“If the baby your wife is carrying is a bastard, or if you impregnated that whore out of wedlock, you will find something is wrong with the child once it is born, because it is cursed!” Reverend Parker declared.
“And any man who would declare a curse on an unborn baby is the one who will end up in hell!” Sage leaned down and slapped the rear of the horse pulling the buggy and shouted for it to get going. “That baby is going to be just fine,” he shouted as the animal reared slightly and charged away, causing Mrs. Hart to let out a little scream when the buggy turned sharply, nearly throwing her out of her seat.
The reverend scrambled to reach down and get hold of the reins as the rig clattered and jostled across the open valley.
Sage trotted Julio’s horse up to Joe, stopping to light another cigarette. “Make sure they get all the way off Paradise Valley.”
“I will.”
Sage looked at the man darkly. “The kid is mine, Joe.”
Joe nodded. “Sage, whether that kid is yours or not, there ain’t a man on this ranch who would judge either way, and you know it. We all love Maggie and know what happened to her. If we could have been part of killin’ those men, we would have gladly taken part. But no matter what, Maggie and that baby will be fine, and no man will ever disavow it’s yours. Somethin’ happens to you, Maggie and the kid have plenty of men to look out for both of them.”
Sage looked away, taking a long drag on his cigarette. His head ached from suppressing the rage he felt toward the reverend and toward Elvira Hart. “Thanks, Joe. I’m just glad Maggie didn’t hear any of that.”
“Me too.” Joe grinned. “Sage, that’s the most control over your temper I’ve ever seen you manage,” he joked. “There was a time when you’d have dragged that reverend out of his buggy and made him wish he’d never come here. Maggie must be workin’ the meanness out of you.”
Sage turned and glowered at him. “Just get going and make sure they are well off my land before you come back home, or you’ll find out just how mean I still am.”
Joe tipped his hat and chuckled. “Yes, sir.” He rode off after the buggy.
Sage turned Julio’s horse and headed for the house, anxious to see Maggie and show her the beautiful mare he’d captured for her.
His eyes teared at the thought of how hurt Maggie would have been to hear Elvira Hart’s words. She would probably even start doubting his love for her and his willingness to accept her baby. He didn’t want that to ever happen.
His fists tightened in anger. Joe was right. His handling of the Reverend Billy Parker and Elvira Hart had been far too gentle compared to what he really wanted to do. The old Sage would have made sure the reverend never even left Paradise Valley!
Six
Sage rode Julio’s horse to the house and dismounted, handing the reins over to Julio’s fifteen-year-old son, Jorje. “Put your father’s horse up, will you?” he asked the handsome young man.
“Sí, señor,” Jorje answered. “I saw my father ride in earlier with a wild mare. He said you are the one who caught her.”
Sage nodded. “I did. She’s a gift for my wife.”
Jorje nodded excitedly. “She is beautiful, señor—the horse, I mean.” He put a hand over his eyes. “I mean, so is your wife.” He turned away. “I mean that in a good way, señor.”
Sage chuckled. “I know what you meant.”
The young man looked up at him. “Will you let my brother break in the mare?”
Sage nodded. “Probably. Go take care of this one for now.”
“Sí.” Jorje walked off with his father’s horse. The young man’s brother, Roland, was becoming one of the best bronco busters on the ranch. Sage had already decided Roland would be the one to break the mare. The young man had a gentle way with wild horses. He seemed to understand each and every horse’s personality, which ones would be ornery and which ones would turn out sweet and gentle.
Sage walked up the steps of the veranda and stomped dust and gravel from his boots, then brushed off his clothes before going inside. Maggie liked a clean house, and with Rosa Martinez’s help, she kept it that way. Julio’s wife was a round, short woman who always carried a smile and enjoyed helping her boss’s pregnant wife. It was obvious the woman liked Maggie much better than she’d ever liked Joanna, who’d ordered Rosa around like a slave and looked down on her as “that fat, little Mexican woman.”
