Before Serena and her ma could speak any further, Chet and her pa ambled toward them. One reminded her of a mountain cat, the other a bear. Pa laughed about something and Chet joined in. Maybe things between them weren’t so bad after all, unless Chet had agreed to her pa’s demands.
“Rachel,” Pa said, “Chet has volunteered to keep Serena company for a spell so you and I can have a little time together. He first suggested a walk along the river, then decided fishing sounded better. What do you think?”
Ma beamed and flashed Chet an approving glance. “I think the new lieutenant has a wonderful idea.”
“I like it, too,” Serena said, trying to hide her eagerness. Could it be her pa had changed his mind?
Pa frowned, narrowing his dark blue gaze. “Well, I expect plenty of fish for supper.”
An inward sigh coursed through her. She guessed nothing had changed. “Of course,” Serena said. “I’ll fry them up tonight.”
“And I’ll clean them,” Chet added.
Ma rose from the ground and handed Pa the pan of clean dishes. A flush of pink tinted her cheeks. She whisked off her apron and smiled with a special smile meant only for him. “We’re finished here, and it looks like supper is taken care of.”
A broad grin slowly spread across Pa’s face. “Are you still of the mind to see those mustangs I spotted a few weeks ago?” he asked, heading toward the cabin with Ma right beside him.
She slid her arm around his waist and leaned against his shoulder. Serena didn’t hear what she said. Perhaps the words were only for Pa’s ears.
Serena glanced at Chet and found him staring at her. The glint in his eyes didn’t look like anything she had seen from him before. It made her feel downright fretful.
“I reckon we’d better gather up what we need,” he said, kicking at the dust. “Suppose it’s all in the barn?”
“Yes, on the wall opposite where the bridles hang.” She clenched her fists to control her nervousness. “Which one of us gets to dig for worms?”
Chet chuckled. “Oh, I suppose if you bring a couple of canteens of water, I’ll get the bait.”
She relaxed slightly. “You have a deal. Do you want me to pack any food? You didn’t eat much.”
Chet studied a spider crossing over the toe of his boot. “Most likely so, especially since your pa is expecting us to catch a mess of fish. He must have a powerful taste for them.”
“And we wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”
“Or rile him.”
All the while she busied herself with food and water for later in the afternoon, she wondered if Chet might mention Pa’s ultimatum about her. Of course, nothing had ever been said to her anyway…except the comment about her eyes. The color of ripe blueberries. She simply couldn’t get his words out of her head, simply because Chet hadn’t said anything else to give her hope.
Chet stomped the shovel into the ground with such force he feared breaking it. Snatching up a couple of worms, he pitched the wiggling creatures into a wooden bucket. His thoughts spun with James’s instructions about Serena. He understood the reason why the cap’n didn’t want him seeing Serena, and given the same circumstances, he’d most likely feel the same way.
But something had happened to him, and now a whisper of her voice sent a funny tingle up his spine. He liked the way she wore her thick, dark hair down, the healthy glow of her skin, and the sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Most of all he liked those huge eyes. He could drown and go to paradise in them—nearly had this morning. He did wish she had a mite more meat on her bones, to make her a little stronger. A woman needed strength in this Texas wild to hold up with the hard work.
Chet sank the shovel into the ground again. The cap’n would skin him alive if he knew his thoughts about Serena.
Oh, Lord, You’ve pulled me out of more scrapes than I care to mention, but this one is the worst. I don’t know whether to ask You to take away my feelings for Serena or show me a way to convince her pa.
Within the hour, Serena and Chet wandered nearly two miles up the riverbank to the fishing hole. Tall oaks and cypress trees kept them cool while the quietness of nature soothed Chet’s racing mind. Now and then a crow called or the distant drum of a woodpecker broke his musings. A snake with familiar coloring slithered across his path.
“Watch out, a copperhead just raced in front of me.”
She laughed lightly. “As long as he doesn’t head back this direction, I’m fine.”
Her laughter reminded him of a Mexican guitar on a still night, when the only sounds were singing insects and the crackling fire. Easy and soothing.
