Covering her face with both hands, she groaned, embarrassed she’d even embarked on a quest to find out more about the woman. No matter how much she cared about him or the pain his rejection caused her, who Nick saw or spent time with was none of her business. She’d bury her feelings for him deep inside, as she’d done since he’d first come to Splendor.
As if the fiasco with Nick hadn’t hurt enough, Luke had ridden into town this afternoon. The news he’d brought shocked and saddened her. Never would Suzanne have suspected Rosemary of rustling. If she’d known how desperate Rosemary was, she’d have been more diligent about making certain whatever food could be spared went home with the young woman. Instead, Suzanne had gone about each day, oblivious to the plight of Rosemary and her charges.
“Are you all right, Suzanne?”
The deep voice with a slight southern lilt surprised her. For weeks, Nick hadn’t said more than three or four words to her each day. Straightening in her chair, she glanced at him for a brief moment before turning away. “I’m fine, Nick.” Standing, she smoothed her dress with her hands before starting for the kitchen.
“Suzanne, wait.”
Not turning around, she stopped, hearing him walk up behind her.
“I owe you an apology and an explanation.”
Her heart racing, she reminded herself too much time had passed without him coming forward to offer a reason for his actions. Did his words even matter to her now?
“You owe me nothing. Honestly, it’s forgotten.” She hoped he didn’t detect her lie. As she started to move away, she felt his hands rest on her waist, holding her steady.
“No, it’s not forgotten, and it’s my fault.” Pulling her back against his chest, he breathed in the scent uniquely Suzanne’s. “Give me a chance to explain.”
Turning to face him, she stepped out of his hold, feeling his hands fall away. She didn’t want to hear how he’d met someone, a young woman who captured his interest. All she wanted was for the hurt to go away. “Perhaps another time. I need to help Fannie in the kitchen.”
Reaching out, he grasped her hand. “Fannie can wait. I know you’re upset with me and my silence has made it worse.” Squeezing her hand, he stepped to within a few inches of her. “The reason for what happened had nothing to do with you and me, and it hasn’t changed how I feel about you. All I’m asking for is a few minutes of your time.”
Letting out a breath, she studied him, seeing nothing except lines of stress and a sincere desire to explain. “All right.”
His face relaxed, a smile curving his mouth. “Thank you.” He turned her toward the kitchen, tucking her arm through his.
Brows furrowed, she shot him a confused glance. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking my lady for a walk along the river. Then, if I’m lucky, I’m hoping she’ll allow me to take her to supper.”
Her heart flipped. Although she did her best to ignore the tug of hope, she felt like a girl being courted for the first time.
Leading her through the kitchen, ignoring Fannie’s stunned expression, Nick stepped outside, escorting her toward the river several yards away. Stopping at the edge, he turned her toward him, stunning her by placing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips.
“Thank you for giving me a chance to make things right.”
“Are you certain you don’t mind taking over? I’ll be gone two, maybe three months.” Doc Worthington sat at a table in Suzanne’s restaurant, staring at Clay McCord—Doctor Clayton McCord, sitting across from him. Until a few months before, he’d been thought of as Stan Petermann’s employee at the general store. When Noah and Bull had been attacked, Clay hadn’t hesitated to help, revealing his background as a Union Army surgeon. Since then, he’d helped Doc Worthington often, spending less time at Petermann’s and more time at the clinic.
“I’m honored you asked me, Charles. You need a break, and I need to spend more time helping others. It’s what I trained for, what I’m good at.” Clay sipped his coffee, his gaze shifting outside, spotting Rosemary Thayer climbing down from a wagon driven by Dirk Masters. Frowning, he pulled his attention back to the conversation with Charles. “I don’t want you to worry about the clinic while you’re gone. This is supposed to be a relaxing trip.”
Charles grinned. “Visiting family isn’t considered relaxing. At least not for me.”
Clay chuckled. “Well, try to relax. It will make my job easier knowing you aren’t concerned about not being here.”
“Here you are, gentlemen. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Suzanne. This looks wonderful.” Clay breathed in the enticing aroma of the rich stew.
