men. He’s going after the man that keeps threatening you, isn’t he? What if he gets shot?”
“He won’t get shot,” Kaitlin said, but her voice lacked conviction. She shivered, not sure what kind of reception he might get from her father’s men.
Tears trickled down Charley’s face. Kaitlin pulled her into her arms. “I promise, Charley. Nothing bad will happen to Bryce.”
“He’s all I’ve got,” Charley cried.
“No, honey. You’ve got me now and Maggie, and I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you or your uncle.” No matter what occurred, she would make sure her father wouldn’t hurt any of them.
“Run on upstairs and wash your face,” Maggie suggested.
When Charley left, she cornered Kaitlin. “Enough is enough.” Maggie touched her arm, a gesture meant to convey her concern. “You have a powerful amount of hurt locked inside you.”
Kaitlin swallowed hard, knowing she had no defense against Maggie’s sudden attack. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Kaitlin stood and headed for the hallway. Maggie followed, stopping Kaitlin in her tracks.
“Oh yes, you do. Any blind fool can see you have eyes for Bryce, but you’re bound and determined to do everything in your power to make him dislike you. I think you enjoy being a martyr.”
“Maggie, we’ve been friends for a long time, but you’re way out of line here.”
“I’m not finished either. I plan to step right on past that line by the time I’m done. The reason you won’t allow anything to develop between you and Bryce is locked away at the Silver Saddle. My best advice is to go home and make peace with your father. Until you do, you’re going to be miserable for the rest of your life.”
Kaitlin inhaled deeply. “You never did believe in buttering the bread.”
“No. I love you too much.” She gave her a bemused grin. “Besides, I won’t always be here for you. I want to see you taken good care of before I leave.”
“Leave?” Kaitlin’s eyes widened. Maggie meant to leave?
“Jack proposed last night.” The words came in a rush, excitement evident in every syllable. “I know it’s sudden. A week doesn’t seem like enough time, but there’s something special about that man. He’s the one, Kaitlin. He’s the one who sets my world to spinning.”
Kaitlin closed her eyes against the sudden pain ripping through her heart. She should be happy for Maggie, but all she could think about was losing her best friend, her only true companion.
“Ah, Kaitlin. It’s not the end of the world.” Maggie bobbed her head and took both of Kaitlin’s hands in her own. “Be happy for me.”
“I am.” Kaitlin managed a weak smile, noting the glow that radiated from Maggie. Why hadn’t she noticed the change in Maggie earlier? Had she been that absorbed in her own jumbled feelings?
“Well, you could be a little more enthusiastic about it.”
Kaitlin chuckled. Now that she’d absorbed the shock, she discovered a deep joy for her friend. “When’s the happy event?”
“We’re
not rushing anything. I want to make sure you’re going to be fine before tying the knot. I don’t want you to face all those threats alone.”
Kaitlin nodded. Maggie’s announcement and Bryce’s departure left her with only one option. It wasn’t fair to keep Maggie from seeking her happiness. She’d been right all along. Kaitlin had to go home to face her ghosts.
“How soon can you have a mare rented from the livery? I want a gentle mount, mind you.”
“Why?” Maggie’s green gingham dress rustled when she took a step back. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking, if I hurry, I might be able to catch Bryce before he reaches my father.” She glanced at her own frock, thinking she’d have to change into something more practical. “I can pack while you get me a horse.”
“It’s a four-day ride by horse. Bryce won’t be too happy that you didn’t take the train. Shoot, he won’t be pleased that you went by yourself without an escort. He strikes me as old-fashioned that way.”
“And you and I both know that women can take care of themselves when the need arises.” She lifted her chin. “I’ll be fine.”
“Like you’re fine when you get those notes or when folks throw rocks through your window?” Maggie shook a finger at her. “Bryce moved in because you needed help.”
“I didn’t ask Bryce to protect me. I could have handled things just fine without his interference.” Kaitlin folded her arms. “Are you going to help me or not?”
“You’re too stubborn for your own good, but I know you well enough to know that nothing will change your mind. Even so—I’d feel better if you’d take the train.”
“Bryce would have taken his own animal. He’s not all that fond of the train, and besides, the tracks haven’t been completed. I’d still have to get off at Kremmling and rent a horse for the rest of the journey. Granted, I’d be there before Bryce if I took the train, but I think I’d rather ride with him, assuming I can catch up to him.”