by Alix West
He had no idea what the hell he was doing, carrying off some other man’s mail-order bride, but he knew he wasn’t handing Cora over to David Tarrant. That was for damned sure. He wouldn’t hand Justin over either. Not that David would want the boy.
Tarrant wasn’t a terrible man… just a terrible family man. If he spent more time raising up his children, Nick might have a shred of respect for him. But David wasn’t interested in spending time on his own ranch, even when he had a wife. He could talk a blue streak. His hands were probably as soft as a banker’s. No, Tarrant didn’t deserve something as fine as Cora. He’d break her spirit. Ruin her delicate beauty.
Nick stopped at the front door and looked out the window. Justin stood next to the horses. The boy held out a blade of grass to the gelding and tickled the horse’s nose. He stroked the horse and smiled when the horse nibbled the blade of grass. Nick watched as the boy spoke to the horse. For a moment, Nick thought he was seeing things, but Justin’s lips moved as he trailed his fingers through the gelding’s forelock.
Nick went out and the boy jerked his head to face him, a look of alarm coming over his features.
“You know anything about horses, son?”
Justin shook his head.
Taking Cora’s trunks off the buckboard and setting them on the porch, he tried to put the boy at ease. “You did a pretty good job driving the buckboard today. Let’s take this pair to the barn. I’ll show you how to unhitch the wagon and untack the horses.”
Nick led the animals to the barn and spent the next half hour working with the boy. After they had the horses bedded down, Nick showed him the rest of the horses.
“This is Halston,” he said.
The gelding came to the door and Nick patted his neck. “There’s no horse in Colter Canyon better at tracking a lost cow or calf. He’s even helped me find a mare and foal that had been missing a week.”
Justin smiled.
“Maybe I’ll take you out some day and show you what a smart fella Halston is. Everyone thinks I’m good at finding lost animals, and I don’t tell them any different. The truth is, Halston is the one who can find a needle in a haystack. But don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Nick held his finger to his lips. “It’s a secret.”
The boy nodded.
“Good, now we got to feed these critters. I’m going to show you how much grain each horse gets, but first we start with hay.”
While they fed the horses, Nick kept up an amiable but one-sided conversation. He tried not to think about Cora inside the house. He most certainly tried not to think about her soaking in a tub of water, or the way her breasts looked when he stripped her down.
But his preoccupation with her went further. Several times over the course of the afternoon he’d spoken, and she hadn’t responded. When she faced him, she seemed to hear him, but he was certain she was reading his lips. She couldn’t hear well, maybe not at all. He wanted to ask the boy, but this wasn’t the time. He preferred to ask Cora, but didn’t want to upset her even more.
They finished feeding the horses and closed the barn. The sun had just set. They walked back to the house and Nick pointed out the first stars twinkling in the darkening sky.
He patted the boy’s shoulder. “You were a real help with the horses, today. It was nice to have another fella’s help. Think you’d like to help me tomorrow?”
The boy nodded.
Even though the boy wasn’t much for conversation, he had to admit it was nice to have another person around. He’d lived alone for so long. The boy had been through some bad times, but he could put memories behind him. Nick had seen animals recover from terrible experiences. Maybe he could help Justin put the past behind him, too. His heart squeezed to imagine that someone might have mistreated Cora too. He growled softly and pushed the thought aside.
“In the summer, you can help me with the foals. I bet you’d like that.”
Justin looked at him with wonder in his pale eyes. Nick couldn’t recall seeing such long lashes on a boy, or such delicate features.
Nick went on. “We’ll have all sorts of babies around here. Foals, chicks, kittens. You’ll see. It will be like Noah’s Ark.”
The boy snickered.
“You like that? All those baby animals?”
His eyes told of the delight the boy couldn’t express in words.
They walked amiably in the gathering dusk. In the distance a coyote yipped. Somewhere in the distance the predator’s pack answered with a chorus of howls and barks. The sounds were eerie and never failed to surprise him. And they surprised the boy too.
Justin shrieked in terror and grabbed Nick’s hand. Instantly he dropped it and scrambled away. He stumbled and fell and let out another high-pitched cry.
Nick frowned and held out his hand. “Get up. Nothing to worry about. Just a coyote calling to his family.”
Justin took his hand and allowed Nick to help him get to his feet. With a sheepish look, he brushed off his clothes.
“I’m going to tell you something, son, and it’s for your own good. You can’t screech like that.”
The boy scowled.
“You better listen up. If other boys hear you squeal like a little girl, they’re going to give you hell.”
Justin said nothing, but in the waning light, Nick could see the anger in his eyes.
“You want to hear it from me, or you want a bunch of boys to explain things?” When the boy didn’t reply, Nick gave him a smile to soften his words. “Besides, you’re going to spook the horses, hollering like a banshee with a toothache. Is that what you want to do?”
The boy shook his head and followed him to the house, but from the way he glared at him, Nick knew he was still hurt. Nick didn’t relish correcting the boy, but screaming over nothing would earn the boy nothing but contempt from the other boys in Colter Canyon.
