One golden eyebrow arched. His gaze dropped to her mouth, then rebounded quickly, a devilish glimmer leaping into its depths. Her heart lurched as she realized her mistake. But a slight smile couldn’t be vanquished and she waited expectantly, her heart rate increasing with every passing beat. This time she wanted him to follow through on the desire she could see reflected on his face.
For a moment he merely looked at her, and she thought he wouldn’t do it. Disappointment surged through her.
But then his eyes dropped once more. “I believe I gave you fair warning,” he whispered, just before his lips found hers.
He kissed her lightly at first, and Nicki trembled with pulse-pounding tranquility. She leaned gently into the kiss, her hands inching their way up his chest and reaching around his neck to pull his head down toward hers. The kiss deepened, and Nicki tapped the toe of one foot on the ground to make sure she was still solidly on terra firma. Two years of marriage and she had never felt this way. His kiss left her breathless, yet she could feel his restraint and that only added to her sense of well-being. She knew without a doubt that she could trust this man with her heart.
Jason finally pulled away, pressing his cheek to hers. He drew a ragged breath and cupped the back of her head, easing it down onto his shoulder. He spoke into her ear. “Well, I better go see to the horses.”
She jerked back, stunned, but stopped at his innocent expression and jabbed him playfully in the ribs with a smile.
He grinned. “Come here.” He pulled her back into his arms. They stood in silence for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally he spoke, leaning back to look into her face. “God is good, Nicki. I don’t have the answers to all your questions, but I know that you can trust Him.”
“I know.”
“And I’ll be here for you.” He let the back of one finger trail over her cheek. “You can count on that, Nick. I’m not going anywhere.” He kissed her again, quickly this time, and then took a small step back, pressing his thumb across his lips as he put some distance between them. “The Jeffries still having a really rough time of it, huh?” His thumbs hooked into his belt loops.
She stepped back slightly as well, turning to look at the soddy door. “Yes. It’s to be expected, I guess. I just wish there was something I could do.”
“We’ll have to pray for them. That’s something we can do.”
She nodded. “I have been.”
“So have I.” Taking her hand, he led her out of the barn.
He walked her to the door of the house and then reluctantly released her hand. “I really should go see about those horses.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “I’ll take Ron with me and, with Conner’s help we shouldn’t have any trouble getting them back here. We’ve set up a temporary holding-pen using the coral and the barn walls. All the stalls needed to be stripped out of the barn anyway. They were ruined when the roof fell on them, but we’ve pretty much got it cleaned out in there now. If we just close off the one end and make sure they have plenty of feed, they’ll be fine for a couple of days until Rocky and Cade can get here.” He backed away from her slowly. “We’ll probably sleep out there tonight and start for here early in the morning. Could you pack us a little grub?”
She nodded.
He started to walk away but then turned back with a grin and winked at her, his appreciative gaze taking her in from head to toe.
Her eyes widened, but with a shake of her head she spun around and opened the door to the house before he could see her blush. Won’t be long and I’ll be as big as the barn. We’ll see what he thinks then.
Jason couldn’t believe his good fortune when he stepped out from the barn leading his horse and saw Rocky and Cade riding up. A grin split his face. “If you two aren’t a sight for sore eyes, I don’t know what is.”
Rocky and Cade swung down. Jason clasped Rocky’s hand, pulling him into a manly hug and clapping him on the back. “Cade.” He turned to his friend, doing the same. “It sure is good to see you guys.”
Rocky said, “I see you managed to finagle your way out of jail without our help.”
Jason tipped back his hat and raked a hand through his hair before he replaced it. “Strange thing, that. I’ll tell you all about it. But I bet you two could use a cup of coffee.”
Cade grinned. “Now there’s a man I like. Knows just what to offer a fella at the end of a long trip.”
Rocky gestured to Jason’s horse. “Heading somewhere?”
“I was heading out to round up the horses, but now that you two are here, I’d like to fill you in first.”
