Jessie turned to the table, picked up a long knife and cut off a slice of bread from the loaf sitting there. “Is there anything in particular you want done in the house today?”
“No.” He walked over to a cabinet and took out a jar of jerky. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, relieved when he didn’t seem angry. He removed a few pieces of the dried meat and wrapped them in a small cloth. “We’ll be going to town tomorrow, so you should tend to your house today. It will need a good sweeping. There’s probably some cobwebs, too. Nan washed the windows and curtains before she left.”
“I need to do our laundry, so I’ll do yours, too.”
“I take mine to the Chinese laundry in town.”
She waved away the notion. “There’s no need for that.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Mr. McKinnon, I’m perfectly capable of doing your laundry.”
He frowned and crossed the room, stopping in front of her. “A minute ago you called me Cade. I like that better.”
So did she, but she would be wiser to keep things more formal. “It was highly improper of me. You’re my employer.”
He smiled. “I’m aware of that, ma’am.”
“Then you’ll do well to remember it.” She pointed her nose in the air—which unfortunately only meant she was looking right up at him—and pursed her lips in what she hoped was a reproachful expression.
A twinkle lit his eyes. “That’ll be a mite difficult if you keep puckerin’ up for a kiss.”
“I do not want to kiss you!” It took a great deal of effort to keep her voice low. Heaven forbid if they woke the children.
“Liar,” he murmured.
“That was a prudish look.”
“Fooled me.” His expression changed to the picture of innocence.
She felt the tug of laughter and finally gave in, grinning at him. “Well, it worked for the banker’s wife.”
“Let me guess—tall, skinny, and a face like a horse?”
She nodded, deciding to relax and enjoy their banter. “That’s her.”
“I can see where she could pull it off. But you bring to mind something else entirely.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Of course, maybe that’s because I’ve been studying on it for a spell already.”
Warmth flooded her face. “You have better things to do.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Can’t think of any.”
She was digging herself in deeper by the second. “Go find your bull, Mr. McKinnon. I have work to tend to.”
He sighed, looking mournful. “I’d much rather stay here and pester you.”
She laughed in spite of herself. “I’m sure you would.”
“But I reckon I’d better head out before Asa starts speculatin’ as to why I’m taking so long.” He strolled to the back door and plucked his hat from the rack. When he opened the door, he paused, looking back. “Though, in a way, it’s all his fault.”
She moved toward him so they could carry on the conversation quietly. “Why?”
“He told me if I took a hankering to you, I’d better stake my claim early.” He eased the hat on his head and walked outside.
“Of all the arrogant...” Jessie sputtered for a second before following him, closing the door behind her. He waited on the porch, his back to the railing, arms crossed, calm as you please. Settling her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “I’ll have you know, Cade McKinnon, that I’m not a stray cow you can just claim.”
“I’d never compare you to a cow, Jessie.” His lazy smile aggravated her even more. “You’re more like a pretty little mustang mare, running wild and free.”
“Who wants to stay that way.”
“Even a mustang doesn’t like to be alone.”
“So she’s supposed to follow the first stallion who nickers sweet nothings and nuzzles her neck?” A sudden image sprang to mind—Cade lifting her hair away from her open collar with one powerful hand; the other at her waist, his touch firm yet gentle through the calico. Tiny kisses down her neck and throat, soft lips and warm breath against her skin. Jessie shivered, her mouth going dry.
Cade glanced at her throat and groaned softly. When he looked up, an unmistakable fire burned in his eyes. He straightened, shifting away from the rail. “No, she has a choice. He has to gain her interest and prove that he can provide for her and protect her. But he also has to let the other males know he wants her. Stake his claim.” He leaned toward her, sliding one hand around her waist. “And fight to keep it, or one of them might steal her away.”
He was going to kiss her. Right out there in the open. It was foolish, but heaven help her, she wanted him to. She raised her hand—whether to push him away or draw him closer, she honestly didn’t know.
