Distraction

by Tess Oliver

  My hands were cracked and raw, but I plunged them into the soapy water and scrubbed the linen sheet along the washboard. Only one of the sheets we’d used to tent the tomatoes had survived the ravages of the dust cloud, and it had taken me three new buckets of water to get it clean. My back and shoulders were knotted, and I straightened on the small stool and moved my head from side to side to relieve some of the tension in my neck. I was just about to resume my task when strong calloused fingers took hold of my shoulders and began kneading my tightened muscles. The strength of his hands and the warmth of his touch sent delicious tendrils of relief through my tired shoulders. After a few minutes, I relaxed back against him, my head resting against his hard stomach.

  “That was a little slice of heaven. Thank you,” I said. “Do you think you could follow me around the rest of the day and provide that service when needed?”

  “If only I could.” He leaned over to kiss my forehead but picked up my hand instead. The tiniest amount of blood seeped from the cracks on my knuckles. “Look at your hands.”

  “It’s nothing. Libby has a salve that I can put on them once I’m done here. It heals the red skin instantly.” I smiled. “I just can’t open door knobs or hold anything in my fingers for a few hours after applying it.”

  “You need a break . . . and frankly, so do I. I’m almost done with my chores. We could take a ride if you’d like.”

  “I would like it very much.”

  “I’ll meet you in the stables in an hour.”

  ***

  I could not have been more thrilled to finish hanging the final piece of laundry on the line. A warm breeze blew through the rows of wet fabric. I’d checked the sky for ominous threats at least ten times while working. The pale blue sky could not have been clearer or more pleasant, no trace of dust or impending doom.

  I stepped into the kitchen. The spicy fragrance of cloves filled the air. Charlotte was sitting at the table with her leg propped on a chair. She appeared rather disgruntled with her task of cracking nuts.

  Libby looked up from her mixing bowl. “We’ve all been working so hard to get this ranch back in order, I’ve decided to bake a spice cake.” She inclined her head toward Charlotte. “And I’ve found our patient something to occupy her time that does not require a sturdy ankle.”

  Charlotte plucked the nut meat out of the shell with a pick. “Yes, but I don’t think I’ll do this for much longer. My hands are already tired.”

  I poured myself a cup of hot coffee.

  “Speaking of hands, Poppy, don’t forget to put on some of that salve I gave you. You look tired. Why don’t you head up and take a nap.” Libby winked at me. “I’m sure if I lean Charlotte up against the counter, she can help me cook supper.”

  “That’ll be more trouble than it’s worth,” Charlotte surmised quickly.

  Libby picked up a bowl of raisins and threw them into the cake batter. “Either way, you take the rest of the afternoon off, Poppy. You’ve earned it.”

  “Actually, I’m going to go up and change. I’m going on a ride with Cade.”

  Charlotte gasped dramatically. “By yourself? Libby, it’s not right for her to go with him unchaperoned.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly, Charlotte. Since when have we been following Queen Victoria’s antiquated rules of etiquette on this ranch? Of course she can take a ride with Cade.”

  I had no idea who this Queen Victoria was and could only imagine that she was the English monarch. I was thoroughly confused about who ruled the new world, but I had no intention of highlighting my ignorance in front of Charlotte. I sipped my coffee as quickly as possible without burning my lips so I could leave the kitchen.

  “Well, I suppose you make all the decisions, Libby,” Charlotte said angrily. “But I think it’s wrong.” She picked up another nut and then obviously decided she’d had enough. She dropped it back into the bowl unopened. “I suppose I’ll have to make amends with Virginia, even though she all but deserted me the night of the dance. But I’m going to have to talk to her some time.” A humorous laugh spurted from her mouth. “After all, she could very well be living here as my sister-in-law within the year.” She made a point of looking at me.

  Now it was Libby’s turn to laugh. “Your friend, Virginia, has about as much chance of winning over Cade as my friend, Agatha Baker, has.”

  Charlotte’s brows knitted together. “But Agatha is eighty-four years old.”

