“Like she saved you?” Jonah’s eyes widened again.
Cade chuckled. “Yeah, like she saved me.” He reached up and touched the last remnants of a scab on Jonah’s cheek from the wood sliver that had hit him during the shoot-out. He silently cursed the man responsible.
“She made you all better, too, remember?”
Jonah nodded.
“Well, when she tried to save her husband, she had a bad accident, and it left some pretty bad marks on her face. Hers didn’t heal the way yours is healing. She’s trying to keep covered up so no one will have to see it and think badly of her.”
Jonah’s forehead scrunched again. “Why would they think badly of Miss Laura? Shouldn’t they feel bad for her if she got hurt?”
Cade looked at his son, pride swelling in him. He’d inherited his mother’s, and his grandmother’s, gentle soul. Cade smiled. His mother would have been proud to have Jonah for a grandson. His fist tightened at his side. The same couldn’t be said about his father.
“Some folks are afraid of her, because she looks different than they do,” he continued.
Jonah’s head dropped. “Some of the kids at the orphanage said I look different.”
Cade reached up, and wrapped his hand around his son’s little one. “There’s nothing wrong with looking different, Jonah. Don’t ever think anything else, you hear?”
Jonah nodded.
“They said that’s why my ma and pa didn’t want me.” His lips quivered.
Cade clenched his jaw. Why the hell hadn’t he told his son that he was his father? He’d wanted to wait until after he’d taken care of his business here in Elk Lodge. He swallowed, and took a deep breath.
“That ain’t true, Jonah. Your ma loved you very much. She would have never given you up.”
“You knew my ma?”
Cade nodded. “I knew her. She was a good woman.”
“What happened to her?”
Cade ran his hand across his face. He hadn’t shaved this morning, but it was too late now. He stared up at his son. He owed Jonah the truth. He’d waited long enough.
You owe Laura the truth, too.
“A bad man killed your ma, Jonah.”
Jonah stared. There was no emotion in the boy’s eyes except for a fleeting look of sadness. He had no recollection of his mother. His eyes widened as if he’d just had a horrible thought, and he shifted on the buckboard seat.
“The same bad man who tried to hurt Miss Laura?” Genuine fear flashed in his eyes with the question. “Is he gonna kill her, too?”
Cade wrapped his hand around Jonah’s arm. “No one is gonna hurt Miss Laura.” His jaw muscles clenched and unclenched. “I’m not gonna let him hurt her. I wasn’t there to keep your ma safe, but I promise, I won’t let anyone hurt Miss Laura.”
Jonah reached down, and flung his arms around Cade’s neck. Cade wrapped his own arms around the boy, and pulled him from the seat.
“I want you to be my pa,” Jonah spoke against Cade’s shoulder, muffling his words.
Cade’s hold on the boy tightened. “And I want you to be my son, Jonah.” Cade’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat.
“I’m ready to go,” a soft voice said from behind him. Cade straightened. “Unless you’ve changed your mind.”
Jonah pulled out of his embrace, and Cade set the boy on his feet. He ran to where Laura stood, just a few yards away. Instead of her shawl, she wore a blue bonnet that shielded most of her face, but the quizzical expression in her eyes was unmistakable.
“No, we were waiting for you,” Cade said, and forced a smile on his face. How much had she overheard?
“Cade’s my pa, Miss Laura,” Jonah announced happily. He reached for Laura’s hand. She disguised her surprise with a wide smile directed at Jonah, then she straightened and stared at Cade. Their eyes connected. She nodded, looking pleased.
“And he’s lucky to have you for his son,” she said brightly, directing her smile back at the boy.
“It’s getting late. We should be on our way,” Cade said, clearing his throat again.
Jonah ran to climb back into the buckboard. Laura approached, and reached for the seat. She stepped up on the front wagon wheel. Cade’s hands bracketed her waist to help her before she pulled herself up. She turned her head to him. The soft smile, and her hazel eyes looking at him with approval scorched his insides.
