Cade stayed by her side the whole day. After the speeches, they strolled around the picnic grounds, visiting with friends and neighbors. It seemed as if Cade knew everyone. He always introduced her to those she didn’t know and made an effort to include her in the conversation. He treated her with the utmost courtesy, even on the numerous occasions when he rested his hand at her waist. Secretly, she was thrilled by his possessive manner and amused by a few men’s annoyed expressions.
When some of the men tried to draw him away to a discussion of cattle and politics, he politely refused, telling them outright that he wanted to spend the day with her.
Later, when the musician for the evening mounted the stage and began to tune his fiddle, Cade broke into a grin. “Finally. Now, I have a legitimate excuse to hold you in my arms.”
“You’re only allowed to put one arm around me.” When he pretended to pout, she laughed. “You get to hold my hand, too.”
“Not quite as good as wrapping both arms around you, but it will do.” He held her gaze, his voice dropping low. “For now.”
She took a quick breath, wishing they were back out on Rabbit Hollow Creek beneath the pecan trees. Not that she would make love with him. She wouldn’t. But, oh, how she wanted to. Someday. She forced herself to look away, only to be drawn back again. Soon.
Desire flared in his eyes, accompanied by a flash of something else. Triumph? Perhaps. But joy and understanding lingered there, too.
“How do you do that?” she whispered.
“What?” A tiny frown creased his brow.
The music began and she slipped her hand into his. “Know what I’m thinking.”
A slow grin replaced the frown. “Because most of the time I’m thinking it, too.” He guided her onto the smoothly graded, hard packed dirt dance floor. “And because you live in my heart,” he murmured against her ear as he put his arm around her. “How can I not know when you’re such a part of me?”
A sweet, tender ache filled her heart, bringing both a smile and tears to her eyes. “Hush, or you’ll make me cry.”
“Mercy, woman. Don’t do that, or half the men here will pounce on me. I’m liable to be tarred and feathered.”
“Heaven forbid. I certainly don’t want that.” Was there anything this man did poorly? He spun her around in a waltz, smoothly moving through the steps and the crowd. “You dance pretty well for a cowboy.” Or anybody else.
“Courtesy of Mrs. Nola Simpson. She gave dancing lessons to those of us who needed it. Along with a lot of other instruction on how to be gentlemen. Didn’t want her cowboys to be slouches when it came to the social niceties.”
“She taught you well. No wonder she’s such a good friend.”
He drew her a little closer to avoid colliding with another couple. Then kept her there. “I doubt we’d be where we are today without her. Ty and I were just youngsters when we hired on with her husband. She not only taught us how to behave but also talked him into giving us two days a week for schooling. He indulged her because she’d been a school teacher when he married her. Figured it would help keep her on the ranch if she could do the job she was trained for and loved.”
“She would have stayed no matter what. The way she talks about him, she thought he hung the moon.”
“They had a good marriage. Not without an argument on occasion, though.” He looked down at her, his eyes twinkling. “He said it kept things interesting.”
“I had enough fights with Neil to last a lifetime.” A twinge of her old fear pricked her.
“We’re bound to have some, honey. Two people can’t always agree on everything.” His fingers tightened slightly at her waist. “But I promise our quarrels will never be like what you went through with him.” The music ended, and he escorted her toward Ty, who had claimed the second dance.
“I know. But I still get scared sometimes.”
“Don’t be. Please.”
Ty glanced from one to the other. “You two are lookin’ mighty serious all of a sudden.”
“Tell her I’m a saint,” said Cade.
“Nope. You’re not.” Ty offered Jessie his arm, and they headed onto the dance floor. Taking her hand and resting his other one at her waist, he smiled in reassurance. “He’s no saint, Jessie. But he is the best man I’ve ever known.”
She returned his smile. “You’re prejudiced.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The music began—a polka—and there was no time, or breath, for anymore talk. Just as the dance ended, Jessie caught sight of Cade talking to the fiddler. Grinning, the man glanced in her direction and nodded. Cade hurried out to meet them, she suspected before some other man intercepted them. “What was that all about?”
“What?” He gave her the wide-eyed innocent look that meant he was up to mischief.
“You were talking to the fiddler.”
“He’s an old friend.”
“He looked at me.”
“Darlin’, most of the men here have been staring at you all day.” He held out his hand, and she placed hers in it.
“But he looked at me after you said something to him.”
“Oh, that. We were just discussing the music. Asked him to make every other one slow, starting with this one.”
Jessie laughed and glanced at Ty, shaking her head.
“You two been talkin’ about me?” asked Cade.
“You told me to.” Ty mimicked his innocent expression, then grinned, surprising Jessie with his next words. “Don’t look toward Doolin. He watched you two almost the whole time during that first dance.”
Cade’s hand tightened on hers, but he faked a smile. “Angry?”
“If he was, he didn’t show it. But toward the end of the song, he was smiling.”
“Like he was going to get even for losing Jessie?”
“Something like that. Sheriff Proctor said four of Doolin’s men left town in the last hour.”
