In His Touch: Blemished Brides Book 2

by Peggy L Henderson

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I’ll pack some food to take along. Men tend to get hungry when fishing.”

  Laura stepped away from Cade, whose stare was like a soft caress. When he’d covered her hand with his, the current that had flowed into her from his touch was like one river meeting up with another, joining as one. The same feeling had come over her in the general store, when he’d touched her so intimately in front of those women, almost possessive, as if he were staking a claim on her.

  The stirrings she’d felt for Cade even before then had been on the verge of exploding fully. She couldn’t deny her disappointment that he hadn’t tried to kiss her, or even touch her, since then. He’d been a perfect gentleman, even if he said that no one would consider him a decent man.

  “Sounds like a fine idea,” Cade answered. “We’ll make a day of it.”

  Laura smiled. “You’ve worked hard. I think you deserve a day to just enjoy some time with your son.”

  “And with you.” Cade stepped closer.

  Laura rolled the ends of her apron between her thumb and index finger. She swallowed, even though her mouth had suddenly gone dry, and raised her chin.

  “Well, speaking of working hard, rather than taking it easy to let your wound heal properly.” She held her hand to her hip and glared at him. “How about I check your bandage? It’s been several days since I last looked at it.”

  Cade grinned. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Last time you told me it looked to be nearly healed enough to where the bandage can stay off.”

  Laura’s lips tightened in a frown. She shot him a narrow-eyed look. “Well, it probably would have healed a lot sooner if you had done what you were told and not worked so hard.”

  Thankfully, he moved away from her, but not before his smile widened, and he winked.

  “My father accused me of the same thing – that I don’t do what I’m told.”

  “He’s a wise man,” Laura retorted.

  A fleeting ice-cold gleam flashed in his eyes. Laura blinked, and the look was gone again.

  Cade unbuckled his gun belt, and tossed it onto the table. Laura cringed at the hard sound of his firearm hitting wood. Why did he insist on wearing a gun all the time? She hadn’t asked, but perhaps he wanted to be prepared in case some of Jack’s men showed up again.

  She couldn’t fault him for being cautious. It had been more than two weeks since he’d run those men off the property, but there was no doubt that Jack hadn’t given up so easily. That look of triumph in his eyes the day in town still haunted, and puzzled her.

  Cade pulled the ends of his shirt out from his britches, and slowly undid the buttons. When he peeled the sleeves down his arms, Laura turned to face the kitchen window. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her hands began to tremble. She reached for a rag, and dipped it into the clean wash basin. Curbing the urge to wipe at her forehead and flushed cheeks with the cloth, she turned back to Cade, and exhaled.

  This was ridiculous! How many times had she changed his bandage, and seen him with his shirt off? Her face flamed even more. She’d seen him with more than his shirt off. Why did the memory of him standing in the main room in only a towel keep surfacing, and why was she more nervous each time she tended to his wound?

  Cade sat in the chair, his eyebrows raised in an expectant look. Laura drew in a deep breath to steady herself, and stood over him. She focused her attention on unraveling the strips of bandage material from around his chest, fully aware, without having to look at him, that he stared up at her.

  The edges of the wound had closed nicely, leaving a healthy pink rim around a small scab; the last reminder that there had been torn flesh and a gaping hole several weeks ago. She dabbed around the area with the rag. She drew her hand back when her fingers grazed the taut muscles of his chest.

  “Are you in any pain? Your ribs?” she asked, clearing her throat when her words came out clipped.

  “No, ma’am,” he drawled slowly, studying her.

  She nodded, and stepped back. “I think you’ll be fine without the bandage.”

  Cade stood, and reached for his shirt that he’d draped over the back of the chair. “Thank you again, for tending to me.”

  “You’re welcome.” Laura’s gaze connected with his, and held. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” she added in a whisper.

  He took a step toward her, when the front door banged open, and Jonah rushed into the house.

  Cade frowned. “I’m gonna have to teach that kid not to barge in like that,” he grumbled, and stuck his arm through one of the shirtsleeves.

