by Tess Oliver
“Yes, but certainly they have horses in Massachusetts.” Virginia’s laugh was as unmelodious as the tone of her voice.
Charlotte leaned over and, with the ridiculous notion of thinking she was being discreet, whispered something into Virginia’s ear. Virginia’s mouth drew into a tight little bow, and she nodded and shot me a look of forced empathy. It was the first time I’d truly felt uncomfortable in Libby’s house.
Libby grabbed hold of my hand as I turned to leave. Her kind face erased some of the unease I was feeling. “Of course you can pick a carrot. Charlotte and Virginia will be busy with the sewing. Will you help me with supper?”
“Gladly, Libby. I’ll be back soon.”
Chapter 13
Cade
I loped the filly around the round pen trying to concentrate on my task and trying not to get distracted by the day’s events. And, even though I’d very nearly died in a pool of mud today, that was not the event that occupied mind. My true troubles began the moment the girl appeared from nowhere. At that moment, my only thought was to save her from being killed by a bear. Now, my only thoughts were of touching her, kissing her, and possessing her fully. The few moments on the porch, where it seemed her urge touch me was as great as my own, I was both relieved and disappointed that her fingers had not reached up and brushed my bare skin. My control, which had already been tested and pushed to its limits, would have shattered for sure.
Jackson rode toward the round pen. “Whooee,” he yelled, and that was all the tightly wound horse needed.
Her back arched and she shot me straight into the air. I wasn’t ready for the sudden burst of energy, and I lost my hold and landed with a solid thud on the hard ground of the pen.
Jackson dropped off his horse and climbed the railing of the pen to get hold of the filly. She snorted through angry nostrils and pawed the ground with her hoof. I sucked air back into my lungs and pushed to sitting.
Jackson walked over and looked down at me. “Just not your day, Cade. First the cow. Then your horse. And guess who’s sitting in the house?”
I pushed to my feet with a groan, brushed off my chaps, and walked over to retrieve my hat. “I already know Virginia is here. And why the hell do you have to scream like a banshee when you ride up to the pen? You know I’m still working out the kinks.”
Jackson laughed and handed me the reins. “This horse has more than a few kinks. You’d better watch yourself out here.” He looked around. “By the way, where’s your guardian angel? Didn’t see her up at the house.”
“Virginia and Charlotte probably scared her away.” I pushed my hat on my head and pulled back up into the saddle. “Easy, whoa. I thought we were done for the day too. Only now you’ve done something stupid, and we’ve got to start all over again.” I pushed the horse into an easy trot.
Jackson climbed back out of the pen and hung over the railing. “Maybe I’d better stick around in case you get into trouble again.”
“Right. Because you were so damn helpful out there with that cow.”
“Don’t blame me. Blame your horse. Besides, that cow was just pulling a fast one on us. The way it hopped to its feet and strolled out of that mud was nothing short of miraculous.”
I pushed the horse into a lope. The filly fought me at first but then picked up the gait. “Must have been a magic cow or something.” Several successful circles around the pen and we were done for the day. I patted the horse on the neck and climbed off its back. “It’s been a long day. I’m taking this animal in.”
Jackson opened the gate and I led the horse out. “Virginia is waiting anxiously for your arrival. Thought I’d warn you.”
“Yep.”
A soft voice trailed out of the barn as I approached, and the sound of it caught me off guard.
Her slender body was leaned over the gate of Red’s stall. I could see the tender outline of her hips and bottom beneath the material of her dress as she reached forward and stroked the horse’s head. Like a dumbfounded fool, I stood frozen in the center of the barn watching her every move. Then she sank back on her heels.
“Red was so good to me today, I decided he needed a carrot.” A long curl of hair fell across her cheek and she brushed it aside. If she wasn’t an angel then she was definitely sent from heaven, and every inch of me felt her presence as if starlight had found its way into the dark, dank barn.
She pulled another carrot from her pocket and the filly’s ears perked up. “Would you like to give her a carrot? I have an extra.”