A discreet cough and the creak of saddle leather stopped him. Startled, Jessie looked toward the yard to find a horse and rider waiting nearby. It was the same man who had helped the children with the wagon the day before. He led another saddled horse, obviously for Cade.
Cade muttered a mild under his breath and slowly raised his head, releasing her. He looked so disgusted, Jessie didn’t know what to say.
He turned toward the rider, but she noted that he stayed close to her. “Mrs. Monroe, this is Asa Noble, wagon boss of the McKinnon Ranch. Asa, this is Mrs. Jessie Monroe.”
The cowboy nodded politely. “Welcome to West Texas, ma’am.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you helping Brad yesterday and watching Ellie for a while. They enjoyed it.”
“So did I. They’re fine youngsters. Real polite.” Asa looked at Cade. “You ready to go, boss?”
“In a minute. I’ll meet you at the barn.” Cade’s irritation was obvious. He waited until the other man nodded, turned the horses around, and moved away. He shifted so that his back was to Asa, blocking the cowboy from her view, and her from his, which she figured was more his intention.
“Jessie, I’m sorry for embarrassing you. Asa usually waits in the bunkhouse or at the corrals. I never really thought he would come up here.” A tiny, wry smile touched his face. “Guess I wasn’t thinking much at all, except about how much I want to kiss you.”
Want. Not wanted. “You barely know me.”
“Quint talked about you so often, I feel like we’ve been acquainted for a long time.”
“He talked about you, too.” She knew a great deal about Cade McKinnon, most of it admirable. But that didn’t mean she wanted any kind of relationship with him other than as her employer. She glanced up at his handsome face and amended the thought. She might want something more, even long for it, but she would be twice the fool if she allowed it.
“I’m your housekeeper, Mr. McKinnon. I can’t be anything more.”
“Guess it’s up to me to rectify that situation.”
She stared at him in amazement. “You’re crazy.”
He nodded. “Plumb loco. And stubborn as a mule.”
Jessie shook her head. “I need to get to work.”
“Don’t do my washing.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he lightly laid his finger against her lips, silencing her. “If I take my laundry to Sam Sing, others will, too. He needs the business.”
When he moved his finger away, she felt a twinge of disappointment. Idiot. “In that case, I’ll leave it.”
He grinned and started down the steps. “See you by suppertime. There are some canned peaches in the pantry. Maybe you could make a cobbler if you have time.”
“It’s liable to be burnt,” she snapped, annoyed that he could dismiss her protests so easily. And that a traitorous part of her was glad for it.
He stopped, turned slightly, and met her gaze. “I’m good at peeling off crusty layers to get to the sweet.” Giving her a wink, he went on about his business.
What if there isn’t any sweet left? But only bitter ashes?
Chapter 5
A couple of hours after they left ranch headquarters, Cade and Asa spotted Hercules lumbering toward home. When he saw them, the
big Hereford let out a bellow and stopped, waiting for them.
“Well, I’ll be dad-gummed,” said Asa. “I think he’s glad to see us.”
“Maybe he doesn’t like thunderstorms.” Cade nudged Mischief to a trot. When he reached the bull, he circled him slowly, checking for injuries. “Well, old man, I don’t know how you did it, but looks like you came away unscathed. Must not have run into any jealous Longhorns. Though you have lost a little weight.”
Hercules snorted and started on his way back to the ranch.
Laughing, Asa shook his head as they followed. “He wants to get back to that extra grub you’ve been feeding him.”
“If he runs off again, he’s on his own. Nothin’ but grass.” Cade nodded toward a nearby creek. “He could probably use some water.”
They herded the bull toward the creek, stopping in the light shade of a mesquite. Dismounting, they let the animals drink their fill. Hercules found a patch of thick, green grass on the creek bank, content to stay put for the moment. Cade tied his horse’s reins to a branch on the tree where Mischief could graze. Taking his canteen with him, he sat down in the shade, leaning against a big rock.
Asa shot him a questioning look, then did the same. “I figured you’d be all fired up to get back to the house.”
