Distraction

by Tess Oliver

  She lifted her face and some of the pink in her cheeks had vanished. Her dark eyes were shiny with tears.

  I squeezed her fingers between mine. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here.” We danced in silence for a short while longer, but I could have stood there with my hand pressed against the small of her back and my fingers laced through hers for the remainder of the night.

  Chapter 10

  Poppy

  Libby walked inside and rolled an avalanche of potatoes from her apron onto the kitchen table. Two of the vegetables rolled across the table and bounced onto the floor. I chased after them.

  “I’ll have to put a big pot of water on to boil,” she said, as I returned the runaway potatoes to the pile.

  “I’d be happy to get the water for you,” I said. “Just point me to the well.”

  Libby’s blues eyes were round. “The well? That’s been filled in for a good fifteen years.” She walked over to the large basin under the window and lifted a lever. There was a rumble beneath the floor boards of the kitchen and the walls vibrated. Moments later, a thin stream of water flowed into the basin. “We’ve got all the modern conveniences of the wealthy folk’s houses over in Billings. Our pipes just work a little slower.”

  She handed me a large, deep pot, and I maneuvered it beneath the steady stream of cool water. I stared out the window as I waited for the pot to fill enough to accommodate the mound of potatoes. That is when I saw him riding across the field. He sat astride a large horse. The animal had a coat so black it looked almost blue in the crystal sunlight. A smaller brown horse attached to a rope trotted behind.

  Cade’s long, dark hair was pushed behind his ears, and his black hat was pushed low on his forehead. The blue scarf he wore loosely around his neck partially concealed his strong chin. There was a long weapon strapped to the side of the saddle. His long legs were covered with a layer of some type of soft leather. It was as if Nonni had sprinkled my sketch with magic and the knight in my picture had turned in his armor and helmet for a black hat and cow hide.

  He lifted his face toward the house and the light caught his handsome features. I sucked in a breath.

  “That boy has grown into such a fine young man, I sometimes find it hard to believe he’s the same trouble making boy I raised. I always knew he’d be handsome but . . .” She laughed and turned off the water before the basin spilled over. “There isn’t an unmarried girl within a twenty mile radius of this ranch who doesn’t have her sights set on Cade Tanner.”

  I watched as he rode the horse all the way into the yard. He caught a glimpse of me staring at him, and I could see a slight smile over the blue neck scarf.

  “Does he always carry a musket?” I asked.

  “A musket? That’s his hunting rifle. As you witnessed yourself, there’s plenty of dangerous wildlife out there. You can’t be too careful.”

  Libby looked out the window again. “That’s a fine new horse. Cade has always had a good eye for picking horse flesh.” The horse lifted off its two front legs for a moment before dropping back to all fours. “I just hope he doesn’t break his neck riding that filly.” She turned back to me. “I just remembered, I found you a pair of denim waist overalls that belonged to Cade when he was a boy. I think they’ll fit you fine.” She glanced back at the mound of potatoes and sighed. “You can try them on once we put a dent in peeling those spuds.”

  Libby’s kitchen was large and sparsely appointed, but it felt cozy sitting at the long, scarred table with the green smell of freshly peeled potatoes and the rich steam of black tea surrounding us. My shoulders were suddenly heavy with homesickness. I wasn’t completely sure how Nonni would set about finding me, but she was so clever and powerful, I was certain it would not be long. I wondered how distraught poor Mari was over my absence.

  “You’d better watch what you’re doing there, Poppy, or the doctor will have to come back here and stitch on one of your fingers.”

  I smiled. “I guess I was just thinking about home. Nonni and I would sit at our small work table sipping tea and peeling vegetables just like this.”

  “I’m sure your Nonni will be here soon to fetch you. It sounds as if you love your grandmother very much.”

  “I do. She’s raised me since I was a young girl, just like you’ve done with Samuel and Cade.” I pushed aside a pile of wet peels and picked up another potato. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to their parents?”