“I’m glad you finally told him,” she whispered. “Being honest isn’t so hard, now is it?”
She directed her attention back to climbing into the rig, and Cade lifted her up. Once she was seated, he stepped around the back of the buckboard.
“Sometimes the truth might be harder to swallow than the lie,” he mumbled before he reached the other side. Swinging up into the seat, he took up the reins, slapped them against the horses’ backs, and pointed them in the direction of town.
* * *
Cade pulled the buckboard to a stop in front of the general mercantile in Elk Lodge. Jonah had talked nearly non-stop throughout the entire ride. Cade had tuned him out at times in order to think about the things he needed to tell Laura. There was a good chance she’d find out shortly what he’d kept from her. Now that they had arrived in town, it was too late.
Dammit! Why hadn’t he told her days ago what she needed to know? Or this morning over breakfast?
You’re a damned coward.
He was smitten with Laura Engelman, and fear of losing any chance he had with her kept him from talking. If she knew the truth about him, she would have never agreed to his harebrained business deal. It was the only thing he could think of to remain at her farm. His wound was healed enough. There was no other excuse to stay.
If he could keep his secret for just a little longer, and find out more about Jack and why he had his eye on the Engelman farm, he’d tell her everything. Cade hadn’t believed for a second that the bastard was interested in water rights. There were plenty of streams coming out of the hills. Trace Hawley hadn’t said anything about a drought affecting his ability to water his animals. It had been unbearably hot during the summer months last year, as he recalled, but no one had said anything about rationing water at the penitentiary.
“If you’d like to get started in here,” Cade nodded toward the general store, “I’ve got to go to the mill and put in an order for some lumber.”
Laura nodded, but the apprehension on her face was obvious. Cade jumped from the buckboard, then reached up and lifted her down.
“I won’t be long,” he said, smiling at her in encouragement. His hands lingered at her waist.
“I wanna stay with Miss Laura,” Jonah called from atop the rig.
Cade laughed. “Don’t let him sweet talk you into buying him candy.” He winked at her.
Several people passed them on the sidewalk, some staring openly, while a couple of women held their heads together and whispered. They stared from him to Laura, looks of disbelief on their faces.
“Chin up,” he said, and stepped away from her.
“I’ll be fine,” Laura said, returning his smile.
Cade stared at her. “I know you will be,” he answered in a low tone, leaning toward her.
Laura dropped her gaze. She reached for Jonah’s hand after the boy scrambled down from the buckboard.
“I won’t be more than an hour,” Cade called when Laura walked toward the store. He hopped back onto the buckboard and drove the team through town. He placed his order at the sawmill in Laura’s name. The mill operator shot him a quizzical look.
“I hired on at the Engelman farm, and I’m filling an order for Mrs. Engelman,” he explained.
The man’s lips hardened in a tight line. “I’m not sure I can get this order filled any time soon. We’re very busy this week.”
Cade’s hand inched toward his hip, his fingers connecting with the butt of his Remington. He cursed under his breath. Hadn’t he given up that part of his life? Old habits were hard to break. He moved his hand away from his gun. Even no
w, all he had to do was give his own name, and that order would be filled within the day.
He plastered a smile on his face. His hand unclenched at his side.
“If I pay you extra, how soon can that order be filled?” he asked.
The man’s eyes lit up. Cade scoffed silently. Money always talked.
“For an extra fee, I could have it ready in three days.”
Cade held out his hand.
“Done.” He gripped the mill operator’s hand harder than he would for a normal handshake, and stared him in the eye. Beads of perspiration formed on the slighter man’s forehead.
“I’ll be back in three days,” Cade said. He released the man’s hand, gave him a slip of paper with his order, and returned to the buckboard. He had one more stop to make before he returned to the general store to fetch Laura.
Chapter Thirteen
Laura stood at the counter while Harry Wilkes, the proprietor of the general store, reviewed her order and tallied up the items. Jonah stood next to her, his eyes wide as saucers as he glanced around.
