Love's Serenade

by Madeline Baker

  Earlier, they had bent over the baby, checking her from head to heel, a little awed by the miracle they had wrought between them.

  Now, her gaze drifting from father to daughter, Sarah thought about Danny. She hoped her son wouldn’t be too disappointed to have a sister instead of the brother he’d been counting on.

  Danny. She wondered how he was getting along, though she wasn’t really worried. Mary Kate Loomis would take good care of him.

  Devlin stirred beside her. The hand resting on her belly moved slowly upward to cup her breast, now heavy with milk.

  “Morning,” he murmured. His voice was deep and low, husky with sleep. “How’re my girls?”

  “We’re fine. Hungry for a kiss.”

  Sitting up, Toklanni pressed a featherlight kiss to his daughter’s brow, then, his arm slipping around Sarah’s shoulders, he kissed her, slowly, deeply.

  “You sure you’re feeling all right?” he asked, drawing back a little so he could see her face.

  “I’m fine, Dev. Honest.”

  He had to admit she looked fine. Terrific, in fact. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, her lips were curved in a smile that was his alone, her hair framed her face like a golden halo. “You look like the Madonna in that Bible picture you showed me.”

  His compliment brought a warm flush to Sarah’s cheeks.

  Devlin insisted she rest while he prepared breakfast, then went out to check on his horse.

  He swore under his breath as he saw a trio of horsemen riding toward the foothills. They weren’t Indians, but out here, strangers of any kind could mean trouble. A village this close to the river was a great place for outlaws to hole up. Comancheros, con men, gamblers on the dodge, lawmen gone bad, sooner or later they all seemed to head for the safety of the Mexican border.

  He tethered the horse closer to the mouth of the cave, then ducked inside, careful to keep his expression impassive.

  Sarah was nursing the baby and for a moment he forgot about the possibility of trouble heading in their direction. She was so beautiful, sitting there with his child at her breast, her hair falling over her shoulders, her expression filled with tender affection for the new life in her arms.

  Sarah looked up at him. “Is everything all right?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know. You were gone for a long time.” She frowned as he reached for his rifle. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Probably nothing.”

  “Probably nothing?”

  “I saw some riders heading in this direction. They’ll probably ride on by.”

  “But they might not?”

  “I just want to be ready.” He bent toward her, his hand caressing her cheek. “Don’t worry.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Stay inside.”

  “Devlin…”

  “Do as I say, Sarah.”

  She swallowed the lump rising in her throat as she watched him leave the cave. She wasn’t afraid for herself. Devlin would die to protect her and their child, of that she had no doubt. But what if he was killed? What would she do without him?

  After laying the baby down, Sarah rummaged through Devlin’s saddlebags, looking for the spare Colt Joe Loomis had given him.

  She lifted the gun, surprised by its weight. She wasn’t familiar with handguns, had never even fired one. Vern had insisted she learn to fire a rifle. On occasion, she had even hit what she aimed at.

  Hefting the gun in both hands, she moved toward the mouth of the cave. She could see the riders now, three men wearing the loose cotton pants and shirts of Mexican peasants. Broad-brimmed hats shaded their faces.

  Her heart began to pound a quick tattoo as they approached the cave.

  She heard the sound of a rifle being cocked, saw Devlin walk forward to meet them.

  “That’s far enough,” he said. “What do you want?”

  The man in the middle removed his sombrero. “We mean you no harm, señor. My brothers and I returned to our home late last night. Our grandmother told us an Indian had come looking for shelter for his woman. Our grandmother is old and easily frightened. She watched you leave town, no doubt to make sure you had gone. We are sorry for her inhospitality and we have come to make amends.”

  “We have brought food,” the young man on the left said.

  “Blankets and clothing for you and your wife.”

  “And a bottle of tequila to celebrate when the child is born,” added the first young man.

  “My thanks,” Toklanni murmured.

  “It’s a girl,” Sarah said, stepping out of the cave.

  “Congratulations, señor. Señora,” exclaimed the three brothers.

  “Step down,” Toklanni invited.

  The men, Pedro, Juan and Carlos, followed Devlin and Sarah into the cave. After admiring the baby, they apologized profusely for their grandmother’s behavior. As one, they invited Toklanni and Sarah to come and share the meager wealth of their home, but Sarah declined. She was anxious to go home, anxious to see Danny.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to rest a few days?” Devlin asked.

  “I’m sure.”

  “The night, at least,” Pedro insisted. “You should have a hot bath, a good meal and a good night’s sleep before your journey.”

  “Thank you,” Devlin said. “We accept.”

