Jared (Bachelors And Babies Book 7)

by Charlene Raddon

  "Oh, but there's one more thing you all need to know," Healy said, hands flapping. "I mean, Jared knows, but none of the rest of you do."

  "What?" Cynara asked.

  "When I arrived in town, I wanted to avoid using my name in case Skelly sent someone to track me down, so I…" She glanced guiltily at Jared. "I gave my name as Mrs. Givens. Mr. Simmons said I must mean Jared because Barclay was already married."

  "So he assumed you were Mrs. Jared Givens," Ma said.

  Chase let out a hoot and broke into laughter. Jared scowled. Cynara and Barclay merely stared at Healy.

  "Oh, my," Cynara said finally. "It will be all over town by now. Congratulations, Jared. You have a wife."

  She followed that with dainty laughter.

  Scowling, Jared stomped toward the kitchen, taking Gage with him.

  Skelly Bernard sat in the hotel dining room awaiting colleagues to join him for supper. He wished he were home in his own hotel. This one left much to be desired. And his business had yet to be concluded. He'd already been here four days and winding up matters could take several more. If his staff dared to treat an influential customer like him in this way, he'd fire them on the spot, and without any pay that might be due them.

  A waiter finally approached. Skelly scowled at him. "I already told the other waiter I'm waiting for friends to join me. But bring me a whiskey."

  The young man held out a silver plate with a folded paper on top. "This is for you, sir. I'll fetch your drink while you read your message."

  Skelly accepted the note and unfolded the paper from Wells-Fargo's telegraph service. The wire came from his assistant Rupert in St. Louis. Sir, Ruth gone Stop Searched Stop Nowhere to be found Stop Await instructions Rupert Stop.

  With a roar of fury, Skelly surged out of his seat, ripped up the wire and threw it onto the table. He had his hands on the edges of the tabletop ready to flip it over when he saw other diners and employees watching him, mouths agape. Growling low in his throat, he let go of the table and sat down. He didn't dare give way to his temper here.

  Seconds after the waiter delivered his whiskey, the restaurant door opened, and his friends entered, handing their coats and hats to the check girl. Hands clenched beneath the table, Skelly plotted his next move while he waited. Ruth Kimbrough had best show up before he returned to St. Louis or she would suffer mightily. As soon as he could break free from this luncheon, he'd send word to Rupert to dispatch his best men to hunt for her, door to door if need be.

  Supper at the ranch took forever. The discussion of Healy's dilemma went on through the entire meal, and she grew more tired with each word. At the conclusion, Barclay declared that Healy and Jared must continue their pretend marriage, partly so no one coming after her could easily locate her and also in the hope that if Skelly believed she was married, he'd leave her alone.

  For their support, Healy felt immense gratitude and relief as well as guilt. Should matters go amiss and anyone end up being hurt because of her, she'd never forgive herself. She didn't believe for one moment Skelly would let a marriage stand in his way. Not getting what he wanted would only make him more determined. He wanted her silenced and would accept nothing less.

  The introduction to the ranch hands and ensuing dialog lasted a surprisingly brief half-hour. Embarrassed, Healy said little, letting Barclay do the talking. In the end, the hands agreed to stay and fight whatever might threaten the ranch and family.

  Exhausted, Healy allowed her sister to guide her back to the house as she would a child. "Come on, Healy," Cynara said, taking her hand. "You've had enough drama for one night. I'll show you the guest room."

  Jared took Gage from Healy's arms, shushing the boy when he fussed.

  "Here, I'll put him and the other two to bed," Mrs. Givens said, relieving Jared of his precious burden. "You girls can talk while Healy settles in, without worrying about infants."

  Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Cynara glanced around. "Where is your luggage, Healy?"

  "She didn't bring any," Jared said, sitting in a wingback chair with the baby. "Except for that small satchel by the stairs."

  "Why not?" Cynara asked Healy.

  Blowing out a breath, Healy picked up the bag."Taking time to pack might have aroused suspicion."

  "Of course." Cynara waved that problem aside. "Never mind. I'll share my clothes with you until you can send for your things or buy new ones."

