The man on the left stepped in front of the man in the center. “Beauty isn’t good enough. She’s a goddess. Howdy, miss.” He tipped his hat and winked.
The man on the right—who by elimination must be Lucky—shook his head sadly. “Boys, y’all are pitiful. The lady is not only pretty as a field of bluebonnets, she’s also too smart to fall for such blatant flirtation. Don’t waste your time on them, honey. These windbellies blow harder than a middlin’ hurricane.” He thumbed his hat back on his head and folded his arms across a broad chest. “I’m the man here with the follow-through.”
“You’ll be following-through all the way to Hades.” The screen door banged shut behind Dair. “Johnny, you better get me a gun. Looks like we have varmints in the peanut patch.”
In that moment, Emma lost the men’s attention. She might have felt slighted had she not paid attention to the four pairs of eyes. In the three strangers, she saw identical emotion—joy. In Dair’s eyes the emotion she saw was more difficult to pinpoint. Joy, yes, but she saw more than that. It was the same kind of look Kat sometimes got when she looked at Mari’s children. Sadness, almost grief. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a gleam of pleasure and the twitch of a grin on his lips.
The one called Lucky said, “Sonofabitch, MacRae. I didn’t think we’d ever see you again.”
Then he was striding toward Dair, his friends right on his heels. Dair took three steps forward, then the four men met with handshakes and back slaps and punches to the shoulders. Cade Hollister, Logan Grey and Holt Driscoll, of course. And Alasdair MacRae.
They were, Emma thought, breathtaking examples of the male of the species. And she was staring. Unabashedly appreciative. Why, she was acting just like her grandmother Monique. Is that what happens when one gets old? You lose your sense of shame?
Recalling her interlude with Dair yesterday, she grinned. Yep. Not an ounce of shame. Too bad it took her until thirty to be shameless.
Children hung out windows upstairs and down, gathered in doorways and eased out onto the porch, watching the quartet with wide eyes. Emma could only imagine how they felt, going so long without an adult presence at the home now overflowing with grown-ups. And not just any grown-ups, but the first four, the legends of the Piney Woods Children’s Home.
“So what’s the emergency?” one of the newcomers asked. “Not that I wasn’t happy to make the trip, but your telegram sounded serious.”
Dair nodded, then cut his gaze toward Emma. “We do have business, but it can wait until after the party. Today is the lady’s birthday, and y’all arrived just in time to help us kick off the festivities. Now, find your manners, boys, and I’ll introduce you. Maybe a miracle will happen and you can fix her first impression of you so that you don’t seem so stupid.”
He paused, appeared to draw a bracing breath, then smiled at her. “Emma Tate, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Holt Driscoll.”
The man who’d called her a beauty stepped forward. Like the other two, he was tall and muscular, his features chiseled, his grin ready. His eyes were a deep sapphire blue that reminded Emma of Luke Garrett’s. He reminded her of Luke in a lot of ways which probably wasn’t all that surprising since Dair had said Holt Driscoll was a Texas Ranger, too.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I hope my comments didn’t offend you. It’s just that you made such a pretty picture and I had to speak from my heart.” His eyes gleamed and he offered up a boyish grin as he added, “Happy birthday, ma’am.”
Oh, my. He certainly is a charmer. “Emma. Please call me Emma. All of you.”
Dair’s eyes certainly didn’t twinkle as he gestured toward the man who’d called her a goddess. “Cade Hollister.”
Mr. Hollister was probably the most classically handsome of the three with dark hair, brown eyes and shoulders almost as broad as Dair’s. She could picture him as an investigator. Dair had said he hunted missing children and she wondered how being raised in an orphanage might have affected his choice of profession.
He moved toward her with a leonine grace, took her hand, and brought it to his mouth for a courtier’s kiss. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma. I, too, apologize if I gave offense with my entirely truthful comments. I hope your birthday offers nothing but pleasure.”
Oh my oh my.
Dair looked positively grim as he said, “Finally, Emma, meet Logan Grey.”
