“Really mean men. They raided the settlers in Texas to sell horses, firearms, and things like that to the Comanches and others. Even kidnapped people to sell in Mexico as slaves. I’m glad you two were the good guys,” Nate answered.
“A letter came for you today,” Luke said as he skipped ahead of Nate.
“A letter?” he asked. Who would send him a letter here? Hell, who would send him a letter anywhere?
Joe shook his head and made a tapping motion with his finger and held his ear as if listening.
“You mean a wire?” Nate asked and Joe nodded. Must be from Monk. Nate increased his gait and managed a stumbling trot up to the ranch house.
“It’s in your room,” Luke offered.
Nate stopped to kick out of his boots on the wide porch and traipsed down the hall to his room. The boys promised to see him at supper and went off with their new playmates.
The envelope lay on his wash stand. He ripped it open and sat in the rocker by the fireplace to read the message.
Delayed Stop Hargrove engaged two more weeks End
Damn. Two more weeks, plus travel time? How could he tolerate ranch work that long? He’d have to, no matter how much he hated it.
Hargrove must be in jail for the next two weeks. Nate wondered what charges landed him there. He disliked Hargrove and hated having to use him for the plan. The man knew how to impress an audience, though. He’d give him that much.
When Nate’s turn in the bath room came, he stripped and sank into the tepid water. A steaming bath would have felt good and a pillow for his abused sitter would have been a Godsend, but at least he could scrub himself clean. He pulled at the cactus needles, but couldn’t reach most of them. Raw blisters on his hands hurt like fire, even holding them in the water.
All in all, he was in sad shape after only one day. How could he last weeks? Maybe he’d die before then and be free from this misery. Nate dressed and limped into the large gathering room to await dinner.
He hadn’t let on to anyone, but Nate remembered Pearl from his brief time in Tennessee. That was when Cal went to persuade Roxie to come to St. Louis and Nate had tagged along. Nate shook his head. They’d had big dreams back then.
He and Cal had helped Roxie take an injured saloon girl to Pearl’s house. He figured the girl was a goner, but Pearl’s doctoring pulled her through. He probably saw Sarah and Storm at the same time, but only vaguely remembered a couple of young people. He remembered Pearl, though, and the way she ordered him and Cal around. Not that he would have recognized this attractive, well-dressed woman without knowing beforehand that it was she he’d be meeting.
Seven years ago she’d dressed in baggy, worn dresses with her hair in a braid down her back and had gone barefoot while she peddled her baked goods and did her folk healing. He was nineteen, but he hadn’t changed all that much since then. Filled out a little, grown a few inches and a few scars. So far, there’d been no inkling she recognized him, though. She treated him with cool politeness and he knew she wished him gone.
Sarah hurried up to him and asked, “Are you all right?” Her blue dress turned her lavender-blue eyes more indigo and the lamplight darkened her golden hair.
“Are you injured?” Pearl asked.
Her concern seemed genuine, though Nate thought she viewed him with suspicion. He didn’t scare off that easily. The Kincaids would soon learn that.
Nate flashed a smile. “If you don’t mind, I could use some help pulling out the cactus spines in my shoulder.” He thanked heaven the needles weren’t lower.
Pearl said, “Come right into my treatment room.”
Nate followed her and Sarah trailed him into a large room with windows along one wall. Beyond the windows he saw the garden with a fountain at the back of the house. The room smelled strongly of herbs he couldn’t identify, but the aroma captured his interest.
He wondered where she obtained all these plants. Bunches hung from hooks along the ceiling. Others lay loose in baskets on a counter. Clear glass containers holding leaves, blossoms, or powders sat side by side along the counter. Opaque jars lined a set of shelves.
“Looks like a pharmacy in here,” he said.
“It is a pharmacy, of sorts. I gather and process ingredients for many of my medicines.” Pearl scooted a chair near her worktable then pulled on an apron. “Take off your jacket and shirt and sit right here.”