  At that moment, Healy knew she had the kindest, most loving sister ever, and, through her, a rare, wonderful family. She would repay Cynara with love and loyalty the rest of her life and do all she could to show her gratitude to the Givenses. Wearily, she followed her sister to a lovely guest room in the back corner of the second floor next to the bathing room.

  A quilt made of various pink rose calico pieces decorated the bed and matched the curtains on the windows. None of the furniture matched, but it took nothing from the attractiveness of the chamber. The pretty quilt called to her, and she yearned to crawl beneath it and sleep.

  A knock came on the door. "Healy," Chase called, "I put two buckets of water in the bathing tub. Jared's bringing up two more."

  Healy opened the door. "How kind. Thank you so much."

  The unexpected bath thrilled her. The trip to Montana had been long and dirty. The train belched smoke in through open windows, leaving soot on her skin as well as her clothes, and wind continually blew dust through the stagecoach despite the leather shades folks lowered over the windows to keep out the dirt.

  Cynara entered the room, her arms laden with garments. "I brought a clean nightgown and under things along with a dress for tomorrow. There's a basket in the bathing room where you can put your dirty garments."

  "You're so good to me," Healy said, and fresh tears filled her eyes. "I don’t deserve it."

  "Of course, you do. Don't be silly. You're my little sister. Now, come on. We'll see if your bath is ready."

  In the hallway, they met Barclay leaving with two empty buckets. "All full," he said.

  Healy thanked him and trailed Cynara into the room. Steam rose from the bathing tub. A stool sat beside it with scented bathing oil, shampoo, a washcloth and towel. "Smells heavenly in here."

  "Good. I'll leave you to your bath now." Cynara pulled a dressing screen in front of the tub and walked toward the door.

  "Can't you stay?" Healy stopped her. "I want to hear what happened to Ward and the baby you were carrying. You said nothing about them in the one letter I got from you in all these months."

  Cynara peeked around the screen and stared at her. "You never received my missives?"

  "Only one," Healy said, unbuttoning her bodice. "I received it when I arrived at the school. I should have given them a forwarding address. I didn't think of it then."

  She stripped off the bodice and reached for the ties on her skirt."That letter said you were working and living here at High Mountain Ranch. You talked about Barclay and his brothers but didn't explain about Ward or say in what capacity you were working here."

  "This is terrible." Cynara bit her lip."I feel awful you didn't get the rest. But why didn't you answer the letter you did get? I haven't heard a word from you since before Ward died. I begged you to come. I needed you so badly. You never answered." Cynara cleared off the stool and sat down, her gaze on Healy intense.

  "No," Healy said, her voice tremulous."I never received that message, only the one after you moved to this ranch. As for writing back, I felt humiliated at failing to get the teaching position and didn't want to tell you I'd become a mere waitress. I’m so sorry. You must have felt dreadful thinking I didn’t care about what had befallen you."

  She swung toward her sister, her face pale but resolute."I swear, Cynara, I wrote every week to High Mountain Ranch, Cutthroat, Montana." She paused, new regret causing her to turn away."I simply didn't mail them."

  "What did you do with the letters?"

  "I bundled them in a box tied with a yellow ribbon and hid them at the bottom of my trunk
in my room at the boarding house." An expression of horror filled Healy's face, and her hands flew to her face. "What if Skelly claims my belongings and finds them?"

  Cynara rose from the stool."We'll have to hope he doesn't. What's done is done, Healy. We have to deal with what's ahead and put the past behind us. Now, finish undressing and take your bath." She went to the door.

  "Wait." Healy stepped toward her, a hand out held. "Tell me what happened to Ward. Did he leave you?"

  "No." Cynara opened the door, moisture glistening in her eyes. "He died. Smallpox. He lived only a few days."

  Healy gasped and let her skirts drop from her hands. "Oh, Cynara, how dreadful for you."

  "We had to burn the house and everything in it to keep the disease from spreading. After that, I moved to town." Cynara swiped at her eyes, the tears coming faster now. "Two months later, I gave birth to a stillborn girl."

  "Stillborn! No! You poor thing." Healy stepped out of her skirts and hurried to console her sister. "I feel awful about not being here. It must have been horrible for you."

