It took a minute, but Callie won the battle with sickness and risked another bite. “It tastes good, but I’ve got the collywobbles.”
“No great surprise after all you’ve been through. Just try eating only the broth.”
The second bite set more easily and her appetite roared to life. She ate the soup while Audra combed and braided her hair.
“You’ve got stitches on your scalp in four places. Seth said the doctor wants them to stay in for a week. Then we can cut them out.”
The soup was heavy with meat and vegetables, and every bite warmed her stomach and seemed to ease the shaking out of her bones. “Seven days for the stitches.” Callie glanced back at Audra. “Aren’t we close to that already?”
Gently but firmly turning Callie’s head so she faced forward, Audra said, “They’ll be gone before you know it. The doctor cut the hair away around the injuries.”
“I reckon I look like I’ve been rode hard and put up wet.”
“I’ve pulled your hair back so the wounds are covered. Your hair is beautiful, so long and thick. It covers the clipped spots. You look fine.”
“I hope you don’t have a mirror in this house.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Good, then I can’t call you a liar.” As suddenly as she’d been starving, Callie’s stomach felt stretched to the limit.
Audra gave a short, quiet laugh as she fussed with Callie’s hair. “You’re healing well. No infection.”
Callie had to force down the last of the soup. “I reckon I’m ready to see Connor now.”
And her husband, but she didn’t mention him. She figured the lunatic would come along with the child.
Chapter
14
“Seth’s got a son?” Rafe heard himself screech and clamped his mouth shut. He prided himself on being in control, and that included his voice.
“Yep. Eth was afraid you’d ride out looking for Seth’s wife again, so he sent me over to stop you and tell you about the . . . the, well, your family has done some mighty fast growing in a short time, I reckon.”
“And a brother who is how old?” Rafe felt his temper building. His pa was lucky to be dead and beyond Rafe’s reach. “How could Pa—?”
Steele cut him off. “I didn’t get no details, Rafe. I said he looked about ten or eleven. Don’t start in. I don’t know nuthin’ ’cept Eth says you probably had oughta come.”
Rafe turned to Julia, who was already banking the fire on the cookstove.
“We’ve been looking for Callie for so long I’d almost given up ever finding her.” Julia took her apron off and pulled her coat on.
His wife’s activities helped Rafe get past the shock and get moving.
“And Seth doesn’t remember the baby?” Julia asked.
“Like I said, ma’am, I don’t know nuthin’.” Steele tugged on his gloves and hat as if they were in danger of blowing off in a windstorm. Not that easy, considering they were standing inside Rafe’s cabin. Steele wasn’t a talkative man on the best of days.
They left through the tunnel on the east side of their mountain meadow and rode in the snow toward Julia’s old cabin.
“Can you believe it snowed so hard?” Julia said. The horses waded through ankle-deep snow on occasion, but the sun was strong and the snow was mostly blown off the heavily wooded trail. “Some of it is already melting.”
Rafe hadn’t been around women much, but since he’d gotten married to one of the little critters, he’d noticed they seemed to have to say out loud every thought in their head. Including stuff everybody already knew. It’d snowed. Today it was real nice. It was called weather. What was there to talk about?
“Yep, it’s a real nice day.” He’d also learned a woman didn’t like men ignoring them or telling them they were wasting their breath when they said out loud something anyone with one working eyeball could see. “Weather can be like that in the Rocky Mountains. Winter comes early, but there can be nice days too, even after the snow starts flying.”
Steele gave Rafe a look that clearly told him his ears were weary from all the talk.
Rafe didn’t smile. He knew if Steele had a chance to marry a woman as beautiful and smart and sweet and warm as Julia, he’d have talked up a storm to keep her happy.
“So, Steele,” Julia said, “did the boy say . . .”
Steele was a few steps ahead and he picked up speed and didn’t answer. He did a good job of acting like he hadn’t heard.
Rafe eased closer to his wife. “So what do you think might be going on?” It was a question he used on Julia many times to keep her talking so he wouldn’t have to talk back. It gave him spare time to think about important stuff like the ranch.
