“Jamie would never hurt me.”
“I thought the same thing once about—” She cut herself off with a wave of her hand. “I don’t mean to be so maudlin. Never mind about me. Have—”
Annie caught her arm gently. “Who hurt you?”
She sighed. Was this what moving on was supposed to look like? Lugging around the embarrassment Nico had caused? Bringing his name into every situation? Unwilling to give him that honor, to let one more person know who he was, she kept it simple. “Let’s just say I made the wrong decision. I trusted the wrong man. I almost ended up in a horrible situation because of it.”
Annie was quiet for a moment, then smiled. “Almost.”
“What?”
“You almost ended up in a horrible situation. Don’t let that stop you from trusting again and making the right decision this time.”
Caroline eyed the girl. “What are you saying?”
Annie lifted one eyebrow in a direct challenge. “You and David. There’s something between you two, isn’t there?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
“Tut-tut. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It’s awfully sweet. Seems to me that you should do something about it.” With a final teasing grin, Annie backed away. “Now, I’ve got to go. Jamie’s waiting.”
She skipped off to join Jamie, and the two of them set off down the path toward their families’ ranches. Caroline found herself staring after them with her hands on her hips. Honestly? Me and David? Something between us? That is... Well, that is just...
She caught her lip between her teeth, then turned to face the ranch house. It simply couldn’t happen. That was all there was to it. It was far too soon after all that trouble she’d had with Nico. She couldn’t possibly have feelings for another man already. Especially not a man she’d known for only a little more than a week. Her heart couldn’t be that changeable or...fickle. The word she was looking for was fickle. Or foolish. That would work, too.
“No. No way. This can’t happen. It won’t.”
She set off toward the house, ignoring that niggling sense that, with or without her permission, it already was.
* * *
David couldn’t go through with it. He’d known it the moment he’d read Elizabeth Dumont’s reply to his letter in town this afternoon. She was willing to come to Little Horn as his mail-order bride. She had no qualms about entering into a union that was little more than a business arrangement. She was sure she’d get along with Maggie. She wasn’t at all intimidated by the idea of triplets. She was ready for adventure in the Wild West. All he had to do to finalize their agreement was send the train ticket. David was the one with ice blocks for feet. It wasn’t only the reality of getting married again that had him running scared, either. For some reason, the whole idea just felt wrong.
He’d find another way. Somehow. He had the time. As long as Caroline stayed at the ranch, there wouldn’t be an urgent need for him to take action. Nor was there any need to tell his mother that he’d been considering marriage. It would only encourage her attempt at matchmaking between him and Caroline. Oh, she’d been subtle about it, but there was no mistaking her efforts for anything other than what they were. Never finding the leaf for the table had been only the start.
One of her more obvious tactics was giving him as much time alone with Caroline as possible in the evenings. Ida used to stay up late with him in the parlor to talk about their day. Now she went to her room as soon as Maggie was in bed. That left him with only two options. Hole up in his room for the remainder of the evening or spend time in the parlor with Caroline. So far he’d always gone to his room.
Tonight he was finally giving in. The parlor was empty, but the porch swing wasn’t. Maybe it was just a trick of the lantern that made it seem as though Caroline lit up at the sight of him. It was hard to tell, since she sobered the moment she saw the envelope he carried. She slid over to one side of the swing to make room for him, then took the missive as he settled beside her.
She offered a weak smile. “I suppose there’s no use putting this off any longer, is there?”
He immediately began to stand up again. “I can give you some privacy if you like.”
“No.” She placed a hand on his arm to keep him from leaving. “You’re fine. I’m probably making too much of this.”
Once he relaxed again, she pried open the envelope. She pulled a small letter from the larger missive. He found himself leaning closer even as he stared out toward the woods to make it clear he wasn’t trying to read the letter but only offer support. Finally, curiosity got the better of him and he studied her face. The lines across her brow eased a little before smoothing out entirely. Her lips curved slightly. Her hazel eyes sought his before returning to the page. “They’re actually being really understanding about it.”
“It?”
“What happened at the wedding.”
He nodded, but the fact that she’d questioned whether they would understand made it hard to fight back a frown. Caroline blinked. Her eyes widened. Setting the letter on her lap, she tore open the rest of the package to reveal a book with a pirate on the cover. When her silence lengthened, he broke the tension as best he could. “Did they send you a treasure map?”
She laughed. “No, silly. It’s a vocal score.”
“You seemed puzzled.”
“I am.” She went back to the letter. “They secured a role for me in an operetta. One of their friends is producing it. He’s heard me sing a few times and believes I’m perfect for the part. Supposedly, he’d wanted to ask me all along but held back, since I was getting married.”
He stared at the book, seeing it for what it was—concrete proof she’d be leaving soon. Unless... “That isn’t a good thing?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what to think. Mostly I’m surprised Mother and Father would arrange it for me. They always said my voice wasn’t suited to opera. Then again, this is an operetta, so it isn’t quite the same.”
