Luke’s blue eyes flew wide, and he reached up to touch her face, stroking her cheek with the backs of fingers she was gratified to see were trembling a little. “Do you mean that? A month isn’t too soon for you?”
“It’s not soon enough, to tell the truth,” she admitted, “but I think it’s a reasonable amount of time that shouldn’t cause too much scandal.”
Luke laughed, a deep rumble in his chest, and he grasped her hand to kiss it. “I think my sense of humor might be rubbing off on you, sweetheart!”
“Maybe just a tiny bit,” Daisy said with a chuckle, “but definitely not where any small ears might overhear!”
* * *
Luke couldn’t remember ever being happier. Utter contentment spread through him gradually as Daisy stroked his hair and returned his gentle teasing. Her fingers were so soft on his skin, like the down of a baby bird. Catching her hand in his, he kissed her fingertips, marveling at their smoothness, so unlike the rough calluses on his own.
“I love you more than I have words to say,” he said and saw her smile widen.
She smiled down at him with the sun warming reddish lights in her black hair. “You do all right for a soldier-turned-cowboy, Luke Rockford.”
“You don’t mind that I ain’t got much of an education? I’m always gonna be so proud of my clever, educated wife, you know.”
“So long as you don’t try to keep me from educating our children.”
“Not a chance!” Horrified she’d even think it, Luke half-started up, but she pressed those soft fingers against his cheek, encouraging him back down. “You teach them everything you’ve got stored in that clever head of yours and your books. I’ll buy you more books iffen you want, a whole room full. Hey, that’s an idea for our house; I’ll put in a library! That’s fancy, right?”
She laughed, the sound a soft tinkle like running water. “Very fancy, but I don’t think we need a whole room. A nice sturdy bookshelf near an easy chair will do just fine.”
“Got it.” He pretended to write a note on an imaginary list. “Easy chair, sturdy bookshelf. Anything else my brilliant bride requires for her reading pleasure?”
Entering into the spirit of the game, she tapped a slender finger against her lips as though pretending to think. “Close by a window for good light to read by. Overlooking the lake, I think.”
Little did she know, he pounced on every hint she gave about her preferences like a dog on a juicy bone, storing them up in his memory. Daisy would have her bookshelf, easy chair, and a big picture window with a view of the lake. A bathtub big enough to soak her whole body in, wood stoves to keep every room warm in winter, and every other luxury he could think of to build or install for her comfort.
The Handleys were probably getting sick of the sight of him in their store. He’d ordered so much while at the same time slowly reading his way through two books on house construction, drawing endless drafts of plans. Daisy deserved nothing less than the finest home he could give her. Since she was willing to wait patiently for him to build it, he was determined it would be absolutely perfect.
“You two behaving yourselves?” Barb’s laughing query made both of them look up at her.
“As you see, the picture of respectability.” Luke kissed Daisy’s hand again. “And Daisy has news to share with you.”
“Oh?” Plopping herself down on the blanket and inspecting the debris which was all that was left of their picnic, Barb raised an eyebrow.
“I—well, we—would like to take you up on that offer to share your wedding day,” Daisy said shyly.
Barb let out a shriek of delight. “Well, isn’t that just the most wonderful thing!”
She scrambled over to embrace them both, beaming at Luke and telling him she’d always known he was smart, or at least smart enough to know Daisy was the best thing that’d ever happened to him.
“You’ll sure get no arguments from me,” Luke agreed. “And we’re counting on you to put in a good word for us with Mrs. Brown if necessary.”
Barb laughed again, settling back on her heels and starting to tidy the picnic things. “Oh, Adeline’s a dear. Her bark’s a lot worse than her bite. She’ll probably take to you right quick. Who wouldn’t?” Barb told Daisy. Her eyes twinkled, and she jerked her chin at Luke. “After all, you managed to enchant this big ox.”
Luke reached up to catch onto a long strand of black hair which had escaped its pins, twisting it lightly around his finger. “I definitely was enchanted from the very first glimpse of you.”