“We’re almost there,” she said and pointed to the river. “See that fallen tree where you can walk across to the other side? It’s right on past where the river widens.”
In a short while, they dipped their lines into the gently rolling water and sat down on a grassy knoll beside a cypress tree.
“Isn’t this a pretty spot?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
He cradled his head in his hands and leaned back on the green earth, crossing his ankles and balancing his pole between his boots. “I like the peacefulness. Makes me wonder if heaven could be like this.”
“I hope so. I mean, I can’t imagine any place more lovely.”
“Tennessee’s pretty and green like this.”
“Your family lives there?”
He nodded. “Ma, Pa, and six sisters.”
She laughed. “I can’t imagine you in a house full of girls. I suppose all those sisters made life interesting.”
“Don’t know if interesting is the word I’d use to describe it. But I did my share of pestering them.”
She gazed out over the smooth river. “Do you miss them?”
“Oh, sometimes. We had good times, and my pa is a preacher.”
“So he led you to the Lord?”
Chet chuckled and stared up at the sky. “Not exactly. When I was fourteen, I got chased up a tree by a bear. I figured that was as good a time as any to call on the Lord. Been calling on Him ever since.”
“Well, I’m sure your family is proud of you.”
He shrugged. “Suppose so—never thought on it much.”
“Oh, I’m sure they are. Did you happen to bring your Bible?”
Her question surprised him. “No, I’m sorry. Left it in my saddlebag.”
She plucked a purple wildflower and let it rest on the skirt of her deep green dress. “I’ve been thinking some of the Psalms would sound good now.”
“Yeah, they would.” He hesitated. “Serena, do you believe God has a plan for us? I mean all of us.”
A bit of pink touched her cheeks. “Oh yes, and I also think we can make big mistakes by not listening to Him.”
“Do you think rangerin’ glorifies God? With the killing, it makes me wonder if I’m living like I should.”
Tilting her head slightly, she appeared to ponder the matter. “We both know God hates killing. But if a man does nothing while his family and friends are murdered, then who’s the real murderer?”
“Yeah, you feel the same way I do. I’d sure like to see this country safe for folks to live peaceful-like. Seems like it won’t happen in my lifetime, though. The Republic is having a hard time getting established, and peace with the Indians and Mexico is afar off. Makes a man tired thinking about it.”
“You’re just the man to help tame Texas, and I’m praying for you,” she said and offered him a smile so sweet he wanted to pull her into his arms and protect her forever.
“Thanks. You know, sometimes I think I’d like to be a preacher, but…” He laughed aloud. “I’m afraid I’d rough up anyone fallin’ asleep during a sermon.”
Serena continued to smile. “Well, folks would be more apt to pay attention.”
“Imagine so.” He pulled himself up from the grass on his elbow and rubbed the back of his neck. “I like you, Serena.”
“And I like you.”
“I mean, a lot.”
“And I like you a lot, too.”
They went back to fishing then, neither saying a word while Chet felt perfectly content sitting beside her. An hour passed and they hadn’t caught a fish, not even one small enough to toss back in.
Serena deliberated upon her pa’s words. He wanted a whole string of fish, and right now they had nothing. The thought worried her. She was his only child, and her pa could be stubborn about some things. He seemed to forget she’d be eighteen years old soon.
“Chet, we haven’t caught a thing,” she said.
A furrow creased his brow, and he expelled a heavy breath. “The cap’n is expecting fish for supper.”
“I know. He’ll be disappointed.”
“No, he’ll be wrathful,” Chet said.
“Pa wouldn’t get mad because the fish weren’t biting.”
“He’s more concerned about things other than what we pull out of this river.”
Serena’s heart pounded hard against her chest. “Your job along the Rio Grande?”
“No.”
Silence seemed to deafen her. She couldn’t think of anything to say or ask. So he lay back down on the grass, and they sat for another half hour waiting for the fish to bite.
“Are you hungry?” Serena asked when she heard his stomach growl.
“Yeah.” He glanced up at the sky. “A little food would be nice.”