The range detective, she recalled. Now those men were often real characters. Basically hired guns, they had a lawman’s authority, but often a criminal’s heart. She wondered why his friends called him Lucky.
Probably his luck with women, she decided. He was one of those men who oozed with sexual appeal. He had a loose-hipped walk, a lazy smile, and intelligent green eyes that spoke volumes when they focused on a woman.
He winked at her. Slowly.
Oh my oh my oh my. This was a dangerous man.
“Happy birthday, beautiful.”
No apology from him. No pretty words. Just a blatant male saying hello. Definitely a dangerous man. Her gaze flew to Dair and she waited for him to stake his claim.
And waited.
And waited.
He had a strange look on his face—sort of sickly, but stoic—and when he finally spoke, they weren’t the words she expected to hear. “Emma is a teacher from Fort Worth. Her family is prominent—the McBrides. Holt, you might know her brother-in-law. A former Ranger named Garrett.”
“Luke Garrett.” Holt nodded, his smile going wide. “You’re Mari’s sister? Why, isn’t it a small world. I visited with her just last week when Luke dragged me by their house to meet the new—”
“The baby!” Emma gasped excitedly. “I haven’t heard. Was it a boy or a girl, or did she have twins, after all? Is everyone healthy? When did she deliver? What about names?”
The ranger laughed. “Your sister did have twins. They came a little early, but everyone is in fine fettle. Cute little things. Named them Jenna and Travis.”
“Twins.” Emma steepled her hands in front of her mouth. That made four little ones for Mari. She tried to smother a twinge of jealousy as her gaze flew to Dair’s sympathetic expression. He knew. He understood. It’s all right. He loves me. Our babies will come.
She blinked back happy tears. “That’s wonderful. Just wonderful. My father is a twin. We’ve always wondered if one of us would continue the tradition.”
“The Garretts are thrilled. Luke is so swelled up with pride he keeps busting his buttons.”
“A new niece and nephew,” Emma mused. “I’m anxious to meet them.”
“We’ll get you there as soon as possible,” Dair told her. To his friends, he explained, “Emma ran into a little trouble in Scotland. We need to make sure she’s safe before she goes home.”
Again, she waited for him to claim her, and when it didn’t happen, she felt a twinge of insecurity. If he loves me, why isn’t he hinting at our relationship with his friends?
Cade Hollister twirled his hat on a finger. “Is her trouble the same as whatever trouble you’re in?”
Dair glanced at Emma, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Let me get the children lined out on their chores, then we’ll take a walk. Things have been a mess around here.”
He told them about the caretaker who’d stolen the operating funds and left the children on their own. The language that emerged from his friends’ mouths at that wasn’t appropriate for children, so Emma shooed them all back inside.
Dair joined them a few minutes later, his friends remaining outside. He mustered his troops like a general. “Now that you have food in your bellies, it’s time to put your muscles to work to keep this place from falling down around you. I made some lists. There’s something for all of you to do—youngest to oldest. Now, since today is a special day being Miss Emma’s birthday, you get a reprieve. The chore list for today is short.” He looked toward Emma. “I didn’t know if you’d want to tend to school lessons or not.”
“I would enjoy that.
Once I know where the children stand lesson-wise, I can suggest a curriculum for their next teacher.”
Dair nodded. “All right, then. Let’s get started.”
“But what about my list, sir?” Annabelle piped up. “The one you asked me to make?”
“I’m sorry.” Dair snapped his fingers. “Yes, Annabelle, I think we’d all like to hear your list.”
She beamed up at him, then pulled a piece of paper from her skirt pocket. “I thought we could begin with Blind Man’s Bluff. Everyone enjoys that game, even the littlest ones.”
“She means me,” Genny called out.
“After that, we could play baseball. That’s our favorite game here at Sherwood. Mary Ann is an excellent pitcher.”
Johnny nodded sadly. “She strikes me out at least half the time.”
“Next would be lunch,” Annabelle continued. “I think we should have a picnic at the swimming hole. We can make ham sandwiches and have fruit and dill pickles. Then we can swim and have Miss Emma’s birthday cake to finish out the party. Would that be all right with you, Miss Emma?”
