by Ana Leigh
“I’m perfectly capable of painting. I’m not asking for your help, so you can climb down from that ladder.”
“I’ll wait until it collapses. It’ll be a quicker way of getting down.”
She tried not to laugh but couldn’t help it. “You’re so exasperating, Colt.”
“And you thought we have nothing in common.”
As soon as Cassie finished cleaning the floor, she picked up another brush and began to paint one of the walls. She sang softly as she worked, and he soon joined her in the song. When Colt finished the ceiling, he did the top of the walls and she did the lower part. Working as a team, they finished the room in two hours.
Satisfied with their work, Cassie followed Colt to the well, where he drew a bucket of clean water. He ladled her a drink and then drank one himself. The two sat down against the shady wall outside, since the paint smell in the small room was overpowering.
“If we were at Fraser Keep right now, we could go down to the creek for a refreshing swim,” he said, “then stretch out on the lawn and dry off. Here the yards are more scrub and weeds than green grass. Lord, I miss those rolling green hills of Virginia.”
“Is Fraser Keep the name of the town you’re from?”
“No, it’s my home. My family has lived there since Virginia was colonized. Have you ever been east, Cassie? Do you object when I call you Cassie? Everyone seems to.”
“Cassie’s my name,” she said lightly. “And no, I’ve never been east—or south.” She hugged her knees to her chest, her soft smile wistful and appealing. “I’ve read about the great cities of the North and the majestic plantations of the South, but I’ve never seen them. Maybe someday.”
“A great many of those Southern plantations are destroyed now. Century-old homes burned or tragic shells of their former splendor. But it was spring when I left Fraser Keep. The scent of magnolias and jasmine, apple and orange blossoms was in the air. Here, the smell of dust stings the nostrils and chokes your throat.”
“Since you love Virginia so much, why would you ever leave it? I can tell how much you miss your home.”
“Virginia will always have a deep hold on my heart, but for now I’ve had my fill of war, devastation, and the damn Restoration.”
“I’m sorry, Colt. Though many of us here in the West lost loved ones on both sides of that war, our homes and lives remained relatively undisturbed.”
“That can’t be said for the South. Everyone there paid a costly price for that war. My family alone lost five members. Both of our parents and Will’s two-year-old son died of cholera. His eldest son died at Sharpsburg; Jimmy was only sixteen. My youngest brother, Andy, perished with Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg.
“As if that wasn’t enough, in the past year Yankee carpetbaggers converged upon the South like a plague of locusts in the name of Reconstruction, promising riches to the former slaves who were homeless but free. Those who are fortunate enough to find employment have ended up working from sunup to sundown for a pittance that doesn’t even keep their families fed.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Compassion replaced the wistfulness in her eyes.
“For four years, my brothers and I fought that damn war,” Colt continued. “Fortunately Will scraped and struggled to hold our home together, and we had something to come back to when the war ended. So many others didn’t. The South’s filled with maimed and broken men still wearing their ragged gray uniforms like badges of honor.”
The grim line of his mouth slowly softened into a smile. “Between Clay and Lissy, I’ve got a couple of nephews I’ve never seen, as well as a Yankee brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They each have a baby now—part Yankee and part Reb.” For a long moment he stared pensively into space, then looked at her and grinned. “I guess that’s the start of the healing this country needs now.”
“And what happened to your other brothers?” Cassie asked.
His grin widened. “Garth’s off pursuing his dream of finding a gold mine, and has no intention of tying himself down to a wife and family. Looks like it’ll be up to brother Jed to increase the family’s ranks back home, because those are exactly my sentiments, too. Four years of fighting a war and another year of Reconstruction is enough hard times for any man. It’s time to cut loose and sow some wild oats.”
“So you’re going to join Garth and become a gold miner?”
“No, ma’am. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a lawman. Growing up, I practiced drawing and shooting until I gained the reputation of being the quickest draw and best shot in the county.”
