“Of course. Just a moment.” After a quick hello to Daddy and reporting the happy news that she would be sewing today, she joined Rosamond in carrying the Singer downstairs to the sunny dining room. The heavy treadle machine, housed in an oak sewing cabinet, gave them more of a challenge than either one had expected. As usual, Susanna knew Mama would be shocked at how strong she had grown over these past months.
After they set the machine in front of the two wide windows, Rosamond stood back and breathed out a hearty, “Whoosh! Next time we’ll get the men to move it.”
Susanna laughed as she tried to catch her breath. “Sounds like a good idea.”
The time had come for her to revise her opinion of Rosamond as a spoiled girl. She was as hardworking as her parents and brothers. Now she sorted through the heavy bolts of fabric Nate had brought over the mountains nestled among and cushioning the boxes of china.
“This green plaid will make a nice shirt for Nate, don’t you think?” Rosamond nodded toward a bolt of bright cotton she’d set on the dining table. “Of course, there’s enough to make shirts for Rand and Tolley, too. What do you think?”
Susanna guessed that her friend was baiting her, but she refused to bite. “I suppose. Do your brothers mind dressing like triplets?”
They both laughed, but Susanna did wonder how the three men—well, one boy and two men—would appreciate having that connection, considering their quarrels.
“They don’t have much choice.” Rosamond sat in front of the Singer and started pumping the treadle to wind thread onto a bobbin. “We girls often run into a twin at church because we can’t let the material go to waste. Oh, here’s Nate now.”
“What about Nate?” As he entered the room, he gave his sister a suspicious frown. “What are you two up to?”
“Oh, nothing.” Rosamond kept her eyes on the machine. “Susanna, would you hold that material up to him and see what you think? If it doesn’t suit him, we’ll use it for the cowpokes. Most of them don’t care what color they wear.”
Susanna did as she was told and was not in the least surprised when Nate’s green eyes lit up like emeralds. This was a good color on him, all right, and her pulse started to race when he gazed down at her. Gracious, what was wrong with her?
“It’ll do.” She set the bolt back on the table and took up the sleeve pattern they had made earlier from newspaper. “Stick out your arm.”
“Yes, ma’am.” As he obeyed, he grinned at her with mischief in those green eyes. All of his reserve had disappeared, so maybe she was wrong about the puppy.
That happy thought swept away her fears. Or was it his increasingly intense gaze? She avoided looking at his eyes and concentrated on measuring the length of his arm. His very muscular arm. Trying not to touch him, she felt her insides shake like aspen leaves in the wind. No sense in denying that he was an attractive man, but she must not let him affect her this way.
“So, Mr. Nate Northam, what have you been up to the past hour?” She kept her tone as light as possible but still could hear her own breathiness. She gave his shoulder a shove so he’d turn his back to her for measuring.
“Like I said at breakfast, working on the addition.” As he turned, he tilted his head toward the double sliding doors he’d just come through. “Just a few more finishing touches, then the carpenter can come in to do the fancy woodwork. That’s going to be one very fine ballroom, not to mention the additional bedrooms upstairs.”
“A ballroom!” Susanna couldn’t have been more surprised. “My, my.” She held a piece of newspaper and marked his size on it with a stubby pencil, then used a tape measure to double-check her work. Gracious, what a broad back. She wrote down the measurements with a shaking hand. “Just imagine having a ballroom way out here in the country.” She laid the paper on the table and took a deep, quiet breath to calm her nerves while she cut it to shape.
“Mother loves to entertain.” Rosamond’s voice held a hint of defensiveness. “Other than barns, nobody has enough room for the whole community to come together, and she didn’t want to leave anyone out of the anniversary party.”
Having intended her teasing remark for Nate, Susanna was appalled that she’d wounded Rosamond. “Well, I think it’s just grand. All the plantation houses back home have ballrooms for entertaining.” She shouldn’t have said that. Daddy wanted her to keep their social prominence a secret. “I attended a ball once.” More than once, of course. Oh, she was making a muddle of it all. “I think I hear Daddy calling.” She left the pattern pieces spread across the table and fled the room, using the back stairs to avoid any possible encounter with the Colonel.
