by Sandy James
Drew chuckled. “I’m sure you will dazzle him, cutie.”
“I am not speaking of Ty.”
“Oh, no. Of course, you’re not.”
She drifted to sleep, thinking about the time she would see Ty again and planning on how she’d blister his ears for leaving her so abruptly before she threw herself into his arms and kissed him.
***
“…and that’s how we finally got back home.” Ty took a long pull on his beer.
“Sounds like quite an adventure.” Jake sipped his drink.
Ty nodded. “Figured you had an adventure of your own.”
“Nothing but a boring train ride and a couple of days on the back of my horse.”
“Should have sent Cassie with you. She sure made the trip…interestin’.” Besides, had she traveled with Jake, she wouldn’t be attached at the hip to Drew Pearson.
How easy it had been for the two of them to leave Ty standing there, trying to convince Matthew and Victoria that he hadn’t betrayed them or Grace by bringing Cassie to White Pines. For a moment, he fretted that Drew’s family had been wrong about his preferences—that Drew liked women, especially Cassie, just fine.
Still, Drew wouldn’t have taken the kind of public humiliation his family had put him through if he didn’t live the life they’d condemned him for. Ty’s own jealousy was the only thing that made him fear the bond between Cassie and Drew. At least she was still close at hand. Now he needed to find a way to keep her in White Pines.
“No way in hell you’d have let her go.” Jake grinned. “You wanted her with you. Wanna explain what’s going through that head of yours?”
“What’cha mean?”
“Who do you think you’re foolin’? You like that girl, Ty.”
He shrugged in response. It was hard enough admitting his feelings to himself—he wasn’t nearly ready to admit those feelings to anyone else. Even Jake.
Jake’s lips pulled into a tight line, and he stared for long moments. A heavy sigh slipped out. “She’s a Shay. Can you try to make that matter?”
“She’s not like them. She’s kind. Got a heart.”
No wonder she wanted to get away from her family. How difficult would it have been for a woman with so sweet a nature to grow up around such cruelty? Yet she’d come out untarnished. Pure of heart. Full of life.
Perfect.
Jake drank his beer and stared at Ty before he spoke again. “Won’t matter to Grace.”
“Didn’t matter to Matthew and Victoria, neither. Wish you coulda seen her face when Matthew found out her name.”
“Victoria’s name?” Jake drawled.
Ty shot his friend a frown, not appreciating the humor. “Was like she got…hit or something.”
“Stephen Shay hurt Grace more than he hurt Matthew. Can’t imagine Cassie’s feelings won’t get stomped if she and Grace meet up. You know, it just might be best if you let her go.”
“Can’t.”
“Can’t?” Jake shook his head. “Won’t.”
“Fine. Won’t.”
Grabbing his mug, Ty swigged down some beer. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but with the nonsense he’d gone through the last few days, he should be drinking whiskey instead. Maybe getting good and drunk would help him forget for a while.
“Ty, we’ve been friends since…well, forever.”
With a resigned sigh, he put his beer aside and prepared for another scolding.
Victoria had already performed that duty, giving him an earful and letting him know how disappointed she was in him for not caring what bringing Cassie here would do to Grace. Granted, he only knew a little of the nightmare Grace had suffered at Stephen Shay’s hand, but the man was dead and buried. Cassie was only his niece, and she’d obviously had little contact, being as she grew up in New York. Probably explained a lot about why she was so unspoiled.
A man like Stephen Shay raising her?
She’d be nothing but another rich bitch—the kind that used to sneer at him and Jake when they were children begging for food.
“You need to let her go, friend,” Jake insisted. “We got her outta there. We paid our debt.”
“She saved your life, friend. Or did you forget?”
“I remember just fine, but we did like we promised—we helped her escape from her family. Let her go her own way now, while you go yours.”
Go my own way?