It was Rosa who greeted Sage with the expected smile. “Señor, I was just leaving. There are several loaves of fresh bread on the table. The señora and I baked today. She said I could take two loaves home to Julio.” She held up the loaves as though to make sure he didn’t think she was stealing them. “I hope you do not mind.”
Sage grinned. “Of course not. I don’t know what we’d do without you, Rosa—or Julio, for that matter. And those sons of yours are becoming two of my best hands.”
“Oh, sí, they are good boys!”
Rosa hurried out, and Sage sat down in a nearby chair to remove his boots. Maggie came out from one of the bedrooms, carrying a few of his dirty shirts over her arm. “Wash day tomorrow,” she told Sage. She laid the shirts over a chair and walked closer. “You look like you could use a bath.”
“I could. You going to give me one?” Sage asked with a sly smile.
Maggie folded her arms. “It’s still light out, Sage Lightfoot. Someone could come in. Besides, you haven’t had any supper yet.”
“I’m not that hungry, and we can lock the door.”
“Oh, no we won’t. Those men out there come up with too many reasons to come knocking, and I would be embarrassed beyond recovery. If I help you bathe, we’ll end up doing much more than that.”
“You bet we would.” Sage set his boots aside and rose, putting his hands on either side of her face. He leaned down to kiss her hair. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“Yes. Just this morning before you left the house to go after wild horses.” Maggie frowned. “And I saw Julio ride back here with a beautiful black mare but riding your horse. Why wasn’t he on his own? And where have you been?”
Sage studied her green eyes, trying to hide his lingering anger over what the preacher and Mrs. Hart had said. “I rode Storm hard to chase that animal down. I got hung up with something else and couldn’t come right back, but I wanted Storm to cool down, so I told Julio to bring him back here for a good rubdown. I also wanted that mare corralled right away. She was pretty worked up. So, I traded horses with Julio.”
Maggie grasped his wrists. “And you are as tense as a rope about to snap. What’s really wrong, Sage? What kept you?”
“I was just tired and decided to have a smoke and take a few minutes to drink in some of the beauty of this land. You know this country. It won’t be long before we’re buried in snow. It could be sixty degrees today and ten tomorrow.”
Maggie offered her mouth up to him, and he kissed her gently. She stepped away then. “You’re a bad liar, Sage. You told me yourself once that you never lie, and now I know why. You can’t lie, not without it showing in your eyes. Go wash up and I’ll make supper, after which you can tell me the real reason you got back later than the others.”
Sage let out a deep sigh. “Don’t worry about it. Just make that supper. I’m hungry as a bear that just woke up from a long winter’s nap.” He kissed her once more and headed down the hallway to the room they kept for bathing.
“I left two buckets of hot water back there,” Maggie called to him, her heart heavy with worry. “And bring me your dirty clothes when you’re done.”
Something was wrong. Sage Lightfoot was such an honest man that she could tell by the look in his eyes when he was holding out on her.
Anger. That’s what she saw there. He couldn’t hide it, no matter how hard he tried. And if Sage was the one who’d captured the mare, he would definitely have been the one to bring her in, out of
pure pride. Whatever had kept him was serious. His excuse of getting “hung up” on something else made no sense. From the window over the kitchen sink she could see every man as he rode in, and Joe Cable wasn’t back yet. Whatever kept him must have to do with the reason Julio came back with Storm and the mare.
Maggie stirred a mixture of rabbit meat, potatoes, and onions, then sliced some of the freshly baked bread. A hot bath and a full stomach should help calm Sage down. What bothered her the most was that when he was angry, Sage always told her why. The only reason he wouldn’t was if he thought it would upset her, and knowing that did upset her.
You can’t hide it for long, Sage, she thought. You wear your emotions right smack on your sleeve for everyone to see. Once that stomach is full and you’re relaxed and I look you straight in the eyes, you’ll tell me the truth.
She turned to look out the kitchen window again, straining to see the black mare Julio had brought back. She was corralled alone in a distant pen, and she was beautiful. There was no way Sage would normally have let someone else bring her in.