  “Exactly. So if Virginia still has her sights set on Cade, you’d better discourage her the next time you talk to her or she’ll be sorely disappointed.”

  I put my cup in the wash basin and scooted out of the room, suppressing a smile as I slipped past Charlotte’s scowl.

  The nervous flutters churned in my stomach long before I reached the barn. It seemed to be an instinctual, physical response anytime I thought about Cade. The flutters, along with racing pulse and shortness of breath were all inconveniences I suffered daily, but with good cause. If love was the source of such maladies then so be it. A few moments of uneasiness were a small price for the exquisite sensations of Cade’s touch and the pleasing feel of his mouth on my lips and skin.

  Cade was standing next to Red fastening the saddle. “Almost ready. Red likes these rides. We retired him from working cattle last year because he was having trouble with his hocks, but these casual walks have been good for him.”

  I walked up and placed my hand under the horse’s warm muzzle. The long, hard hairs around his mouth scratched my palm. “I feel safe on Red. He puts up with a lot from me, and he never gets irritated.”

  Cade finished with the saddle and patted Red on the neck. Then, without warning, Cade pulled me into his arms and peered down at me through long, black lashes. “Yeah, cause you can be so darn irritating . . .” He lowered his face and kissed my eyebrow tenderly, “with those irritating, cinnamon-brown eyes . . .” His kisses moved down to my nose. “And that irritating, tiny nose . . .” He paused, his mouth a mere breath away from mine, and then he kissed me softly. “And those irritating, luscious lips . . .” The green of his eyes darkened as he gazed down at my mouth. “God, those lips . . .” he sighed, and his warm breath drifted lightly across my mouth as his arms tightened around me more. He kissed me long and hard.

  Red snorted, spraying us with a fine nasal mist. Cade lifted his head and looked at the horse. “Find your own girl.”

  “I think he’s anxious to get out and about. We should probably go soon. Libby is going to need my help with supper.”

  Cade’s arms still circled my waist. “I’ve been on a horse all day. I’m fine staying right here with you in my arms.”

  I peered up at him. “But I put on the waist overalls.”

  He let me go, took hold of my hand, and spun me around once as if we were on a ballroom floor. “Yes, yes you did. And they are part of the reason I’d rather just stay here.” He pulled me back against his chest. “Kissing you.” His mouth covered mine and his tongue lightly traced my lips before his kiss deepened. Every inch of me reacted to his kiss.

  We were lost in each other’s touch when the back door of the house slammed shut. Cade kissed me one last time and then lowered his arms.

  “Libby knows I came out here,” I said, once my breathing had slowed. “She’s probably wondering why it’s taking so long for us to saddle the horses.”

  “I guess she’s slamming the door shut as a warning,” Cade said disappointedly. “I suppose we should head out on that ride, but I still think this was more fun.”

  “I’d have to agree.”

  The horses walked side by side as we headed down a road I’d never been on. At home, there were only a few well-trodden paths, and all of them led to the village. Out here, the world seemed to have no end and every road led to a different place.

  The landscape looked eerily different after the dust storm. Grasses were a muted gold color and the round weeds that had rolled into the yard now bordered many of the pastures. Even the tallest trees, just sprou
ting fresh green leaves, looked prematurely aged as if they were entering fall rather than spring.

  “It’s amazing what one dust storm can do.”

  “This? This isn’t much. One good rainfall and the dust storm will just be a bad memory. We’ve had blizzards blow through here that shear off every tree branch, leaving them looking like armless skeletons. You walk outside the next day, and you could swear you woke up in a whole different world. It’s a strange feeling.”

  I smiled to myself. “I’m sure it is.”

  “Poppy, do you think you’d ever consider staying here with us? I mean once we find your grandmother.”

  The question caught me so off guard, I was speechless.

  He stopped his horse and Red stopped as well. His hat shaded most of his face, but I could still feel his gaze on me. “I want you to stay, Poppy, here on the ranch . . . with me.”

