by Linda Broday
A deep sigh rose. Maybe he should talk to Cooper and Brett about the matter. A person without anything to gain out of this dilemma could assess it more calmly.
Over the next hour, he built a makeshift fence around the plot. It simply seemed the thing to do. When he got back to the house, he laid his rifle within reach and resumed removing the rotten boards from the barn. He didn’t see any sign of Callie or Toby or the dog. Probably in the house. Thoughts of hot apple pie for supper made him work faster.
His mind kept returning to what he’d learned and he wondered what he should do. Confront Callie or pretend he hadn’t seen or heard anything?
If he told her what he knew and suspected, he was sure she’d run. She’d certainly threatened to if he started digging.
The pretty lady had his back up against the wall. She held all the cards. What was worse…she knew it.
Damnation!
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and reached for the rifle before he recognized Brett. “Howdy, brother. A whole ranch full of prime horseflesh and you’re walking?”
Brett grinned. “Needed the exercise. Gettin’ fat.”
Rand took in Brett’s lean body. “Yeah, I can see that. I do think I see a fat head up there.”
“If that’s supposed to get my goat, you need to try again.”
The leather bundle strapped on Brett’s back and the long poles his brother dragged behind him drew Rand’s curiosity. “What’s that you’re hauling? Did you decide to become a nomad?”
Brett removed the bundle. “This is for young Toby. I recalled how special mine is to me when I got it last year after deciding to embrace my roots. Thought I’d set it up here in the yard for him to play in. Pretending to be an Indian is a sight better than playing outlaws.”
“I agree. But if you think his mama will let him sleep out here in a tepee, you need to lay off the peyote.”
“Miss Callie does seem awful protective.”
“Probably with good reason.” Rand told him about the grave and what he’d learned. “I’m not sure what I should do now.”
“Nothing. Let her come to you. If you go to her with demands, she’ll blow up like a mule with a belly full of green apples. Most likely she’ll leave.”
“I wish she’d trust me.”
“She does, she just doesn’t know it yet. If the lady didn’t, she’d never have agreed to stay for even a little while.”
“How did you get to be the smart one, Brett?”
“When I decided you, Cooper, and me would become a family.”
“Oh no, I decided that. You can’t take the credit. And I’m also the best-looking.”
Brett raised a dark eyebrow. “Says who?”
“Says the one who hasn’t decided he’s fat.”
Toby barreled out the kitchen door, trailed by Biscuit. “What’cha doin’?”
“Hi, pardner.” Brett ruffled Toby’s dark hair. “I brought you something.”
“What is it?”
“Your very own tepee.”
“To keep?” Toby’s eyes widened and his big grin spread.
“Maybe. We’ll see how it goes. If you mind your elders, you can keep it. If not, I’ll have to take it back.”
“I’m the best boy in the whole world.”
Brett’s grunt seemed to say that time would tell as he arranged twelve long poles on the ground and began tying the tops of three together with a length of rawhide. “Where do you want to put this, Rand?”
“Let’s move it over by the woodpile, where it’s out of the way.” He was going to be the only white man with an Indian tepee on his ranch. How had this sorry state of affairs come to pass? But he wouldn’t say no. It meant too much to Brett and to Toby.
Callie came from the house looking fit to be tied. “Hello, Brett. I hope this isn’t what it looks like.”
“Miss Callie, I wanted something special for Toby to play in, that’s all. If you draw the line at him sleeping out here, that’s all right. It’s up to you to decide when and how often you want the boy to use it.” Brett gave her a smile. “I’d never undermine you.”
“This could be very magical to a child,” Rand said gently.
“Please, ma’am?” Toby begged. “I wanna be an Indian.”
Biscuit gave a loud whine and spun around in a circle as though she too was adding her two cents’ worth.
“Please?” Toby persisted.
When she lifted her eyes to Rand, he gave her a lopsided grin and a wink. Getting tangled up in her warm whiskey gaze could be quite pleasurable, he found.
“Oh, all right.” Callie threw up her hands. “But I won’t have you sleeping out here, young man. You’ll play in it only when I give you permission. And you’ll have chores to do each day before you can play. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s too dangerous out here at night anyway, with that mountain lion hanging around,” Rand said. “I’ll keep an eye on him during the day. I don’t want you to worry.”
Toby hugged Callie, then threw his arms around Brett’s waist. “Thank you. I’m glad we came here.”
Brett returned Toby’s hug, then knelt to rub Biscuit’s head. “Now tell me where you got such a fine-looking animal.”
Rand stood watching the pint-sized squirt relay what little facts he knew. He already loved this little kid. Whatever had happened to them, it made him happy that he could help bring a light to the boy’s eyes. He remembered how dull they’d been when he’d first found them in the run-down bunkhouse last week. His mind turned back time to the days following his, Cooper’s, and Brett’s escape from the orphan train. To avoid detection, they’d slept during the day and traveled by the light of the moon, eating food whenever they found some or managed to kill a rabbit or squirrel. Cooper was always the one to watch over them and fight when things called for it. He’d once tried to kill Tolbert Early in a bathhouse for attacking Brett.