They rode up to Julia’s ramshackle cabin about the time Julia quit making things up that could’ve happened. A corner of the roof had collapsed under the weight of the snow.
“I wonder if this place will stand through the winter if we repair it.” He doubted it.
Julia swung down off her horse and stepped close enough to Rafe that he saw her shudder.
“We could have been stuck in that cabin.” She turned. Her long red braid came around until it hung down one shoulder. Her green eyes were shining right at him. “I’m so glad I married you.”
Yep, Rafe’d be glad to talk until his lungs went bone dry to earn a look like that from his wife. And she always liked to know what he was planning, for some reason. “I’m going to need a line shack out here. You won’t mind if I rip down your cabin, will you?”
Julia scowled at the miserable little building. “Tear it into a thousand pieces if you want.”
“I’d like to get to it before winter closes down on us.”
“You’re running out of time.”
“Yep.” Rafe looked at Steele, who had released the horses into a sturdy corral. “We can get busy with the line shack as soon as we figure out who that boy is and how he got his family mixed up with ours.”
“I can send some men over anytime you’re ready.”
They climbed across the fast-moving creek that separated the abandoned Gilliland cabin from the dangerous opening into the cavern Julia loved so much. Down into a steep gully, across the stream and back up, everything now slippery with snow and ice. They never used this cavern entrance anymore, not since they’d found the easier entrance near Rafe’s ranchland.
They mounted the horses Steele had corralled and rode hard for Ethan’s place, which kept the chattering to a minimum. When they got home, Steele took the horses as Julia beat Rafe to the house. The woman was crazy to see Seth’s baby.
Which set Rafe to hoping he didn’t have to wait too long to have a little one of his own. Ethan had two and now Seth had one. As the oldest brother, he wasn’t holding up his end of things.
He decided he’d commit himself even more to hurrying along that day. When he stepped inside Ethan’s very crowded house, he had a smile on his face.
“Hey, big brother.” Seth smiled at Rafe from the kitchen table. He held up Connor, who had wolfed down a flapjack and a whole egg. “Meet my son.”
“And meet your brother,” Ethan added, looking grim. Seth was more used to Ethan grinning.
Rafe turned to study the stranger at the table.
Seth saw the stunned expression on his brother’s face. “I told Steele to tell you about him.”
“He did. I just thought . . .”
Ethan stood from the table, holding Lily, now three months old. “Julia, have a seat. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”
Julia snatched Connor out of Seth’s arms. Seth took a second to make sure his son was happy with the new arrangement. His boy was uncommon fond of his pa.
Connor didn’t even give Seth a backward glance.
Seth rose and stood beside Ethan. When Seth turned to look at the table, he realized he stood shoulder to shoulder with his brothers, looking at the madness their lives had become.
“This is Heath.” Seth nodded at the boy, who looked so much lik
e a Kincaid there was just no way to deny that he was their brother.
Heath had gone through his share of flapjacks. Earlier, Audra had had her hands full keeping the food coming until she’d abandoned the room to take care of Callie.
“You forgot you had a son?” Heath asked with abundant hostility.
Seth felt his smile melt away, along with what little pride he had. “Well, no, not really. I didn’t know he was on the way when I left. Callie says I didn’t know.”
“And you ran off and left her? Like Pa ran off and left you?” Heath seemed to have a burr under his saddle. Seth couldn’t say he blamed the boy.
“I never really thought Pa ran off and left us.” Seth could see now that it was true. “He was just gone a lot.”
“He was gone a lot from us, too.” Heath cut through a stack of pancakes like he was attacking something . . . or someone.
“He’s a fine boy, Seth.” Rafe studied Connor and his wild blue eyes for a minute, then looked back at the table. “You’re a Kincaid.”
Defiance flashed in Health’s eye as if he was waiting to be thrown out.
“That means you’ve got a home here. This is the Kincaid Ranch, so you’ve got a share in it.”
