“But it wasn’t your family, Jemma, or your responsibility.” A wave of compassion swept over Thane for his wife. She’d relinquished the carefree days of her youth for his brother’s family. “Henry should have hired a nanny or a nurse and let you have a life.”
Jemma shook her head, unintentionally bobbing the plume in Thane’s face. “I couldn’t leave my sister when she needed me and I loved Jack from the first moment I held him in my arms, as I did Lily. I may not have given birth to them, but I’ve raised them, cared for them, and loved them as much as any mother could. I had a life, Thane. One full of laughter, joy, and happy moments, even after Jane died. It wasn’t until Henry’s death that life became uncertain.”
“I’m sorry, Jemma. Henry should have left everything to you then you could have stayed at the cottage and raised the children as you saw fit. Although, I’m glad he didn’t because I never would have met them.” Or you.
“Poor Jack has grown so solemn, especially since Henry’s death. You’ve helped him find joy in living again, Thane. He positively shines when he’s with you, and for that I’d give up everything.”
“Even the fourteen trunks of things that are waiting for us?”
“Even them.” Jemma smiled at his teasing. Relaxed, her eyes grew heavy with sleep.
The next thing she knew, the porter walked through the car, letting everyone know they’d be arriving in Baker City within the hour.
As she pushed herself up, Jemma realized she’d fallen asleep against Thane and hurried to put a distance between the two of them. At least as much as the tight restrictions of the train would allow.
Lily yawned and stretched in her seat while Jack popped his eyes open and looked around. Spying his aunt and uncle smiling at him, he grinned and pressed his nose to the window, watching the passing scenery.
Thane leaned forward, placing a hand on Jack’s back and motioning out the window. “See that smoke, Jack? That’s from my ranch. I’ll bet ol’ Sam has stoked the fire in the bunkhouse and is frying up a pan of bacon for breakfast. Our place is just over that hill.”
Jack turned to him with an excited look and pointed to the herd of red and white cattle grazing in the distance. “Are those your cattle, Uncle Thane?”
“Yep. That’s part of the herd. We’ll be rounding them up from the hills and keeping them closer to the cabin through the winter.”
“Can I help bring them in?” Jack’s gaze held a look of hope.
“You bet you can.” Thane ruffled his hair then grabbed Lily before she rolled onto the floor. She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut, burrowing against his chest before returning to sleep.
Carefully sliding back against his seat, Thane cradled the little girl and brushed her unruly curls away from her face. Her pink rosebud lips rested in a pout, tugging at his heart. He had no idea such a tiny person could command so much of his attention or stir such deep, fatherly emotions in him.
When his mother abandoned him, he vowed he’d never trust a woman. Resigned to spending his life alone, without children, he was glad he gave in to Weston’s demands that he travel to England.
After meeting Jack and Lily, he couldn’t imagine life without them in it, although it would be challenging in his small cabin in the coming months. If Jemma hadn’t run screaming into the hills or back to England by spring, he’d purchase the necessary lumber to build a house. For the winter, though, they’d have to make do with the cabin. There wasn’t time to get the lumber and build a house before the snow began to fly.
As the train chugged up the last rise and down into the valley where Baker City spread out on the relatively flat floor, Thane pointed out the mountains rising to the west. Snow already covered them nearly halfway down and Jemma wondered how long it would be before snow fell in the immediate region.
Still holding Lily, Thane reached out and slipped his arm in front of Jemma, bracing her in the seat as the train ground to a bone-jarring halt. She gasped at the feel of his arm across her middle and quickly pushed back against her seat.
Once the train stopped, Thane moved his arm, tugged his bag from beneath the seat then stood. Lily draped over his shoulder as he pulled their bags from overhead and handed the smallest one to Jack. With plans to take three of them, he left one for Jemma to carry.
He gave her his hand and helped her to her feet then watched with amusement as she poked at stray hairpins, adjusted her hat, and brushed at her dirt-streaked skirt. A spot of soot marred on one creamy cheek. Without thinking, he reached over and brushed at it with his thumb, causing her to still her movements and watch him with wary eyes.
