by Reece Butler
“You little rotter,” he whispered, not wanting to scare the beast into climbing up again. But Oliver kept on going, all the way to the bottom. He turned and leaped to the ground.
“You rotten cat! I bet you knew how to climb up, down, and sideways the whole time!” Luke watched as the cat, followed by his insulting tail, disappeared toward the cabin.
No one made him climb this tree. He chose to do it, and he now chose to climb down again. But luck, or something else, had taken the cat out of the equation.
“Thank you, God, for getting Oliver down safely,” he called out, just in case it was a higher power who helped. “I guess the rest is up to me.”
He hooked an arm around the branch so he could stretch and flex his sore hands. He had to finish this, and soon. Not only would his muscles give out, Sarah would be waiting for him in Sophie’s kitchen. They’d arranged for a buggy to be parked by the hotel. She’d be more comfortable there than on his lap on a horse, and the buggy would carry any baking or supplies from the mercantile.
If he was late, Sarah would leave without him. With Sheldrake out of the picture, she’d think she was safe. It was the sort of thing she’d want to prove. But he couldn’t be sure the bastard was gone.
He set his foot on the next lower branch. He had almost released his hand when his foot slipped. He grabbed, his foot flailing in the air for a moment. The tree shook from his fumbling. He closed his eyes and pressed his face against the trunk until the tree stilled. Icy drops of sweat rolled down his temples and between his shoulder blades. When his heart slowed enough so he could breathe, he wiped his palms on his pants, one by one. Then he laughed, delighted to be alive.
Gabe was right. If marrying Sarah was simple, he wouldn’t have wanted her. He looked down to see where to next put his foot. He could do this. One foot, one hand at a time. He was worth it. Sarah was worth it.
She’d better be waiting in Sarah’s kitchen when he rode up. It would give them a private place for the kiss he would give her before proposing.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Thank you so much for letting us live in your bakery.” Mary Barstow wiped the last of the dishes from supper. Sarah had washed this time.
“It would be silly to leave the place empty when you’ve got such a need,” replied Sarah.
“I enjoyed visiting Florence and her husbands.” Mary chuckled. “That word is still hard for me to say. But they’re all happy, and that’s what matters.” She took a double handful of tin cups to their shelf and stacked them upside down. She lingered there, tracing a pattern on the wood with one finger. “Have you thought about your plans for the bakery?”
Sarah dried her hands and turned to her new friend. Mary was almost thirty, older even than Sophie, but she had an infectious spirit that made her look and act years younger.
“I’ve thought about it a lot, but I’m not sure what I want to do. The town council won’t let me open unless I’m a wife. But if I marry into the Circle C, I’ll want to live on the ranch. It’s only a half hour ride into town, but it would be miserable at four o’clock in the morning, when it’s cold, dark, and wet.”
Mary flashed a quick smile. “I’d be happy to get things going in the morning for you. We’re up early. Owen likes to ride out by sunup to see what trouble’s left over from the night before. At the least, I could prepare the bread and set it in the oven to bake.”
Sarah hadn’t wanted to say anything until she got to know Mary, and her husband, better. The sheriff was certainly both gruff and tough, but he obviously loved his wife and treated her children as his own. He’d been kind to Billy as well, praising him for his roping skills.
“Would you be interested in running it for me until things settle?”
Mary pressed her fingers to her mouth. She swallowed. “Do you mean that?”
“I don’t want to lose the bakery.” Especially if there really is gold in the walls. “But I also don’t want to trek back and forth every day from the Circle C, or share Sophie’s bedroom. I want to live on the ranch, whether I end up marrying Luke or not.”
“Do you think you might? Marry him, I mean?”
“Now that I’m getting to know him better, and his partners, I think so.” She fought the blush that threatened when she thought of Thursday night.
“I’ll be blunt with you,” said Mary.
All trace of laughter left her, showing the determined widow who’d survived and, realizing her children would have better prospects out West, chose to ride the Bride Train. Like Sarah, and the other valley women, Mary had a strong will.
“I’m married to a good man with a good job in a wonderful town. But I was left a widow with three children and no way to support them except what I could do with my hands. I took in washing, baked, cleaned other people’s homes, and did everything I could, except sell my body, to survive.” She looked away and bit her lip. “If I hadn’t found my dear Owen, I don’t know what I might have had to do to feed my children.”
Sarah pressed her hand against her lower belly. If she had a starving child, could she face that again? With luck, and the love of good men, she’d never have to know. Neither would her daughters, if she had any.
“I don’t ever want to have to make that choice,” said Mary with quiet dignity. “I vowed I would find an honest way of getting by if my husband died. I want a business I can run out of my home so I can take care of my family. I believe we can help each other, Miss Unsworth.”
This could be Sarah’s way out of a situation that could only cause her problems. With the Barstows there, the sheriff would protect her bakery when she was at the Circle C. Mary could keep the shop going, bringing in money for all of them. The town council wouldn’t be able to say a thing against it. And when she was ready, Sarah could take the business over again. Or, perhaps, sell it to Mary.
“Mrs. Barstow, would you like to work at my bakery?”
Mary slumped against the counter for a moment. “Thank you so much!”