Cassie laughed. “You won’t get an argument from me. That was a pretty fast shot you got off during the holdup. So why didn’t you become a lawman back home?”
“Unfortunately, there’s no demand for a Southern lawman; the Yankee carpetbaggers were given those positions. But I’ve always heard that west of the Mississippi there’s an untamed wilderness crying for law and order.”
“So that’s why you were so willing to accept my dad’s offer to become his deputy.”
“Yep. Between the stage holdup and dealing with those three outlaws of yours, I’m getting good experience.”
“Dad would love to have you remain as his deputy.”
“I’m bound for California, where it’s greener. My brothers and sister there have written of wildflowers, tall trees, flowing streams, and, according to Lissy, who’s more poetic than Clay and Garth, ‘the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean caressing the rugged coastline.’”
He chuckled. It was a warm and pleasant sound. “Clay’s even planted a vineyard in the hopes of building a winery. He wrote that California’s a place where a man can achieve whatever he dreams of.”
Cassie smiled. “I’m sure you will, Deputy Fraser.”
Colt stood up. “I guess I better get to work, or I’ll lose my new job the very first day.”
“Thanks for your help, Colt.”
“I enjoyed it. By the way, you might wash off that paint on your nose.” He tweaked the end of her nose. “Cute as it is, Miss Braden, someone might take you for an Indian on the warpath.” He winked at her and departed.
Cassie watched him as he strolled away with that smooth stride of his. When he had talked about the devastation of the South and his family, it had been with a poignancy that had torn at her heartstrings.
Watch yourself, Cassie. The man’s even more dangerous than you thought.
As Colt finished making the rounds of the town, his thoughts were on those pleasant hours he’d spent with Cassie. It was hard to believe that during that time, sex hadn’t entered his mind. It sure as hell was on his mind now. There was a lot more to that woman than the way she filled out a pair of pants.
Nearing the livery, he saw the three sprouts stretched out on their stomachs. Sam’s and Bowie’s noses were practically touching the ground as they studied two objects in the dirt. As he drew nearer, he saw that they were penny coins.
“What’s going on?”
Sam looked up long enough to give him an irritated glance. “We’re deliberating.”
Amused, Colt shoved his hat to the top of his forehead. “Just what are you deliberating?”
“Which penny looks closer to the wall, Deputy Fraser?” Bowie asked.
Colt gave the coins a long look. “The one on the right.”
“Told ya,” Bowie said.
“Well, you’re both wrong,” Sam said. “It’s the left one.”
Colt hunched down and studied the pennies from another angle. “On second thought, I think they’re even.” He stood up. “What’s this all about?”
“We’re tossing pennies to see who can get their penny closest to the wall.”
“And then what?”
“The one closest is the winner,” Bowie said, “and gets to keep the other penny.”
“Sounds like gambling to me.”
“So what?” Sam declared.
“You kids are too young to gamble.”
Bowie
looked contrite. “Shucks, Deputy Fraser, we’ve only got two pennies between us.”
“That’s beside the point. You’re setting a bad example for Petey.”
Sam was not going down without a fight. “You can’t stop us. There ain’t no law against it.”
“There is now. I just made one. No one under eighteen can gamble in the streets.”
Sam was so mad that her eyes were spitting bullets at him. “You’re only a deputy. You can’t make up laws.”
“I just did. If I see you gambling again on the street, I’m going to fine you. And if you can’t pay the fine, I’m going to lock you up.” He tried to keep from laughing as he walked away.
“Yeah, but just for a week,” Sam yelled after him, managing to get in the last word.
Chapter 6
Cassie fell asleep with Colt on her mind that night and awoke the next morning with him still there. Why? She had dealt with his type dozens of times. Leering strangers with the same intentions came and went all the time in Arena Roja, so what made Colt Fraser so different? Yesterday when he’d spoken of his home and family, she had seen a side she hadn’t expected in the cocky deputy. But in truth, he’d been on her mind ever since he’d stepped into that stagecoach.
