Yet Myra would know her brother had done something terrible to Kylie. To stop that from happening, Myra needed to get her hands on that homestead. That’d be the safest thing for Kylie and the best thing for Myra.
She’d be a good wife to Coulter, too. All she had to do was figure out a way to make Kylie run.
Sunrise seemed like a steady woman. Not much of a talker, but when she spoke it was in clear, if accented, English, just as a woman would speak after years away from her tribe, one who’d been married to an English-speaking mountain man. And usually whatever she said needed saying.
Aaron helped set up the teepee and found the process interesting. He decided he’d live in a teepee on his homestead while he got his cabin built.
Once Sunrise had finished, she said, “I hunt now.” She picked up her bow and arrows and slipped silently into the woods.
That left Aaron and Kylie alone in the cabin.
Aaron really needed to go. He hadn’t done a lick of work yesterday—not counting working like a slave for the Wilde women of course. And now here he was spending another day with Kylie, so he could make sure she was safe with her new housekeeper. Which she most certainly was. Except now Sunrise was gone.
“Are you going to be all right?” he asked.
Kylie shrugged, her eyes wide and worried. “Yes, except what if those men come back and try to burn me out again?”
Which meant no, she wasn’t going to be all right.
“I’ll stay until Sunrise comes back,” Aaron said, which was exactly the opposite of going, and he really should go.
“Someone is always taking care of me.” Kylie frowned. “I know I’m a disappointment to my sisters and pa.”
He really couldn’t go. She needed him.
“They can’t figure out why I don’t try harder to learn how to get on out here in the wilderness.” Kylie looked down at her fingers, twisting them together. “They wonder why I’m not content with frontier life. I can’t figure it out either, but it’s true. I hate the distance. I hate the hard work to do every simple thing. I had to throw a huge fit to get my stove.” She nodded at the small potbellied stove in her kitchen. “My family thinks I should be content to cook in a fireplace, and I should. Mostly I just can’t be happy living so completely alone.”
Out here where Aaron intended to stay forever.
Kylie looked up.
Aaron looked down.
Their eyes met.
The moment stretched on.
Considering Kylie wanted a life completely different from what Aaron had planned, it was a blamed-fool notion that made Aaron move closer, lean down, and touch his lips to hers.
A blamed-fool idea that felt better than anything Aaron had ever done in his life.
Aaron was having a stern talk with himself about just what a bad idea this was at the same time he slipped his arms around Kylie’s slender waist and pulled her against him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss and quit berating himself to focus on kissing her.
“Stop! We can’t do this!” Kylie jerked away from him and pulled him right along with her, as her arms were still tight around his neck.
“You’re right. We can’t.” Aaron obeyed her, mostly, not as fast as maybe he should have, what with having to pry her arms loose and pausing to kiss her another time, or two, or three.
Kisses she returned enthusiastically. Honestly, the little woman didn’t seem to want to be let go of at all.
Finally, Aaron got away.
She covered her mouth, although it looked more like she was just touching her lips, remembering how it felt to be kissed and maybe holding that kiss close. With her eyes locked on his, she backed up until she hit the rocks around the fireplace. That seemed to shake her a bit, and she crossed her arms.
And licked her lips, which were pinker than before and maybe a bit swollen. He studied them mighty close to be sure. He noticed too that her hair hung down in those streaked honey-brown-and-blond curls. It had definitely been tied up in a knot on her head. He had a vivid memory of the silk of her hair in his hands and just how slender she was at the waist.
Not a good enough memory, though. He’d like to touch her hair again. He’d pay better attention next time.
The kiss had gone on quite a while, yet at the same time it had ended far too soon.
“Aaron, we can’t be kissing like that.” Her eyes flickered to his lips.
“There are a lot of ways to kiss. If you don’t think we should be kissing like that, we could keep trying until we find a way you like.”
“Oh no.” Kylie shook her head. “I liked it just fine as it was.”
