From behind Sarah, Fiona said, “A woman never tires of hearing such words. Now be off with you, you young scallywag. Get to your chair and let us get these children up and dressed.”
For the remainder of the trip, Sarah carefully acted with propriety. Nate remained the perfect gentleman, always attentive but never pressing. Every time his strong hand brushed hers, she wondered if it was an accident or planned. Each contact elicited the same sizzling response from her body. At night she lay in her bed longing for his touch, dreaming of his kiss. By the end of the trip, exhaustion claimed her. She welcomed the chance to live in roomier quarters where she could see Nate in more normal surroundings.
On the day they finally drew near Kincaid Springs, her new family hovered around Sarah while she pointed out landmarks through the train window. She knew she babbled from excitement, but couldn’t help herself. When at last they passed Pedernales Falls and the station came into view, she hurried the children into their coats and drew on her cape.
Nate picked up Cindy, whose recovery had progressed nicely. Her cough lingered and she still needed extra rest, but her eyes sparkled and her skin looked healthy. He draped the blanket he’d bought in Memphis around Cindy’s head and shoulders as extra protection from the cold.
Fiona looked nervous, but Sarah patted her on the arm. “Don’t worry, it’s a friendly place. You’ll be welcome and we’ll find you somewhere of your own soon.”
“Sure and it’s lovely of you to be so kind. Fear’s upon me, and I’ll not lie to you.” Fiona’s face held apprehension, and her voice quavered.
They said goodbye to the porter, and Fiona helped Sarah herd the boys to the vestibule. Nate trailed, carrying Cindy.
“There they are.” Sarah waved and called, “Over here.”
Drake and Storm stood talking to Grandpa. At Sarah’s call, they all looked up and walked to greet her. Grandpa reached her first and hugged her, then looked at those who accompanied her.
“Girl, it’s ‘bout time you got back.” He shook his white mane and asked, “Doesn’t that Lily beat all, leaving you on the spot like that?”
Sarah hugged Storm and Drake. The children watched with eyes like saucers. Fiona stood quietly behind the boys. Nate, still holding Cindy, stood beside her.
Sarah stepped back and gestured to her companions. “Let me introduce Fiona Galloway. She accompanied me from Memphis. Nate Barton was kind enough to help rescue the children.”
“Now, who do we have here?” Grandpa asked as he looked from one child to the other.
Sarah introduced the children. Nate set Cindy gently on the station platform. She curtsied as Sarah and Fiona had shown her, holding the blanket as if it were a queen’s robe. Each boy gave a slight bow when his name was called.
After rummaging though his pockets, Grandpa pulled out a paper bag and made a great show of opening it, peering in, and jiggling the contents.
“Anybody here like candy?” he asked as he extended the pouch toward the children.
“I do,” Cindy and Luke called in unison and Joe nodded. Grandpa held the sack while each child selected a fat peppermint stick.
Cindy and Luke said, “Thank you,” and Joe bowed elaborately.
Sarah explained, “Joe doesn’t speak, but he makes himself understood in other ways. Now, shall we get our things? I can hardly wait to get home.”
Cindy coughed, and Nate picked her up. Sarah reached up to make the blanket snug about the little girl.
The deep blue sky of a clear, cold day was overhead. In spite of the sun, Sarah could have sworn the north wind pierced through her. With Cindy in his arms, Nate held Luke’s hand. Sarah guided Joe and they made their way to the wagon. Storm’s horse was tied to the back.
Chester, Grandpa’s handyman, helped load luggage. Joe and Luke tried to heave a trunk onto the wagon. Storm interceded and pretended he needed the boy’s help, then told both he appreciated their assistance.
“I wired you I’d invited Mrs. Galloway and Mr. Barton to stay at the ranch for a while. Mrs. Galloway will be looking for a position with a family where she can live comfortably while she works for them. I insisted she stay with us until she finds a new position. Mr. Barton is meeting business associates in town. I invited him to stay at the ranch until they arrive.”
