Barclay listened as he pulled on his boots.
"Hell, I could've told you that two days ago. Figured it inevitable when I saw your face the day you brought her home after she wandered off from Ma's and the way you've looked at her ever since." Barclay patted Jared's knee. "Congratulations."
The brothers rose in unison, turning to see Healy and Cynara sitting in the buggy staring at them.
"Congratulations for what?" Cynara asked.
"Jared's finally figured out what he wants to do with his life," Barclay said with a wry grin.
"Be an inventor?" Healy asked.
"That's part of it," Jared mumbled, swallowing coffee so he didn't have to meet her gaze.
In the morning they continued their journey, arriving home in time for a late supper. Cynara drove up to the front door. Ma Givens greeted them a second later with Gage in her arms. As soon as he saw Healy, he babbled and reached out for her. She hurried over to take him in her arms.
"Mm, you sweet boy. Did you miss me the way I missed you?" As she spoke, she covered him in kisses until she had him in giggles.
"You spoil that child," Cynara said. "You do know that if you marry Jared, it's a package deal. You get Gage too."
Healy laughed. "Is that supposed to discourage me? I might marry him just to have this adorable child."
Jared walked up in time to hear. "Hey. Not fair. Next thing I know, you'll be claiming you want to marry me for my money."
"I wouldn't marry you if you were the richest man in Montana," Healy threw back at him while the others standing around them chuckled.
Jared shook his head. "I bet there isn't another man in the state who can only get a wife by having a son to adopt."
"And don't forget it." Healy swept up the steps and into the house, taking Gage with her.
The others followed her inside. Healy sat on the floor playing patty cake with the baby.
"There's fresh coffee on the stove and scones in the oven," Ma said. "I anticipated the time you'd be likely to get home."
"Sounds mighty good, Ma," Jared told her, heading for the kitchen with Barclay right behind him, and kissing her on the way. "Thanks."
Ma turned to Cynara. "Well, all this talk about marriage. Something good must have happened on your little journey."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Ma," Healy said, turning away.
"She's being evasive, Ma," Cynara said, walking over to peek into the nursery. "It's plain as day to the rest of us that she and Jared belong together."
Healy cleared her voice. "Enough of that nonsense. We did have a scare in Pony. Skelly Bernard was there somewhere, I'm sure."
"Healy saw one of his men on the street." Seeing Connor awake and sucking his thumb, Cynara went in to pick him up.
"I take it this henchman of Skelly's didn't see her?" Ma asked when Cynara returned with the baby. "Otherwise he'd have snatched her."
"No. I found it very odd." Cynara sat down and prepared to feed Connor. "He couldn’t have helped but see us, yet he paid us no mind and simply kept walking. Healy says he's always been nice to her, so we're hoping he didn't say anything to his employer. And no one followed us when we left there, which is good news."
"Yes. Did you get some clothes ordered, Healy?"
"I did." Healy nodded."We'll have to go back next week for a fitting. I hope to high heaven Skelly won't still be there." Except that would mean he'd be here somewhere. Would he stay in town, plain as day, for anyone to see? Or would he hide in the woods? To imagine him sleeping on the ground and eating at a campfire boggled her mind. It simply wouldn't be something the Skelly she knew would do. Not willingly anyway.
"And did Cynara order anything for herself?" Ma gave her daughter-in-law a probing look. "Ones with deep seams that can be let out?"
"Deep seams?" Healy laughed. "Why would she want that?"
"Well," Ma said, dragging out the word dramatically. "I noticed the booties the two of you made for the triplets."
"So?" Healy said.
"There were four pairs." Ma continued to eye Cynara speculatively. "And I've noticed a tell-tale glow about my daughter-in-law recently."
To Healy's surprise, Cynara flushed and her smile held something unusual in it, something special that lit up her face. "Cynara? Is it true?"
Her smile widening, she nodded. "Ma guessed right. I'll be having a baby in seven months or less."
Healy pounced on her with a big hug, careful not to be too rough. "And you haven't said a word. You brat."
