In the last year, Joshua had taken two partners into the fast-growing firm. Because he worked so hard to build the business, he hadn’t taken any time off. With the partners and a couple of junior lawyers to keep things going, maybe he could take an extended leave and fulfill Mr. Cunningham’s dying wish.
Chapter 1
Arizona Territory
India Cunningham tried to blow away the curls that fell across her right eye. She didn’t want to stain her white-blond tresses with the rich red barbecue sauce concocted by one of her ranch hands, Hector Gonzalez. India had no idea what all Hector put in the mixture, but she knew it left a mark on anything it touched. She would have to rub a lot of lemon juice on her hands before they would return to their natural color. Even then, it might take a day or two for the crimson stain to wear off.
Today should have been a good day for the fund-raiser for the Cactus Corner Orphanage. This time of spring was usually cool and mild. Not today. A blazing sun beat down, bringing a river of sweat that rushed down India’s spine. She had worn a brown blouse in case some of the sauce splashed on it while she basted the whole steer her foreman, Nathan Hodges, butchered yesterday. While he slowly turned the spit holding the beef over the fire pit, India painted the side nearest her with sauce, making sure every inch of the carcass would absorb the tantalizing flavor.
Hector’s sauce almost guaranteed the success of the event. Cowboys from every ranch for miles around flocked to get their share of the feast and add to the coffers of the orphanage. Today most of the cowhands’ pay would be spent to help people instead of wasted in the saloon across from the general store.
The milling crowd kept even a hint of a breeze from reaching India. She had hoped to escape to the hotel and clean up before the festivities began, but the time for that was long past. Maybe no one would notice how terrible she looked since she was by the fire pit at the edge of the crowd. Wrinkling her nose, she shrugged her shoulders, trying to dislodge the fabric that was plastered against the moisture on her back.
“India Cunningham!” Jody McMillan pushed her way through the nearby crowd. “What are you doing still back here?” A frown replaced the questioning expression Jody had worn just a moment ago. “I thought you were going to clean up at the hotel. Didn’t you take a room for that very purpose?”
India watched her good friend try to brush away some of the dust that had settled on the skirt of her own dress. Why ever did Jody wear such a light color to a picnic? Didn’t she know it would show all the smudges? And all those ruffles would just hold in the heat.
After putting the sauce brush on a plate to catch the drips, India tried to push her hair back with her forearm. The attempt only dislodged the curls for a moment before they fell again. “I haven’t had time to get away.”
“Surely you don’t want everyone to see you like that.” Jody’s hands fisted on her hips as she glared at India.
Just what she needed, to be reminded of how awful she looked after toiling over the barbecue most of the morning. If only Martha had been able to help her husband with the beef. Donating the steer should have been enough of a contribution for India to make, but lately, nothing came easy. For some reason, many of the men in the surrounding area didn’t believe that a young woman could run a ranch as large as the Circle C. She had to prove her abilities to everyone except the hands on the ranch. They knew that ever since she returned from finishing school back East, she had been more in charge than her father.
“Do you want me to do that while you go clean up?” Even though Jody offered to take over painting the luscious-smelling beef, India could tell that she really didn’t want to.
“And get this red stuff all over that dress?” India couldn’t help laughing. “You’d never be able to wash it out.” She thought about what else Jody had said. Besides, there’s no one I want to clean up for.
The loud blast of the train’s whistle announced the arrival of the eastbound in Cactus Corner, Arizona. Joshua stood and lifted his carpetbag from the seat beside him. He would pick up his larger luggage at the baggage car after he stepped down from the stuffy passenger compartment. He ducked his head and stared out the grimy windows. Cactus Corner was not the tiny village he remembered from the summer when he was twelve, but the mountains in the background held the same purplish cast against the clear blue sky. His family had come about this same time of the year, but he didn’t remember it being so hot.
He pulled his attention to the surrounding area. A thoroughfare that intersected the tracks not far from the depot had a sign reading MAIN STREET. People milled around, but many of them seemed to be headed the same direction.
When he stepped down onto the platform, he asked the stationmaster, “Is something special going on today?” Then he noticed the heavenly aroma that made his mouth water and reminded him that it had been too long since he’d eaten.
“Sure is.” The man nodded, and his prominent Adam’s apple bobbed in tandem with his head. “A big barbecue and auction—to benefit the orphanage.” As Joshua approached the baggage car, the man walked right beside him. “You might want to go over there and get something to eat later. It’s the best barbecue this side of Fort Worth, Texas.”
After retrieving his small trunk and hefting it onto one shoulder, Joshua turned back toward the shorter man. “I have a couple of questions. Where is the hotel, and which way to the barbeque?”
A frown marred the man’s face. “You might not be able to get a room tonight. Lots of folks from outlying areas have come in for the festivities. They take every opportunity to get together when one comes along, since they are few and far between.” He turned and looked down the street. “The hotel’s that way, and a boardinghouse is up there.” A thumb thrust over his shoulder accompanied the last comment. “You might get a place there if not at the hotel. If they’re full up, I believe there’s some rooms over the saloon.”