“It isn’t? What’s the difference?”
“For one thing, some would say an operetta isn’t as vocally challenging.” She gave a light grimace, then shrugged and flipped through the book. “They gave me a good part, though. I’m supposed to play Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance.”
He tried to smile. “Well, it seems that congratulations are in order.”
A smile touched her lips, but she didn’t glance up. “Thank you.”
“So I guess that means you’re leaving? Going back to Austin?”
She stilled. Her dark lashes swept upward to reveal her hazel eyes, which searched his for a breath or two before she said quietly, “I didn’t say that. I’m not even sure I’m going to take the part.”
She glanced back to the page and traced a finger over the sheet music. “Of course, the hard truth is I don’t have very many options. I gave up my music-teaching position before the wedding. I even went so far as to handpick my replacement. I can’t go back to that. It’s far too late to find another position with a different school for the upcoming school year. I suppose I could try to teach independently.”
She sighed. “All I know is if I don’t do something, I’ll be rattling around my parents’ house all by my lonesome with no purpose.”
“You can always stay on here.” The offer was out before he even made the decision to make it. That was what he’d been angling toward ever since his talk with Matthew, though, wasn’t it? She didn’t immediately reject the idea, so he continued. “I know this arrangement was only supposed to be temporary, but I never found another nanny. If you still want to give music lessons, you’re welcome to do that on our piano. We’d all love for you to stay.”
She smiled up at him. “That’s so kind of you to say. I do appreciate the offer. I’ll need to think about it. Being here has lifted a burden from my mind. That’s for cert
ain. As for the operetta, rehearsals don’t start until the second week in September, so if I did leave, it wouldn’t be until around then.”
If she left. He liked the sound of that. He liked it even better when she closed the book, curled one leg beneath her and shifted to face him. “So you haven’t been able to find a nanny?”
Tongue-tied was not a familiar sensation to David. Usually when he didn’t talk, it was because he didn’t care to. This time it was because he didn’t trust his words not to implicate him. What could he say? He hadn’t exactly tried to find a nanny. Not beyond the first few days after the previous nanny left. Instead he’d settled on the idea of a mail-order bride. One who, as it turned out, was willing to agree to everything he wanted. Only, he didn’t want that anymore, and he was afraid that had everything to do with the woman sitting next to him.
That scared him silly. He wasn’t sure what he should do about it. Or what he wanted to do about it.
Caroline tilted her head. “David?”
“No nanny.” The words came out gruffly, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“No children’s home, either.” She glanced thoughtfully out toward the barn, then back to him. “You have no plans to keep the triplets long-term?”
“I can’t without a nanny willing to stay long-term...or a wife.”
“And you don’t want to get married again.”
He glanced down at her bare left hand. “Not for convenience’s sake.”
She smiled. “Well, then. I think there’s only one solution.”
He sat up straighter. “What’s that?”
“We need to find the triplets a permanent home.”
“Oh.” He leaned back into the swing and stared out at the night. That wasn’t what he’d thought she was going to say.
“Unless... Do you think their mother will come back to claim them? Or some of her relatives?”
He shook his head. “I think their mother might already be dead, God rest her soul. We tried to find a permanent arrangement for the triplets when they were first discovered at the town fair. No one in town was able to take all three of them in. I doubt that’s changed in the last month.”
She gave him a conspiratorial look. “No one in this town was able to take them in. That doesn’t mean someone in another town wouldn’t.”
“You know, you might have something there. There are a couple of towns within a few hours’ ride of here. I could ask around and see if anyone is willing to adopt the triplets.”
“What about the Lone Star Cowboy League? Will you tell them your plan?”
“No. I’ve learned my lesson. I don’t want to go to them until I have a willing and viable option for the triplets’ adoption. No use giving anyone the chance to shoot it down. Even if the Lone Star Cowboy League would think it’s unrealistic, I’d like to try.”
She gave him a nod of approval. “Good for you.”
He grinned, unable to staunch the well of affection within him. She poked his arm much like Maggie might, then lifted an inquiring brow. He shrugged. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d opened up to a woman like this. Or a time when he’d felt this comfortable with one.
Her vulnerability seemed to unlock his. Her lack of pretension was nothing short of refreshing. Never before had he been so tempted to take another chance at finding romance. He ought to be running the other way, like he had when she’d first arrived. Instead he pulled in a deep breath and settled in. “Care to swing awhile?”
She nodded and lifted her boot off the porch floor. He gave them a little push. The momentum took over, and off they went as effortlessly as their conversation flowed and as naturally as the bond between them grew. His past warned him that wasn’t a good idea. In the end, she’d leave him. Perhaps it wouldn’t be for another man, but another opportunity would seduce her away just as surely.
He should listen. He knew that. But he was so tired of resisting that undeniable pull toward her. Maybe...just for a while, he wouldn’t. Maybe Matthew was right. If all she needed was a reason to stay, he could give her plenty. Ignoring the uneasiness that told him that might not be the wisest choice, he planned on doing exactly that.