For a long moment they stared at each other. Entranced, Luke could have stayed lost in Daisy’s eyes forever, especially considering the soft, loving way she was smiling at him. Her hair was like silk against the roughness of his skin, and though he ached to reach up and pull the rest loose from its pins, he stayed where he was, not wanting to disturb the perfect moment.
Barb cleared her throat with an exaggerated noise and asked, “Have you two actually forgotten I’m here?”
Daisy blushed, pulling her gaze away from Luke hastily.
Luke just chuckled. “Maybe for a moment,” he confessed, tugging lightly on Daisy’s curl one last time before sitting up with a regretful sigh. “Let me help you clear this up, Barb. We’d better start back soon, or the twins will be falling asleep on the ride!”
* * *
Daisy sat, arms wrapped around her knees, and watched as the two old friends bantered. Luke was doing the lion’s share of the work in getting the horses ready to return to town and the picnic all packed up, insisting Barb should take a few minutes to relax.
“All joking aside, you really have caught yourself a good man,” Barb murmured, taking a seat by Daisy and watching as Luke put the picnic basket in the buggy before walking toward the lake to fetch Jack and the children. “Luke’s the closest thing I have to a brother and one of the finest men I’ve ever known.”
“I didn’t come out here expecting to find a man to marry, you know.” Daisy hugged her legs while observing Luke as he laughed and swung Isabelle up to ride on his shoulders. “I just wanted to teach children.”
“Mighty good at it you are too,” Barb soothed. “You’re young yet, Daisy, but didn’t you dream of a husband and children of your own?”
“I did.” Catching at the loose strand of hair Luke had been playing with, she secured it with a hairpin. “I’d just never met a man I liked who’d have me.”
“Who’d have you?” Barb’s brow furrowed.
“I’m half-Chinese, Barb. I look more like my father than my mother, but one close look at me and all the respectable gentlemen of San Francisco decided to find a wife somewhere else.”
“Oh Daisy, I’m so sorry.” Barb shook her head. “You know Luke doesn’t worry about that, right?”
She did know. From the first moment, Luke had made it clear her background made no difference to him at all. “I knew Luke was a good man by the quality of his friends, first,” Daisy admitted. “You and the children, and Matthew the baker, and Miz May spoke well of him too. My father always said you could tell a lot about a person from their friends.”
“Sounds like a wise fella, your pa. He was a doctor, did you say? D’you think he’d have liked Luke?”
“Very much.” Daisy smiled to herself, remembering her father’s firm, no-nonsense ways. “A lot of folks looked down on him for taking a Chinese wife, but he never cared for that. Said folks who couldn’t look past the color of someone’s skin to see their value weren’t worth listening to, and he wouldn’t speak against someone just because they lacked a formal education, either. My mother would have liked Luke even more, I think; she used to say...” Daisy paused, considering how to phrase the Chinese idiom in English. “Water dripping on stone. Which means perseverance, basically. Water will always wear away stone in the end, and Luke is a man who will work doggedly toward his goal, whatever that might be.”
“Jack, too,” Barb agreed. “I can’t hardly believe they found both silver and gold, but that assay
report—well, Jack told me Mr. Moss was dancing with excitement when he read it. We’ll be the wives of rich men this time next year, Daisy; what do you think of that?”
“I think I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” Daisy replied while rising to her feet and shaking out her skirts. She grinned up at Isabelle who was still on top of Luke’s shoulders. “Good view from up there?”
“Not as good as Ishmael’s,” Isabelle replied, pointing at her brother who was riding on Jack’s shoulders, “but not bad!”
“Hey!” Luke shook his head with a growl and pretended to bite Isabelle’s knee. “Don’t insult your horse, missy!”
The children both laughed, but it was a weary sound; they were done in. Daisy joined Barb in coaxing them to ride in the buggy on the way back. Neither twin protested too much about being settled in with the blanket from the picnic tucked around them.
“Want to ride with me?” Luke held his hand out to Daisy. “You can get back in the buggy before we get to town so nobody sees you, Miss Respectability.”