“I’ll let Fannie know. She’s holding pie for each of you, so make sure you save room.” Smiling, she turned away, leaving them to their food and conversation.
Clay couldn’t stop his gaze from darting back outside. Dirk escorted Rosemary into the sheriff’s office, which seemed odd for a couple reasons. Seeing Dirk in town, driving a wagon, was unusual. He usually sent one of the Pelletier ranch hands to pick up supplies and mail. That wasn’t as curious as Rosemary not being in the restaurant to help Suzanne with the dinner customers.
“Have you seen Rosemary lately?”
Charles looked up. “No, I haven’t. Not in several days. Why?”
“Dirk Masters drove a wagon into town with Rosemary sitting next to him. They went into the sheriff’s office.”
Charles scratched his chin as another thought crossed his mind. “You know, I haven’t seen Jimmy Odell either. He missed his day cleaning the clinic. I hadn’t thought much about it…until now.”
“More coffee?” Suzanne hovered over them, a pot of coffee in her hand.
Clay held up his cup. “Is Rosemary not helping you anymore?” He saw the slight quiver of her jaw before she covered it with a nervous laugh.
“She hasn’t been in for a few days. Luke told me she and Ben are staying at the Pelletier ranch for a while.” She filled Doc’s cup, then took a step back.
“You must miss having her here to help.” Clay sipped his coffee, watching her eyes flicker, then widen. Following the direction of her gaze, he saw Rosemary and Dirk leave the sheriff’s office, Gabe right behind them.
Tearing her gaze away from the scene outside, she looked at Clay. “Yes, I do miss her. She’s a hard worker and the customers love her.” And I’ve grown to care about her, Suzanne thought as she walked away and into the kitchen, then stopped when Fannie turned to face her.
“You going to tell me what happened with you and Nick last night, or are you going to make me guess? You know, my imagination can come up with some interesting thoughts.”
Suzanne shook her head, fighting a smile at Fannie’s humor. “You know I won’t talk about what boarders tell me in private.”
Fannie tossed down the towel she’d been holding. “I knew it. He’s sweet on you, isn’t he? I’ve seen it coming since the day I first started working in your kitchen. The man can’t keep his eyes off you.”
Suzanne bit her lip, recalling the night before. They’d walked along the river, holding hands as if they were years younger. He’d apologized again for the missed supper, promising to make it up to her. They’d followed the river for a ways, then turned around. As they approached the back of the Dixie, he’d let out a deep breath and turned her to him.
“I need to tell you about the woman you saw.”
Her heart had pounded in her chest. “You don’t have to, Nick.”
“Yes, I do. It’s important you know who she is.”
As she nodded for him to continue, a series of shots rang out from inside the saloon, followed by shouts and more gunfire. He looked over her shoulder, muttering an oath.
“You have to go, Nick.”
When another shot rang out, he brushed his lips against hers. “We aren’t finished.”
By the time he returned to the boardinghouse, she was asleep. When she woke up at dawn, she found a single red rose and a note on her dres
ser. She had no idea how Nick had been able to open her locked door.
“You have nothing to say?” Fannie waved a hand in front of her, bringing her back to the present.
“There’s nothing to say. Nick and I took a walk, a fight broke out at the Dixie, and he had to leave. You know, I do believe we’re going to need a couple more pies for supper.”
Fannie snickered. “All right. I’ll let you get out of telling me this time, but I am going to learn what’s happening between you two.” She shook her head, smacking her lips. “My, my. That is one handsome man you got there.”
Suzanne was about to reply when the door swung open. Her face sobered when Rosemary walked in, her head cast down. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for a few days.”
Taking her hand, Suzanne led her to the table, lowering herself into a chair, tugging on Rosemary’s hand. “Sit down.” She nodded at Fannie, who didn’t hesitate to pour Rosemary a cup of coffee. “I want you to know Luke Pelletier came in a few days ago and told me what happened.”
Rosemary’s eyes flew open, her gaze darting between Suzanne and Fannie. “I’m sorry. So sorry for everything.”
