Leaving the privy was like taking a step off the ledge. He wasn’t sure if his foot was going to land or if it was going to just collapse beneath him. But he made the first step. Granted, his knees were a little quivery, but he made it. He took another step. The mare whickered. He patted her flank as he passed, then reconsidered and just stood there a minute, leaning against her. Her scent was familiar. Stabilizing. They’d been through a lot together.
“Thanks for getting me out of the dirt, beautiful.”
She tossed her head and snorted. He smiled and patted her again. “Yeah. I won’t ask it of you again.
He noted a little pile of seeds on the ground, probably leftovers from the grass that Melinda Sue had brought the horse. Little Lady deserved more than that. He remembered Melinda Sue’s comment about the potato being their last. Hell, they all deserved more than that, but even if it wasn’t too late to plant crops, this wasn’t the place to settle down. Its beauty was deceptive. The first big rains in the mountains would prove that. As much as Mimi and her family wanted to put down roots, they couldn’t stay here. This land would kill them. He couldn’t allow that.
He scratched behind the mare’s ears. “I don’t think they’re going to want to hear the truth about this place, Lady.”
The mare butted him with her head and whuffled his pocket, looking for her favorite treat. Patting her cheek, he sighed. “Sorry, honey. I’m just full of bad news today.”
Five
Jackson was about five steps away from collapsing, but Little Lady needed tending. While she’d been fed and watered, no one had bothered to unsaddle her. He ran his hand over her sun-warmed withers, leaning heavily against her, breathing in the familiar scents of horse and leather. It was almost like coming home. As if she felt the same, Little Lady leaned right back before reaching around and nipping his hip the way she always did when he dawdled over her care or food.
He pushed her head away. “Not now.”
She tossed her head and snorted. Jackson sighed and looked to the house. Two temperamental women he didn’t need.
“Don’t be difficult now, honey. I know things haven’t been what you’re used to, but I’m here now.”
Her response was a swish of her tail. He’d expected Mimi to at least have come out and checked on him, to make sure he hadn’t fallen, but she hadn’t. She’d just respected his wishes, giving him exactly what he’d demanded. Damn it.
Lady fussed again. Jackson couldn’t blame her. The saddle had to be irritating. Jackson shook his head and grabbed the back of the saddle to steady himself as he worked forward. In truth, he didn’t think Mimi owed him a thing. He would have dove down that well for anyone. That was just how he was, how his parents had raised him. But he rather enjoyed her fussing.
He looped the stirrup onto the saddle horn. “Mimi called my bluff, didn’t she, Lady?”
Little Lady stomped her foot.
Jackson couldn’t remember the last time a woman had called his bluff. Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time a woman had walked away from him. Maybe he was too used to getting his way; maybe he was too spoiled. Maybe his mother was right. Maybe he was his own worst enemy when it came to settling down. Jackson shook his head. He didn’t know. He glanced at the house again. And up until lately, he hadn’t cared.
There was some movement behind the window. A shutter cracking open? A tingle of something positive blended with the pain. She was watching him. He braced himself against the mare’s body, trying not to lean too obviously on her for support. “Make me look good, Lady. Our reputation is resting on the next three minutes.”
The mare held steady, but even with her support, getting the leverage to yank the cinch strap free had him moaning out loud. This time when Lady nudged his thigh, it was with sympathy.
He rubbed her ears. “Have I told you today you’re my best girl?”
She tossed her head. The bridle jangled right along with his nerves. He took another steadying breath. The six feet to Lady’s head was another step-counting, breath-measuring exercise in endurance. Holding tight to the bridle’s cheek piece, he stilled before testing the situation. The knot someone had tied in the reins blurred in and out of focus. He was sweating by the time he got it undone. Working his way back, he eased the stirrup down and started counting. On five he hefted the saddle up. Normally the saddle came off in a fluid motion. This time it awkwardly slid off Lady’s back and tumbled to the ground. The only thing that saved his pride was at the last second, he was able to swing it sideways so it landed on the wood-chopping stump.
At least it was off the ground. That would have to do for now. He hunched there for a second as the pain washed over him. He couldn’t control his breath, the pain, or his balance. The world was spinning again. If Mimi hadn’t been watching, he’d have sat his ass down, but she was. He could feel it.
Forcing himself straight, he was glad distance disguised the raggedness of his breathing. He stood there long enough—Lady gave him a look. He waved away her scorn and muttered, “As if you haven’t had a stallion prance a time or two to get your attention.”
With all the nonchalance he could manage, which he hoped was a whole lot more than it felt like, he stroked his hand down the mare’s back, ending with a pat on her flank. She started wandering off, nibbling on the grass beyond the tree. He sighed and shook his head and tied the rope around her neck before making a loop in the other end. One thing about Little Lady, she could be headstrong to the point she didn’t take a ground tie too seriously. Like most women, she liked to push her limits.
Making sure she had plenty of length, he dropped the loop over the stump, effectively anchoring her to the area. There should be plenty of grass for her to eat. The water in the dented bucket by the stump seemed fresh. In the morning he’d have to come up with something else, but for right now that would have to do. As Lady settled into her dinner, he took another breath and released it slowly. Turning back, he caught another movement behind the window. Mimi had closed the shutter.
