Chase strode out of the house, his mind muddled, confused. Letty Sue was one exasperating woman. He couldn’t begin to figure her out. Just when he thought he knew her, she’d up and change her ways.
He wanted her, and that was just plain enough to drive him crazy, but these stirrings he harbored for her went beyond lust. He couldn’t afford them. He’d met her kind before, hadn’t he?
Walk as one. Stand together.
His mother’s wisdom, like a spiritual guide, stayed with him always. He’d made a terrible mistake with the wrong woman once before, and he’d not do it again.
Yet seeing Letty Sue with another man brought forth certain undeniable emotions, feelings so powerful, Chase needed a justifiable outlet for them. He’d waited and watched for the lawyer to touch his wife. One touch would have laid the man on his backside. The attorney would have trouble practicing law without his front teeth, that was for damn sure. But he hadn’t made any covert gestures, and Letty Sue, Chase had to admit, had kept a proper distance.
Glancing up at the late afternoon sun making a slow descent toward the horizon, he rubbed tension from the back of his neck. The day had started out pretty doggone good, he thought, with catching those mustangs. With Sam’s help and a few others, they’d brought in the best of the band of horses. Chase had been eager to rush home and show them off to Letty Sue, hoping for her approval and a big beautiful smile.
It niggled at him how much he looked forward to her smiles, to coming in after a day’s work to see her fidgeting in the kitchen, hoping her meal was edible. He’d come to relish the quiet evenings, too, sitting by the hearth watching her entertain little Jake.
Being married to her was beginning to feel comfortable, too damn comfortable even though he’d not received the rewards of sharing her bed. For a man who’d been hell-bent on dissolving the marriage, doubts were creeping in, slowly sneaking up on him, like a rattler stalking its prey.
The Spanish mustangs in their corral at the end of the pens caught his eye. Chase walked over to them, stopping by the fence. The stallion’s deep-set, dark eyes bored into him, daring him to make a move.
Chase stood his ground, not moving, only watching.
The lead mare nestled next to her colt. Both the male and female stood alert, protecting their young one.
They were a family.
Chase was glad Letty Sue had convinced him to bring them in together. He wouldn’t separate them. They belonged together.
But Sam’s words rang in his ears.
Was the stallion a lick smarter than he was? At least the spotted paint knew his place: he belonged with the mare and colt and would protect them with his last breath.
The glorifying sound of a child’s quick and sudden chuckle had Chase turning swiftly around.
It was little Jake.
And he was laughing.
A wide grin spread across Chase’s face. Letty Sue, rubber ball in hand, was playing a game of catch with the boy. Jake reached for the ball and flung it hard, hitting Letty Sue smack in the nose.
She made silly contorted faces, exaggerating her movements before falling to the ground. Jake rushed over to her, his smile as bright and happy as any young child’s should be. He stared down at her, giggling.
It was the first time he’d made happy sounds. Letty Sue grabbed him about the waist and wrestled him down, tickling him. His joyous, youthful laughter filled the air.
Chase had a sudden urge to join them, but he held back, watching instead the love shining in his wife’s eyes for the boy who might very well be taken from them.
He’d warned her not to give up her heart.
But that might not have been possible.
Letty Sue led little Jake up the porch steps, dusting him off before they entered the house. She turned suddenly at the door, and her eyes met his. A flush of rosy color stained her cheeks and her face beamed with delight.
Chase drew in a deep breath and turned away.
The sight of her with the boy made his insides churn with a need he’d not felt before.
Perhaps he should heed his own warning.
Don’t give up your heart.
And he wondered just then if that were at all possible.
Chapter Sixteen
“For it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee. And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”’
Letty Sue sat in church, listening to the commanding sermon Reverend Davidson was preaching today about angels and their offerings. His voice boomed against the walls and long, narrow, stained glass windows of the church. Surely, it seemed an angel had been watching out for Jake the day they’d come across him on the range, because the boy would not have survived if Chase hadn’t heard his anguished cries. And perhaps, just as surely, an angel had been watching over her the day Chase Wheeler had entered her life. Though their union had hardly been made in heaven, Letty Sue had a feeling about her and Chase, that they belonged together. Perhaps it was destiny or fate that had brought them together all those years ago. He’d saved her life when she was just a mite older than Jake, and since then, he’d come to her rescue more times than she could count.
