"Wheels?" Her brow furrowed, Cynara re-examined Jared's latest creation. "Oh, my goodness. If it had wheels, the baby could roll it across the floor with his feet."
Healy grinned. "That's right. We call it a baby scooter. But Jared still has to attach the wheels."
"Do hurry, Jared." Cynara clapped her hands together. "It's marvelous. I can't wait to try it out. It's so much better than Mrs. Allen stead's wicker walker. She's so proud of that thing, but it doesn't have wheels and it's not easy for the child to push it over the floor. It doesn't have a seat either."
"Look." Healy picked up what appeared to be a half of a serving tray. "This will be fixed on the front to hold small toys."
"Brilliant. I—"
"Cynara?" A masculine voice came from outside the small workroom.
"Oh." Cynara flushed pink. "That's Barclay. I forgot why I came in here. Reverend Heinrichs and his wife are here. I think he wants to make sure you two are legally wed."
"Confound it," Jared muttered. "I didn't anticipate people coming out here."
"Let's face it, Jared," Cynara said. "Your sudden marriage is the talk of the town. Naturally, folks are curious. You'd better come in and greet them."
Barclay stuck his head inside the door. "Figured you must be here."
"I came to tell them about our company, and they were showing me—"
"An unfinished project," Jared completed for her.
She glanced at him in surprise, then clamped her mouth shut and edged her husband out of the tiny room. "We'll wait for you two inside."
After they were gone, Healy stared at Jared until he became discomfited and confessed, "So, I didn't want him to see the scooter yet. He'll only ridicule my efforts. When I'm finished, maybe I'll let you and Cynara try it out."
"Good. I'd hate to see you hide it in here forever." She sent him a smile hoping to ease his distress over the incident.
Jared wiped his hands on a rag. "We'd better go. We can wash up on the back porch."
She'd started to pivot toward the door when he pulled her back.
"Wait." With a clean section of the rag he wiped at the tip of her nose. "You had a little smudge there."
"Oh." They stood so close. Would he kiss her again the way he had at his house? Should she let him? No, of course not. Them kissing would be a disaster. He wanted Melanie, not her. And she couldn't allow herself to care about him. Not that way.
His gaze on her mouth turned hot. Her flesh warmed and tingled with anticipation.
Move. Stop him.
But he had such a lovely mouth. She'd liked the feel of it against hers.
When she realized she'd swayed toward him like a wanton, she jerked back, her face flushed with embarrassment. What would he think of her? What would Cynara think of her if she saw? Spinning around, she reached for the door.
"Where are you going, Mrs. Givens?" Jared latched onto her arm as she attempted to run and drew her toward him once more.
"I-I, uh…" She had no idea what to say. Tell the truth? That she'd run from her own foolish thoughts, her own wanton needs? Further her humiliation? She couldn't lie. Jared hated liars and she couldn't blame him. No, lying was not an option. She'd have to hedge and hope he didn't ask again. "I'm not Mrs. Givens. What do you want?"
"This." He leaned close and covered her mouth with his. Cinnamon from the breakfast shortcakes and coffee. The scent of freshly cut pine, manure and hay. Somewhere, a horse nickered. Someone, Roy, probably, whistled an off key tune. Then smells and sounds faded as other senses took over.
The feel of his lips moving over hers, the heat from his body and the feeling of safety from being in his arms. She wanted more.
Following his example, she made her own exploration with her lips and tongue. Moaning, Jared pulled away from her.
She'd gone too far. Been too forward. Men didn't like forward women.
"I'm sorry," she blurted. "I've ruined everything."
Whirling, she raced out of the workroom, through the stable and into the cool fresh air of the yard. Dogs lurched to their feet from where they'd been lounging and barked at her for disturbing them. She kept going.
"Healy," Jared called from behind her. "Wait."
She ran faster, beating him to the porch. Instead of stopping to wash up, she rushed through the house, muttering apologies and something about cleaning her hands. A man and woman sat on the settee. Healy didn't truly see them. Didn't want to see them. She hurried into the sewing room, the first refuge she came to, and threw herself onto the cot.