  Laura expelled a relieved sigh. She glanced toward Jonah. Or was she relieved? The look in Cade’s eyes, the way he’d held her mesmerized with only his stare . . . if only he’d kiss her again.

  It’s your own fault, Laura. You told him the last time that it couldn’t happen again.

  “Are we ready to go?”

  Jonah’s excitement lifted the tension in the small space of the kitchen. Laura wiped her sweaty palms on her apron, and cleared her throat. She smiled at the exuberant boy.

  “I think there are a couple of fishing poles in the shed on the side of the house,” she said. Glancing toward Cade, she added, “The stream isn’t far. Just over the hill through the pasture and a grove of cottonwoods. I think it’ll make for a pleasant walk.”

  “Please help me get the poles, Cade,” Jonah pleaded.

  Laura glanced his way just as he’d finished buttoning his shirt. Regret and longing was clearly written in his eyes. She turned away first.

  “I’ll fix some food. You two get the poles.” Hopefully her voice sounded cheerful, even as butterflies caused havoc with her insides. Had she ever felt this way before, years ago when Noah started showing an interest in her? She’d had butterflies then, too, when he came to call for the first time, but try as she might, Laura couldn’t recall such intensity whenever she was around her first love. The air nearly sparked to life whenever Cade was in the same room. How much longer could she hold out before her feelings became too obvious?

  An hour later, the splashing and gurgling sounds of water tumbling over rock mixed with the rustling leaves in the higher canopies of the cottonwoods, and the trail started to follow a wide stream. It was still fairly early in the morning. The air was crisp, and sunlight filtered through the trees, casting golden ribbons on the ground.

  Jonah had talked non-stop on their walk through the woods to reach the stream, asking Cade every question imaginable to a five-year-old about fishing, and Cade had answered patiently. Laura had followed the two, carrying a wicker basket she’d packed with leftover meat from the night before, bread, and some cheese. Cade had slung the blanket she’d brought over his shoulder, taking it from her right after they’d left the farm.

  Birds chirped in the trees, and the tranquil sounds of the forest mixed with the relaxing rushing of the water. Laura’s mood lifted like it hadn’t done in a long time. Not since before Noah’s death. She was truly happy, and she credited the man walking casually ahead of her, and the little boy next to him, matching his movements. Cade hadn’t said a word about courting her, or that he had feelings for her, but what she’d seen in his eyes with greater frequency left her with no doubts that he might be ready soon.

  Are you ready for a courtship, Laura?

  After Noah’s death, and the death of her baby, she never thought she’d be happy again. The trials of recovering from her injuries, on top of her loss, had left her with a bleak outlook of the future for so many months. That had all changed in a matter of weeks. While she still worried about Jack causing trouble for her, it no longer mattered what the people in town thought. Cade had called her beautiful on several occasions, and she didn’t doubt his sincerity. Not the way he looked at her.

  “This looks like a good place to stop.”

  Laura’s head lifted to refocus her attention, rather than letting her mind wander. Cade pointed to a shady spot along the creek. The earth looked soft and
loamy, a good place to dig for worms. He spread the blanket out under a tree when she nodded her approval, and took the basket from her hand and set it on the ground.

  “You can rest here for a while. The men will do the fishing.” He winked at her, and she couldn’t suppress her smile.

  “I think I will. I hope you know what you’re doing and can bring back a good catch. I don’t have anything else planned for supper tonight.”

  “We’ll bring back plenty of fish.” His grin widened. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before he turned and followed Jonah upstream, his pole slung over his shoulder.

  Laura settled against the tree. Father and son walked along the banks of the creek, digging for worms and casting their lines. After a while, Cade propped his pole against a rock, leaned down to Jonah to tell him something, then moved further upstream on his own. His attention seemed to be on the water.

  At one point, he entered the creek where the water flowed slowly around a slight bend, crossed at a diagonal almost to the other bank, then stopped. Judging by the rippling of the current, the water was much shallower in that spot, the current having washed away the silt on the bottom and exposed some rocks.