“We’re having a battle of wills right now.” I grabbed the horse’s bridle and turned its head so I could look it directly in the eye. “But I will be winning that battle soon.” I released it. “You can feed it to her if you’d like.”
Poppy was inches from me as she fed the horse, and I wondered how, in the short time since I’d carried her home in my arms, she’d managed to invade my soul so completely. It was no wonder someone was looking for her. If I’d lost a girl like her, I would search every damn corner of the earth.
The filly made quick work of the carrot. Poppy looked expectantly out toward the house. “Libby needs me to help with supper. I’m just waiting . . .”
“Let me guess. You’re waiting for Virginia and Charlotte to leave the kitchen.”
She bit her bottom lip as if trying to suppress a smile.
I tied the filly up. “I don’t blame you. I’m avoiding the house too.”
“Oh, but Virginia has baked you your favorite cake.”
“That cake comes with too high of a price.” I lifted off my saddle and carried it to the rack.
Poppy walked back to Red’s stall and peered inside. “I guess I’ll see you later, Red. Try to stay out of trouble.” She reached in again to stroke his muzzle.
I could not stop my feet or my head or my heart. I walked up behind her and she turned to face me. I was close enough to see the glittering specks of gold in her brown eyes. She didn’t shy away from my nearness. “You know, Jackson thinks you’re an angel. And after today, I’m wondering if he’s right.”
A small laugh came from her temptingly sweet lips. “That’s just silly.”
“Is it? You’ve never explained how you got here. Obviously you didn’t come by train . . . or horseback and it’s an awfully long walk from Salem.” I stepped close enough that if I concentrated I could count the freckles on her tiny nose. But at this point, concentration was impossible. Her warmth, her intoxicating fragrance dragged my mind to one place— the lush lips only inches from mine.
“I’m far from being an ang—”
Before my mind could reason me out of it, I lifted my hand and pressed my palm against her cheek, stopping her words. My thumb brushed over her full bottom lip, and she gazed up at me with the same need I felt coursing through my entire body. I leaned my face closer. My mouth hovered so closely to hers, I could feel her soft breath trail across my chin.
“I could have sworn I saw him walk into the barn.” Virginia’s grating voice shattered the heated atmosphere surrounding us, and reluctantly, I straightened, pulling my mouth away from the lips I wanted to taste so badly I ached for it.
Poppy sidled by me and hurried past the two women who now stood in the open doorway. Virginia turned and watched Poppy walk back to the house. I returned to grooming my horse, trying all the while to cool the fever in my blood.
“Why, Cade Tanner,” the pitch of Virginia’s voice startled the horse, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were avoiding me.” She scooted up next to me.
“I’ve got a ranch to run, Ginny. I don’t have time to take a tea break during the day.”
“I haven’t heard you call me Ginny in such a long time.” She looked down at her hand. “Why, just look, I’m blushing like a school girl.”
“What was Poppy doing in here?” Charlotte’s suspicious tone made me bristle.
“She was giving Red a carrot.” I shot a cold glance her way. “Did she forget to ask your permission?”
&n
bsp; Her glare was even more accusatory than her harsh tone. “Just wondering why she was out here alone with you. Don’t always get so defensive.”
“Then stop asking me questions and let me finish my work.”
“Now don’t be angry with Charlotte,” Virginia said, completely oblivious to the hidden meaning behind the discussion. “I asked her to bring me out here. But, you know, Lottie, we’d better get started on those table linens or those tables will be naked tomorrow night.” I was relieved when they turned to leave, but Virginia spun back around. “You are coming to the town social tomorrow night, aren’t you, Cade?”
I ran a brush over the horse’s back. “Wasn’t plannin’ on it.”
“Well, we’ll just have to do something to change your mind,” Virginia said confidently and then marched out of the barn.
Unfortunately, Charlotte lingered. Obviously not finished with her scolding, she moved in closer, and damn, if she didn’t know exactly what I’d had on my mind. Up came an admonishing finger, which she pointed in my face. “What do you think Libby would say if I told her you were out here seducing her little stray?”
