McKinnon's Bride (Willow Grove, Texas Series Book 1)

by Sharon Gillenwater

  But he caught her panicked glance at the closed door. “Do you want me to open it?”

  “No.” She gave him a wobbly smile. “I know you aren’t going to do anything.”

  He smiled and sat down, drawing his chair closer. “And get a thrashing from my brother? No, thanks.” His expression sobered. “What happened?”

  “A big reminder that I need to be more cautious.”

  “Did someone try to hurt you?”

  “No. But he made it clear that he wasn’t just looking for a housekeeper.”

  Ty’s jaw tightened. “And not from across the room.”

  Jessie nodded. “An elbow to his stomach and a kick to his shin solved the problem.”

  “No wonder you made it halfway across Texas alone.”

  “I had my shotgun on the trip. That works a lot better than elbows and heels.”

  He sat back in the chair. “I expect he got the message. But you should carry a gun, especially since you know how to use one. I have a two-shot derringer that will fit in your handbag or skirt pocket.”

  She toyed with the handle on her bag. “I need to return the dress I bought on Wednesday so I can pay for it.”

  “I’ll give you the derringer.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Yes, you can. I won’t take your money for it, Jessie. Keep the dress.”

  “Even if you won’t let me buy the gun, I need the money. I don’t know how soon I’ll find a job.”

  “You already have a job. Go back to the ranch before Cade goads all the ranch hands into quitting.”

  “I can’t. He lied to me.”

  “He thought he was doing the right thing. Even if I did tell him he wasn’t.”

  “At least one of you has some sense,” she mumbled.

  Ty leaned forward again, resting his hand on her forearm. “Who scared you, Jessie?”

  “I don’t want to say.”

  “Because Cade will whip the living daylights out of him.”

  “Yes. I was partly at fault, too. I should have been more careful and not let him close the door. I don’t want to stir up trouble, Ty. I don’t think he will bother me again, but someone else might. I’d feel better having a gun, and I can’t very well carry my shotgun around.”

  He straightened with a grin. “You could, but it might be a little awkward. Especially if it falls over when you prop it up against the pew during church. I can see the newspaper headlines—Man Shot While Taking Church Offering.”

  Jessie laughed, finally relaxing. “Please don’t tell Cade about this.”

  “Only if you promise to let one of us know if the man tries anything again. And let us take care of it.”

  “I will.”

  “Come on out, and I’ll get you the derringer. When we’re done, check with Lydia. She might know of someone who is looking for a housekeeper. Someone who won’t maul you every chance he gets.” He stood and opened the door, waiting as she exited the room. “I can’t imagine you having trouble finding a job. I figured half the town would be waiting in the hotel lobby this morning.”

  “Only two in the lobby. One more outside. But none of the positions were suitable. It make take a while before I find the right place.”

  “The right place is with Cade.”

  “It will never happen.” She marched across the store, with Ty at her side, and diverted the conversation to the upcoming Fourth of July festivities.

  ***

  Half an hour later, Jessie approached the home of Mrs. Nola Simpson, an older widow she had talked to a few times at church. Lydia said she was looking for a housekeeper. She knocked on the door and waited, silently asking the Lord for one more favor. It was a nice home, with gingerbread trim, honeysuckle trailing along the white picket fence, and a shady, inviting porch that wrapped around the house.

  Mrs. Simpson opened the door with a warm smile. “Why, Mrs. Monroe, how nice of you to stop by.” She opened the door wide, motioning Jessie inside.

  “Actually, ma’am, it’s not a social call.” Jessie stepped into the foyer, waiting until the tiny lady shut the door. “I understand you’re looking for a housekeeper.”

  “Yes, I am. Come in here where we can sit.” She led the way into the front parlor, her cane tapping on the wooden floor, and nodded at a red upholstered chair in the corner. “You sit there, and I’ll take this one. Won’t get a kink in my neck looking at you that way.” Once they were seated, she rested the cane against the side of the chair and pinned Jessie with a keen look. “Are you looking for a job?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Have a spat with Cade?”