Little Jake’s squirming pulled her attention away from the sermon. He shuffled his small body across the weathered pew to climb up Chase’s chest. Her husband shifted and turned to accommodate the wiggling boy, but Jake was full of vinegar today. He knocked his head full force into Chase’s jaw, causing him to flinch back, stifling a curse. Letty Sue cupped her hand over her mouth, muffling a laugh. Chase slanted her a stern glance and she giggled again.
Finally, Chase settled the boy on his knee, after bribing him with half a licorice stick. Chase claimed it helped calm the boy when he was fidgety, but Letty Sue knew differently. Jake positively glowed with happiness, a bright smile crossing his face the first time Chase had given him the candy. From then on, her husband began carrying a handful of sticks in his pocket, surprising Jake with a treat every so often.
Chase cuddled the boy close to his chest. More relaxed now, Jake was content to chew on his licorice stick.
Both boy and man wore white today. Chase’s billowing shirt was tucked into fine trousers, and Jake’s own snowy cotton garment fit into his finest linen britches, held up with black suspenders.
Letty Sue’s heart warmed at the sight of them. Chase was more handsome than ever, with his dark hair groomed back, his chiseled jaw and proud features enhancing the silver-gray of his eyes.
And Jake—no child was more adorable.
With a silent sigh Letty Sue admitted to herself how difficult it was caring for a man who claimed he wanted no part of her, or their marriage. He wouldn’t stay after Joellen got back. Their sham of a marriage would be dissolved.
Letty Sue’s heart broke at the prospect of his leaving. No man could measure up to Chase Wheeler in her mind, stubborn and noble as he was. She doubted she’d find happiness after he left, but at least she had Jake, and the boy was making clear progress.
Just the other day, and for the first time, he’d laughed. Since then, Letty Sue had done everything in her power to get him to continue. The sounds of his joyous laughter brightened her days. Now if only she could coax him to speak. Deep within her heart, she believed that he could.
And selfishly, she prayed that no one would show up to claim him. The thought of losing both the men in her life was far too painful to bear. She shoved those unwelcome thoughts out of her mind, listening once again to the sermon.
After the service, Chase, Letty Sue and Jake met Sam and Sally on the lawn in front of the church. Letty Sue had witnessed the whole Henderson clan taking up the first three pews in the church, directly in front of Reverend Davidson’s pulpit.
“It’s good to see you all here today,” Sally said, her voice holding a particularly joyful lilt. Sam stood beside her and the two exchanged a conspiratorial glance, both looking extremely smug, but happily so.
At S
ally’s nod, Sam took hold of the conversation. “We’re especially glad to see you all this morning since we have something to tell you.” He reached for Sally’s hand, bringing her closer. “Sally has agreed to become my wife.”
“We’re getting married!” Sally’s delighted voice carried in the early morning air. Many of the other churchgoers turned smiling faces their way.
Surprised and delighted, Letty Sue reached for Sally first. “Oh Sally, you’re getting married.” They embraced, hugging with heartfelt exuberance and deep emotion.
Chase shook Sam’s hand. “Congratulations, Sam. You’re getting a great gal.”
Sam agreed. “I do believe you’re right, Chase.”
Chase placed a kiss on Sally’s cheek, and Letty Sue stepped into Sam’s outstretched arms. They’d been best friends on the ranch for years. Letty Sue had always hoped Sam would find happiness, she’d just never thought that it might be with her good friend Sally.
Funny how things had a way of working out, it seemed, for everyone but her. But Letty Sue wouldn’t let her own melancholy mood spoil her friend’s excitement. “When’s the wedding?” She had a barrelful of questions, but this one was first on her mind.
