by Mary Burton
“Suit yourself.”
Nick opened the corral gate and looped a rope around two fresh mares.
“Something wrong, Mr. Baron?”
Nick shook his head. “Nope.”
Dr. Morgan squinted against the bright sun. Already, the sun had burned his pale skin. “I saw the way Ellie worried over your wounds. She has an affection for you. Is there something between you two?”
Nick was silent for a moment. Ellie cared about him. The idea warmed his heart. But she wanted marriage and he couldn’t give that. “No.”
The doctor’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. I don’t wish to poach.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, the worry lines from his brow vanishing. “I believe I am ready for lunch now.” Whistling, he strode back to the cabin.
Nick clenched and unclenched his fingers. His life was unsettled and his future uncertain. He didn’t know what he wanted or where he’d end up. He had no business wanting Ellie. Hell, he didn’t know if he had the makings of a father.
Yet, inwardly, he crossed an invisible threshold. From now on, Ellie was off limits.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
MRS. DOUGLAS’S CHATTER drifted around Ellie as she stared out the front door wondering why Nick hadn’t joined them for lunch. Dr. Morgan had said Nick was in the barn, checking on the horses.
But he’d been gone for nearly an hour.
Worry had crept into Ellie’s bones. Horses could be such dangerous creatures. They could easily kill a man with one kick. What if Nick had had an accident with one of the horses?
Ellie caught herself. She had no business fretting over a man she had no claim to—a man who’d said his only interest in her was sexual. What was wrong with her? He’d told her marriage wasn’t in the cards for him. He’d told her he’d leave as soon as Frank was caught. And yet, here she stood worrying over him.
Rose started to fuss and Ellie turned from the door. She went to the baby’s cradle and picked her up. The child’s cries slowed but she rooted around Ellie’s breast and fussed.
Ellie made a bottle and chose a seat by the window to nurse. She glanced outside again toward the barn. She was being very, very silly now, but if Nick wasn’t back in fifteen minutes, she would go find him.
Sandy tore off a large piece of bread and put it on his plate. “That baby is growing like a weed, Ellie.”
The baby suckled the nipple as if she were half starved. She smiled down at her daughter. “She sure does eat a lot.”
“Well, she is a cutie,” Sandy said. “You ever seen such a pretty baby, Mrs. Douglas?”
The older woman barely glanced toward Ellie. “Of course. My Robyn was the prettiest baby there ever was.” Mrs. Douglas returned to her conversation with the doctor, while Miss Douglas circled her fork around a half-eaten piece of cornbread.
Ellie had spent her life serving people and had grown to expect that customers would ignore her or treat her as if she were a piece of furniture. But she’d never gotten used to it or liked it.
Nick strode into the room. Ellie glanced up, surprised he’d reached the cabin without her seeing him. The man moved as silently and quickly as a cat.
Ellie started to rise. “Let me get you a plate, Mr. Baron.”
He raised a brow as if amused by her sudden use of his surname. “Sit, Mrs. Watson. I can make a plate for myself. You are feeding the baby.”
“Mrs. Watson,” Mrs. Douglas said, as if Nick hadn’t spoken, “I’d like more butter for my bread.” The butter crock was three feet from the older woman, on the counter behind her.
Standing, Ellie pulled the bottle out of the baby’s mouth. Rose cried. She popped the nipple back in and started toward the stove.
Nick intercepted her. “Sit,” he ordered.
Nick picked up the butter and set it down loudly in front of Mrs. Douglas. The older woman’s gaze flicked up to his. The annoyance that sparked in her brown eyes vanished when she looked at him.
Sandy wiped his plate clean with a piece of bread. “I sure could use a piece of that pie I saw cooling in the window. I’ll bet it’s a chokeberry pie.”
Nick looked as if he wanted to pull the coach driver out of his chair. “Get the piece yourself, boy. Ellie is feeding the baby.”
Sandy blushed.
Miss Douglas blinked, shocked by Nick’s directness. “It’s her job to wait on us.”
“Not today,” Nick said.
Mrs. Douglas scowled.
Dr. Morgan smiled.