  Jessie’s cheeks grew warm. “We had a disagreement.”

  “Land sake’s, child, kiss the man and make up. He dotes on you.”

  Jessie’s face flamed. “He’s a fine man, but I’d rather not work for him.”

  Mrs. Simpson shrugged. “I expect he can get a bit bossy. He reminds me of my husband, God rest his soul. The dear man thought he knew what was best for everyone around him and did everything he could to make it happen. He had a good heart and always meant well—but sometimes he was just plain wrong. Didn’t like hearing it, either,” she said with a chuckle. “But you’ll learn to handle that. Easier to do as a wife than a housekeeper.”

  Jessie changed the topic, relating her previous work experience. “If possible, I’d like to keep the children here during the day. When school starts, it would only be Ellie. They’re good and would stay out of your way. They play outside most of the time when the weather is nice.”

  “They won’t bother me. I enjoy children. But have you already rented a house? I was hoping to find someone who could live here with me. My balance isn’t what it used to be, and I’ve fallen a couple of times. Cracked my head against the kitchen table the last time. I’d feel better if you stayed here. I have plenty of room for the children, too.”

  Jessie almost jumped up and hugged the older woman. “That would be perfect. When would you like for me to start?”

  “Right now, if you want. I have a pot of soup simmering on the stove, so we won’t have to fuss with meals today.” She tipped her head, her silver hair glinting in a ray of sunlight. “I can’t pay more than twenty dollars a month, plus room and board. But I’m not stingy with the food.”

  “That will be fine.” Jessie stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go tell the kids. Do you have a place I can store some things? I don’t have a lot, but I can’t very well leave it in the wagon at the wagon yard.”

  “I have a storeroom out back that has some space. There’s also a small pen for your horse. I had it put up when I built the house.” Mrs. Simpson laughed and reached for her cane before standing. “Had the fool notion to get a cow. Took me about three days to figure out that I’d be better off buying my milk and butter from the grocer.”

  Jessie smiled, letting her new employer lead the way to the door. “It certainly is a lot less work.”

  “More economical, too, even for a small family, if you count the cost of the cow and feed. Your horse can graze on the lots behind the house. The owner lives back east, and nobody uses them. Don’t have a place to keep your wagon inside, but you can put it behind the storeroom if you want.”

  Jessie laughed as she opened the screen door and stepped onto the porch. “The only place that poor wagon was stored undercover was in Cade’s buggy shed.”

  Mrs. Simpson’s eyes softened, her expression gentle. “You stay here until he persuades you to marry him.”

  “I’d be here forever.”

  “Maybe a month if you’re real stubborn.” The old lady grinned, delight easing the lines time had etched in her face. “Dear, when you forget that you’re mad at him and you mention his name, your whole face lights up. That kind of love won’t be denied—not if he feels the same way. Now hurry along and get your things. I can’t wait for the excitement to begin.”

  “What excitement?” Jessie frowned warily.

  “Why, when he come
s calling, of course.”

  “I don’t think that will happen, Mrs. Simpson.”

  “I’ve known Cade McKinnon for years, long before I moved to Willow Grove. I’ve never seen him taken with a woman the way he is with you. He will come courtin’, just you wait and see.”

  Bemused, Jessie walked down the steps and across the yard to the front gate. I won’t have anything to do with him if he comes to see me.

  Closing the gate behind her, she sighed softly. Now, if she could only quit wishing with all her heart that he would.

  Chapter 15

  Cade stared at the column of figures in the ledger, the numerals blurring. He’d added them three times and came up with three different totals. Throwing his pencil on the desk, he closed his burning eyes and rotated his tired shoulders. Jessie had been gone four days. He doubted he’d slept more than four hours the whole time. “Blasted woman. If I don’t sleep tonight, Asa might as well shoot me.”

  Pushing the chair back from his desk, he wandered out to the back porch. They’d had a thunderstorm earlier in the afternoon, bringing some needed rain and cooling the air. The remnants of clouds hovered in the sky, now painted a brilliant pink and gold.