I stepped closer to her, and she instinctively took a step back. “Don’t ever call her a stray, and don’t ever worry yourself about any of my business.”
“It seems that it’s about time for that girl to head back home, wherever that may be. Maybe we should turn her into the sheriff. Let’s face it, there is something unsavory in that girl’s past with the way she ended up here all alone.”
I gritted my teeth to keep my temper. “This is my ranch, and she can stay as long as she needs.”
“Or at least until you get what you want from her.” The woman knew no boundaries.
“Charlotte, get the hell out of this barn and don’t talk to me about this again. In fact, just don’t talk to me again . . . ever.”
She turned on her heels and walked out. Then stopped, as I knew she would, to have the last word. “And this is half Samuel’s ranch too. You seem—”
I lifted my hand to stop her. “I meant what I said. Don’t talk to me anymore, Charlotte.”
With a grunt of anger, she turned on her heels and walked out.
The light outside was fading and the inside of the barn grew dark. I was not ready to go inside, especially now. I pulled out a cigarette hoping a smoke with relieve my anger. Charlotte was the one person who could truly enrage me, and this time, she’d been at her best, venomous and straight to the heart. I leaned against Red’s stall and thought about the kiss I’d wanted so badly. Charlotte’s accusations stung, but the more I thought about Poppy, the more I knew, deep down, that this was not just about a kiss. Every inch of me reacted to her presence. This girl was more than just a tempting pair of lips and softly curved hips. And that was what worried me most.
Chapter 14
Poppy
I absently snapped the peas in half and tossed them into the pot. I didn’t know if the irony of my situation would make Nonni laugh or cry. Here she had performed dark magic, something she’d rarely done, to hide me from one man, only to throw me into the arms of another. Of course, I was all too eager to escape from Angus. But Cade was an entirely different situation. And, while I longed to be back with Nonni and Mari in our content little existence, my heart felt leaden when I thought of never seeing Cade again.
“That’s enough of those, Poppy. The boys have hearty appetites, but we’re not feeding an army,” Libby said. She plopped a roast beef on a platter. “Let’s get those on the stove and dinner will be done.” She took a moment to glance out the window. “I still haven’t seen Cade. Did you happen to see him when you were in the barn?”
“Huh?” Her question caught me off guard and stirred up the emotions of the last moments with Cade in the barn. “Uh, uh, yes,” I stuttered, “he was putting away his horse.”
Fortunately, she was too busy carving beef to notice how inexplicably flustered I’d become with her simple question.
Boot heels sounded on the porch steps, and my heart fluttered instantly and then slowed when Jackson walked through the door. He smiled at me. “Hey, Poppy, how are you feeling after your ride?”
“I’m feeling it in my legs. It will probably be worse tomorrow, but it is definitely worth the discomfort. Thank you again for taking me out.”
“My pleasure.” He sighed. “But what an afternoon, eh? For a moment there, I thought Cade was a goner.”
Libby’s head snapped up, and she looked wide-eyed at Jackson. “What are you talking about?”
Jackson looked as if he wished he could have taken back his last statement. “Cade didn’t tell you?”
Libby put down her carving knife and wiped her hands on her apron. “He didn’t tell me a thing. I just figured he slipped pulling the cow out of the mud.”
Jackson looked rather helpless, but he’d opened the can and the expression on Libby’s face seemed to let him know there was no turning back. “He was freeing the cow, but it fell over on him and pushed him down into the mud,” he blurted the story out quickly, obviously thinking it would be easier. “We couldn’t get the heifer up, and Cade was stuck under her.” He shot me a knowing glance as if he knew something unexplained had happened out there and that he was certain it had to do with me. He turned his attention back to Libby, who had grown a shade paler. “But then that beast just hopped to her feet and walked out of the hole. It was nothing short of miraculous.” Another pointed glance my direction.