She threw caution to the wind and accepted his hand. “Just don’t let me fall,” she cautioned as he lifted her easily onto his big buckskin, seating her side-saddle before swinging up behind her.
“Never,” he promised. One strong arm curved around to hold her close while the other held the reins.
Daisy held herself stiffly at first, but after Luke murmured in her ear telling her to relax because she was making his horse nervous, she let herself lean against his broad chest. Reveling in the tenderness of his embrace, she thought she wouldn’t have minded a much longer ride than the half-hour it took them to get back to Rattlesnake Ridge.
“It’s all right,” she said when he would have stopped just outside the town to let her ride in the buggy again. “I’m not ashamed to be seen with you, and we’re not doing anything wrong.”
She felt Luke smile against the side of her brow, his lips brushing her hair. “As you like, sweetheart,” he murmured, and she was sure he sat a little taller with pride as they rode back into Rattlesnake Ridge together.
Since the stables were directly opposite the schoolhouse, Luke didn’t stop to let her down until they were right at the bottom of the schoolhouse steps. “I’ll be over shortly to clean your fish,” he promised with his usual mischievous grin.
“I’ll put some potatoes on,” Daisy answered cheerfully, almost skipping down the narrow alley to get to her little cabin. She couldn’t wait to share another meal with Luke and then go visit the preacher.
She stumbled to a stop at the sight of the man seated on the small step at her door.
“Miss Daisy.” Grant Watson rose to his feet and sketched a small bow. “Excuse me for intruding on you.”
Eyeing him, Daisy wondered if she should turn tail and run. Watson made no threatening move, just stood there with hands hanging loosely at his sides and an almost forlorn expression on his youthful, handsome face.
“Can I help you, Deputy Watson?” Even as she said it, she noticed a glaring absence: the shiny silver star no longer winked from the breast pocket of his black coat.
He grimaced. “I handed my badge in to the sheriff this afternoon, ma’am. I’m afraid I wasn’t doing it justice.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Daisy said cautiously.
“I hope Rockford conveyed my apologies for my behavior towards you.” He looked down and shuffled his feet, reminding her of one of her pupils caught misbehaving in class. “It was unconscionably rude, and I have no excuse. I’m sorry if I caused you any discomfort.”
Watson had to have a few years on her, but he seemed very young in that moment. “What do you plan to do now, Mr. Watson?” she asked eventually when the silence had dragged on for an uncomfortably long moment.
“I’m leaving Rattlesnake Ridge. I’m afraid I—well, I fell prey to some unsuitable influences here. My father’s been pressing me to go back East, join him in business. I never felt much like I fit in there, but I guess I don’t fit in here either.”
“I’m sorry things haven’t worked out as you wished,” Daisy offered kindly.
He nodded, a small spark of hope entering his eyes. “I didn’t want to go without speaking to you first, Miss Daisy. I realize I made a fool of myself, and worse, but—I wanted to ask if you’d consider coming with me.” The words spilled out of him all in a rush.
Her eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”
“Come with me. Marry me, and I’d see you never wanted for anything.” He held out a hand. She took an instinctive step back even though his movement wasn’t threatening at all.
Watson’s hand dropped, his expression registering her rejection with a look of deep despondence just as Luke’s deep voice rumbled behind Daisy. “What’s going on here?”
Stepping out of the alley, Luke moved in front of Daisy in a protective stance, hand dropping to the gun holstered on his hip as he eyed Watson suspiciously.
“Just saying goodbye,” Watson answered, his shoulders slumping dejectedly. “I’m leaving town tonight, Rockford, heading to Reno to catch a train in the morning. Going back East.”
“That right?” Luke didn’t lift his hand from his gun.
Watson’s mouth quirked up in a one-sided smile. “It is. The better man won, Rockford. I hope the pair of you have a wonderful life together.”
Daisy thought he was genuinely sincere. As he moved toward the mouth of the alley, she offered him a small smile. “Good luck, Mr. Watson. I hope you find the place where you do fit in.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” He offered her an even lower bow and one last longing glance before walking away.
