by Etta Foster
“I can imagine how that must feel,” Coralee replied softly, memories of Jessica on her deathbed flashing through her mind. Wishing to change the subject, she pretended to cough. “How is Caesar doing?”
“He's doing better day by day. He's finally starting to eat a little more by himself, which is a lot better than he was doing in the beginning. With any luck, he should be back to his normal self within a couple of weeks.”
He went silent for a moment, forcing Coralee to crane her neck up to look at him. He was gazing at her intently again, that piercing look sending shivers up her spine for the umpteenth time. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her insides quiver with feelings she had never felt before. A desire to be closer to him resonated within her for a moment, though she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand.
“Is everything okay?” She bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from smiling. He's totally giving me eyes right now. So much for me thinking that he wasn't still interested!
“I just can't get over how different you seem. Based on your letters, I wouldn't have pegged you for the type who enjoyed gardening. I had the impression that you would be one of those women who wasn't too keen on getting her hands dirty,” Gavin teased, his teeth glinting as he flashed her a smile.
“I'm not going to be volunteering to shovel the manure any time soon, but I'm no stranger to pitching in to help. I wasn't just sitting around all day getting pampered,” Coralee countered cheekily, eyes glittering as she stuck her tongue out at him.
“I should help you get to know me better. If you stop avoiding me so much, we might have the time.” She added the last bit as a joke, looking away before she could see the look that briefly crossed Gavin's face.
“Sounds good. If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to tending the herd. We'll talk more later,” Gavin said, striding off before Coralee could say anything else.
“You say that, but we'll see if you actually mean it,” Coralee muttered under her breath. She watched him until he was no longer in view, gathering her gardening tools and heading back into the house.
She washed the dirt from the vegetables she'd picked, setting them on a clean cloth to dry. We could make a nice stew with these. I should ask Viola if she'd mind if we had that for dinner today. I can't keep acting so suspicious around them. The only way for me to make them think everything is normal is to act normal.
Her thoughts strayed back to Gavin and the look he had given her earlier.
I should ask Viola about Gavin's past. Maybe there is something that happened that could explain the way he's been acting around me.
It might be that he had lady trouble in the past. It would explain why he wanted an arranged marriage. Until then, I'll just keep my eye on him. A hard-working husband isn't the worst thing that could happen to me. It just means that’s one thing we have in common.
Chapter 9
“Are we almost there, Judie Baby? We've been riding for what feels like days now. I want a nice bath and a hot meal, something that I haven't been able to enjoy in quite a while now. It's making me cranky,” Claudia whined from the passenger's seat of the small wagon that Jude had managed to procure for them at the train station.
He pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep inward breath. Jude Woodworth had been fielding complaints from his wife ever since they had first set out on their trip back to Jude's childhood home.
He'd received a letter stating that his father was quite ill, and Jude's presence was required to put some of the old man's last affairs in order. I honestly thought he would have written me out of the will entirely after Claudia and I eloped.
It had been hard going. Despite how wonderful things first seemed after running off together, Jude had been prepared to work hard.
Like many other men his age, he had heard of the plethora of gold in the West and had run off to try and seek his fortune as well. Five years later, all he had managed was a job in a nearby corral. Claudia wasn't exactly helpful when it came to their situation. She was surprisingly burdensome, and regularly demanded things of him despite knowing they couldn't realistically afford it.
It wouldn't be so bad if she would have dinner ready for me when I got home from work. What sort of woman doesn't even know how to cook? I've lost track of how many of her bland, overcooked dishes I've been forced to choke down.
“Don't call me Judie Baby. You know I hate that nickname,” he snapped the reins in his hand as if to accentuate his words. “I don't need to remind you of what happened the last time you got on my nerves, do I?”
“I thought you loved it,” she countered, her eyes gazing intently at him from where she sat beside him. She was wearing a costly blue dress he had bought for her birthday with his savings.
She made a pretty picture; were it not for the mouth on her and lack of cooking skills, Jude figured he could have been a very happy man for settling down with her. “You never complained about it before.”
“Yes, I have,” he responded immediately. “You just don't listen. I know you get some kind of sick joy out of constantly getting on my nerves, so spare me the innocent act.”
She stuck her tongue out at him before turning her head away. She was pouting now, and that meant he had bought himself some much-appreciated silence for now. That was fine by him, it would give him time to focus on the matter at hand. He was returning home, and that meant he would be confronted by his family once more.
It's no secret that Gavin will be unhappy to find out that I’ll be sticking around for a while. He still hates me for running off with Claudia, the poor sap. Maybe if he'd been more of a man, his lady wouldn't have run off in the arms of another man.
