Saffron: A Sweet Western Historical Romance (Brides of Archer Ranch Book 1)

by Cindy Caldwell

  Saffron turned and looked at the pot of beans. Steam escaped from under the lid and she tapped her finger on her chin.

  She opened the cupboard doors, looking for anything she could add to the beans to make them more than—well, more than just beans and water and salt. She had one more cupboard to go when she turned at the sound of Adam’s voice behind her.

  “I imagine that’s the cupboard you’re looking for.”

  Saffron reached for the door and smiled at jars and tins of spices in neat rows. They reminded her of her mother’s cupboard of spices and it was plain to see that someone had known how to cook and liked it—even if it hadn’t been Adam.

  Adam untied his neckerchief and wiped dust from his forehead before he sat down at the kitchen table. His eyes widened at the loaves of bread on the counter and he turned to Saffron.

  “I don’t remember the last time we had fresh baked bread.”

  “When was the last time you had anything for supper besides beans boiled in water?” She reached for several spice tins and set them on the counter beside the stove.

  Adam’s face flushed as he lifted the lid to the pot and bent over it. “What’s the matter with boiled beans?”

  Saffron scrunched her nose and frowned.

  “I can’t imagine they taste like much of anything at all,” she said as she sprinkled some herbs and spices over the top of the pot, along with a generous helping of salt and pepper.

  “Well, we’ve gotten used to them,” he said as he sat down at the kitchen table.

  “Why haven’t you used any of these spices in the beans, at least?” She leaned over the boiling pot and inhaled. Now it smelled like something promising.

  Adam glanced at the cupboard she’d found with the neat rows of tins and jars. His eyes softened and he leaned forward on the table. “Those belonged to my stepmother. She was a very good cook, I must say.”

  Saffron spun to look at Adam. “Your stepmother?”

  Adam ran his hands through his hair. “Yes, stepmother. Victoria. Our mother died when we were small. Papa raised us for a while and then met and fell in love with Victoria, Luke and Andy’s mother.”

  She was interested to hear another small part of the puzzle with this family, but saddened for Adam that he’d barely known his own mother.

  “Such a good cook, in fact, that Carol never learned. And when she passed away, I brought all of her spices with us, hoping someday someone might learn how. It clearly hasn’t been me.”

  Saffron turned back to the boiling pot of beans and stirred, glad that for once she could provide them with something that might be a little consoling—and taste like home.

  Chapter 19

  Adam couldn’t remember a better supper—at least not for a very long time and it was only beans and the best bread he could remember eating. Victoria had been a very good cook and he felt sorry for Carol, Luke and Andy. They’d put up with endless pots of beans and only been out to a restaurant once. He hung his head thinking of how they must be suffering with his limited culinary ability.

  He remembered the sound of all of their bellies rumbling as Saffron took the first loaf of bread out of the oven. That, combined with the enticing aroma coming from the pot of pork and beans that usually smelled like—well, like nothing at all had had them all on the edge of their seats. And when the butter she’d brought was on the table, it was all he could do to hold back and say grace.

  He stole another glance at Saffron as they left the house and headed toward town, the bow of her bonnet swaying in the breeze of the warm evening. It was almost dusk and the sun lit on the braids hanging down her back just so, and he thought he saw some red amongst the rich browns.

  There was no doubt she was lovely, just as the boys had said, but to see her in the kitchen put her in a whole new light and he was positive it wasn’t just because he’d been hungry. She had a way with people, knowing what people needed, how to soothe grumbling bellies and wipe away tears, even take care of injured birds.

  As they passed through town, their conversation came easily and he found himself asking her all kinds of questions about Tombstone—whether she liked it, what she liked to do. He knew that her father was a wealthy, old time rancher in the area and that he liked her brother, Hank, but not much more.

  “I love living here in Tombstone,” Saffron said as they drove down Toughnut Street. “I’ve lived here all my life, but honestly Tombstone isn’t as old as I am. At least not the way it is today. Before the silver strike, it really was nothing at all. Our ranch was quite far from much civilization. This has all happened rather quickly.”