  "Can't argue that. Ever since I lost that baby, I've felt a hole inside me." Cynara clung to Healy.

  "How did you end up here at the ranch?"

  "They needed a wet-nurse for the triplets, and I still had milk." Wiping her eyes, Cynara stepped back."I’d been feeding a baby whose mother died. When the child passed too, I didn't know what I would do or where I would live. Then Doc came and told me I could come and take care of the babies here."

  Healy handed her a handkerchief. "What happened to the mother?"

  "No one knows." Cynara dabbed at her eyes, the hanky crumpled in her fist."She'd slipped out in the wee morning after giving birth and never came back. They looked for her, but she didn't want to be found. Take your bath, Healy. The water's growing cold."

  Healy didn't move. Agony for her sister twisted her face and tears hovered on her lower lids. "Then you married Barclay?"

  "Yes." Cynara picked up Healy's skirts and began folding them."After the kidnapping."

  Healy's hand stilled on the ties to her drawers. "Kidnapping? My goodness, Cynara, what trauma you've endured. I'm so glad you're happy now." She hesitated. "You are, aren't you? Happy?"

  Cynara nodded emphatically, blowing her nose. Her tears had abated. "Barclay's a wonderful man, Healy. I love him so much."

  "I can see that. Your face glows when he enters the room." Healy removed her drawers, corset cover, and corset. To Healy, standing naked in front of her sister was perfectly normal. She'd done it since birth. When they were small, the girls bathed together.

  Cynara politely averted her gaze while Healy stepped into the tub. "One day, a man will cause you to do the same. I only hope he lives in the area, so you won't be taken from me." She cocked her head slyly, a twinkle in her eye. "You could marry Jared for real."

  Healy, half-buried in bubbles, looked at her sister with lowered brows. "Don't be ridiculous. Jared has no reason to like me after what I did. I hope he didn't have a girl he was sweet on."

  "Well, there is Melanie Gains ford. They've been a pair ever since third grade."

  Healy's shoulders sagged with that news. "Oh, dear. I pray I didn't ruin matters for him with her. I'll never forgive myself if I did."

  "Everything will work out as it should. It always does." Cynara walked to the door. "I need to check on the babies. Enjoy your bath."

  With Cynara gone, Healy leaned back in the tub and wondered if her sister could be right. Would a man come along to make her feel the way Cynara did about her husband? Healy wanted to be married, yearned for children of her own. Sweet babies like darling Gage.

  Jared's image popped into her head, though she had no idea why. Maybe because, from what Cynara said, she assumed Gage would be raised by Jared and whoever he married. Healy found him handsome and intriguing, but he felt no fondness for her, and she couldn’t blame him. Hopefully, after a good night's sleep, they would be able to come up with a solution to her problem as Barclay said they would. The thought of leaving this warm, comfortable home, and Cynara, saddened her. She realized suddenly that she wouldn't mind living here forever. Not only in Cutthroat, but at High Mountain Ranch.

  Cynara returned to find Healy scrubbing her red, waist-length tresses."Oh, Healy. Let me help you."

  Healy gladly turned the job over to her sister. "Tell me about the kidnapping, Cynara. Did they take the babies or only you?"

  "All of us. Barclay had hired the man, having no way of knowing Dirk Shindler had been part of the gang who had kept Minnie—the babies' mother—prisoner for a year. One of them fathered her babies. The whole thing is a long story, really."

  "That's all right. I want to know."

  "Well then, I'll tell you. As soon as I finish this." Cynara filled the pitcher with warm water and poured it over her sister's head to rinse it. When she had cleared Healy's hair of soap, Cynara took the washcloth, soaped it up with Pears soap, and handed it to her sister. While Healy washed, Cynara filled her in on all the details about Minnie, the babies, and Dirk who had decided he could sell the triplets to Minnie's parents and fill his pockets with cash.

  "When it became clear he intended to take the babies," Cynara said, sitting on a stool beside the tub."I insisted on going with him to care for them. I couldn't trust those innocent little souls to an outlaw. I knew Barclay would come after us like the hero in a book."

  "And the whole incident ended with you two marrying?" Healy finished bathing and played with the bubbles skimming the surface of the water.