  “It’s a beautiful sunset, darlin’. Does watching it all by your lonesome make you feel as sad as it does me?” He hoped so. He hoped it reminded her of the times he had slipped his arms around her waist, and she had leaned back against his chest so they could enjoy God’s splendor together. He had planned to share a lifetime of sunsets and sunrises, of hot summer nights and frosty winter mornings.

  He glanced over at her house, then walked down the steps and across the yard. Would he ever be able to look at it without thinking of her? Opening the door, he looked around at all the new furniture. How could he hire someone else and let them use the things he bought for Jessie? His gaze fell on the pretty silk screen, folded carefully and leaning against the wall beside the bathtub. He should have insisted she take it.

  He went into her bedroom, relieved that she had taken the china washbowl and basin. He hadn’t seen it in the wagon and had worried that she might not have wanted the gift he had specifically bought for her. Maybe it would remind her that he wasn’t as much of a villain as she thought.

  Stretching out on the bed, he closed his eyes and breathed in the subtle hint of lavender that clung to the mattress. “Jessie, I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you,” he whispered. “I should have told you about Quint the day you got here. But I didn’t want you to leave.”

  He closed his eyes. It was just tiredness that made them sting. Not heartache and self-reproach. She was right. He had used Quint’s absence to manipulate her into staying at the ranch. Even that first night, he couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her sweet face the next morning. Being without her was even worse than he thought it would be.

  “Lord, I just wanted to love her; have her love me.” He yawned and rolled over on his side. “If I could start over, I’d do it different. Tell her the truth.” He yawned again and curled one arm beneath his head. “And tell her I love her. Never even said the words. A woman needs to know how her man feels about her.” Her man. “Always will be,” he mumbled, drifting off to sleep.

  When Cade woke up, it took him a few minutes to realize where he was. Judging from the position of the moon in the western sky, he had slept most of the night—right where he was supposed to be, in Jessie’s bed. What a shame she wasn’t there, too.

  “So what are you going to do about it?” he muttered, his voice still raspy from sleep. A good night’s rest had cleared his mind and put things in perspective. “You too proud to eat a little crow?”

  Nope. I’d crawl on my hands and knees down Main Street to get her back.

  “Hope it doesn’t come to that.” Smiling, Cade rubbed his face and stretched. His fingers touched something tucked between the mattress and the headboard. Pulling it out, he squinted in the moonlight, but couldn’t quite tell what it was. Maybe a scarf of some kind, though he had never seen Jessie wear one.

  Taking it with him, he rolled off the bed and went into the kitchen, picking up the screen that had shielded the bathtub from view. He’d rather burn it than let any other woman use it. “I’ll put this away for safekeeping.”

  He closed the door and strolled back to his house. Once inside, he set the screen in the corner of the kitchen. Laying the cloth on the table, he lit a lamp and instantly recognized the blanket for Ellie’s doll. “Poor kid. She’s probably real upset because she lost it.” A slow smile touched his face. “Guess I’ll just have to return it.”

  Anticipation made his footsteps lighter as he brewed a pot of coffee and hustled about frying up bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. In his early days as a Texas Ranger, he had quickly learned never to go into battle unprepared. Though the situation with Jessie held the potential for great reward, it was also fraught with danger—it might be his last chance to win her heart.

  He studied on the problem as he ate, plotting out his strategy. By the time he sipped the last drop of coffee, he had a plan in place, as well as a backup. If neither of those worked, he would think of something else. It all came down to an accepted fact. No matter how hard he had to work, or how long it took, Cade McKinnon got what he wanted.

  And he wanted Jessie Monroe.

  ***

  That evening Jessie sat on the front porch swing, enjoying the cool breeze that sprang up at sunset. Mrs. Simpson had taken up her regular position in a rocking chair on the other side of the steps. Brad and Ellie were pitching horseshoes at the side edge of the yard.

