She stopped and planted her hands on her hips. “Jake Lure, don’t you ever do that again.” Her eyes narrowed in a way she hoped looked menacing and angry.
He looked at her with all the innocence of a newborn lamb. “Do what?”
“You know very well what you did.”
He raised his palms upward. “What?”
“I can’t believe you winked at me. And in front of my brother, no less. What is wrong with you? You’ll give him the wrong idea about us.”
“He already has the wrong idea. Or...maybe not.” Jake walked away, leaving her standing there with her mouth open and her eyebrows buried under her bangs.
* * *
Jake couldn’t believe what he’d just said. He had to leave before he saw her reaction. He grabbed three halters and headed to the corral. Just as he reached the corral gate, Leah caught up to him. “Which horses do you want for Elizabeth and that fellow?” he asked.
“That fellow has a name. Fitzwilliam. And don’t think you can say something like that to me and just walk off, either. What did you mean ‘or maybe not’?”
He gazed down at her, chastened. “Was just teasing, Leah. You should know me by now.”
“I do. But I thought you quit all that heckling stuff long ago.”
“I did. That wasn’t heckling. That was teasing. There’s a difference.” He didn’t dare tell her he’d really meant it. The truth was he’d started to develop feelings for her. Real ones that went beyond friendship. And that scared the liver out of him. Especially since she was leaving. Get a grip, Jake. Act normal, and she’ll take a hint to drop it. “Okay. What horse you want for Fitzwilliam?”
She looked on the verge of giving him another tongue-lashing, but at the last second she sighed and the anger dropped. “Thank you for helping me get them. How about Moose for Fitzwilliam and Magpie for Elizabeth? I’m not sure how much riding either of them have done, but Moose and Magpie are the gentlest ones we have. I’ll have to get out the sidesaddle for Elizabeth, though. Oh, no— It hasn’t been used for so long. I hope it’s clean. I didn’t even think to check.”
“It’s clean. I rubbed all the saddles and tack down the other day.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank you, Jake. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
If only she meant that literally. With an inward sigh, Jake gathered two of the horses while Leah haltered Ginger, a horse named after Abby had outgrown naming the Bowens’ animals.
Inside the barn, hay dust floated in the air. Horse, grain and cleaned leather smells intertwined with Leah’s rose scent.
Jake went to work readying the animals. “You excited about today? Or nervous?”
Leah tugged on the cinch and glanced at him. “Both. I’m just glad you’ll be there.”
“Me, too.” But not for the same reason she was, he was certain. He wanted to spend more time with Leah and keep an eye on that phony dandy. If only Leah had noticed all the times Fitzwilliam had shown disdain over the way she and her family did things. The man not only hid it well, but also masked it before Leah caught him. She thought he was trying to help. Lord, open her eyes to the truth.
“Did you enjoy your time with Elizabeth?” Leah grabbed the saddle strings and tied the food sack onto her saddle, then gathered the reins.
“Yep. Sure did. She’s lots of fun. Interesting and easy to talk to. And she isn’t concerned like her brother is if something ain’t done properly.”
“She isn’t, is she? From what little I’ve seen, she’s the complete opposite of Fitzwilliam.”
That’s for sure.
They finished readying the rest of the horses in silence. When the task was complete, they led them outside, looped the reins around the hitching post in front of the barn and sat on the bench together, waiting for the Barringtons to arrive.
Minutes passed and still no sign of them. “What time is it, anyway?”
Jake pulled his pocket watch out from inside his vest and clicked it open. “Eight forty-five.”
“They should be here any minute now.”
“Yep.”
Another moment slipped into the sunshine.
“Jake, do you miss your family?” She didn’t look at him when she asked it. Her attention was riveted on her lap.
“Yep. A bunch.”
“How come you left them to move out here?”
“My farm here belonged to my real Papa’s parents. When my grandparents died, they left it to me. Mama wanted me to sell it. Couldn’t do it. I wanted to keep Papa’s legacy going. So, I moved out here.”
“Was your family upset that you did?”
“Not upset so much as sad. I was, too, for a while, but it was the right thing for me.”
