By the time Nate joined Jed in the barn, the lad had already curried the horses and unloaded the wagon. The house supplies were stacked in one corner, and he’d put the feed in the grain bins. Rain still pattered on the metal roof, and the rhythm was comforting.
“Good job, Jed.”
The boy flushed and his eyes brightened. “Thank you, sir.”
“You don’t have to call me sir. Call me Nate.”
“Does that mean you’re going to keep us?” Jed’s voice was anxious, but he held Nate’s gaze without looking away.
Nate hesitated. What did he say to that? He really didn’t have a choice. Pa’s health wouldn’t take any more upheaval, and the marriage was legal. The best thing was to make do with the situation as best he could. And he had to admit having a pretty wife to come home to might not be such a bad thing.
Jed’s face fell as the silence went on. “Don’t blame Lucy for us being here, Mr. Stanton. We were in a bad situation.”
He studied the boy’s downcast face, then touched his shoulder. “Pa is a pretty good judge of character. If he thought you would make good Stantons, then I reckon he’s right.”
When Jed raised his head, his eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “You won’t be sorry, Mr. Stanton. Mrs. Thomas at the dress shop was always going on about how quick she was to learn something new. She’ll learn to help you here at the ranch. And I’m strong.” He flexed the muscles on his arm. “See here? I can heft a bale of hay by myself. And me and Eileen will try to stay out of your way as much as possible so you can have time with Lucy.”
A lump grew in Nate’s throat. Lucy inspired a lot of love in her brother. He squeezed Jed’s shoulder. “I’ll be glad to have the help. You don’t need to stay out of the way. I don’t have much experience with young’uns, but I’ll try to be a dad to you as well. Tomorrow I’ll start teaching you how to rope and brand. We’ll be taking the cattle to market come summer, and I’ll need all the hands I can get.”
Jed’s lip trembled, and the tears spilled over onto his cheeks. He scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand. “I’m not a bawl baby, Mr. Stanton. I’ll work hard and make you glad you married us. Lucy’s worked so hard to try to keep us together. Now it’s my turn.”
Us. He reckoned a package deal was what it was too. He had a ready-made family. It was a little overwhelming. Nate cleared his throat. “How about helping me carry this stuff to your sister? She may be a miracle worker, but she has to have something to work with.”
“Yes, sir!” Jed hefted a sack of flour to his shoulder and marched toward the house. He looked back at Nate. “Uh, Mr. Stanton, I’d sure be glad if you didn’t say nothing to Lucy about our talk. She hates for people to say nice stuff about her.”
“She does?”
Jed nodded vigorously. “There was a guy hanging around all last summer who went on and on about how pretty she was. She finally got fed up and told him the only beauty she was interested in was that on the inside, and since all he could see was the outside, he’d best mosey on down the road.”
Nate squelched a grin. “I’ll keep mum.”
“Thanks, Mr. Stanton.” Jed started for the door.
“Jed.”
The boy stopped. “Yes, sir?”
“Call me Nate. Mr. Stanton is my pa.”
Jed’s eyes grew bright. “Yes, sir. I mean, Mr. Nate.” He was still grinning as he dashed out into the driving rain.
Nate grabbed a gunnysack full of food and slung it over his shoulder. Lucy was quite a remarkable young woman. How many women would have worked so hard and sacrificed so much for their siblings? His respect for his new wife went up a notch.
When he got to the house, Jed was jabbering excitedly while Lucy listened. “I’m going to learn to rope a steer and brand, Lucy. Maybe I’ll even get to go on the cattle drive up north. You know how good I can ride.”
“We’ll see, Jed. That’s a big job, and you’re not hardly old enough.”
“Old enough to do a man’s job.” Nate set his burden on the floor. “Jed’s going to be a fine ranch hand.”
Lucy put her fists on her hips. “He’s only twelve, Mr. Stanton.”
“I was ten when I went on my first cattle drive.”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “He’s my brother, and I’ll decide what’s best for him.”
Nate’s warm feelings toward Lucy evaporated like the morning dew. She would make a sissy of the boy. “You want Jed to turn into a man or a young hoodlum?”
Lucy’s face whitened, and she held up her hand as if to ward off a blow. Jed made a small sound of protest, and Nate realized he’d said too much. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. Jed is a fine boy, but he’s almost a man, Lucy. You have to let loose those apron strings a tad.”
Her sober blue eyes regarded him for a moment, then she nodded. “You may be right. But Jed and Eileen are my whole life. I couldn’t bear for anything to happen to him.”
“You have to trust someone, Lucy. I’m your husband now. I’ll take care of Jed.”
Her eyes examined him again and she bit her lip before turning back to her task of stashing the supplies without answering.