* * *
Nate stared after Susanna until he noticed Rosamond watching him. “Wonder what got into her.” He shrugged for effect before heading for the door.
“Yes. I wonder.” Rosamond’s laughter followed him all the way into the kitchen.
She and Mother were getting a little obnoxious in their subtle teasing about their houseguest. Didn’t they know the Colonel had other marriage plans for him? Not that he’d go along with those plans, even if Susanna weren’t here. But he sure wished they’d all leave him alone to decide what to do with his own life.
One thing he’d decided overnight was that he would keep his promise to Susanna about the puppy. He would tell the Colonel not to pay him next month’s wages in exchange for it. That should impress his father with how serious he was. There would be other litters, but a promise was a promise, no matter what the Colonel thought about either Mr. Anders or Susanna. Nate would have to find out which one she’d fallen for so he could give it to her as a surprise, maybe with a big red bow around its neck.
Other than trying to figure out how she knew so much about Wedgwood china, he hadn’t been too concerned about her past, but that comment about attending a ball rang true. While not one item he’d seen in the prairie schooner indicated Mr. Anders came from money, Nate got the impression they’d once been wealthy, maybe before the war. Of course, Susanna would have been a small child when the war ended, so that didn’t answer his questions about her fine manners. He’d never known a poor person who behaved with such grace nor one with such knowledge of fine china.
He didn’t care whether the Anderses had been poor. He just wanted, needed, to know more about them. If he decided to go to war with the Colonel over letting them stay until Mr. Anders healed, he didn’t want any unpleasant surprises about them to come up later. Of course, his father would misunderstand his intentions and assume he was interested in Susanna, a luxury Nate couldn’t afford until he’d settled on his own future. If she turned out not to be what she seemed, that would be the last straw in losing what little respect his father had for him. Not to mention the heartache he would bring upon himself, maybe even Mother and Rosamond. He’d visit Mr. Anders this afternoon and check up on him. If a few personal questions slipped out, all the better.
After dinner, he left Zack to finish painting the ballroom ceiling and made his way upstairs. Last week when he’d brought Susanna and her father to the ranch, he’d been more than willing to surrender his own bedroom to the injured man. Now seeing Mr. Anders’s pale face and sunken cheeks reinforced his determination to keep him here until he regained his strength. He must make certain the Colonel didn’t turn the old man out.
“How’s it going?” Nate kept his tone cheerful as he pulled a chair up beside the bed.
“Can’t complain.” Mr. Anders tried to sit up but fell back with a grimace. “Not much, anyway.” His deep chuckle brought another pained expression.
“Hush, now.” Nate already felt guilty over his plans to interrogate the man, and now he’d caused him pain. “Have Angela and Zack been keeping you comfortable?” The room smelled surprisingly fresh for a sickroom.
“They have indeed.” Gratitude shone from the invalid’s eyes. “I just hope we’re not putting you out too
much.”
“Not at all, sir.” Nate waved a dismissive hand. “In fact, Susanna’s been a big help around the house. She’s helped with everything from cooking to sewing, not to mention working in the kitchen garden.”
“That’s good.” The older man gave an approving nod. “She’s like her mama, not wanting to sit idly by while others do the housework.”
Nate scrambled to decipher that comment. Had her mother been able to choose whether or not to perform household chores?
Mr. Anders stared at him. “You want to ask me something?”
Feeling foolish over his suspicions, Nate shrugged. “Nothing in particular.” Maybe Mr. Anders was one of those people a man could talk to with candor. Not like the Colonel, whose anger Nate was always trying to dodge. “Just thought it was about time we got better acquainted. Mind you, I don’t mean to be nosy.”
“Of course not.” Mr. Anders’s doubtful expression belied his words. “I understand your father doesn’t think much of prospectors.”