Suzanne patted her hand. “He said they knew who forced you and the boys to do it, and Gabe had already alerted the sheriff in Big Pine. That man is going to pay for what he did.”
“I wish it were true.”
Suzanne cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
Rosemary looked up, her face filled with misery. “Dirk Masters brought me into town to see Sheriff Evans. He received a telegram from Sheriff Sterling in Big Pine. Boyden Trask left town. Closed down his restaurant and disappeared.”
“Perhaps it’s good the man has taken off. I’m sure he isn’t foolish enough to come here. Not with the sheriff looking for him.”
Rosemary snorted. “Miss Suzanne, I don’t believe Trask has any more brains than a prairie dog. There’s no telling what he’ll do once he learns I told the sheriff all about him.”
“Don’t you worry. I’m guessing he hightailed it as far away from this part of Montana as possible and will never return.”
Fannie nodded. “I agree with Suzanne. He’s got no reason to come looking for you with so many lawmen after him.”
“Well, no one is going to hurt you or the boys.” Suzanne stood, straightening her apron. “Luke told me the four of you are staying at the ranch. Is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Redemption’s Edge is a safe place. You do exactly what the men say and no harm will come to you.” Suzanne picked up a pie from the shelf, handing it to Rosemary. “You take this back with you. It’ll ease Rachel’s load not to have to worry about fixing dessert for all of you.”
Rosemary accepted the pie, hesitating. “What I did wasn’t right. The boys and I are going to do what we can to make up for it.” She raised her gaze to Suzanne’s. “Someday, I hope you’ll trust me enough to let me come back to work.”
Suzanne gripped her shoulder. “Listen to me, Rosemary. You admitted your mistake and are doing what you can to make it right. When you’re ready to come back to town, this job will be waiting for you.”
Rosemary’s bottom lip trembled as tears pooled in her eyes. “Thank you. I won’t let you down again.” Turning, she hurried out.
Suzanne and Fannie followed, watching out the front window as she climbed into the wagon next to Dirk.
“That girl has the world on her shoulders. It’s much more than any child should have to bear.”
“You know, Fannie, I always thought Ginny carried the largest burden of any young women I knew, what with having to care for her sister, Mary. Now, I’m thinking Rosemary may have outdone her.” Suzanne took one last look out the window as the wagon disappeared down the street.
“That’s it, Teddy. Dig right into the nasty stuff and toss it in the back of the wagon.” Tat leaned against one of the stalls. The ranch hand didn’t know if he’d somehow drawn the short straw or done something wrong, but he’d been put in charge of watching over Teddy, Jimmy, and Ben as they cleaned stalls.
Jimmy stopped, resting the shovel on the ground and leaning on the handle. “Where does all this shi…uh…horse dung go?”
Tat pushed his hat off his forehead, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Well, now, some of it goes behind the house near Miss Rachel’s garden. The rest is dumped on the other side of the fence back there.” He nodded toward the corral behind the barn.
Sighing, Jimmy wiped sweat from his brow, glancing at the other two boys. Teddy shrugged, then returned to scooping and tossing. Quiet and methodical, his younger brother kept plodding along, making a good amount of progress. Ben dawdled, finding the ropes and tack hanging on the barn wall of particular interest.
“Ben, you gotta do your share. Teddy and I can’t do it all.” Jimmy sent him a sharp look.
“But I can’t do as much as you, Jimmy. I’m a lot smaller.”
“You’re not as small as you think, Ben.” Tat walked to a room where additional tack, saddles, and a few more tools were stored. Looking around, he picked up a shorter shovel. “Here you are. Now you’ll be able to do as much as they can.”
Ben groaned, hearing Jimmy and Teddy snicker. Taking the shovel from Tat, he got back to work, then stopped at the sound of a wagon approaching. Looking up, he saw who he hoped. “Rosemary!” Dropping the shovel, he took off at a run.
“Hey, Ben. You get back here.” Tat hurried after him, slowing to a stop when Rosemary jumped down, wrapping her brother in a hug.