Leah sat there in the sunshine, head down, her gaze going nowhere other than her lap. “I wonder if my family will be sad when I move, too.”
He knew he would be. His heart said so. “Sure they will. Will you miss them?” Will you miss me? That question remained locked inside his heart.
“Sweet twinkling stars above! Are you kidding? Of course I will. I’ll miss them more than a hot fire in the dead of winter.”
“Then why are you leaving?”
Hooves pounding on the hard ground and rattling tack entered the silence that followed. Jake forced his attention from Leah onto the ranch yard. Annoyance slid through him at the sight. Oh, joy.
“Oh. They’re here.” Leah pushed herself off the bench and scurried toward the buggy.
“Whoa,” the driver said from up front, covering Leah’s boots with dust when the horses stopped.
“Hey, George. Nice to see you again.” Jake smiled at the sixty-five-year-old man who helped Bartholomew, the town smithy. Jake reached up and shook hands with the man.
“Nice ta see you, too, Jake. How’s that farm of yours doin’? You sure do have a nice spread.” Envy filled George’s eyes.
From the corner of his eyes, Jake noticed Fitzwilliam heeding George’s words. “Doing good. Wheat’s growing like weeds.”
“Glad to hear it. If ya ever want to sell that place, you just let me know. I’d love to have it. Me and half the people in Paradise Haven, that is.” He cackled.
Jake knew George could never afford it, but it made him feel good the man thought so much of his place. “Not selling, George. I’m here to stay.”
“Kinda figured that.”
Elizabeth stood in the buggy. Jake hurried to her side and raised his hand to help her down. “Morning, Elizabeth.” The woman made a pretty picture dressed in a light blue riding jacket, dark blue skirt and dark blue riding hat. Still, Leah in her plain brown-and-tan riding outfit made an even more splendid picture. Leah could wear a rag and outshine any woman around.
“Good morning, Jake. ’Tis a pleasure to see you again.” Every time Elizabeth looked at him, admiration and a look he could only describe as dreamlike softened her large brown eyes.
“What’s he doing here?”
Jake glanced over at Fitzwilliam, who was once again scowling at him. He was starting to see a pattern here. This time Jake was flattered by it. It meant Fitzwilliam thought he was a threat to his and Leah’s relationship. But he wasn’t going to let the man think his look bothered him. So, just for the sake of doing it, Jake sent him an intimidating glare and was pleased to see the momentary shock on Fitzwilliam’s face.
“I invited him.” Leah tilted her chin like a proud filly. That look said Fitzwilliam had better not say another word about it.
Fitzwilliam must have gotten the hint because he said nothing more but shot Jake a look that could have melted steel. Then, like dew evaporating from the flowers, Fitzwilliam plastered on a phony smile and angled it toward Leah. “Capital idea. I’m sure Elizabeth will enjoy having him about.” He sent a smug look of his own back to Jake.
Jake closed his eyes. The two of them were acting like two roosters fighting over the same prized hen. Someone had to lose, and unfortunately it would probably be Jake.
* * *
&nbs
p; “How are you this morning, Fitzwilliam?” Leah didn’t have to look up as far to see Fitzwilliam’s face as she did Jake’s. She loved Jake’s massive height.
“Very well, thank you. And you?”
“Great.” Leah looked up at the pale blue sky that smothered her face with warm kisses. “It sure is a beautiful day for a ride.”
“Yes. Yes it is. Shall we get to it, then? I’m quite anxious to see how large this ranch of yours is.”
What an odd thing for him to say. Why did he care how big her family’s ranch was?
“Driver.” Fitzwilliam turned to the man still seated on the buckboard. “You may take your leave now. But be back by here by half past six. Do not be late.”
George nodded, reined the horses around, gave a quick swat on their rumps and mumbled that his name was George and something else Leah couldn’t hear plainly about people who thought they were better than other folks.
“Well, let’s get going. We have a long ride ahead of us.” Leah looped her arm through his and started toward the horses. “You two coming?” She looked over her shoulder at Jake and Elizabeth.