Hell, Ty didn’t have a clue which way he wanted to go let alone was supposed to go. He’d held that parcel of Twin Springs land for years since Adam had given him the deed, but he’d never made plans for it. He’d never thought about a day beyond the one he was living. He never worried about the future.
’Til he met Cassandra Shay.
Ty thought about the future now. A lot. He’d dreamed of a cabin he’d built on his land—a cabin for the two of them—but that dream was being soundly destroyed by his friends and family.
And he hadn’t even faced Adam and Grace yet.
Jake was right. Holding tight to Cassie would cost Ty dearly.
What he needed to decide was if he was willing to pay that price.
***
“This will do.” Cassie held the calico dress to her front, grateful the store had one already sewn. “And I shall take the other two as well. I also need petticoats and…” She looked around the General Store to be sure no men were in earshot. “…underthings. I have no camisole or–or bloomers.”
“Lord, child.” The shopkeeper’s wife took the dress from her and draped it over her arm with the other dresses Cassie had chosen. “You really were left with nothing, weren’t ya?”
Drew came up behind her. “She’s quite lucky to have escaped with her life.”
Cassie would have grinned at his exaggeration, but at least he backed up her fib. “I will need a pair of shoes and some stockings as well.”
“Imagine that.” The older woman placed the items on the long, wooden counter. “Stagecoach bandits taking everything you owned. What a world we live in!” She headed to a back room, still muttering to herself.
“Did you stop to consider that your story doesn’t account for why you’re dressed as a man now?” Drew asked with a chuckle.
“I told her they wanted my expensive dress and forced me to strip and wear some of their cast-off clothing,” she replied with a smirk. “I’m quite used to thinking on my feet.”
Her family had taught her that lesson from an early age. A well-fabricated lie often kept her from punishment and allowed her to run free most of the time. She lied to get away from her mother’s misery, her grandfather’s scrutiny, and to spend time with the only person who truly loved her—Old Tim.
At least Drew was her friend, so she wasn’t all alone in the world now that Ty…
Now that Ty has left me behind.
“I’ve been talking to Gideon Young over there…” Drew nodded to a tall, raven-haired man. The man nodded back. “There’s an abandoned cabin on his land. It’s only a short ride from town. A man and his wife lived in it for a year or so ’til they decided Montana wasn’t what they’d bargained for and headed back East. Gideon says he and his brother can’t keep the place up, so we can stay there for a while to decide if we like it or not. Even has a small barn.”
“I still hoped we would leave White Pines.”
“You can’t leave, Cass. Not ’til things are settled between you and Ty.”
“Oh, I do believe they were settled quite fine yesterday.”
Drew leaned a hip against the counter. “Nothing got settled yesterday. He greeted his family. We walked away. Give the man a chance.”
A chance to do what? Break her heart again? “What does Mr. Young want in way of payment for the cabin?”
“Right now, nothing except for us to set it to right again. Seems it’s a bit of a…mess. He has some lumber we can use and—”
She shook her head. “I know nothing about building.”
“You’re in luck. I’ve built everything from castles t
o forests.”
“How do you build a forest?”
“Sets, Cass. I’m an actor. Who do you think builds the sets?”
He had her there. “We don’t have much money.”
“Gideon says there’s a little furniture still there that we can use, and it’ll be a great place to stay and regroup. Gideon claims there’s even a small vegetable garden we might forage some food from. Next spring we can plant—”
“Spring? You still think we’ll be here come spring?”
“I do.” He stood back to his full height and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s late autumn, angel. We couldn’t head out anywhere now. Have to wait out the winter, then we can make some long-term choices. We talked this out last night. Remember?”
A resigned sigh slipped out before the full weight of his words descended. “Drew, you should be moving on. I cannot allow you to feel…obligated—”
“Look down the street. There’s a theater being built as we speak, so I’ll have work. That solves our money problems. Besides, I am obligated. You stood by my side…especially after what my brother said.” He hung his head as his hand fell away. “You’re the one who should be moving on. Without me.”