Inwardly, Ellie groaned as she stood. What would Annie say if Nick chased away regular customers? “Mr. Baron, I don’t mind cutting Sandy a piece of pie.”
Nick shook his head. “He is a grown man very capable of doing for himself. The baby comes first.”
She leaned closer to Nick and lowered her voice. “I’ve been serving folks since I was six. I can feed the baby and take care of everyone else.”
Nick looked unrepentant. “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” he said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
Ellie’s face turned crimson. “It’s my job.”
“Maybe you need a new one,” Nick said.
The doctor laid his napkin by his plate. “Mr. Baron is right. You’ve got your hands full. I’d be happy to cut the pie for Sandy. Fact, I could use one myself.”
“I’d like a piece, too, Dr. Morgan,” said Miss Douglas.
Mrs. Douglas leaned over to her daughter and whispered something in her ear. Immediately the girl stood. “Why don’t I help you?” she offered.
“My Robyn is an excellent cook,” Mrs. Douglas purred.
“That so?” the doctor said, politely disinterested.
Miss Douglas set it on the table and stared down at it as if not sure what to do next.
The doctor handed her a knife. “This might be of help.”
Miss Douglas took the knife. “Of course.” She hacked out an uneven chunk of pie and handed it to her mother.
Her mother glanced down at the piece. She looked annoyed. “Thank you, dear.”
Ellie cringed as she watched the girl chop through the pie that had taken her an hour to make.
Miss Douglas cut three more pieces and by the time she was finished, her fingernails were blue and her cuffs stained.
Sandy looked at his piece. “Looks like it was attacked by a bear.” He took a bite. “But, as always, Miss Ellie’s cooking is the best.”
The doctor nodded. “The presentation is shaky but the taste is wonderful, Mrs. Watson.”
Ellie blushed. “Thank you, Dr. Morgan.”
“I only wish I could stop by more often,” Dr. Morgan said.
Nick, who had filled a plate with stew, clanged the lid back down on the pot.
Mrs. Douglas’s eyes narrowed as she sized up Ellie. “Mrs. Watson, wherever did you learn to cook so well?”
Ellie hesitated. “I guess I just picked it up over the years.”
“Did your mother teach you?”
“Yes,” Ellie lied.
“She must have been a wonderful woman,” Mrs. Douglas said. The older woman seemed to sense that she’d touched a nerve. “Tell me about her.”
Ellie wondered when the day would come when the lies would stop. “She was wonderful.”
“And where’d you say you grew up? What’s your maiden name?” Miss Douglas said. Her sweet voice belied the hardness in her eyes.
Nick cleared his throat. “Miss Douglas, how about a piece of pie? I could use one.” His request sounded like a command.
The young girl hesitated as if she were waiting for Ellie’s answer.
Nick locked his gaze on the young woman. She paled and, without argument, rose and cut him a piece of pie.
Ellie released the breath she’d been holding. She owed Nick.
“I shall be sure to make this stop a regular detour when I make my rounds,” Dr. Morgan said cheerfully.
“You’re always welcome,” Ellie said.
“My daughter is looking forward to seeing more o
f you in town this winter, Dr. Morgan,” Mrs. Douglas said.
“Yes,” the doctor replied. “That would be lovely.”
Mrs. Douglas didn’t like the way the doctor’s eyes lingered on Ellie. Her eyes narrowed to priggish slits. “I believe all this travel has robbed me of my appetite. We should go ahead and get back on the trail.”
Miss Douglas looked up from the mutilated piece of pie she’d cut for herself. “But we’ve only just begun dessert.”
Sandy looked up from his pie. He was clearly disappointed. “If you’ll give me just a minute to enjoy this pie, then we can hit the road.”
“I wish to go now,” Mrs. Douglas said.
“I’ve changed your horses so you can leave immediately,” Nick said. He might as well have told them to get off the property.
Ellie felt her stomach tumble. Annie had put her in charge of the stop and Nick was chasing away the first customers she’d been in charge of handling.
Mrs. Douglas, with her daughter in tow, started out of the cabin. Sandy and the doctor followed. Ellie was on their heels, the baby still in her arms.