  Cade bent over, and reached his hand under the water. Sand and mud oozed between his fingers. He held it in the stream to rinse, then pulled out more sediment, studying it intently.

  “Cade! Cade! I’ve got a bite.” Jonah’s shrill voice startled her, and Laura sat up straighter.

  She scrambled to her feet and hurried to the boy. Cade was too far upstream, and if he splashed through the water, he’d scare the other fish away.

  Laughing, she watched him struggle with the pole to bring the fish to shore.

  “Don’t pull too hard,” she advised. “Bring him in slowly so the line doesn’t break.”

  She reached for the pole and helped reel in the trout, holding the squiggly fish and telling Jonah how to remove the hook. When it was done, she handed him the fish. Beaming with joy, he held it up for Cade to see when he came trotting along the shore.

  “Great catch,” he said, patting Jonah on the back. “Think you can catch another one?” He glanced toward his own fishing line. “Doesn’t look like anything wants to bite for me.”

  Jonah nodded enthusiastically. He baited his hook, and cast it out into the water again.

  “I think I’ll just go take a nap while you catch us some supper,” Cade said, looking at Laura.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked. Their eyes met.

  “I wanna keep fishing,” Jonah said, giving his full attention to his fishing pole.

  “I could eat a bite.” Cade nodded, and led the way to where he’d spread out the blanket.

  Laura unpacked the food. They settled on the blanket, Cade with his legs stretched out in front of him, one ankle draped over the other. Her gaze rested on his wet boots.

  “What were you doing in the stream?” Laura asked, handing him a piece of bread.

  Cade looked at her. The smile he offered seemed forced.

  “This caught my eye,” he said, and held out a large rock that shimmered like snow in the sunlight. “It’s the prettiest piece of quartz I’ve ever seen.” He turned his head more fully toward her. “A pretty trinket for an even prettier girl.”

  Laura reached for the stone, her fingers grazing his. She pulled her hand back involuntarily. The current racing through her fingers from the contact with Cade’s hand was instant. He shifted his body in her direction, resting on his left hip. Before she could pull her hand away fully, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, and tugged her toward him.

  The momentum caught her off guard, and Laura fell forward. Her arm shot out to brace her fall, but she ended up on top of Cade. Quicker than she could blink, he rolled over and she found herself on her back, with him leaning over her. His eyes roamed her face, inches from hers. Her breathing increased right along with the tempo of her heartbeats, but she couldn’t look away.

  “There’s something I need to tell you,” he murmured huskily, holding her prisoner with his gaze. His chest moved up and down as quickly as her own.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  Her lips quivered when she smiled tentatively. Was he about to tell her what she’d been longing to hear, that he wanted a courtship rather than a cordial partnership?

  Her heart nearly exploded. She could barely contain the nervous excitement rushing through her. Her feelings for Cade had quickly gone from a casual acquaintance to falling in love with him. The way he looked at her, she felt safe and secure. In his touch, she felt like a desirable woman, and her scars didn’t exist.

  Cade’s brows drew together, and his head moved almost imperceptibly from side to side as if he was arguing with himself. His lips drew in a tight line, and he looked as if he’d come to a decision, but not the one he’d originally intended. He gritted his teeth, and mumbled a curse.

  “I know our business deal doesn’t include this,” he finally said, “but I can’t help myself, Laura. I need to kiss you.”

  His palm stroked her cheek, pushing her hair out of her face. Ripples of heat raced through her instantly, his touch so tender, she couldn’t respond any other way but nod her consent.

  Cade lowered his head, and touched his lips to hers. Braced on one elbow, he continued to caress her face, along her jaw, and down her neck. She reached her hands up, bringing her arms around his back to draw him closer.

