He stopped his pacing and stared at her, dumbfounded. “You’re right, and I needed to hear that.”
“Yes, well. I feel for the girl. I was once her age and lost my mother to influenza, and then only a couple of years later my father was killed in a bank robbery. My Aunt Tori arrived, who I’d only seen a few times in my life, and dragged us all to Oklahoma to start a new life. I can tell you about young girl misery. I even ran away from home and caused my Aunt Tori and Uncle Jesse to chase me down.”
“See. There you have it. You’re the perfect person to deal with Amelia.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help with her. But you are still her father,” she raised her hand as he opened his mouth to speak, “and as her father, you need to take care of her. Make her feel wanted, and loved.”
“Wanted and loved. I just met the girl an hour ago.”
“Rusty . . .”
“I don’t care for the look in your eye, but at least I got you to use my first name.” He offered one of his most charming smiles. She wasn’t falling for it. “All right. I’ll be serious. I know I have to do right by the girl, but I need help. A lot of help.”
“Very well. Just as long as you know I’m not doing this for you.”
He nodded, hope springing up where only terror at the prospect of being a father had been.
“You may leave Amelia with me. But only if she agrees.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re not getting off the hook so easily. You are her father, and you must form some type of an attachment to her. I’m only offering her a place to stay until you can get this all worked out. In fact, I think she will most likely be more comfortable staying with me anyway, since there are no ties between us.”
Never before in his life had he wanted to kiss a woman more than this one standing in front of him. She was flushed from their discussion, her chest heaving. Her eyes snapped with emotion, and when she licked her lips he almost groaned. Somehow he knew if he made any type of an advance to her right now she would most likely slap his face, and refuse to help with Amelia.
Forget it, buddy. This is not the time or place.
“Why don’t we join Will and Amelia in the kitchen? Sometimes problems are much better solved over a glass of milk and a few cookies.”
Rusty swept his arm out. “Lead the way.”
***
Will was chattering away when they entered the kitchen. Leave it to her son to break the ice in an awkward situation. Amelia appeared to be listening to him until she and Rusty entered the kitchen. She sat back, the bored expression once more on her face.
This poor girl is terrified. At least when Aunt Tori came for us we knew she wanted us.
“Amelia, I see you’ve met Will. I’m Will’s mother, Mrs. Stevens.”
The girl ignored her, and turned her back.
“You acknowledge Mrs. Stevens,” Rusty said.
Rachel shook her head furiously at him. Men had absolutely no sense when it came to female emotions. The last thing Amelia needed was for this man she just met for the first time, who everyone claimed to be her father, to chastise her in front of others.
“That’s all right.” Rachel moved to the small ice box. “I was planning on having some milk and cookies.” She turned to Will. “Didn’t you offer some of your snack to Amelia?”
“Oh, sorry, Ma.” Red-faced, he mumbled, “Sorry, Amelia.”
Amelia shrugged. Most likely the girl was used to being ignored.
Rachel took down three glasses and set them on the table. “Won’t you join us, Mr. McIntyre?”
The expression on his face told her all she needed to know about his feelings toward milk and cookies. Hiding her grin, she poured the milk, added more cookies to the plate in the center of the table, then set the glasses out. “Have a seat,” she said to Rusty.
He pulled out the chair next to Amelia and sat. He slanted a sideways glance at the girl. She watched him the same way.
“Amelia, how far along are you in school?”
“Ma, do we have to talk about school?” Will asked as he reached for another cookie.
“Hush, Will. I was talking to Amelia.”
At first she thought the girl would ignore her question, but eventually she mumbled, “I finished school.”
“I wish I was finished with school,” Will said.
At her frown, Will put his head down and munched on his cookie.
“You seem young to be finished with school. Mr. McIntyre—er, your father—said you are fourteen?”
“He ain’t my father.”
Rusty rotated his neck as if to relieve tension. “That’s what your grandpa said.”
“He’s an ass.”
“Young lady, I will not allow that kind of language—”
Amelia jumped up, knocking over her chair. “I don’t care what you will allow. I don’t want to be here, and I know you don’t want me here, so just let me leave. I can go to Oklahoma City and find me a job.”
Rachel stood and placed her arm on Amelia’s shoulder. “You’re wrong, Amelia. We do want you here. In fact, I asked your fa—that is, Mr. McIntyre, if you can stay with us for a while. Would you like that?”
Amelia shrugged, the pain in her eyes tearing Rachel apart. But the last thing this girl needed was to see people feeling sorry for her. Her youthful pride would never allow that.
“Will, I think we should move you to the loft.”
“Yippee!”
She loved this child who was so easygoing. “Why don’t you pack up your things while I put fresh sheets on your bed and the mattress in the loft?”
As Will ran for his room, Rachel offered a smile to the sullen young girl. “If you’re hungry, Amelia, I can fix you a sandwich instead of just the cookies.” Since the girl just shrugged again, she must have been starving.
Rachel took out some cheese and bread and made a sandwich. Rusty watched as she worked, still casting sly furtive glances at his daughter. Once the food was in front of her, Amelia tried to pretend she didn’t want it, until her young appetite took over and she devoured the sandwich with large gulps of milk. How long had it been since the poor child had eaten?
