He was the most attractive man she’d ever met, and she got these strange flutterings in her stomach and felt a little nervous—no, not nervous really, just more aware of everything when he was around. He would never know that, not if she could help it. But, good grief, when he was smiling, which was usually the case, he was too handsome, far too handsome. She didn’t want to feel this attracted to him, but she couldn’t figure out how to change her feelings. But it wasn’t changing her mind. She still wasn’t going to marry him. Be stuck here with gunfights, outlaws, too much dust to tolerate, and no servants to hire? And never seeing her mother again? No!
Besides, Hunter wouldn’t like her when he found out who she really was, saw how she really behaved and lived her life. She’d heard him and his brothers’ scorn when they’d talked about Tiffany Warren at the dinner table. Hunter liked more down-to-earth working women such as Pearl and Jennifer. It was too bad she couldn’t just enjoy her time here and really be more like Jennifer. Would Miss Fleming be able to resist Hunter’s attractiveness? Would she even want to? The real housekeeper probably wouldn’t have turned away from him today when he showed up wearing only a towel around his hips. She probably wouldn’t have run from his kisses, either, not when they made her feel so . . .
Oh, God, her thoughts were going down a dangerous path. She brought them back under control by picturing cows jumping over a fence and counting them, which eventually put her to sleep. But not for long. Sometime later a noise woke her. No, it wasn’t a noise, it was a voice quietly whispering, and right next to her bed!
“Miss Fleming, I’m here to help you. Miss Fleming, please wake up!”
She would probably have screamed immediately if sleep hadn’t been clogging her mind. Someone was kneeling beside her bed. The offer of help made her think there was another fire and one of the Callahans was trying to get her out of the house. Then why was he whispering?
“What’s wrong? Who are you?” she asked warily, trying to make out the man’s features in the darkness.
“Sam Warren, ma’am.”
She sucked in her breath. Oh, God, her oldest brother here in her room? He shouldn’t be here! How had he found out? She wanted to hug him but she couldn’t! He’d called her Miss Fleming so he didn’t know it was her, his sister.
“I finally figured it out,” Sam said. “That it had to be you I saw at Sally’s place. I only saw you from behind, but it was your dress that got me thinking. No one wears clothes like that around here. And it looked like you were being coerced out of the restaurant. This is just like the Callahans, to pull a stunt like this. But I’m here to help you.”
Every word out of his mouth just made her want to hug him even more. Sam to the rescue. That was so sweet of him. And lying now, to make him go away, was probably going to make her cry.
“Are they keeping you prisoner here? With the downstairs doors locked, I was afraid your room might be locked, too, but I guess they figured that guard circling the house is enough to make sure you don’t leave.”
“That guard is there because someone set a fire here last night.”
“I heard about that, but I swear my family didn’t set it.”
“How did you get past the guard?”
She imagined he was grinning, he sounded so proud when he said, “I’m fast. Left my horse off by some trees and snuck my way closer, then dashed for the back door only to find it locked. But with the guard at the other side of the house I made it to the front to climb up to the porch roof. The windows above it are wide-open, including the one at the end of your corridor. ’Sides, it’s good and dark tonight, dark enough that the guard’s patrolling with a lantern so he’s easy to see.”
“But if they find you here, they’ll think your family set that fire and you’re here to try it again.”
“No, they won’t. My pa already told Zachary he was full of it, to even think we’d do something like that.”
“How did you know which room was mine? You didn’t enter them all to find me, did you?”
“Course not, didn’t need to. Saw you at your window before you turned out the light. There aren’t any other women in this house on the upper floor, least that can stand at a window, so it had to be you up here.”
“How would you even know the sleeping arrangements in this house?”
Sam chuckled low. “My brothers and I used to dare each other to come here to spy on the Callahans when we were younger.”
Tiffany rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. He couldn’t see that because he wasn’t exaggerating about how dark it was. There was no moonlight tonight with yet another storm rolling in.
She mustered the determination to say what she had to. “You need to leave. I’m here by choice. I’m not proud of it, but I was swayed by money. The Callahans offered me much more than my job is worth to work here instead. I was too embarrassed to explain that to your father.”
“Well, hell, if it’s just a matter of money, we can better whatever they offered.”
She sighed. “No. This is starting to feel like a tug-a-war. I have to draw the line somewhere.”
“But you don’t understand,” he persisted. “They probably just did this to be ornery, while my family actually needs you. My sister is coming here for the first time since she was a tyke. You were hired to make her feel at home. She’s used to butlers and housekeepers and more maids than you can count. It’s really important to my father that she feel comfortable here. That’s why he sent for you.”
And that’s when the tears started. She hoped she could keep them silent. No such luck. He quickly struck a match when he heard the sounds she was making. With a gasp she yanked the covers over her head. She wasn’t quick enough.
“Tiffany? What the hell?!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
TIFFANY SLOWLY LOWERED THE covers. Sam was staring at her incredulously—until the match started to burn his fingers. He dropped it, lit another, then lit the lamp next to her bed. Ignoring the frown on his face, she gave in to the urge she’d had since he woke her. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
“I can explain,” she whispered.
