“Supplies for one of the big ranches in the Panhandle. They bought most of it right here at our store,” Cade said with a note of pride. He glanced over his shoulder, smiling at Brad and Ellie as they stood behind the seat, taking in the sights. “What do you think of Willow Grove?”
“It’s bigger than I thought it would be,” said Brad. “There sure is a lot going on.”
Ellie nodded in wide-eyed amazement. “Can we look in all the stores?”
“Not all of them today,” said Jessie. “But I’m sure we will see plenty.”
Cade climbed down and walked around the back of the wagon to Jessie’s side, waiving at Asa as he drove by with another wagon. He planned to leave it in front of the furniture store down the street. Cade looked up at her. “Ready to do some shopping?”
She patted her purse. “I have the grocery list all made out. You didn’t have many staples in the pantry.”
“I haven’t bought much since Nan left.”
“Is there anything you don’t care for?”
“Nope. And I expect you to get anything you and the kids like, too.”
When he reached up to help her down, Jessie leaned forward, resting her hands on his shoulders. He curled his hands around her waist and lifted her from the wagon with ease, settling her lightly on her feet. He released her the instant she was on the ground, and she moved her hands away just as quickly. To even the most keen observer, it would have appeared as nothing more than the common courtesy of a gentleman assisting a lady from a wagon.
But no one else saw the flare of heat in his eyes when she touched him, or his gaze drop to her lips as he lowered her from the wagon. No one else felt the tiny pressure of his thumbs as they brushed along her ribcage before he released her. Or caught the little hitch in his breathing and the promise in his eyes as he looked up once again. He dragged in a deep breath, silently telling her that his heart was probably pounding as much as hers, then sidestepped and reached up to help Brad down.
When he lifted Ellie out of the wagon bed, instead of putting her down, he tucked one arm beneath her to serve as a seat, gently keeping her steady with his other hand. She grinned and rested her arm along his shoulder as if he had been carrying her for years. Jessie was again struck by the natural trust her daughter held for Cade and the instant affection between them. It would hurt the child when they moved away from the ranch, she thought sadly.
They walked up the steps to the boardwalk in front of the store, Brad leading the way. When a man came out of Talbot’s Saloon, heading toward them with a big smile, Cade drew to a halt. Tall and lanky, wearing a white western style shirt, dark pants, black boots, and a cream-colored Stetson typical of West Texas, he would have passed for a regular cowboy except for the shiny five-pointed star on his black leather vest.
“Good morning, sheriff.” Cade shifted Ellie slightly and shook hands with him.
“Mornin’.” The lawman touched the brim of his hat, nodding a greeting to Jessie. Amusement crinkled his eyes as he smiled at the children. “You been holding out on us, Cade?”
Cade laughed and shook his head. “Sheriff Procter, I’d like you to meet Mrs. Jessie Monroe and her children, Brad and Ellie. Mrs. Monroe is Quintin Webb’s sister.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I didn’t realize Webb had a sister living out this way.”
“He didn’t until yesterday,” Jessie said with a smile. “He’s been after me to move here from East Texas for a couple of years. I thought I’d surprise him, but the surprise was mine when I arrived at Mr. McKinnon’s ranch and learned that Quint isn’t working there anymore. Have you seen him lately?”
“Not since he was in town about three weeks ago.” The sheriff glanced at Cade.
“She knows about the fight and that I fired him. If you run into him, tell him that he can have his job back if he wants it.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. Are you staying here in town, Mrs. Monroe?” His quick, appraising glance at her well worn dress probably told him all he needed to know about her financial situation.
“No, sir. Mr. McKinnon has hired me as his housekeeper, at least until I hear from Quintin.”
“Good.”
Jessie thought she detected a great deal of relief in that one word. When the sheriff glanced at Cade again, she had the oddest feeling that there was some kind of unspoken communication passing between the two men. Did they know something about Quintin that they didn’t want her to find out? “If you see my brother, will you please tell him that I’m at the ranch?”
