Kade wakened the next day with an eagerness that was foreign to him. He jumped from bed and ate the rest of the loaf of bread and a huge bowl of oatmeal porridge he had left cooking throughout the night.
The sky had blushed pink when he jogged to the barn to saddle Blaze. He let the animal warm up then galloped over the hills to where his cows grazed. He puffed out his lips with relief when he saw they were all safe. Just the same, he wouldn’t be able to relax until he was certain that grizzly bear posed no danger. He skirted the herd and made his way to the river, following the tracks as they went west, alert to any sign the bear had returned. An hour later, he was satisfied. For now. He galloped back to his house. He didn’t bother to unsaddle his horse. He’d left water heating. He put six inches into a square wash tub, shed his work clothes, and bathed.
He pulled on clean clothes and studied himself in the mirror. He slicked his hair back, thinking he might have to go to town and get it cut. He grinned. Sure didn’t mind an excuse to venture into town on a weekday. He’d have to come up with a whole bunch of excuses in order to court Flora without her growing suspicious.
He glanced at the clock. He’d have to hurry to get to town before the church service started. Half an hour later, he reached the church. People filed in. Several cowboys hitched their horses, hung their hats on the saddle horn, ran their hands over their hair, then headed for the door.
Kade did the same. He walked inside the church and waited for his eyes to adjust to the muted interior. As he expected, the Kinsley family were already seated in the front row. He marched up the aisle, excused himself past Victoria and Eve. Flora watched him approach. If he wasn’t mistaken—and he was almost certain he wasn’t—she looked pleased and perhaps a little surprised when he sat down beside her. He hoped that in the next two weeks he could persuade her to be pleased every time she saw him.
“Hi,” he said.
“You’ve come to hear the preaching, just like all the others.” She glanced past him to the assembled cowboys.
“Yup. I’m here for the sermon.”
They grinned at each other then faced forward before her ma could scold them for whispering in church.
Kade wasn’t much of a singer but he sure did enjoy listening to the Kinsley girls. Josie played the piano. Most of the hymns were unfamiliar to him, seeing as he had so seldom been inside a church, but he liked the words of some of them.
Then preacher Kinsley opened his Bible. Before he began, he fixed a hard look at Kade. It was all Kade could do not to squirm but he would not blink before the man. Kade respected him, but he had to make sure Flora’s pa understood that Kade would not be intimidated.
The preacher shifted his gaze to include the entire congregation. “Today I am going to speak about God’s love.”
Whoa! Kade had expected a fire and brimstone sermon, a be-sure-your-sins-will-find-you-out lesson. Directed to Flora as much as anyone. Maybe the man wasn’t as hard as he let people believe.
The preacher’s voice softened. “Too often we mere mortals take God’s place and judge our fellow man. Yes, God is a righteous judge, but He is not without mercy and love.”
By the time the sermon ended, Kade felt as if heaven had opened and poured love down from God. He longed to ask the preacher how he could deliver a sermon like that and yet justify the way he dealt with Flora. Not that Kade was any different. He suddenly realized that he’d been treating Flora just like her pa did. He was concerned Flora’s rebel ways would lead her into a dangerous situation from which there was no escape. If Eagle Pete had spent the storm with her, rather than Kade, things would have turned out much differently. He shuddered to think of it.
“You’ll join us for dinner?” Mrs. Kinsley said as they stood to leave.
“Thank you, yes.”
She extended the invitation to half a dozen others as she made her way down the aisle.
Kade nudged Flora. “Maybe they came for the meal invite.”
She grinned. “Ma knows how to get people to attend church.”
“Cowboys at any rate.” He suspected some of them had never stepped into a church until they heard of the preacher’s unwed daughters.
A man he didn’t know scowled at Kade as he exited with Flora at his side. Kade tucked a grin into his heart. Seems there were others who might have their eyes on the rebel redhead.
They crossed the yard to the manse, skirting puddles left from the melting snow.
Inside, the house was a hive of activity as the visitors were welcomed and the daughters helped put out food.
Mrs. Kinsley pointed out where each one should sit, and it ended up there was a cowboy on either side of each Kinsley girl. Blossom, who still looked pale, sat next to Mrs. Kinsley. Donny at her other side.
Kade asked after Mrs. Norwood, who had not made an appearance. He assumed she was resting.