Sam set her back from him. She feasted her eyes on him, feeling so happy to see him after so many years. Blond, green-eyed, and so handsome now. She’d asked him once why he didn’t look like her. He’d proudly said he took after their pa. That was back when she’d craved any and all knowledge about her father, and she’d childishly envied Sam that day because he looked like Frank and she didn’t
The expression on his face had darkened. “So they did kidnap you. Why didn’t you just say so?”
“Because they didn’t. They thought the same thing you did—that I’m Jennifer Fleming. And what I told you is true, they think they’ve lured me to work here with a double salary.”
“But why didn’t you set them straight?”
“Because this is where I want to be.”
“Tiff . . .”
“Sit down.” She patted the bed beside her. “Just listen to me, please. I didn’t want to come to Montana at all. I definitely don’t want to marry a cowboy. But Mama arranged this betrothal, and while she won’t insist that I go through with it, she did make me promise I’d stay here two months to give Hunter a chance. This is where I want to do it.”
“Me and the boys don’t want you to marry Hunter either. It’s just the elders that want the marriage to secure the truce. But that’s ridiculous. It ain’t like we can’t take care of ourselves—hell, we can kick the Callahans’ butts any day.” Sam laughed scornfully. “They must think so, to bring in a notorious gunslinger like Degan Grant to protect them. Old Zachary even dragged him along this morning to accuse us of setting a fire. We’re not afraid of hired guns, Tiff.”
In this case his confidence scared the heck out of her. “You should be afraid! That man is dangerous—”
“Never mind him. You can’t imagine how much we’ve all been looking forward to your arrival, and now to find you here.”
She winced. “And I’ve wanted to see you just as badly. But more than that—” She bit back the words. She couldn’t tell him how she felt about Frank, that she’d taken on this charade just so she could put off having to come face-to-face with their father. Sam simply wouldn’t understand because he loved Frank.
“What?” he said, waiting for her to go on.
“I’ve been here a few days, long enough to know this life isn’t for me.”
“A few days is nothing, and”—he suddenly seemed to realize—“you’re spending them as a servant, so of course you’d hate it!”
She grinned and pointed out, “A housekeeper’s duties are minimal.” She was not going to mention cooking. “And besides, I’m talking about this part of the country. I’ve already met train robbers, been shot at, saw dead men carried off the train, lost most of my luggage, saw Hunter almost shot in the back . . . that’s actually more than enough. Out here”—she waved a hand—“this is your life, it’s not mine.”
He sighed. “I do know what you’re talking about, Tiff. Every time we visited you and Ma we felt so out of place. We didn’t belong, we knew that, it was blatant everywhere we went. But you know Roy, who visited the most? When he came back that last time, he said he actually missed the city, that it was growing on him. Just takes time to get used to a new place.”
“Maybe for a man, but every time I turn around I witness violence of some sort.”
“Sounds like you just had a rotten run of luck. Really, we can go months without hearing a gunshot, and then it’s mostly just someone shooting a snake.” Tiffany made a face. “Outlaws are a dying breed. US marshals show up to hunt them down these days. We’re becoming more and more lawful every year thanks to the railroads.”
She patted his hand. No reassurance he offered could change what she’d already seen. Becoming wasn’t being.
He must have figured that out because he looked so frustrated. “That’s why you should come home to us. We’ll show you a grand time. We’ll go fishing and riding, take you out to see some real mountains, show you what it’s really like here. And Pa is longing to see you.” Tiffany raised a skeptical brow, but Sam misunderstood, saying, “Yeah, he wants to marry you off to a Callahan, but don’t worry, we won’t let him. And maybe Ma will come out and visit, too, if she hears you’re enjoying yourself here.”
Her brothers had obviously anticipated quite a different kind of visit than she had if they expected her to have fun in Montana and for their mother to join them. None of that was going to happen. Tiffany suddenly felt furious with her parents and their secrets. Their strange relationship was still hurting her brothers, even now when they were grown men.
But she didn’t mention her frustration to Sam. Instead she asked him, “Why did you all stop coming to New York? It’s been five years since any of you visited us.”
He actually looked surprised by the question. “I mentioned that in my letters, didn’t I? We grew into more responsibilities. We started going on trail drives to get the cattle to market. I got to go on my first one when I was thirteen. Of course, the railroads arriving in the territory last year have almost put an end to that. We still have small drives from nearby towns that aren’t connected to the rails yet, but just a couple men can handle those. And then there was school.”
“But that didn’t stop you before.”
“Because we didn’t actually have school before. Pa used to teach us when he had time. But then Nashart actually got its own teacher, a real bona fide teacher, and they built a schoolroom for him. We weren’t forced to attend, but Pa figured it would please Ma if we did, so we went. Every darn day.”
“I loved school, you didn’t?”