“Of course.” The sheriff rubbed his jaw absentmindedly. “I’m glad you’re staying out there, ma’am. We’re short on housing here in town, unless you bunk at one of the hotels, and to be honest, I wouldn’t be too comfortable with that. For the most part, the men are respectful to the womenfolk, but some of them get ornery, especially when they’ve had too much to drink. And we have some unsavory characters pass through on occasion. A pretty young woman all alone might not be totally safe.” He frowned, studying her so closely that Jessie shifted uncomfortably. “Your husband isn’t with you?”
“I’m a widow.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am.” He paused thoughtfully. “You say you arrived yesterday?”
Jessie nodded.
“I didn’t see you get off the train.” He smiled ruefully. “I must not be as sharp as I used to be. I should have noticed you and your family.”
“We didn’t come in on the train.” Jessie stiffened her spine. “The children and I made the journey by wagon.”
“Just the three of them,” Cade said quietly.
Was that a tinge of pride she heard in his voice? Jessie looked at him, but he was watching the sheriff.
“You came alone?” Sheriff Procter’s smile turned into a scowl. “From East Texas?”
“Yes, near Navasota in Grimes County.”
His expression incredulous, he stared at her. “Do you have any idea of what could have happened to you?”
“Of course, I do.” She felt Cade move a tiny bit closer and glanced up at him. Though he agreed with the sheriff about the foolishness of her journey, she sensed that he would stand up for her if needed. Warmth stole through her heart, softening her response to the officer. “But nothing terrible happened, so it doesn’t do any good to fret about it now.” She glanced pointedly at her children.
The sheriff took a deep breath. Biting his tongue, perhaps? Jessie hid a smile.
“Well, Mrs. Monroe, if you decide to go back to East Texas—or anywhere—tell me. I’ll make sure you have a proper escort.”
“No need,” said Cade. “I’ll take care of it.”
The sheriff nodded as if that was the end of it, which it was. It wouldn’t do any good to argue with him or Cade. To be honest, Jessie did not want to travel anywhere alone again. Despite what she told the lawman, there had been many frightening moments on their journey. Long, lonely nights listening to the howl and yipping of coyotes and the shriek of mountain lions. Thunderstorms, treacherous rivers, and even more treacherous men. More than once, it had taken a steady hand on her shotgun to send them on their way.
Cade edged toward the door of the store. “We’d best get on with our shopping. I know a couple of kids who need some new moccasins.”
Ellie shook her head. “Not mosscasins. Shoes.”
Sheriff Procter laughed. “Reckon you’d better see to it. Nice to meet you and your family, Mrs. Monroe. Welcome to Willow Grove. If you need anything you let me know.” His gaze slid to Cade. “Drop by the office if you have time.”
It was clear he meant for Cade to go see him, whether he had time or not.
“Won’t be until this afternoon.”
“I’ll be there.”
When the sheriff walked away, Cade opened the door, waiting for Jessie and Brad to walk through before he and Ellie followed them.
“What was that about?” Jessie asked.
“Cattle rustling, most likely. There has been quite a bit of
it the past few months.”
“Have you lost any cattle?”
“No. They’re working to the north and west of here. Unless they’ve moved. No one’s been able to track them far enough to catch them.”
“How come?” asked Brad.
“They drive the cattle into the breaks—rugged and rocky terrain, so they don’t leave any prints. There are miles of that type of country across a good portion of West Texas.
“But the rustlers can wait.” He tickled Ellie’s tummy, making her giggle. “We need to get down to serious business.” Looking around the store, he spotted Ty up on a ladder, handing a bolt of cloth down to one of his clerks. Cade raised his voice loud enough for his brother to hear him. “Why can’t a man find a shoe salesman when he needs one?”
Ty looked up and grinned. “Your feet growing again?”
“Not mine, but these young ’uns are sproutin’ up like weeds.”