“I expect you to be on your best behavior while we’re at the ranch. I don't need you mouthing off and making the old coot write me out of the will entirely. Ma was fond of you when you and Gavin were sweet on each other, so hopefully things aren't too sour between you and her. I can't guarantee the stay is going to be all that pleasant, either way.” Jude chuckled gently as he kept his eyes on the road before him. I'm coming home.
The sun had long since begun its descent by the time they managed to make it to the Woodworth Ranch. There was no welcoming party, just a single lantern hanging from the front porch to illuminate the yard.
He hadn't expected any grand gestures, but Jude figured someone would have at least come out to investigate the sound of horses. Could be they’re in the middle of eating dinner. They might even be in the back room; that would explain them not being able to hear me. It’s too far back in the house.
He knocked loudly when they got up to the front door, caring little if he was disturbing them or not. They couldn't just summon him here and then expect to ignore him upon his arrival.
When the front door swung open to reveal his mother, he put on his most charming smile. “Mother, it is so good to see you. I hope you’re holding up alright. I know things must be hard on you since Pop fell ill.”
“Well, your brother has been here to pick up the slack, so we've managed.” His mother's face betrayed nothing of her thoughts as she leaned in close for a hug.
Jude grimaced lightly but returned the embrace, nonetheless. He was not a callous man, and at the end of the day, he loved his mother deeply. He still cared for his father, even if his old man had tended to favor his younger brother over the years. “But I’m glad that you’re here, Jude.”
“I wouldn't have stayed away. No matter what our differences are, this is Pop we’re talking about. I'd be a poor son if I couldn't put aside my personal grievances to see that he was taken proper care of.” The words slipped from his lips as just another white lie.
He was accustomed to using honeyed words on people to get what he wanted. That was how he managed to walk away each night after bartending with such a large number of tips. Once people were deep in their cups or their guard was lowered, that’s when you got what you wanted.
“Where is everybody?” Jude asked as h
e stepped into the house, Claudia following close behind.
“Your father and Gavin retired early and are in bed. You can have dinner with Jessica and I.”
“I imagine you must be famished after your trip,” Viola practically bounced with every step as she made her way to the kitchen. “Jessica dear, please set out two more plates. It looks like we have some company.”
“That sounds great,” Jude replied quickly, shooting a look at Claudia at the mention of a woman's name. “Claudia and I were just talking about how we miss the taste of your home-cooked meals. If you don't mind me asking, though, who is Jessica?”
“Oh, Jude. You always were a flatterer,” Viola beamed, humming merrily to herself as she went about preparing a plate for the two of them. The smell of sausage gravy and seared steak was enough to make his stomach rumble. As he stepped into the dining room, he was surprised to find a rather attractive woman sitting at the head of the table.
She offered him a shy smile as he and Claudia took a seat on the opposite side of the table as his mother sat a plate down in front of them both. The woman his mother called Jessica already had a plate sitting in front of her, and there was one sitting in the spot next to her as well. They must have arrived right on time for dinner.
“So, Jessica, what brings you to our humble home? Are you a new ranch hand?” he asked, tapping his finger on the table idly.
“Actually, Jude, Jessica is here to become your brother's new wife,” Viola said in a matter-of-fact tone, her reply causing both Claudia and him to gaze at her in shock for a moment.
“His wife, you say?” Jude was the first to recover, placing a hand in front of his mouth and coughing gently. “How wonderful. Glad to see my kid brother finally stopped living in the past. How did you two meet?”
“Your brother put an ad in the paper for a mail order bride, and Jessica was kind enough to respond. I guess they exchanged a couple of letters and Gavin must have liked her enough that we arranged to have her travel here from Boston. Would you say the two of you have been getting along, Jessica?” Viola asked.
The only other sound in the room was of knives and forks scraping across the wooden plates.
“I would say that we are getting along well enough. I haven't been able to spend as much time with him as I would like, but I understand that he has duties around the ranch. I just try to be helpful around the house and cook him an occasional meal to keep up his spirits,” Jessica replied softly.
“From Boston, huh? That's quite a long journey to travel. Could you not find any men in your own state that would take you?” Claudia snickered.
“Claudia, how rude! Jessica, don't pay her any mind. I'm sure she’s just giving you a hard time,” Viola said soothingly, casting an unhappy glare at Jude. She probably expected him to chastise her, but no such words came.
“It’s fine,” Jessica whispered, the look on her face clearly saying otherwise. “I understand what people must think. It must seem so strange that someone would want to come from the city to live out in the country like this. I could just tell that Gavin was really special from what he wrote in his letters, and he offered me an opportunity to escape a rather abusive situation.”
This revelation seemed to cause Claudia a bit of guilt. “Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so judgmental. I'm glad Gavin has moved on despite what happened between us.”