Libby was silent as she seemed to absorb the whole story and then her shoulders visibly relaxed. Her love for Cade had never been more evident than in the last few moments. She went back to her beef roast. “Finish cooking those peas, Poppy, and let’s get the food to the table.” There was a slight hitch in her voice as she spoke, and Jackson seemed more than ever to regret bringing it up. Libby looked up at Jackson. “Don’t just stand there like a fool. Go tell Cade supper is ready.”
Libby carried the platter into the dining room. I could hear Charlotte and Virginia talking animatedly as the food was being served. I’d always felt welcome at the table, but now, with Virginia’s arrival, I sensed some animosity from Charlotte as if she’d decided that I was overstaying my welcome. The train, the massive steaming beast that had thrown me into Cade’s arms, seemed to be my best chance for getting back home. But, surely, they did not allow people to ride for free, and at the moment, I was penniless. I tossed a pinch of salt into the pot of peas and swirled them around in the boiling water. Behind me, the kitchen door opened and boot heels pounded the floor. Jackson must have returned from his task of summoning Cade. Just the thought of seeing the man made my hands tremble. I startled as a strong arm snaked around my waist. The spoon slipped from my fingers, and it sank below the water’s surface. He pulled me against his hard chest, and the heat of his body warmed me more than the steam from the stove. I placed my hand on his arm, and he lowered his mouth next to my ear.
“Poppy,” he whispered and the vibration of it sent a shiver through me.
Libby’s determined footsteps neared and he dropped his arm. I peeked up from the stove and watched him walk out of the room without another word. Libby stopped and glanced into the pot. “Those peas look done.” She picked up the basket of rolls and stopped behind me. “The spoon looks done too.”
I poured the vegetables into a serving bowl and carried them into the dining room with unsteady hands. I avoided eye contact with Cade, otherwise I was certain peas would cascade over the white table cloth. The only open seat was situated directly across from Cade, making my plan to not look at him quite impossible.
Samuel sat next to Cade and Virginia next to Samuel. She leaned over and whispered something to Samuel, and they switched places. Cade paid her no attention as she scooted her chair a little closer to his.
“Cade,” Libby said rather sharply. I had an idea of what was coming next. “Jackson mentioned that you were in grave danger out there in that mud hole.’”
Jackson was seated next to
me, and I could feel him shrink down in his seat. I kept my attention on my plate of food.
“Jacks needs to learn to stop flapping his jaw so much,” Cade said tersely.
“I figured you’d told her what happened,” Jackson said. “And Libby, you’re twisting my words around. All I said was that he was almost a goner because a cow fell on him.”
Samuel sat forward and looked over at his brother. “Finally, a dinner conversation topic that interests me. A cow fell on you?”
Jackson straightened and now seemed enthusiastic to relay the details. “Cade was pulling a heifer out of a deep puddle of mud, and she fell over on him. Nearly drowned him.”
Samuel sat quietly for a moment and then threw his head back with laughter.
I peeked up at Cade. He was looking at me. “Told you he’d laugh all the way to the grave site.”
Libby reached over and fisted Samuel on his arm. “Your brother nearly dies and you’re laughing about it?”
Virginia’s scowl rivaled Libby’s in fierceness.
Under icy scowls, Samuel finally gained his composure.
“Can we please switch the topic?” Virginia asked. “This one is ruining my appetite.”
“Virginia is right, boys.” Libby said.
“You brought it up.” Cade shoved a piece of meat into his mouth.
Virginia lowered her fork to her plate and it seemed she had some important matters to discuss. “In regards to tomorrow evening, Charlotte and I have decided that Samuel can drive Libby, Lottie, and me in the wagon, and Jackson and Cade can follow on horseback.” She looked over at Cade. “And don’t give me any excuse about not attending. Libby already assured me you’d be going.”
Cade did not look up from his plate. “Then Libby’s making promises she can’t keep.”
Virginia’s obvious exclusion of me from their plans had struck me like a slap. Of course, I was certainly better off not going. I knew no one in town and would feel out of place and awkward at their town social. But Virginia had wanted to make it clear that I was not invited.