“Right behind you,” Jake answered as he gathered Elizabeth’s hand, tucked it through his arm and sent Elizabeth a lazy smile. The same one he gave Leah. Again jealousy snaked through her. She needed to get a grip on it, and soon.
Mere feet from their horses, Fitzwilliam stopped and glanced around.
“What’s wrong?” Leah followed his trail of vision.
“Where’s the horse I shall be riding?”
Huh? Did the man need glasses? Right in front of him stood four horses tied to the hitching post. “Uh. Your horse, Moose, is right here.” She patted the gelding’s white-spotted rump.
“Moose?” One of Fitzwilliam’s eyebrows rose and the corners of his mouth fell.
“Yes, Moose.” At his look of confusion she went on to explain. “When my sister Abby was younger, she begged my brother Haydon to let her name the animals on the ranch. He couldn’t resist her sweet, angelic face so he agreed. I’m afraid you will discover we have many animals with very strange names.”
“Ah. I see.”
Leah could tell by the low pucker of his mouth that he didn’t, but that was okay. Everyone in her family now found the bizarre names humorous. They were just part of what made her family her family.
Fitzwilliam walked up to Moose’s side and eyed the saddle. “I’ve never ridden a saddle like this before.”
Leah’s countenance fell with her shoulders. Not another faux pas. How long would it take her to learn his ways? And did she really want to? A question to definitely ask herself later.
“But—” he held up one finger “—I shall find it a challenge. And I am quite fond of a good challenge.” His gaze slithered from the horse to Jake.
Leah wondered what that was all about. “Oh good. I’m so glad. What kind of saddle do you normally use?”
“One without this thing.” Fitzwilliam rested his hand on the saddlehorn.
“It’s called a horn,” Jake said as he passed them and untied Elizabeth’s horse. “This is your horse, Elizabeth. May I?”
Leah watched as Jake placed his large hands around Elizabeth’s petite waist. His muscles bulged as he hoisted her effortlessly onto the saddle.
“Thank you, Jake.” Did the woman have something in her eyes? She sure blinked them often enough.
Jake smiled at Elizabeth then mounted his horse. His gaze landed on Leah as she stood on the ground among the horses. Their eyes locked. Leah smiled, and so did Jake.
“I do not see another horse with a sidesaddle. Where is your horse?” Fitzwilliam’s breath brushed against Leah’s ear. She wanted to swish it away and tell him not to talk so close to her ear.
“Oh. This one’s mine.” She untethered her horse, gathered the reins near the bit and pushed backward on them. “Back, Lambie. Back.” Her horse did as she asked it to.
Fitzwilliam followed Leah around the horse, examining as he went. “Where’s your sidesaddle?”
“I don’t use one. I tried it once and hated the thing.” She slipped one rein under Lambie’s neck and tossed it over the horse’s mane. The other she held in her hand while she placed her boot in the stirrup and swung up and into the saddle, then gathered the other rein.
She glanced down at Fitzwilliam. His expression went from a gaping mouth and bulging eyes to narrowed eyes and a wrinkled nose. Now, what had she done wrong this time? Her sigh was barely contained. “What’s wrong now?” She hadn’t meant for the frustration to fly out of her mouth, but it had anyway.
“Brother.” At the sound of Elizabeth’s voice, his features softened.
“Just another American custom to get used to is all.” With a shake of his head, he mounted his horse.
Leah heard him mumble about how the saddle was the most uncomfortable thing he’d ever sat on.
She wanted to laugh at the awkward picture he made up there, but instead she rode up next to him and said, “I thought you loved adventure.”
Jake’s chuckle nearly sent her over the edge of her own laughter, but she caught it just in time.
Fitzwilliam snapped his neck in Jake’s direction. “I do.” He narrowed his eyes at Jake and then turned a forced smile on her. “Make haste, my dear. And let us go.”
To hide her frustration at Fitzwilliam’s open display of abhorrence toward Jake, Leah nudged the heels of her brogans into her horse’s side, leaving the others to trail behind her.
It was going to be a long day.