Cynara came in behind her. "Healy, what's the matter? I've never seen you act this way before. You ran right past our guests. What did you think you were doing?"
"Hiding. I'm sorry." She jumped up, went to the washstand, turned and sat on the cot again. "I'm so embarrassed. I just made a terrible fool of myself. Jared will never want to kiss me again."
"Jared kissed you?" Cynara leaned away as if to see her better. Maybe to determine if she were lying? Cynara's eyes widened. Then her mouth curved in a wicked smile. "That's wonderful."
Oh, no. Now, she'd put ideas in her sister's head. Bad ideas. And once Cynara got a notion in her brain, she never let go. She'd do her best to see that Jared and Healy fell in love. Healy wanted to crawl into a mouse hole and sleep for a hundred years.
She covered her face with her hands and fought to keep the tears away. The dipping of the thin mattress told her Cynara had sat beside her. Next, she'd be quoting their mother's favorite saying about crying never doing any good. Healy wasn't so sure of that. Letting go of the tears would at least ease the ache in her chest and throat.
Instead, Cynara wrapped her arms around Healy and whispered, "It's okay, sweet sister. We all do foolish things we regret. Tell me what happened."
Someone knocked on the door. Barclay stuck his head inside. "Cynara? Is something wrong?"
Healy frantically shook her head from side to side
"Healy's feeling a bit under the weather right now. Give us a moment and we'll be out soon."
"Anything I can do?" he asked.
"Yes. Entertain the Heinrichs. Distract them if you can. If Jared doesn't show up soon, you may have to check on him."
"Did Jared cause this?" He gestured toward Healy huddled in her sister's arms.
"No!" Healy stated emphatically.
"I'll tell you later." Cynara motioned him out the door."Go on now."
He went. Grumbling. But he went. Healy sighed. At least his interruption had given her time to regain control of herself.
"Tell me what happened," Cynara said.
Feigning calm, she turned to her sister. "He kissed me, and I kissed him back. Oh, gracious, I fell on him like a wanton from some tawdry saloon. I'm so embarrassed. I can't face him." She gathered Cynara's white shirtwaist collar in her hands, begging, "Please don't make me go out there."
The humor in her sister's eyes sobered her instantly. Standing, Healy went to the cribs, only to see they were empty. "Where are the babies?"
"Keeping the reverend and his wife occupied. Didn't you see them when you rushed through?" Cynara came to stand beside her. "Healy, I'm not laughing at you. Or, if I am, it's because I've been in your same predicament, only with Barclay instead of Jared."
"You kissed Barclay like that? Like I described?" Healy couldn't believe that. Cynara always had full control of herself. Always a lady, always circumspect.
"Oh, my. You don't know me very well, do you?" Cynara sent her a wicked smile. "Now, bathe your face and join the rest of us in the great room. The Heinrichs came to see the newlyweds, not Barclay and me."
"I don't know if I can—"
Cynara slipped from the room, ignoring Healy's protests. After a moment, Healy walked to the washstand and poured water into the bowl. Cynara was right. She couldn't hide in here forever. After bathing her face, she sought what courage she had left and quit the room.
The portly reverend and his buxom wife occupied the settee, playing with Connor. Vella and Gage
sat on the floor with some wooden blocks. Cynara, Barclay, and Jared occupied chairs.
Spying her, Jared hurried over, slipping an arm around her shoulder and drawing her further into the room. "Here's my bride. Healy, this is Reverend Heinrich and his wife, Eleanor."
The reverend and Barclay had stood when she appeared. Now, Mrs. Heinrich, holding Connor, rose as well.
"Ah, we are so happy to meet you, Mrs. Givens," Eleanor Heinrichs said. "I hope soon you and Jared will have some adorable babies like these sweet triplets."
Gage looked up. Seeing Healy, his eyes lit up, his mouth opened in a wide smile. He looked so adorable Healy's heart twisted. How could she leave this baby when the time came to go? The next thing she knew Gage had rolled over and scooched himself toward her. Glad to have something to do with her hands, she bent and lifted him into her arms. At once, he snuggled against her and his fist went into his mouth.