Nick walked to the carriage. Ellie could have cheerfully killed him.
Sandy gobbled the last of his pie and set the plate on the front porch. “Thank you, Ellie. Sure do appreciate it.” He eyed Nick. “Hope you catch up with that friend of yours real soon.”
Dr. Morgan pulled on his hat. “I suppose you’ll be leaving the valley soon, Mr. Baron.” There was no mistaking his hopeful tone.
“Actually, I’m not. I’ve got a patch of land not ten miles from here. Once my business is settled, I plan to do a little ranching.”
Ellie’s jaw dropped. “You have land in the valley?”
He grinned. “I’m full of surprises.”
Miss Douglas climbed into the carriage. Mrs. Douglas waited by the coach door, her hand extended for the doctor to take.
Dutifully, the doctor took her hand and helped her into the carriage. He turned to Ellie. “I look forward to seeing you soon.”
“Thank you.”
Ellie glanced toward the vehicle. The matter of the bill was always an awkward moment for Ellie. Annie had no trouble asking for money, but Ellie always felt sheepish about it. To make matters worse, the Douglases had used up their credit. Annie had warned them that going forward, they’d be cash only.
Ellie cleared her throat. “It’ll be eight dollars, Mrs. Douglas.”
“I shall give you my IOU,” Mrs. Douglas said. “Do you have pen and paper?”
Ellie moistened her lips. She didn’t like to argue, but as Miss Adeline had said, business was business. “You told Annie you’d settle up on your return trip.”
Mrs. Douglas raised a thick eyebrow as she peered through the coach window at Ellie. “Are you questioning my word? Everyone takes my credit.”
“We can’t extend any more credit.”
Dr. Morgan reached into his pocket. “Let me pay my share. It’s the least I can do.”
The older woman lifted an eyebrow, summoning her iciest stare. “No, Dr. Morgan, I said I would settle your bill and I will. Mrs. Watson needs to understand that my husband will settle up when it’s convenient.”
“Take their packages off the top of the carriage, Sandy,” Nick ordered. His tone left no room for argument.
“You will do no such thing!” Mrs. Douglas ordered.
Sandy’s gaze flitted from the older woman to Nick. His face paled when he looked into Nick’s eyes. “How many you want me to take down, Mr. Baron?”
“All of them.”
“You will not!” Mrs. Douglas’s face had turned red. “Mrs. Watson, this is an outrage.”
“This is business,” Nick said.
“You can have your bags back when you’ve paid your bill,” Ellie said. Cash was too precious to pass up.
Mrs. Douglas glanced at the doctor and then pulled eight dollars out of her purse. She thrust them into Ellie’s hand. “There. And we won’t be stopping here again.”
The doctor winked at Ellie and then climbed aboard. Mrs. Watson promptly closed the window curtain.
Ellie couldn’t help but smile. Sandy put on his floppy hat and faced Ellie. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but with Nick standing so close, he appeared to lose his nerve. He touched the tip of his hat. “I will see you soon, Ellie. Next week, likely. Best of luck to you, Mr. Baron. I reckon we won’t be crossing paths again.”
Nick grinned. “Never is a long time.”
Ellie ignored Nick and held out her hand to Sandy. He took it immediately. “It will be a pleasure.”
He hesitated before he released her hand and climbed on top of his coach, took hold of the reins and released the brake. With one final wave, he drove off.
Nick watched the coach vanish on the horizon. “Both those men are sweet on you.”
Ellie was surprised Nick had noticed or had bothered to comment. “Sandy has hinted that he’d like to court me. And the doctor kept talking about visiting more in the spring.”
Nick grunted. “Neither would make you a good husband.”
She arched an eyebrow, amazed at his gall. “How would you know? That is for me to judge.”
His gaze lingered on hers an extra beat. “You need a man who knows and understands your past. A man who accepts you for exactly who you are. Dr. Morgan and Sandy would not accept your past.”
Nick hit on a worry that had stalked her since she’d remade herself into a widow. She lifted her chin.
“You’re already lying to them, Mrs. Watson.”