It was his first reference to Jessie all morning, though Cade had explained to the men that she was going to be working as his housekeeper. He wasn’t sure how much his friend had witnessed, but it had to be enough for Asa to know he was interested in her.
“Jessie’s cleaning her house and doing their laundry. She’s not expecting us back until this afternoon, so she probably isn’t fixing much to eat. Wouldn’t be very nice to come in right at dinnertime.”
“Mighty considerate of you.” Asa took a drink from his canteen, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
“After this morning, I’d better be considerate.”
“Things did look interesting out there on the porch. I was tempted to just wait and see where it went, but figured you’d have my hide if I did.”
“You got that one right. You could have just turned around and gone back where you came from.”
“And miss the chance of watching that little lady put you in your place?”
“I think I was winning.”
“Maybe. I had the feeling she couldn’t make up her mind whether to kiss you or shove you off the porch. Either one would have been more entertainment than I’ve had in a month of Sundays.”
“Life must be getting dull in town.”
“You know I don’t like saloon gals any more than you do. What we need is a place to meet decent women.”
Cade grinned and scratched an itch on the back of his ear. “Go to church.” He opened his canteen and took a long drink.
“Been thinking I might do just that.”
Cade choked, spewing water all over his pants. When he quit coughing, he wiped the tears from his eyes, cleared his throat a couple of times, and took a deep, wheezy breath. “You ever been to church?”
Asa jerked off his hat and swatted at a fly that kept buzzing past his nose. “Nope. But there’s a whole crop of them springing up in Willow Grove, so they must not be all bad, especially since they seem to attract respectable womenfolk.”
“They do at that. Just make sure you don’t fall asleep and start snoring.”
“Reckon I have to find a preacher who hollers a lot.”
Cade laughed and stood. “Asking a pretty lady to sit next to you and nudge you in the ribs would be a lot more pleasant.”
“That’s a fact.” Asa pushed himself up to stand. He untied his horse’s reins and mounted, his expression turning serious. “Most of the time I don’t envy you.”
Cade swung up into the saddle with a frown. “What’s different now?”
“I’d give half of Texas to have Jessie Monroe look at me the way she was lookin’ at you this morning.”
Cade felt uncomfortable under Asa’s hard-edged gaze. Hidden beneath that easy-going manner was one tough hombre. “You might change your mind if you’d seen her spittin’ nails a few minutes earlier.”
“If you take advantage of her, Quint won’t be the only one you’ll have to answer to.”
A spurt of anger shot through Cade. He narrowed his eyes and gave Asa a hard look of his own. “How long have you known me?”
“A little over ten years.”
“Have I ever taken advantage of a woman?”
“No, but I ain’t ever seen you with so bad an itch, either.”
He had him there. Cade guided Mischief around behind Hercules, encouraging him to move. Grabbing one last bite of grass, the bull started off at a slow walk, which suited Cade just fine. “An itch I don’t intend to scratch until she has my ring on her finger.”
“Then we’d all better hope for a short courtship, because you’re going to be one cantankerous son-of-a-gun before long.”
***
After a quiet supper filled with an underlying tension that Cade hoped the kids didn’t sense, Jessie hustled them over to their new house for baths.
He offered to haul over his bathtub for them to use, but she refused. “The washtub will work just fine, thank you.”
Maybe for her. If there had been any liquor in the house, it would have driven him to drink. He stood in the darkness at the end of his back porch and studied the little house across the yard, particularly the lantern light glowing softly through the window. He had never noticed how the thin curtains only partially concealed what was going on inside—probably because until tonight, he hadn’t been looking.
He watched as Jessie lifted Ellie from the tub and set her on the floor. She reached for a towel, then vanished from view as she knelt down to dry her off. In a few minutes, she popped up again, her daughter in her arms, and walked out of sight. Brad climbed into the tub, visible from the chest up, then disappeared when he sat down.
