Nate’s mind whirled with all he’d have to do to accommodate a family. What was his father thinking?
He spotted a collie drinking from the trough. “Where’d you come from?” He paused to scratch the dog’s ears and noticed how thin it was. Probably some traveler decided not to bother with it any longer. That was how he got his last dog. “We’ll have to get you some grub.”
He stepped into the barn with Eileen by the hand and led her to the stall where the cow and calf lay. “He likes his nose scratched.” Nate guided Eileen’s small hand to the calf’s nose.
“What’s his name?” Eileen rubbed the calf’s nose, then giggled when its mouth opened and it began to suck on her finger.
The little girl was so cute with her blond curls and big blue eyes. She’d be a beauty like her sister. “He doesn’t have one. This is a working ranch. We can’t get attached to our livestock.”
“Why not? She’s pretty.” Eileen patted the calf with her small hand. “Can I call her Louise?”
Before Nate could explain why it wasn’t a good idea to get attached to the calf, a shriek echoed from the house. He jerked and knocked over a pitchfork. The scream was full of panic and terror. Renegade Comanches?
“Stay here and hide,” he ordered the children. Jed instinctively grabbed his little sister and pulled her behind a feed barrel. “Jed, take care of your sister.”
Nate grabbed a shotgun by the door and raced toward the house. The blood thundered in his ears. Lucy screamed again, and the sound made his blood curdle. He reached the front of the house and stood for a moment, collecting his wits. Maybe he should try getting in the back door. Indians likely were watching this one. But before he could move toward the back, the front door flew open and Lucy came stumbling out.
Her face was white, and her blue eyes mindless with terror. Those eyes widened when she saw him, then the next thing he knew, she was burrowing into his arms. She barely came to his chest, and still holding his rifle, he held her close. Her shoulders shook, and she made frantic little mews of panic. Holding her close, he tried to peer into the cabin as he steered her back to the barn.
“Indians? The kids are hiding in the barn.”
She shook her head so hard pins flew from her hair, and golden strands fell to her shoulders. “Spider,” she gasped. She shuddered, and his arms tightened around her.
“A spider?” he asked, pushing her away.
Lucy returned to his grasp. “It was as big as my hand. And—and hairy.” She burrowed deeper into his jacket.
“Probably Zeke, my tarantula.” The corner of his mouth lifted, and he felt almost giddy with relief. His chest rumbled with the effort to hide his mirth.
Lucy lifted her head. “Your tarantula?”
A chuckle escaped. “He was in the pantry, right?”
Her eyes wide with horror, Lucy took a step back. “This spider lives there? And you named him?”
Nate was surprised to find he regretted letting go of her. “Sure, he eats the bugs.”
Lucy shuddered again. “You have to kill it.”
“Nope. Zeke stays.”
She crossed her arms. “Then I go. I’m not sharing my home with a hairy spider.”
Nate narrowed his eyes. “Fine. I didn’t want you here anyway.”
“I’ll stay with your father until you get that, that monster out of there.”
If she went back to the big house, it might upset Pa. He would think Nate wasn’t being a proper husband. And maybe he wasn’t. It was clear that Zeke had terrified her. Didn’t he at least owe her the same courtesy he’d give any guest? “I’ll take Zeke to the barn.”
“Then I won’t go in the barn!”
Nate let out a sigh and shook his head. Women. There was no pleasing them. “I thought you wanted to learn to be a proper rancher’s wife. That includes making peace with beneficial insects like tarantulas.”
“Spiders aren’t insects—they’re arachnid. And they’re hideous.”
Tears shimmered on her lashes, and Nate realized that this was not some power ploy. She was petrified. Backing away from him, a sob rose from her chest and she hiccupped.
He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Lucy. Zeke won’t hurt you.”
Lucy burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. “I’ve been trying so hard,” she sobbed. “You must think you’ve been saddled with some weak woman who needs pampering. Truly, I can carry my side of the bargain, but I can’t abide spiders. Especially ones that need a close shave. Preferably with a very sharp blade.”
Nate suppressed his grin when she shuddered. He pulled her back into his arms. She seemed to fit there. He rested his chin on her head and breathed in the fragrance of her hair. It smelled clean with a hint of something sweet, maybe lavender. Something stirred in his heart. Whether he’d planned it or not, this woman was his wife. He might not love her, but he had to make accommodations for her in his life, even if it meant ridding the house of creepy crawlies.
God would expect no less. They were both Christians. Surely they could find a way to create a comfortable home even without love. He hugged her. “I’ll get rid of Zeke.”
She turned her wet face up to him. “You will? It won’t even be in the barn?”
“I’ll take him out somewhere and let him loose.”
She smiled, and it was like the sun burst through the storm clouds. “Thank you, Mr. Stanton,” she whispered. A shadow darkened her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, there’re other spiders in the loft. Could you get rid of them too?”
He grinned. “Those I can kill.” He released her and went inside.
“I’ll just stay out here until the spiders are gone.”
Nate stepped inside the room and stopped short. Was this the same place? It was spotless. He whistled softly through his teeth. He hadn’t even noticed all the dust and cobwebs until they were gone.
He strode through the house until he found Zeke crouched in a corner of the pantry. “Sorry, old friend, you have to go out into the cold.” He held out his hand, and the tarantula crawled onto his sleeve. He carried the spider out the back door and walked out into the field until he couldn’t see the cabin anymore, then shook Zeke off into the melting snow. The spider seemed to look at him reproachfully, then scurried off toward a stand of cottonwood trees by the river.