That seemed like an invitation to do it again. Aaron took a step toward her.
She held up her hand, palm facing him. “I’m not staying out here in the West, and you are. We can’t be together. I can’t let any man turn me aside from the life I want.”
“It was just a kiss, Kylie.” Aaron knew that for the lie it was the second it came out of his mouth. It wasn’t just a kiss; it was the finest kiss ever in the history of the world. What’s more, Aaron didn’t have one bit of doubt that they could improve on it.
Which annoyed him into saying, “After only one kiss, it’s a little early to be talking about me turning you aside from the life you want.”
“It’s a little early for a lot of things. In fact, it’s ‘before a kiss should have happened.’” Kylie fluttered those beautiful dark lashes, and her starburst eyes flashed fire. “And now we’re firmly into ‘after it happened’ and settled entirely into ‘it’ll never happen again.’” She pointed at the door. “I think you should go.”
“What about the flaming arrows?”
Kylie quit pointing and covered her mouth again. From behind her hand she asked, “What are we going to do?”
Aaron had an answer to that he figured would only get him slapped. He tried to clear the fog from his brain so he could think about something other than stealing another kiss. He had to figure out a way to convince Kylie to stay in the West with him. Yep, way too early for a lot of things.
Then, under the guise of escape, he got an idea and looked out the window at the forest that came too close to her cabin. “I’m going to go start building you a chicken coop. That’ll keep me busy until Sunrise gets back. Have you got an ax?”
“I don’t have any chickens.”
“I’ll get you some. Then you’ll have eggs to eat.” Aaron needed to do some hard work. Chopping down trees would make a likely distraction.
Kylie pointed to a large wooden box in the corner near the front door. “Shannon made that, and it holds quite a few tools. That’s where I found the hammer and nails I used on the roof.”
Aaron remembered her dangling from the eaves and had a sudden desire to drag her home with him where he could take care of her forever, too early or not.
“I’m not sure what else they left me. There are some tools in the barn, too.”
“Don’t you chop wood and split logs?” Aaron headed for the toolbox, swung it open, and found an ax right away.
“I’ve managed to avoid it. Bailey seems to like swinging an ax for some reason, so she’s kept me in kindling.”
Aaron dragged the ax out and turned to Kylie. “I’m surprised she agrees to do it. She doesn’t seem like a helpful kind of woman.”
“I have to put up with some complaining, that’s for sure. But Pa wanted me to claim a homestead, although I didn’t want to do it at all. So they’ve done a lot to gain my cooperation. And besides, they’ve seen me chop wood. They know I’ll freeze to death without help.”
Aaron hefted the ax, looked over at sweet Kylie, who got people to do her work for her and mostly made them think she was doing them a favor. And now he was joining the group. The difference was that he knew this wasn’t women’s work, while the rest of her family didn’t have a brain in their heads.
Stalking out of the cabin, he went to swing the door shut when she put a hand on it, stopping him from closing it in her
face.
“What are you doing?” He needed to put some space between them, and here she was following him.
“I’m always so lonely. I’m not going to sit in the house while a visitor is so close to hand. That would be a waste of your company.”
Aaron didn’t want her along; at the same time he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. “Come on, then. I see a couple dozen aspens that will give us enough lumber for the coop, make your front yard larger, and allow a better field of fire. If I cut back the brush a little farther, those varmints who shot at you—if they try it again—will have to stay out of arrow range.”
“That makes good sense.” Kylie smiled at him as if he were the strongest man on earth, and blast it if she didn’t make him feel like some kind of hero.
“Of course, that’s just the front of your cabin. It does nothing for the woods in the back or the side yard. The pond makes for decent protection on the south side.”
“So I can only get killed from two directions?” Kylie sounded faint as she clutched her dress’s collar with both hands. “Lucky me.”