“I don’t want a ranch.” Heath’s eyes went hard, the shining blue of them flashed, and Seth wondered if the boy ever had nightmares. Heath was close to the age Rafe had been when Seth had the accident in the cavern. And Rafe had been a man from that day on. But Heath’s eyes were of a type with Seth and Pa. He felt like the boy was a true brother already.
“I want my share sold, then I’ll be on my way.”
A troublemaking brother. Which made him even more like Seth.
“Not a chance,” Rafe said. “We can’t sell the ranch. It ain’t worth much and no one would buy it. I bought a huge stretch just a couple of months ago for a few pennies an acre. Its only value is to make a home for us. The part that belonged to Pa isn’t that big, anyway. I added to it with money I made selling beef to gold miners in the rush of ’59. But that’s my land. Seth and Ethan have added to it with homestead claims besides what I bought and it’ll take five years to prove up on that land. It’s a good stretch now, but the part you’ve got a claim on is mostly woodlands. I could buy you out, but you wouldn’t get far on a quarter of its worth, and no one else wants it.”
“You wanted it.” Heath scowled.
“Yeah, but Kincaids don’t have a lick of sense,” Seth said.
There was a long silence, then Rafe said, “How old are you, Heath?”
“Eleven.”
“So our pa was married to your ma about a year before our ma died, is that right?” Rafe’s voice brought every noise in the room to a halt. Even Connor, who was jabbering at Julia, fell silent and gave Rafe a wild-eyed look.
“That’s the way it sounds. I found papers amongst our ma’s things that said Pa owned land near Rawhide. I came to get it. It’s my inheritance.”
“Your ma knew Gavin Kincaid had another family?” Rafe frowned deep. “She knew when she married him that he already had a wife?”
Heath slammed his chair back to the wall and lunged to his feet. “You say a word against my ma and I’ll beat you until you can’t open your mouth.”
Heath couldn’t win, but Seth could see clear as day the boy meant every word.
Seth found himself wishing he could go down into the cavern. It was quiet down there. He could hear himself think. He looked at the door to the outside and wondered if anyone would miss him. He wouldn’t be gone long. A day or two.
“Julia! I didn’t hear you come in. Come and meet Callie!” Audra came down the stairs, guiding Seth’s wife. He had a wife.
Maybe he needed more than two days. A week maybe, just until his brain settled around being a married man with a child.
Then he saw how white Callie’s knuckles were as she gripped the railing. He hurried to her side just as she got all the way downstairs.
“You doing okay, honey?” He wished he could remember her. She was really pretty.
Callie glared at him.
Kinda scary, though.
Callie was diverted from that betraying coyote Seth Kincaid by the sight of Connor sitting on a redheaded woman’s lap.
Callie darted toward her baby. Well, she darted for one step. Then the pain slowed her right down.
Connor saw her and gave a friendly shriek. His arms and legs started pumping in the air as if he could fly to her if he just tried hard enough.
She limped her way across the room.
The redhead stood up and said, “Hi, I’m Julia Kincaid. I guess we’re sisters now. Take my chair.”
Callie had to sit down on the chair or collapse on the floor, so she took the stupid chair, though it rankled to be in need of so much help. Then the redhead set Connor on her lap. Callie slid an arm around Connor’s fat tummy and her aching heart eased to feel the weight of him.
Seth started introducing everyone.
“We’ve got a lot to do,” Rafe said, cutting Seth off, “before we can sit down and get to know each other.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed in a way that made Callie wonder how well the brothers got along.
“Got orders for us, big brother?” Ethan asked in a drawl.
“Yes, that snow yesterday was a warning. We need to get the ranch weathertight. We still have a couple herds that need to be moved to winter grassland. I need to get a line shack built, and we’re gonna have to get Heath settled somewhere. We may have to build on to one of the cabins.”
“Have I ever told you my big brother is really bossy?” Seth said to Callie.
“I don’t remember you mentioning it. But I figured it out without a word from you.”
“Don’t build on to any cabin for me. I’m not staying.” Heath showed no interest in obeying Rafe, which, Seth had to admit, made him like the boy a little more.