“Thank you.” Joshua wasn’t sure the information was very helpful, but his mother had taught him to be polite. However, he was certain that he wouldn’t take the man’s last suggestion. He’d sleep outside under the stars with his trunk for a hard pillow before he would go into that place.
“I could tell you to just follow your nose to the barbecue, but the smell pretty much covers the whole town.” The white-haired man laughed at his own joke. “If you go past the hotel and turn right at the next corner, the church is a couple of blocks down that street. Most of the activities will take place in the open field behind the building. I’ll probably see you there later.”
Getting his name in the hotel registry almost proved the dire prediction of the station agent. After talking until he thought he would lose his voice, Joshua finally procured a room, such as it was. A tiny space the size of a closet in the house he rented in California. The single bed sat beside the wall opposite the door, with both the headboard and the foot almost touching the sides of the room. The space barely allowed the door to open all the way, and a chair sat in one corner. He dropped his trunk on the chair and placed the carpetbag on top. Evidently he would be expected to retire by dark, since the hotel didn’t have gaslights on the wall, and no table to hold an oil lamp or candle could be wedged into the meager space. He hoped he would only spend one night here.
Since he’d left his business suits back in San Francisco, getting ready for the festivities didn’t take him long. After making a stop in the washroom to get rid of some of the travel grime, Joshua set out to find the church. Stretching his legs after his long journey felt good. He took the indicated street and strode on the wooden sidewalk. Even if the stationmaster hadn’t told him how to get there, he would have figured it out. Probably every person who lived within twenty miles of this town headed the same direction he did.
By the time he reached the church grounds, several people had introduced themselves and welcomed him. Maybe they hoped he would contribute to the cause in a big way…. Maybe he would.
Cactus Corner must have been built around a spring. Even tho
ugh he had passed through arid country, this town looked more like an oasis. Trees and sparse grass surrounded the houses he passed, and many of the structures had a few colorful flowers in pots on their porches. He smiled. A pleasant place, for a small town.
A large crowd milled around. People stopped beside several tables laden with handmade items, such as quilts, hand-carved knickknacks, and even furniture. Many of the women congregated around a display of lacy things and frippery. They chattered and exclaimed over each item they picked up.
Joshua studied the younger ladies, trying to decide if one of them was India Cunningham. When he last saw her, she wore her hair in braids, but strands escaped and curled around her face. Freckles had peppered her nose and cheeks, becoming more pronounced the longer she spent time in the sun. Since she had to be in her twenties now, she might have lost the freckles. He hoped some of them remained. They looked cute on her.
What color were her eyes? He couldn’t remember exactly. She had been like a whirlwind, always in motion. Well, it didn’t matter. Joshua stood to the side and studied every woman with brown hair who passed him. Somehow, he didn’t see anyone he thought was India Cunningham. Should he ask someone if she was here?
Chapter 2
India picked up a long-handled cooking utensil with two thin, pointed tines and thrust it into the hindquarters of the rotating steer. It slid right through and quickly encountered bone. When she pulled out the special fork, bits of the barbecued beef stuck to the metal, and savory-smelling juices seeped out. She picked off a juicy piece and popped it into her mouth, realizing almost too late that she should have let it cool a bit more. But it did taste wonderful.
“Is it ready, Miss India?” Nathan Hodges had added Miss to her name when she came back from Mrs. Collier’s Finishing School. Even after all this time, it still sounded funny.
The spicy meat almost melted in her mouth. India nodded. “Just right. Do you think you can take care of slicing it?”
The older man reached for a large sharp knife that waited on the table behind him. “Sure thing. Just keep the platters coming.”
India wiped her hands on a towel hanging on the waistband of her voluminous apron. When she had been at the general store last week, Mr. Lawson received a crate of lemons from California. More of the citrus fruit made it, in these modern times, without spoiling since trains delivered them now. India had been tempted to buy the whole box, but she only took half of the fruit, leaving the rest for other shoppers. Her ranch hands liked lemonade, and most of the yellow orbs were gone, even though she was able to store them in the cool springhouse. Four lemons waited for her to return to her hotel room and clean up the mess on her hands. Since Nathan took over slicing the meat, maybe she could finally get away. She motioned Hector to take her place. Giving her a wide smile, the man complied. India knew he took pride in providing the sauce for the beef.
She turned to make her way through the growing crowd, and her gaze connected with that of a man she had never seen before. He wore the same kind of clothes the other cowboys did, but his still looked new and stiff instead of faded and soft, and he moseyed with a similar ambling walk. Something else set him off from the others, but she wasn’t sure what. Aside from his good looks, and he had plenty, he towered over most of the people around him. His curls glinted blue-black in the sun as they blew in the gentle breeze and tumbled down on his forehead. From this distance, his eyes looked almost as dark as his hair, but more on the brown side. India’s heart skipped a beat, and her hands itched to coax those curls back from his face. Where did that thought come from?
Letting out the breath she had held momentarily, India wished she were anywhere but here looking like some carcass her ranch dog had dragged up from the desert. She pushed an errant curl out of her eyes, then remembered the sauce that stained her hands. Hopefully none of it had transferred to her hair. India didn’t want the man, who seemed to be making a beeline toward her, to see how horrible she looked. Why hadn’t she listened to Jody earlier? She should have left immediately to freshen up.