  If only I’d truly wandered here, lost and waiting for my grandmother. If only I had not been sent here to hide from a heinous man whose powers were more dangerous than the sharpest blade or fastest gun. If only I had not promised, in blood, my hand to Angus Wolfe, I would have jumped at the chance to stay here forever with my knight.

  My lack of response worried Cade. He faced forward and urged River into a walk. Red followed.

  We walked along in tense silence for what seemed an eternity. It took all my courage to speak. “I care greatly for you, Cade. But—”

  “It’s all right, Poppy. You don’t have to tell me.” His tone lacked the usual confidence, and for the first time since I’d met him, he seemed hurt.

  My foolish lack of inhibitions was completely to blame for this. If only I’d shown more restraint. But everything about the man made me crave his attentions. There was no way I could’ve stopped myself. I’d become so vulnerable to his charms, I’d given both of us false hope. In the back of my mind, where I’d pushed the dark reality of it all, I’d always known that none of this would fall smoothly and easily into place. There was nothing smooth and easy about my life.

  We continued on in strained silence until we came upon a wagon that sat jammed in a narrow trench. It leaned to the side with one wheel hanging off the road. A small, rather steep hillside bordered the road. It seemed one strong push and the wagon and its contents would tumble down the side.

  An older man with a floppy brown hat and patched trousers stood at the front of the wagon pulling on his cart horse’s bridle. But the horse was no match for the weight of the wagon. A large silver ball of the thorny fence material rocked back and forth in the bed with each movement of the wagon.

  Cade said nothing to me as he hung his hat on the pummel of his saddle and slid to the ground. His silence felt like a knife slicing my heart.

  “Looks like you could use a hand, Perkins,” Cade called to the man.

  The man leaned forward and looked around his wagon. “Tanner, thank goodness you’re here. I just came from town and now my wheel is stuck.”

  “I see that.” Cade rolled up his sleeves, walked to the edge, and picked up a thick, fallen branch.

  “Did you hear about Sheriff Stanton?” the man asked.

  “I heard he was feeling badly.” Cade assessed the wheel problem while the man continued.

  “He’s dead.”

  Cade’s face shot up. “Dead? That was fast. Too bad. Stanton was a good man.”

  “He sure was. The new man already arrived this morning, a U.S. Deputy Marshal.”

  Cade looked underneath the wagon. “You don’t say.”

  The man laughed, showing a mouth sparsely populated with teeth. “And he’s already got a reputation for being the meanest lawman this side of the Mississippi.”

  Cade looked at him. “How’d we get stuck with him?”

  The man lifted his thin shoulders. “Don’t know for sure, but like you say, we’re stuck.”

  “That’s not good news. Well, let’s see if I can pry the wheel loose while you move the horse forward.” Without hesitation, Cade slid down the gravelly hillside and positioned himself beneath the wagon. If it slipped, it would roll right over him, but as usual, he showed no fear.

  Cade stuck the branch below the wheel and pushed with all his strength. The old wagon creaked as the wheel inched forward. Dirt and gravel slid down the hillside. “Pull your horse forward when I say go,” Cade called.

  “Right.”

  Cade positioned his feet as securely as was possible on the unstable hillside. The muscles in his forearms bulged as he pushed down on the branch. “Go!” A small avalanche of sand and rock slid down around Cade’s feet as the wheel popped out of the rut, and the wagon lurched forward. As the wagon shot ahead, the roll of dangerous fencing wire hopped over the side and headed downhill directly toward Cade.

  “Cade!” I screamed.

  His face popped up, and his feet fell out from under him. He slid down several feet before stopping himself on a rock. The ball of thorns rolled toward him like a skin shredding boulder. Cade covered his head and braced for the pain. I could not stop myself. The ball of metal bounced into the air and neatly over Cade, landing on the ground below.

  Cade lay there quietly for a moment then lifted his head and looked down at the ball of wire. He pushed to his feet and climbed back up the hillside. The grateful wagon owner gave him a hand up over the side. “Well, that was a miracle,” the man said. “I thought, sure as fire, that that roll of barbed wire was going to skin you alive. But hell if that thing didn’t just bounce up and fly over you. Someone’s watching over you today, Tanner.”