A pot of stew sat on the stove, a gift from Laura. A freshly baked loaf of bread sat on the counter. His sisters-in-law fretted about him living alone and frequently brought dinner. They relished fussing over him. A meal. A new shirt. Every so often a plate of cookies.
“Guess I don’t need to cook tonight. Lucky for you.”
Cora appeared in the doorway. Dressed in his clothing with her wet hair hanging down, she looked bedraggled and forlorn. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her. When he’d seen her standing by the train that afternoon, she was the picture of refinement. Now, she was a different sort of picture altogether, of what he didn’t know, but seeing her there in his kitchen seemed right, somehow.
“You look pretty,” he said, without thinking.
She winced. “That’s very kind of you, Mr. Travis.”
He smirked. Did she think she was going to push him away by calling Mr. Travis? It wouldn’t work, but he’d go along with it.
Justin snickered, his bad mood overcome by the sight of Cora in men’s clothing. Nick had to admit that the clothing did look a little funny on her. His shirt fit her like a dress. She’d rolled up the sleeves. The shoulders ended up halfway down her arms.
“I can’t keep my pants up.”
This time, when Justin laughed, he covered his mouth. Cora glowered at him, but that only made him laugh harder.
Nick searched the pantry and emerged with a length of rope. He could let her belt her own pants, but she needed to hold on to them to prevent them from falling. Sitting down, he beckoned her closer.
“Well, Cora Singleton, let’s see what we can do to keep your trousers up.”
She drew closer, padding across the tile floor on bare feet. Everything about her was dainty and feminine. Her feet were narrow with a high arch and he had the urge to run his fingers along the curve. Would she squirm and try to get away? He imagined wrestling her and pinning her down and exploring all her curves.
“Lift your shirt, son,” he teased. “So that I can run some rope through the loops.”
With one hand holding her waistband, the other lifting her shirt, she let out a huff of irritatio
n.
Justin watched, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Ever heard of someone being too small for their britches, Justin?” He winked at the boy.
“I think I hate you,” Cora murmured.
Nick frowned as he threaded the rope through the loops. “You know women are trouble, right, Justin? Here I come to Cora’s rescue when the train leaves her stranded, pluck her out of the river when she decided she wanted to take a swim, and now I’m trying to help her keep her clothes on. And for all that she tells me she hates me. Take my word for it. Being a bachelor is a hell of a lot easier than trying to get along with any woman.”
Cora gave him a sharp look. “Nick, please don’t use vulgar language around Justin.”
Nick scoffed and muttered under his breath. “Trust me, the boy needs to be toughened up.”
Justin gave a soft harrumph and narrowed his eyes at Nick.
Dinner was eaten mostly in silence with both Cora and Justin glaring at him from across the table. Nick didn’t much care. It pleased him to have them at his table and in his home. How he’d manage to keep them, he wasn’t sure, but for now he had them under his roof. If he had his way, soon he’d make Cora his wife and coax her into his bed. Then he’d take his time changing her mind about hating him.
Chapter Nine
Cora
After dinner, Nick showed Justin and Cora to the spare rooms upstairs. Cora followed him back upstairs to the room next to her washroom. Most of the house was messy, but this room was not. It was tidy and had some decidedly feminine touches. Nick saw her fingering the lacy curtains.
“My sister-in-law, Charlotte, is a seamstress. She sewed the curtains and bedding for all the bedrooms. She wanted at least one room in the house to have some lace.”
“It’s very pretty,” Cora said. “I wouldn’t have thought a man like you would have something so lovely.”
Justin laughed softly.
Nick leaned against the doorway and directed a stern look at Justin. “The two of you are ganging up on me?”
The boy nodded.
“You, mister, are taking a bath tonight too,” Nick growled. “I’ve never seen such a grubby kid. Who knows what’s under all that dirt?”
Justin folded his arms across his chest and shook his head.
“Think again, son. You’re not crawling into any of my beds with ten pounds of grit and grime. Go on, start a bath. I’ll bring some hot water and one of my nightshirts.”
Cora had to agree with Nick. The boy was filthy. There hadn’t been a chance to wash anywhere along the way. When she’d met him, he was dirty enough, but over the days he’d caked on even more.
“Nick’s right. You should wash up.”
Justin stared in shock. When neither of them backed down, he went to the washroom and shut the door. Cora and Nick waited but when they didn’t hear water running, Nick went to the door.
“Justin, you need help?”
The boy opened the door and looked out. Tears filled his eyes and left a trail down his face.
“You crying because you have to take a bath?” Nick asked in disbelief. “You got more dust on you than I have in my corral.”
Justin wiped his face with his forearm, smearing the tears across his face. He shook his head.
“Go on, then,” Nick said, this time a little more gently.
Justin closed the door. A moment later, the water started. Cora’s heart squeezed with pity for the boy. She wondered what he’d gone through in his life. He was small and fragile, and she’d worried about him from the moment she’d met him. They were two strangers in a crowded train station one moment, and unlikely traveling companions the next.
Nick left and returned with hot water and a nightshirt for Justin. He opened the door and a yelp echoed from the direction of the tub.
“Take it easy. I’m just throwing your nightshirt on the shelf. I’ll set the kettle on the counter.” Nick shut the door. “Dang, that boy must like staying dirty.”