“I’ll have to load your grain out behind the store,” Mr. Wilkes said, his eyes darting to the other merchants in his establishment. He looked decidedly uncomfortable. No doubt he wanted to be done dealing with her as quickly as possible.
“I’m waiting for someone who will bring the buckboard,” she said, a false smile on her face. “And please, add two pennies worth of licorice and lemon drops to my total.”
Mr. Wilkes shot her another disapproving look. “Since we haven’t seen you in town for a while, word’s been out that you decided to sell your place.”
Laura glared at him. “I have no plans to sell my farm, Mr. Wilkes,” she replied, as politely as she could muster.
“Must be hard, a woman living alone, so far from town. Rumor has it that a man got shot and killed on your land.”
Laura’s pulse pounded at her temples. Behind her in another part of the store, two women sniggered.
“I’m surprised she’d even show her face in town again,” one of them whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. “There seems to be a lot of men dying at her place.”
Laura turned slightly. Two young women about her own age stood by the fabric table, their heads together. Both stared in her direction. One of them smiled sweetly, and they both giggled. The one who had whispered pointed at Jonah.
“Now where do you suppose he came from?” she asked.
The other woman’s hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened. “You don’t suppose that’s why she killed her husband? She kept a secret child? Look at him. Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Mathilda?”
The other woman stared, equally as astonished. She gasped. “No, it couldn’t be.” Even in her mock outrage, her eyes gleamed with delight, a malicious smirk on her face.
Laura leaned down toward Jonah. “Stay here,” she said, and walked toward the fabric table. She gripped her reticule in one hand.
“Before any more false rumors are spread about me, maybe you should ask me directly what you’re speculating about.”
Both women stood taller, their lips pursed in smug satisfaction. “Whatever do you mean, Mrs. Engelman?”
Laura eyed Mathilda Comfrey. She refused to back down from this nasty woman’s insinuations. Even if the rumors would start to fly the moment she left the mercantile, she wouldn’t simply ignore these two gossiping hens. Mathilda held her hand to her chest, looking insulted.
“My husband is dead because of a fire that was started by hired hands of the very man who began spreading rumors about me. Unlike the rest of the good citizens of this town, his money doesn’t intimidate me, and I refuse to be bought.”
She inhaled a deep breath to keep her voice even. Every muscle in her body tensed. The urge to slap someone had never been stronger than at this moment. She raised her hand, pointing her finger at Mathilda. Leaning forward, she narrowed her eyes. “And if a child in my care will be the cause of more lies about me, I’d appreciate it if you talked about it out of his earshot.”
Laura spun around and faced Mr. Wilkes again, who leaned over the counter, his mouth gaping open.
“How much do I owe you for the merchandise?” Laura asked loudly. She trembled with anger. If those ignorant ninnies wanted to talk about her, she couldn’t stop them, but if they were going to make remarks about Jonah, that’s where she drew the line. The little boy didn’t need to hear the false insinuations they were making.
The store bell rang behind her, and Laura inhaled a deep breath to calm her nerves. She couldn’t take much more of this. She’d pay for her purchases, and wait for Cade outside.
One of the women gasped, and whispered to the other. Mr. Wilkes glanced toward his new customer, and his eyes widened. He stood straighter.
“Well, I declare, Mathilda. Isn’t that –”
“Cade!” Jonah pulled his hand from Laura’s and ran toward the door.
Laura turned. Cade walked in her direction. He lifted the boy into his arms, a wide grin on his face, then set him back down. His eyes drifted slowly through the store, like a predator surveying his surroundings. They settled briefly on the women before resting on Laura. The cold gleam in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a heated look that sent a warm ripple through her. Flustered, she returned her attention back to the counter, and Mr. Wilkes.
“He can’t be . . . with her?” Mathilda whispered. “Are you sure it’s him? It’s been years.”
“I heard he was released from prison,” the other woman said.