He smiled and dragged the blanket over his shoulders. And groaned. He hurt, from head to toe. His back especially, and then there was this lethargy he couldn’t get rid of. It just kept creeping through his system, building momentum like a slow, oozing mudslide, consuming every bit of his resolve in its path.
The house was a long way away. His legs wanted to quit right where he stood. He honestly didn’t know if he could haul his hurting ass across the yard, let alone up those uneven porch stairs, but God damn it, he hated losing a challenge. Even one he’d set up for himself.
A quick assessment cut to the bottom line. Either he lay down in the dirt here or he lay down in the house. It was completely up to him. Well, maybe not completely. His parents always said prayer as a last resort was an affront to the Lord, but the Reverend Brad said God was always open for a bit of conversation. The Rev might be the most unconventional preacher he’d met, but he was one of the most compassionate. A former gunfighter and bandit, he’d found his place in Cattle Crossing, preaching the good book, common sense, and personal responsibility and taking to wife the pretty but equally eccentric Evie Washington. If the good Lord could bring together two of the most outspoken, unconventional people in a blissfully happy conventional union, Jackson was willing to go with the Rev’s definition. Glancing heavenward, he muttered, “I could use a bit of help here, Lord.”
He wasn’t sure anyone was listening as he took that first step, coming that close to digging a ditch in the yard with his face. Standing still, he swore, feeling everything at stake. A man’s pride was a fragile thing. He’d been told that before, but he’d never been as keenly aware of it as now, when he took those fifteen shaky steps to the porch. Clammy sweat dripped down his face. The hinges on the offset door squeaked as it opened. Straightening the blanket around his shoulders, he bared his teeth in an easy smile that was wasted on the two boys looking back at him.
“W
ould you like some help?” Tony asked.
Mimi was a smart woman to send out the boys as a buffer.
“Mimi says supper is almost ready,” Kevin added as if he needed more impetus to accept.
“I think I can make it, but I wouldn’t turn away a helping hand.”
Both boys came down to hover beside him. Tony was the one who put forth their concern. “Not fast enough. If you’re not seated when supper hits the table, you do without.”
“I saved her life.”
Kevin shook his head. “That won’t save our meal.”
Our. Shit. He couldn’t be responsible for two boys missing their supper.
He lifted up his arms. “Then we’d better get moving.”
Each boy slipped an arm around his waist, Tony more hesitant than Kevin. Neither boy was particularly strong or tall, but there was something about having them on either side, willing to support him, that made a difference. Together, they made it to the top.
When they got in the house, Mimi was just setting a plate of eggs on the table. She glanced up. A smile hovered around the corners of her mouth as she took in his predicament. To her credit she didn’t gloat. “Supper’s ready.”
Two sets of hands in the middle of his back propelled him forward. He caught himself on the edge of the table.
Melinda Sue piped up as he wavered. “Better sit. Supper is getting cold.”
It was clearly a phrase she heard a lot.
“And you know how I feel about that,” Mimi added.
The boys bolted for their chairs. Jackson made much more sedate progress to the empty barrel drawn up alongside Melinda Sue. As he took his seat, Mimi stood. When he went to stand also, she held up her hand. Her expression said Stay down before you fall down, but all she said was, “I’ll fetch you some water to wash up with.”
There wasn’t anything to say but thank you. She was back with a water-filled bowl, a sliver of soap so small it wouldn’t survive this use, and a towel. She had to have had it waiting. As he finished and handed her the towel, Jackson thought he saw a grudging respect in her eyes. It soothed the irritation inside him.
Placing the bowl back by the basin, she took her seat and scooped some egg onto his plate. “I hope you like partridge eggs.”
“I love eggs.” And he could have probably eaten everything on the plate and then the same amount again, but, looking around the table, he held up his hand before she could put on a second spoonful.
“Are you sure?”
He glanced pointedly at the children with their too-thin cheeks before saying, “My stomach’s not that happy right now.”
Her smile softened her expression. “Thank you.”
“What are you thanking him for?” Kevin asked, shoveling food into his mouth.
“Nothing.”
“Do you mind me asking how you came upon this place for sale?” Jackson asked.
Mimi’s face lit up in what was probably the first heartfelt smile he’d seen her offer. “It was really fortunate. We were—”
“We were heading west!” Melinda Sue cut in.
Mimi smiled at the child indulgently. “Yes. We were.”
“And you ended up here?”
“We just came over the ridge and saw the house.” Mimi shrugged. “It looked so pretty with the sun sparkling on the stream.”
He bet it did. “Did Bentley tell you that water gets pretty high come the rains?”
“We’re a good way back from the stream.”
They didn’t know a thing about flash floods, that was clear. Before Jackson could break the news that they’d have to be a ways out of the hollow to be safe, Tony interrupted.
“We got here just in time!”
Jackson cocked an eyebrow at them. “Really?”
Mimi nodded. “Mr. Bentley had just finished meeting with another buyer. We were lucky to catch him here. He hasn’t lived here steady since his wife died.”