Thinking that her trouble came from the fact that she was too inactive, she decided to ride out to the ranch. Two weeks ago, she and Jeff had moved the cattle to lower ground, where there was better graze and water. It was time she checked on them, and the trip would help clear her muddled mind; she could always think better on the ranch.
Sam and the James brothers ran up to her as she was saddling Midnight.
“You going out to the ranch, Cassie?” Sam asked.
“Yeah. Thought I’d check the herd. Want to ride along?”
“We sure do, don’t we, boys?”
Bowie and Petey nodded vigorously.
“Run home and ask your parents.”
The three of them ran off squealing with joy, and Cassie unsaddled Midnight and started to hitch the horse to the buckboard.
She was certain that Sarah Starr and Nina James would give the children permission to go along, since the Apaches had been peaceful all winter and had moved in the early spring to their summer camping grounds. “Steady, boy,” she cooed when Midnight shifted and began to fight the harness. She gently stroked the horse’s neck. “I know you’d rather run free, but it’s just for a short while, sweetheart. And you know how the children love to go to the ranch.”
Within seconds the stallion had calmed, and she led the horse and buckboard outside just as Colt Fraser was passing the livery. Did he always have to show up to remind her of his existence?
He tipped his hat. “Morning, Cassie.”
She nodded. “Good morning.”
“Looks like you’re going for a ride.”
“Just out to the ranch to check the herd.” She forced back a smile of amusement, seeing him wince as the children came racing back.
“We can go, Cassie!” The children clambered onto the wagon.
“They enjoy visiting the ranch,” she told Colt. “The open space gives them a chance to run off some of their energy.”
“Gotta say I appreciate your gesture. With them out of town, I can breathe easier.”
“Yeah, well, so can we,” Sam declared. “We won’t have you sniffing at our heels all day like a sucklin’ pig to a sow.”
Colt turned to Cassie. “Where does she pick up that kind of language?”
“Not from me, I assure you. She reads a lot of Godey’s Western dime novels,” Cassie replied, barely able to keep from laughing.
Sam glared at Colt accusingly. “Quit talking about me as if I’m not here. You’d think we’re the only ones in town who cause you trouble.”
“To date you are, Belle.”
“Yeah,” Bowie complained. “You oughta find somebody else to pick on.”
Petey seconded the motion with a pugnacious lift of his chin.
“So what assault on the human race are you three concocting, Belle?”
She put her hands on her hips and smirked. “You ain’t so smart, Deputy. While you’re working, we’ll be having a picnic.”
“A picnic, huh?”
“That’s right.” Sam held up the basket in her hand. “Mama packed us a picnic lunch so’s Cassie wouldn’t have to fuss feeding us. There’s some for her, too.”
“That was very thoughtful of her, Sam,” Cassie said.
“Sounds like I’ll just have to struggle through the day without you,” Colt said. “With you three out of town, the crime rate should go down drastically.”
“Are you calling us criminals?” Bowie asked.
“About as near as you can get,” Colt replied, hiding a smile.
Petey’s brows locked in a frown. “We ain’t no crummy nails.”
Sam slipped a protective arm around the boy’s shoulders. “Don’t pay him no mind, Petey. He’s just mad ’cause he has to work while Cassie and us are having fun.”
Chuckling, Colt tousled the boy’s hair. “She’s right, pal. She sure has me figured out. Enjoy your outing, sprouts. And you, too, Cassie. The town thanks you.” He brought a finger to his hat and moved on.
“Boy, that deputy sure don’t like us,” Bowie said as they rode out of town.
“I can’t understand why you children and Deputy Fraser can’t get along. One has to think he either hates children”—which she doubted, remembering the way he spoke of his family—“or he believes you three are troublemakers.” Which could be the case, considering their involvement in the incident when he tried to ride Midnight.
“Must be ’cause he’s a spoilsport,” Sam said.