Seven
Maggie waited as Sage climbed into bed, wearing only his long johns. He settled his head against his pillow, and Maggie snuggled against him, laying her head on his shoulder. “You smell so good,” she told him. “All soapy clean.”
A deep chuckle came from somewhere in Sage’s throat. “Only a woman would talk that way. And ‘soapy clean’ isn’t a term you can use very often for me—not after working with horses all day.”
“You always smell good. Even without a bath you smell like leather and the outdoors.”
“And one thing I love about you, Maggie girl, is you always try to look on the bright side of things.” He turned on his side and stroked her hair. “I love when your hair is brushed out long. I wish you’d wear it like this all the time.”
“Well, it’s not very practical for chores,” Maggie answered. “I can just see it dangling into chicken droppings when I go into the henhouse to gather eggs, or see it catching fire when I bend over the hearth.”
“And you wouldn’t have to worry about that if you used that fancy cookstove we have for cooking.”
Maggie kissed his neck. “I know. But then I have to mess with dirty coal. I’m too used to using the fireplace. It’s mostly Rosa who uses that stove. I’ll admit it’s handy for big gatherings where more than one oven is needed, but I’m fine with the fireplace for everyday cooking. Besides, you bought that stove for Joanna. Using it reminds me of your perfect, beautiful, prim and proper first wife.”
Sage pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. “You know better than to think like that. Joanna was selfish, and worthless as a ranch wife.” He grinned. “But I love your jealousy. It makes you more passionate when we make love.” He met her mouth in a gentle kiss.
Maggie studied his dark eyes. He’d hardly spoken all through supper, other than general conversation about the hunt for mustangs. You should have heard the cuss words that came out of Bill’s mouth when one of the mares bit him on the ass, he’d joked. Maggie could tell he was trying to keep things light and not talk about what was really bothering him.
“Sage.” Maggie ran her fingers into his shoulder-length hair. “What happened out there today?”
He closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss her throat. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does, because it affected your mood. I’ve seen you really, really angry, Sage Lightfoot, and it usually ends up with someone wishing they hadn’t crossed you. And I know when you’re trying to bury that anger. You could have a heart attack or something.”
That brought out a loud laugh. “You do know how to help get rid of my anger,” he told her. “Jesus, Maggie, I’m only thirty, and as far as I know, I’m healthy as a horse.”
“I don’t care. I don’t remember where I heard it, but someone once told me it’s bad for a man to hold in his anger. You, Mr. Lightfoot, usually let it all out in an explosion of yelling or fists or sometimes a gun. Maybe you already did that. I’m asking you again what happened out there. And if you don’t tell me, I will go sleep in a different bedroom.”
He ran a big but gentle hand over her belly, feeling the swell of her baby, then on over her full breasts, squeezing lightly, then to her neck, the side of her face. He leaned in and kissed her again. “Do you really think I’d let you out of this bed?”
Maggie sighed in resignation. “Well, I guess you are a little stronger than I am.”
“A little?”
“But then all I would have to do is ask, and you’d never force me to stay here.”
Sage grinned. “Pretty sure of that, aren’t you?”
Maggie kissed his chest. “Yes. Now, tell me what happened.”
Sage sobered, studying her eyes. “I love you,” he told her. “And I love this baby. Understand?”
Maggie frowned with concern. “Yes. Did someone say something about the baby?”
Sage pressed her closer. “How in hell can you know me so well when we’ve not even been together five months yet?”
His remark reminded Maggie of that very fact. Only in this wild, untamed country could two people still practically strangers in some ways find intimacy and love and marriage so quickly. That’s what caused some of her doubts and anxiety. This had all happened so fast. Maybe too fast. Would Sage later regret his decision of taking her for his wife so soon after they met?