As they headed out of the ranch yard, Jake pulled alongside her and Elizabeth next to him. Fitzwilliam rode on the other side.
They rode through the sparse fir trees past several blooming bushes.
“Those are quite lovely. What are they?”
“Syringa bushes,” Jake answered Elizabeth.
“They smell divine. And those? What are they, please?”
Leah followed Elizabeth’s pointed finger.
“Kinnikinnick shrubs,” Leah answered this time.
Leah breathed deeply the strong citrus scent of the ground-hugging kinnikinnick shrubs with their leathery leaves and pink blossoms mingled with the sweet scent of the syringa bushes.
“I must say, it’s quite handsome up here.” Fitzwilliam’s compliment warmed Leah.
Branches resting on top of the green forest floor crunched under the horses’ hooves. Over the lush green rolling hills they rode. Fields of red poppies waved in the breeze that was ever-present.
They headed toward the forest at the base of the mountain. The spiked flowers of Indian paintbrushes dotted the grassy hilltops and field edges with their bright orange and yellow.
Leah explained to Fitzwilliam what they were and about the rich volcanic ash soil and how it came to be there. Fitzwilliam appeared to be interested, but he was more intrigued with where their property line ended.
“Fitzwilliam, what’s it like in England?” Leah asked.
“It depends on what part of England one is at. Some places are quite similar to here, very lush and green. Some are not. One obvious difference is that there are no castles or brick mansions in America. Not that I’ve noticed in my travels, at least.”
“You told me about some of your travels, but where all have you traveled to?”
“As I said when we were dining, I have journeyed the world. I’ve been to France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Greece...” Fitzwilliam went on and on about where all he’d been, telling her nothing exciting about any of the places, even though she’d asked him questions. Instead, he talked about his many accolades, and all he’d accomplished and his great wealth.
Sorry she had asked him now, Leah kept riding, waiting and hoping the man would stop talking. She knew he was trying to impress her, but for some reason his voice was starting to grate on her nerves. Strange, Jake’s voice didn’t have that effect on her. She loved listening to him and could for hours and hours without wishing he’d be quiet. Even though Jake was a
man of few words, he was a great conversationalist, and not chatty like Fitzwilliam. Maybe Mr. Barrington was just nervous. Tillie, a widowed woman at church, chattered like a magpie when she got nervous. At least she hoped that was the case with Fitzwilliam.
Long, grueling minutes later, Fitzwilliam finally stopped prattling and pulled a long drink from his canteen. Leah took the opportunity to focus on Jake. Leather rasped as she shifted in her saddle to talk to him, but he and Elizabeth were laughing and talking. Leah envied Elizabeth. Jake always had something interesting to say.
Hours later, they stopped and dismounted at a clear spring that ran year-round on the top of the ancient cedar grove mountain.
Jake walked up behind her. “So, how was the ride up here?”
Leah leaned back to make sure Fitzwilliam wasn’t close enough to hear her. She blew out a long breath when she saw him and his sister at the base of one of the cedar trees that was at least ten feet in diameter. They gazed up at it, completely engrossed and talking animatedly about it.
Leah turned her attention back onto Jake. “The man never stopped talking. Some of what he had to say was interesting, but most of it was about himself. What do I do?”
“I’ll pay more attention and try to help you out, okay?”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Yep. That’s what friends are for.”
“Oh, Jake, you must make haste and come see this.” Elizabeth hooked her arm through Jake’s and led him to the base of one of the mammoth cedar trees.
Jake glanced back over his shoulder. Even though he was being led away, Leah knew he would be there for her when she needed him to be. That’s just the way it was between the two of them.
Fitzwilliam strode up to her and laced her hand through his arm. “You are quite a handsome woman, Leah. I’m blessed you have chosen to respond to my post. I think we shall get along quite famously. Oh, and as my dear sister so kindly pointed out to me, I must apologize for talking so much. A case of nerves, I fear. I will try to contain myself from here on in.”
“Well, if you get to talking too much, I’ll let you know, okay?”
He took a step back with shock, then chuckled. “Yes. Fair enough, madam.”
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