When he imagined himself reaching for her again, he quickly pivoted and marched toward the first tree. He made sure she didn’t come too close and yet was a little disappointed to see she stayed well back of him, outside of grabbing range. But he didn’t want to accidently whack her with the ax, so it was for the best. He got a firm grip—on the ax, not so much on his mixed-up fascination with Kylie—and swung all his frustration into chopping trees.
It didn’t help much. If he kept at it until he calmed down all the way, he’d have the forest stripped all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
14
Kylie was surprised by how much she enjoyed building a chicken coop. “The little notches fit together like puzzle pieces.” The construction work around here had always been either heavy work with big logs or fine work for furniture.
Bailey liked the heavy work, while Shannon liked the fine work.
Kylie liked neither, so she mostly fetched and carried for the two of them. True, she had to put up with being insulted on occasion, but she figured it was a fair trade for getting out of hard work.
But this chicken coop was right in the middle. Not too strenuous, nothing fancy about it. The saplings, about four inches in diameter, weren’t so heavy that Kylie couldn’t lift them, and the construction wasn’t so delicate that she could mess it up. And watching Aaron chop down the trees in a few swift blows was very entertaining. His broad shoulders and the way his muscles rippled beneath his shirt were, in fact, riveting.
Aaron smiled as he kneeled across the small coop from her. His blue eyes flashed. He’d tossed his hat aside. The sweat on his brow had soaked his blond hair to a deeper shade, and his fair skin, already tinged from too much sun, turned pink from the exertion.
They worked their way up, adding aspens, snapping the building together as though it were a toy. It was working out to be about ten feet square, because that was the length of the aspens before they started to taper.
When the walls were just begun, Aaron looked across the top of the building at her. “It’s time for the noon meal.”
“I’ll go put something on,” Kylie offered.
Woman’s work. It almost made her giddy. She hurried toward the cabin, while Aaron stayed outside and did manly things. Normal life was amazingly pleasant.
Once the meal she contrived was finished, they went back to work and put in a good afternoon’s labor. The upper half of the walls went slower, including a doorway and a little ramp for the chickens to walk up.
“I think we’re ready to start on the roof,” Aaron said. He glanced at the sky, and Kylie noticed the sun was getting low in the west.
“You’ve got a long ride back to town,” she said. She hated to see him go.
He nodded. “You’re a good hand, Kylie.” He looked down at her mouth, and she could swear she felt the look all the way to her belly.
No one had ever told her she was a good hand before. In fact, her sisters treated her like she was nothing but a nuisance.
As Kylie stood there, looking at him next to her chickenless chicken coop, she tried to remember why she wanted to go back East so badly. Not a single reason came to mind.
It was something about bonnets and tea. Honestly, it had been years since she’d had a cup of tea. What did it even taste like?
The snapping of a twig turned Aaron away from her. He rounded the coop and put himself between Kylie and the woods. His gun came up with an easy motion. He’d had his gun holstered, always to hand, but he’d been working steadily and she hadn’t even noticed he was armed. But he was, and he was aware of his surroundings and quick to step between her and trouble. His first instinct was to protect her.
Kylie’s heart twisted with a pleasure that almost brought tears. When had a man ever protected her? Pa sure as certain never did; he’d sent her to war, for heaven’s sake. And Jimmy, well, she’d loved her big brother, but he hadn’t spent too much time worrying about his little sister.
Movement from the forest drew her attention. Waving branches transformed into human form as Sunrise emerged from the woods. Her deerskin clothing and long dark braids were so well matched to the woods, she seemed part of them. Sunrise had a bow and a quiverful of arrows hung over her body that crisscrossed her chest. She carried a heavy-cloth bag in one hand.
Sunrise looked over at the new building. “A chicken coop?”
“Yep.” Aaron holstered his gun. “I appreciate the warning.”
Kylie didn’t know what Aaron meant by that.
“I am silent when I choose to be.” She held up two sticks, one in each hand, and tossed them aside.