  “Don’t mind at all. Rick Tanner, their daddy, and my brother, died two days after Cade’s sixteenth birthday.” She shook her head. “Cade took it harder than Samuel. They were real close.” Her gaze lifted and her eyes seemed to sparkle. “Cade is just like Rick, tough as nails, a real fighter, but with a big heart. Their mother, Caroline, was a beautiful girl. Cade has her eyes and dark hair. Rick met her when he was traveling to New York to buy stock for the ranch. She was a wealthy, fine young woman who sadly had no chance out here in the wilds of Montana.” Libby resumed her task of peeling. “Ten years ago, we had a terrible winter— worse than any other I’d endured. Snow was piled up to the roof top. It hurt just to take a breath.” Libby’s face softened as she drifted off in thought again. “Didn’t think it would ever end. Caroline was always frail, and the winter was just too brutal. She passed away three days after the New Year. The boys were heartbroken.”

  “Well, they were lucky they had you to take care of them. I don’t know where I would have ended up if Nonni had not been there for me after my mother died.” I definitely did not need to go into the unusual details of my mother’s death and fortunately, Libby did not ask.

  “I love them as if they were my own. My husband died just a year after we were married, and I never married again. I came here to Tanner Ranch to teach Caroline some of the ways of ranch living and I never left.”

  My fingers tips were raw and we’d hardly made a difference in the pile. “I have to say, Libby, this seems like an enormous amount of potatoes. Are you expecting company?”

  “Oh, these aren’t all for supper,” she laughed. “Not that I haven’t seen Cade and Jackson shovel in mounds of mashed potatoes after a long day of chores. I’m in charge of bringing potatoes for the town social tomorrow night. In fact, you’ll have to come along. Samuel and Charlotte will be there, and there’s always good music and food.”

  “Does Cade not attend social events?” I asked.

  “He occasionally makes an appearance.” She smiled at me over the mound. “And when he does show, there is always a big commotion among the single females. And that, of course, causes a commotion among the single males.” She sipped her tea loudly and placed the cup down. “I just wish that boy would settle down with one girl before he gets into troub—” She stopped short. “Never mind about that. Let’s try those waist overalls on you and see if we can get you up on a horse.” She stood, removed her apron, and dropped it over the back of the chair. “I don’t know about you, but my hands need a rest.”

  The waist overalls were a pair of trousers made out of the same faded blue fabric the men on the ranch wore. It seemed both durable and soft. Or, at least it had been worn soft by wear. I rubbed my hand over the pants. Flat silver buttons that had no button holes held together the thick seams running along the waist. The knees had been patched more than once.

  “These belonged to Cade when he was a boy. Even the strong denim fabric couldn’t keep that boy from wearing a hole in the knees. If I had back every hour I spent patching that boy’s pants, I’d be a young woman.”

  I ran my fingers over the sturdy blue fabric and smiled. Her complaints about Cade were always edged with pure admiration. I glanced up at her. “You don’t think he’ll mind if I wear them?”

  She laughed. “Of course not. It’s not like he could wear them anymore. Go ahead and try ‘em on. I found this shirt too.” She held up a white, long sleeved shirt that was simply cut with three buttons on a small opening at the neckline. “Not very flattering, I’m afraid, but it’s warm, and you don’t w
ant to ride in those pretty dresses of yours.” She glanced down at my black lace-up boots. I’d taken them off to pull on the trousers. They were the only item of my own clothing that remained. “Those will be fine to wear. I was going to see if Charlotte had an old pair, but I think her feet are much bigger than yours.”

  I undressed and slid the waist overalls up over my legs. They felt completely foreign as the fabric hugged my legs. They were a bit constricting, snug in the bottom, and seemed slightly immoral, but Libby looked on so enthusiastically, I held my tongue.

  As I rolled the shirt down over my skin, Libby’s hand reached out and stopped the hem from being lowered. “Those stitches are ready to come out, and you don’t want to have those pulling on you while you are riding a horse. I’ll get out my sewing kit. I have a tiny pair of scissors I can use to cut them out.” Her eyes lifted. “Unless you want to wait for the doctor. I’m so pushy sometimes I even surprise myself.”