"It's an honor to meet you, Reverend. Mrs. Heinrichs. How lovely of you to visit us." She allowed Jared to guide her to a dining chair that had been brought in to add to the available seating. Rather than return to his original chair, he sat next to her.
"Oh, we are the ones who are honored. Barclay tells me we are the first to come to congratulate you." The reverend lowered his bulk onto the settee which squeaked under his weight. Connor fussed to get down, so Eleanor placed him on the floor where he immediately took a block away from Vella and set her to crying.
Cynara hauled the baby girl to her lap and peace returned.
"I hope we will see you in church this Sunday," the reverend said in a voice perfect for a pulpit, resonant and authoritative.
"Of course." Healy glanced at Jared.
"Yes." He took her hand in his. "It will be our first trip to town since Healy arrived."
"I thought so." Mrs. Heinrichs reached for a cup of coffee on the low table in the center of the room. Her gaze centered at Healy's middle. "I do hope it isn't because you haven't been feeling well, my dear."
A heavy silence fell over the room. After a moment, Cynara rose, Vella on her hip, and moved the cream and sugar closer to the woman, as well as a plate of cookies. The reverend immediately accepted one of the oatmeal and raisin pastries.
Healy, feeling heat rise to her face, felt a need to correct the woman's rude assumption. Standing, she went to the table and took two cookies. "On the contrary, I'm in perfect health, Mrs. Heinrichs."
With a sigh, she looked at the cookies she held with regret, then handed them to Jared. "I am watching my weight, however. Oysters is such a good cook, it's difficult to resist seconds. The chef at the hotel where I worked before I married Jared by proxy could learn some good lessons in cooking from Oysters."
Surprise widened the matron's eyes. "You were married by proxy?"
"Yes. We've known each other forever, you know. I did say Cynara and I are sisters, didn't I? It simply took Jared a long time to realize he and I belonged together." She reclaimed her seat next to Jared, scooting her chair even closer, and holding up one of the cookies for him.
He took it, but his eyes warned her against going too far. "That's right, darling."
Relieved that he didn't sound angry, she relaxed.
The conversation switched to the weather, then the men began discussing Jared's new house and the roof he needed. While they made plans for a roofing party, the women spoke of babies, recipes and knitting.
Soon, though not as soon as Healy would have liked, the reverend and his wife took their departure, only seconds before a new buggy rolled up to the porch.
Standing on the porch, Jared muttered a foul word under his breath.
"Who is it?" Healy asked, Gage still clinging to her.
"Melanie," Jared answered in a voice full of concern. "And her mother."
Barclay helped the older woman to the ground and gave Jared a get-over-here look. Melanie alighted on her own.
Jared stayed put. When Healy took a step back, meaning to escape, he snagged her with an arm around her waist and clamped her to his side.
Surprised by his action, Healy glanced at him and saw the grim set of his mouth. He didn't want to speak to Melanie. Oddly, that made Healy feel better. No. Worse. She'd ruined his relationship to the other girl just as she'd feared.
"Hello, Jared." Melanie, a pretty girl with long honey-colored hair trailing over her shoulders and down to her slender waist, climbed the steps to the porch, facing Jared square on.
He cleared his throat. "Melanie. How are you doing? I want you to meet my wife, Healy."
"Yes," Melanie spoke coolly. "I heard about your sudden marriage. I must say it took me by surprise."
Like Mrs. Heinrichs, the girl's gaze went to Healy's middle. Healy's jaw tightened, her teeth grinding together while she debated how to react.
"Healy is Cynara's sister," Jared said, "so we've known each other quite a while."
"Odd that you've never mentioned her." Melanie obviously didn't believe Jared.
He gave Healy a smile, and she did her best to smile back. Never had she been more miserable. She'd given no thought to the idea of people being eager enough to meet her to drive all the way out to the ranch. Just like she'd given insufficient thought to the trouble her arrival here could cause. She'd thought only of herself and staying alive.
"Good to see you, Melanie." Cynara joined them, as well as Barclay and Mrs. Gainsford.
Healy wondered where Chase must be. The more people she had around her to take the attention from her, the better she'd like it.