Toby had that same protective instinct. Rand only prayed he could help the boy stay a boy a while longer. Once he became a man, he could never go back.
“Where are you, brother?” Brett asked.
“Just thinking that you’d best explain what we need to do.”
With Biscuit supervising and pretty much getting in the way, they all pitched in erecting the tepee, which was made from buffalo hides.
Working side by side with Callie proved to be the best part. Each time their hands touched, a current ran up Rand’s arm. He couldn’t imagine what might happen if the touching involved a bed and the scent of night around them. He’d probably just explode faster than a load of nitroglycerin. Likely find pieces of him three states over.
The haunted look had begun to fade from her eyes a little, and she wasn’t as tense and anxious as when they first arrived.
Maybe, just maybe, the fear would be gone soon.
And then he intended to kiss the daylights out of her.
Of course he’d go slow. He closed his eyes and watched it play out in his head.
He’d start by kissing each eyelid, then move to her shell-like ears and trail kisses down her long slender throat.
Tiny nibbles at the corners of her mouth.
Trace the seam with his tongue.
Breathe her fragrance.
Whisper tender words.
Only then would he press his lips fully against hers and take all that she wanted to give.
And then…
“Rand!”
It took a minute to sink in that someone was trying to get his attention. “What?”
“Where did you go?” Brett asked. “I need you to help me get these sewn buffalo hides around this tripod and cone I’ve made. Of course, if you’d rather take a nap—”
“Just show me what to do,” Rand snapped.
As they worked, Rand�
��s gaze kept straying to Callie’s soft, round curves. The woman was going to be the death of him yet.
Even so, he was realizing he’d die a happy man if he could only get a taste of her lips.
Seven
Callie paused in the supper preparations to gaze through the kitchen window. This was the part of day her grandfather used to call half-light or in the gloaming.
Strange disquiet grated along her nerve endings. Like the sky, her life was in the gloaming and had been since that fateful night she lost her reason for living, stuck between moving forward and the dark shadows of pain and fear strangling her.
Last year, she’d attended a reading of “In the Gloaming” by Meta Orred, a well-known Scottish poet, and two short lines came to her now: When the winds are sobbing faintly / With a gentle unknown woe…
The words had brought foreboding then as they did again now. Even through the thick windowpane, she could hear the breeze brushing the naked limbs of the trees, wailing, warning, wishing.
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when Brett entered with his hat in his hands. He’d left Rand and Toby outside. This was the first time she’d been alone with Rand’s brother, and she didn’t quite know what to say.
She stuck with a safe subject. “Will you take supper with us, Brett?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Callie, but I need to start heading back, since I walked over. Have chores to do. Didn’t mean to be here this long. I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality.”
“You should be thanking Rand, not me. I only work here.”
“All the same, even a dyed-in-the-wool bachelor who lives in a tepee knows who rules the roost. Rand is a lucky man.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“I would.” Brett stood with his feet braced apart. He seemed a little uncomfortable. “I want you to understand that I never meant to push the tepee on you. I’m sure you could’ve wrung my neck.”
“True, I wasn’t thrilled. But I can see how much it means to Toby. He can use more reasons to smile and laugh and be a boy. Thank you for giving him that.”
“Ma’am, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I know you’re running from something, something that terrifies you.”
When she opened her mouth to speak, he held up his hand. “No, please let me finish. I recognize the signs. Just know that you can tell me anything, and it’ll stay between us if that’s the way you want it. You can trust me. I’ll also never let anything or anyone hurt you or Toby. That is my solemn promise.”
Sudden tears sprang into Callie’s eyes and her bottom lip quivered. “You don’t know how much I thank you,” she whispered.
The big Indian covered the few steps between them and engulfed her in a stiff hug, the kind between new friends. Then he nodded and left as quietly as he’d entered. She knew he’d meant every word. Brett Liberty would fight for her if she gave the signal.
Though Rand hadn’t voiced it, she knew he would also. She’d seen quiet commitment in his eyes and in the little things he did. No one had cared about her welfare in such a long time.
She regretted that he’d caught her at the grave. How much had he overheard? If she stayed, she’d have to tell him about Nate and the fact that she once lived here. Very possibly she’d have to face his anger for not trusting him enough.
Also, if she stayed, she would only bring trouble to Rand’s door. Nate would surely kill him when he came. She wouldn’t let that happen. The price for his generosity and kindness would not be death.
But if she left, which seemed more likely each day that passed, where would she go? Who would take them in? Would anyone?
She cursed Edmund Powers, who’d turned her out and left her without funds.
Unshed tears blurred her vision. Having to leave this quiet sanctuary would kill her. Having to leave the man whose laughing blue eyes buckled her knees would rip her heart to shreds.
How had she come to care so deeply for him?
* * *
Over the next few days, Callie devoted her time to searching for her mother’s box. When the weather permitted, Toby spent nearly every second that she allowed him out in his tepee with Biscuit. That boy loved both the tepee and the retriever dearly.