“Probably heading for my place.” Cade tugged gently on her hand. “So we need to enjoy the evening and make him believe that we haven’t given the rustlers a second thought.”
This time when the music started, he pulled her closer than was proper. Not enough to cause a scandal, but they probably provoked a few murmurs of disapproval—or approval, given Nola and her cronies’ smiling faces.
The evening continued with Cade claiming her for the slower dances and reluctantly relinquishing her hand to various men for the others. After a few of Cade’s brisk, “This one is mine,” the others accepted the pattern he had established. No one seemed to consider that they should ask her opinion about it. She didn’t quite know what to think of that at first, then decided that it was more of an indication of Cade’s standing among the men than disregard for her feelings. Since she always asked the men to return her to him, maybe her feelings were obvious.
When it was dark, the fiddler took a break. Jessie and Cade joined Nola and the children to watch the fireworks display provided by the county commissioners. Brad and Ellie were already half asleep on the quilt, worn out from their hard play. But they perked up when the first Roman candle lit the night sky.
The display lasted less than ten minutes, but captured the spirit of freedom they all treasured. Yet mingled with the excitement and cheer were painful and bitter memories of a war that had pitted neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother. The eighteen years since the end of the War Between the States had healed some wounds, but not all.
She had learned soon after arriving in West Texas, however, that for the most part, folks didn’t discuss the war or their loyalties. People had come from both the North and South, hoping to start a new life and tame a frontier together. They were united in a common goal, a new beginning.
For that matter, it was considered impolite—and sometimes downright dangerous—to question people about their past. Cade said he didn’t doubt that many of the county’s most upright citizens had had some kind of run-in with the law in other states.
“Cade, are yo
u going to take me and these youngsters home in the wagon or make us walk?” Nola stood up from her rocker, tapping her cane on the ground.
“You probably ought to walk. It would be good for you.” Cade grinned, offering Nola his arm to help steady her. “But since Ellie would probably sleepwalk right into the creek, we’ll take you home.”
“I’m not gonna go into the creek.” Ellie shot him a perturbed glance, then looked sleepily up at Jessie. “What’s sleepwalk mean?”
“It’s when someone is sound asleep, gets up and walks around in their sleep. I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never known anyone who actually did it.” She folded up the quilt. “Come on, honey, let’s go.”
“Doesn’t sound like any fun if you don’t know where you’re going.” Ellie walked between her and Brad to the wagon. When they stopped, she leaned against Jessie’s side, watching Cade lift Nola up to the seat. He headed back for her rocking chair.
“I don’t think so, either. Seems to me a body could get into all kinds of trouble,” said Nola.
Brad yawned. “I wouldn’t have minded falling in the creek this afternoon after the three-legged race. I was hot.”
“It’s nice now, though.” Jessie stepped back, drawing Ellie with her as Cade opened the back end of the wagon bed and slid the rocker into it. She laid the folded quilt down on the other side, and Cade lifted the kids up. Then he picked her up and sat her beside them. When she curled her legs up beside her, he closed the tailgate.
“I’ll try not to hit too many bumps.”
“It isn’t far. We’ll be fine.”
When they arrived at the house, Jessie and Nola took the children inside while Cade unhitched the horse. He led her out back to the small pin holding Valentine. After feeding his horse, he gave Valentine a little extra, too, and took the time to rub her neck. “One of these days, ol’ girl, you’ll be livin’ back at the ranch where you belong. You talk to your mistress and tell her to accept when I officially propose.”
Valentine snorted and nodded her head as if she understood, making Cade laugh. “Yeah, I know you get lonesome. But you and Whiskey can visit all night tonight. You can catch up on all the ranch gossip.”
He went inside and gave the kids a goodnight hug, helping Jessie tuck them into bed. Standing in the doorway while she sat on the edge of the bed, they listened to their bedtime prayers. Contentment filled him, along with a restless impatience to have this family—his family—living in his house again.
When they came out of Brad’s room, they met Nola heading for hers. “You two go on back to the dance. The kids will be here to take care of me. And I can take care of them if they need anything. Neither one of them ever gets up at night anyway.”
“Thanks.” Cade grabbed Jessie’s hand, practically dragging her out the door. “We won’t be too late,” he called over his shoulder.
“I’m not all that interested in going back to the dance.” Jessie slipped her arm around his and walked along with him happy as you please.
“Neither am I. But if I don’t get you alone real soon, I’m going to raise a ruckus.”
“I think we are alone. Everyone else is still at the party.”
“Maybe. But I swear I just saw the corner of a curtain lift across the street.”
“Mrs. Smith. I forgot about her. She left the picnic right after we ate. We’ll just have to settle for walking a bit, I guess.”
Cade was glad to hear disappointment in her voice. “We could walk down to Ty’s house. He’s not home yet. Won’t be for a while, either.”
“Hmm. This sounds planned to me.”
“Now, would I do that?”
“Yes.” She laughed, hugging his arm. “I like a man who doesn’t leave things to chance.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes that’s the best way, but not when I want to kiss my woman without nosy neighbors watching.”