“She is improving,” Flora’s mother said. “It will take some time for her strength to return.”
The preacher stood to ask the blessing. Kade discovered the man was thankful for a lot of things and not opposed to praying for the souls of those gathered round the table.
Flora nudged him as if to remind him how she liked his short graces. He clamped his teeth tight as amusement filled him. He knew if he chuckled aloud the preacher would be offended and likely take him to task.
“Amen.” The preacher sat down.
The cowboy across from Kade blinked several times. Kade wondered if he had dozed off during the grace. Again he stifled a chuckle.
Then there was a flurry of passing the platters and bowls around. Mrs. Kinsley and her daughters had prepared quite a feast—roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, turnips, and buns that were impossibly light. He knew Flora would have learned to make food like this and the idea of coming home to a hot meal every day made him want to take her home as his wife this very day.
Mrs. Kinsley gently guided the conversation. She asked each visitor to tell a little about themselves. Two of the cowboys were hardly able to speak beyond giving their names. Turned out they were brothers who both rode for one of the big ranches to the west. Kade guessed they spent most of their time in silence, surrounded by cows and cowboys who had little to say.
Then it was Kade’s turn, and he felt every member of the Kinsley family studying him. He knew they were assessing him as a mate for Flora and sought for answers that would make them see him as suitable.
“Do you have family elsewhere?” Mrs. Kinsley asked.
“No family.” He explained that his parents and brother were dead. He provided only the barest of details but glanced to Flora as he said his brother and father had died in separate accidents. Her soft expression made the telling less painful.
They wanted to know where he’d come from and what he’d done until he started ranching, and he provided the answers.
Two of the other cowboys scuffed their feet under the table as if annoyed that Kade took up so much of the Kinsleys’ attention.
The conversation turned to community events as Josie and Victoria removed the food and the plates. Flora and Eve brought forward three beautiful cakes and two pies.
“There’s chocolate, white, and spice cake, and apple pie,” Mrs. Kinsley said. “Have your choice or two or three.”
Without waiting for him to say what he wanted, Flora sliced into the chocolate cake, slid a piece onto a dessert plate, and handed it to Kade. Their eyes connected and in that moment they shared a sweet memory.
And he felt a world of possibility in life shared with this woman. At the end of two weeks, they would be married according to her Pa’s orders. Kade would enjoy the benefits of having a woman in his house. But he wanted her there of her own accord, not reluctantly and resentful. He had thirteen days to make her want to marry him.
As soon as the meal was over, Kade turned to Flora at his side. “Would you care to walk with me as soon as the kitchen is cleaned up?” He knew from his previous invitations that the Kinsley girls were expected to restrict Sunday activities to visiting, sedate walks, or playing the piano and singing—all of which were enjoyable enough, but Kade wanted to be alone with Flora. He’d like to tell her how much he had enjoyed the sermon and ask her how she saw God. And perhaps, just enjoy her keen sense of humor.
“Why, yes, that would be lovely.” Her words and demeanor were sweet and demure but her eyes flashed as if she was as eager as he to be alone.
“Can I go too?” Donny asked.
“Of course you may,” Mrs. Kinsley said.
“Me too?” Blossom asked.
“No dear. You need to rest.”
The little girl’s lips quivered then she yawned. Already her eyelids drooped. The Kinsley girls chuckled.
A short time later, Kade and Flora headed for the door. Donny trotted after them. The others rose and headed down the hall. For a moment, Kade feared all the sisters and cowboys would follow them, but they turned aside to the parlor and one of the girls began to play the piano.
They skirted the puddles in the street as they made their way toward the heart of town. The buildings were new and proud. Many of the businesses on Main Street boasted a false front as if to convince everyone they were bigger than they truly were.
They wandered down the street toward the edge of town where the Buck River meandered by. They made their way to it. Someone had thoughtfully placed a wooden bench nearby and they sat there. Donny tossed stones into the water.
“Your pa surprised me with his sermon,” Kade said. “All about God’s love.”
“Don’t you believe He is a loving God?”
“Guess I never thought of it much.”
“I think of it a lot. Seems to me God is more loving and merciful than most people.”
He considered her words a moment. “You find it easy to trust Him?”
They studied each other. Perhaps she, as did he, realized they were exploring each other’s values at a deeper level than they had done so to this point.