  A moan rumbled in his chest, and Cade deepened the kiss, claiming her mouth with a sudden intensity that nearly melted her into the ground. His hand fisted in her hair as if he tried to anchor her to him. Laura held tightly to his back, savoring every sweet sensation his heated kiss awoke in her. She parted her lips willingly in tune to his, following his lead.

  Too soon, he eased away from her. He raised his chest and braced on his elbow. A hesitant smile spread over his face, and Laura’s forehead scrunched. His eyes communicated regret and sadness, but a deep desire smoldered there, too.

  Cade moved to the side and sat up, and helped her to a sitting position. His hand reached up to caress the side of her face again.

  “I need to tell you something, Laura,” he said slowly through gritted teeth, as if it pained him to speak.

  She shook her head slightly, and laughed nervously. “All right,” she rasped. “What is it?”

  Cade lifted her hand, and gripped it tightly.

  “Laura, I –”

  “Cade! Miss Laura! I caught another fish, and there’s one on your line, too, Cade.”

  Jonah’s exuberant voice echoed through the trees. Laura sat up straighter. She’d all but forgotten about the boy. Cade shot her a look of regret.

  “Go help him,” she urged. “Whatever you want to tell me can wait.”

  He nodded wordlessly, and left the blanket to meet his son at the water’s edge. Laura pulled her legs beneath her. She wiped at the leaves on her dress and adjusted her skirts. A smile spread across her face, and she touched her fingers to her tingling lips. She inhaled a deep breath, her eyes on the man who’d completely stolen her heart, and who’d made her feel normal and desirable.

  Chapter Sixteen

  It was late afternoon, and Laura walked several paces behind Cade and Jonah as they headed out of the woods and over the rise that led to her house. While she carried her basket, the man and child in front of her each swung a sizeable passel of fish at their side. Despite hours of fishing, there was a definite spring to their steps. Jonah hadn’t stopped talking since he’d caught his second fish earlier in the day, keeping Cade occupied for several hours. There had been no chance for him to have a private word with her.

  As much as she was dying to find out what Cade had wanted to tell her, she’d have to exercise patience. Jonah craved the attention from his father, and she would never step in line ahead of the boy for Cade’s attention. They’d have time to talk later. After that kiss they’d shared, there was no doubt as to what he wanted to talk to her about.

  Laura g
lanced up at the blue sky, her eyes focused on the puffy white clouds that drifted lazily above her. She shrieked with surprise when she bumped into Cade’s broad back. He’d stopped abruptly in the middle of the trail.

  “Were you expecting company?” Cade asked warily. He pointed down the hill toward the house.

  Laura frowned, taking a step back. “No.” Her pulse quickened.

  She moved around him for a clearer view. A buggy stood in front of the house, and a saddle horse was tethered to the back of it.

  “That’s Sally’s wagon,” she said, recognizing the vehicle.

  She shot a hasty glance at Cade. The last time Sally had come to visit, she’d told her to send him on his way. How would she react to the fact that he was still here? Laura shrugged. She’d explain the situation, and her friend would surely be happy for her.

  You’re putting the cart before the horse, Laura. He hasn’t said yet that he wants to court you.

  “I don’t think we have anything to worry about from her.”

  Laura offered a smile. Cade’s left arm relaxed from where his hand had rested on the gun strapped to his hip. He frowned, apparently not pleased with the unexpected company.

  Laura stepped out in front of him, and was first to head down the slope toward the house. A woman with a baby in her arms stepped from the porch, followed closely by a man.

  “That looks like Trace, Sally’s brother,” Laura said over her shoulder. “Didn’t you tell me that you know him?”

  Cade nodded wordlessly, and followed close on her heels. Laura waved, and Sally lifted her arm and waved back.

  “I hope you two haven’t been waiting long,” Laura greeted with a wide smile on her face.

  “Not too long,” Sally answered. Her gaze shifted from Laura to Cade, who stopped just behind her, then back to Laura, lingering on her uncovered head.

  Trace stepped forward. “Miss Laura, you’re looking well.” He held out his hand for a shake. “Katie sends her regards.”