“I think that sounds lovely,” Emma replied honestly. “One of the best birthdays I ever had was when I turned twelve and my papa took me, my sisters and the woman we wanted him to marry to a swimming hole. He was Mr. Throw-Fish and we had so much fun. Maybe we can talk Dair into being Mr. Throw-Fish today.”
“Why not,” Dair agreed. “So, snap to it, everyone. The sooner we finish our work, the sooner the party can start.” He passed out his chore lists and the kitchen soon emptied. Dair motioned toward the door, saying, “I need to explain…”
“I’m not happy with you.”
“Emma, I—”
“You’ve made secretiveness an art form, Alasdair MacRae, and it insults me.”
“Now wait a minute.”
“Are you denying you sent for them?”
“No.”
“And you kept the information to yourself, just like you kept Sherwood House to yourself because…why? I’ll tell you why. Telling me meant sharing with me, and the only thing you like sharing is my bed!”
“Now hold it right there. That’s neither right nor fair.”
“I don’t really care. I’m also not going to fight that fight here and now. Let’s talk about the treasure. Do you think we’ll need their help finding the Sisters’ Prize?”
He stuck his hands in his pockets. She could see him wavering over whether or not to continue the squabble. Finally, he said, “I want you safe, Emma. That’s my number one goal.”
“So they’re here to provide protection?”
After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded. “That’s definitely part of it. We’ve followed a killer to Texas who wanted you blamed for his misdeeds. The more guns I have watching out for you, the better I’ll feel.”
Emma wanted to quiz him about protection being “part of it,” but his friends were waiting on him, and frankly, she’d lost her head of steam. Right now, she wanted him gone so she could lick her wounds in private. “Annabelle told me they used the cabin at the end of the row as a schoolroom. I think I’ll walk down there and see what supplies they have.”
“Good idea.” Dair appeared relieved as he held the door open for her to proceed him outside. “When I was in town yesterday, I ordered a few more things to be delivered today. Make a list of whatever they need in the schoolroom, and I’ll send the order back with the deliveryman.”
As Emma walked toward the schoolhouse, she surreptitiously kept an eye on Dair and his buddies. They began with more grins and back slaps and even a loud guffaw or two. Dair motioned toward the forest, and they headed that way. As Emma reached the schoolroom, just before the men disappeared into the trees, she saw Dair say something that wiped the smiles off the men’s faces.
Hmm. She didn’t like the looks of that.
DAIR SUGGESTED THE OLD CAMPFIRE site as the location for their talk. He expected the spot to be overgrown, but the boulders wouldn’t have moved. They’d all have a place to sit where they could see one another. He wanted to see everyone’s expression as he told his story.
Apparently, the campfires had continued because he found the spot little different from the last time he’d been here. The trees surrounding the fire ring were bigger, the pile of ash deeper. You could still see the initials they’d carved in the sweetgum tree going on twenty years ago. Dozens of other sets of initials had joined them, but his still led the list. He couldn’t help but smile.
Without speaking, they all took their usual seats. Holt led the questioning. “You ready to explain that remark you made a few minutes ago, MacRae?”
“Yeah.” Cade propped one boot up atop the boulder, then draped his arm casually around his knee. “It’s not like you to dip into melodrama. Life and death, MacRae?”
“Exactly. Emma’s life and my death. Let me start with Emma, if I may.” Dair gave them a rundown of his acquaintance with Emma and of his plan to ask her to be the new caretaker at the orphanage. He talked about her character and her intelligence. He didn’t need to sell them on her beauty. They could see that for themselves. While neglecting to detail the circumstances, he admitted to stealing her necklace. They laughed when he described her stint as highwayman, but grew serious when he mentioned Robbie Potter’s revelations.
“Buried treasure?” Logan murmured. “Hell, there are dozens of stories about lost Spanish gold and buried pirate treasure in this neck of the Texas woods. Do you honestly believe there’s anything to it?”