  “No, I wouldn’t mind at all if you cut them out. It would save the doctor a trip.”

  Libby took my hand and led me to a rectangular piece of glass hanging over the wardrobe of drawers in her room. “Come look in the mirror. You look like a real cowgirl.”

  I gasped as I stood in front of the glass and realized it was my face staring back at me. I’d read of the fancy, silver looking glasses used by the wealthy nobles of Europe, but there was nothing like it in Salem. Mari and I had polished one of Nonni’s large silver spoons to a high enough sheen that we could see our reflections. But it was always distorted. Or sometimes, when the sunlight had been just right on the cow’s water trough, it was possible to see a reasonable reflection.

  I was astounded by the clarity of Libby’s mirror, and I was equally astounded by how absurdly small and thin I looked in the waist overalls. I turned and awkwardly looked back over my shoulder to see the trousers from the rear, but it was not possible. Not thinking about how odd it might seem to Libby, I reached up and touched the skin on my cheeks. They looked creamy and smooth and reminded me of my mother’s. In fact, I looked a great deal like her, and while Nonni had mentioned the similarity often, I had never really seen it for myself.

  Libby walked up behind me and gazed at my reflection. “I admit the clothes look a bit out of the ordinary, but I think they’ll do just fine. And they’re very practical.” She squeezed my shoulders. “Although, if that grandmother of yours shows up any time soon, you’d better roll those denims off fast. She would probably not take too kindly to you wearing boy’s clothing.” She walked to the door. “Put your boots on and I’ll meet you in the kitchen. The light is best down there.”

  Downstairs, Libby greeted me with a wide grin and small pair of scissors. She’d drawn back the checkered drapes from the two kitchen windows, and sunlight poured into the room. She seemed to sense my apprehension. “Don’t worry, Samuel and Charlotte took the wagon into town, and Cade and Jackson never show up between meal times.” She waved me over. “Stand here in the center where the light is best and lift the shirt up.”

  I stood in front of her. She placed her hands on my shoulder and turned me sideways. I reached down and slid the hem of the shirt up to expose the stitches. She bent over and studied them for a moment. Her fingertips were cold as she pressed against my skin and I startled.

  “Now hold still, or I’m liable to cut something that’s not supposed to be cut.” I dropped the shirt. She chuckled. “I’m only teasing. I’m just as skilled with these scissors as any doctor. I’m only amazed at how well your skin has healed. Now, let’s have at it.”

  Having at it didn’t sound terribly reassuring, but I was happy to rid my side of the stitches.

  Libby took her time and proceeded so gently I felt nothing more than a tug on my skin as she removed the doctor’s threads. I was standing there with the hem of the shirt dragged up to the top of my rib cage, the naked skin of my back and side completely exposed when the back door to the kitchen creaked open. The cool outside air swirled around the kitchen. Boot heels pounded the wood floor.

  I dropped the hem of the shirt, but Libby’s hand kept it from falling down. “Hold it,” she said, “last one.” There was a slight tug and the shirt dropped down.

  Heat rose in my cheeks as I turned around.

  Cade was standing in the center of the kitchen. His light green gaze did not leave me as he spoke, and it seemed he swallowed several times before the words came out. “Christ, Libby, what are you up to now?”

  “Well, who knows when Doc Walker’s going to get out here again, and she was all healed up.”

  His gaze drifted down to my lower half, and suddenly, I had an urge to run from the room. “Why is she dressed like that?”

  “Your aunt thought I could learn to ride a horse,” I said hastily.

  “I was hoping you’d have some time this afternoon to saddle up Red and take Poppy out for a trot around the yard.”

  His gaze still did not leave me as he spoke to his aunt. “I’ve got too much to do. Where’s Samuel anyhow?” He finally looked away, and I realized I’d been standing as rigid as a stone statue.

  “Samuel took Charlotte into town. They’re picking up Virginia. Charlotte and Virginia are sewing table linens for tomorrow’s social. Virginia will be staying with us a few days.” There was some hesitation in her voice.