Now for the rest of the spiders. Nate went back to the cabin. He grabbed the broom and climbed the ladder to the loft. He swatted and squashed spiders until all that was left were dead remains, then swept them all up onto a piece of tin he found. He carried them out the back door so Lucy wouldn’t see them and tossed them into the field.
He was still smiling when he went looking for Lucy. She was in the barn with the children, and she jumped when he stepped through the door. Her face was still pale, but she met his gaze bravely.
“It’s gone. So are the ones in the loft.”
Relief flooded her face, and she gave him a tremulous smile. “Thank you, Mr. Stanton. Are you hungry? I’ll start supper.”
“Starved. Let me show you where the root cellar is. I have smoked meat down there as well as some vegetables.” Taking the shovel, Nate led the way to the back of the cabin and shoveled away the snow to reveal a cellar door. He tugged it up. “Get me the broom, and I’ll make sure you don’t have to deal with any unwanted guests down there either.”
“I wanted to be a blessing, but I’m afraid I’ve been more bother than I’m worth,” she said.
She gave him a grateful smile, and he felt as tall as the Texas oak in his backyard.
THE SUN WAS low on the horizon when Lucy glanced around with a sense of contentment. Nate had taken the children out to help with chores. This was her kitchen now. Now that the spiders were gone, she could enjoy her new home. Everything sparkled, even the windows. It had felt good to hear Nate’s praise.
She put the potatoes on to fry in bacon grease, then cut slabs of beef for supper and put them on the stove as well. Canned green beans would round out the evening meal. While the bacon sizzled, she opened her trunk and emptied its contents onto the cot. She unpacked Eileen’s belongings and laid them on the cot by the fireplace. There was a bureau by the fireplace that contained Nate’s clothing: jeans, shirts, and underwear. She carried the contents upstairs and left them on a small table until she talked to Nate.
She went back to the kitchen and turned the bacon before realizing she needed more water. Surely the pump was working well, now that Nate had used it several times. With her coat buttoned to her neck, she carried the bucket out the back door to the pump. Water poured from the spout with the first pump.
She heard a man’s voice call out, so she left the bucket and went around to the front of the house. A horse moved closer until she could make out the rider. Roger. When he reached the yard, she stepped off the low porch to greet him. “I’ll get Nate. He’s in the barn with the children.”
“I didn’t come to see him.” He leaned back in the saddle. “Got any coffee?”
She nodded. “Come inside.” What would he want with her? More insinuations that she should never have come? She led him to the tiny kitchen, then poured him a cup of coffee.
He took the cup she offered. “Sit down and quit looking like a spooked calf. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She eased onto a chair and laced her fingers together. “I’m sorry we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot.”
He grimaced, then took a swig of coffee as if he needed time before speaking. He set his cup on the stained table. “I’m here to warn you.”
“Warn me? Against your brother?”
He lifted a brow. “Nate is a good man. You couldn’t have done better than him. No, I’m talking about our father. You’re going to have to stand up to him or he’ll run your life for you.”
“Look, Mr. Stanton, I don’t want to be drawn into your quarrel with your pa.” She shuddered, imagining a quarrel with Henry. He wasn’t a man to put up with much resistance to his will.
“Please call me Roger. Mr. Stanton is my pa. I see you’re skeptical, but you’ll find out all too soon. Pa holds everything in his fists. He never lets up. You have a chance since you just got here. If you start out as you mean to go on, you might be able to convince him to let you be your own woman.”
“I am my own woman.” His words touched a fear she didn’t know she had. She’d always been the one in control. Her father had looked to her for so many things, and even Catherine had been glad to let her run the household.
“See that you stay that way. Pa will push as hard as you let him.”
“I want to be part of the family. I don’t want to cause turmoil.”
“You’ll have to cause some or you’ll be sorry.” He gulped the last of his coffee and stood. “I think I’m wasting my time. You’re going to sit back and let him dictate what you do.”
“I’ll be careful.” She was thankful he cared enough to warn her. “I can see Henry is a strong-willed man. Thank you most kindly for pointing out the dangers.”
His smile was sardonic. “I’ll let you get back to your cleaning. The cabin looks nice. Pa will pat himself on the back for picking out the right woman for Nate.”
His words were more of an insult than a compliment. Lucy walked him to the door, waving until he was out of sight, then went out back to finish filling her bucket. Once it was full, she grabbed it then started toward the house.
A low growl made the hair rise on the back of her neck. A dark shape slunk from the side of the house. The gray animal had its teeth bared in her direction. Though it looked like a dog, no dog Lucy had ever seen was that threatening.
She stopped and smiled. “Hello, boy,” she said in a coaxing tone. “I won’t hurt you.”
The animal took another step closer and snarled, showing even more of its teeth. Lucy’s smile fled. She eyed the door, still twenty feet away. The beast would be on her before she could reach safety. She slowly backed up to the pump and put down the bucket. The dog or whatever it was stepped closer too.
She reached down and picked up the bucket of water. It was her only weapon, but maybe she could fling it at the animal and drive him off long enough to get to safety. She also had to warn Nate and the children.
She glanced around the yard. The privy was closer than the house. If she could get inside and shut the door, the mangy beast couldn’t get to her. She took a sideways step, but the animal did too. Pace for pace, the dog kept step with her. She reached the side of the outhouse, but the door was around the corner. The animal was snarling more now, and the way its back was twitching, she suspected it was about to charge her.
She hefted the bucket in her hand and spoke to it again in a friendly voice, but it just snarled all the more. Though she hated to show such weakness, she would have to call for help.