“Yessir.” Nate appreciated the way this man took the bull by the horns. “And if Susanna told you that, she probably told you it’s because of the freight drivers who left our cargo at Pueblo so they could go off prospecting.” He didn’t need to add that the Colonel didn’t want prospectors to settle in the community because of their generally unreliable character.
“She did. That was downright dishonest of those men, especially if your father paid them in advance.” He pressed a hand against his ribs and took a deep, raspy breath. “But I can’t say I’m sorry they did quit the job. No telling how long we would have been up on that pass without help if you hadn’t come along.”
Nate chuckled. “And I wouldn’t have come along if I hadn’t gone to Pueblo. Yessir, I’ve thought of that.” Probably wouldn’t have met Susanna, either, an idea he didn’t care to dwell on because it made his heart sink clear down to his belly. He really needed to stop that nonsense.
“Then rest your mind about it, Nate. It was God’s plan all along.” Mr. Anders stared at the wall, but didn’t really focus. “The Lord’s been leading me across the entire continent, so I have to trust that the robbery was part of His plan.” His eyes closed briefly, then he gazed at Nate again. “About my prospecting, I’ll know what I’m looking for when I find it.” His eyes briefly flared with some emotion Nate couldn’t define. Rage? Lust for riches? It sure was different from Susanna’s detached viewing of the china.
Mr. Anders’s face softened into a more peaceful expression, so much so that Nate wondered if he’d been mistaken. “After I find it, I’ll go home.” The old man’s voice grew even raspier as he closed his eyes again and shuddered, as if the warm breeze coming through the window had chilled him.
“Yessir.” Worry for Mr. Anders threaded through Nate, so he tugged the patchwork quilt up to the old man’s chin. Lying still like this could give the man ague, so he’d better consult with Angela or Charlie Williams about the situation. “I’m praying you’ll be back on your feet soon so you can start your search.”
Not that he was in a hurry for them to leave. After this short talk, Nate felt certain Mr. Anders was a man of integrity, whatever his past, just as he was a man of faith. If he needed to restore his lost fortune for his family’s sake, then that made him all the more admirable. And it made Nate all the more determined to get closer to Susanna before she left Four Stones.
Giving her the puppy would be just the beginning of what he would do for her.
Chapter Thirteen
Susanna helped the other ladies pack the large picnic baskets with sandwiches, cold coffee and baked goods. After three days of sewing, she was eager for a change, especially one that would take her out of doors. Today Mrs. Northam insisted she must help Rosamond carry the noon meal out to the men working in the field. While she endeavored to ignore the older lady’s obvious matchmaking, she did look forward to seeing Nate. Having finished his work on the ballroom, he now worked with the men every day and took his breakfast in the bunkhouse. Susanna missed seeing him.
With their horses saddled and the packhorse laden with the baskets, they began their trek at a slow pace. Once again, Susanna rode sidesaddle on the agreeable little mare, Sadie, while Rosamond rode her bay gelding astride.
“How far do we have to go?” Better to ask that simple question rather than ask whether or not they might encounter the Indians again.
“Just under a mile, over in that field.” Rosamond indicated the uncultivated land to the west. With her hat hanging on its strings down her back, she tossed her long, dark brown hair in the breeze. “Too far for the men to walk back to the house to eat, then walk back out to work.”
“That makes sense.” Not to mention it gave her a chance to see Nate.
With the sun beating down on her, Susanna longed to go bareheaded like her companion. But this worn straw bonnet had saved her complexion on the long journey west, so she must not toss it aside. With her lighter coloring, she might not fare as well as Rosamond, whose sun-browned skin looked surprisingly attractive, especially with her green eyes, so much like Nate’s, sparkling like jewels in the bright day.
“There they are.” Rosamond waved toward the men some fifty yards away. “They’re digging irrigation ditches and... Oh, dear.” She pulled her horses to a stop, and Susanna came up beside her. “Let’s just wait here until they notice us.”
“Why?” Susanna focused on the men briefly before quickly looking back at her friend. “‘Oh, dear’ indeed.” Heat rushed to her cheeks.
“We mustn’t blame them.” Rosamond giggled. “Ditch digging can make a man terribly hot, not to mention ruin a good shirt.”