“Once we’re both sure that we want to do this, we can talk to Ben about working out an official partnership agreement.”
Sophie bustled in from the direction of the front entry. “I swear, one of these days I’m going to do that Mr. Lumley an injury!” She stopped and looked from Mary to Sarah. “Something happened, and I missed it?”
“Mary’s going to keep the bakery going while I work things out,” said Sarah.
“Thank goodness!” Sophie turned to Mary with a frown. “But does this mean you won’t be able to help me?”
“On weekends, Mary could do the bakery in the morning and the hotel after, as I planned. If you want to work here as well,” said Sarah.
Mary’s entire face lit up. “I’ve been so lonely for other women, and something to do other than keeping my children quiet. You couldn’t keep me away!”
“Don’t you have to discuss this with your husband?”
Mary burst into a laugh at Sophie’s question. “Owen and I have an agreement. As long as I’m happy, he’s happy.”
Twenty minutes later, Sarah loaded up the buggy with her packages. Mary had left to tell her husband about her good news.
“Why won’t you wait for Luke?”
“He probably started work on something and has forgotten all about me. I want to go home, and if I wait for Luke I could be here all night.”
“So, you’re calling the Circle C home, now?”
Sarah fell silent for a moment. Was the Circle C home? Not yet, but it could be.
“It was good to get away for a few days because I realized how much I miss it. I like having my own kitchen, laughing with the men, and having Oliver purring by the fire.”
“And having lots of hot sex with how many men?” Sophie raised her eyebrows.
“Just two!”
“So far.” Sophie smiled. “The way you’ve been talking this weekend, it will soon be three.”
“If Luke stays the way he’s been since he and Gabe came home from their dustup, I mig
ht admit to falling in love with him. Though I don’t think he’ll ever lose that arrogant edge.”
“The woman finally comes to her senses!”
Sarah stuck out her tongue at Sophie. They both laughed.
“From what the other wives tell me, sometimes a bit of commanding arrogance can be quite enjoyable,” said Sophie. “Have you seen how Jessie melts when Sin gets that tone in his voice?”
“Who knows what will happen when I get back to the ranch,” she said briskly before Sophie said anything more. She climbed into the buggy and settled on the seat.
“Seriously, Sarah, I don’t like you going home alone. You’ve never driven a buggy. In fact, you’ve only gone to the Circle C twice!” She huffed like a mother hen. “At least take Billy with you.”
Sarah shook her head. “I’ve been away since Friday morning and I want to get home before dark. I’m going to drive this buggy, and when I get home, I hope to do things Billy’s too young to know about.”
She took up the reins. It didn’t seem complicated. Pull the reins to stop, flap them to go, and pull the one on the side you wanted to turn. Easy-peasy.
“But—”
“Don’t worry. I have my trusty knife.” She patted her right side seam. “See you next Friday.”
Sarah clucked and shook the reins. The horse did as it was told and began walking. Another shake and it was trotting. The wind flew past her face. It was exhilarating, though a bit frightening, but she wasn’t going to slow down while in town. She nodded to Nora as she passed her shop. Rosa waved from the second floor of Doc’s home, which they now shared with Molly Sinclair.
She was driving, not needing any man to get where she wanted!
Once out of town she slowed the horse, telling herself that the road was a bit rough. Gloves kept her fingers from being hurt by the rough leather reins. It was a strain to hold her arms up with the horse pulling. But she was going about her own business, on her schedule, without a man to tell her no.
Far ahead, a horse and rider turned onto the road from a lane. They galloped toward her. He wasn’t wide enough to be Gabe, but the real giveaway was his face. No one would ever say that Luke Frost was handsome. And thank God for that. Handsome men were everywhere. Men of character were not.
“What the devil do you think you’re doing?”
Luke bellowed the words at her before slowing to a trot, then a walk. She pulled on the reins and, low and behold, her horse slowed as well. Ha! She smiled to herself as Luke stopped beside her.
“I’m driving a buggy home,” she said smugly.
“I can see that.”
His words were icy quiet, but his expression showed his restrained fury. If her father or uncle had looked at her like that, she would have been terrified. But she knew Luke wouldn’t hurt her.
“Why didn’t you wait for me, Sarah?”
“Why should I wait when I can get myself to town and back when I want?” She turned her nose up at him. “You’re always saying how much work there is to be done on a ranch. Why should you interrupt what you’re doing when I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself?”
Luke grabbed her horse’s halter before she could flick the reins again.
“I was doing something important,” he said.
“So was I. Now, if you’ll release my horse, I’ll drive home.”
“Home?”
He drawled the word. Her poise faltered for a moment. She straightened her back and stared straight forward, hands on the reins, thumbs up. Ready to go.
“Yes. I consider the Circle C my home. Temporarily, of course.”
He said nothing. Nor did he move. She finally had to turn to him. His bruises had faded to an ugly yellowish green. The slash of his scar stood out even more than normal. He was far from handsome, and she loved him. She quickly looked away, before he could read through her eyes what was in her heart.
“Just temporarily, Sarah? Why not forever?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Luke’s entire body ached from the fight, no sleep, climbing a tree, and coming down again. He’d pulled something in his shoulder the last time he almost fell, and his ankle was sore from landing wrong. But he’d gotten down on his own.