Sarah saw the skeptical looks exchanged by Storm, Drake, and Grandpa. She stiffened her spine and prepared to do battle if necessary. For the first time in her life, she cared less about what these three men thought than following her own mind.
The closer the train had come to Kincaid Springs, the more she realized she didn’t want to part company with Nate. He might not be around permanently, but she wanted to prolong her time with him. Hoping her attraction to him was only a fascination that time would dull, she wanted him near to find out.
Grandpa said, “I’ll let you folks go on out to the ranch and get in out of the wind. Pearl would skin me alive if I asked you to my place before she gets a chance to fuss over you. I'll be out tomorrow to hear all about the trip.”
Drake helped Sarah and Fiona onto the wagon seat and climbed up beside them. Nate set Cindy on his carpetbag in the shelter of the bench seat and tucked the blanket around her before he sat beside her. Joe and Luke climbed into the back near him and sat on the luggage.
Storm tucked a thick lap robe around Sarah and Fiona, then produced two more for Nate and the children. Drake clicked the reins and they were underway. The children peered around, fascinated by everything. Storm rode beside the wagon, occasionally dropping back to talk with Nate and the youngsters. Sarah heard Luke ask about the heavy rawhide chaps Storm wore.
She fired rapid questions about what had happened in the weeks she’d been gone until she was satisfied she’d caught up on all the news. Condensing Lily’s elopement and the boat trip down the Mississippi, she elaborated on Nate helping her rescue the children and her subsequent hiring of Fiona.
When they reached the stones marking their entrance to the ranch lands, she pointed out their progress to her new family. Soon the sloping banks of the Pedernales River curved through the meadow. The willows and cottonwoods along the banks were bare now. She told the newcomers how it would look in a few weeks with wildflowers and new growth.
At last the ranch house came into view amid a grove of ancient live oak trees high on the hill. Solid quarried rock walls ambled this way and that, and a wide porch hugged the front of the house that overlooked both meadow and river. Tall rockers across the veranda issued an invitation to relax and watch the world. She expelled a sigh. My stars, what sight could be more welcome?
She clasped her hands in front of her and said, “Oh, it’s so good to be home.”
Turning to look over her shoulder, she gestured to the children to move forward. She pointed to the house rambling across the hilltop and said, “There it is, children. That’s your new home.”
“It’s like a castle, only not so tall,” Cindy said.
Joe nodded and held out his arms to indicate large.
Luke called, “Look at the horses.” He pointed to a paddock of Drake’s fine breeding stock.
As they started up the hill to the house, four children ran down the road laughing and yelling. Drake stopped while they clambered onto the wagon.
“Aunt Sarah, you’re finally back,” Katie said from behind her and hugged Sarah in a stranglehold.
When she turned around, she saw her three huddled close to Nate. They were silent and looked worried. Pearl’s rowdy bunch were overwhelming even under the best of conditions.
Drake came to the rescue. “Hey, you monkeys. Quiet down. Aunt Sarah’s brought you three new cousins.”
Sarah said, “They’re Cindy, Luke, and Joe. Now tell them your names.”
Robbie and Evan introduced themselves. Katie gave her name and Beth’s, who was shy because of her lisp.
Katie added, “Is the man our new uncle?”
Sarah blushed, but Nate just smiled. “Name’s Nate Barton. You can call me Na
te. I’m hanging around your place a few days until some friends get to town. That all right?”
The children nodded and the wagon came to a stop in front of the house. Pearl and the housekeeper, Maria, rushed out and introductions started all over.
Nate watched warily as they drifted into the house and the Kincaid children lured his three away to see their rooms.
His three?
Damn, when had he started thinking of them as his? He’d have to watch himself or he’d start fitting into this life like any other poor sucker.
No, not him. Not Lucky Nathaniel Bartholomew.
Hell, there was another thing he’d better remember. Nate Barton. Think the part, that was his way. Never let your guard down, even in your thoughts.
He’d almost lost his carefully schooled control earlier when he learned Sarah’s beloved Grandpa was also District Judge Robert Kincaid, owner of the leading law firm in town. Damn, lately his only luck seemed bad. Regardless, he refused to let anything or anyone stand in the way of recovering his money. Judge or not, Nate had forced calm on himself and acknowledged the information without—he hoped—a change in his expression.
