She could understand that. She’d experienced it on a smaller scale. “Why did you choose her?”
“Stubbornness? My parents didn’t approve of her, and I wanted to prove them wrong.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“It isn’t. Anymore. Back then I was cocky, sure of myself, thought I knew everything. Obviously, I didn’t. Every man in town was after Laura. She wouldn’t give them the time of day. At least not for long. I thought that made her a challenge worth winning.”
“So you won.”
A rueful smile tilted his lips. “I did at that. We were happy for a while. Then I guess the shine wore off. She got bored with me, with everything. She felt as though she’d settled. She could have had more, done more. She felt pinned down on the ranch. She was lonely.”
“Lonely?”
He nodded. “We had one of the larger spreads in the area, which meant plenty of space between us and our nearest neighbor. She never got along well with my parents. I worked long hours. She thought a baby would cure the loneliness. Having one only made her feel more closed in. She needed company, freedom and excitement. Leastwise, that’s what she said the first time she found company elsewhere. After that, she stopped trying to excuse it or hide it.”
Sympathy filled her voice. “Oh, David.”
“Betrayal, hurt, frustration, resignation... I went through the gamut, then settled on not feeling anything at all. It’s taken me a long time to shake that woodenness.”
“You don’t seem wooden to me.”
“I still have a tendency to withdraw. In fact...” He hesitated, glancing at her as though there was something he wanted to tell her, then shaking his head. “All I can say is that time helps. I’ve had five years of time. The distance I’ve had this last year since we moved helped even more.”
“No more tripping over memories.” She bit her lip. Perhaps Matthew had been right to insist she leave Austin following the wedding.
“Exactly.” He shrugged. “I’ve still got a few scars. There’s no denying that, but I think I might finally be able to move forward.”
It took a moment for his words to settle before she grasped his meaning. She turned toward him and searched his profile. “You mean with someone else?”
“Maybe. When the time is right.”
“Huh.” The thoughtful little sound escaped before she could stop it. That was a good thing, wasn’t it? A healthy thing? Suddenly she didn’t want to talk about David’s former wife or potential future one anymore. She leaned in a little. “Tell me about your father.”
His mouth tilted into a fond smile. “My father was wonderful. He was one of those men who seem larger than life. He was the most genuine, down-to-earth person I’ve ever known. He started out with practically nothing yet created a successful cattle empire. It nearly broke my heart to sell off the ranch. The cattle are from the same lineage, so I feel as though I’m still continuing that ranching legacy in my own way.”
“You’re his legacy, David. He raised a good man.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely.” She couldn’t hold back a smile of her own when he glanced at her as though for confirmation. “I’m sure he’d be very proud of the man you’ve become.”
He refocused on the road. “Thank you. That means...so much.”
She reached over to give his arm a comforting squeeze much as she would Maggie or Ida or Emma or anyone else. Only, he wasn’t anyone else, which meant touching him wasn’t like touching anyone else. It was more like passing her hand over a flame. Close enough to feel the heat. Quick enough not to get burned.
“Caroline...” He hesitated, then continued slowly. “Do you feel it, too?”
Her stomach tightened. Her gaze latched on to his. Her voice came out a bit breathless. “What?”
“This.” He transferred the reins to one hand. Lifting the hand she’d placed on his arm, he kissed her palm. Her lungs froze in her chest only to race back to life as his lips strayed a few inches to her wrist. She tugged her hand free, cradling it with the other one. Her gaze sought his even as he turned away.
Bright red crawled up his neck. “Caroline, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have presumed. That was way out of line. It won’t happen again.”
Her mind reeled as it tried to catch up with what had just happened. His apology finally filtered through. That was when she realized he was positively mortified. What was more, he was bracing himself for a first-class dressing-down. She could see it in his face as he stared at the road so hard she feared the earth would split in two.
She could leave things as they were and let him think he’d overstepped, but that seemed unfair. Especially since... “I feel it, too, David.”
His gaze shot up to search hers. “You do?”
“Yes.” She stared down at the space between them, hardly aware of him stopping the buggy. Now that she’d started, the words refused to remain unsaid. “In fact, I’ve never felt anything quite like it, but that—”
Her voice came out quietly, gently. “David, this isn’t real. It can’t be. We’ve known each other for less than two weeks. Before that I was ready to marry another man. I couldn’t possibly consider—”
“You could.”
“Of course I could, but it wouldn’t be wise.” She smoothed her skirt, refusing to meet his gaze. “Besides, it’s a simple matter of chemistry.”
Amusement filled his voice. “Chemistry.”
He didn’t believe a word she was saying. So what was he doing? Testing her to see how far she’d plunged into denial? The answer was as far as it took to prove she wasn’t a silly girl who fell in love with any man who paid her the slightest attention.
David slapped the reins to get the horse going again. She couldn’t take her gaze from his profile. She wanted more than anything to know what he was thinking and feeling. He seemed to have no intention of telling her. Feeling a little put out by that, she clutched the dash. “Aren’t you going to take me back to the ranch?”