She and Rand had come up with a list of simple chores for Toby before he could play. Gathering the eggs, sweeping the porch, feeding and watering his dog, and hauling in one bucket of water a day provided valuable structure for him. On a ranch, everyone had to contribute to the running of it. She and Claire had had chores. Sure, they’d griped and complained, but having tasks to do had shaped them into the women they became.
She had moved upstairs to begin searching the upper rooms when she saw two heavily laden wagons pulling up to the house. Immediately, her muscles clenched in alarm. Rand came from the barn to meet them.
Only when she saw his wide grin did she relax. He evidently knew these men. She hurried downstairs.
Rand opened the door as she came into the kitchen. “The furniture is here. I would count it as a favor if you would help supervise the placement. Women seem to have a gift about these things.”
“I’d be happy to. But surely you have an idea where you want some of it.”
“Nope. Wherever you decide will suit me fine.”
Callie quickly glanced out the door for Toby, making sure he wasn’t in the way, then busied herself. Pretending she was lady of the manor, she told the men where to put the sofa, settee, and sideboard. A tall chest with a mirror, a wardrobe, an oak washstand, and one of the largest beds she’d ever seen went upstairs into the room that would be Rand’s.
Rand carried in a rocking chair. “I don’t know where this came from, as well as some of the other pieces. I certainly didn’t order this rocker or sideboard, but Homer flat refuses to lug them back into town. I guess this chair belongs to you now, Callie.”
It was odd how he kept forgetting she didn’t plan on being there long. Or maybe he deliberately refused to think of her as temporary. It seemed to be some sort of crazy dance they silently did.
He couldn’t remember.
She couldn’t let herself forget.
* * *
Rand stared at Callie during supper that evening. She was a mystery. For someone who kept herself and her feelings sternly in check, why had she let his brother Brett hug her? He’d watched the brief display of affection and wondered at Brett’s ability to break through her granite resolve. Rand certainly hadn’t gotten anywhere, and he wished he knew his brother’s secret. Frankly, it stuck in his craw.
Maybe the fact that they were both quiet people had something to do with it. He intended to find out next time he saw Brett.
They finished eating and Rand helped Callie with the dishes. “Sit with me in the parlor, Callie. Try out your new rocking chair.”
“I suppose I can do that.”
A short time later, Rand added more wood to the fire and sat down on the cowhide sofa. He ran his hand across the buttery soft leather. This didn’t fit in with the peeling wallpaper and rough planks on the floor. Nowhere in his memory could he recall buying anything this fine. It and the matching settee were beyond his means.
An uneasiness drifted over him.
Of course. His mother.
Abigail had interfered again. He’d bet his last dollar.
Tomorrow, he meant to straighten her out. But tonight he was going to enjoy his makeshift family. Rand closed his eyes and let contentment wash over him in waves. He’d never had a real home before, and though it was a bit strange, it was definitely nice.
Toby and Biscuit sprawled on the floor in front of the fire that crackled and popped. Both appeared to be tuckered out.
Callie’s rocker creaked softly with each back-and-forth movement. “Rand, please feel free to rearrange the furniture if I didn’t put it where you wanted.”
“I’m one hundred pe
rcent satisfied. You did a great job. Like I said, women seem to have a knack for this.”
“Since you have a bed now, you’ll probably want to sleep upstairs.”
Was that a hint she preferred him up there? Maybe she’d feel safer. “I reckon so.”
“Good. I’m sure the bed will be far more comfortable than the hard floor. And warmer also. I took the liberty of spreading your quilts on it.”
“Thank you. I intended to put the tall chest and mirror in your room. You need it far more. I’ll move it.”
The stubborn tilt of her chin appeared. “You will not. I manage just fine.”
“You’re a stubborn woman, Callie.” But, oh, such a pretty one. Those eyes the color of warm whiskey could do things to a man. Right now, they were heating his blood and making his heart pound like hundreds of stampeding horses.
“I daresay you’re equally bent on getting your way.”
“You never let me have the last word, do you?” he growled.
Her mouth spread in a smile. “Not if I can help it.”
Rand leaned forward, propping his elbows on his thighs. “Callie, are you happy here?”
“Yes. It’s nice. How about you? Do you miss the lively atmosphere of the saloon? The most excitement you have here is watching the logs turn to ash in the fireplace.”
“I wouldn’t trade this for anything. I have no regrets. I found everything I ever wanted.” He hoped she couldn’t read between the lines or else he’d scare her into leaving. That would devastate him.
He couldn’t imagine how lonely it would be without her.
On some gut level, he realized Callie could be the woman for him if, or when, he ever got over his fear. His mind knew it and his heart for damn sure knew it. But he couldn’t get past his vow to keep his heart walled off against the pain. He couldn’t risk it.
One day his worst nightmare would happen. He didn’t delude himself. She would leave.
The thought that kept plunging icy, paralyzing fear into him was the thought of waking up one morning and finding that Callie had taken Toby and vanished.
If that happened, he knew the loneliness would descend like a flock of vultures.