On Saturday, Matthew carried the smaller saddle from the stable and set it on the sorrel’s back. “Did you eat something?” he asked Todd, who stood near the horse’s head.
“Yes.”
“We won’t be back for at least a couple of hours. Don’t want you getting hungry while we’re up on the trail.”
“I won’t. How ’bout you? Did you eat?”
Matthew chuckled. “Sun Ling made me a big breakfast.”
“I’m glad Miss Shannon’s saddle came so she can go with us.”
“Me too.” He reached over and ruffled the kid’s hair. “You need your hat.”
He smiled to himself as he cinched the saddle, remembering what had happened the previous evening. Todd had given him a rather good thrashing in a game of battledore and shuttlecock. Of course Matthew hadn’t tried as hard as he could have to master the game, but he’d taken pleasure in watching the boy enjoy himself so much. That’s when the realization had hit him. He and Todd and Alice had become a family.
He’d learned to genuinely care for the boy. In fact, it surprised him how strong his emotions toward his nephew were.
He’d never expected to have a family. Never thought it was something he wanted. Settling down, living in one place, hadn’t appealed to him. He’d liked being on the move all the time. He’d liked being considered by many as one of the best stagecoach drivers west of the Mississippi.
Still liked it. And yet maybe settling down wasn’t such a bad thing. There were routes he could drive and still be home most nights. And he could make a good home for Todd with the right woman by his side.
With Shannon by his side.
“Uncle Matt, here.”
Caught woolgathering, he turned from the sorrel to find Todd right behind him, holding his uncle’s saddle in his arms, leaning slightly backward under the size and weight of it.
“Let me have that.” He took the saddle from Todd and walked over to the gray, moving more briskly now. Why think about Shannon when he could be with her instead?
Clad in her riding habit—attire that had gone unused for several years— Shannon led the bay mare out of the livery barn and looked up the street to the east. No sign of Mr. Dubois and Todd yet. Where were they?
Should she ride to meet them or wait here as agreed?
The sound of footsteps drew her gaze in the opposite direction. Joe Burkette walked toward her.
“Good morning, Miss Adair.”
“Good morning, Mr. Burkette.”
“Off for a ride, I see.”
“Yes.”
“Nice morning for it. It would give me great pleasure to join you.”
“Well, I—” She glanced once more to the east and felt a rush of relief when she saw Matthew and Todd ride into view. “I’m already part of a riding party,” she added, turning back toward Joe. “And here they come now.”
It was his turn to look down the street. A frown furrowed his brow. “Mr. Dubois is that someone, I take it.”
“Yes. And his nephew.”
Joe stepped closer and took hold of the mare’s reins. “Allow me to assist you into the saddle.”
Strange how unwelcome his offer was. She was able to mount on her own. Or she could wait for Matthew to help her. But it would be rude to decline Joe’s offer. She nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Burkette. You are kind.”
Shannon was securely seated on her sidesaddle by the time Matthew and Todd arrived in front of the livery, and Joe was once more holding on to the bay’s reins close to the bit.
“Mr. Burkette,” Matthew said with a nod.
“Mr. Dubois,” Joe answered.
The air felt thick.
Matthew looked at her and this time he smiled. “Miss Adair. Fine horse you picked for yourself.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dubois.” She took the reins in hand and backed the mare away from Joe, forcing him to let go. “Good morning, Todd. How’s your mother this morning?”
“She’s good. She said we’re to have a pleasant time. I’m glad you’re coming with us.”
“Me too.” She smiled at the boy as she nudged the bay toward the street.
“Enjoy your ride,” Joe called after them.
Shannon chose not to respond.
“Uncle Matt’s right,” Todd said. “You got a good horse. I remember her from when we got ours. I’m glad you went back to buy her. Ma says it’s good for us to get out of the house. You too.”
Matthew, riding on the other side of Todd, turned his head to look at her and smiled.
Something unfamiliar unfurled in her chest.
“Where are we riding today, Uncle Matt?”