Nate removed his jacket and draped it on the back of the chair. He looked at Sarah, who stood nearby. Would he bring Pearl’s wrath down on him if he took off his shirt with Sarah present?
As if she read his mind, she said, “It’s all right, Nate. I help Pearl sometimes.”
He shrugged and unbuttoned his shirt.
When his hands left blood on the shirt, Sarah gasped. She pulled his right hand into hers and held it palm up.
“Didn’t you wear gloves?” she asked.
“Yes. Storm gave me a pair.” They hadn’t helped much. Nate wondered how long it would be before he was able to shuffle a deck of cards and deal himself a winning hand.
Pearl said, “Here, put some of this salve on them.” She took a jar from the shelf and gave it to Sarah.
Sarah opened the container and spread a thick, pungent ointment onto his palm. Her gentle motions soothed the raw skin but created a different ache low in his belly. She wrapped the hand in loose strips of cloth.
She smiled at him. “Now let’s have the other one. The bandage is just to keep the salve from staining your clothes or rubbing off on everything you touch.”
While Sarah worked on the other hand, Pearl pulled needles from his shoulder.
“Must be two dozen needles here. How’d you keep working with these in you?” Pearl asked.
“Didn’t know I had a choice,” Nate said, though in truth he’d received them near the end of the day when work was almost finished.
Pearl smiled, and this time the smile reached her gorgeous amethyst eyes. “You’ll need to apply more of this salve and rebind the hands before you put your gloves on in the morning. You should use the same salve on the shoulder at bedtime. Untreated, those pricks become infected.”
She washed her hands and dried them, then removed her apron. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to see if Maria is ready to serve dinner.”
“Thanks,” Nate called as she left the room. He stood and pulled on his shirt, then looked at his hands.
“Let me help,” Sarah said and secured each sleeve. “How do your hands and shoulder feel now?”
Her nimble fingers felt cool to his skin. Over the blending aromas in the room he caught the rose scent she always wore. Several strands of her golden hair curled at her cheek where they had escaped the hair piled into a loose knot atop her head.
He wished she would run those hands over him, and the thought caused an instant reaction in his body. Longing to close the door and sample her luscious rose petal lips, he instead said, “Thanks for your help. I’ll be fine now.”
What a lie. He expected to die of muscle spasms and fatigue before midnight.
She said, “If you’ll tell me when you’re ready at bedtime, I’ll rub some salve on your shoulder for you.”
He almost sank back onto the chair at the thought. At least he had something to live for.
Sarah gave him a bone melting smile and said, “Why don’t you join the others and I’ll round up the children for dinner?”
When he returned to the family area, Nate recognized the Judge talking to two strangers.
Storm said, “Nate Barton, let me introduce our cousin Gabe who’s a lawyer in Grandpa’s firm. Then this is Zed Isaacs, who’s responsible for the water in the bath rooms as well as lots of other ingenious things around the place.”
Older than Storm, maybe in his late twenties, Gabe looked like the other Kincaid men. Tall, broad shouldered, dark hair, blue eyes. Zed Isaacs appeared close to forty, tall and thin. His sad gray eyes watched the world as if resigned to disappointment.
On the other hand, Fi
ona looked ready to bolt at any minute. Though not related to the Kincaids, her appearance suggested differently. Dressed in a black skirt and shirtwaist, she wore her black shawl clasped tightly to her. With her champagne colored hair twisted into a neat bun, she appeared the proper poor relation at a family gathering. Although her demeanor suggested calm, the uncertainty in her eyes revealed her distress.
Nate ambled over to her on aching legs. “Have a nice day?” he asked.
She smiled, worry temporarily removed from her face. “From the looks of your hands and the way you’re limping about, I’d say my day passed better than yours.”
“I certainly hope so. Otherwise you’d be dead.” The dinner bell sounded, so he offered his arm. “May I escort you in to dinner?”
“Now wouldn’t that be lovely?” she replied and slipped her hand onto his arm.