“He’s frightened. That’s all.”
Nick shook his head. His dismissive attitude irked Cora.
“He probably thinks you’ve kidnapped us.”
Nick stopped in the door and frowned.
“You could see how he would arrive at that conclusion. You picked us up with a promise of taking us to town and now you’re practically forcing us to stay with you, in your home. How can either of us know for certain what sort of man you are?”
“Don’t you fill his head with any of your hysterics, Cora. I’m not kidnapping anyone. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to town.”
“I need to wash my clothes.” She glanced down and grimaced. “I can’t go to town in your cast-offs.”
A smile curved his lips. “Then we’ll go the next day.”
“What’s so funny?”
“One minute you suggest I’m kidnapping you and the next you tell me you need to stay an extra day to wash your clothes.”
“My clothes are drenched in river water, if you recall.”
“I recall, Cora. I’m the one who fished them out of the river.”
“Yes… thank you for that and for helping me,” she said almost grudgingly. “In the morning, I’ll wash my things and perhaps you’d be so kind as to take me into town the following day.”
“Into town?”
She nodded.
“You don’t want me to take you to David’s?”
The name of her intended made her gasp. “And how would I explain that I’d spent two nights under your roof?”
“I’ll explain it to him. And then you can tell him good-bye.”
“I have an arrangement with David Tarrant, I’ll have you know. You can’t simply make other plans for me.”
He leaned against the door and scrubbed a hand down his face. “What do you know about him, exactly?”
“The bridal broker assured me that he was a man of superior quality. He owns 25,000 acres.”
Nick snorted. “He owns less than fifty.”
“I don’t believe you. I have letters of recommendation and references.”
“From who?” Nick demanded. “I’d like to know who recommended David Tarrant. The man hasn’t done an honest day of work in his life. He inherited his money and land and squanders it away every day of his life.”
“Well, of course you don’t have anything good to say about him. I’m hardly surprised.”
Nick grinned. “Did the reference letters mention how many children he has?”
Cora felt the blood drain from her face. “He’s been married?”
“Twice.”
“What happened to his wives?”
“Died in childbirth. Between the two wives, David’s got a half-dozen children.”
Cora stared for a moment and gave a breathless laugh. She rubbed her forehead as she tried to regain her composure. “Oh, Nick, you had me there for a moment. David’s not that old. A half-dozen children. If you’re going to spin tales, you should use details that are somewhat plausible.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I have an obligation to David, one I intend to keep. You seem to bear some ill will to the man and it only serves to lower my opinion of you, Mr. Travis.”
He gave her a cheerful smile. “All right, Cora. Think what you want. For now. I’ll let you and the boy get some rest. He can bed down with you or in the next room. If you need me, I’m the last room on the right.”
When he left, Cora grumbled to herself. He seemed to derive pleasure from tormenting her about David. The man who’d sent for her might not be the most charming and perhaps not the most caring. When she’d written and alluded to her months of illness, David hadn’t asked a single question, or shown a shred of concern. He seemed much more interested in her youth and her chasteness. But many men probably held the same concerns. When Miss Petit came out and asked if she was pure, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise.
Her mood darkened. What if Nick was right about David? She wouldn’t mind
if he had children. After all, she arrived with Justin in tow, but what if he couldn’t support a wife?
Nick seemed so different than her impression of David. He assumed that she was a widow, or perhaps simply compromised. He was certain that Justin was her child. He showed real concern and was sweet with Justin despite the boy’s strange ways. He had to know she couldn’t hear. He was well aware of Justin’s inability to talk, yet he cared about their well-being in a rough sort of way.
Earlier, when he’d brought her the bundle of dry clothing, he’d included a nightshirt. She shut the door, lowered the lantern wick and undressed. Justin emerged from the washroom and slipped into the bed.
Cora circled to his side. “You want to sleep here? With me?”
He nodded. Tucked into bedding, he lay with the blankets pulled to the bridge of his nose. He’d always worn his hat so low, she’d rarely glimpsed his eyes. But now, as he lay in bed, she could see his eyes well. They were dove gray, and etched with worry.
“It will be all right, Justin. I promise.”
His eyes watered.
She tried to offer some levity. “All right. I’ve never slept with another person. I hope I’m not a restless sleeper.”
She returned to her side of the bed, turned down the lamp and got under the covers. “Good night, Justin.”
The bed shifted. He patted her shoulder and she patted his hand. She knew without looking, that soon he would be fast asleep.
She lay in the darkness, trying not to think about the fact that she wore Nick’s nightshirt. It was warm and soft. That afternoon, he’d grabbed her from the swirling river water and she could still feel the band of steely strength around her waist. Later he’d carried her upstairs. He’d undressed her. She cringed at the memory, and shivered with unwelcome awareness.
Tomorrow would be a fresh start. She’d wipe the slate clean and banish any memory of Nick Travis from the turmoil of her mind. Closing her eyes, she drifted to sleep.
Sometime in the night, she woke with a start. She sat up in bed and looked around the room. Moonlight streamed through the window. A silvery glow lit the floor near the windows. After a moment of confusion, she remembered where she was.