Ty climbed down the ladder and walked across the store to join them. “Good morning, Mrs. Monroe.” He smiled at Jessie, then the kids. “What can I show you?”
“Ellie needs some new shoes. Preferably shiny black ones,” Jessie added with a smile at her daughter. “And Brad needs some cowboy boots. Mr. McKinnon is going to teach him how to ride.”
“And be a cowboy.” Brad smiled shyly, first at Ty, then at Cade.
“Then you’re planning to stay on a while.” Ty nodded in satisfaction. “Was he smart enough to hire you as his housekeeper?”
Jessie sent Cade a impish glance. He blinked, then grinned back. “I don’t know how smart he is, but I’m the new housekeeper.”
Ty laughed and nudged his brother with an elbow. “She’s already puttin’ you in your place.”
“Makes me mind my manners.” Even when I don’t want to. He hadn’t spoken the words out loud, but the look in his eyes and his lazy smile whispered them to her heart.
“Somebody needs to.” Ty winked at Jessie. “You let me know if he misbehaves and—”
An image of Cade on the back porch the previous morning sprang to mind—handsome, confident, sexy, and far too appealing. It was followed by another memory—his confession that he had been tempted to watch her bathe. Tender and noble. Yet needy. Stirring her senses like no one ever had.
To her dismay, a hot flush stole up her cheeks. She felt Cade’s gaze and looked up. She suspected he was dealing with memories of his own, and her face burned even more.
“—I’ll hogtie him.”
A tiny frown wrinkled Cade’s brow, and he shifted his stance, drawing Ty’s attention. “You and who else?”
Ty picked up the banter, but Jessie barely heard it. Neil would have jumped at the chance to say something crude, fiendishly delighting in making a scene. Once again, Cade had come to her rescue, distracting his brother to ease her embarrassment.
So different from her husband.
Chapter 8
Ty looked down at Brad. “My neighbor, Will, is ten. I told him you might be in town today. He and a couple of other boys play baseball in the empty lots behind us. He thought you might want to join them later this afternoon. Do you like baseball?”
Brad shrugged. “I can hit and throw okay. I’m not so good at catching the ball.”
“Do you have a mitt?” asked Ty.
Brad shook his head. “Store in Riverbend didn’t have any.”
Not that they’d had the money for it anyway. Jessie had planned to order one for his birthday in the fall. Now that she was working again, and at a better wage, she should be able to do it.
“We have some.” Cade practically beamed. “It’s not just the boys here in town who like the game. The young men have formed a couple of teams to play each other. Ty even gave it a try until they threw him off the team because he was so slow.”
“They didn’t throw me off. I quit. It only took me a couple of practices to figure out that I’m too old to be on a team. Still like to toss the ball around though.”
Cade rested his hand on Brad’s shoulder. “We’ll find you a mitt after we get your boots.”
Jessie opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again on seeing the hesitant anticipation on Brad’s face and the excitement on Cade’s. What would it hurt to let him give her child another present? Other than Quint, Cade was the first man to take an interest in the boy, the first one to show him kindness and affection. When Brad looked at her, she nodded her approval.
Cade set Ellie on the floor. “Why don’t you and Brad go look at the shoes and boots and see if you find any you like.”
She scampered down the aisle, with Brad ambling along behind her.
“Mrs. Monroe, if you take Ed your list, he’ll start gathering up the supplies.” Ty gestured toward a man stocking the grocery shelves. “He boxes everything up for folks so they can browse.” Smiling, he glanced at the only other customers, two older women, who were on the other side of the store discussing lace with a young female clerk. “They buy more that way.”
Jessie laughed. “I expect they do. I won’t be buying anything until pay day. But I’ll enjoy looking.”
“If you find something you want, let me or Miss Hemphill know, and we’ll put it away for you.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“Yes, you can.” Cade moved beside her. “We supply a big territory, so the merchandise doesn’t stay long. Something you find today probably won’t be here next Saturday.”