“Mr. McIntyre, may I have a word with you before you leave?”
***
Surprised at being summarily dismissed, he followed her to the parlor again, taking one last look at the girl.
Rachel closed the door and leaned against it. “Amelia is in dire need of love and affection. I know this is difficult for you, but you must spend some time with her. Maybe tomorrow you can just go for a walk, or something easy.”
“What do I say to her?”
“Sometimes nothing needs to be said. Just ask her to take a walk. Don’t pump her for information, just wait to see if she wants to talk. I don’t know what her life has been like up until now, but I suspect it hasn’t been all that wonderful.”
What Rachel said was important and serious. However, all he could think about was those lips as they moved, and her breasts as they rose and fell as she took in deep breaths. Her cheeks were flushed, and parts of her hair hung in disarray around her shoulders. Despite his vow to avoid ‘forever’ women, at this moment he could not remember why. Rachel was all soft curves, with the mature body a young miss had yet to gain. She’d taken a husband to her bed, birthed him a child, and saw him leave this earth. Yet her face was free of pain, sorrow, or loneliness. She had her child, and seemed to think that was all she needed.
Rusty knew better. He knew what she needed, even if she didn’t. A slight smile rose to his lips as he pretended to listen to her, and moved closer. Apparently unaware of his advance, she continued to offer advice until they stood inches apart. He raised his arms and rested his palms on the wall behind her, closing her in.
She stopped speaking and her eyes grew wide as they met his stare. “Wh-wh-what are you doing?”
Though every morsel of survival screamed at him to turn around and leave before he made an irr
evocable mistake, he drew her closer to his body and lowered his head.
When she licked her lips, it was all he needed.
Chapter Four
Surprise rendered Rachel immobile. She should push Rusty away, slap his face, demand he leave immediately. And she certainly would do all those things as soon as she recovered her senses. Because right now all she could think about was the softness of his lips, the way he moved them over hers. He nudged her with his tongue and she opened to allow him access.
She’d made a huge mistake. Any inkling of pushing him away fled as he devoured her, swept his tongue in, touching all the sensitive parts of her mouth. He pulled her closer and she slid her palms up to encircle his neck. The hair at the back of his head was soft, the curls at his nape springy.
All of her insides turned to liquid heat. Her breasts felt as heavy as when she nursed Will. She grew damp between her legs, which were barely holding her up.
“Ma, can I go up to the loft now?” Will’s question cooled her ardor better than a bucket of ice water could.
She pushed Rusty away, her face heated as she turned to her son. “I’m about to put sheets on the bed, sweetie.”
“Why were you kissing Mr. McIntyre?”
Oh, Lord. How to explain this one? From the child’s earliest memories, he’d never seen her with a man. What must he think of her? “I was, um . . .”
“I was thanking your ma for helping me take care of Amelia.” Apparently used to being caught in awkward situations, Rusty answered Will, as cool as rain water. “How about I go with you upstairs and help get you settled in your new quarters?”
“Quarters, Mr. McIntyre?” Will grinned. “That’s like what the cowboys sleep in, right?” He skipped over to Rusty and took his hand, while Rachel attempted to pull herself together. What the devil was the man thinking, to kiss her like that?
What were you thinking to kiss him back like that?
She fussed with her topknot which wasn’t on top anymore, nor a knot. She soon gave up on that, and hurried to the chest in her bedroom to get clean sheets for both children’s beds.
***
A week later, Rachel prepared a list for her monthly trek into town for supplies. Amelia arose in the same surly mood. But after years of being shuffled around, it was no surprise.
Amelia and Will seemed to get along well, but with Will’s perpetually happy demeanor, most people took to him immediately. Rachel had tried to persuade Amelia to do some schoolwork so she could go into the high school when classes started up again after the summer. She was mainly interested to know how far along the girl was since she declared upon her arrival that she was finished with school.
Until Rachel was able to assess her schoolwork, it was important to keep the young girl busy so she stayed out of mischief. And at her age, mischief could be a serious matter. With nourishing food, Amelia had already started to put on a little weight, and the pallor of her skin had receded. Rachel hated to think the girl had not received sufficient food when she was with her grandparents, but her ravenous appetite seemed to prove that.
One area that needed work was Amelia and her father. Although he tried very hard to talk to the girl, she was determined to keep him at arm’s length. Having been dumped in his lap, and having no knowledge of him before she was dropped off, it would take a long time, and a lot of patience on Rusty’s part.
Rachel had been delighted to discover the girl had a desire to cook, and was even helpful to her in the kitchen.
“I’ll be going into town this morning, Amelia. I do that once a month to pick up supplies. Did you want to go with me?” Rachel folded the long list of needed items and tucked it into her cloth bag.
“No, Mrs. Stevens.”
Thinking Amelia would like to get away from the ranch for a while, Rachel was surprised when she turned her down. “Are you sure? A little break might be nice.”
“Actually . . .” The girl blushed furiously.
“What?”
“Well, Mac said he was going to make some pies for tonight, and I thought I’d stay and watch him. Maybe help a little bit.”
