The Accidental Guardian
Page 23
Scott scowled at her. “Of course we can.”
To Trace he had the look of a man more used to giving orders than taking them. Some kind of officer, no doubt.
Deb turned to Trace with pleading eyes. He’d have taken her side no matter what, but his reasons were more practical. “Scott, I don’t know how far you have to go, but a couple of adults might be able to fight their way over the trails for a while, but you’ll kill those little ones.”
Scott quit glaring and turned to look straight through the wall, thinking about what he’d just ridden through. Trace held his peace because Scott looked like a sensible man, and Trace had spoken no more than the truth.
When there was no word of agreement coming from him, Trace said, “They’ll be fine here with us for the winter. Come back for them in the spring.”
Scott’s shoulders sagged. “You’re right. I might be able to make it home—Penny too, who’s as tough as they come—but not the children.”
Penny spoke up for the first time, her voice deep for a woman. “We’re not leaving them, Riley. If they can’t go, then we’ll stay. Where do we sleep until spring?”
Trace hadn’t considered that. He really didn’t want two more people in his cabin. It was already full with five people. It’d be mighty crowded for seven, and he was plumb sick and tired of building houses for all and sundry.
“I’m not leaving my daughter and nephew behind.” Scott’s expression was stubborn, like it’d take a stick of dynamite to get rid of him. “I’ve been away from them for too long already. If they can’t go, then we’ll stay. We both homesteaded. We’ll build a lean-to cabin on the property line so we can prove up. I left a small herd in a corral out of the wind where they’ll find water and food enough. What other things we have, well, there’s likely too much snow for anyone to get to it and steal our things. We don’t have to worry about being gone.”
“I’ll put your horses up,” Adam said. “You folks get warm.” He left the cabin. He’d never gotten his coat off after he came in with the firewood.
Utah, Trace noticed, stayed off to the side. He looked more relaxed now but still alert. And he had a little smirk on his face.
Utah said, “Trace, I reckon you and Scott here oughta spend the winter in the bunkhouse with us cowpokes.”
“I want to stay near my children,” Scott protested.
At the same instant, Trace said, “I want to stay with my wife.”
“Guess I’d better get a fire going in the bunkhouse.” Utah’s smirk turned into a chuckle. “Gonna be an interesting winter.” He spun on his heel and walked out.
CHAPTER
30
Deb hurried forward and took the woman’s arm. “Come to the fire. Trace and I are just in from a ride to Carson City, and I am still half frozen.”
The woman went with her, but she wasn’t shivering, nor did she seem likely to tear her shoes off and roast her toes by the fire.
“Sit in the rocker and just rest awhile.” Deb helped her shed her coat and other outer garments.
Penny gave her a confused look. “I’ll stand, thank you.”
“Cameron, come by the fire.” Penny stretched out her hands to warm them. “Mrs. Riley, would you please bring the children out so that Scott can see Maddie Sue. I lived with Abe and Delia until Cam and I headed west—that was before Ronnie was born. I doubt Maddie Sue remembers me, but I remember her and have pined to see her again and also meet little Ronnie.”
Cameron’s expression turned grim. “There’s no chance Maddie Sue’ll remember me. She knew me for only a few weeks after the war.”
Deb couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor man. She hung up Penny’s coat, scarf, hat, and gloves on a peg by the front door, then hurried to Gwen’s bedroom door and knocked. “Come on out, Gwen. Maddie Sue’s pa is here.”
A gasp from behind the door told Deb her sister hadn’t understood what they’d been talking about until now. The door remained closed.
Deb knew exactly how Gwen felt.
Finally, slowly, the door inched open. Deb waited patiently.
At last Deb could see Gwen, and see the way she clung to the children, one on each hip, looking as if opening that door was breaking her heart. Gwen slowly stepped out to where she could see the newcomers.
Penny smiled. Even with her windburned cheeks and bedraggled brown hair, the smile transformed her face to a very pretty one. “Maddie Sue, it’s your aunt Penny. Do you remember me?”
Maddie Sue frowned and looked at Penny with wary eyes.
“Maddie Sue, it’s Pa.” Cam smiled and rushed forward. He reached out and she screamed. She turned her face away and clung to Gwen, screaming as if a longhorn was charging her.
Although truth be told, she’d probably be more comfortable with longhorns.
Cam tugged at her. Maddie Sue’s screams grew louder.
Little Ronnie howled in sympathy and nearly crawled over Gwen as if to hang on to her back where he could better hide from this scary man.
“Mr. Scott, please let her go,” Gwen said. She tried to sound calm, but a thread of desperation underlined it. “You’re scaring her.”
Cam didn’t seem to hear Gwen. He was too intent on trying to hold his daughter.
Deb could only imagine how much he’d missed his child.
Trace came up and clamped a hard hand on Cam’s shoulder and dragged him back.
Cam whirled around, a fist clenched. “Let me go. I haven’t seen her in . . . in . . .”
“You’re scaring her to death. Just calm down. Let her get to know you a bit first.”
Deb braced herself for Cam to throw that fist.
Cam’s chest heaved, breathing too fast. Deb could see the fight for control. He was furious, but more than that, she could see he was devastated, brokenhearted.