“Well,” Sally began, taking a big breath of air before resting a loving gaze on Sam. “We’ve decided to make it sooner rather than later. Papa and the boys are heading out next month for a cattle auction in Fort Worth. Mama is going, too. It’s to be sort of a special trip for them.”
“We don’t want to wait till after they get back, so the wedding’s in two weeks,” Sam interjected. “It’ll be close friends and family at the Hendersons, and you two are the first to know—except, of course, for Sally’s folks.”
“Two weeks!” Letty Sue jumped, bumping into Jake. Automatically, she picked him up. “Did you hear that, little Jake? We have a wedding to plan and we only have two weeks.” She pressed her face to Jake’s and he giggled.
“Whoa, slow down, darlin’. I don’t remember Sally asking for your help,” Chase said, teasingly.
Sally smiled warmly at him. “We’d always agreed that, when the time came, she and I would help plan each other’s wedding.”
Her words hung in the air and an awkward silence ensued. Chase eyed Letty Sue with a look of newfound knowledge, a softening in his smoky gaze that she couldn’t possibly return. She turned away from him, her heart plummeting. Her wedding hadn’t been planned, wasn’t even real, and that humiliating fact was clear to all who stood in the semicircle.
Perhaps it was the first time Chase realized what Letty Sue had missed out on. A woman always dreamed of her wedding day, of making preparations, of having her family present at the ceremony. Letty Sue had had none of those things.
She fumbled with Jake’s collar, straightening it with a hand, then setting the boy down. “Well, since we only have two weeks, we’d better get to the planning. Why don’t you and Sam come to dinner tomorrow night? We can talk more then and celebrate.”
“We’d love to,” Sally said quickly.
“Guess it’s settled.” Sam shrugged helplessly. “It appears my intended has taken to making decisions for me.”
“A wifely duty,” Sally said, “and I’m just warming up.”
Her wide grin eased the tension and they all laughed.
With farewell hugs, they parted, Letty Sue just realizing she’d invited company to dinner.
Her mind reeled. What on earth could she possibly cook without disastrous results?
And with little Jake underfoot, the task would be even more challenging.
“This is the barn…barn.” Letty Sue pointed at the building as she and Jake passed by. “It’s the first thing my papa built on this land, even before the house. I was too young to remember, but Mama says we slept in the barn for months while the house was being built. Barn,” she repeated to Jake. “Let’s go see the horses.”
She led the little boy to the corral, hoping to catch a glimpse of Chase. She needed just an hour or so of free time to prepare the evening meal, and hoped Chase had the time to spare. As much as she enjoyed having Jake around, she doubted she’d be able to concentrate on cooking while he was turning the kitchen inside out.
And she so very much wanted this dinner to be enjoyable. She’d looked forward to helping Sally plan her special day since they’d been pigtailed schoolgirls together.
Letty Sue was also on a mission to teach Jake some new words, hoping he’d catch on one day and actually voice his thoughts aloud. He had such soft, expressive eyes, and she felt a kinship with him, as though she knew what the boy was thinking or feeling by looking into them.
When he jumped delightedly and pointed at the new colt in the pen, she walked over there with him. Careful not to get too close, she lifted Jake onto her hip. Guiding his hand, she made him point. “That’s the colt. He’s the baby.” The mare trotted up and sidled next to her colt. “That’s his mama. Ma-ma. And that big one over there, watching us carefully, is the papa. Pa-pa. He’s strong and protects his family. He wants to make sure his family isn’t in danger. Look how his ears twitch.”
Jake chuckled and smiled.
“Can you say papa? Pa-pa,” she said again.
Jake turned his attention toward her and opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came. He’d simply mimicked her, but at least it was a start, she thought. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. “It’s okay, sweet boy. You’ll get it soon.”
The mustangs in the corral continued to fascinate Jake, so they stayed there watching them. A short time later Chase rode up into the yard with a few of the ranch hands, and Letty Sue waved him over.