“The learning was okay, but being stuck in a room with John and Cole Callahan every day was hell.”
“Oh.” She tried not to laugh. Then she realized that wasn’t a laughing subject, though it should have been. But her brothers hadn’t grown up with normal childhood difficulties. They’d had real enemies living nearby, and mostly all older than them. If they got into a scuffle with a Callahan, they probably never won. How horrible.
“Like I said,” Sam was saying, “things are rapidly changing in the West now. Nashart has even doubled in size in just the last couple years.”
She winced again. He was still trying to convince her to like it here. But she suddenly realized she needed to do some convincing of her own, just not about that.
“Sam, I have to figure out a way to end the feud without being part of the solution. I’ll have a better chance of doing that here in this house with these people. Mary Callahan is probably the key. If anyone can talk some sense into this family, it would be her. I just need time to work her around to that way of thinking. And I don’t want Papa shoving me down the aisle to the altar with Hunter just because he’s impatient to end the feud. So—so I want you to keep it a secret that I’m here, from Frank, even from our brothers.”
Sam shot to his feet. “You can’t ask me to lie to Pa. You just can’t!”
“Not lie, just don’t say you saw me.”
“That’s the same as—”
“Sam, this is my life, not yours. I need some time to figure this out. If you tell anyone I’m here, anyone in our family or even this one, I swear I’ll get on the next train home, promise or not. Then there won’t be a truce anymore. Do you even know what it was like before the truce? Of course you don’t, you were too young, same as I was. But Mama knows. She lived here then. She told me about it. And she hated it!”
He looked stricken. “Is that why she left?”
Tiffany blinked. “You don’t know why?”
“I asked Pa. I even asked her. Do you know how much it hurts when you know your parents are lying to you? They aren’t very good at it, you know. But I never had the heart to press. Pa always got so sad looking. Ma just got angry, though I swear it was fake, just to cover up that she was sad, too. Which doesn’t make a damn lick o’ sense.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Tiffany vowed again to make her parents come clean about their separation. She wasn’t a child any longer. She had a right to know. She’d had enough of their lies. But for now she had to get Sam to agree to her plan. “So will you keep my secret?”
His lips thinned out. He was obviously wrestling with his decision. She held her breath.
Then he said, “We were so hoping you’d loathe Hunter but love Montana so much that you’d stay here anyway and live with us. Just think, we could see each other all the time.”
Fighting back tears, Tiffany shook her head. “Sam—”
He looked angry as he stood up. “This isn’t over, Tiff. It’s not right you lying to Pa and impersonating a housekeeper for the Callahans. You think about that. But I won’t say anything—for now.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
TIFFANY WAS TOO NERVOUS to stay in bed after her brother slipped out of her room. She should have escorted him out of the house to make sure he made it safely. But she’d realized that too late, so she walked back and forth between her two corner windows instead even though she couldn’t see a darn thing out in the yard other than the guard walking by with his lantern.
The sudden light coming from the kitchen below made her blanch, it was so similar to what she’d seen the night of the fire. But no one would dare try that again with the house being guarded now. It could just be the guard, but she hadn’t thought he was patrolling inside the house, too. . . . Oh, God, had Sam been caught? She had to find out!
Tiffany threw on her petticoat and grabbed her traveling jacket—why hadn’t she thought of telling Mrs. Martin to make her a robe, too!? She looked ridiculous. She didn’t care. At least she wasn’t flying downstairs in her underwear again.
She burst into the kitchen just as Hunter was stepping out the back door. He must have heard her because he turned and asked, “What are you doing down here?”
“I heard a noise.”
“Yeah, so did I. It was nothing, go back to bed.” He didn’t look as i
f he thought it was nothing. He looked tense, and he’d been going out to investigate—where he might run into her brother. . . .
She had to give Sam time to get away! Desperate to keep Hunter from going outside, she ran across the room and threw her arms around his neck. “Don’t leave me alone!”
He put his arms around her, not hesitating even a moment. But she was obviously confusing him and he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You—that is, the light you brought into the kitchen. I could see it from my window. It made me think we were on fire again.”
He choked out a laugh. “We just might be.” At her gasp he said, “I didn’t mean that literally—never mind. Come here.”
He led her to a kitchen chair, sat down on it, and pulled her onto his lap. He kept one arm around her back while he began to rub her shoulder and arm soothingly with his other hand. He wasn’t exactly caressing her, but it seemed as if his touch could easily become a caress, and she was leaning against his chest—his very bare chest. He’d come downstairs in just his pants tonight. She was beginning to feel embarrassed for having thrown herself at him, no matter the reason. Or was she just too shy to admit she was glad to have had an excuse to do that?
“I’m surprised you were scared, considering how brave you were last night.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“That fire was already burning. I reacted without thinking. I just wanted to put it out before it got any bigger.” She took a deep breath, inhaling his distinctive scent of leather and pine trees. She loved the way he smelled.
“You’re braver than you think—but I kind of like you coming to me when you think you aren’t.”
One Heart to Win Page 19