“I thought we’d take the main road north.”
“I’ll lead.” The boy nudged the gelding into a jog, moving out ahead of Shannon and Matthew.
Grand Coeur had disappeared from view before Matthew broke the silence. “You look at home in the saddle, Miss Adair.”
“I feel at home. You can’t possibly know how much I’ve missed riding. I’m not sure even I knew how much I missed it.” She looked from one side of the road to the other, mountains rising to the east and the west, the road following the snaking creek off to their right. “Of course the countryside was quite different where I used to ride.”
“I reckon so. One thing I’ve learned driving stage, America’s got something for everybody when it comes to land. Great deserts. Tall mountains. Crystal-clear lakes full of fish. Deep and muddy rivers.
Land that’s good for not much more than mountain goats. Land that’s made for farmers, with soil that’s rich for growing things.”
“Creeks that are rich with gold.”
He nodded. “Yeah, plenty of wealth in places like this, but not many make their fortunes. Not from what I’ve seen over the last decade.”
“You never felt like trying to find gold for yourself?”
“No. That’s not the kind of life for me.” He motioned with his head toward the boy riding up ahead of them. “Not the sort of life for him either.”
How very wrong she’d been about him when they first met. How very— Ginny stumbled, jerking Shannon’s attention away from the man riding next to her. She pulled in on the reins.
“Something wrong, Miss Adair?”
“I think Ginny’s limping.”
Matthew stopped his horse.
“I’d better check. She may have picked up a pebble.” Shannon unhooked her knee and slipped to the ground.
Before she could lift the mare’s left front hoof, Matthew had dismounted too. “Allow me,” he said, stepping close.
She looked up and her breath caught in her chest. She’d stood near him before, but this time he felt taller, his shoulders broader, his eyes bluer. It was impossible to look away from him.
Matthew hadn’t planned it. Hadn’t even considered it a possibility. Not this soon and not this way.
But in that moment, standing so close to Shannon, seeing her beautiful eyes staring up at him, her generous mouth slightly parted, her chest rising and falling, only one thought existed—he wanted to kiss her. Wanted it more than anything he’d wanted in a long, long while.
She seemed to sway, first backward, then forward. His hands closed around her upper arms to steady her—and then to draw her to him. His head lowered, his gaze never breaking away from hers. Not until her image blurred because of her nearness. Only then did he close his eyes.
Her lips were soft. She tasted sweet. She went utterly still, not even seeming to breathe. A fire of wanting ignited within him.
“Uncle Matt!”
Matthew drew back from Shannon, releasing his grip on her arms.
Her eyes opened and went wide. Her hand flew to her mouth.
“Yes,” he called to Todd without looking toward the boy.
“What’s keepin’ you?”
“Miss Shannon’s horse picked up a rock.”
Todd trotted his horse back in their direction. Matthew took another step away from the lady he wished he could keep on holding.
“I’ll check her hooves,” he said.
“Please do.” Her reply was a mere whisper. Then she turned and disappeared around the mare’s rump. Hiding from him. Getting as far away from him as she could without running for home and leaving her horse behind.
He wanted to call himself all kinds of a fool. For all of her friendliness toward him and his family, she wasn’t used to men like him grabbing and kissing her on a public road.
He lifted Ginny’s front left hoof. No stone. He repeated the motion with the hind left hoof. Nothing there either. He went around the back of the mare to repeat the procedure. At the same time, Shannon moved around the mare’s head.
Still hiding from him.
He stepped to the mare’s head and looked to where Shannon stood, her right hand resting on the seat of the saddle, her eyes lowered toward the ground. “I don’t see anything,” he said.
“Maybe I should lead her back to the livery. If she’s lame—”
He took a step toward her. Her head came up and her gaze met his.
“Please, Miss Adair,” he responded quickly. “Don’t go back.
Ride with us. Your horse isn’t lame. I’m sure she isn’t. Try her again.”
Splashes of pink rose in Shannon’s cheeks, and the color of her eyes seemed to go a shade deeper.