“Thought you’d be in the kitchen cooking up a storm by now,” he said with a grin. Tornado sidestepped, then snorted, showing his high-strung nature.
Protectively, Letty Sue shifted Jake onto her other hip. “Well, I plan to, but I need help.”
Chase put up his hands in surrender. “What I know about cooking fits into a small fry pan, darlin’. Can’t help you much there.”
“I just need an hour or two. Do you have time to care for Jake?”
Chase stared at her, then a dazzling smile crossed his features. “Sure thing. That, I can do. Give him to me.”
Letty Sue hugged the boy tightly. “You don’t mean to put him up on Tornado?” She made no attempt to hide the panic in her voice. She couldn’t fathom having the child atop such a big, dangerous animal.
Jake must have caught on, because instantly, he nearly crawled out of her arms, reaching for Chase.
“You see?” Chase said smugly, pointing to Jake. “He wants a ride.”
“He’s two years old, Chase. He doesn’t know any better.”
“But I do, Letty Sue. I wouldn’t put the boy in danger. Give him to me.”
He bent down, and reluctantly Letty Sue transferred Jake to his arms. He set Jake in front of him and placed both his chubby hands on the saddle horn. “Now hold on tight. I’ve got you.”
Jake nodded obediently.
Tornado began a slow walk around the perimeter of the yard, Chase guiding him with soft commands. Letty Sue’s gaze remained fastened on the boy, who seemed to be immensely pleased, showing no fear whatsoever.
“Better get to cooking,” Chase said. “Company will be here before you know it.”
Letty Sue stood a moment longer, watching them. Jake appeared safe enough, she thought, sighing deeply. “You just take care with him, Chase Wheeler,” she admonished mildly, “and don’t get him dirty. He’s already had his bath today.”
Chase planted his Stetson on Jake’s blond head, causing the boy to break into giggles, then shot Letty Sue an innocent look. “Yes, ma’am.”
Not two hours later, Letty Sue came dashing out of the house, striding purposefully to the corral. “Chase, have you gone completely mad?”
With a lazy roll of his head, Chase greeted her. “Not the last time I checked, darlin’. Finished cooking?”
“No, not yet. But you’ve got that boy
too close to the mustangs. They’re wild, Chase. No telling what will happen.”
Chase stood directly behind Jake, gripping the child, who sat on top of the corral fence just inches from the new colt. The animal’s tawny coat was a few shades darker than little Jake’s sunny blond locks.
“It’s all about trust, Letty Sue. Watch this.” Chase leaned over, stroking the colt’s neck, just under its mane. The pony’s mouth opened slowly and his tongue lolled to one side.
“He’s learning to trust, isn’t that right, little fella?”
Chase’s singsong voice was light and sweet. Letty Sue had never heard him use that tone. It had a soothing effect on her as well. She stared as Chase gained the colt’s trust, giving his own.
“Nothing’s more important than trust, darlin’,” he said softly, speaking of the mustangs. Or was he?
At the back of the corral, the mare rubbed against her stallion and the stallion snorted, then began prancing, his dark, watchful eyes never wavering.
“He’s not liking this,” Letty Sue said in warning.
“The mare’s worried a bit and she just let the stallion know. But they’ll see soon enough we mean them no harm.”
Letty Sue had to admit the colt seemed to be enjoying Chase’s soothing voice and his deliberate stroking. She swallowed hard, wondering if her husband’s gentle nature was solely restricted to his horses. Or would he pamper his woman that way? Would he speak soft words and stroke her tenderly with those strong hands until he gained her full trust?
Letty Sue’s body tingled with awareness, her heart thumped hard against her chest and she prayed her expression wouldn’t give away what she was feeling inside. More and more, she wanted Chase. There was a growing need inside her that knew no pride or humility. Sadly, she thought, she might never get more from Chase than the memory of his kisses, stolen during forbidden moments in their lives.
“Okay. Now Jake,” Chase said quietly, and Letty Sue was immediately brought back from her errant wanderings. What was Chase planning now with her boy?
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