“I have a daughter who doesn’t even know who I am. I’m nothing but a frightening stranger to her.” Cam ran his hands over his face, thick with beard stubble, his hair overlong and uncombed.
“I don’t blame her for being terrified of me.” Cam’s head dropped so his chin rested on his chest. “I abandoned her.”
The screaming kept up. Both children were clinging to Gwen, their faces red and streaked with tears.
With his shoulders slumped, Cam turned away and found where he’d shed his coat. He grabbed it and, dragging it on, headed for the door. “I’ll go see if I can help outside.” He left the house, swinging the door shut.
Deb couldn’t even hear over Maddie Sue, whose face was pressed against Gwen’s chest, howling louder than the loneliest wolf.
Epilogue
Deb crawled into bed with Trace. Dragging the covers up over both of them, Trace whispered, “I thought I was going to end up in the bunkhouse with all the other men.”
Deb threw her arms tight around him. “I was afraid you might. You know there’s not much room in this house anymore.”
Groaning, Trace rolled onto his back and drew Deb along so that her head rested on his chest and her arm surrounded his waist. “No one in a hundred miles is tough enough to get me to give up holding you in the night.”
Deb giggled, and Trace covered her mouth and hissed, “You be quiet. There are too many ears close by.”
Wriggling away from his hand, she said, “Listening to Maddie Sue and Ronnie cry so hard reminded me of a voice crying in the wilderness. Maybe you’re too tough to cry. And I’m certain you’re too tough to admit it if you did.”
“Darn right I am.” Trace kissed her on the neck in a way that made her giggle again, but she was going to have her say.
“But fighting this snow, Trace, how did you survive it? From Missouri? You couldn’t have had any idea what you were facing.”
“Not really, but Pa had talked of stocking up food for the winter. And we’d lived up on a mountainside in Tennessee, so we got some snow there. But you’re right—I wasn’t ready at all. It was only hard work and a whole lot of prayers that got me through.”
“Well, your experience sa
ved lives when you guarded that trail. It also saved my life along with Gwen’s and the children’s. And it provided you with a wife. And this home is going to help poor Cam get to know his children.”
“They didn’t even get near him at supper. They were almost as scared of Penny. They act like Gwen is their mother. They love you too, but it’s her they go to.”
“Yep.” Deb rested her head comfortably against his shoulder. “But I don’t mind that at all. They love us both, though I’m glad they picked one of us for a special attachment. That seemed better for them, yet I don’t know how they’re going to act when Cam and Penny try to take them away.”
“I know how I’m going to act.” Trace kissed her before she could ask what he meant. He went on, “I’m going to jump up and down and cheer at the thought of having all those people gone out of my house.”
She laughed again, but much more quietly this time, and Trace silenced her with his lips. “I love you, Deb.”
Deb gasped and pulled back. “You do?”
In the dark, she could see Trace’s brow furrow. “Well, a’course I do. It’d be a foolish man who’d have such a wife as you and not count his blessings every day and love her with all his heart. I never dreamed such a wonderful thing could happen to me. Didn’t you know I love you?”
When he put it that way, she almost felt like she’d done wrong. “The thing is, you never said you loved me. I didn’t know if a man would speak of such a thing, and I was afraid I’d never hear those words from you.”
“You like me saying it?”
“I like it very much. My father never spoke kind words to my mother or to Gwen and me. The words are so nice to hear. I wish you’d just say it about every night at bedtime. It gives me a warm and happy feeling to hear it. And it makes it easy for me to say it back. I love you, Trace. With all my heart.” She snuggled closer. “I have a husband. Imagine that.”
“I don’t think we need to imagine a thing.” Trace snuck in another kiss. “Not while I’m holding you in my arms.”
She giggled once more, only this time he seemed serious about her being quiet, because he set himself to keeping her mouth busy for a long while.
About the Author
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedies about cowboys. She’s the author of the TROUBLE IN TEXAS, WILD AT HEART, and CIMARRON LEGACY series, as well as several other acclaimed series. Mary has been nominated for a Christy Award, was a finalist for a RITA Award, and is a two-time winner of the Carol Award. She lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero. They have four grown daughters—Joslyn, married to Matt; Wendy; Shelly, married to Aaron; and Katy, married to Max—and four precious grandchildren. Learn more about Mary and her books at:
maryconnealy.com
facebook.com/maryconnealy
seekerville.blogspot.com
petticoatsandpistols.com
Books by Mary Connealy
From Bethany House Publishers
THE KINCAID BRIDES
Out of Control
In Too Deep
Over the Edge
TROUBLE IN TEXAS
Swept Away
Fired Up
Stuck Together
WILD AT HEART
Tried and True
Now and Forever
Fire and Ice
THE CIMARRON LEGACY
No Way Up
Long Time Gone
Too Far Down
HIGH SIERRA SWEETHEARTS
The Accidental Guardian
The Boden Birthright: A CIMARRON LEGACY Novella
Meeting Her Match: A MATCH MADE IN TEXAS Novella
Runaway Bride: A KINCAID BRIDES and TROUBLE IN TEXAS Novella (With This Ring? Collection)
The Tangled Ties That Bind: A KINCAID BRIDES Novella (Hearts Entwined Collection)
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