“Smudge,” he said, picking up the bags and motioning for Jemma to precede him down the aisle with Jack.
“Welcome to Baker City, ma’am. Enjoy your stay,” the friendly porter said, smiling as Jemma stepped from the train onto the platform at the depot. Jack stayed close to her skirts as Thane stepped off the train, thanking the porter for his service.
Thane motioned Jemma toward a bench on the far end of the platform. They started that direction when a man nearly as handsome and tall as Thane shouted and waved, hurrying toward them.
“I must have spent too much time out in the sun because I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Is that you, Thane Jordan?” The man stood with his hands fisted at his waist, legs spread apart with a big smile on his face. “You said you inherited two children, but you dang sure didn’t mention a wife.”
Chapter Twelve
Thane glared at his friend rather than answer. It only served to generate more commentary.
“What is a plug-ugly ol’ coot like you doing with this beautiful woman and these two children?”
The man smiled at Jemma, giving her a flirtatious wink before grinning at Jack and hunkering down to his level. “Did he kidnap you?”
Jack shook his head, not sure what to make of the jovial stranger.
“Did he threaten to feed you to the bears? Make you walk the plank?”
Jack laughed, shaking his head again.
The stranger stood and addressed Jemma. “Did he take you against your will, ma’am? If he did, I’ll haul this sorry excuse for a human down to the calaboose.”
Jemma glanced uncertainly at her husband. A hint of a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Jemma, may I present my friend, Sheriff Tully Barrett. Tully, this is my wife, Lady Jemma Bryan Jordan.”
Tully executed a bow worthy of a queen, sweeping his hat from his head and gallantly kissing the back of Jemma’s hand.
She smiled at the man who seemed to be a good-natured tease, tipping her head to him. “It is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barrett.”
“Shucks, ma’am, just call me Tully. This cranky galoot is the closest thing I’ve got to family and I’m sure you’ll see more of me than you can stand, so you might as well call me Tully.”
“Very well, Tully. Please call me Jemma.” She settled a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “This is our nephew, Jack, and Thane is holding Lily.”
“Jack, it’s mighty fine to meet you. Say, do you own that big ol’ dog I hauled out to the ranch day before yesterday? A note in his kennel said his name is Sir Rigsly. Is he a knight?”
Jack grinned and shook the hand Tully held out to him. “No, sir. He’s just our dog.”
“And a fine dog he is,” Tully said, noticing Lily peeping at him as she hid her face against Thane’s neck.
“Never thought I’d see the day when you’d roll into town with a wife and kids, Thane. Apparently, we’re in for a long, deep, cold spell. If I remember right, you said the day you wed was the day that he…”
Thane took a step forward, bumping into Tully and cutting off his words. Jemma pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.
“Did everything arrive in good shape?” Thane asked as Lily raised her head and looked around at her surroundings. Overcome with the unfamiliar world around her, she reached out to her aunt. Jemma took her and began rocking the child from side to side.
“S
ure did. Fourteen trunks, four horses, one dog, and a partridge in a pear tree.” Tully slapped Thane on the back. “Your order from Chicago arrived last week and a few things arrived for you yesterday, too.”
“Thanks, Tully. Want to help me with the rest of our baggage?”
“How can you have more after everything we hauled out to the ranch already?” Tully winked at Jemma as he and Thane wandered off in the direction of the baggage car further down the platform.
“I like Mr. Barrett, Auntie Jemma. He’s funny.” Jack looked up at her with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yes, he is. We’ve just set foot off the train and already made a new friend. He said he’s the sheriff. That is quite exciting, isn’t it?”
Jack nodded his head. “Did you see his star and his gun? I wonder if Uncle Thane has a gun.”
“Good heavens!” Jemma hadn’t considered Thane swaggering around wearing a gun but when he returned to her side, he was in the process of buckling on a gun belt. She had no idea where he’d stored it, but he wore one just the same.