India glanced down, made a face at her clothes, which were covered with a fine sprinkling of dust and irregular splatters of red, and raised her chin in a defiant gesture, glancing toward a large tree that shaded the opposite side of the dusty field. What was she doing letting the most handsome man she had ever seen rattle her so? For all she knew, he could be an outlaw.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the stranger stop and start talking to Reverend McCurdy. India knew her pastor would gently ferret out all kinds of information without the man even recognizing what he was doing. Maybe she should plan to spend some time visiting with the clergyman later that day.
While the two men were deep in conversation, India slipped around the other side of the crowd and hurried toward the hotel.
As Joshua made his way through the bustling crowd toward the barbecue pit, a shorter gentleman in a black suit stepped in front of him. How in the world could the man stand to wear a suit in this heat?
“I’m Gavin McCurdy.” Gavin’s strong voice belied his slight stature. He thrust out a hand, and a smile lit a twinkle in his eyes. “I’m the pastor of this church. Welcome to our community. Are you just passing through?”
Joshua vigorously pumped the outstretched hand. “Glad to meet you, Reverend McCurdy. I just arrived in town about half an hour ago, and the wonderful smells led me straight to the church.”
“If you’re here Sunday, I’d love to see you in our services.” The pastor’s hearty welcome brought interested glances from many bystanders in the crowd.
The next few minutes, the clergyman asked many questions that Joshua chose to sidestep. As a lawyer, he was adept at answering without giving any information. He knew what the man was doing, but he didn’t resent the questioning interest. He supposed a stranger was somewhat of an oddity in this corner of the world. You had to be looking for Cactus Corner to find it, even though the railroad now connected it to other towns.
When the man of God moved on to greet other people, Joshua’s eyes sought the woman he’d glimpsed near the roasting steer. She’d been standing near an older man swathed in an apron. He was now slicing the meat and piling it on large platters held by a wiry Mexican whose smile spread across his face. Joshua’s stomach gave a loud rumble, reminding him once again of just how long it had been since he had eaten. He worked his way through the mass of people toward the food, all the time scanning the crowd.
He couldn’t find the woman dressed in dark clothing with hair that looked like moonlight shining on a clear lake. He had never seen that color of hair before. She wore it in a careless bun on top of her head with wispy curls forming a halo around her lovely face. Some of the barbecue sauce had smudged her cheeks, but not enough to mask her loveliness. Where could she have disappeared? Oh well, with his luck, she was married to one of the cowhands forming a line at one end of the table loaded with a bounty of food besides the platters of beef.
Past the other end of the long table stood a smaller lady who held a large earthenware crock. Another woman dipped from it and poured the liquid into all manner of drinking vessels—tin cups, heavy mugs, even a few glasses. He was surprised she didn’t spill any with all the kids who were darting through the crowd and even ducking their heads to scoot under the table as if it were some kind of tunnel. As Joshua watched, his parched throat felt like the desert the train had traveled through. He probably should try to get a drink before he thought about eating, or he might not be able to swallow any food. He made his way toward the shorter line at the drink table.
With a smile, the woman handed him a heavy mug. He took a long swig. Joshua hadn’t expected the sweet, tart taste of lemonade, but it did quench his deep thirst. Too bad there wasn’t some ice to cool it more. Living farther north where people experienced winter definitely had added blessings. Some folks cut ice into large chunks and buried them underground surrounded with sawdust. That ice often lasted until the next winter. Thinking about the cooln
ess only intensified the dry heat he was immersed in, but the lemonade soothed his parched throat. At least he wasn’t wearing a business suit.
Joshua took his drink and joined the long line for food, glad that it moved quite fast. Soon he leaned against a scraggly tree on the edge of the open field, shoveling food into his mouth. His mother would be aghast at his lack of manners, but he didn’t think anyone here noticed. A lawyer learned to study people, so he enjoyed watching the other people interact. In a small community like this one, everyone seemed to know everyone else. That might be a good thing.
After a while, movement on the street side of the crowd drew his attention. A woman glided through the group almost like Moses parting the Red Sea, and everyone gave her attention. He didn’t blame them. She was breathtaking. Although her hair was the same color as that of the woman working with the meat earlier, the resemblance ended there. This woman’s hair was arranged in a style that would have been fashionable in San Francisco, and she dressed with understated elegance. Her dark brown skirt didn’t have any of the extra ruffles some of the women wore. He imagined her clothing was cooler than theirs. The light-colored blouse wasn’t really white, but looked more like the cream he used to skim off the milk back home. It accentuated her smooth complexion, which was more tanned than that of any woman he knew in California. Joshua figured she must spend a lot of time outdoors.
He couldn’t pull his attention from her. Then it hit him. She was the same woman. Evidently she had gone somewhere to clean up.
Joshua would have loved to know who she was, but he didn’t want to cause ripples by asking too many questions. He would bide his time and keep his eyes and ears tuned to what was going on around him.
Once again, the parson approached. “Have you seen the desserts on the table by the church?”
Love Is Patient Romance Collection Page 27