Susanna bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. Mama had taught her all about modesty, and Mrs. Sweetwater had reemphasized those lessons. But on the wagon train, privacy had sometimes given way to expediency, leading to some awkward situations. Today, Susanna thanked the Lord they had not ridden closer to the working men and embarrassed them all.
A sharp whistle split the air, and they saw Nate with his shirt back on and waving his brown hat. The other four men were also properly clothed.
“Let’s go.” Rosamond urged her horse forward using her knees, as Susanna had observed before. While she couldn’t imagine riding astride, she could see how practical it was for this life. She gave Sadie a little tap with her riding crop, and the mare followed the other horse.
They neared the work party, and her heart began to race. Yes, indeed, it had been entirely too long since she’d seen Nate, and the sight of him made her happier than she could have imagined. My, he looked healthy. Due to his outdoor work, his cheeks had tanned even darker than before. Beneath his hat, his green eyes glinted in the sunlight, just like Rosamond’s.
“It’s about time.” He wiped a red handkerchief over his face. “I hope you brought plenty.”
The men crowded around the packhorse and wasted no time in removing the baskets.
Nate sauntered over to Susanna and tilted his hat back. “Will you girls join us?” He gave her that charmingly crooked grin of his, and her heart did its usual somersault, despite his smelling of hard work.
“Of course.” Rosamond jumped down from her horse and hurried to the grassy spot where the men were laying out blankets and digging into the food. “Don’t you men ever wash your hands?” One hand fisted at her waist, she pointed with the other to the nearby stream they were working to connect with the ditch. “Wash. Now.”
Tolley was the first to obey, then Rand and the other two men joined him at the water. While they were occupied, Nate gripped Susanna’s waist and helped her down from Sadie, and pleasant shivers shot up to her neck. “Will you stay and eat with us?” His hands still on her waist, he gazed down at her, not seeming to realize he’d already asked that question.
She had to take a deep breath before offering him a shaky “Yes, thank you
.” Gracious, would she ever feel this way about a Southern gentleman? Did that nice young minister from Virginia have a wife? Susanna hadn’t noticed a lady at his side last Sunday.
“Why, Mr. Nate Northam.” She stepped back to break his grip, but her breathiness refused to subside. Nor could she manage to inject the slightest bit of sassiness into her voice. “Shouldn’t you go wash up? And pay particular attention to that dirt smudge on your nose or it just might end up in your dinner.”
“Yes, ma’am.” With a laugh, he wiped his handkerchief over his face again, then headed toward the stream.
Watching him walk away, Susanna could only admire his fine, manly form. In fact, she couldn’t think of a single thing not to admire about either his physical presence or his character. Oh, Mama, this is one thing you never taught me. I’m trying so hard not to fall in love with this Yankee, but my heart refuses to mind me. What am I supposed to do now?
* * *
As he’d stared down into Susanna’s sky-blue eyes, Nate had felt his pulse hammer wildly. He was glad to have an excuse to walk away from her before he did something foolish. Like tuck those loose blond curls back under her bonnet. Or tell her how pretty she looked. Or tell the boys he was taking the afternoon off so he could spend it with her. Now wouldn’t that be something for the Colonel to hear about? And Rand might just be the one to tell him.
Just this morning, Nate had come to the decision that he would quit feeling so partial toward her. Oh, he’d still work a month to give her the puppy of her choice. He wouldn’t break that promise. But until he could control his temper and get over his anger at the Colonel, it wouldn’t be fair to her or any other lady to seek anything more than friendship.
Even so, he silently thanked Rosamond for bringing Susanna along to deliver dinner. He’d missed seeing her these past couple of days, missed her sassy, teasing ways. Now that his part of building the ballroom was finished, he had to leave the house every day before daylight and ride herd on his brothers and the hands. That meant he saw Susanna only at supper under the Colonel’s watchful eyes. In fact, they hadn’t had a private conversation in three days, if he could count that bit of teasing in front of Rosamond private.
Cowboy to the Rescue Page 12