They weren’t walking fast, but it didn’t take long to reach Ty’s house. Except for the times Cade had brought Jessie and the children to town, he always stayed there. Actually, it belonged to both of them, just as the ranch house did. But Cade planned to build another house in town when he and Jessie got married, though he hadn’t mentioned it to her yet.
He carefully looked around as they approached the house. The full moon made walking easy, but it didn’t particularly help them be discrete. No one lived right next to Ty, mainly because they owned two lots on each side of the house. As best he could tell, the neighbors across the street were still at the celebration. He expected as much, since they had no children and were usually the last to head for home. Two new houses were being on the block, but they weren’t finished yet.
The strolled leisurely up the porch steps, but the instant they were inside, Cade shut the door and pulled her into his arms for a long, passionate kiss. Stopping to catch his breath, he leaned against the door, holding her close. “I’ve been starving for that all day.”
“Me, too. Though it’s been a wonderful day.” She leaned back, looking up at him. “We’ve never had such a nice Fourth of July.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s the best one I’ve ever had, too.” He cupped her face with his hand. “I love you, Jessie.”
She smiled tenderly. “I love you, too. I didn’t think I’d ever say that to another man. But I’ve realized that I never really loved Neil. I cared for him in the beginning, but it wasn’t love. Not like this.” She stood on tiptoe and tugged his head down toward hers.
She didn’t have to encourage him, but he let her take the lead, delighting in her sweetness. Then she sighed softly, tightened her arms around his neck, and deepened the kiss.
He held onto his control by a thread.
After several minutes of exquisite torture, she drew back, resting her forehead against his chin. It took her another minute to speak. “We better stop.”
“Not if I lock the door. We could make sure everybody saw us leaving together in the morning. Then I’d have to do the honorable thing and marry you tomorrow.”
She shook her head and smiled. “I don’t want a shotgun wedding. Besides, this is Ty’s house.”
“He’s smart. He’d figure out he wasn’t welcome and go stay at the hotel.”
“Probably couldn’t get a room. “
“True.” He loosened his embrace, resting his hands lightly on her back. “And I did make that promise to Brad.” He smiled ruefully. “Silly me.”
“Noble you.”
His smile widened into a grin. “Well, now, since I’m so noble, and such a good kisser, maybe you should marry me.”
“Maybe I should.” She grinned and smoothed his collar.
His heart leaped. “Is that a yes?”
“Was that a proposal?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then it was a yes.”
When he took a deep breath to cut loose with a Rebel yell, she clamped her hand over his mouth. “Don’t you dare holler. You’ll stir up every dog in town and have everybody who’s still awake running up here to see what’s wrong.”
He smiled against her palm. “Yeth, um.”
“Promise to be quiet?” She tipped her head and narrowed her eyes.
He nodded, and she moved her hand away. “Maybe I should just kiss you instead.”
“Good choice.”
Quick as a wink, he scooped her up in his arms, making her squeal in surprise. “Shh, or you’ll wake everybody up.”
“Cade…” Her voice held a note of warning as she glanced toward the bedroom.
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I’m just going over here to the couch. Tired of standing.” When he reached it, he turned around and plopped down, snuggling her on his lap. He looked from one end of the couch to the other. “And this thing isn’t big enough to get comfortable. I do believe there are distinct advantages to falling in love with a widow-woman.”
“Oh?” She relaxed, leaning comfortably against his chest, his arm supporting her back.
“A spinster would be screaming her he
ad off by now.”
Jessie laughed and smoothed a lock of hair back from his forehead. “A young woman might. A spinster would probably rip your clothes off.”
Cade leaned his head against the back of the couch and laughed. “You mean I’ve misjudged all those old maids and missed no tellin’ how many opportunities over the years?”
“You may have misjudged the ladies, but you wouldn’t have taken the opportunities if you’d had them. You’re too good a man.”
“Darlin’, your opinion of me may be a bit high. I was young once and sowed a few wild oats.”
“Any of them I need to worry about?”
“Such as having a young ’un show up on your doorstep? No. I made it a point to check back and make sure. All that happened years ago, before I got close to Jesus.” He brushed a tender kiss across her lips. “And I never met a woman I wanted to spend my life with until you.”
Unfastening the button on his shirt pocket, he pulled out a small bundle of velvet. He unfolded it, revealing an engagement ring. Following tradition, he took her right hand and slipped the ring on the third finger. “I’ve been carrying this around, waiting for the best time to give it to you.” He looked at her face, concerned to see tears slipping down her cheeks. “I sure hope those are happy tears.”
She nodded and sniffed. “They are.” She wiggled her finger, trying to catch the ring in the moonlight. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him fiercely and gave him a kiss that would have sent him to his knees if he hadn’t been sitting down.
Several minutes later, he asked softly, “Do you want me to light a lamp so you can see it better?”
“Yes, please.”
He lifted her off his lap, chuckling as she grabbed his shoulder for balance when she stood. “Been nippin’ the bottle, darlin’?”
“Giddy with love.” She smiled and stepped aside so he could stand. “Maybe we’d better go into the kitchen so nobody can see us.”
McKinnon's Bride (Willow Grove, Texas Series Book 1) Page 17