“It’s easy to trust someone you know loves you.”
He felt a world of warning and possibility in her words.
She continued. “And yet, I feel as if there is something in here—” She rubbed at her breastbone. “Something missing. Or perhaps something I’ve forgotten. I try and find it. Sometimes I try and escape the feeling.”
He caught her restless hands and covered them with his. “I hope you find what you are looking for. I hope you find peace.”
She didn’t argue or deny she needed to find peace. Nor could he explain how he knew that’s what she needed. Except he did.
After a moment of searching his gaze, she nodded. “That would be nice.”
They sat in companionable silence, their hands clasped together.
Then she spoke. “Do you find it difficult to trust God? I mean with all your losses, it must be hard.” She turned her palm to his and squeezed.
“I suppose I am a bit like you. I don’t hold God responsible for what a man or woman decides to do. But I realize there is more to believing in God than that. It’s like you said when you saw the Bible in my house. It needs to have a place of honor in my heart. Guess what I mean is, I need to give both the Bible and God a bigger place in my life.”
“I like that. I want to do the same.”
“Seems we are agreed on that matter.” He felt a surprising jolt of pleasure at having reached common ground on their beliefs.
“It’s not the only thing we agree on.” She sounded hurt.
“What else is there?” He meant to be teasing, but he wanted to know.
“We agree that chocolate cake is good. That eating it for breakfast doesn’t matter. That riding is fun and grizzly bears are dangerous.”
He chuckled and squeezed her hand. “And maybe that Eagle Pete is just about as dangerous?”
“And that little boys tossing stones are fun to watch?”
“That too.” He could add a few more things. That sharing a bench by the river on a sunny Sunday was about as nice as one could dream.
Donny grew tired and joined them on the bench. The boy had recently been sick. They needed to get him home, so they meandered back, none of them in a hurry to reach the manse.
Kade’s horse was the only one remaining at the rail, which meant the other cowboys had left.
“Guess I should be on my way.”
“You’re welcome to stay for supper,” Flora said.
“Thanks.” It was tempting and he was pleased she invited him but… “I think your family might be wanting a bit of peace and quiet.”
“It’s not like you’re noisy.”
He grinned. “Are you saying you’ll miss me?”
She shook her head. “I’m only thinking of you having nothing but chocolate cake to eat.”
“It’s all gone.” He sighed deeply. “Guess I’m back to potatoes and eggs. I bought some more eggs from Mrs. Ellis, you know.” The woman lived on the edge of town, which made it easy to pick up eggs as he rode to and fro.
“No, I didn’t know. But if you’re happy eating that”—she waved her hand in the air as if he deserved what he chose—“then by all means, go on home.”
“I think it’s best if I do.” He didn’t know who it was best for, and the lonely half-hour ride back held no appeal. But it was home. The place where he felt safe. Where he hadn’t let unnecessary risks intrude.
Until now.
Was he risking his future happiness by courting this woman?
Not that he had a choice in the matter. Her father had made that clear.
That night Flora knelt on one side of her bed, Eve on the other, as they silently said their prayers. Flora finished first as always and crawled under the covers. Eve followed shortly afterwards and put out the lamp. They lay side by side. Flora’s thoughts were on the afternoon spent in Kade’s company.
“You’re smiling,” Eve said.
“How can you tell? It’s dark.”
“You were smiling when I got into bed. You still are, aren’t you?”
Flora’s smile widened. “Maybe.”
“You like him, don’t you?”
Flora pretended she didn’t know who her sister meant. “Who?”
“Kade. You like him.”
“I like talking to him. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Do you like him well enough to marry him?”
Flora turned to look at Eve’s gray outline. “I saw you talking to that cowboy. What’s his name? Oh right. Claude. Does that mean you like him well enough to marry him?”
“I was only being polite. Besides, I didn’t spend two days and two nights alone with him.”
“Would it have been better to perish in the storm?”
Eve squeezed her arm. “Of course not. I’m glad you were safe. But like Pa said, not everyone will be so understanding.”
Flora admitted to herself that the two days had been almost enjoyable. She might have even grown to like Kade’s company a little bit.
Which did not mean she had to marry him. Or wanted to.
But Pa had said she wouldn’t have to. Hadn’t he? She tried to remember his exact words but could only recall how relieved she was that he had said the wedding was off.