Laura gritted her teeth, and forced her attention on the man in front of her. What were those busy-bodies even talking about? Did they know Cade? Mr. Wilkes looked visibly shaken. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he shot nervous glances to the man behind her. A warm hand slid down her back, and rested against her waist with intimate familiarity. Laura stiffened, and she sucked in a quick breath.
“Harry,” Cade said in a low tone from just behind her.
Laura’s head shot up toward the voice. Cade stood close behind her, his hand firm against her waist, making it impossible for her to scoot away from him. In front of her, Harry Wilkes dabbed a handkerchief across his forehead.
“Cade?” he asked, a definite hitch in his voice. “It’s been . . . a long time.”
“Did you get everything you needed, Laura?” Cade’s voice changed from harsh and commanding when he’d greeted the store clerk to quiet and patient when he addressed her.
Laura nodded. Her eyes darted from Mr. Wilkes to Cade, who glared at the proprietor, almost in a challenge. Was he deliberately trying to intimidate the balding man? He’d addressed him by his first name, as if the two were well-acquainted. His tone communicated anything but a cordial friendship, however.
“Well, isn’t this something,” Mathilda huffed in the background.
Whatever else she might have said was lost to Laura. Her pulse raced in her ears from Cade standing so close, and touching her in such an intimate way, in public, no less.
Cade stepped away from her. He walked through the store, casually looking around. Laura expelled a relieved breath that he no longer stood so close. It would only be fodder for more rumors. The skin along her waist tingled where his hand had been. Somehow, for the time he touched her, she’d felt less alone among these people who looked at her with such distaste.
“Is there anything else I can get for you, Mrs. Engelman?” Mr. Wilkes asked. Laura’s forehead scrunched at the man’s sudden politeness. She focused her attention back on him. The store owner shot a hasty look past her.
“Wrap up enough of this to make a dress, Harry, along with Laura’s other things. I’ll take care of the bill.”
Laura’s eyes widened when Cade handed the man a large spool of fancy ribbon, and a bolt of rose-colored fabric, the exact one that had caught her eye earlier when she’d walked into the store. One look at the price of the material, and she had dismissed any notion of an impulsive purchase. She shook her head.
“No, I don’t need any of this,” she protested, her eyes darting to him, and then back to Mr. Wilkes, who looked utterly at a loss for words.
Cade smiled. “A pretty lady needs to have a pretty dress,” he said, his voice carrying through the store. He stared at her, an intense fire in his gaze. “That color goes well with your eyes.”
Behind them, the two women gasped, then whispered again.
Laura continued to shake her head. “I can’t accept this,” she stuttered. Cade reached for her hand, and stepped closer. He leaned forward, as far as her bonnet allowed. “Yes, you can,” he murmured.
Laura’s insides melted, and her heart pounded against her ribs. Her eyes locked with Cade’s warm stare, and the sensation of drowning in the wave of emotion displayed there engulfed her. Taking in air became painful, so she held her breath. Whatever other noise or talk was going on around her became mute.
Cade straightened, but didn’t release her hand. He placed some bills on the counter.
“This oughta cover everything,” he said. Harry Wilkes picked up the money, and nodded slowly. “There’s a buckboard parked out back of the store, Harry. I’ll meet you there to load the grain, if you’ll bring Mrs. Engelman’s other purchases.”
Without waiting for a reply, Cade led her out the door. Once they were on the sidewalk, Laura stopped. Cade turned to her, his brows raised. He tilted his hat back on his head.
“How is it that you know people here, and they seem to know you?” Laura asked. She didn’t elaborate that Mr. Wilkes had looked downright uncomfortable with Cade.
Cade glanced from her to Jonah. He led her closer to the building when a man in a suit walked past them. His lips tightened in a slight frown.
“The Montana Territorial Penitentiary is right outside the next town of Deer Lodge, Laura. I was locked up in there for four years. Before that, I spent some time here in Elk Lodge. There used to be an Indian trading post east of here. It’s where I met my first wife, and where I called home before . . .” His words trailed off, and he glanced at Jonah again.
In His Touch: Blemished Brides Book 2 Page 9