  Adam looked up the boardwalk toward center of town. Saloons and poker houses were fairly well represented, along with restaurants and theaters—even a bowling alley. He hadn’t known what he’d find when he headed out for a new start, but this big, new town in the middle of nowhere wasn’t what he was expecting. He took another glance at Saffron, though, and gave a silent “thanks” that this was where they’d landed.

  “Have you been to the Occidental?” Saffron turned her big, brown eyes toward him and pointed to the restaurant next to the mercantile. “It’s owned by some of our friends. I think Carol and the boys might like it. They have special nights with food from all over the world, and—”

  “They might fall over in shock after months of beans, beans and more beans.” Adam laughed as the restaurant drew near. He pushed his hat up on his forehead and took another look at Saffron. He’d been too busy to ever even consider asking a woman to step out with him, what with training with his pa since he was a boy and picking up where his parents left off after the accident and his stomach fluttered for a moment.

  He cleared his throat and said, “I imagine they have dessert, then, if your friend is as magnificent a chef as you describe. Might you do me the honor of joining me for a moment? Blueberry pie sounds mighty good.”

  His eyes stayed straight ahead as he took a deep breath, his knuckles white as he gripped the reins. Seconds seemed an eternity, and he let out his breath as Saffron finally said, “That sounds lovely, Adam. I’d like that.”

  Her hand felt delicate in his as he helped her down from the buggy and up the wooden steps onto the boardwalk. He nodded as he held the door for her and noticed that she’d taken off her apron and bonnet while he’d tied up the horses and left it in her bag of utensils in the buggy. Her cornflower blue dress swished around her ankles and he shook the thought out of his head. Her deep, brown eyes glimmered in the failing light and were deep and appealing. Why had he not noticed that before?

  A pretty, blonde pregnant woman rushed over and took Saffron in her arms.

  “Oh, Sadie, you—you look beautiful,” Saffron said as she looked down at the woman’s growing belly. “Sadie, this is Adam. He’s...well, he’s—”

  His ears heated as he took off his hat and nodded at Sadie. “He’s new in town. Adam Benson. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  Sadie smiled and looked from Saffron to Adam and back to Saffron, her eyebrows raised.

  Adam cleared his throat and said, “We’ve stopped in for dessert. I hear your husband is the best chef in town, and you’re the best dessert baker.”

  Sadie laughed and reached for a menu. “Next to Katie, Saffron’s mother, and Maria, of course. But I’ll settle for third place.”

  Adam gestured for Saffron to follow Sadie and he pulled out her chair for her as Sadie set menus down on the table. “You look an awful lot like the owner of the mercantile. Well, more than a little. Almost exactly—”

  Sadie and Saffron exchanged glances and smiled. “They’re twins. Identical twins. Just like Lucy and Lily and Sage and me.”

  Sadie looked down and said, “And I’m hoping that’s the last of them. I’m nervous enough with one.”

  He held her chair for her and crossed around, sitting across from her at a table by the window. She settled in her seat and placed her linen napkin in her lap while Sadie listed off the desserts of the day.

  “
Rice pudding, apple pie, bread pudding with raisins and blueberry pie,” Sadie said. “Saffron, what is it?”

  Adam looked up at Saffron and frowned. Saffron’s eyes were trained on something over his shoulder, and he turned, scanning the patrons. Sadie turned and gazed as well and he believed they were looking at an older gentlemen dressed in a suit, his black hair with a bit of gray at the temples, his black mustache well groomed. He was seated with a beautiful woman about his age, her black hair sleek and shiny.

  He turned back to Saffron, and while she looked quite surprised, she also looked as if she were about to smile.

  “Ah, so that’s news, is it?” Sadie leaned toward Adam and said, “That’s Beau Archer, Saffron’s father. And Mrs. Allen, her sister Meg’s mother-in-law. Both widowed.” She leaned over to Saffron. “They seem to come in together quite a bit lately.”