“Why would I?” He glanced her way with a look of challenge. “The triplets still need a home, don’t they?”
“Yes, but it’s hardly wise for us to—”
“I promise I’ll behave myself. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if you sat a little closer—just so you don’t fall out of the buggy, mind you. I’m very concerned about your safety.” His teasing broke some of the tension between them. She fought a smile as he caught her gaze, then tipped his head to beckon her closer. She cautiously slid across the leather seat. He offered his elbow. “Better hold on tight. It’s liable to get rough in a couple hundred yards.”
“The road looks perfectly smooth to me.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s filled with all sorts of unexpected bumps, hills and turns.”
She lifted a skeptical brow but cautiously threaded her arm through his.
He gave a satisfied nod. “Now we can both relax.”
“Hardly,” she mumbled, forgetting for a second that he was plenty close enough to hear her. Giving in to her more foolish side, she surrendered with a sigh and leaned her cheek against his shoulder. “What am I going to do with you?”
“You’ll figure something out.”
That was exactly what she was afraid of.
* * *
Caroline was right. Shifting their relationship into more romantic territory probably wasn’t a wise thing to do. But then, that had always been his problem, hadn’t it? He’d never moseyed into a relationship with caution. No, he rushed in impetuously, brimming with emotion, not even bothering to think through all the consequences. He didn’t want to think about them now, either. He just wanted Caroline to sidle over to his side of the buggy like she had on the way to Oakalla. Now that they were traveling back to Little Horn, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and rubbed a
hand over her temple as she looked over the list of potential adoptive families they’d procured from one of Oakalla’s ministers.
Frowning, he turned his attention back to the road. “You don’t think we were too hard on the Walsh family, do you?”
She gave a tiny snort of disbelief. “My ears still haven’t recovered from their children’s incessant yelling, bickering and screaming. I can’t fathom how Mr. and Mrs. Walsh can ignore it the way they do.”
“They didn’t ignore it completely.”
“You mean the way Mrs. Walsh rapped the youngest on the back of the head.”
David’s eyes widened. “Did she? I heard him wail and guessed she’d done something but didn’t see it happen.”
“I might have said a few choice words to her while you were talking to her husband. I was about to give in to the temptation to rap her on the head when you said it was time to leave.”
He barely held back a laugh. “Well, that explains the fire I saw in your eyes. I felt the same way when we left the McCormicks.”
She sighed. “Oh, that was disappointing. They really seemed to want the babies at first.”
“Oh, they wanted them, all right...as an investment.”
“They were going to raise them as nothing more than farmhands.”
He felt his jaw clench. “Until they found out we don’t know what the triplets’ mother was sick with. They figured she might have passed her ‘weak constitution’ on to her sons.”
“And none of the other families were willing to take on all three of them.” Caroline folded the list and tucked it into her skirt pocket. “That was a bust.”
“It was a good effort. There are other towns nearby. We can try those another time.”
She made a little humming sound that could have been agreement or disagreement. He glanced at her for clarification only to find that it was neither. Her languid lashes drifted toward her cheeks. “May I borrow your shoulder for a pillow?”
“By all means. We’ve had a long day.” There was still a ways to go yet, but he didn’t remind her of that.
She rested her head on his arm and dozed for a good thirty minutes. Glancing down at her flushed cheeks, he remembered the way she’d rubbed her temple as they’d left Oakalla. He stiffened in alarm. “Caroline?”
She didn’t respond.
He moved his arm a little. “Caroline?”
“Hmm? Are we home yet?”
“Not yet. How long has your head been hurting?”
“I don’t know. Awhile, I guess.”
“Have you been drinking water like I told you?”
She groaned. “I don’t know. You sound like my father. Did you practice your scales today? No, I did not.”
“Drink some water.”
She hushed him and snuggled slightly closer, which only emphasized the unnatural warmth of her skin.
“Caroline Murray—”
“Oh, all right!” She sat up enough to grab the canteen from beneath the seat. She slugged a few gulps down, then placed it in her lap. “Are you satisfied?”
“For now,” he said as she settled back into her previous spot.
She pulled in a deep breath. “I’m sorry for being grumpy.”
“It’s all right.” It was another one of the symptoms that had him concerned.
“It’s just so hot.”
“I know. Keep sipping that water. It will help you cool down.” He left it at that, not wanting to alarm her. A few minutes later, he pulled over and stopped the wagon beside Rocky Creek. Caroline frowned at him. “Why are we stopping?”
“You need to cool off.”
“I thought you said that’s what the water is for. Honestly, I don’t have the energy for this. I’m not feeling well. I’d rather we go straight home without any unnecessary stops.”
He hopped down from the buggy and tied the horse to a nearby tree. “I know you aren’t feeling well. That’s why we’re stopping. Now, I’m going to stay over here with my back turned. I want you to take off any excess layers and put them under the seat.”