As they approached the soddy, the door opened and Nicki stepped out. “Hello.” She extended her hand. “I saw you ride up a moment ago. You must be Cade and Rocky. I’m Nicki Trent.”
The men whipped hats from their heads and clasped her hand. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Come in. Coffee’s on.” She stepped aside, and the three men filed into the house, each ducking to avoid hitting his head on the lintel. “Please, have a seat.” Nicki motioned to the table where Rolf and Brenda were seated, then introduced all the adults in the house ending with, “Everyone, this is Rocky and Cade.”
The men nodded, and Tilly smiled pleasantly. “Pleased to meet you.”
“And this,” Jason scooped Sawyer up into his arms, giving him a whirl before settling him against the crook of one arm for the men to see, “is Sawyer. He’s the man of the house.”
Sawyer grew suddenly shy and buried his face in Jason’s neck. Tender love tightened Nicki’s throat as she took in the sight.
Jason met her gaze for a moment before he ruffled Sawyer’s hair and placed him back on the rug in front of the stove. Then he seated himself at the table.
Rolf stood. “Best we go fer a walk, Bren, an’ let these folk talk business.” He stretched a hand toward his boys. “Boys, come along.”
Nicki reached out. “Please don’t feel like you have to leave.”
Brenda patted her arm. “Fresh air will be some good fer us, I reckon.”
Quietly the family gathered their wraps and shuffled out the door. Nicki wondered if they would go up to May’s grave and prayed this would be one more step in their healing process.
While Nicki poured coffee, Jason filled Rocky and Cade in on the details of their situation.
As she took her seat, thankfulness once again coursed through her. God had sent a wonderful man to her aid. Gracias, Jesus.
Rocky and Cade listened intently without interruption until Jason finished.
Then Rocky clarified, “So we have until Tuesday evening to get the money to the bank in Portland?”
Jason nodded. “Right.”
“That gives us four days.”
“It’s gonna be tight,” Jason agreed.
“And you said there are 209 horses?” Cade asked.
“I haven’t seen them up close. But that’s the number Ron said they counted. Four of our—” He cleared his throat. “Four of Nicki’s hands are out there with them now.”
Nicki’s heart warmed at his slip, but she sipped her coffee casually.
She noted that Cade and Rocky exchanged an amused glance. Jason looked up, meeting her gaze over the top of her cup. She put her cup on the table, wishing she could lean over and slide her hand into his.
Cade chuckled, evidently taking in the way they looked at each other. He placed a hand over his heart and looked directly at her. “Ma’am, if this man is bothering you in any way, you just let me know, and I’ll be happy to put him in his place for you.”
Rocky grinned and swallowed a mouthful of coffee, his eyes darting back and forth between Nicki and Jason.
Nicki smiled softly. “Para amigos, todos; para enemigos, uno solo.”
The men all looked at her with blank expressions. Jason, humor filling his eyes, sipped the dark brew, his gaze never leaving her face as he waited for her interpretation.
“We have a saying. ‘One enemy is too many; and a hundred friends too few.’ I believe th
at Jace is in exactly the place God meant for him to be. He has been a true friend, and I am glad to have him here.” She turned her frank gaze directly on Cade. “We have another saying, La serpiente no está muy lejo de la casa de las gallinas. ‘The snake is never far from the hen house.’” She raised an eyebrow at him and took a saucy sip.
Jason, Rocky, and Tilly burst out laughing.
Cade did his best to look hurt but couldn’t help but join in the laughter. “Hey, when it comes to a pretty lady, I can’t help but try.”
Rocky shook his head. “Ain’t that the truth.” Another ripple of laughter circled the room.
A moment of silence followed and then Jason asked, “So Cade, how do you think we should handle this situation?”
Cade’s face immediately turned serious. “I agree with you that if someone is set on getting this land, we should keep the existence of the horses as much a secret as possible until I can wire Dad to take the money to the bank. I set that up before we came. Dad is waiting in Portland for my wire. He’ll go straight to the Portland branch once we settle on a price and I wire him about it.”