The snapping twig? Sunrise had done that on purpose?
“It’s a good notion to warn folks in a land where most everyone carries a six-gun.” Aaron turned back to the coop.
“I have dinner soon.” Sunrise hoisted the bag. “Quail. Wild chickens that need no building.”
“Maybe, but I don’t have to hunt in the woods for hours to find a chicken. They’re in a pen just ten feet from my back door.”
“I like hunting. I have hours.” She nodded at the coop. “You build a bit longer if you wish while I cook. I finish the coop tomorrow. No hurry with no chickens.” She smiled, but the smile soon faded. “Tracks from those who attacked. I read their story.” With that, she headed straight for the cabin.
The sharp interest in Aaron’s eyes told Kylie the man wasn’t going to be heading for town anytime soon.
It was impossible to keep the smile off her face.
“What’re you grinning for? She’s going to tell us about who attacked you yesterday.”
“I’ve got three people for the evening meal, and not one of them is related to me.” Kylie shrugged one shoulder and smiled even wider. “It’s almost like I’m throwing a dinner party.”
She rushed after Sunrise to get ready for the biggest social event since she’d moved here.
Aaron split logs for the roof until Kylie called him in for supper. When he walked up to her on the porch, he didn’t plan to take her hand, but somehow he ended up doing it anyway.
She paused to look at the simple little building. “I enjoyed working with you, Aaron. You’re not as bossy as Bailey. You don’t look like you pity me, like Shannon, and you’re not critical like Pa.”
“Why would I be bossy or treat you like you’re pitiful? Your help got that coop a lot further along than I’d have done on my own.” He glanced back at the building. “I think you need to know—your family’s a bunch of half-wits.”
Kylie smiled at that.
He got the door for her and let her go in ahead of him, careful to let go of her hand. No sense letting Sunrise see that. Not that Sunrise struck him as being much of a gossip.
Kylie bustled around setting the table. He could see that working in the kitchen suited her, and he pondered how he could turn her into a woman with normal chores. The best way was to marry her, of cours
e. But he already knew she didn’t want the life he could offer. And he wasn’t going to treat her like her family and force her to give up her dream by insisting she follow him into the wilderness.
Sunrise set fried quail on the table, along with biscuits, potatoes, and a steaming bowl of gravy.
“It all smells great.” His stomach growled as the three of them sat down to the meal.
They ate quietly. After the meal was done and Kylie had poured them each a cup of coffee, Aaron was ready to listen to Sunrise’s story.
“Tell me about the tracks,” he said.
Sunrise looked from Aaron to Kylie. “Not my people.”
Aaron nodded. “We figured as much. Do you know who they were?”
“Three riders. One a woman.”
Kylie blinked. “A woman? Are you sure?”
Sunrise gave Kylie a strange look. “Would I have said it if I was not sure?”
Kylie flushed. “I wasn’t doubting you, Sunrise. I’m sorry if it sounded that way. I was just surprised. I don’t know why I would be.” She sounded exasperated. “Women do all sorts of things you’d believe were men’s work. And not just in the West.”
“They went straight down the trail to town,” Sunrise went on. “Three riders may have entered town together after the attack.”
“I can ask around and find out,” Aaron offered.
“One was bleeding heavily, not the woman. Three riders enter town, one wounded.”
With grim satisfaction, Aaron said, “I’ve got me some clues to follow. What else did you see?”
“Woman has small feet, skinny, not deep prints. Not many women around.”
“No, not many at all.” Kylie looked at Aaron. “So few that it narrows down who it could be by quite a lot—assuming folks in town know she’s a woman.”
Sunrise tilted her head, confused. “How could anyone not know that? Even if they dress in manly clothing like your sister, Bailey, anyone with two eyes can tell a woman from a man.”
Kylie must’ve swallowed her coffee wrong, because she started choking.
Tried and True (Wild at Heart Book #1) Page 12