Matthew lowered his voice so Todd couldn’t hear. “I ask your forgiveness, Miss Adair. I shouldn’t have done that.”
The surprising thing was Shannon didn’t want his apologies. She wanted to be back in his arms with his lips upon hers. She wanted him to go on kissing her until she fainted for lack of oxygen.
Benjamin had kissed her on the mouth the day they’d become engaged. It hadn’t been anything like this. Brief and pleasant, as she recalled, and she’d felt fondly toward him afterward.
It wasn’t fondness she felt toward Matthew Dubois. It was more than that. Much more.
“Will you forgive me, Shannon?”
Her given name sounded sweet from his lips. She wished him to always use it. “Yes, Mr. Dubois. I forgive you. And I shall ride with you as long as Ginny is all right.”
“Thank you. I hadn’t given up hope that you would.”
Trying to take control of her emotions, she gave her head a slight toss. “I fear you think me entirely predictable.”
“You’re wrong,” he answered, eyes and voice serious. “I may think you many things, but never predictable.”
Was that a compliment or a criticism? She wasn’t sure. In truth, she didn’t care.
“Mornin’, Mrs. Jackson.”
Alice stirred in the chair on the veranda.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Didn’t realize you were asleep.”
“It’s all right.” She blinked away the slumber and forced her eyes to focus on the man standing on the steps. “Oh, Sheriff Dickson. Hello.”
“I was hoping to speak to Matt, if he’s got a minute to spare me.”
“He isn’t here at present. He’s gone riding with my son and Miss Adair.”
Jack glanced toward the road that went past the house. “Miss Adair, huh? Mighty pretty woman.”
And one who isn’t available to you, sir. Her brother had warned her that Jack had a way with the ladies.
“Mind if I sit?” he asked.
His question took her by surprise. “If you wish.” She motioned to the chair beside her.
“Matt told me you haven’t been feeling well.” He removed his hat as he looked at her.
Alice was quite certain Matthew hadn’t said it that way. He would have told his good friend the truth, that his sister was not expected to live long. But apparently he had done so after Jack had come for supper at the Dubois home rather than before. She liked Jack Dickson and decided to be candid with him.
“My time is short, Mr. Dickson.” And perhaps this was the best opportunity to make certain he knew that his attentions toward Shannon would not be welcomed. “But it’s good to know Todd will have the love of Matthew and Miss Adair when I’m gone.”
Jack said nothing.
“My brother intends to ask Shannon to marry him.”
This caused an instant wide-eyed reaction. “Matt, married?”
“When my brother returns to driving stages, he’ll need a wife to watch over Todd, and Shannon has grown very fond of my son while she’s been helping care for me.”
“Ah. I see.”
She wished she could say Matthew and Shannon loved each other, but she supposed that was wanting too much too soon. “They will do well together.” And love would come. She believed it in her heart. Both were loving people. Both tried to honor and serve God. How could love not grow between them?
Jack spun his hat on an index finger. “Mrs. Jackson. I was wondering, are you feeling up to attending the town’s festivities on Monday? If you are, I hoped you’d consider going with me.”
It was her turn to look surprised.
“It sure would be my pleasure to be your escort,” he added quickly. “And your boy, too, of course. We wouldn’t stay longer than you wanted. If you got tired or started feeling poorly, I’d bring you straight home.”
“That’s very kind of you, Sheriff. I hadn’t considered going, but now that you mention it . . .”
She felt a spark of excitement. It would be fun, and if she went with Jack Dickson, she wouldn’t be in the way of Matthew and Shannon. Her brother could concentrate on courting and not on caring for either Alice or Todd. And, if she was completely honest, it was nice to have the sheriff want to escort her. It had been a long time since a man had seen her as a woman.
“Yes, Mr. Dickson. I will go with you.”
Jack grinned. “Well, all right, then. I’ll come for you about six o’clock.” He rose, set his hat back on his head. “Tell your brother I was by. Nothing urgent. I’ll catch up with him another time.”