Jason ran a finger around the rim of his cup with a worried frown.
“Time’s short. You think we can pull this off?”
Rocky tossed back the last swallow in his cup. “Why doesn’t Cade come out and look at the horses? You two can decide on the price, if that’s all right with Nicki. And then we can herd them back here while Cade rides to town and wires Smith.”
“That’s fine with me,” Nicki said.
“Sounds good to me, too.” Cade drummed his fingers on the table, apparently eager to get on with the mission.
The stiff line of Jason’s shoulders softened slightly, and Nicki hated to mention her next question, knowing it would bring back some of his tension. “The reason someone might want my land, I can see. It is good land. But what about these others who were threatened? They each only had 160 acres. So why them?”
Jason tipped back in his chair, folding his arms and Rocky and Cade toyed with their cups.
“How many people have had trouble now?” Cade asked.
“Four, including Nicki.” Jason replied. “Thing is, the other three were just small homesteads.”
Tilly spoke up from where she’d been playing with Sawyer on the rug in front of the stove. “Mom and Dad don’t know what to think of it. There is no reason someone should want our land so badly. It just doesn’t make sense.
Daddy says he’s not going anywhere without a fight.”
Jason nodded. “Jacob Ashland said the same when he stopped by earlier. I’m afraid if someone doesn’t figure this out soon, we’re going to have a bloodbath on our hands.”
Nicki’s heart pounded with dread at his words. Would there ever be an end to the trouble? Only God could help them all. If ever there was a time when people needed His comfort, it was now.
The men pushed back from the table and reached for their hats.
Quickly, Nicki stood. “Can we pray, please? There are so many people who need God’s help right now.”
Jason nodded and his face softened. “Sure, let’s do that.” Tossing his hat back on the table, he gripped the back of the chair in front of him and bowed his head. The others did the same. “God,” Jason’s voice was sincere, “we really need Your help right now. There are so many people who have been threatened and just a lot of questions, Lord. First I pray that You would bring whoever is responsible for all of this to justice. Reveal who they are, Lord. Second, we pray for Your favor for these innocent, hard-working people. We know You are a God of comfort even when we are going through a difficult time, so make Yourself ever closer to them now. We also ask, Lord, that You would allow Nicki to keep her ranch. Help us to be able to get the horses back here and the money to Portland with no further complications. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Nicki looked up, eyes misty, and met his gaze. “Thank you.”
He nodded and reached for his hat as Cade and Rocky headed for the door. “We should be back by this time tomorrow.”
She followed him, wishing he didn’t have to go. “I’ll be looking for you.”
He stepped out the door, then faced her and reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“Si.” She pressed her lips together.
His gaze flicked briefly to her mouth, and he grinned. “Si. No preocuparse.”
Her eyes widened. How had he learned to say “Don’t worry” in Spanish? He chuckled and stepped back, his hand lingering on hers so their arms stretched between them.
“How—?”
He held up his free hand, stopping her question with a wink. “A man has to have some secrets.”
“Really?”
He nodded, grinning like a cat lapping cream.
Across the yard Cade led two horses from the barn and cleared his throat loudly. “Jordan, the horses will all be dead by the time you quit staring like a schoolboy with a crush at Ms. Trent!”
Rocky grinned as he swung into the saddle.
Jason squeezed her fingers one last time. “I gotta go. We’ll be back tomorrow.”
She nodded, wishing she could throw herself into his arms. But Rocky and Cade waited.
He stepped back, breaking the contact between them, and Nicki felt bereft. She gripped the doorpost with both hands, leaning into it as she watched them ride from the yard. Jesus, bring him back to me, please.
17
Brooke rose to clear the dishes from their late lunch. Sky had just left to go back to work, and she missed him already. Her belly preceded her as she stood from the chair and she giggled at her own bulk. It seemed she couldn’t do anything these days without her tummy getting in the way.