  Cade slammed his hat down over his head. “That’s just great,” he said angrily. “Well, I came in to let you know that the crows are going to get your tomatoes if you don’t put up something to scare them off.” He glanced at me once before his boot heels smacked the floor again. The screen door flew shut behind him.

  The night before, he’d danced with me on the porch. Today, it seemed he wanted more than anything for me to be gone. And I wanted desperately to be gone— to be back in our small cottage, laughing and arguing with Mari. And now I wanted it more than ever. “I think I should go upstairs and change,” I said quietly. “He seemed terribly angry. The whole thing was a silly notion anyhow.”

  “Don’t worry about, Cade. He gets that way sometimes. He’s not mad about the clothing. He’s upset about Charlotte’s friend, Virginia, coming to stay.” Libby leaned closer and lowered her voice. “She’s been after Cade since they were fifteen. He liked her too, for a bit, but he lost interest eventually. Unfortunately, Virginia hasn’t let go of the idea that they might still marry someday.” She took my hand and led me to the table to sit. “He wasn’t upset about what you were wearing.” She winked at me across the table. “The way that boy looked at you, I could swear he was anything but upset.” Libby picked up a potato and I did the same. “Jackson will be happy to teach you to ride. Don’t give up on the idea just yet.”

  Chapter 11

  Cade

  Two hours of riding the perimeter of the ranch looking for animals that had gotten past the broken fence did nothing to erase the image of the girl from my thoughts. After dancing with Poppy on the porch, I could not get her out of my mind. I’d decided not to tell Libby that she was hiding from someone. It would only cause Libby worry. I had no idea who a girl like Poppy would be running from, but my imagination and rage went wild with the thought of it. It had to be a man or even a husband, a husband who was brutal enough that she’d run away from him. My fingers tightened around my reins just thinking about someone harming her. And that was why I needed to avoid her. The more time I spent with her, the more I thought about her. And the last thing I needed was to fall for her. Only now, Libby and her crazy ideas had obliterated my determination to stop thinking about Poppy.

  As I trotted back toward the inner pastures, feminine laughter drifted over the tops of the tall grass. Jackson’s laughter followed, and I trotted River in that direction. Libby’s plan had not been thwarted by my refusal. Jackson leaned his forearm on the pommel of his saddle as he watched Poppy ride circles on our old gelding. I rode up next to him.

  Her long hair had escaped the pins holding it, and it shimmered like gold in the sharp afternoon sunlight. Her sweet bott
om was still tucked neatly in a pair of my old denims, and it popped up and down on the seat of the saddle in perfect rhythm with her soft cries of joy.

  Jackson cupped his hand around his mouth. “Sit back, Poppy. You’re leaning too far forward.” He dropped his hand.

  She swept a long strand of hair off her face and sat back.

  “Now that is a picture,” Jackson said.

  My pulse sped up just watching her trot clumsy circles around the pasture. “What that is, Jacks, is a whole lot of trouble wrapped in the prettiest package I’ve ever seen.”

  Jackson’s eyes were wide. “What’s this? Cade Tanner’s confidence finally shattered by a girl? I’ll admit she’s not like any other girl we’ve met, but I’m still surprised.”

  It took all my will to look away from her. I reined River around. “Confidence hasn’t got anything to do with it. I just know trouble when I’m looking at it.” River’s hooves plodded over the drought hardened ground. I wasn’t fifty feet from Jackson when Poppy screamed. I spun River around so fast, the horse nearly fell back on its haunches. Poppy had slipped to the side of the saddle but had righted herself just as I reached her.

  Her smile greeted me, and it was the kind of smile that could make a guy forget his own name. “Red went one way and I went the other,” she said with a laugh. She reached forward and patted the horse’s thick neck. “He slowed down as soon as he knew I was off balance.” Her cinnamon brown eyes lifted and she looked at me. “Forgive me if I startled you. I shouldn’t have screamed like that.”

  “You didn’t startle me.” Of course my heartbeat had a whole different interpretation of it. Jackson rode up next to us. He grinned smugly at me. “Well, Cade, you always were one to ride toward trouble instead of away from it.”