“I do,” Dair replied. “And I’m not the only one.” He relayed the story of Robbie’s murder and their theory about the killer.
Holt’s mouth set in a grim smile. “You think the villain is after Emma? You need us to be bodyguards as well as investigators?”
This was it. This was the moment Dair had dreaded ever since the need for it occurred during the train ride between New York and St. Louis. “Yes, but I have something else in mind for the three of you, too. Something just as important. More important, in a way.”
Cade, Logan, and Holt shared a quick, curious look.
Dair swallowed hard. His stomach rolled. “I would consider it a great favor if one of you would consider courting Emma with the intention of marriage.”
“Excuse me?” Logan said.
Holt gave his head a shake. “What did you say?”
“What the hell!” Cade exclaimed. “You’re sleeping with her! I thought you were fixing to tell us you were getting hitched, and now you’re trying to pass the woman off on us? What the hell is wrong with you? She seems like a real lady. Not some painted-up saloon pass-around. It’s you who should be doing the right thing. I oughta kick your sorry ass.”
“I oughta help,” Holt declared.
Frustration and guilt rolled in Dair’s stomach like soured milk. “I didn’t say I was sleeping with her.”
All three men grimaced. “For God’s sake,” Logan scoffed. “Do you think we’re stupid? It’s obvious, MacRae. You had her last night. And judging by the way you looked at her, it wasn’t the first time. Hell, she’s in love with you. It shows. You’d have to be blind not to see that.”
Dair couldn’t deny it. Hell, he didn’t want to deny it. He wanted everyone in Texas—hell, the world—to know that Emma Tate loved him and he loved her in return. But he couldn’t, damn it all, and the time had come to explain why. If not to her, then to the men he hoped would take care of her in his absence.
“Emma is a wonderful woman,” he explained. “She’s loving and caring and witty and strong—everything you could ever want in a mate. But the poor woman has had a sad run of bad luck when it comes to men. Ten years ago, she married her childhood sweetheart, but he died a few months later. It took her a long time to recover from his loss, but finally, she was ready to look for love again. It was her bad luck to lay eyes on me at a time when she was vulnerable. She thinks she loves me, true, but she hasn’t known me all that long. Not like her Casey. She’ll get over me.”
&n
bsp; Deep in his heart, Dair wondered if he really believed all that. Was he trying to convince them or himself?
Logan folded his arms, his eyes flashing with anger. “You don’t want her? So you were just using her? This wonderful, caring, witty woman you just described? Sorry, Dair, I don’t buy it. That’s not you. So why don’t you tell us what the hell is really going on?”
“Yes, I want her!” Dair drew back his leg and kicked a small rock, sending it flying off into the trees. “I can’t have her, goddammit! I’m dying!”
His friends looked at him in disbelief. Cade said, “What do you mean?”
Frustrated, Dair all but bared his teeth. “It’s pretty simple, boys. Dying as in dead. Croaking. Kicking the bucket. Fixing to promenade home. Pushing up bluebonnets. You get it now?”
There was a long pause, then Logan said, “Shit, MacRae. That’s crazy. Are you sick? You don’t look sick.”
Good Lord, he’d have to spell it out. “I have a growth on my brain. It’s killing me. There’s no cure, no medicine, no hope. Does that spell it out for you? I’m not passing off Emma because I don’t want her. Believe me, I want her. I’m just trying to make sure someone is here for her when I’m gone. She’s going to need…” His throat closed. He couldn’t talk anymore. Couldn’t think about her being with anyone other than him.
Yet, he needed to take care of her. To do the right thing for her. “Whichever of you…” He paused, cleared his throat. “You’ll be the luckiest damned man in Texas.”
“No,” Cade snapped. “This is bullshit. You’re not dying.” He started to pace, shoving his fingers through his thick dark hair. “You’re not dying, goddammit. Have you been to a doctor?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need a better one. This is just goddamned bullshit. You’re gone forever and now come back just to tell us you’re croaking? Well, fuck that.”
Holt reached out, put a calming hand on Cade’s arm. “Dair, what can we do? There must be something we can do for you.”
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