Dirk took one look at the boy, then at Tat, and shook his head. “Ben, stop wasting time and get back in the barn. Tat doesn’t have all day to stand around watching you dawdle.”
Placing fisted hands on her hips, Rosemary glared up at Dirk. “He doesn’t dawdle, and you don’t order him around.” She knew her mistake the instant Dirk jumped to the ground and stalked toward her.
“Do you want to say that again?” He leaned in, his face inches from hers. When she clamped her mouth shut, he stepped away, shooting a hard look at Ben. “Did you hear me, boy?”
Nodding, Ben turned and ran into the barn.
“You sure got a way with little boys, Dirk.” Tat grinned, tipped his hat to Rosemary, then followed Ben, chuckling.
Rosemary’s gaze followed the tall, lean cowboy as he disappeared into the cavernous barn. She hadn’t realized how handsome and charming Tat was until that instant.
“He’s not for you.”
Her head whipped around to see Dirk’s grim features fixed on her. Once again, she found the taciturn foreman overstepping his bounds, telling her what she could and couldn’t do.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Masters.” Lifting her chin and picking up the edge of her skirt, she turned away, taking fast strides up the steps and to the front door.
Crossing his arms, he smirked as she walked away, appreciating the sway of her backside.
“I’d say Rosemary isn’t for you, but it seems you may have already made up your mind.”
Dirk cringed at Bull’s voice, but didn’t take his gaze off Rosemary until she disappeared inside. Dropping his arms, he glanced at Bull, his face a mask.
“She’s young, willful, and without experience in much of anything—except rustling. If I were interested in a woman, which I’m not, it wouldn’t be a girl with more sass than brains. I like my women easy and undemanding, not handing out a heap of trouble at every turn.” He took one more look at the house, then started walking away.
Bull’s mouth curled into a knowing smile. “I hear that’s how it starts.” Laughing at Dirk’s less than friendly response, he walked toward the house where Dax and Luke waited inside for him. They’d sent a rider out to the north pasture to fetch him, saying the bosses had important business to discuss.
Bull couldn’t imagine what else the two might be planning, but those men always had something they were working on, which usually resulted in more responsibility for him. These days, he welcomed the
added duties. Anything that kept his mind off Lydia was welcome.
Knocking on the closed door of Dax’s study, he strolled in when Luke pulled it open and stepped aside.
“We’ve been waiting for you.” Without asking, Luke handed Bull a glass of whiskey. “Drink that.”
Bull looked at the amber liquid, then at Luke. “It’s a little early, don’t you think?”
“Not when you hear our proposition. Or more accurately, Dax’s proposition.” Luke nodded at the glass. “Go ahead. I’ve already had one.”
Bull raised a brow, then shrugged. “Why not? There isn’t much that would surprise me.” Swallowing his drink in one gulp, he set the empty glass on Dax’s desk. “All right. What is it you want to say?”
Dax stood, walked around the desk, and clasped Bull on the shoulder. “You and I, my friend, are on our way to San Francisco.”
Chapter Eighteen
Bull’s stomach plummeted. “The hell I am. You said it would be my decision whether or not to go after Lydia.” He had no intention of telling either man he’d already made up his mind to go after her. A man might not have much, but he had his pride. The decision to run after a woman who’d left him, no matter the reason, needed to be guarded.
“You think we’re going because your woman’s pregnant?” Dax dropped his hand, not letting the stricken look on Bull’s face sway him. “Your personal situation has nothing to do with the trip. And you’re right. Going for her is your decision. Neither Luke nor I will interfere.” Dax crossed his arms, leaning a hip against the edge of the desk.
“Then why would we travel over a thousand miles in the middle of one of the busiest times of year to a place we have no reason to go?”
Dax glanced at Luke, who nodded at him. “Go ahead, big brother. This is your idea.”
“All right. Bull, why don’t you sit down?”
Instead, Bull picked up his glass, poured one more shot, then tossed it back. “I don’t need to sit, Dax. Tell me what’s so important we have to leave the ranch.”
“Did we ever tell you about our shipping business in Savannah?”
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