  * * * * *

  Maria Juanita Bautista welcomed them with a hesitant smile. Her eyes, as black as olives, were wary as she followed Toklanni and Sarah into the kitchen, but one look at the baby melted the last of her distrust. The father might be a scar-faced Apache, the mother might be a gringa dressed as an Apache woman, but the baby was an angel.

  After preparing them a hearty meal, the old woman took the baby from Sarah. Cooing softly, she sat down in an old wooden rocker and sang to the child, leaving her grandsons to entertain the parents.

  Sarah went to bed early. There were only two bedrooms in the small casa, one for Maria and one that was shared by the brothers. Sarah felt guilty for turning the three young men out of their room, but they insisted and she knew it would be rude to refuse.

  Toklanni entered the room and closed the bedroom door a few minutes later. He grimaced as he eyed the three narrow beds.

  “Looks like I’ll be sleeping alone,” he muttered.

  Sarah looked at him over the baby’s head. “We’ll make room.”

  He chuckled softly, trying to imagine the three of them in one bed. “I guess I can tough it out for one night.”

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “You need the rest, Sarah.”

  “There’s something else we need.”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “A name for our daughter.”

  “Right.” So much had happened, he’d forgotten all about that. “Got any ideas?”

  “What was your mother’s name?”

  “Christine.”

  “How about Christine Marie, after your mother and mine?”

  “Christine Marie,” Toklanni murmured. “I like it.”

  Sarah yawned. “Christine Marie it is, then,” she murmured agreeably.

  Devlin smiled down at her as her eyelids fluttered closed. A moment later, she was asleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  They left the Bautistas’ home the following morning, laden with gifts and supplies.

  Sarah looked forward to going home with mixed emotions. She couldn’t wait to see Danny again, to assure herself that he was well. She would be glad to see Pepper Tree Creek again, but it would be hard to go home and see only a pile of charred rubble where their house had been.

  They traveled leisurely, stopping often so Sarah could rest and nurse the baby. Toklanni never tired of watching the two of them, his heart brimming with love and gratitude. The Great Spirit had been kind. Each day, he gave thanks to the gods, both red and white, for blessing them with a healthy child and for the good weather that followed them home.

  It was midafternoon when they reach
ed the Loomis place. Mary Kate hurried out to meet them, her face wreathed in smiles.

  “Welcome home,” she gushed, hugging Sarah. “Oh, look at the wee one. Isn’t she a precious thing! What’s her name?”

  “Christine Marie.”

  “Makes me wish for another one myself,” Mary Kate mused.

  “Where’s Danny?” Sarah asked, glancing around.

  “He’s over at your place with Joe and the boys.”

  “Our place?” Toklanni frowned. “What are they doing there?”

  “Oh, just cleaning up a few things,” Mary Kate replied with a mysterious grin.

  Toklanni’s frown deepened. “I guess I’ll go over and look around. Is it okay if Sarah stays here for a while?”

  “I think she should go with you.”

  “Yes, Dev,” Sarah said, laying her hand over his arm. “I want to see Danny.”

  “All right. Thanks for looking after Danny for us,” Toklanni said, his tone formal, polite.

  “Any time,” Mary Kate said, her eyes twinkling. “Any time.”

  “Is it my imagination, or was she acting a little strange?” Toklanni asked as they rode out of the yard.

  Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought she’d ask me to stay, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll bet Danny’s grown a foot since we’ve been gone.”

  Toklanni grunted softly, wondering at Mary Kate’s odd behavior. He knew she still felt a little awkward around him, perhaps more so now, when he was dressed in buckskins, but she had always been fond of Sarah.

  He put the thought from his mind. He had more important things to worry about, like where he and Sarah were going to live and what they were going to do for money until he could find a job. The little they had saved wouldn’t last long.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Sarah said. “I know you don’t want to live in town. And I know Danny won’t be crazy about the idea, so I thought maybe, if you want to, we could go live with your people for a while, until we decide what to do.”

  Toklanni turned to stare at her. “You’d do that?”

  “If you want.”

  “It’s a hard life, Sarah. They don’t always have enough food to eat. The winters, especially, are hard.”

  “But you’d rather live there than in town, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, if Danny has no objections, I think that’s what we should do.” She smiled at him. “You could be Toklanni again.”

  He grinned a little sheepishly. “I’ve been Toklanni ever since I left the ranch.”

  “Have you? I wondered what was different about you.”

  “Different?”

  “I can’t explain it. It’s a subtle difference, nothing I can put my finger on.”

  “Do you mind?”

  “No,” she replied with a grin.

  “Which one do you want me to be?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I love you both, but I have gotten used to Devlin. Still, Toklanni was my first love, so…”

  She broke off, her eyes widening, her mouth forming an O.