Shit. That was just like Bentley to add a heartbreak to a sale. Bentley had never been married. “But he took a deal from you instead?”
“Mimi had to bargain real hard,” Kevin bragged.
Jackson just bet she did. Bentley always loved to run a good game. He wasn’t particularly smooth, but if he could find a greenhorn eager to be convinced, he did well enough. Off the beaten path as this place was, not many greenhorns wandered through. He must have been hopping in his boots when Mimi drove up. “So you bought it?”
Mimi nodded. “It took everything I had, but I had just enough.”
“I bet.”
“Nuh-uh,” Melinda Sue cut in. “Mimi’s still got the—”
Melinda Sue’s “ow” coincided with a rattle of the table. A quick glance showed Melinda Sue rubbing her leg, Kevin glaring at her, and Tony looking entirely too innocent. Mimi’s expression was carefully blank.
“I hope you kept a bit back for emergencies.”
“I’m not a fool.” The stern look she gave Melinda Sue, on top of the boys’ reactions, set the hairs on the back of his neck to tingling. Something more was going on here.
He took a bite of egg and chewed slowly, making it last. The children, who had plowed through theirs, watched intently.
“So what are your plans?” he asked.
It was just morbid curiosity. No matter what Mimi’s plans were, as long as they revolved around this place, they were at a dead end.
He stabbed another piece of egg. All eyes watched him bring the food to his mouth. Tony licked his lips. Kevin rubbed his fingers over his fork. Taking in their empty plates, Jackson put down his fork with a mental sigh.
“Is something wrong?” Mimi asked.
He shook his head and put a hand on his stomach. “I’m just not feeling that well.”
It wasn’t a lie. If his stomach could commit murder, he’d be a dead man. “You kids pass me your plates. No sense letting good food go to waste.”
Mimi cut him another wary glance. “You need to eat.”
“I’m sure my stomach will be talking to me tomorrow.”
“And tonight?”
Holding the blanket put with one hand, he divided his portion among the children. It worked out to be a silver-dollar-size portion per kid. Damn. “Tonight, I’ll get some sleep.” And tomorrow he’d go hunting and put some meat on the table. The second portions disappeared just as fast as the first. This time when he looked at Mimi, she wouldn’t meet his gaze. He could understand that. Deserved or not, shame was a heavy burden.
“So what are your plans for the place?” he asked again.
“I’m hoping to maybe get some greens in the ground. Maybe try some potatoes.”
He shook his head. “It’s a bit late in the season for potatoes, not to mention dry.”
She finished the last bite of her eggs and placed her fork delicately across the top of her plate. He noted the unconscious reach for the nonexistent napkin. Wherever she came from, she’d been taught manners.
“I’m hoping it’ll rain.”
He sighed internally. Rain would only open up a whole other set of problems. “Do you even have starter spuds?”
She chewed her lip. It was surprisingly sexy watching her teeth massage the pink flesh.
“I’m working on it,” she answered after a pause.
He caught the blanket before it could slip. “I see.”
From the way four sets of eyes locked on him, he hadn’t hidden his skepticism well. All different colors, different shapes, but united in the hope brimming within. Shit. He was too weary to dash hopes tonight. Tomorrow was early enough to tell them this place was a death trap and they were going to have to leave. He opted for a neutral response. It wasn’t a lie. “It’s not going to hurt to get some starter spuds.”
Mimi eyed him warily. “That’s what I thought.”
Glancing out th
e window, he changed the subject. “I can see why you bought the place, though. It’s a pretty piece of land.”
Mimi relaxed and smiled, revealing those dimples. Damn, a man could get addicted to that smile.
“I couldn’t believe we were lucky enough to get it.” She looked around the dilapidated building with all its crooked angles and awkward gaps. “It’s a dream come true.”
Melinda Sue scooted over to lean against his shoulder and stuck her thumb in her mouth. “We’re safe here.”
He took a sip of water. It had the flat taste of being boiled. The pervasive weariness weighed on his shoulders like a ton of bricks.
He tried another stab at reason. “I’m not sure you know what you’re getting into.”
Mimi stood and collected the plates. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. We just need to get enough foodstuffs together so that we don’t starve this winter.”
Least she had her wits about her to know that. “Yeah. That would be good.”
She gathered up his plate and glanced at Melinda Sue.
“Someone is ready for bed.”
Jackson handed Mimi the little girl’s plate. “Yup.”
“Am not.” Melinda Sue yawned.
Mimi rolled her eyes and then motioned with her chin. “I’ll need to clean that wound and check those stitches after I get Melinda Sue settled.”
“I’m fine.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Has anyone ever told you you’re annoyingly predictable in your stubbornness?”
He suppressed his grin. “I’ll be fine.”
The metal plates rattled as she placed them in the shallow basin. “Well, since you’re my first patient, you’ll understand my excess of caution and disbelief.”
That got his attention. “I’ve been wondering, since you’ve never doctored anyone before, were you scared?”
Wiping her hands on her apron, she shrugged. “A little, but I’ve got to confess, it was exciting in a rather grim but challenging way.”
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