“What,” Luke said when even the sound of Watson’s boots in the dust had faded away, “was that?” He looked utterly bemused.
Daisy was a bit stunned by what had just happened herself. “Just what he said it was, I think; a goodbye.” She was pretty sure Watson had never believed for a moment she’d accept his offer.
“He was crazy for you from the first time he saw you.” Luke followed her inside, setting the wrapped fish down on the table. “Did you ever consider him?”
There was an odd note in his voice. Almost plaintive. Nervous. Daisy glanced over to see the anxiousness in his voice etched across his weathered features. Suddenly she knew what was really plaguing him. Of course, she thought, Watson is considerably younger than Luke, much closer to my own age. And he had a better job, a better house, a chance to inherit a large sum. All the things that should make a man attractive. I suppose some women even found him handsome. I never did.
“Never for a moment,” she reassured. “He cooked his goose by being rude to you at that first meeting, remember?”
“I didn’t think you liked me much at the time. I didn’t exactly cover myself with glory at our first meeting, did I?” Luke looked abashed, making Daisy laugh.
“The story of how you caught me shaking out my petticoat at the window will be a good one to tell our grandchildren, my love.” Tempted to kiss him, she resisted and instead went to open her storage cupboard, taking out some potatoes. “Now, why don’t you clean that fish while I put these potatoes on to boil?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, evidently reassured by her teasing. Accepting the sharp knife she offered him, he took a plate and the fish outside to clean.
* * *
Preparing and eating a meal with Luke was a small vision of the domesticity she could expect in the years ahead. Her husband-to-be was perfectly comfortable in a kitchen. When she remarked on it, he said laughingly that he was actually better at cooking over an open fire!
After they ate the surprisingly delicious fish, Luke washed up, even scrubbing the skillet clean before handing it to her to dry. “All done,” he said cheerfully, drying his hands off. “Thank you for a delicious supper, sweetheart.”
The endearment was new as of today, but Daisy liked the informality. It was a sign of their closeness. She turned from hanging the skillet on the cabinet. He was looking at her with
that certain glint in his eye which she’d learned from experience would probably lead to kissing, so she said quickly, “Are we going to take a walk over to the preacher’s house?”
Luke looked a little regretful but nodded in agreement to her suggestion. “Probably for the best, else he’ll be hearing about us at church tomorrow.”
“You’re assuming he hasn’t heard already,” Daisy pointed out as she drew her coat around her shoulders and tucked her hand into the crook of Luke’s offered arm. “I may be new to Rattlesnake Ridge, but it didn’t take me long to figure out the gossip network is alive and well, and the reigning queen of it is Mrs. Handley at the general store.”
“You’re not wrong,” Luke admitted. “Although Samuel Langhorne is doing his best to take over that crown!”
Chapter 22
Luke and Daisy walked along the street chatting companionably, pausing several times to greet folks they knew out for their own strolls in the cool of the early evening. The preacher’s house was just behind the church—a neat little whitewashed cottage with black shutters and a boot scraper by the door.
Reverend Brown opened the door with a broad smile and a twinkle in his eyes. “Come in! Come in! I wondered when I’d be seeing the pair of you!”
Daisy blushed. Luke just grinned, unfazed, and followed the preacher into the house, Daisy’s hand held fast in his. They turned to the right and entered a dining room, prettily furnished with a round table covered by a lace tablecloth. Daisy surreptitiously admired the fine china on the table and the sheer curtains covering the window while the preacher left them to fetch his wife.
“Now, what’s all this about you taking leave of your senses?” Adeline Brown demanded as she entered the room.
Daisy blinked several times. “I beg your pardon?”
“‘Tis the only explanation I can think of for a lovely lassie like yourself agreeing to marry this buffoon!” She turned sharp eyes on Luke, but Daisy saw the little quirk at the corner of Mrs. Brown’s mouth. “Now, have a seat and talk to Alastair while I make some tea for all of us, and then you and I will go in the other room and have a little chat, hm?”
Coming From California (The Pioneer Brides 0f Rattlesnake Ridge Book 2) Page 18