Cynara shushed her and glanced toward the kitchen. "I haven't told Barclay yet."
"Why ever not?" Ma asked. "What are you waiting for?"
With a small, awkward shrug, Cynara said, "I sort of wanted him to realize it for himself. After all, the man isn't stupid."
"No, he's not. None of my sons are stupid." Laughing, Ma gave Healy a pointed look. "Except, perhaps, in matters of love."
"Healy?" Jared's voice came from the great room.
Healy stepped out of the nursery. "Yes?"
"Want to take a walk with me?" He drew her out of hearing distance of Cynara and Ma.
She studied his face. His brow wrinkled with worry, his eyes wary. He was hiding something. "What is it, Jared?"
"This." He drew a piece of paper from his pocket."Slim found it tacked to the message board outside the marshal's office in Cutthroat when he went in for supplies this morning. I didn't know whether to give it to you. I don't want you more frightened than you already are."
Moving the note into the lamplight, she ran her gaze over the block-printed message. Ruth, come home or suffer the consequences.
She gasped. Her heart thudded against her ribs. Her throat went dry. He was here. In Cutthroat. There would be no escaping the man now. Unless she could sneak away, get to another town, catch a stagecoach and flee to California.
Thoughts racing through her head, Healy jumped up and paced back and forth, terror scraping at her insides like a rasp. She should have left. Regardless of all Jared and Cynara's arguments, she should have left. Now it was too late.
Swinging around, she glared at Jared. "This is your fault. If you hadn't interfered, I'd be on my way to California now and no one at High Mountain would be in any danger. Why didn't you let me go?"
"Healy—"
"No more, Jared. I've heard enough." Turning, she raced up the stairs to her room, slammed her door and locked it.
"Jared?" Cynara appeared in the nursery doorway. "Something wrong?"
Wordlessly, he walked over and handed her the note from the message board. As she read it, her face blanched. "Oh my. Jared, this is terrifying. I heard her run up the stairs. Is she upset? Should I go talk to her?"
"I don't know." He lifted his hand, then let them fall helplessly. "She's angry because I didn't let her leave here. She thinks everyone here would be safe if she'd gone."
"She can't know that's true." Cynara's gaze went to the second floor Healy had fled to. "She can't know she'd have made it away safely. So many other bad things could have…"
She let her voice trail off. When she spoke again, it was with firmness and resolve. "I'm going to talk to her. She can't go beating herself up over this or blaming us."
Jared watched her climb the stairs and silently wished her luck.
A pounding came on Healy's door. "Healy? Open up."
Cynara. Healy didn't want to hear what she had to say. "Go away. I'm napping."
"No, you're not. You're sulking. I can hear it in your voice." Cynara rattled the doorknob. "I have the key to this door, you know. You may as well open it."
With a huff of impatience, Healy swung her legs off the bed and stalked to the door. "There," she said, leaving it open and returning to the bed.
"Healy, Jared told me what happened. I can see you're working yourself up into a tizzy worrying about what will happen now." Cynara sat on the bed. "Can't you see we love you and need to be able to help you?"
Healy snorted a laugh at that. Jared didn't love her. He
liked to kiss her was all.
"Don't act like that," Cynara scolded. "We do love you. I love you. If anything happened to you, I'd die inside."
Knowing that to be true, Healy sighed and sat up. "I know. But if you'd have let me go when I tried to leave, I'd be on my way to Los Angeles now and you'd all be safe."
"Don't be foolish, Healy Kimbrough," Cynara spat. "You can't be stupid enough to believe that. All manner of things could have happened to you once you left here. A young woman traveling alone is prime bait for thieves and killers. You could end up like Minnie. She was kidnapped by a gang and raped repeatedly by the bunch of them until she became pregnant with the triplets. Is that what you want?"
"Of course, it isn't. You know better than that." Angry now, Healy jumped up and paced to the window and back. "Yes, something as bad as Skelly finding me could have happened, but at least you'd all be out of danger. The babies would be out of danger. Isn't that worth something?"