Her eyes twinkled when she smiled, making her seem younger than her years. He wondered what state of affairs brought a woman in her fifties to her current insecure circumstances. She had mentioned a married daughter, but not what caused her to leave her daughter’s home for the uncertain life she faced here. None of his business, but what would she do? No wonder she looked worried.
***
Sarah cornered Grandpa after dinner on his way back from the privy. Because it was so important, she gauged her words carefully.
“How are you getting along without Lily to run your household?” she asked.
Grandpa’s pained expression answered before his words, “Ah, girl, my nice orderly life is a shambles. Polly and Emily do their best, but the truth is they both need constant supervision. And that girl who comes weekdays needs taking by the hand.”
“Have you thought of hiring someone as housekeeper to see to all the things Lily did for you?”
“Hmph. That Williams woman came around asking for the job, and I turned her down flat. Woman never shuts up. I don’t want someone yammering at me all the time I’m home.”
Sarah took his arm and walked with him. “What if you found a quiet, polite woman who could make your house as efficient as when Lily lived with you?”
“Now where would that woman be found, other than your own lovely self?” he asked and patted her hand where it rested on his arm.
“Mrs. Galloway is available. Of course, she won’t be free for long. As soon as word gets around about a jewel like her, someone will snap her up.”
“The woman who came with you on the train?” He looked thoughtful, then said, “She seems quiet enough, but that doesn’t mean she can run a house like mine.”
“Would you be willing to give her a chance to try?” Sarah held her breath, hoping he’d say yes.
He shook his head. “Hmmm, I don’t know. What would I do if she doesn’t work out? I’d hate to fire her and there I’d be, stuck with her.”
“Oh, Grandpa, just give her a chance. I promise if she doesn’t have your house just as you like it in a month, I’ll find her another position myself.”
“Well, I’d rather you come live with me and take on the job, but I know you’ve got your school to teach.” He exhaled a deep breath. “You know I can never refuse you anything. Bring her to the house tomorrow and we’ll work out the details.”
“Oh, thank you, Grandpa.” Sarah planted a kiss on his cheek and gave him a hug. “You won’t be sorry.”
“I probably will, but we’ll see. You know, you’re different since you’re back from seeing to your mother.” He looked her up and down. “Seems that trip did you good.”
“I’m still just me, Grandpa.”
“Well, I’ve always admired you, girl. Still do, but you're perkier now. Have more spunk.”
“Is that good?” She didn’t feel different, but Storm and Pearl had both suggested the same thing.
Grandpa gave her arm a pat. “Yes, I like seeing you caring less about what people will think and more about what you want.”
“My stars, Grandpa,” she gasped. “That makes me sound horribly selfish.”
“No, not at all. You’re a fine woman, a joy to your family. As for me, I’m tired now, and I’m going home.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow.” She gave him another hug and a kiss on his cheek.
Sarah decided to wait until morning to tell Fiona the good news. The excitement of it might keep her from sleeping well. Sarah smiled, thinking how pleased Fiona would be when she heard.
Chapter Nine
From Cindy’s room Sarah walked toward her own. When she passed Nate’s door, she saw it open and stopped. She’d forgotten her promise to put salve on his shoulder. Pausing in the doorway, she watched him.
He lay sleeping on his side, hands resting on the bed in front of him. She watched the rise and fall of his chest and ribs. No doubt his day left him exhausted. The covers were at his hips and the lamp burned low. He must have been waiting for her when he fell asleep.
His broad shoulders tapered to a small waist where the sheet dipped low enough for her to see he still wore his trousers. Tousled locks fell across his forehead and gave him the deceptive appearance of harmless innocence.
Yes, just what the rabbit thinks about the snare.
She stepped into the room and picked up the jar of salve and a towel. Dipping her finger into the ointment, she pooled a bit in her palm and held it to lend her body heat. Using her fingertips, she spread the unguent onto his broad shoulder, smoothing it in gentle strokes. He moaned at her touch and his eyes flew open.