  Devlin tensed, his hand reaching for his rifle. “What is it?” he asked.

  “Look!” Sarah pointed down the hill.

  Devlin stared in the direction she pointed and knew he looked every bit as surprised as Sarah, for there, where the old house had been, stood a new house built of peeled wood and stone. New corrals. A new barn with a peaked roof and a weather vane.

  Sarah looked at her husband. “When? How?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Too stunned for words, they rode up to the house.

  “Ma! Dev!” Danny ran out to meet them, followed by the Loomis boys.

  Dismounting, Devlin took the baby from Sarah’s arms. Cradling the baby in the crook of one arm, he helped Sarah step down.

  “Welcome home, Ma!” Danny exclaimed, his smile as wide as the Missouri.

  “Oh, Danny!” Sarah threw her arms around her son. “I missed you so!”

  “I was afraid, Ma,” Danny confessed as he wrapped his arms around her. “Afraid I’d never see you again.”

  “I know, I know.” Sarah hugged him tight, silently thanking God that her son was well, that she had a husband who had been willing to risk his life to find her and bring her home.

  “Not bad, huh?” Joe Loomis remarked as he stepped outside. He wiped his hands on a big red bandanna. “Got two bedrooms and a loft for the boy.”

  “You did this?” Devlin asked.

  “I had lots of help from the townsfolk.”

  “But how…why?”

  “Just being neighborly,” Joe said. “We all pitched in. Frank Nellis, Bill Murphy, Jim and Jack Howell. Everybody. It needs some finishing up on the inside, but I’ll be glad to come over and help with that.”

  Devlin stared at Loomis as if he had never seen the man before. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Do you like it, Ma?”

  “It’s lovely, Danny,” Sarah said, hardly able to speak past the lump in her throat. “Just lovely.”

  “I helped build it, too,” Danny said proudly.

  “So did we,” Brian Loomis said.

  “We cut wood for days,” Brent Loomis added with an exaggerated groan. “I got blisters on my hands as big as Texas.”

  For the first time, Danny noticed the blanket-wrapped bundle in Devlin’s arm. “What’s that?”

  “Your baby sister,” Devlin replied, his voice tinged with pride.

  Squatting down on his haunches, he peeled back the blanket so Danny could see the baby’s face. “Her name is Christine Marie.”

  “A girl,” Brian Loomis said, obviously disappointed.

  “A girl,” Brent echoed sympathetically. “Too bad.”

  “Shut up, you two,” Danny warned. “She’s…she’s kinda pretty. And so tiny. Hi, there, Christine.” He reached toward the baby, then grinned when she took hold of his finger. “Look, Ma, she likes me!”

  Devlin glanced up at Sarah. She was smiling brightly, her eyes shining with tears of love.

  “Well, welcome home, you two. Ah, three,” Joe Loomis said, clearing his throat. “Come on, boys, let’s go see what’s for dinner. I reckon Sarah and Dev would like a chance to look around.”

  “Okay, Pa,” Brian said. He took a last look at the baby. “I guess she is kind of cute, for a girl.”

  “See you tomorrow, Danny,” Brent called. “Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Dennehy.”

  “Goodbye, boys,” Sarah said. “Thanks for everything.”

  “There’s some venison in the root cellar,” Joe said, taking up the reins of his horse. “Mary Kate said if you didn’t feel like cooking to come on over for supper.”

  “Thanks, Joe,” Devlin said. He handed the baby to Sarah, then put one arm around her waist, his free hand resting on Danny’s shoulder. “I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you.”

  “No need, Dev. Just being neighborly. See you in church.”

  Devlin nodded, his throat tight.

  “Can I hold the baby a minute?” Danny asked when Brian and Brent were out of sight.

  “Sure, son.” Sarah handed Christine Marie to Danny. “Be sure to hold her head.”

  Devlin smiled at Sarah, then swung her into his arms. “Well, Mrs. Dennehy, shall we go take a look at our new home?”

  “I’d love to,” Sarah said. Leaning forward she pressed her mouth to his ear. “I promised Danny a little brother for Christmas next year.”

  “I’ll do my best,” Devlin promised as he carried her over the threshold into their new home.

  Wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck, Sarah gave herself up to the joy that flooded every fiber of her being. Loving Devlin, and being loved by him, was the greatest gift of all.

  About the Author

  Madeline Baker started writing simply for the fun of it. Now she is the award-winning author of more than thirty historical romances and one of the most popular writers of Native American romance. She lives in California, where she was born and raised
.

  Madeline welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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  Also by Madeline Baker

  Apache Flame

  Hawk’s Woman

  Heart of the Hunter

  Lakota Love Song

  Shadows Through Time

  Wolf Shadow

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