He watched emotions flash over Sarah’s face. He didn’t know women as well as Oz, but he’d been watching this one as often as he could. He knew she wanted to stay on the Circle C, but did she want him there, as well as Gabe and Oz?
She bit her lip. Her hands trembled, making the reins slap. He tightened his hold on her horse. He waited, impatient but giving her all the time in the world. It all came down to this. To her.
“Forever?” Her voice quavered. She relaxed the reins and set her hands in her lap. Except for the one glance, she hadn’t looked at him.
“Yep. Me, you, Gabe, Luke, Daisy, and that damn cat of yours.” He scratched the corner of his jaw as if it didn’t matter to him what her answer was. Between the healing scabs and four days’ growth of beard, he was itching like the devil. “And anyone else who turns up.”
“Who turns up? Are you planning to take in boarders, Mr. Frost?”
“Children, Sarah. If we’re blessed, children will turn up, or be born.” He cocked his head to look under her bonnet. “Is the Circle C going to be your home, Sarah?”
“That’s up to you,” she snapped.
Ah, now he was getting somewhere. Push her past her nicey-nice manners and the real Sarah leaped out.
“Then the answer is yes. Let’s go home.”
She turned her eyes on him. Yeah, Gabe was right. They were hazel, though mostly brown, not green.
“After all this, do you think I’m going to be your wife?”
He knew he could melt the ice in her voice with one kiss.
“I haven’t asked you this week. Maybe you’ve changed your mind.”
“Why should I marry you?”
He flicked his thumb out for reason number one. “The Circle C is near town, so you could easily drive there whenever you want.”
“In my buggy!”
He nodded. “Driving your own buggy.” He added his pointing finger to his thumb. “Reason number two. My partners and I are pretty partial to your cooking. From the noise you three made the other night, I expect they like more than that about you.”
Her face turned a lovely shade of pink and she looked away again. Gabe and Oz would know just how far down her blush went. If he did this right, he’d soon know as well.
“Reason number three.” He added his middle finger. “For some strange reason, though you make me madder than a wet hen half the time, I love you.”
She blinked. Swallowed.
“You do?”
He released her horse and nudged his mount forward so he could take her gloved hand in his. His nerves, already strung out, felt so tight someone could play them like a fiddle. He took a deep breath and choked out the words one more time.
“Will you marry me, Sarah Unsworth? Will you allow me to care for you, to comfort you, and to protect you? Will you care for us in return and, God willing, bring us children?” She was looking down at their hands so he couldn’t read her expression this time. “I love you, and I can prove it if you want. I’ll find a tree and climb it.” He looked around. “They’re not very big down here by the river, but I can—”
“I don’t need you to climb trees to prove anything.” Her eyes sparkled with bits of bright emerald green. Was that a good sign? “I love you just the way you are. So yes, Luke Frost, I will marry you.”
Luke exhaled and leaned his head back. “Thank you, God. For the lesson, and for the answer.” He saw her through a cloud of tears when he looked at her again. “Shall we go home?”
He kept close to her side as they slowly rode up the lane. She told him of her plans for the bakery and another weight dropped off his shoulders. As long as Sarah was happy and safe, he didn’t mind what she did with her business. No, that wasn’t quite true. He’d much rather she was home, with them.
&n
bsp; As they neared the cabin, Luke thought of how worried he was for being late to meet her. He’d raced down the lane to the road. When he saw her driving along, proud as a peacock, he thought of everything that might have happened to her. Sheldrake wasn’t a man to give up so easily. He could grab Sarah and force her to marry him. How many days and weeks of being chained to a peg in the floor, starved, beaten, and abused, would it take before she would give in and agree to marry? Or would she choose to die, like the girl Gabe knew back home?
But that wouldn’t happen now. He’d have to figure something out so she could drive to town for weekends with Sophie, if she wanted. He could hire Billy to ride out to the ranch and escort her each way. She’d still drive the buggy, but Billy would be company. If she baulked at that, maybe Billy could watch without her knowing about it.
But that was for the future. What was he going to do about now? His cock was so hard that every time the horse put a foot down a jolt of agony zapped him in the groin. But he didn’t care. Sarah was going to be his.
“I know I said I’d never share my bed with you until we’re married, but I can’t wait. Do you mind if we celebrate right now and get married in the morning?”
“Mind?” She leaned back her head and laughed. “Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to get you into bed?”
Luke’s nostrils flared. He leaned close enough to touch her breast. He circled her hard nipple with a finger. “To heck with the bed. How’s a buggy sound?”
Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. He leaned forward, she opened her lips, and they jolted apart at joyful barking as Daisy raced toward them. Luke groaned and grabbed for her horse. “Darn animals,” he muttered.
The dog, tail waving, escorted them into the yard. She went to Gabe for a scratch and then sat by Oz. Her tail wagged a crescent in the dirt as she looked at the four of them. Her family, all home.
“I’d hoped you two wouldn’t come home for a few hours,” said Luke.
“And I expected you home an hour ago,” replied Gabe. “What happened?”