  The scent of honeysuckle on the fence mingled with the fragrance of climbing roses from the trellis at the end of the porch. A dog barked in the distance, and a buggy creaked as a couple drove slowly by, more interested in each other than where the horse was taking them. Another couple called a greeting and waved as they walked past, out for their evening stroll around the block.

  It was the kind of evening Jessie had often dreamed about in Riverbend. Quiet and peaceful, her family living in a pretty, comfortable home in a nice part of town, with no fear of a drunken husband and father stumbling in to shatter their happiness.

  But she wasn’t happy. She had come to realize over the past few days that she had never truly known loneliness until Cade was no longer a part of her life. How she missed him! The chasm in her heart grew bigger every day. She looked up, gazing at the darkening blue of the sky. A streak of pink slowly widened, mingling with another swath of purple.

  A squeak drew her gaze to the gate—and she forgot how to breathe. Cade stood there, resting his hand on the open gate, watching her, waiting for an invitation to come farther. Merciful heavens, he was beautiful. Dressed in his black suit, crisp white shirt, and best Stetson, he looked like a man on his way to church. Then she spotted the flowers in his hand. Or one who had come courting. Jessie tried to drum up her anger and tell him to go away, but nothing could get past the lump in her throat.

  “Cade!” Ellie’s delighted cry jerked her attention away from him for a second. Her daughter raced across the yard toward him. He dropped to one knee just in time to catch her as she flung herself into his arms. He gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  The tender scene tugged at Jessie’s heart. That’s how it should be when a father comes home. The lump in her throat grew bigger.

  Cade stood and pulled Ellie’s doll blanket from his coat pocket. “I found this at your house last night. Figured I ought to bring it to you.”

  When he handed it to Ellie, she held it close to her face. “Thank you! Dolly has been so sad without it.”

  “And Ellie, too, I bet.”

  She nodded, her curls bouncing. “But I feel better, now. It’s nice here. But not as nice as your house.”

  Cade rested his hand on her head. “I’m glad you have a good place to stay.” He looked at Jessie, still waiting.

  “Cade come on up to the porch,” said Mrs. Simpson. She threw Jessie a shrewd glance. “S
he won’t shoot you. Left the shotgun in the house.”

  The derringer, too, only the older lady didn’t know about it.

  Cade grinned and walked up to the porch, escorted by a beaming Ellie. He handed a pot of pink geraniums to Mrs. Simpson. “These are for you, Nola.” He leaned over, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “For being such a sweetheart, now and always.”

  “Why, thank you.” Smiling, she admired the flowers. “Geraniums. The symbol of true friendship. You been reading up on the language of flowers, boy?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Colliers Cyclopedia has a whole section on it.”

  She winked at him. “But I’m not the one you’re supposed to bring flowers to.”

  He winked back. “I have that covered.” He reached inside his coat and pulled out another bouquet. The red roses caught Jessie’s eye first. Beautiful and perfect, the first flowers a man had ever brought her. She swallowed hard and wondered how in the world he’d kept from crushing them when he hugged Ellie. Not a single petal was bent or smashed.

  “These are for you, darlin’.” He handed them to her with a tender smile, but his eyes begged her not to refuse his gift.

  So she took them and quickly glanced away, thanking him politely. Don’t fall for his charm and sweet talk. Oh, but how she wanted to. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and thank him appropriately, not politely.

  “And these are for the kids.” He handed Ellie a bag of striped stick candy, and held out a bag of jelly beans to Brad. When the boy didn’t reach for it, Cade said quietly, “Please take it, son. It’s a peace offering.”

  Brad glanced at his mother. When she nodded, he took the candy. He looked back up at Cade, his expression painfully serious. “Why are you here?”

  “I’ve come courtin’ your mama.” His gaze settled on Jessie. “To try to win the heart of the woman I love.”

  Tears sprang to Jessie’s eyes as joy and pain battled in her heart. He loved her! But was it enough to help her move past the fear of betrayal? She looked down, lowering her lashes to hide her soul from him, and noticed the other things in the bouquet. Her heartbeat jumped to triple time. The language of flowers…