Startled by the sight of the weaponry hanging around his hip, she lifted her gaze. Once again, Thane looked fearsome and unapproachable, nothing like the man who’d spent the last two weeks trying to ease the burdens of travel for her and the children.
“Do you mind waiting here with Lily while we go get the horses? You can wait inside the depot. I’ll take Jack with me.” Thane pointed a hand toward the building behind her.
“That would be a satisfactory arrangement.” She watched as he and Tully picked up all the bags they could carry but left behind the two trunks that had been in the baggage car.
Thane tipped his hat to her then walked off with Tully, answering Jack’s questions about the town as they strode across the street.
As she opened the door to the depot and stepped inside, gratitude filled her to see a sign for a lavatory. After taking Lily, they returned to a bench near a window and waited. Fully awake, Lily wanted to explore her new surroundings.
“Where’s Uncle Thane?” Lily asked as she swung back and forth, holding onto Jemma’s hand.
“He went to get the horses.”
“Why?”
“In order for us to travel to his ranch.”
“Why?”
“So we can go home, Lily.”
“To the cottage?” The little girl’s voice sounded so hopeful, Jemma bit back the tears that pricked her eyes.
“No, poppet.” Jemma picked her up and cuddled her close until Lily squirmed to get down again. “Your uncle’s ranch is our new home.”
Lily appeared thoughtful for a moment then began hopping on one foot, sending her wild curls into a frenzy of bouncing. “I’m hungry. Can we eat, please?”
“Yes, I suppose we should eat something before we venture into the wilds and leave civilization behind.”
“I want bacon and toast. Please, Auntie Jemma. And marmalade. I want marmalade. Can Cook make marmalade for my toast?”
“No, love, but I’m sure we can find some jam. You like jam, Lily. Remember the lovely berry jam we had with our scones.”
“Scones. I want scones with cream. Please? And crumpets!”
“We’ll see, Lily. Shall we count your fingers? You didn’t leave any on the train, did you?”
Lily’s eyes dropped to her hands and she held them out in front of her.
“Oh, look.” Jemma took Lily’s tiny fingers in her own. “You’ve got them all. Let’s count. One, two, three…”
Tired, in need of a bath, and every bit as hungry as Lily, Jemma wanted to crawl into a soft bed and sleep for a week. She’d settle for Thane coming and taking them to his ranch. He’d been gone what seemed like a very long time when she saw him walk in front of the depot windows and open the door.
Lily ran to him and held up her arms. He picked her up and tossed her in the air in their now familiar routine before stepping next to the bench were Jemma sat. Thane helped her to her feet, tipped his head to the ticket agent, and escorted her out the door.
“We’re just around the corner,” he said, cupping her elbow in his hand.
As they rounded the corner of the building, she observed a shiny new conveyance hitched to a large brown horse, waiting to carry them to the ranch. Jack sat on the front seat talking to Tully as he sat astraddle a buckskin horse.
The two trunks, along with their bags, sat in the back. The vehicle looked like a carriage or buggy but the body had straighter, more utilitarian lines like a wagon. Painted black, the gear gleamed in a shade of dark green with gold stripes, creating a striking appearance. She glanced at the padded backs and seats of leather in admiration.
“It’s a buckboard. Had it shipped from back east since I didn’t think you and the kids would enjoy bouncing along in my big farm wagon every time we need to come into town,” Thane explained, walking her down a set of steps to where the wagon waited.
“How very thoughtful. Thank you.” Jemma smiled at Tully and accepted the hand Thane gave her to step into the conveyance. Jack scrambled over the front seat to the back and Thane handed Lily to Jemma once she settled her skirts.
After climbing in, he picked up the reins but Jemma put a hand on his arm before he released the brake. “I know you are most eager to journey to the ranch, but may we please partake of some nourishment? The children need something in their tummies before we leave town.”
Thane sighed, anxious to return to the ranch, but he deferred to Jemma’s wishes. He turned to Tully. “Want to join us?”