“Really? He doesn’t seem the spoilsport type.” Cassie glanced up at the sky. “Well, let’s forget about Deputy Fraser. It looks like we’re in for another hot day. When I’m through with the herd, we’ll go for a swim.”
“Hooray!” the children shouted in unison.
She hoped she could practice what she preached and put the deputy out of her mind, but Colt Fraser was a hard man to forget.
And he knows it. That’s why he’s deliberately playing a cat-and-mouse game with me. Well, she wasn’t going to let the thought of Colt Fraser spoil her outing with the children.
Cassie started to sing “The Old Gray Mare,” and the three children joined in. One song led to another, and the air rang with the voices of the enthusiastic chorus for the rest of the ride to the ranch.
When they reached their destination, she drove the buckboard down to the river and unhitched Midnight to let him graze. While she checked out the herd, the children played tag among the trees.
As soon as she finished, Cassie took the children to the best and warmest swimming hole on the ranch.
The area had many streams and springs, and the Santa Fe River ran right through the Lazy B, but this high in the mountains, the water always remained cool. Still, on a hot day, it felt good to jump into the water.
After drying off, they ate their picnic lunch, then hitched Midnight back up to the wagon and drove to the ranch house, to make sure the house and barn were undisturbed.
“How come nobody ever bothers this place, Cassie?” Bowie asked.
“Probably because they know it belongs to the sheriff,” Sam said.
“Are you forgetting that rustlers stole our whole herd? That’s why we had to move into town,” Cassie reminded her.
“What about Indians?” Bowie asked.
“The Indians never gave us many problems. Dad always gave them grain to get them through the winter, and even some steers if they needed them.”
“How come they didn’t raid your ranch when they were on the warpath?”
“It was kind of scary at times, but years ago, Dad saved the chief’s youngest son from drowning in the Santa Fe. So they pretty much left us alone, except for stealing a cow or horse occasionally.”
“Why didn’t they steal Midnight, Cassie?” Petey asked. “Midnight’s the bestest
horse there is.”
“We kept Midnight in town, sweetheart. I only rode him out here when the Indians moved to their summer camp.”
“Ain’t you ever gonna move back here to live?” Bowie asked.
“After the herd was stolen, we couldn’t afford to. We had to let the crew go, and Dad took the job as sheriff.”
“But you ain’t poor now, Cassie,” Sam said. “You own the livery, too.”
“Dad won’t give up the sheriff’s job. Besides, he’s too old now to go back to ranching.”
“What about when you get married?” she asked.
“I guess that will depend on Ted. But I don’t think he knows too much about ranching.”
Sam looked appalled. “But you love ranching, Cassie. Wouldn’t you want to marry a man who loves it, too?”
“Of course I would. But a woman can’t help who she falls in love with. I guess it might depend on who Cathy marries, because Jeff’s never taken to ranching. But I’m sure when Dad retires he’d like to spend out his life here.”
“What if Mr. McBride don’t come back, Cassie?” Sam asked. “Will you live here or in town?”
“Then I’d live here for sure, Sam.”
“Don’t you ever want to get married?”
“Honey, there’s no one in town I’d want to marry.”
“Not even the deputy?”
“The deputy? You mean Colt Fraser? God forbid!”
“Mama said Colt Fraser would make a good husband for you.”
The conversation had just become too absurd to continue. “Listen, it will soon be time to get back to town. How about you kids bring in some firewood while I finish dusting these rooms. And be careful, sometimes a snake crawls into the woodpile.”
As she dusted, Cassie thought of the preposterous idea of marrying Colt Fraser. Where did people get such ideas?
“Cassie! Cassie!”
The shouts sounded desperate, and, fearing the worst, she rushed to the door. Sam and Bowie came running up to the house.
“What’s wrong? Where’s Petey?”
“At the woodpile,” Sam said.
“And there’s a skunk in it,” Bowie cried out, breathlessly. “Petey’s trying to catch it.”