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Cade said darkly. He glanced my direction. His expression made my throat tighten. I’d gone one miracle too far.

  The tension on the road away from the ranch was nothing compared to the heated silence we endured on the way back. After Cade and the wagon driver had used rope to get the ball of wire back into the wagon, Cade had climbed back into the saddle and turned River back toward home. He hadn’t looked at me or spoken to me the entire way, and several times, I had to force back the tears that burned in my eyes.

  If I hadn’t used my magic to lift the ball of wire, Cade most certainly would have suffered grave injury, but his icy reaction almost made me wish I’d taken the chance of letting it roll over him. Of course, I knew I was kidding myself. I would never have allowed him to be hurt. Only now, it seemed we were both suffering miserably.

  We walked the horses into the barn. Little pieces of my heart splintered off with each passing moment of cold silence. I had no reasonable or believable explanation to give him for any of it.

  Cade slid past me and yanked off Red’s saddle, and I picked up a brush to groom the horse. The thick, black feeling of heartbreak weighed down every muscle in my body, and just running a brush over Red’s back took all my strength. It was obvious I had overstayed my welcome, and I needed to leave the ranch soon. That thought blackened my mood even more because I knew I would be leaving a piece of myself behind.

  Angry, strong fingers grabbed my arm, and I dropped the brush. Cade pulled me to the wide beam in the center of the barn and pressed me up against it. The rage in his green eyes was softened only by the obvious torment he was suffering. “Who the hell or, should I ask, what the hell are you?”

  His harsh words brought forth the tears that had waited to be freed. “I can’t tell you. You wouldn’t understand.”

  He braced a hand on each side, trapping me between the unyielding wooden beam and his hard body. “Try me.”

  I peered up at him through blurry eyes, but the emotion in his face was all too clear. My tears fell faster, and I reached up and swiped them off my cheeks.

  “You walked into my life, Woman, and ripped the heart from my chest. I deserve a goddamned explanation. Let me correct that, you fell into my life . . . from the sky. Should’ve been my first clue.”

  I looked down at my feet. The old lace-up boots were the only remnant of my true self. I took a breath and lifted my gaze back up to his face. At this point there was
nothing to lose. “I’m a witch.”

  He shook his head and dropped his arms. “If you’re just going to make shit up then never mind.” He turned to walk away.

  I stepped away from the beam. “Do you want to hear my explanation or not? Because if you think you’re the only person suffering here, you’re wrong, Cade Tanner. My heart has been ripped out just like yours, only I never stopped caring for you.” Anger now dried my tears. “You obviously fell for someone who you’d conjured up in your mind. I’m not a meek, helpless little runaway.”

  He held his broad shoulders rigid, but he didn’t turn to face me as I hurled the bizarre truth at his back. I’d begun my tale, and, at this point, there was no turning back. “After I’m done telling you this, you can do what you like with me. I don’t know how they deal with witches in this century, burning at the stake, hanging, buried alive, it doesn’t matter to me. Now that my soul has been destroyed, I’ll gladly accept my fate.”

  He turned around and I truly wished that he hadn’t. My courage and resolve were nearly shattered by that breath stealing face of his. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “The cow, the cup, the ball of wire just now— I did all that. And you’re right, I fell from the sky that day. I was supposed to be transported two hundred years into the future, 1892 Salem. But Angus interfered, and I was thrown off course. I landed here in Montana . . . on top of a grizzly bear, unfortunately.”

  There was nothing in his expression to give me any confidence that he believed a word of what I told him, but I definitely had his full attention.

  Cade removed his hat and scrubbed his face with his hand. “You aren’t making a lick of sense, Poppy.”

  “Angus Wolfe is the man I’m hiding from. I traded my freedom for my sister’s life, and now I’m bound to him. He is extremely powerful and dangerous. My grandmother sent me into the future to hide from him.”

  Cade pushed his hat back on his head and sat down on the bench lining the wall. It was hard to tell if he was trying to absorb what I’d told him or if he was figuring out the fastest way to get me off his ranch.