“Why not?” Tully grinned and rode beside the buckboard as Thane directed it down the broad dirt street and around a corner. A few blocks down Main Street, he pulled the horse to a stop in front of an impressive hotel.
Jemma craned her neck back and read the sign at the top of the three-story building. “Hotel Warshauer.”
“Two brothers built this place last year. I think you’ll like it,” Thane said, taking Lily from her then assisting her out of the buckboard while Jack followed Tully down the sidewalk toward a set of double doors.
Warmth greeted her as they stepped inside. Jemma glanced around the hotel’s lobby. While nothing like their luxurious accommodations in New York, this hotel had a certain elegance combined with a welcoming atmosphere. An ornate stained glass ceiling drew her interest as she admired the beauty of her surroundings.
Hurriedly eating their breakfast, they were soon back in the wagon, heading down Main Street for the far end of town.
Jemma took in a variety of businesses, from a clothing house and saddle shop to a grocer’s store. Pleased by the assortment, she hoped one day soon Thane would bring her to town and let her explore.
Tully rode beside them as they left the town behind and began journeying over scrubby hills.
“What are those plants called, Uncle Thane?” Jack asked, leaning over the front seat between his uncle and aunt.
“Those pale greenish-gray bushes are sagebrush. There’s nothing like the scent of sagebrush right after a rainstorm. Those other plants that are a brighter green are greasewood. We don’t have many trees out here, although you might come across a random juniper or pine tree,” Thane said, motioning toward a thick tree line on the distant hills. He and Tully offered names of plants, the mountains, and pointed to a small herd of deer.
Jemma noted the brown grass growing among the clumps of sagebrush and greasewood. When her husband said he lived in a climate vastly different from her home, she hadn’t realized how true his words would be. Used to gentle rains, moist air, and green as far as she could see, the dry, brown landscape with billows of dust appeared ugly and uncivilized.
Despite it being mid-October, the day continued to warm to a level that left Jemma concerned she and the children would experience dreadful burns from the sun before they ever reached the ranch.
Overhead, a bright golden orb beat down on her, making her feel slightly lightheaded.
Thane pointed out a snake coiled by a rock. “Stay away from those snakes, J
ack. They’ll bite and their fangs are full of poison. I’ve known a few men who died from snakebite.”
Shudders racked through Jemma. No one mentioned snakes. What had she done, bringing two precious children to a wild, arid country filled with venomous reptiles?
Queasy, she shifted Lily to sit next to Thane. She grabbed the edge of the seat to keep from falling off the buckboard as dizziness settled over her. The dust threatened to choke the air from her lungs and she couldn’t get her breath.
Oblivious to her distress, the two men discussed what had happened at the ranch in the two months Thane had been gone. Lost in conversation, Thane remained unaware of Jemma’s suffering until Lily yanked on his sleeve, capturing his attention.
“What is it, honey?” Thane asked, glancing down at the little girl.
“Auntie Jemma.” Lily pointed to Jemma as she swayed on the seat, looking ill. In fact, her face appeared completely devoid of color except for two bright red spots riding high on each cheek.
Thane stretched his arm across the seat and placed the back of his hand to her forehead. It felt clammy to his touch.
“Jemma? Are you sick?”
She turned glassy eyes his direction and shook her head.
Thane handed Lily to Tully. The sheriff settled her in front of him on the saddle. The little girl laughed and kicked her tiny feet, wanting the horse to go faster.
“Head on to the ranch. We’ll be right behind you,” Thane said to Tully then turned to look at Jack, who continued leaning over the seat. “Sit back, son, and hang on. I don’t want you to fall out.”
Jack obeyed, scooting back on the seat and grabbing onto the side rail as Thane pulled Jemma closer to his side and wrapped an arm around her. “Just hold on, Jemma. We’ll be home soon. You told me the first day we met you aren’t a swooner and I’m holding you to it.”
Crumpets & Cowpies: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 1) Page 15