  “Well, I had a feeling there was a reason he was going out more often at night these days, but I certainly didn’t guess what that reason was. Wait until I—”

  “Now, maybe you should just keep it under your hat for a little while. They’re both such nice people and you know how quiet your father’s been. This might make him happy.”

  “Maybe she’s right. It’s not very pleasant having people talking about you,” Adam said, glad he was meeting new people in his new town but keenly aware of why he’d wanted to leave his old one so badly.

  Saffron lifted her eyebrows as she looked at Sadie. “I suppose it wouldn’t do any harm. Maybe as we’re just having dessert we can get out without them even seeing us.”

  “I’ll hurry with your order. I’m not supposed to be serving, but I don’t think this will hurt. What did you decide on?”

  Adam glanced at Saffron, positive she hadn’t even heard the choices. “How does blueberry pie sound, Saffron?”

  “What? Oh, yes. That sounds wonderful. And a cup of tea, Sadie, if you don’t mind?”

  Adam sat back in his chair and glanced around the room. He saw one or two people who looked familiar, but not many, and he was glad he at least knew the Archer family, and now Suzanne and Sadie.

  He leaned forward and took a sip of water, smiling at Saffron over the rim. Her eyes sparkled in the light of the candle on the table, and he thought once more that he was glad his finger on the map had landed on Tombstone.

  Chapter 20

  Saffron and Adam had traded places before their pie came as she couldn’t stop staring at her father and Mrs. Allen. It wasn’t as if she thought it was a bad idea that they might be courting—she was quite fond of Mrs. Allen—but she’d had a strange twinge a couple of times when she’d seen him laugh as she talked and Mrs. Allen’s eyes twinkled at him. It felt intimate, even if it wasn’t, and she’d decided they deserved some privacy.

  “Two pieces of pie, one peach,” Sadie said as she set that plate down in front of Adam, “and blueberry for the lady. Do you need more hot water for your tea?”

  Saffron smiled up at her friend. “No, I think we have everything we need. How are things going with arrival preparations?” she asked as she glanced down at Sadie’s apron.

  Sadie sighed. “It’s not much longer now. I can hardly believe it. I’m glad there’s a new doctor in town and I even heard that Sage wanted to learn midwifing. That would be a fine idea as we’re short here in town and I sure don’t want to do this on my own.”

  Saffron raised her brows. “She said that?” Her sister Sage had never ceased to surprise her, but midwifing? That was different.

  “Yes, and she’d better learn quick,” Sadie said over her shoulder as she crossed over to another table and picked up empty plates.

  “You have quite a big family,” Adam said. “How do you keep everybody straight?” He laughed and set down his tea cup.

  Saffron looked up at him, his blue eyes clear and trained on her. “Yes, we do have a large family, even bigger if you include our friends, Suzanne and Sadie, and their families.”

  “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be in a big family. Kind of felt like we had one before.” His voice trailed off and he looked around the room.

  “I’ve always wanted a big family, too. I wouldn’t know what to do without a house full of people coming and going,” she said before she caught herself, her cheeks flushing.

  Adam laughed. “I wanted that, too. I mean, I think I did. Everything changed when Carol got hurt.”

  Saffron’s ears perked up. She wanted to know so much more about Adam’s family and what had happened, but the look on his face deterred her and she asked the first thing she could think of.

  “So do you like being a farrier?”

  His face brightened and she breathed a sigh of relief. This man certainly had topics he didn’t want to discuss, and she was learning quickly what those were. His family, mostly. But she understood—people could only talk when they were ready about things that were so painful to remember.

  “Pa was the best farrier in South Dakota—heck, in the three states closest.”

  She smiled as he beamed with pride. Just as she imagined she did when she talked about her father.

  “And he trained you, I heard?”

  “Well, he tried.” He laughed, and reached into the pocket of his vest, pulling out a beautiful, worn pocket watch. He turned it over in his hands several times, looked up at her and seemed to make a decision. He held it out to her.

