The other bird cooed at her words, and they both laughed.
Hattie brought in a tray of delicate pastry and a pot of tea. After the tea was poured and they’d tasted the pastry, Sadie released a satisfied sigh. “This is absolutely wonderful.”
“I’m fortunate to have the best cook in the West,” Katherine replied, sipping her tea.
“I’m sure Able wishes he did.” Sadie’s tone sobered.
An idea sprang to Katherine’s mind, and she felt a sniggle of excitement. “That could be possible.”
“How? You planning to loan me Hattie?”
“Even better. You could learn to cook like her.”
“I’ve been trying for two years, and I could try for the next twenty and not be able to accomplish anything like this.” Sadie picked up the delectable pastry and stared at it with regret.
“Who’s been teaching you?”
“Well, no one exactly. I just read the cookbooks and then try the recipes.” Sadie sipped her tea.
“How would you like a teacher?” The more Katherine thought of the idea, the more excited she got.
“You?” Sadie couldn’t contain her skepticism, and Katherine laughed out loud.
“No, Hattie. You can see she’s a wonderful cook.”
“But I can’t waste her time,” Sadie protested.
“Let’s ask her.”
Not giving Sadie time to argue, Katherine tugged her toward the kitchen. Briefly explaining the situation, Katherine summed up her request, and Hattie smiled broadly. “Be my pleasure, child.”
Sadie removed her hat and gloves, and soon she was covered in one of Hattie’s immense aprons, which swallowed her slight figure.
Deciding they didn’t need an observer, Katherine slipped away. She had accumulated some things to give to the Rankin family, whose home had burned. After first taking time to gather some fresh bread to go along with the sacks of grain, foodstuffs, blankets, and clothing, Katherine hitched the buggy and took off.
A few hours later she returned, glad the family had accepted her offering along with some cash she’d tucked into the grateful woman’s hands. Mr. Rankin had shaken her hand long and hard, and she’d recognized the emotion that caused his Adam’s apple to bob. Glad to be of assistance, she remembered a time when a similar helping hand would have changed the course of her life.
Stepping into the kitchen, Katherine choked back a muffled cry when she saw Sadie. She was completely covered in flour—even her red hair seemed dusted! But when Sadie spotted her, she cried out gleefully, “Look, Katherine! Look what I’ve made!”
Expecting an elaborate concoction, Katherine tried to look impressed as Sadie presented a skillet for inspection.
“It’s gravy, Katherine. Without lumps!”
Since Hattie was also beaming, Katherine smiled brightly. “That’s wonderful!”
“Took me five times to get it right,” Sadie reported with pride.
“Six,” Hattie corrected, “but who’s countin’? She learned how to make decent biscuits, too. Tomorrow’s stew, Miss Sadie.”
“All right, Hattie. Can we make cornbread, too?”
“Surely. What else would you fix with stew?”
Katherine smiled at them both. Apparently the lesson had gone well. “Why don’t you wash up in there, Sadie?” Katherine pointed her in the right direction and turned back to her cook.
“Thanks for your patience.”
Hattie rolled her considerable eyes. “Lordy, Miss Katherine, it’s a wonder they haven’t starved to death.”
Katherine bit back a chuckle, thinking of Sadie’s flour-dusted appearance. “You’re helping more than just Sadie’s cooking. I’m hoping it will improve her marriage.”
“Two things a man wants. And good food is definitely one of ’em.” Hattie swiped her hands against her apron, winking as she turned away.
Sadie returned, and Katherine walked her to the door. “I can’t wait to impress Able and the kids with what I’ve learned. My biscuits used to come out like rocks, and the gravy tasted like paste.”
“I doubt that it was that bad.”
“Worse,” Sadie confided. “As soon as I’ve learned how to do a whole meal right, I want you to come to dinner.”
Beaming, she pressed Katherine’s hands in gratitude and fairly danced out the door. Katherine pushed the door shut, smiling until she realized what Sadie had just said. Dinner at the same table with Able Browning? Katherine doubted even she had that much starch.