"You go on in with the others, Mother. I wish to speak to Jared." Melanie's politeness vied with the icy amber color of her eyes. "If you don't mind."
"Of course not. Excuse me, I need to change Gage's diaper." Healy gladly escaped. In the babies' room she dawdled over her chore for as long as she could. In time, Cynara entered with Vella on one hip and Connor on the other.
"You can't hide the whole time that girl and her mother are here, Healy." Cynara allowed Connor to slide down her hip onto the cot and put a sleepy-eyed Vella in her crib.
"I know, but I thought I'd give it my best effort." She picked Gage up from where she'd changed him and held him in front of her as if he could shield her from the agony of facing Melanie again. "There you are, you gorgeous boy. All dry and ready to nap."
"I think you can be sure Melanie won't stay long. She's still outside with Jared and her mother is as fidgety as a rattler without a head.
"That's a gruesome image." Healy kissed Gage's forehead. "She can't leave soon enough for me. I hope Melanie isn't being too hard on Jared. He doesn't deserve it."
"If you'd came back into the great room," Cynara said, "you'd have a better idea how it's going because you'd be able to see them through the window."
Healy made a moue with her mouth. She did want to see Jared with Melanie. "All right."
Together they joined Barclay who did his best to entertain a grim-faced Mrs. Gainsford. Obviously, a lost cause.
Healy received a malignant stare from the woman who rose and turned to the window. "Where is that girl? I'm ready to leave."
No one bothered to answer as Mrs. Gainsford swept over to the front door and let herself out. "Melanie?"
Jared, standing in the yard with Melanie, glanced over to see Mrs. Gainsford on the porch. Movement behind the window drew his gaze to shadowy figure a little ways back. Healy? Probably worried what was going on between him and Melanie. She felt responsible about causing trouble between them.
"Yes, Mother." Melanie spun away from him and strolled to the buggy. "I'm ready."
Jared wanted to stop her, wanted to grab her and make her listen to him. He'd tried to tell her to be patient, that things would work out, but she was too hurt to listen. Guilt tore at his gut. It roused new anger within him. Anger with Healy. Anger he couldn't seem to hang on to.
While Barclay helped mother and daughter climb aboard, Jared turned and marched off to the stable. A few minutes later, he watched the Gainsford buggy trundle
up the lane toward the gate. At the house, Barclay escorted Cynara inside. "I think we should give Jared some time to himself." Cynara's voice carried to him."I believe he has some thinking to do."
Thinking? Maybe, though it didn't seem to do much good. The entire situation went round and round in his head, offering no resolution, no relief. Melanie claimed to trust him and promised to wait for him. Somehow, Jared didn't believe her.
Chapter Six
Healy followed her sister into the babies' room and, despite Gage's resistance to letting go of her, laid him in his bed. His eyelids drooped, he stopped fussing and closed his eyes.
Silence soon fell over the household.
"It's so quiet, I think I'll lay down myself." Healy fled the tension thickening the air and climbed the stairs to her own chamber. Jared wasn't the only one who needed to think.
Using High Mountain Ranch as her hideout had turned out more complicated than she'd expected. She couldn't say why she hadn't realized people from town might want to meet her and congratulate her and Jared on their "marriage." Of course, everyone would be curious.
Melanie's visit surprised her the most. What had she said to Jared? Had they worked matters out between them? Had he told her the truth?
Once more, the inadvisability of Healy coming to Montana struck her full in the face. She'd caused a huge rift between Jared and the woman that, for all Healy knew, he might love. Besides that, she'd brought potential danger to everyone on the ranch. And the babies. Oh, how would she ever live with the knowledge should any of them be hurt by this?
The image of Gage's little face appeared in her mind. She had quickly come to love the little guy. To protect him, if no one else, she should leave, but how? They'd stop her if they knew of her plans. She'd have to sneak out at night and—what?—walk to Cutthroat? Could she borrow a horse and leave it wherever she ended up catching the stage? Would anyone outside of the Givens family try to stop her?
She'd heard a couple of other towns mentioned but had neglected to catch the names and had no idea how to find them, except to follow the roads that did not go to Cutthroat.
Jared (Bachelors And Babies Book 7) Page 7