She took his hand in hers. “Together. We will do this together. Please tell Mr. Young we would be glad to accept his offer.”
The shopkeeper’s wife returned with several undergarments and a pair of shoes which she laid on the counter next to the dresses. “Will that be all?”
“No.” Cassie smiled at Drew. “We shall need some cleaning supplies as well.”
Chapter Ten
Cassie glanced up from the well and smiled despite herself. “’Twould seem gossip travels as fast in small towns as it does in San Francisco.”
Drew pulled the saw from the slat of wood he’d been cutting. “What do you mean? Is Gideon back with more wood?”
She shook her head and pointed at their guest, who was fast approaching on his horse. “Mr. Bishop has already come for a visitation.”
Drew’s laughter floated in the air as he picked up the cut piece of timber. “Then I shall leave you two to your privacy.” He headed back into the cabin, still chuckling.
Setting aside the bucket full of water, she wiped her hands on her filthy pants. The better part of the day had been spent cleaning the windows and walls of the large two-room cabin that was now her home. The last hour she’d been on her knees, scrubbing the floor. She still wore boy’s clothes to save her new dresses wear and tear, but she suddenly wished she’d donned the calico instead. Better to have a new dress dirtied than for Ty to think of her as masculine. Just once, she wished he would see her as a real woman—that he would treat her like a real woman.
Ty practically threw himself off Duke’s back. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I beg your pardon?” Picking up the heavy bucket, she let it dangle from her fingers.
His hand shot out, snatching the bucket away from her. “What in the hell’s going through that pretty little head of yours?”
Figuring it would help her aching back to have him carry the water inside, she resisted the urge to grab the bucket back. Perhaps he did see her as a woman and wanted to be gallant.
“I have no idea what you are referring to, Mr. Bishop.” She headed toward the cabin, hoping he would follow.
“Oh, for the love of… Stop that sh— Um...manure.” Ty’s height forced him to duck to get under the doorframe. His gaze wandered the modest cabin, and his scowl grew fiercer.
She smiled up at him, hoping to appear innocent of taunting him, even though that was exactly what she was doing. “Stop what manure?”
“Stop calling me Mr. Bishop. You only do that when you’re angry.”
Her smile grew. Ty knew her better than she thought. “Fine. Ty. What makes you think I have—as you say—lost my mind?”
“Nothing else could explain you decidin’ to stay here instead of in town. A woman out here on her own—”
“Oh, but you’ve been misinformed. I’m not alone. Drew is—”
Ty set the bucket down hard enough water sloshed over the sides. “Drew! Don’t that just figure.”
His angry eyes fixed on where the topic of their discussion was aligning his board onto the wall he was constructing to create bedrooms.
“Hello there, Ty,” Drew called in a sing-song voice. “You’ve come to see our new place?”
“You ain’t got no more sense than her, do you?”
She knew what he was thinking, that the place was a mess. He was right. But she also knew that when Drew and Gideon were done making repairs and she was finished giving the place a thorough cleaning, it would be a nice little home.
Picking up a scrub brush, Cassie crouched next to the bucket. After dipping the brush in the water, she ran the bristles over the harsh soap, got back on her hands and knees, and started cleaning the floor where she’d left off.
“Cassie!” Ty’s shout echoed off the cabin walls.
Sitting back on her heels, she knit her brows. “What?”
“You can’t live here! Especially not with—” his eyes stayed fixed on Drew, “—him. Ain’t proper.”
“To hell with proper,” she replied.
Ty’s mouth dropped open. “To hell with… Ladies don’t say hell.”
“This lady does.” She went back to scrubbing the floor. “If you plan to stay, you could at least lend Drew a hand. We should get the walls built before we get the beds.”
“Beds?”
“Yes, Ty. Beds. Two of them.” If she didn’t know better, she would have assumed he was jealous. “What brings you out here?”