“My goodness. No wonder so there are so many new stores being built.”
“It’s a boomtown, sure enough,” said Ty. “Five years ago the buffalo and Kiowa roamed this range, along with a few ranchers. Now, there are dozens of ranches in the territory, and we’re bringing civilization to the cowboys.”
“Whether they want it or not.” Cade chuckled and cupped her elbow, gently nudging her toward the grocery department. “Ty, if you’ll help the kids, we’ll get Ed started.”
Ty nodded and headed toward the shoes.
Jessie pulled the list out of her purse. “Do you want to look over it?”
Cade took the sheet of paper, scanning it as they walked across the store. “We’ll need to go to the meat market and grocer for some things, but most of it we have right here. Looks a little sparse though.”
“Is there anything in particular I should add?”
“Candy.”
“What kind?” She glanced at the jars of brightly colored stick candy.
“Anything you and the kids like.” He smiled down at her, his thumb moving in a little circle against the inside of her elbow. His gaze dipped to her mouth for a heartbeat. “I just have a fondness for sweets.”
The man was driving her crazy. She took a deep breath and looked away. “I forgot to check the coal oil. Do we need some?”
“Wouldn’t hurt. And some matches, too.”
He introduced her to the clerk, then excused himself. “I’ll go see how Ty is doing with the kids. Why don’t you look around and see what else you want? Try anything you like.”
Jessie handed the list to Ed, discussing a few things with him, then did as Cade suggested. She was amazed at the variety of foodstuff in the store. In Riverbend, the mayor’s wife had to special order many things, but it seemed as if McKinnon’s had almost everything imaginable in stock.
Dried currants, purchased by the pound, were available as well as canned ones. There were lemons from Sicily, peanuts from Tennessee, and London raisins. Fresh bananas, plums, peaches, green apples, and tomatoes. Grapes, dates, and figs. Even pineapple and several kinds of nuts. The variety of canned goods was as good or better than what she had seen in any store, ranging from blackberries to expensive French sardines.
Recipes that she longed to try but had been unable to ran through her head. Some were her own ideas. Others, she found in The First Texas Cookbook, published by the Ladies Association of The First Presbyterian Church of Houston. An acquaintance sent the cookbook to the mayor’s wife, but Mrs. Drake disdained something compiled by a bunch of
church women and tossed it out. Jessie rescued it from the trash and found a treasure.
When she spotted fresh strawberries, she let out a little squeak of delight. She looked up to see Cade striding in her direction and felt silly. She tried to wave him away, but he ignored her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly, stopping next to her.
“Nothing.” Grinning, she pointed to the strawberries. “I adore strawberries.”
“The ones last week didn’t have much flavor. Let’s see if these are better.” He picked up a big, bright red berry, checked to make sure it was clean, then lifted it to her mouth.
Jessie took a bite of the juicy fruit and sighed. “Delicious.”
Cade grinned and held it up for her to eat, grasping it by the stem. She bit off the rest of the berry, accidentally brushing her lips against his fingers. A jolt shot through her, and he drew in a sharp breath.
He curled his hand into a fist, the strawberry stem clutched inside, and exhaled slowly. “Buy the whole box.”
She shook her head. “We couldn’t eat them all before they spoiled.”
“But we’d sure have fun tryin’.” A twinkle of amusement mingled with the heat in his gaze.
“Go away.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He turned abruptly, going back down the aisle.
Unable to look at the strawberries without her face heating up, Jessie went to the women’s section of the store, inspecting a rack of ready-made dresses. They had a good assortment of styles and sizes, but a rose-pink one particularly drew her attention. She lifted it off the rack and held it up in front of her, checking her image in a cheval mirror standing nearby.
“It was made for you.” The female clerk Ty had mentioned earlier replaced some spools of lace on a shelf, then joined her. She was an attractive young woman, in her early twenties, with blonde hair and clear blue eyes.
McKinnon's Bride (Willow Grove, Texas Series Book 1) Page 7