She sighed. She’d spun so many stories over the last couple of months, she’d started to lose track. But she had little choice. “The men who know about my past are never going to ask for my hand in marriage,” she said, meeting his gaze.
“Don’t bet on it.”
Before she could respond, he walked back to the barn.
THAT NIGHT, Ellie sat on her bed cross-legged. Rose was asleep. Her bedroom door was closed. A lantern glowed on her side table.
She thought about what Nick had said today about Dr. Morgan and Sandy. He was right. Dr. Morgan was a kind man, but he was from the East and he wanted a respectable wife. Sandy was young, inexperienced and had put her up on a pedestal. If either knew she’d grown up in a brothel or that Rose’s mother had been a whore, there was a good chance neither would accept her or Rose.
Perhaps she wasn’t destined to marry. Perhaps it would always be just her and Rose.
Ellie picked up her brush from the side table and started to work the tangles from her hair. The bristles snagged in a knot. Her frustration grew. In her state of mind, she’d rip every knot out of her head. She tossed the brush into the drawer.
She was trapped between the past and the future.
She wanted to move forward and to make a new life, but her history wouldn’t allow it.
Ellie noticed Jade’s Bible in the drawer next to the brush. It was another reminder of her past. She picked it up. Carefully, she smoothed her hand over the gold cross embossed into the worn black leather. She’d had no time to look at the book since Jade had given it to her. And in truth, she’d been working so hard to forget her past that she’d wanted nothing to do with anything that linked her to it.
Once she’d nearly thrown away the Bible. It was proof that Rose wasn’t hers by birth. But as tempted as she’d been, she’d hung on to it. Her own memories of her mother were vague at best and she’d have given anything to have something that had belonged to her. So she’d saved the Bible, unable to rob Rose of her only link to Jade.
Ellie opened the book and saw the date July 1, 1836, at the top. The lettering was thin and uneven, as if a very old person had written it. There were no words to explain the date.
She turned the pages, amazed at how thin they were. The book was well made and had likely cost a goodly sum.
She’d heard Bible stories read from time to time by traveling tent preachers and she knew the book was full of fantastic tales. One day she h
oped to read them to Rose.
She closed the book and set it on the bed. That’s when she noticed the tiniest slip of paper sticking out of the back. Curious, she flipped to the back of the book. To her surprise, the paper wasn’t tucked between the last pages, but was hidden under the back binding of the book.
She laid the book down flat on the bed, leaned over it and studied the binding. Whoever had glued down the flap had done it quickly. She could see now that the top edge was also curling up.
Gently she peeled back the binding. Underneath it was the piece of paper. Unlike the Bible’s yellowed pages, this paper was white and new. Clearly, it had been put in the book very recently.
Ellie unfolded it. At the top was a note written in a lovely script—a woman’s handwriting. And below the text was a map. She studied the streets and realized she recognized the configuration. It was the town of Butte.
She scanned the text again, looking for any word that she might recognize. Then the letters G-O-L-D popped out at her. Gold!
Her heart started to hammer in her chest. Monty had said that Jade had hidden the gold.
Ellie closed her eyes, trying to remember Jade’s last words. Keep it safe and close to you. It’s worth more than you can imagine.
She studied the map again. By the looks of Jade’s mark, the gold was hidden behind the livery off of Main Street. She pictured the location. There were piles of hay behind the livery, broken wagons and a shed. Jade’s X showed exactly where it was hidden.
Ellie almost laughed.
She’d thought the book’s value had been sentimental to Jade. Now she realized it was the key to the gold. Jade had wanted her daughter to have the money.
Ellie’s head spun. This was the map Frank wanted. The one Nick wanted!
Excitement thrumming in her veins, she stood and moved toward her door. Her first reaction was to give the map to Nick. This map was the key to catching Frank. And the sooner Frank was caught, the sooner she’d have her reward money.
But as she reached for the door Rose whimpered in her sleep. Ellie stopped and checked on the baby. Gently she smoothed her fingertip over Rose’s cheek. Her heart swelled. Lord, but there was so much she wanted to give this baby.