Rafe glared at Heath. “Sure you are.”
“You can’t tell someone how to live, where to live, and what to do with their own money.” Callie stood, took a step toward Rafe, and squared off in front of him.
“Sure I can. When I’m right and he’s wrong.” Rafe didn’t give Callie a pat on the head, but his words came way too close.
“How about, instead of acting like a tyrant, you have a conversation with the brother your worthless father abandoned and cheated.”
“Hey!” That came from everyone in the room who was more than two years old, except Julia and Audra. Callie thought she had some allies there.
“My pa was a lot better to us than he was to these guys,” Heath snarled.
“Callie, you never met Pa. You don’t need to go and say—” Seth’s words got drowned out by his brothers, who had a thing or two to add.
Heath came around the table as if he wanted a fight. Callie could accommodate the little grouch in the normal course of things, but the last couple of days had taken their toll.
Seth stepped in front of Heath. “Don’t you lay a hand on my wife.”
“You think I’d hit a woman? That’s the kind of coward you think I am?” Heath shoved Seth, and small as he was, he managed to make Seth back up.
The shouting continued. Callie stayed in the middle of it until she was hopeful no one was going to let fly with a fist. Then she turned to look at Audra and Julia. Audra watched the chaos and wrung her hands.
“Troublemaker.” Julia gave Callie a look so dry it oughta’d been served with a glass of water.
With a jerk of her shoulder, Callie patted Connor’s little bottom and went to stand by Julia. “You’re not the first to say so. But I call ’em the way I see ’em.”
“They’re not ready to admit that yet.” Julia scooped the little toddler girl out of her chair. “This is Maggie. She’s my niece and my sister and . . .” Julia paused and frowned at the little girl with the wisps of white blond hair, who bounced happily in her arms. “She might be my cousin too, or maybe my sister-in-law. I know there was something else, but sometimes I lose
track.”
“Close family, huh?”
“He might’ve died here but he loved us.” Heath stuck his chin forward as if daring someone to take a swing.
“You have no idea.” Sounding tired, Audra slipped between the warring Kincaids, took the baby out of Ethan’s arms—as well as taking her out of the middle of the fight—and came back to stand shoulder to shoulder with her sisters-in-law.
“What do you think we ought to do about them?” Julia asked.
“How old were you when I was born exactly?” Heath demanded of Seth. “Your pa must’ve been real unhappy about you to take off like he done.”
“Why, you little worthless pup!” Seth stepped forward. Ethan caught his arm.
With a shrug Callie watched the war dance before her. “You got a bucket of cold water?”
Julia snickered.
“I’m not having that mess on my kitchen floor.” Audra swayed gently with the baby while she considered the situation.
“So why’d Seth leave you anyway?” Julia asked Callie. “What’s the matter with him, do you think?”
Nosy woman. “He was real sick.” Callie studied Seth. “He’s acting pretty sane right now, though. It makes sense he’d be worked up about this mess.”
Callie looked down at Connor, who was watching his father behave badly. He didn’t seem upset by it; the little one was fascinated. Probably taking notes on how to be a wild man. She’d had enough. “Sorry for the racket, baby boy.”
She patted his plump little diaper, then lifted two fingers to her lips and blasted an ear-piercing whistle.
Everyone turned to glare at her.
Dead silence reigned.
It was a skill of which she was mighty proud.
“Since I started this, I’ll end it.” Callie earned herself the simmering temper of four Kincaids. “You can all pretend like your pa loved you best if you want. But the truth is, he betrayed every one of you. And now you can stand here and fight about nonsense, or you can enjoy getting to know your family.”
Heath snorted.
“Now, there’s no sense talking about getting money,” Callie went on. “Near as I can piece together, there isn’t any. This ranch and everything on it was built more by the Kincaid brothers than their pa. Did your father leave you with a lovely home and lots of money?” Callie arched a brow as she looked at Heath. “Because if he did, then it’s fair for you to go gather up all those riches and share it with the Kincaids here.”
Mary Connealy - [Kincaid Brides 03] Page 11