Before long, it would be Jessie’s turn. Cade had experience bathing in a washtub and knew it was too small to allow Jessie to sit down. It would be bad enough if she only appeared in the window briefly as Brad had done, but she’d have to stand in the tub, the upper half of her body hidden only behind a gauzy veil.
He wouldn’t be able to see every detail, but he could easily imagine them. And you call yourself an honorable man? He shook his head in disgust. She wouldn’t have any idea that she was performing an erotic shadow dance for anyone who wandered by.
“Blast it.” Cade stomped into the house and gathered up a stack of clean sheets. He went back out to the porch, waiting until he spotted Brad climb out of the tub. When he figured the boy had enough time to dress, he made a beeline for their back door and knocked. “Jessie, it’s Cade.”
She opened the door, glancing at the sheets with a puzzled expression. “Yes?”
“You need thicker curtains,” he said gruffly.
Her gaze skittered to the window and back to his frown. “Oh, dear.”
He pushed the door farther open with his shoulder, careful not to bump her in the process. Walking over to the window facing his house, he was unable to keep his gaze from darting to the washtub. When she followed, he shoved the sheets at her. “Hold these.”
He grabbed one from the stack, unfurled it with a snap, and folded it in half again. Draping it over the curtain rod, he tugged it down until it covered the curtain on both sides. By the time they had methodically taken care of all the windows in the front room, most of his annoyance had abated.
“I didn’t realize....” Jessie’s subdued tone tugged at him.
For the first time since coming into the house, he looked her square in the eye. Delicate color filled her face, but he suspected it had been much redder a few minutes earlier.
“I know you didn’t. I hadn’t noticed it, either. Never paid any attention when Nan lived here. We have some heavier curtains at the store. We’ll pick some up tomorrow.”
Cade turned to the children, who were staring at them with wide eyes. “
Why don’t you two run on over to the house and have some of your mama’s cobbler.” He glanced at Jessie. “If she doesn’t mind.”
“Can we, Mama?” Ellie inched toward the door.
“Yes, as long as you don’t take too much. Let Brad dish it up for you.”
“I will. Come on, Brad.”
The boy held back, watching Cade suspiciously. “You want some cobbler, Mr. McKinnon?”
“Yep. A nice big bowlful.” He looked at Jessie again. “It’s real tasty, not a burnt spot on it.”
“She never burns anything.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t.” Cade shifted his attention back to Brad. He had seen the boy inspecting the bookcase earlier, whispering some of the titles to himself. “Pick out a book. You can read for a while after we eat.”
Brad shook his head. “I only got through the third reader. Those are too hard for me.”
“You find one that looks interesting, and I’ll read to you and your sister. Pick something you think she’ll like, too.”
The youngster studied him for a minute, as if trying to decide whether or not he meant what he said. Suddenly, his face broke into a smile, the first one Cade had seen. “Yes, sir. Come on, Ellie.” He grabbed her hand, and they raced out the door.
“I’ll be along directly,” called Cade.
“That’s very kind of you.”
“Kindness doesn’t have much to do with it. I’ll enjoy the company. Come evening, that house gets mighty lonely.” He glanced pointedly at the washtub, then let his gaze slowly roam down to her bare toes peeking from beneath the hem of her dress and back up again, making no attempt to hide the desire in his eyes. “And I need the distraction.”
She drew a shaky breath, glancing at his mouth before looking up at the makeshift curtain. “Thank you for being so considerate. For being a gentleman.”
“I was tempted not to be.”
Her gaze clashed with his.
“Until tonight, I’d never realized how easy it is to see in your window from my back porch. I stood there in the dark, imagining you bathing, barely hidden by that thin curtain. For a minute or two, I almost gave in to the temptation to watch, and that made me feel lower than a snake’s belt buckle. You deserve a whole lot more respect, Jessie. Then it occurred to me that if one of the men wandered by and saw you, I’d have to shoot him.”
McKinnon's Bride (Willow Grove, Texas Series Book 1) Page 5