“Came to see what trouble you’d gone and gotten yourself into this time.”
Her gasp brought a smile to his lips. “This time? I am not one to court mischief, sir.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” His gaze wandered the cabin. “Place is bigger than I thought.”
Amazed he saw the potential as well, Cassie gave him a smile. “It is a nice size. Drew is building walls so we can each have a room. Now we must find a place to buy some furniture. Perhaps there are some craftsmen in White Pines?”
Ty nodded as his eyes came back to gaze at her. “Can help you with that.”
“We also need some linens, a chair or two. Things for the kitchen.” A sigh slipped out as she considered all she and Drew would need to buy to make the cabin a true home. “One step at a time, however.” She chuckled. “I suppose it’s one dollar at a time. Drew and I will surely have to find a way to earn some money soon to get all that we need. Do you know who owns the theater?”
Ty didn’t reply.
Cassie glanced up from where she’d begun to scrub the floor again and found him lost in thought. “Do you know who owns the new theater, Ty?”
“I gotta go.”
On that, he turned and strode out of the cabin, ducking under the door frame on his way out.
“Ty!” Dropping the brush, she scrambled to her feet and followed. She caught up with him as he got on Duke’s back. “What’s wrong?”
“Just remembered someplace I gotta be.” He reined Duke to the left.
“Wait!”
Pulling back on the reins, Ty looked down at her. “What did’ya want, Cassie girl?”
Time. What she wanted was more time with him and some brilliant stroke of inspiration so she could figure out a way to get him to stay. Drew’s company was nice, but she’d missed Ty more than he could possibly know. No sooner had he arrived than he was running right back out the door.
Cassie wrung her hands. “Um…perhaps…you’d like…”
What? What could she propose? Lemonade? A piece of pie? As if she had anything to offer him as enticement to stay...
Her mind came up blank and her pride stung. “Oh, bother. Never mind. Go on. Ride away. Just see if I care.”
Whirling on her heel, she headed back to the house. As her foot crossed the threshold, she felt a strong arm slip around her waist and tug. Her back
was plastered against Ty’s strong chest.
He clucked his tongue before kissing the ticklish place behind her ear. “That quick temper of yours will get you in trouble some day.” His voice was filled with laughter.
“I never possessed a quick temper until I met you.”
A good girl would pull away from the near embrace, but she didn’t feel much like a good girl—never did when she was with Ty. Being in his embrace was too wonderful to force herself to move.
Ty turned her in his arms. Pushing back the brim of his hat with his knuckle, he leaned in closer. Thinking he meant to kiss her again, she closed her eyes and stretched up on tiptoes. Instead of his warm lips pressing against hers, a rough cloth rubbed her cheek. Her eyes flew open to find him gently wiping her face with a handkerchief. She tried not to let him see her disappointment.
“Did you scrub the dirt off the floor and put it on your face?” he asked with a heart-stopping grin.
She shrugged and fought back the tears that threatened as she once more faced the stark fact that her feelings for him ran deep but weren’t returned. Humiliation made her cheeks burn.
“I gotta go,” he murmured. A long finger lifted her chin until she looked into his eyes. His penetrating gaze refused to release her.
Try as she might, Cassie couldn’t make herself move. “So you said. Farewell, then.”
Suddenly, he didn’t seem to be in such a hurry, slowly dropping his head as his lips drew closer and closer to hers. His warm breath rushed over her face, sending a shiver racing the length of her body.
She closed her eyes again, waiting with held breath for his kiss.
“Farewell, Cassie girl.”
By the time she opened her eyes, Ty was already mounting Duke.
Cassie clenched her hands into fists.
Ty watched her closely, enjoying every emotion she so freely displayed on her dirt-smudged face. By the time she started sputtering at him, she’d clearly settled on angry.
“Go on, then, Mr. Bishop. Just go.” She punctuated the last word with a haughty flip of her wrist.