She stiffened. “Why in the world?”
“I’ll never see them. Never know—”
“I’ll do no such thing!”
He sighed, realizing he wouldn’t gain her cooperation without giving her more information. He turned. “Caroline, I’ve seen the symptoms you’re having before in cowboys who didn’t take care of themselves in the heat. It can get serious real fast. That’s why we’re going to cool down now.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Serious in what way?”
“Fainting, fits of seizure, vomiting, confusion...” Seeing the way her hazel eyes had widened, he stopped himself. “Need I go on?”
The energy from her indignation seemed to drain her. She shook her head. “Turn around.”
“Tell me when you’re ready.” While he waited, he bowed his head and whispered a short prayer for her healing. They still had about an hour to go on their journey back to Little Horn. That was a long way to go in the heat for someone already feeling sick.
“Ready.”
He hurried over to her side of the buggy. A cursory glance revealed no obvious change in her attire of a light blue top, navy shirtwaist and brown skirt. However, her boots rested on the floor beside her skirt, so she must have done something. He gave an approving nod. “Bring the canteen with you.”
He extended a hand to help her down. She took it. Caroline stood a little too shakily for his liking, so he swept her into his arms. Gasping, she clung to his shoulders, then buried her face in the curve of his neck. He held her closer. “Dizzy?”
She nodded. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You could never be a bother.”
Her breath hitched a little. Her lashes fluttered against his neck as though she was blinking back tears. He walked down the sloping white limestone to where the creek pooled into a pretty little swimming hole.
“Drink some more water.” He set her down on the bank just shy of the bottle green water, then sat beside her to tug off his boots. Catching her watching him over the edge of the canteen, he turned away from her and said in a mock-peevish tone, “A little privacy, please.”
She snorted, then started coughing and laughing all at once. She pushed him weakly on the back. “You almost drowned me.”
He harrumphed as he made a show of rolling up his pants legs. “Just asking for some basic decency.”
She covered her face with her hands and giggled. “You have to stop using that voice.”
He grinned, then tapped the canteen expectantly. After waiting for her to compose herself enough to take a long drink, he helped her stand. He pulled his pants legs up a little more. He placed an arm around her waist to steady her. “Ready?”
“Keep your eyes on the creek, mister.” She waited until he trained his gaze on the water before hiking up her skirts. “Ready.”
They stepped into the creek...and plunged into pure nothingness. He forced himself not to catch his breath in surprise at both the depth and coldness of the water enveloping him. Realizing they weren’t going to hit bottom, David propelled them upward. He released her as they broke the surface, gasping. David scanned Caroline’s face for any sign of distress. “Are you all right? Can you swim?”
She nodded, drifting away a little as she treaded water. “I’m certainly awake now.”
“I’m sure. This water is freezing. I’m so sorry. It didn’t look anywhere near this deep.”
She pressed her lips into a straight line even as laughter sparkled in her eyes.
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Oh, go ahead and laugh.”
She did—so heartily that he had to hold on to her to keep her afloat. “I’m sorry. It’s just...” She giggled. “When I think of all that eff
ort we put into keeping our clothes dry.”
He chuckled. “Rolling up my pants legs.”
“Lifting up my skirt.” Their eyes met, and they both burst out laughing again. She recovered first. Placing her hands over her cheeks, she grinned. “Oh, my cheeks hurt. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much.”
Neither could he, and he didn’t want to stop. He snickered. “I wish I could have seen us from afar as we just plunked out of sight.”
“Stop making me laugh.”
“Sank like a stone.”
“David!”
“All right. All right.” He stared into the water. “Should I try to find the bottom?”
“No.” Worry darkened her hazel eyes. “There’s no telling how deep it is. If something happened to you down there...”
He tilted his head. “If something happened to me?”
A hint of a smile played at her lips. “It’d be an awful lot of trouble to drive myself back to Little Horn.”
“Is that the only troubling thing about it?” He swam a little closer.
“Hmm.” She glanced thoughtfully at the sky. “I suppose it would be a hard thing to explain to Maggie and Ida. How you disappeared while we were—” She blinked. Suddenly that vulnerability was back, along with something raw and intense. “I can’t even joke about that, David.”
He slid his arms around her and pulled her close as he treaded water for them both. “Why don’t you float for a little while?”
“I can’t. My skirt is too heavy.”
“I’ll help you. Want to try it?” After she gave her nod of approval, he turned her around. “Go ahead and float. I’ll let your head rest on my shoulder while my hand supports your back. This is how I taught Maggie to float.”
Caroline smiled as she relaxed in the water. “You did a good job. She swims like a fish.”
He chuckled. “She sure took to it like one. She loves playing in the creek.”
“She asks to go there nearly every day.”
“I’ll have to remember to take her down there myself. It’s been a while since we’ve gone together.”
The Nanny's Temporary Triplets Page 13