Now, he looked at his surroundings. Some place. Bright rugs covered the stone floors. The stone fireplace was big enough to roast an ox in. A sofa and three chairs clustered to invite conversation in front of the fire, with other chairs near tall windows. At the opposite end of the large room a spinet faced into the area and a guitar leaned against the wall.
Rustic in outside appearance, the exterior of the house blended in with the hillside as if it had always been there rather than built by man. Inside, it had all the refinements of elegant living with a Texas twist. Though not opulent, it spoke of quiet wealth, comfort, and good taste. A good place to launch his plan. A pleasant place to bide his time.
He sized up Sarah’s half brother and brother-in-law. Both were tall men with black hair. Drake was taller, probably close to half a foot over six feet, and broad as a barn across the shoulders. Nate figured the man was mid to late thirties, and in great physical condition. The half brother, Storm, looked Indian, and was a little leaner and several inches shorter than Drake. Nate knew Storm was only a year or so older than Sarah, so he’d be about twenty-one. Both men were protective toward Sarah, and neither would make a good enemy.
It galled Nate to be beholden to any man, especially a solid citizen like either of these two. He’d always figured a man had to be soft in the head to farm or ranch. Working hard from dawn to dark in all kinds of weather was for suckers.
Nate Barton was above that sort of thing. He relied on his mind to get him through life. To have a free place to stay while he waited for Monk and worked on gaining his money and property from Sarah, Nate’d go along with this set up. He refused to admit he cared about staying near Sarah and the children. It wouldn’t hurt to check on them, that was all.
“Why don’t we go into my study and leave the women to catch up on all their gossip, Mr. Barton?”
“Make that Nate, won’t you?” Nate said.
Drake led the way into a smaller room, but one large for its purposes of study and ranch office. Bookshelves lined two walls and a massive oak desk stood in front of them. Another stone fireplace, but one of normal proportions, centered on one wall. Beside it stood the most ridiculous rocking chair Nate had ever seen. Cowhorns formed the arms, curved over the back, and provided the rockers. The padded seat and back were covered in cowhide. Nate couldn’t help staring.
Drake looked at it and said, “Sight, isn’t it? My father bought it when I was a kid.”
“Damnedest thing I’ve ever seen, but it fits this room,” Nate said as he looked around. “Seems appropriate for a rancher, somehow.”
“That’s what my wife said when she rescued it from the barn loft.” Drake walked to a sideboard. “Whiskey?”
Nate nodded. “Wouldn’t mind a glass after the chill of the wagon ride.”
Drake poured the liquor into three glasses then gave one to Nate and another to Storm before he took his own.
“To good friends and good times,” he said as he raised his glass, then took a sip. “So, you met my sister-in-law in Memphis?”
Here comes the interrogation, but I’m ready.
“Actually, we met on the paddlewheeler coming from St. Louis. She traveled with an older couple. Welborn, I believe, was their name.”
“Yes, so she mentioned in her wire from St. Louis. Friends of the Vermillions's and my Aunt Lily,” Drake said.
“No wonder she sent them on ahead,” Storm said so low that Nate barely understood.
“I don’t believe Sarah cared for their company,” Nate confided. “Apparently they didn’t approve of the children and refused to wait for Cindy’s recovery.”
At his use of Sarah’s first name, both men looked at him, then at one another.
“Your sister insisted I call her Sarah after I’d helped her with the children. I hope you don’t mind?”
Storm only shrugged.
Drake said, “That’s entirely up to her.” He drained his glass and set it back on the sideboard. “What sort of business are you in, Barton?”
Hell, here comes the pissin’ contest.
Nate hoped he was ready. “Investments. Two of my associates are on their way here, but I expect it will be a week or two before they arrive.” He took a deep breath and faced his host. “Of course, if it’s inconvenient for me to stay here, I’ll move into town.”