He eyed her stiff back. She wasn’t giving an inch yet. Maybe he’d been a little too interfering. He needed to move a little slower, gain her trust. Things were different out here, and she didn’t know how different yet.
EMOTIONS CHURNED IN Lucy’s stomach. Anger and jealousy—of her brother, of all things! For so long she was the one Jed looked up to, the one whose approval he sought. The adoring look Jed gave Nate had hit her hard. For a moment she felt adrift. Without a needy brother and sister giving her life purpose, what would happen to her?
Eileen stirred from her pallet on the floor beside Bridget. The little girl sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I’m hungry, Lucy,” she said plaintively.
At least Eileen still needed her. “Supper will be ready in about half an hour. Why don’t you take Bridget outside until it’s ready? The best thing for the dog’s hurt leg is some exercise. Otherwise it will stiffen up.”
The dog wagged her tail at the mention of her name. Smart dog. She’d figured out they were talking about her.
“Do you need me for anything right now?” Jed’s gaze followed Eileen and the dog longingly.
“No, just keep an eye on your sister,” Nate answered before Lucy could. Jed followed Eileen and Bridget outside.
Outrage churned again. It was her job to give or deny permission. She looked down at the biscuits she was making. Help me, Lord. My attitude is not worthy of you. I should be glad Nate is taking an interest in the children. Help me to let go. Even though she’d prayed, she didn’t feel a bit better. This was her job. She was used to being in control. No one knew the children as well as she did.
Her heart still racing, she patted the dough, then used her knife to cut it into square biscuits. Transferring them to a baking sheet, she slid them into the oven and closed the door.
Lucy didn’t dare meet Nate’s gaze. She was acting like a shrew, hardly the type of helpmeet she’d wanted to be. She had longed for someone to help her carry the load, so why was she now resenting it when Nate offered to share some of her burden? Tears blurred her vision.
She heard movement behind her, then Nate put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. His fingers tilted her chin up, but she stubbornly kept her eyes fastened on his shirt.
“Don’t fight me, Lucy. If this marriage is going to make it, we have to work together.”
Her heart jumped. He almost sounded as though he wanted them to work things out. She dared a glance into his face. His gray eyes were gentle.
“What are you saying?” she whispered.
He took off his cowboy hat with a swipe of his big hand. “I’m saying that I’m willing to be friends if you are.” He gave a heavy sigh. “We haven’t gotten off on a very good start, but it seems this marriage is square and legal. We may not love each other, but we can at least be friends. I like you, Lucy. You’ve got guts, even if you are small and spindly.”
He grinned, and she smiled back feebly. She wet her lips. “What do you expect of me?” Against her will she glanced at the ladder leading to the loft.
“Not that,” he said hastily. “Not yet, at any rate. You stay with Jed and Eileen. Jed can help in the field while you and Eileen take care of the house.”
“I thought you wanted a wife who could rope and shoot as well as a man.”
He grinned. “You sure shoot as well as any man I ever saw.”
Her cheeks burned, and she ducked her head. “It’s not very womanly.”
He laughed out loud. “I don’t think either one of us knows what we want in a mate. We’re going to have to discover that as we go along. You willing to try?”
Her throat felt tight, and she struggled not to cry. “I’ll try, Mr. Stanton,” she managed.
“Like I just told Jed, Mr. Stanton is my pa. Think you can see your way clear to calling me Nate? Seeing as we’re married and all.”
Her gaze searched his, and she nodded. “I’ll try, Nate.”
“I will too.” His gaze was soft and roamed down to her lips. His grin widened, then his eyes grew sober. “Can I kiss you, Lucy?”
Her heart fluttered like a frightened bird. She’d never been kissed, and she wanted to wait until she felt more than mere liking for a man. But this was her husband. How did she refuse him such a natural request? Before she could answer, his fingers tightened on her shoulders, and he bent his head. His lips grazed her cheek.
Her stomach felt funny, all nervous and jittery. Then he pulled away.
“That’s all for now. When you’re ready for a real kiss, you let me know.” He sauntered to the door with a smug grin as if he knew her knees were almost too weak to hold her.
When the door closed behind him, Lucy sank into a chair. If a kiss on the cheek affected her like this, what would a real kiss do?
THE CHILDREN SLEPT nearby on their cots. Nate watched the shadows from the fireplace dance in the room. The wind had picked up outside and howled around the chimney. He watched Lucy squint over her sewing in the dim light of the lantern. She sure was a pretty little thing, and it felt good to be snug in the house with a family while the storm raged.
“That a quilt?” he asked.
Not looking up from her work, she nodded. “Jed is going to need one.”
“I think there are extras at the ranch.”
“I like to keep busy.”
He glanced at Jed, sleeping soundly. “I need to talk to you about something.”
She looked up, then put down her sewing. “Is something wrong?”