“Pish, pish, pish.”
Jake heard the sound and wondered what it was. Another sound replaced it.
“Spshsh, spshsh, spshsh.”
Poking his head around the shed, Jake was surprised to see Katherine tiptoeing near the bird feeder, making the peculiar sounds. Keeping equally quiet, he approached her silently, whispering into her ear, “Pish.”
Startled, she flew around, clutching her chest in surprise. “Why’d you do that?” she whispered furiously.
“Why are we whispering?” he returned, unperturbed.
“I was trying to attract songbirds.” Her voice cracked, then returned to its normal volume. “I’m sure they’re gone now.”
Unsuccessfully he tried to swallow a grin. “Oh.”
She tried to maintain her dignity, but his smile was contagious. “I guess I looked a little silly.”
“Sounded strange,” he agreed, wondering if she knew how beautiful she looked in the early morning light. He wanted to drag her off into the sweet-smelling grass and show her just how much he appreciated her beauty.
She glanced up at him, her long lashes dancing over velvety eyes, and he swallowed uncomfortably. He hadn’t seen much of her since the night of the fire. She had managed to avoid him most of the time, usually escaping before they could speak. A part of him wished he hadn’t asked about her past, but another part knew he had to find out. She had grown on him in a way he’d never suspected possible. More than just her beauty attracted him, but it scared him to think how much more.
She reached for the sack of birdseed, and he took it from her hands, filling the feeder. Replacing the sack, he offered her a few sunflower seeds. “For the lovebirds,” he explained.
“I didn’t know you knew about them,” Katherine replied in surprise.
“Morgan showed ’em to me. Said you’d named ’em Romeo and Juliet.”
He watched as she blushed deeply, appreciating the pink flush that crept across her porcelain skin.
“He’s always had a big mouth,” she mumbled.
“Something no one can accuse you of,” he answered softly, wondering why it was so hard for her to tell him about her past.
Her head lifted sharply, but he kept his gaze benign.
“Did you like them?” she asked softly.
“Them?”
“The birds.”
He smiled. “Yes. They suit you.”
She angled her head in question, but instead he said, “For someone who doesn’t want to be involved in the community, you’ve made more connections than the Santa Fe Railroad.”
When she didn’t answer, he continued. “The Johnsons, the Rankins, Sadie’s cooking lessons—”
“You know about that?”
“Who do you suppose samples everything?” Jake tried not to look smug. “I volunteer so she doesn’t kill Able and the kids on the first try.”
“Something tells me Hattie wouldn’t feed you the first try.”
“You’re right,” he admitted. “After Sadie thinks she’s gotten it right, they feed it to me. Usually it’s pretty good by then.”
He’d been surprised when Sadie confided that she was taking cooking lessons from Hattie. Despite Katherine’s protests that she couldn’t get involved, she’d done more for Sadie Browning than all his ministering could do.
“Thanks for helping her, Katherine.”
“Hattie’s doing all the work.” She busied herself with the new bushes she’d planted in the hopes of attracting more birds.
But Jake w
asn’t deceived by her diversionary tactic. He knelt down beside her, only the budding branches separating them. “You don’t fool me, Katherine O’Shea.”
Her breathing accelerated, and he reacted to the throbbing pulsebeat at her throat. Pulling her up with him, he wanted to forget the birds and garden. Sensing her protest, he didn’t give her time to voice the thought. The taste of her lips seared him as did the sweet breath that soughed through them. He pressed her close, luxuriating in the feel of her body against his. His hands gripped the back of her neck, angling her head so that he had full access. The taste he remembered so well seeped through the softness he found there. Her hands gripped his shoulders as though to protest, then curled in the hair that fell below his collar.
The sweetness of her response gripped him even as he nudged his knee between her legs. Feeling himself harden, a remnant of conscience rose and struck him. He knew he couldn’t have it both ways. Was he going to keep his promise to himself or not? When they parted, his face was grim. He damned the past that separated them and the present no man could gulf.
Chapter 14
“Hey, Reverend.”
“David.”