Chapter Eleven
How Caroline ended up seated alongside David McKay in a buggy headed to some little town called Oakalla was still something of a mystery to her. It had all started two days ago when David had mentioned the idea of trying to find a home for the triplets to his mother. Ida had gasped and proclaimed the idea heaven-sent. The notion of David going about the task alone hadn’t sat nearly as well with her. A woman’s opinion on the prospective adoptive family was indispensable. None of that had seemed suspicious, but then Ida declared that a woman her age could hardly be expected to go traipsing about the countryside, so the duty must fall to Caroline.
Caroline had protested, citing her responsibility to the triplets. Ida had insisted. David had shrugged and rented a buggy. And so here she was, clinging to the right side of the buggy as it made every attempt to throw her against David’s side. Was the seat tilted? How else could it be possible that she kept sliding toward him no matter how much distance she tried to maintain between them? Was he the one moving? Surely not. The fabric of her traveling skirt was too slippery; that was all.
“Best get comfortable,” David said over the rhythmic clop of the horse’s hooves. “We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”
“How much longer, do you think?”
“An hour and half to two hours depending on the conditions of the road.”
Her fingers tightened on the buggy’s padded arm. “And how long has it been so far?”
“About five minutes.”
“Oh.” He was right. She should get comfortable. Seated as she was, she’d likely tumble from the buggy at the first sizable bump. Besides, this wouldn’t be much different from sitting next to David at mealtime. Except that meals were relatively short and there were always five other people at the table. It didn’t help that Ida had packed them a picnic lunch. It made the business of finding a home for the triplets seem more like...well, like they were courting, which they weren’t, even though she had been spending an awful lot of time with him on that porch swing in the evenings.
“Caroline.”
She snapped back to attention. “Yes?”
He caught her gaze as amusement filled his. “Relax. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s enjoy it.”
“Right.” She offered a wan smile and gave it a valiant effort. Releasing her death grip on the buggy’s armrest, she braced her boots on the floor to see if that would keep her from sliding. It did. Companionable silence settled over them as little by little she relaxed.
She pulled in a deep breath, smelled the sharp scent of grass, rich leather and the spicy woods. Streaks of wildflowers painted the tall grasses alongside the pale dirt road. The branches of oak, willow and cypress trees intertwined, almost but not quite forming an arch overhead. A ribbon of cloudy blue skies danced between their branches. She gasped as a blue jay darted across their path into the woods, where its mate chirped a welcome. “Did you see that?”
“Sure did. Pretty little things, aren’t they?”
“Yes, and you’re right. It’s beautiful out here. I’m glad Ida insisted I come. Other than horseback riding around Austin’s parks, I’d never spent much time out in nature until I came here.”
“You’ve been to Little Horn before, though—haven’t you?”
“My parents and I came for Matthew and Emma’s wedding three years ago. We didn’t stay long. Just two days. Then we went right back to Austin.” She finally chanced a glance at him. “Matthew told me that you and your family moved here last year. Where from?”
“Near San Angelo.”
The brevity of his answer, so different from their conversations on the porch, made her look a little closer. He
stared straight ahead with the brim of his slouch hat casting a shadow over his eyes. In anticipation of the day’s heat, he’d left his suit coat tied to the top of the picnic basket in the back. A white shirt, black suspenders and charcoal-gray pants gave him the appearance of a man in total control. Only the tension in his muscular arms and tight grip on the reins gave away the truth.
He was as nervous as she was, if not more so.
What was he nervous about? Finding a home for the triplets...or being with her? The buggy hit a small bump, sending her shoulder careening lightly into his arm. A flash of heat shot between them before she straightened. A muscle in his jaw tightened. His brow lowered slightly. Yet his attention never strayed from the road. Interesting.
She allowed her gaze to trace his features, wondering if he could feel her watching. “Did you like it there?”
“Where?”
“San Angelo.”
“Sure, I—” He stole a quick glance at her with guarded green eyes. He took a deep breath. A hint of rawness tinged his baritone. “No. There were too many memories. Good and bad. All mixed together. Everywhere I looked I saw reminders of the people I’d lost. My father. Laura.”
“Laura?”
“Laura was my wife. She died when Maggie was three. She was leaving me—leaving with a traveling salesman—when she got thrown from her horse.”
“Oh my.”
He seemed to shrug away the scandal of it. “It wasn’t entirely unexpected. She was always leaving. A couple of times she left for several days. This time was different. She’d left a note that said she wasn’t coming back. I went after her, hoping I could catch her and convince her to stay for Maggie’s sake. By the time I caught up with them, she’d already died in another man’s arms. I wanted to be heartbroken. Instead I was just numb and sad and angry. At myself, not just her.”
Caroline shook her head. “She made her own choices.”
“Yes, and so did I. The truth is I never should have married her.” He straightened and shot her an alarmed look. “That isn’t to say—I love Maggie. I wouldn’t give her up for the world, but Laura wasn’t a good choice for me.”
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