by Stella Clark
Richie answered the question. “No need to be ashamed,” his foreman elbowed him. “She’s a right good woman and we’re all better for her service. No one thought you’d be so quick to settle down, that’s all. You’re sweet on her.”
Cooper didn’t have a response, too incredulous at such an idea. Him? Sweet on someone? In love? That was impossible. That didn’t happen. It couldn’t. Love didn’t exist.
His eyes flitted toward Kate who blushed as one of his men complimented her food. She nodded, thanking him. When she smiled, Cooper felt his chest tighten again. Now he couldn’t help but wonder if he had misunderstood something about marriage.
Chapter 9
“What are you smiling about?”
Kate jerked over to see Cooper riding beside her. He sat straight and tall in the saddle, looking handsome as ever. With his hat off, his hair ruffled in the breeze.
“I’m sorry?” she asked, not certain she had heard him right.
“You’ve been smiling since we left church. What’s on your mind?”
They asked each other that sometimes. Usually, their answers were typical—about responsibilities and projects. But every now and then, they had a memory or dream to share.
There had been a dream that had made her smile. She’d been in a wonderful mood all morning. Especially when Cooper complimented her muffins and whispered a few inside jokes during church.
But it had reminded her of a dream where she’d been on a picnic with Cooper on a green hill before a lovely field of flowers. Everything had smelled delightful, and they hadn’t even eaten anything because they were so entranced with one another. In her dream, Cooper had called her beautiful.
Pulled back into the real world, Kate felt a blush come over her cheeks. She couldn’t tell him about that. Not wanting to lie, however, she searched for the right thing to say to her husband that she told herself she definitely did not have particular feelings toward.
“Church was exceptionally good today,” she managed to choke out. “That’s all. What—what did you think of the sermon?”
The conversation switched lanes and they discussed the sermon during their ride home, keeping their horses at a comfortable pace since they weren’t in a rush.
It was a beautiful day and she didn’t want to waste it. She invited him to join her for a walk, but he declined. Her hope wavered, but she wasn’t surprised. The man was always hesitant about leaving his men behind for too long. He cared for his ranch and his team, always wanting to be there for them.
That was just one of the reasons that she knew he was a good man. Over the last couple of months, the list of reasons had grown. It made her heart ache if she thought too long and hard about him. When it got to be too much, she worked.
After enjoying a walk, Kate prepared supper. She hummed as she worked on the corn, rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands into the spices.
The work was hard, handling laundry and large meals and animals. They were considering buying goats and she couldn’t imagine how to take care of them. But Cooper was hopeful, and she couldn’t deny him anything.
Once the food was prepared, she put on her apron and set everything in the handcart to make the trek down to the mess hall. It was tedious work, walking back and forth to load and unload the heavy pots and other items. It often left a fine line of sweat across her brow.
But she didn’t mind. This was something she had agreed to. She wiped away the sweat on her brow with her forearm as she began setting up the food. Once everything was ready, she rang the triangle and prepared to serve the men.
“Delicious as always,” Richie commended her with a broad smile.
She shook her head at the man who constantly complimented her. “You haven’t even tried a bite, Richie. How can you say that?”
“I’ve smelled it and that’s enough for me, ma’am. There’s always something delightful and my chops are watering. It’s going to be good; I can tell.”
The next man in line agreed, nodding eagerly as he waited for her to serve him. Behind him, however, was a hairy man who grumbled. She remembered the man’s unfriendly demeanor and her heart sank.
“It’s good,” he admitted to the man behind him. “Which is more than I can say for that torn-up face. How do you think he manages to look at her every morning? I’d be tempted to smother her with my pillow. Bet the boss does, too.”
The ladle clattered into the corn, making kernels fly. She jumped in surprise, her heart thudding. As blood drained from her face, Kate tried to think. But all she could hear were those words over and over again.
After all, they had to be about her. She was the only woman and the only one with such a hideous face. It took all her energy not to let the tears flood down her face. Her eyes misted over as she choked up.
“Ma’am?” Richie stood up from his nearby table.
“Here,” the man before her scooped his own corn and offered the ladle back. “Easy mistake. It’s a little slippery.”
Struggling to collect her thoughts, she took the ladle back. Somehow, she managed to serve the hairy man, and then the man after him. She didn’t know if she was supposed to have heard that remark, but she had, and now she couldn’t get it out of her head.
There were looks in town, but no one said anything. Folks out west were a mite more polite than those back in Boston. Over two months had passed since anyone had said anything to her like that.
Her stomach grew queasy as she struggled to feed the rest of the men. Everyone had been kind. Were they too kind? Cooper had defended her once, but what did that mean?
Kate wasn’t certain she wanted to know. When she started to pack up the remains of the meal, not having seen her husband yet, doubts flooded in. He had never said anything to her but maybe that was because he couldn’t.
A lump formed in her throat. That man was probably right. Her husband would never care for her or love her. Even if he changed his mind about a marriage of convenience, he wouldn’t stand for someone like herself. For all she knew, they didn’t go into town often because he didn’t want to be seen with her.
It could be disgust or even pity that he hid. She couldn’t tell.