He nodded toward the boy. “Young Jed told me he is afraid someone might have followed you here. Or at least, might show up.”
She clasped her hands together. “Who?”
“He didn’t know, but he told me about the intruder at the apartment. I’m trying to come up with a reason for someone to break into a house where he’d find no money or anything of value. Do you have any ideas?”
She shook her head. “None. The man said, ‘Where is it?’”
“What was the ‘it’ he was looking for?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t had much time to think about it. I had to pack and come out on the train immediately. Quite honestly, I thought he had the wrong house.”
He frowned. “What can you tell me about your parents?”
She looked down at her hands. “You already know our father died three months ago. I never knew my mother. She died when I was tiny. Your father knew her though. He told me more about her than I’d ever heard.”
Her voice held melancholy, and he wondered what his father knew about her mother. That would keep, though. “Jed said your father told him to keep some kind of secret. That someone might show up looking for something.”
She gasped. “Jed’s never said a word about this to me. Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand him?”
“Very sure.” He watched her twist a long strand of hair around her finger and bite her lip. “What did your father do?”
“He owned a pawn shop.”
Ah, maybe a motive. “Anything valuable in the shop?”
She shook her head. “There was a break-in the night his buggy overturned. The thieves took everything of value.”
“Everything? Nothing was left?”
“Nothing.”
“Relatives?”
She looked at him finally. “Actually, I have an uncle in this area. I saw him in the mercantile.”
Something stirred in his gut at her expression. “Maybe I know him. Who is it?”
“Drew Larson. My mother’s brother.”
“Larson!” He studied her downturned face. There was more she wasn’t saying. “I know him,” he said grimly.
“I know. And you don’t like him. It’s written all over your face. Plus, you were quite rude about him in town. Mrs. Walker told me about the feud.”
“He’s a cattle rustler,” he said, not caring if the truth upset her.
“Cattle rustler! He said . . .” She frowned as she broke off whatever she’d been about to say.
“You’ve spoken to him?” He thought back to that moment in the general store. She’d been walking away from Larson. “You lied to me.”
Her chin came up. “I did no such thing! You didn’t ask if I’d been talking to him. You asked if he was bothering me. He wasn’t.”
He fixed a glare on her. “Did you arrange to meet him here? Was this marriage some kind of agreement between the two of you?” More questions raced in his head. All the stirring dreams he’d had about the future came to a halt. He should have known Lucy was too good to be true.
She held his gaze. “It was the first time I’d seen him since I was three. I knew he lived in the county, but that’s all.”
He wasn’t sure whether he believed her or not. “Does he know you’re married to me?”
She nodded. “I told him.”
“Bet that set him back on his heels.”
She looked down at her hands. “He was, um, surprised.”
He kneeled to poke at the fire. “I’m sure he had plenty to say about me.”
“He said you took some land that belonged to him.”
Nate threw the poker to the floor and stood to face her. “That’s a bald-faced lie! His father went bankrupt and the land went on the auction block. Pa paid a fair price for it. Larson was away in the war when it happened, and he’s never gotten over it.”
Her eyes were sorrowful. “Did my grandfather kill himself over it?”
He hadn’t been thinking about the relationship that existed. Old Larson was her grandfather. “Some around here thought so. Any fool knew better than to cross the Red River in flood stage.”
She flinched. “What happened when Uncle Drew got back from the war?”
“He wanted to buy the land back, but Pa was already running cattle on it. And Drew didn’t have the money anyway. He wanted Pa to sell it on land contract. Pa told him he wasn’t a bank.”
Nate wished he knew what she was thinking. Her blue eyes were faraway and contemplative as though she saw something he didn’t.
She finally sighed. “It’s quite a tangle. I’d hoped the misunderstanding could be easily resolved.”
“There is no misunderstanding. Larson knows exactly what happened.”
“He seemed to dislike you personally, not your father. Why is that?”
He’d been right—she was perceptive. “Pa transferred the land to my name last spring. Larson asked me to sell it to him as well.” He shrugged. “I can’t afford to do it either. Pa has worked hard and poured all his money, sweat, and blood into building this ranch. I can’t piecemeal it up and give it away.”
She didn’t say anything for several long minutes. “Did you pray about it?” she asked finally.
Had he? It was too cut-and-dried in his mind so he didn’t think he had. “No.”
She sat back in her chair and picked up the quilt piece. “Don’t you think you should?”
He managed to hide his outrage. “What’s to pray about, Lucy?
My pa bought the land fair and square. We did nothing wrong.”
“No, you did nothing wrong. But that doesn’t mean God wouldn’t ask something sacrificial of you.”
Sacrificial? He didn’t like the sound of that. “I’d better finish chores.” There was no arguing with her. She didn’t understand the economics of ranching yet.