"You know it is. But I'm not willing to take the chance. And neither is Jared or Barclay. We want you here where we can protect you."
Suddenly, Barclay appeared in the open doorway. "What are you two arguing about? Go downstairs and drink some tea, Cynara. I don't want you getting all upset and losing our baby."
"Your…" Cynara sputtered. "How did you know?"
"You think I'm a simpleton? That I wouldn't notice you getting sick in the mornings, and other evidence?" He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. "My heavens, woman, I love you and I already love that wee one you're carrying. Maybe instead of tea, you should lay down. Or better yet, I'll bring you some tea in bed."
Leaning forward, Cynara bracketed his head with her hands. "Oh, you dear man. I apologize. I didn't think you'd noticed. I should have simply told you, like Healy and Ma said."
She glanced around. Healy was gone. "Come on. Let's go to our own room. I want to be alone with you."
Taking her hand, he helped her up and they walked arm in arm into the hallway. Healy, standing at the head of the stairs swallowed the tears that rose to her throat. An enormous emptiness had opened up inside her. She wanted to be loved the way Barclay loved her sister. She wanted to be carrying her own baby.
"Healy?"
Her gaze went to the man standing at the foot of the staircase. Jared.
"I'm sorry, Healy. I can't bear you being upset with me."
Need filled her empty heart and she walked down the stairs to him. When she reached him, she said nothing, merely wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. The world righted itself, and she knew in that moment, she loved Jared Givens.
Chapter Ten
Healy had put away the dishes she'd just dried for Oysters when the back door opened, and Jared came in.
"Healy," he said."Will you come to the shop with me?"
"Sure. I'm finished here." She took off her apron, grabbed her shawl and strode to the stable with him. "What's going on?"
He took her hand. It had come to seem such a natural thing to do, now that Melanie no longer had so much of a hold on Jared. She'd been seeing Rory. "I want you with me when I bring over the scooter."
Her heart somersaulted in excitement. "You're going to give it to Cynara now?"
"Yes. Come and help me?"
"You know I wouldn't miss this." She clapped her hands together.
They reached the workroom and he opened the door. "I hope she likes it."
"You know she will." Healy helped him take the scooter down from the worktable. He'd painted it yellow with pink and blue flowers on the tray. "It's Barclay's reaction that worries you."
He blew out a breath. "Getting to know me fairly well, aren't you?"
"Yes. Why did you decide to give her the scooter today?"
"So it wouldn't interfere with the roofing party." He squeezed her fingers. "Besides, it gave me an excuse to be alone with you."
She swatted him lightly on his arm. "Oh, you. Since when do you need time to be with me?"
He picked up the baby walker and gave her a long, penetrating look. "I'll tell you one of these days."
"You're a tease."
"Maybe. Maybe not." He led her to the stable. "By the way, I have something else to show you. I worry about being gone so much working on my house. It's too far from the main house where you are, so I rigged up an emergency call system."
"How? Where is it?" she asked.
He pointed to a wire or cable. It could have been cording, she couldn’t tell. "See that line? It goes all the way to my house. All you have to do is give it a big yank and it will rattle a string of cans that I'll hear up there."
"Jared, you are so smart. What a valuable idea. People everywhere who live in the country could use systems like this." She pulled on the cord and heard nothing and wondered why. Perhaps he hadn't finished with it. "During bad storms back home, we'd string up something like this, only without cans hanging on the end, and low enough to keep our hands on so we could follow it to the outhouse and barn during really bad snowstorms. Otherwise, we could get lost and freeze to death."
"We do the same here. That's what gave me the idea." He waved his hand in the air, following the line. "This one is strung through the trees, though, and along rooftops."
"I can see that. I just hope we'll never need to use it." She picked up the end of the cord hanging down a post. "Why aren't there cans here? If there were, you could signal us if you had a problem at the new house, like falling off the roof or something."
"Good idea. I'll have to do that. Be sure to tell Cynara about it."