***
Kate hurriedly put out a meal for Cooper as dusk set in, realizing she had taken too long. She was furiously scrubbing dishes, her hair down to hide her face, when Cooper stepped inside.
“Something smells great,” he said. “What are we having tonight?”
Kate hesitated, dread flooding her senses. “Corn and some pie.” She froze, not certain she could sit with him through supper in her state. But she didn’t know how to step away. So she sat down.
He dove in after saying grace. “Mm,” Cooper nodded. “You know how to feed a man, Kate.” He took two more bites before pausing. “You’re not eating. Are you all right?”
She gulped. “Yes. Yes, of course. I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong.”
Her husband studied her. “You’re not looking too well. How about you go to bed and rest? I’ll tidy up tonight.”
“Are you sure?” Kate turned pale.
He didn’t want to be around her. Maybe the hairy man had been right. Cooper couldn’t stand to look at her.
Nodding, he waved a hand. “I’ll check on you later.”
She didn’t know what else to do but obey. Kate shakily stood and made her way up to their room. But the nerves kept her from being able to sit still, let alone lie down. Pacing back and forth, she wrung her hands.
If he could hardly stand her, then she wasn’t sure if they could be married forever. Surely he would get tired of seeing her face every day. Nausea roiled in her stomach as she tried to think of something to make him see that she was worth it, no matter how she looked. The emotions she felt for him hid in the shadows with the ache in her heart as she tried to think.
He never came to check on her. When Kate was too exhausted to move, she collapsed under the blankets.
Peach cobbler. They always kept peaches on hand for him. In the mor
ning, Kate resolved with a yawn, she would make the perfect peach cobbler, no matter how many tries it took. Then he would see that she wasn’t so ugly and useless.
Chapter 10
Cooper left his wife in bed sleeping, not wanting to wake her. In the morning light, he could see the circles under her eyes. At least she looked much more peaceful than the night before.
When she was in the kitchen, the woman was a whirlwind of movement and flour. He’d stayed behind to talk with her one morning, watched her work. It was like a dance that only she knew, working the fireplace and food as she hummed.
Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for him to bide his time with her. He had to keep an eye on his team. They were down a few hands with the cattle drive in Texas. Though he was originally supposed to go, Cooper had decided against it. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Kate alone.
Dressing quietly, he made his way outside. Even if he had the time to spend with Kate, Cooper thought to himself, he knew it was a bad idea.
Richie’s words from the other day still bothered him. That had been a silly thing to say. Love didn’t exist. Maybe he was fond of her, but only in a friendly way. Kate was his wife and it was important that they got along well. But sweet on her? Those words implied something more. It made his chest tighten, a sensation that now made him uncomfortable.
He kept walking, looking for his ranch hands so he could find a distraction. Right outside the men’s house, he found Richie and Tom washing and shaving for the day.
“Morning, boss,” Tom chimed up first.
“We don’t usually see you this early,” Richie commented. “Is the missus up now, too?”
Cooper hesitated. “No, she’s sleeping. Kate needs some rest. She might be falling ill, so it’ll be bread and apples for you boys this morning. Nothing fresh.”
As Tom groaned, Richie turned to give Cooper a careful look. The man’s mustache twitched. “Is she all right? It’s not about what Wagby said last night, is it? Nobody should listen to him anyhow.”
“Wagby?” Cooper frowned. He still remembered what the man had said when Kate first arrived. The man had been told to keep his mouth shut. But he was stubborn, and Kate was too nice to accuse anyone of trouble. “What did he say? What happened?”
The two men exchanged looks. “It wasn’t anything crude,” Tom sighed. “But it certainly wasn’t kind. Said something about her scar and … being smothered. I’m trying not to remember the particulars, boss, if that’s all right.”
Gritting his teeth, he shook his head. “I get it. Where’s Wagby?” That man had been left on too loose a rope. He’d had a few warnings lately and Cooper wasn’t about to let this pass as well.
Especially when it was something about his wife. It made sense then, how she had looked ill that night after enjoying their morning at church. His hands balled into fists as Richie told him that Wagby was in the far west pasture.
“Thanks,” Cooper snarled and stomped off to retrieve his horse.
Though his first thought was to beat the man into the ground, the long ride helped him cool down just enough that his blood was no longer boiling. Cooper was angry, but he grew more patient. A man couldn’t fight another man based off someone else’s words. He had to hear it for himself.
Forcing a smile, he waved to Wagby who was sitting in his saddle chewing tobacco as he kept an eye on the longhorns. “How was the night?”
“Peaceful.” Wagby nodded when Cooper pulled up. “The dogs scared off a coyote, but that was it.”
Cooper eyed him warily as he tried to think. “That’s good, I suppose. Just wanted to come around and check on everything around here. Say, you’re not married, are you?”
The man scratched his thickly bearded chin before shrugging. “Naw, there ain’t a woman I’m looking to settle down with. Don’t see no reason to.”