She reached to pick up Sky’s plate and sucked in a gasp. “Ohhh.” She closed her eyes and waited. The pain eased, and she let out her breath. She would do the dishes and wait to see if she really was in labor. The dishes were in the hot water when the next contraction seized her. She waited for it to pass and calmly finished the chore.
That was how she spent her afternoon. Doing little chores here and there, making sure the house was in perfect order, and in between halting as a contraction demanded.
She was in the rocking chair, darning one of Sky’s socks, when he came in the door that evening. He took one look at her face and rushed to her side, squatting down by her chair. “Brooke honey, are you…?”
She bit her lip. “Sky, I think you should go for the doctor.”
He bolted to his feet. “The doctor!” Spinning back toward the door, he opened it so fast that it hit the toe of one of his boots, bounced back, and smashed his fingers against the jamb. Brooke winced, hearing his yelp of pain as he bolted outside, not even bothering to retrieve his hat from its peg. But he’d only been gone for a couple of seconds when he burst back through the door and took her by the elbow. “Up. I’m not leaving you sitting here in the living room.”
“Sky—,” Brooke began to protest but the iron in his gaze stopped her.
“Come on. Into bed.” He helped her climb the stairs, remove her dress, and get into her nightgown. Even brought her a cup of hastily made tea. “How long have you been—?” He rolled his hand around in the general area of her stomach but included her head and toes in the gesture.
“I think since lunch time.” She sipped the tepid tea calmly.
“Lunch!” He bolted to his feet again and, as he rushed out the door, she heard him mumble, “Lord, don’t let this child be as headstrong as she is!”
She smiled tiredly, knowing she was in the best of hands.
Sheriff Watts ran a tired hand down his face. He was trying to wrap his mind around the cases. He stood and moved to the woodstove, picking up the coffee pot and pouring the thick black liquid into his still half-full cup. It was an act of habit; his mind was not on the drink.
Jason Jordan had been out of jail only a couple days and already several more families had been th
reatened to move off their land. Could he have misjudged the man? He’d been in this business a long time. Long enough to know that sometimes even the most likable of men weren’t what they appeared to be.
His mind went back to Slim. He had come in and said that Jordan couldn’t have set the fire out at the Jeffries’ place. Could they be in this together?
No. He shook his head, staring out the window as he took a mincing sip of the hot coffee. Slim had been in this area for years. He didn’t think they were together on this, so that left only two options. One, Slim was lying for some reason and Jordan did set that fire. Or two, Slim had been telling the truth and Jordan was innocent. So why had the threats started again as soon as he was freed?
Clomping back to his desk, Watts pulled out the chair and sat down heavily. There was a third option, he suddenly realized. Someone could want to make it look like Jordan was doing this. But who would that be?
He twisted the end of his mustache. Perhaps he should have another talk with Slim. Maybe he could shed some light on this. Shuffling through the papers on his desk, he located the county plot map. He added two more squares to the page, one around the Snow place and one around the Ashland's. Two squares already encompassed the plots indicating the Jeffries and Trent places.
He stared at the page, thoughtfully. What did these pieces of property have in common? Absentmindedly, he slurped his coffee.
A thought occurred to him. Jordan couldn’t have been the one shooting up Mrs. Trent’s spread; he’d been there, Nicki had told him so when he questioned her. Could the incidents be separate?
“Blazin’ saddles and cactuses! I got me more questions than rattlers in the Deschutes canyon!” Slapping his hand on the papers he stood, reaching for his hat. He needed some answers, and he wasn’t getting any sitting in the office.
Sky paced the living room. Ma was here, up in the room with the doctor. Marquis and Jeff had also come over, and the scent of coffee now wafted from the kitchen, where Jeff had disappeared on arrival. With a huff Sky sank down into a chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands behind his head. He sat there motionless for just a moment, then scrubbed his hands through his hair and looked up.
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