Jake waited for him to begin. He’d only seen the Browning boy on Sundays since their talk. He assumed David had taken his advice and was courting the girl.
When he didn’t speak, Jake prodded him. “How’s Rebecca?” Like a dam ready to erupt, the boy’s face started to crumple. “David?”
“Reverend, it’s worse than before.”
“You haven’t been able to see her?”
“I have and now…When I’m with her I get kind of crazy, and so does she.” Light dawned, and Jake could see the new problem. “I tried to talk to my pa about it, but he said I should pray and read my Scriptures.”
Remembering his own tortured youth, Jake thought little of Able’s advice. “David, you have to understand the changes you’re both going through and the desires.”
David flushed but nodded in understanding.
“Desire isn’t bad, David. Controlling it is difficult. And that’s where maturity comes in. Your body’s telling you that you’re ready to be a man, but a lot comes with that responsibility. You’re still in school, not ready yet to support a wife and family. And before you can enjoy being a man, you have to be able to endure what goes along with it. Am I making any sense?”
Slowly nodding his head, David sounded tormented as he answered, “You don’t think I’ll be damned for what I’ve been wanting?”
“If you are, then so are most men in this world, David. Just try to take things slow—Rebecca’s only sixteen. You’re still in school. Even though right now you believe you want to spend the rest of your life with Rebecca, there may come a time when you’ll wonder what you missed out on by getting involved so young. You aren’t the same person at seventeen that you are at twenty-five. You may not want the same things.”
“I’ll always love her!” David said fiercely as he leapt from his chair.
Jake sighed, remembering his impetuousness and the firm convictions he, too, had held at seventeen. The boy needed an ally, and Jake didn’t want to alienate him. “Rebecca’s a lovely girl, David. No one can doubt that.”
Some of the fierceness left David’s stance. “My pa said you’d just get me mixed up, but I think he’s wrong.”
Not waiting for Jake’s reply, David bolted down the porch and out the yard. Concern chiseled furrows beside Jake’s set mouth. So Browning thought so little of his ability. Glancing over at the shuttered windows of the saloon, he wondered if his association with Katherine had already damaged his credibility.
Katherine closed the ledger, a frown marring her face. The receipts didn’t add up again. She hadn’t discussed the matter yet with Morgan and wasn’t eager to confront him. Part of her wished that Vance had kept his suspicions to himself.
“Katherine?” Annette poked her head around the door.
“Come in.”
Annette walked in, tossing her magnificent mane of dark hair. It was easy to see why she was one of the men’s favorites. “Daphne said you wanted to see me.”
“Sit down.”
The girl did so with her usual flamboyance and then gazed at Katherine in challenge. But Katherine’s voice was gentle. “I just wanted to thank you, Annette.”
“For what?”
“I’ve been thinking about the night of the fire. The only person I told about the fire was you. Thanks for rousing the others—you saved the Johnsons’ home.”
Annette shrugged off the praise, but Katherine could see she’d pierced the shell that Annette kept carefully around her.
“It was a kind and decent thing to do, Annette.”
“I was already awake,” she said, refusing to meet Katherine’s gaze.
“Good thing for the Johnsons.”
“Yeah, well. Did you need anything else?”
“No, Annette.”
Katherine watched as Annette left, a little of the flamboyance in her walk toned down. Katherine wasn’t close to any of the girls. While their entertainment profited the saloon, she hated to think of their lives being wasted, the unhappiness she sensed they all felt. Few hurly-burly girls ever found a man willing to marry a girl who’d once worked in a saloon. But their decisions had been made long before they joined Morgan and Katherine, and they were treated better than they would have been anywhere else. Katherine knew what went on in the back rooms and upstairs of many saloons. By comparison, these girls led the lives of saints.
She sighed, wondering again at the fates that had brought her to this life. Glancing out the window, she saw Jake and Morgan sparring, a daily habit they’d adopted. Such an unlikely pair, yet they’d become friends. Moving closer, she stared out at Jake’s bared chest. He turned to avoid a jab, presenting his back, and she marveled at the muscles rippling beneath the tanned flesh. What life had he led before becoming a minister?