“No?” Cooper’s hands tightened on his reins, ready for action. One reason, he told himself. Just one reason and he’d beat the man black and blue. Wagby had caused a few problems in the past, but his work had been good enough that Cooper didn’t want to fire him. But the man had said enough in the past that he was ready. “There’s no one in town that you’re interested in? You don’t want a wife?”
Shrugging, Wagby popped some more tobacco in his mouth. Cooper could smell the thick scent from his saddle. He waited, hoping the man would take the bait.
“I don’t see no reason to,” Wagby said as he nudged his horse. “Women aren’t important enough, I don’t think.” Then he started off around the cattle when the dogs started to bark.
Gritting his teeth, Cooper glared at the man’s back. He still considered himself something of a gentleman. There wasn’t any way he was going to attack the man out of nowhere. He couldn’t beat him for what Tom had said Wagby had said. If he would just say something more, then Cooper had enough reason to at least punch him.
That’s all he was asking for. One good, solid punch.
“Stampede!”
Cooper came to attention. The dogs’ barking changed, and he saw several longhorns blustering through the herd. Something had happened. Tightening his hands on his reins, he found another problem that demanded his attention.
With a curse under his breath, he nudged his horse. “Get moving,” he ordered Wagby as he passed, trying to find the beginning of the running cattle. “I need you on the left!”
If he could find the bull leading the charge, then he could try to redirect and slow the animals down. It was a dangerous job, but it wouldn’t be the first time he or his men had handled such an incident. As long as they worked together, they could fix this before anyone got hurt.
As his horse charged, Cooper pulled out his rope and swung it into a lasso. His stomach moved uneasily. But he forced himself to keep moving. There was a herd of twenty on the run and he didn’t want the other peaceful lot to get mowed down or join them.
He found the lead. Riding alongside the party, he patted his horse’s neck. Glancing around for his men, Cooper found Marty near him on the right with Harold in the back. He prayed Wagby had made it to the left of the herd, and then he dove into the mix.
If he could get the lasso on and slow the lead bull down, everything would be just fine.
Chapter 11
Taking a deep breath, Kate fanned her face as she looked at her open window. There was a thick sill with her three pies resting there. One had a crust that crumbled too much. One had peaches that hadn’t softened right.
But the third one was good. She just knew it.
Then she realized how ridiculous she was acting. Her shoulders slumped as she fell back against the kitchen table with a groan. Food filled a man’s stomach but that didn’t mean it would change his heart.
He had been so clear in his letters. It was a marriage of convenience. The man hadn’t even kissed her to seal the deal at their wedding. He had squeezed her hand with a short nod.
She gave a short laugh of disbelief.
“Such a fool,” she muttered to no one in particular.
And she had thought the pies would fix everything. Kate collapsed in her seat in frustration. Nothing would be enough. After all these months, she had only been digging herself into a deeper hole.
Coming to Oregon was supposed to give her a secure life. It had. She had found happiness and peace there. But now everything had become complicated. Keeping her heart protected against Cooper’s smile had become difficult.
She scowled just as footsteps ran up to the back door. Kate jumped at the banging before stumbling over to open it in bewilderment. Richie was gasping for air breathlessly as he leaned against the door.
“Richie!” Kate opened the door completely, her brow furrowed. He rarely came up to the house, usually waiting until mealtime if he needed something. “What is it? Are you hurt?”
Shaking his head, he pointed behind him. “It’s Coop.”
That made her heart drop.
It took all her strength to keep her knees from k
nocking. Kate was frozen as she squeaked, “What?”
There was another squeak, this time the familiar sound of a wagon scrambling over the flat path. Kate watched as three ranch hands pulled the wagon up to the house.
She could smell the blood. When her husband’s arm moved, proving he wasn’t dead, Kate managed to breathe again. She dropped her hand from her heart and ran to help.
Richie grabbed her arm before she could do anything. “We have him. But I wanted to warn you before …” he didn’t have to continue.
The men glanced at her as they came to a stop. A lump formed in her throat. Cooper wasn’t conscious. He hardly looked alive. A hiccup escaped her mouth and she clapped her hand over it. Then she nodded, letting them know she was all right. She had to be.
It was all they needed. Richie stayed beside her, offering a comforting arm as they picked up her husband. Cooper was still. And so bloody.
“In the house.” She realized they would need to put him somewhere. Finding her strength, she glanced at Richie. “Find the doctor,” Kate instructed. Grabbing towels, she ran to find a resting place for her injured husband.
Biting her lip, she piled all the rugs and blankets to create a makeshift bed by the fireplace. They followed close behind, carefully setting him down. Kate knelt beside Cooper as he groaned. But his eyes never opened. Her hands shook as she tried to think about what to do.
There was so much blood. There was an injury somewhere, but she couldn’t bring herself to look any deeper. Her gaze was focused on his face, praying he would wake up.
Around her, the men tidied up and brought her hot water with more towels. Then she let them go, waiting impatiently for Richie and the doctor. And she prayed for her husband to wake up.
He didn’t. Dr. Heathrow arrived and said Cooper’s left ankle appeared sprained, but the main injury was where he had been ripped up on the right side of his chest by a bull’s horns. He needed to be tended to around the clock for the night, but the doctor had other patients to tend to and left.