“We cleaned the cabin out for you in preparation for your visit. I told your father from the beginning he should have just allowed you to settle in the cabin like we'd originally planned, but after your elopement, your father was far less agreeable. I really wish you would have handled things differently,” Viola gently chided.
“That aside, you haven't explained to me what we’re doing here. Your letter said Pop was sick, but you didn't really give a lot of details. I came back out of a sense of duty to him, but I admit I'm hesitant to spend any extended amount of time here. I would hate to impose on you all like that,” Jude said through a mouthful of food.
“We’ll have to wait for your father to discuss those details, Jude,” Viola sighed, lifting a forkful of food to her own lips. “Let's just enjoy our meal together, shall we?”
Jude dug into the potatoes and sausages on his plate with delight, doing his best to mind his manners all the while. Claudia seemed a little more reserved while eating but didn't complain. His mother, on the other hand, seemed to notice the unusual silence. Claudia had been quite outspoken and energetic last time she'd been at the Woodworth house, which was in contrast to the frowning woman now sitting before Viola.
“Something on your mind, Claudia? You've been awful quiet since you got here. Were the two of you fighting on the way here?” Viola’s voice was soft enough that Jude had to strain to hear. He was about to comment when Claudia shook her head.
“No, just a bit tired after our journey. We had to travel in coach, so the noise made sleeping very difficult. Plus, there was a group of men who were sitting across from us drinking and playing cards who were very loud. I reckon once we get some quality shut-eye that I'll be back to my usual self,” Claudia smirked, a hand moving in front of her mouth as she giggled. “Though I'm sure that will come to the displeasure of some.”
“Nonsense, Claudia. You are a fine woman most of the time,” Jude was dismissive as he finished mopping up the leftover gravy with a piece of bread. “You make it sound like our relationship is so bad.”
“That's news to me. If I listened to what you said, I would consider myself a terrible person,” Claudia's glare was intense as she looked over at Jude. “Why else would you tell me to act a certain way as if I were a child?”
“Are you saying this because I asked you to behave while we’re here? I just meant that I didn't want you getting into petty arguments with any of my family. We are guests in my parents’ home now, and we need to behave accordingly. No matter what our relationship may be, we should act respectfully. I'd rather not make the trip back any time soon, would you? Especially given the nature of why we came in the first place.” He shot a withering glance at her, forcing her to look away from him for a moment. They both knew there wasn't much to look forward to back in California.
“Oh, Jude. Such a fine young gentleman you can be at times. Though I do think you ought not speak to Claudia so curtly. Tired though you may be, that's no excuse for being short with your wife.” Viola's voice cracked through the air, causing Jude to wince slightly. His mother was a bubbly person most of the time, but she had a hard edge to her that was displayed occasionally. This seemed to be one of those times.
“Of course, Mother, forgive me. I apologize, Claudia. I didn't mean to degrade you or make you feel like a child,” Jude said, reaching his hand over to gently squeeze his wife’s.
“When you are finished, I'll take you out to the cabin. Feel free to stable your horse in one of the empty stalls. Once your animal is taken care of, you can get yourself some sleep. Judging by those circles under your eyes, you could use it,” Viola was in full mother hen mode as she gathered their dishes and set them next to the sink before leading them outside. Jessica wished them a good night and excused herself, leaving them alone with Viola once more.
“Do you have enough pillows and bed linens in the cabin? Claudia needs at least two pillows for herself.” After the trip they'd had, a nice soft bed he could stretch out on was something he wouldn't dare pass up. He promised Claudia he would heat water for her to take a bath the next day, which seemed to put her in better spirits.
“I remember, Jude. You have nothing to worry about. Once the morning comes and your father wakes, we can send one of the ranch hands into town to fetch our lawyer. Then you'll be informed as to why we've called you out here,” Viola slid a key into his outstretched hand, pecking him gently on the cheek.
“You can go make yourselves at home in the cabin, then stable your horse. I'm going to turn in myself. Don't get into any mischief,” she said, disappearing into the house shortly afterward. “Good night,” she called out
, her voice coming clearly through the screen door.
“Make myself at home? I fully intend to,” Jude snickered, an ugly smile on his lips. “That's the joy of being the eldest, after all.”
Chapter 10
“Alright, lads, let's keep them in line!” Gavin called out as he rode ahead of the six other men with him. Harland was in his customary place on Gavin's right, the farmhand also shouting directions to the others.
They were currently in the middle of a roundup, moving their herd to another grazing place on the property that was a little farther away from the mountains. It would soon be time for them to go through the herd and check their brands.
The last thing he wanted was to find one of his neighbors’ wandering cows had mixed in with his herd while using the watering hole.
“That's the way, boys. Keep them moving. We just need to go another mile or two and we'll be good to go!” Harland called out. “Let's look out for gopher holes as we go! Don't want to risk one of the horses breaking their legs!”