A shadow fell over Rose as she set down her cases on the front porch. “Forgive the interruption,” Phillip Hugh said as he appeared at the front gate. He elegantly slung a leg over the horse and slid off before walking up the pathway. Phillip smiled politely. “I hope I am not intruding. I just wanted to sneak away from my mother before she could protest me coming to see you.”
Rose could imagine Jessica’s Hugh icy stare. She rolled her shoulders, shrugging it off, “You may want to assure your mother that I am back with my husband. I don’t think she likes the idea of you and me socializing.”
Phillip chuckled. “My mother has always been protective. Still, are you indeed mending things with Mr. Walker? I had heard mention of it yesterday at church and wanted to hear the truth for myself.”
“Yes,” Rose said, suppressing a sigh; she was back with her hot tempered, gambling husband. “We are staying in Tall Pine, and Eliza was very helpful in finding us a home.” She tried to sound glad about it, but her voice came out rather dry. “That is why I am once again pulling out my cases.”
“I feel that I must protest.” Phillip continued, “I would hate to see a woman as lovely and courageous as yourself have a reason to dim those beautiful eyes with tears.”
Rose laughed, shaking her head, knowing it would allow loose tendrils to frame her face. “Careful Mr. Hugh, compliments are my one weakness.” She was flirting. She shouldn’t. She knew it was wrong, but it was hard not to engage him. When she’d left Cade, she thought about him, even missed him, but her heart had cut him off as her husband and lover. Now, he was a nuisance crawling under her skin.
“I’ll be sure to remember that,” Phillip looked down shyly. “With a woman such as yourself, one could never run out of compliments.”
A deep timbre etched with aggression grated across the air, “A woman who is my wife.” Cade’s tall figure appeared in the doorway; his stormy eyes slid over Phillip like he was a snake about to lose its venomous head.
Phillip lifted his chin. “For now,” he said softly.
Cade’s eyes flared. “Don’t you have someone else’s life to ruin? A poor Indian or a helpless orphan?”
Phillip frowned. “No, no pressing matters while I am here in Tall Pine. My last major case was two months ago. I enjoy doing local work right now.” His full lips parted into an empathetic smile. “I hope you enjoy Tall Pine, Mr. Walker—we are short of gambling houses, but we do have two saloons which are compatible for men of your taste.”
Rose cringed at the slander and watched Cade’s body tense. He took a step closer to Philip. “I have engraved men’s faces into the ground for less.”
Phillip chuckled, not the least bit intimidated. “A violent man? I wish I could say I was surprised.” He turned to Rose, “Good luck with everything Rose, sincerely. My home is always open should you ever need to talk or—” he gave the subtlest of nods to Cade, “simply need somewhere to go.”
Rose suppressed a smile as Cade nearly choked with the effort it took to suppress his anger. Phillip reached forward to the crib beside Rose and slid a gentle finger along Daisy’s curls.
“And this little angel is always welcome, too.”
Cade growled. “Don’t you dare touch her!”
Phillip look surprised. “Why ever not? She’s not your daughter, so what right do you have to say who gives her attention and who doesn’t?”
“The man who owns the mare owns the foal.”
Rose snapped her neck towards him, eyes blazing, and Phillip shook his head sadly, “Oh Rose, good luck to you.”
Cade gritted his teeth. “I did not mean Rose is a mare or that I own her –“
Rose shook her head. “Cade, please,” she looked exhausted, already tired from the stress he had caused her. “You’ll only make it worse.”
Phillip smiled smugly and turned to leave. “Oh, Rose,” Phillip turned back around, “Your mother’s Summer Ball—be a dear and save me a dance.”
“Why you—” Cade charged toward Phillip, but Rose grabbed him.
“Not here, Cade,” she hissed. “Not here, not anywhere.”
He looked at her disbelievingly. “Aren’t you offended? That soft handed, pretty faced boy was outright flirting with you—a married woman.”
She narrowed her eyes, waiting a minute for Phillip to be out of hearing. “Do you think that is the first time a man flirted with me?” At his opened mouth she scoffed and shook her head. “All the events I had to attend alone, the family parties and balls where I had to cover for you while you played cards. Men are not stupid, Cade, and people are not oblivious. Others knew our marriage was failing before I even did.”
Cade glowered. “Never again will that happen.”
Rose lowered her eyes to his shaking hands. She knew that sign; it was all too familiar. She looked back up at him, her eyes blazing with disappointment, “I doubt it.”
Rose left Cade, his eyes boring into her back as she rushed to the porch and then to the garden. Why was she acting so cruel? She’d hated, resented, and loved Cade against her will before. Then she found peace and confidence in God. Why then was all her hatred and resentment coming back? It was as if a deep wound had been ripped open again.
My sacrifice was not simple. It was not easy.
Rose swallowed and closed her eyes letting the words sink into her heart. It was Christ’s sacrifice that had allowed her to forgive Cade, to live with him peaceably even when she believed things would never change. Christ could help her do the same again, because she believed deep down that, like His Sacrifice, anything which brought happiness and healing was worth fighting for.
She opened her eyes. Daisy was worth fighting for. Family, faith, hope were worth fighting for. But was Cade? Did she want to fight for Cade? Not against him, but for him?
“I don’t know if I can, Lord,” she whispered. Her only answer was a soft breeze carrying the smell of pine.