“I’m learning that when a woman truly loves a man, she can sense his every mood,” she answered, “and you’re a man who can’t hide his feelings. I think that’s why men who challenge you usually back off. They can tell you mean exactly what you say, and they’re afraid to test you.” Maggie kissed his neck. “The short time we’ve been together scares me sometimes, Sage. I can tell that today’s events had something to do with me, or you wouldn’t be so hesitant to tell me. And I’m scared that whatever went on might have made you regret marrying me so quick.”
Sage frowned and shook his head. “That will never happen.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Look, someone came visiting that I didn’t care for. That’s all.”
“Oh, there was much more to it than that. You didn’t shoot someone, did you?”
“No, but I dearly wanted to.” Sage kissed her hair and kept her close. “You listen to me, Maggie. About this nonsense of us knowing each other only a few months…Don’t forget that I knew Joanna since we were teenagers, but it turned out I didn’t know her at all, so you stop worrying about the short time we’ve been together. I suspected deep inside that Joanna wasn’t right for me, but I went against my better judgment because I had known her so long.
“The way we were torn apart when her family sent her away, and then seeing her again years later and hearing her lies about how much she loved me… I guess I just wanted to believe it all. I felt responsible to make her happy and to give her everything she wanted. But all those years meant nothing to her.” He sighed deeply and turned onto his back, keeping an arm around Maggie so she rested into his shoulder. “It’s all different with you. You’re the kind of woman a man doesn’t need to know for a long time. Sometimes you just know when you’ve found the right woman. I love you, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life, so I don’t want to hear that you doubt that…ever. Understand?”
“I think so. What I don’t understand is what all this has to do with whatever happened today.”
Sage laid there quietly. Maggie could tell he didn’t want to say whatever it was she was forcing him to tell her. “Sage?”
With a deep sigh, he finally answered. “I’d roped that black mare you saw Julio ride in with. I was bringing her in when I saw someone heading for the house in a fancy buggy. Julio and Joe were accompanying them. I rode down to catch up with them, and that’s when I gave Julio the mare and had him bring it in with Storm.”
Maggie ran a hand over his bare c
hest. “Who was in the buggy?”
Sage stroked her hair for several more silent seconds before answering. “A preacher, and a bitch of an old woman named Elvira Hart.” He paused. “She was Jimmy Hart’s mother,” he finally admitted.
Maggie stiffened and pulled away slightly. “Dear Lord! What on earth did she want?”
Sage studied her lovingly and forced her back into his embrace. He told her what happened, leaving out the worst of the names Mrs. Hart and the reverend had called Maggie. Maggie couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes. She tried to rise.
“You stay right where you are.” Sage told her. “And you listen to me. We’ve been over this too many times, Maggie. I didn’t want to tell you because it would remind you of those men and what happened. I sent her and that damn preacher out of Paradise Valley. I had Joe go with them to make sure they were well off the ranch.”
“They said all that in front of Joe?”
“Don’t be worrying about that. Joe loves you practically as much as I do. All the men love you, and just like me, they think of the kid in your belly as mine! It doesn’t matter to any of them if it’s true or not, and there isn’t a man on this ranch who would ever speak otherwise. Joe doesn’t think a damn thing about what those people said, and all the men know what happened to you and why you went with me to find those men. I wanted you to go so you could identify them…”
Maggie felt his whole body tense up.
“…before I blew them away!” he finished.
“But Mrs. Hart heard all this from someone who was up at Hole-in-the-Wall, which means all those men were talking about it.”
“Let them talk! Jesus, Maggie, we’ll never see any of them again.”
A tear slipped down one side of Maggie’s face. “But I’m your wife. You have to hate knowing men are talking that way about me.”
“Not any of my men, and that’s all that matters. Joe won’t say one word about what was said out there, and I made sure that so-called preacher knows not to come back here. If Mrs. Hart wasn’t a woman, I would have landed my fist in her face for the things she said. And if I didn’t love you and this baby like I do, why would I defend you so fiercely? Tell me you trust in my love, Maggie Lightfoot.”
Longing for a Cowboy Christmas Page 12