She stood and walked over to the leather pouch containing leftovers from earlier. Refusing to dwell on Pa’s anger when he would find out they hadn’t caught any fish, she pulled out biscuits and corn bread left from breakfast and chunks of smoked ham and laid them on a cloth. The canteens held plenty of water.
“Here we are,” she said, doing her best to sound cheerful. Spreading the cloth between them, she urged him to eat, but she had no appetite, no fish for Pa, and no endearing words from Chet.
“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked, after downing a thick biscuit with a layer of ham tucked inside.
“No, go ahead. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Will you still be here for my birthday, like you said last night?” She held her breath, almost afraid of his reply.
Chet wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took a swallow of water. “Serena,” he said softly.
She peered into his face, and if somebody had asked her, she wouldn’t have known her own name.
“We both know why the cap’n is expecting a whole mess of fish.”
She took a deep breath and nodded. A noisy blue jay chased a squirrel up a tree, reminding her of Pa chasing Chet.
“So what are we gonna do about it?” he asked.
The gurgling sound of the river hitting the rocks masked her fluttering heart. She wet her lips and tried to form her words. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve been praying for what’s right—not saying a word to you and abiding by your pa or speaking my mind.”
Her heart pounded so hard, she could barely breathe. “Since you spoke up, what have you decided?”
“Aw,” and he tossed a pebble into the water, skimming it in wide circles. “Both.”
Stunned, Serena gazed into his eyes, then hastily glanced away. “Then say your piece.”
He leaned on his side again, still balancing the fishing pole with his boots. “I need to tell you how I feel. Not sure why, except I’m about to explode like a hundred shotgun blasts.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “I believe I’ve fallen in love with you, Serena, and your pa would have my hide for saying it.”
She felt herself trembling. How many nights had she lain awake dreaming of Chet telling her those words? Did she dare reply? “I…I feel the same,” she managed.
He snapped off a blade of grass. “Might be easier if you didn’t. I didn’t mean to stir up any more trouble than I already have.”
She fidgeted with the petals of her wildflower. “So you believe there’s nothing we can do?”
The tension between them could have been split with an axe.
“Well, I certainly hadn’t planned on this, and life with me wouldn’t be easy. I reckon I could give up rangering. It might ease things with your pa.”
Serena shook her head. “You belong with the Rangers. It’s your life, like breathing. I wouldn’t ever ask you to give it up. There’s bound to be another way.”
He chuckled and squinted up at her with the blade of grass sticking out his mouth. “Sure wish God would tell me what to do.”
“Me, too.”
“Funny how I’ve known you all this time and never thought about you as more than a friend….”
“James Talbot’s little girl.”
He grinned. “And now I can’t seem to get you off my mind.”
About then his pole jerked, and he grabbed it. Sure enough, Chet had a fish. “By golly, look at the size of that bass,” he said, pulling in the line.
“And there’s bound to be more.” She studied her line. It wiggled and bobbed up and down. “Chet, I’ve got one, too.”
A moment later, she pulled in a huge bass, bigger than his.
Suddenly they both started to laugh. How utterly ridiculous to become so excited about two fish, yet they were. They both quickly baited their lines and tossed them out again. Before she could consider what was happening, Chet swooped her up into his arms and whirled her around.
That started the trouble. The moment his hands touched her waist, she felt her arms chill and her toes grow numb. Chet must have sensed her feelings, for his gaze softened and he lowered her to the ground. His fingers reached to brush across her cheek, then trace her lips. He lifted her chin, and she felt her pulse race faster than she believed possible. Staring into his pine green eyes, she believed her dreams had come true.
“Serena, I have to kiss you this once. I may never have a chance again.”
When he bent to lightly touch his lips to hers, she encircled his neck and allowed him to draw her closer. His kiss deepened, and she gladly melted into his arms.
“Oh, Serena,” he whispered, “I shouldn’t have done this, but I can’t help myself.” He drew his fingers through her hair.
“What is going on here?”
Serena and Chet instantly stiffened. James Talbot stood before them, pistol in hand.