“That’s wonderful, honey. Do you need me to pick up anything for you from town?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have any money.”
“Nonsense, your daddy will pay for anything you need.”
The mulish expression was back. “I don’t need anything.”
“Very well.” Rachel left the cookhouse and called for Will.
“Ma, Rusty said I could ride with him today. I don’t want to go to town.”
Since their kiss last week, Rachel had stayed mostly out of Rusty’s way. He seemed happy to avoid her as well. When she thought back to how wanton she’d behaved, and how her son caught her in that embrace, her face would flame anew. Best to push all of that aside, and pretend it hadn’t happened.
Rusty strode up behind Will. Much to her annoyance, her gaze immediately dropped to his lips. The lazy grin that broke out on his face told her he knew where her thoughts had wandered. Stiffening her spine, she raised her chin. “I don’t think leaving you here by yourself all day is a good idea.”
“I won’t be by myself, Ma. Mr. McIntyre and me have things to do.”
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at his comment and serious expression. Since Rusty stood behind Will, he had no reason to hide his grin.
“I assure you, ma’am, I will take good care of the boy. He actually helps me quite a bit by jumping down and looking at things close hand and reporting back. Helps get rid of all that energy Will is blessed with.”
Will getting close to Rusty, Amelia living in her house, and that kiss. It was all a bit too much. She didn’t want involvement with this man. But, somehow they were being pushed together from all sides. A day away from it was just what she needed.
“Very well, but I want you to promise me you will listen to everything Mr. McIntyre says. No going off on your own, understand?”
“Yes, Ma. I promise.” He jumped up and down, his face and body full of enthusiasm. Lord, this was not good. Hopefully when school started up again in another few weeks, she could get him away from his cowboy adoration.
***
No matter how hard Rusty tried to push the kiss to the back of his mind, he failed. He’d had several women over the years since Beatrice, and was always able to walk away when it was over. Not so this time. That was what he got for messing with a ‘forever’ woman. ‘Forever women’ got into your blood and under your skin until you were tied in knots. And women being the unfaithful creatures they were, they were all best left to a once-in-a-while thing.
He watched the exchange between mother and son. She tried unsuccessfully to keep Will from spending the day playing at being a cowboy. Although the kid was young, it was doubtful he would love college and all that it offered as much as he loved riding the range and tending to the cattle. When he looked into Will’s eyes, he saw himself at that age. Once it was in your blood, it was hard to get out.
Much like ‘forever women.’
“Are you going into town alone?”
Rachel tugged on her driving gloves. “Yes. I do most of the time. Why?”
“I just wonder how safe it is for a woman traveling alone back and forth.”
“I’ve never had a problem before.”
“Except when you got stuck in the mud.” He winked at her.
“One trip out of the dozens I’ve taken. I’ll be fine.” She bent and bussed Will’s cheek. “Be good. Mind Mr. McIntyre and don’t cause trouble. Remember this is his work, not a game.”
“I know.” he rolled his eyes and glanced red-faced at Rusty. “You’re treating me like a baby, Ma.”
The genuine smile of deep love as she gazed upon her son softened Rachel’s face, leaving Rusty with a yearning so strong to see that love directed at him that he broke into a sweat.
You’re getting yourself into deep trouble here, buddy.
“Let’s go,” he snapped at
Will. He had to get away from her and these feelings before he did something incredibly stupid, like haul her against him and kiss her in front of her kid and the whole world.
He and Will headed to their horses and saddled up. They were no more than a few yards from the barn when the questions started. But this time Rusty’s unease grew as they rode.
“Mr. McIntyre, did you kiss my mom again?”
“Ah, no.”
“Why not?”
“Why not?” How the hell was he supposed to answer that question?
“Do you like my ma?”
“Of course I like your ma.” Rusty ran his finger along the inside of his neckerchief. He glanced up at the sky. The sun was strong, July heat in Oklahoma could dry a man up.
“Why don’t you marry her?”
“Marry?” Lord, his voice squeaked worse than when he was still wet behind the ears.
“Yeah, then we could all live in the same house. Me, you, Amelia and my mom. Wouldn’t that be great?”
“Ah, people don’t marry just so they can live in the same house.”
“Why do they marry?”
Damnation. Why was he the one answering these questions? Why wasn’t Rachel here, raising her kid?
Rusty pulled himself up in the saddle and gave Will what he hoped was a serious-business look. “That is something you need to talk to your ma about.”
“Oh. Do you think she’ll ever let me get a puppy?”
***
Rachel waved goodbye to Mr. Wells and headed out of town. Gathering supplies had taken more time than usual this trip. Her list had been longer, some of the items needed were still packed in shipping boxes in the Wells’ back room, and she had to wait for them to be opened. She glanced up at the sky, glad to see clear blue, and no problems with coming storms. She pulled the brim of her bonnet down to block as much of the setting sun from her eyes as she could.
The wagon was loaded down with the usual supplies, with the addition of some bright pink calico and blue and white gingham, so she could sew a couple of dresses for Amelia. She was a pretty little thing, but her clothes were too small and well-worn. Her grandparents had not taken very good care of the girl.
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