  She took it slowly and brushed her hand over the filigreed brass, parts of it worn smooth. She turned it over and read the inscription. “Benson and Son.”

  He reached across the table and pointed to the inscription. “See, he left room there for another S. He was planning on training Luke and Andy, too.”

  “It’s beautiful, Adam. From what I hear, you can train them yourself. There’s plenty of room for Benson and Brothers.”

  He laughed and took the watch back, eyeing it once more before he slipped it back into his vest pocket. “I suppose there is. Guess I hadn’t thought about it that way. They’re busy in school right now, and—well, I guess I should start them on it anyway. See if they like it.”

  “Why wouldn’t they?”

  Adam set his fork down. “I don’t know. I suppose it can get a little lonely.”

  “Lonely? You get to meet new people all the time. You don’t enjoy that?”

  He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his square jaw. “I do enjoy it. Always have. But when tragedy strikes a family—well, you know. People like to talk.”

  “Oh,” Saffron said as she took a bite of her blueberry pie. “I would think people would want to help.”

  Adam leaned forward moved his pie around on his plate with his fork. “They did, mostly. Lots of people helped. But after a while, I think we became the project for a lot of folks. Wanted to know how Carol was doing all the time. Always asking if she was getting better. And she wasn’t.”

  “Doctors weren’t able to help her, then?” Saffron asked hopefully, knowing she was getting close to a delicate topic again. Her face fell when Adam looked up and around the room.

  “Looks like your pa has more company.”

  Saffron turned in her seat, surveying the busy restaurant. Her father stood as Mayor Carter and his wife approached their table, sitting as her father gestured for them to do so.

  “Well, that’s interesting. That’s Mayor Carter and his wife. They were very good friends of my parents, for many years. Mayor Carter and my father used to be in business together. It appears they approve,” she said as she turned back toward Adam.

  “Approve of what?”

  Saffron smiled and leaned forward. “I think my father and Mrs. Allen may be courting,” she whispered.

  “Oh,” Adam said, his eyebrows rising. “And how do you feel about that?”

  “I’m not sure.” Her pie was disappearing rapidly, and as it was one of the best she’d ever tasted, she said, “Would you like to try the blueberry? They don’t have it often and this might be your last opportunity for a while.”

>   Adam laughed. “Seems we’re both pretty good at changing the subject.” He reached over and took a forkful of Saffron’s pie that she held out to him. “I will say that it gave me pause when Pa met Victoria. She was a lovely woman, very kind, and they were happy. But it was still odd. Never could quite call her Ma.”

  “I truly don’t think I mind. She’s very kind, a lovely person. And I don’t think I’d ever call her Mama, either,” she said and laughed, finishing off her pie.

  “Seems we may have a bit more in common than most,” Adam said as he raised his hand to Sadie for the check. “Let’s get out of here before they see us.”

  He paid the bill and stood, shielding Saffron as she made a dash for the exit.

  Chapter 21

  Saffron thought that maybe she’d been successful at the restaurant and had gotten out without her father spotting her. She had mixed feelings about it and wondered if they were actually courting or had business together. Mrs. Allen hadn’t been in town too long, but as a wealthy widow from New York, Saffron guessed she had a good number of prospects if she was interested in re-marrying.

  If she was honest with herself, she really did like Mrs. Allen very much—she’d been quite kind to her sister and seemed to have a fairly progressive sense about things, something that Saffron admired. And deep in her heart, she longed for her father to be happy, even if this is what it took for it to happen.

  She smiled as she stepped through the door Adam held open for her and noticed that his eyes twinkled when he smiled. As he turned to reach for her hand to help her in the buggy, she noticed his dusty blond hair reached his collar and his square chin was quite handsome. Her hand tingled as she placed it in his and she took a breath as she gathered her skirt in her hand.

  As she sat on the bench of the buggy, the unmistakable voice of the Widow Samson sounded from behind her.