While he dodged her questions artfully, she grew only more curious. Not a farmer or a laborer, still he possessed a physique that could have developed only from a physical occupation. His shaggy auburn hair glinted in the sunshine, and she could imagine the concentration in his eyes.
She remembered how the blue in those eyes had darkened just before he kissed her. Feeling her breath quicken, Katherine abruptly moved away from the window. She knew the futility of her attraction, and she chastised herself for being a fool. Rushing out of the room, she headed toward the kitchen where she knew Sadie was having another cooking lesson.
Katherine smiled unexpectedly when she entered the kitchen. Sadie was rolling out a pie crust, deep concentration spelled out in her face.
“What kind of pie are you making?” Katherine asked sniffing appreciatively.
Sadie looked up, smiled briefly, and then returned her attention to the dough in front of her. “Berry. But I have to be careful. If you work the dough too much, it gets tough.”
Katherine exchanged a smile with Hattie. Sadie appeared so serious, as though she were bent on a life or death mission. But then, perhaps her relationship with Able had come to that point.
“What does Able think of your new cooking talents?”
Sadie set aside the rolling pin and folded the dough into quarters before carefully placing it in the pie dish. Then she glanced up. “He hasn’t said anything. I’m hoping he’s noticed.”
Katherine had an urge to whack the man over the head with a two-by-four. Couldn’t he see how hard Sadie was working to please him? “How about the kids?”
Sadie smiled softly. “They’re happier. I think they believe I’m hiring someone to do the cooking as well. But at least now they don’t come to the dinner table looking as though they’re about to be poisoned.”
“Haven’t you told them about your cooking lessons?” Katherine asked in surprise.
“No. I want to wait till I can cook like Hattie. Not everything turns out right yet.”
Dismayed, Katherine stared at her friend. She hoped she hadn’
t set Sadie on the wrong course. She might have only minimal culinary talents. Katherine raised imploring eyes to Hattie.
“Miss Sadie’s comin’ along right fine. Won’t be no time before she’ll be cookin’ better’n me.” Hattie’s bright teeth flashed in the creases of her dark face.
Relieved, Katherine nodded in agreement, implicitly trusting Hattie’s judgment. “Well, I’d best leave you to your lesson.”
“Will you tell Reverend Payne that he’ll have wild strawberry pie to go with his supper tonight?” Sadie asked.
Katherine swallowed the lump in her throat. “Certainly.”
Making her way out back, Katherine halted when she spotted Daphne calling out encouragement to the sparring partners. The girl’s delicate blond looks dazzled in the afternoon sun. Katherine watched as she gave Jake the benefit of her alluring smile. Jealousy shot through Katherine with the speed and intensity of a runaway train. Shocked by the depth of her response, Katherine watched in dismay as Daphne ogled Jake.
Morgan advanced toward Jake, and he avoided the jab with expertise. Daphne jumped to her feet, clapping enthusiastically for Jake.
Katherine repressed the urge to yank Daphne away from them. At that moment the other woman turned and, seeing Katherine, waved merrily. Instantly feeling guilty, Katherine smiled back at the always gentle girl. It was ridiculous to feel such petty resentment—even worse when it was directed at someone as kind as Daphne. Katherine knew that the girl was a superb actress, pretending to be a siren. Underneath was a retiring girl who didn’t fit her occupation.
“Miss Katherine?”
She turned and looked at her housekeeper, who held a note. “Yes?”
“I was cleaning and found this on top of the sideboard. I’m not certain when it came, but I thought I’d best give it to you.”
“Thank you.” As the woman walked away, Katherine read the note, her face draining of color.
Leave now. While you can.
Chapter 15
Katherine waved goodbye to Bessie Johnson. The woman had made her second visit, leaving bottled preserves and freshly churned butter this time. After Katherine assured her that Hattie could and would make them a fresh batch of biscuits to go with the jam and butter, Bessie had left, promising another visit.
Forbidden Fire Page 8