  "Yes." Cynara rose and fetched a towel. "While Dirk went to jail."

  "It sounds so romantic." Healy yawned.

  "Hardly," Cynara scoffed. "Look at you. You're tired and understandably so, while I sit here prattling on and on. Come on, get out of there and towel off. I'm going to tuck you in bed and let you sleep."

  "Wonderful." Healy took the towel and wrapped it about herself as she stepped out of the tub.

  "Just think." Cynara sat on the foot of the bed."My sister will be here now, every morning when I wake up. Isn't that marvelous?"

  Healy's pleasure at that thought ebbed once Cynara left to go to her husband. Healy already loved being here with her sister, but what if Skelly found her?

  The next morning, Jared sat in a wingback chair in the great room chiding himself for being so nervous just because Healy would be coming down for breakfast any minute. So what? What did he have to be anxious about? To clear his mind, he opened his notebook to go over his plans for a baby cradle that would rock itself. The triplets were too big for cradles now, but someday Cynara and Barclay would have children of their own. And, hopefully, so would Jared when he married. So far, most of his inventions had turned out to be a waste of time, but he knew someday, he'd come up with something the world would welcome.

  Thinking of having children reminded him of Melanie. Would she even speak to him now? He had always expected them to marry someday. But that dream may have gone up in smoke, thanks to Healy. Thinking of that depressed him. He went back to his plans for the cradle. He'd taken apart Cynara's favorite rocking chair for his experiment, earning black condemnation from her until he promised to buy her a new one.

  "May I pick one out of the Montgomery Ward catalogue?" she'd asked.

  "Certainly. Be my guest."

  She'd given him a sassy smile. "I will."

  He considered his sister-in-law a good woman, one he admired mightily. To a certain extent—were he honest about it—he envied his brother for having landed such a fine wife. Would Healy be as sweet and giving as Cynara? They were raised together by the same parents. Surely, they would be alike in some ways.

  Shaking his head, he reined in his crazy thoughts.

  Ma sat on the settee knitting or crocheting, as usual. He never could tell which was which. Judging from the small size of whatever she worked on now, he reckoned it would be for one of the babies. After they broke their fast, he would drive her to town and finish the errands he hadn't
done yesterday. Did he dare try to see Melanie?

  Would she let him explain, at least a tiny bit? He hoped so. Ever since he first laid eyes on her in the fifth grade he'd been planning to make her his wife. Soon, he'd have his own house and be in a position to marry. He couldn't imagine anyone else as his wife except Melanie. He couldn't tell her everything though. Likely, he dared no more than to ask her to trust him and wait.

  Chase entered the great room, clomped across the floor in his boots, and plopped onto the floor to get a book from a shelf. It hit Jared then that he had two brothers who were nothing like him. So much for Healy being a replica of Cynara. He wouldn't really want a woman exactly like his sister-in-law anyway. Nor did he want anyone like Healy. Of course, he didn't know her well yet. But any woman who would become engaged to a killer without knowing it couldn't have much common sense. He wished she'd hurry. If his stomach got any emptier, he'd have to kill a buffalo to fill it.

  Barclay emerged from the sewing room with that moony look he often got on his face after being near his wife for a time. He strolled over to the settee and sat down, the perfect gentleman. It prompted Jared to swing his right leg over the arm of his chair and let it dangle. Barclay gave a grunt of disgust. "Healy will be down soon. Don't you want to look civilized?"

  Jared snorted. At that instant, the door to Healy's room upstairs opened. He refused to look. Why should he? Healy was like a cousin—nothing to get excited about.

  Except she was gorgeous.

  Chase let out a long whistle and stood up. That brought Jared's head up. A vision stood on the landing at the top of the stairs. An angel in pale green that floated on air. On a loud gulp, he stood. At that moment, Cynara and Ma came from the sewing room as if she'd known at what moment Healy would appear.

  Jared's brain registered the identity of the vision on the landing—Healy. Even so, his head struggled to accept it. The sight of her sent his heart cart wheeling inside his chest. His pulse soared and he had the strangest feeling life wanted to force him onto a different road than the one he'd always planned on taking.