“Sarah?” he whispered.
As he rolled over, she shoved the towel under his shoulder to protect the bed linens from the salve. His hand came to her waist.
“As I suspected, I didn’t survive my day. I’ve died and you’re a ministering angel,” he said. Tawny eyes heavy with sleep gazed at her and he offered a crooked grin.
“I apologize for not coming sooner to put the ointment on your shoulder.”
All the time she spoke, she thought she shouldn’t be in his room, not with him on the bed and no shirt on. Even with the door open it wasn’t proper. But she had promised. More, she’d missed talking to him today.
“I tried to stay awake. Heard you with the children. What was all the commotion with Cindy?” he asked.
“First she was afraid to sleep by herself, so Katie wanted to sleep with her. Then Beth was afraid, so they’re all three asleep in Cindy’s bed.”
“But she slept alone last night.”
“Well, not much. I sat with her until she got to sleep, and because she was ill I spent a lot of time in there during the night.”
“And now you’re here.” His eyes darkened and their power immobilized her. He pulled her toward the bed and she sat near him.
“I, um, I didn’t mean to wake you. I thought I’d just rub some of Pearl’s salve onto those needle pricks. They, um, they can get infected.” Why should she feel so shy and nervous all of a sudden? They’d been seated side by side closer than this on the train for days.
His eyes watched her as if he were drinking her in. She saw the old wounds, those which had been under the bandages she’d seen in Memphis. Injuries still unexplained. She touched the one at his upper chest. “This salve would help keep those scars from pulling,” she said.
“Would you put some on them for me?” His voice came low and husky and his gaze never left her face.
Dipping her fingertips into the jar once more, she gathered a dab of the unguent. With slow circular motions she spread it on the upper scar. Firm muscles beneath her hand rippled when he moved his arm across her lap to let his hand rest at her waist. As she widened the circles, her fingers absorbed the pounding of his heart beating in time with hers.
Unable to hold his gaze, she looked down at the jar and picked up more salve. She spread it on the lower scar at his side near his waistband. When she had made only a couple of circles with her fingers over the roughly-healed injury, he gasped and grabbed her hand.
“I think that’s enough for now.” He took a ragged breath and sat up. “
Let’s try this instead.”
His arms slid around her and he lowered his mouth to hers. The taste of him surprised her. He slid his tongue into her mouth. Surprised, she might have pulled away, but he held her fast and intensified his assault.
The room swirled about her and she sank into his kiss. His tongue came again, probing, tasting, teasing. In her wildest dreams she would never have imagined a kiss could be this potent. Following his lead, she touched her tongue to his and his grip on her tightened. He moaned and his bandaged hands moved over her back. Her bones dissolved and she molded herself to him. He broke the kiss to look at her, then settled himself against her again.
He pulled her onto his lap and she slid her arms around him. Trailing kisses along her neck, he whispered, “Sarah.”
She let her head fall back onto his shoulder to give him access to her throat. His hand came to her bodice and fumbled with buttons.
The shock made her push away. “Oh, Nate. What are we doing?” she asked and leaped to her feet. “I...I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I shouldn’t even be in your room.”
“Of course you should. The door’s open, you were only helping me.”
“Was I?” Helping him to what? she wondered. Or, was she helping herself to his charms? My stars, where was her brain? In a few more moments she would have let him...well, she didn’t know what she would have let him do. She suspected it would have been whatever he wanted. Worse, she thought her needs matched his own and wished she could stay to explore what he offered.
“Maybe you could sit and talk to me for a while.” He patted the bed then scooted up to rest his uninjured shoulder against the headboard.
“No.” She edged away. “I, um, I should go to my own room. Yes, I should go.” What must he think of her, kissing him like that?
“Please stay, just for a bit,” he said.
She shook her head and pressed her hand to her throat. “No, no, I can’t. I shouldn’t be in your room. What on earth was I thinking of?” But she wanted to stay, needed his strong arms around her.
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