“No need for that.” Drake leaned a hip back on his desk and his eyes narrowed a bit. “No, I think it’s best you wait here.”
Nate took that to mean Drake wanted him here where he could keep an eye on Nate’s movements and any contact he had with Sarah. Storm set his glass down. His face gave away nothing, but Nate remembered the look the two men exchanged earlier.
Storm smiled and said, “No point in your being on your own in a strange town when you can be here instead. Maria and Pearl are great cooks.”
Drake smiled at Storm. “Cooking all you think about?”
“Never think about cooking. I think about eating,” Storm said.
Drake looked about to shoot another question at Nate when a clanging sounded. He pushed off the desk. “Ah, well, there’s the dinner bell.”
And just in time, thought Nate.
***
“Well, what do you think?” Pearl asked as she and Drake readied for bed.
Drake tugged off a boot. “My money says he’s up to no good. Says he’s in investments. Damn, I’d sooner believe he’s a gambler.”
“Have you ever seen Sarah so talkative?” She couldn’t get over the change in her shy sister. Pearl took off her dress and draped it over a chair.
With his second boot half off, Drake stopped and looked at his wife. “I swear she said more on the ride from town than I’ve heard her say in the whole seven years you and I’ve been married.” He let the second boot drop and stood to take off his pants. “She talked a mile a minute the whole way here.”
Pearl never tired of watching her husband undress. The sight always set her tingling with anticipation and desire. He looked as handsome tonight as he had the first day she’d seen him on a dusty street in her Tennessee hometown. Lucky for her he’d needed a wife immediately. Luckier still, she’d accepted.
Life had blessed her these past few years. She’d put the terrors they had faced behind her. After a rocky start, their marriage had been filled with love and happiness. She hoped Sarah and Storm could find the same love and contentment.
Sarah was no longer a child, Pearl knew that. Still, she couldn’t help wondering about the man Sarah had brought home with her. There was something about Nate Barton she couldn’t put her finger on. It was almost as if she knew him, but that was impossible. The feeling nagged at her, though, and only her sister’s happiness kept her from asking more questions of him.
“She looks so happy.” Pearl shed her petticoat and draped it atop the dress. “It’s wonderful the chang
e that’s come over her. And the children seem precious. So sad to think of them on their own. I’m glad Sarah brought them with her.”
“Yeah, honey.” He smiled at her and set her heart fluttering while he continued, “She had a good teacher. Maybe those three are what brought her to life. Hope it’s not that Barton fellow.” He shook his head and repeated, “Never saw her so talkative.”
“Not just the chattering, Drake. Did you notice she glowed with happiness?” Pearl untied her chemise and dropped it.
“Hope Barton doesn’t cause her harm.”
Pearl brought her hand to her throat. “Hurt her? You don’t think he’s dangerous, do you?” Then she understood. “Oh, I see. You think he might break her heart.”
Fiercely protective, Pearl would sooner someone hurt her than any one of her family. “That would be terrible, just when she seems to be finding her own place in life. And she’s so happy now.”
“Barton looks the sort to be easy with the ladies.” He pulled his shirt off and absentmindedly rubbed his hand across his bare chest. The muscles rippled in the soft lamplight.
When Pearl would have protested on Sarah’s behalf, he raised a hand to ward off her objection and said, “I know, I know. Sarah is a good woman and old enough to know her own mind, but I don’t trust Barton. Not at all.”
Pearl worried at a knotted tie on her drawers. “While Sarah was checking on Cindy after dinner, Fiona let slip that, at the hotel and on the train, Sarah passed him off as her fiancé.”
Drake paused to consider this tidbit. “Doesn’t sound good. Wonder what brought that about?”
“Can you think of something to keep him here where we can watch him, but busy so he doesn’t have so much time around Sarah?” Pearl asked as she crawled into bed. “Sarah wants him at the ranch with her and the children.”
“Yeah,” Drake said. “I’ll tell him how much I need help with the spring round up. Between us, Storm and I will keep him occupied. Be fun to see what a tenderfoot like him does with a few blisters on those soft hands.”
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