"I will. Oh, look. It's raining." Healy held out a hand, catching raindrops in her palm. "It's almost icy, it's so cold."
"Might turn to snow before morning." He drew her shawl tighter around her. "You need a good cloak or coat. This shawl won't protect you in snow."
"My first Montana winter," Healy mused. "I wonder if it will be my only one."
"I don't want to hear you talk that way." Jared scowled. "You're staying, if I have anything to say about it."
She wanted to tell him he had everything to say about it. All he had to do was ask her, and she'd be here forever.
"I can't wait to get all this moved to the new house." He took her hand again, holding the walker under his arm.
"Where are you going to put the new workroom?" Healy followed him inside.
"That back room next to the kitchen." At the rear porch, he released her hand to hold the door open for her. "Eventually, I'll build a shop for it separate from the house."
"Why, when you have space for it inside?" Healy looked for Oysters, but he must have gone to his room.
"We'll see. I may decide you're right." They strolled through the dining room to the great room.
"I'm glad Ma is here for this," Healy said.
Jared set the scooter in the middle of the great room floor. "Ma, Cynara, want to come out here? And bring one of the babies with you."
Moments later, Cynara emerged with Vella in her arms. Ma came behind her holding Gage who instantly reached for Healy.
She took him and went to the scooter. "Let's see if he likes this."
While Jared put a few blocks and balls on the tray Healy sat the babe inside and gave the contraption a gentle shove. Gage's eyes widened as it moved across the floor. Then he gave a whoop and giggled.
"He likes it," Healy shouted.
"This is the chair you showed me?" Cynara said. "It looks so different now, all painted and finished with the wheels on and everything. It's wonderful, Jared."
"Oh, my, yes." A smile spread across Ma's dear wrinkled face. "Look at him. He's going to have so much fun with that. Will you make one for each of the babies?"
Jared glanced at Healy, a Huh? look in his eyes. "I hadn't planned to."
Ma gave him a chiding glance. "You know they'll fight over it."
Healy went to Gage, spun the chair around and gave it a push back to the center of the room. "His legs aren't quite long enough yet to push it himself."
"He'll grow into it fast," Cynara said. "Here, give Vella a turn in it."
Healy plucked Gage out and settled Vella inside. Gage began to cry.
"Vella likes it too."
Barclay came from the kitchen. "What's going on out here. Sounds like you're partying."
"We are. Look what Jared made for the babies." Cynara gestured to the scooter.
"Good hell. What is that?" Barclay crouched down to examine it.
"We call it a baby scooter because when their legs are long enough, they'll be able to move it around," Healy told him.
"Well, I'll be." Barclay stood. "That's a fine toy you made there, Jared. I'm impressed."
Healy grinned at Jared. "I told you they'd all love your invention."
"Did you come up with that yourself or see plans for it in one of Cynara's ladies' magazines?" Barclay asked.
"No, it's my design. I've been working on it for a few months now in my spare time." Jared gave it another push to make it move and Vella squealed with delight.
"What's up in here?" Chase strolled in and spotted the new item immediately. "What's this? Hey, Vella, we can have lots of fun with this." Bending, he pushed the chair around the room making zooming noises while Vella laughed, and Gage cried.
"Better give it back to Gage," Jared said.
Chase kept propelling it into the dining room, around the table, into the great room and across to the stairs and back again. "Why? Does it just belong to him?"
"No, but I suspect he thinks it does." Jared shoved his hands in his pockets, a considering expression on his face. "I may have to make them each one."
"While you're at it," Cynara put in, "how about making me a highchair for feeding them."
Jared rolled his eyes. "You don’t want three of them?"
"Well, that would be wonderful. Yes. Make three."
Connor wailed from the nursery and Ma went to fetch him.
"You know, Jared," Barclay said, "you could start a whole business making these. We could advertise them in the Helena papers and in other towns. I bet you'd have orders rolling in."
Jared (Bachelors And Babies Book 7) Page 12