The Horseman's Frontier Family

by Karen Kirst

  Coward. Odd—she’d always considered herself a brave person. Someone who met life’s challenges head-on. Only now, looking back, did she see how she’d hidden parts of herself—her drawings, her singing—fearful of others’ opinions.

  Of course Gideon sensed her presence long before she announced herself.

  Lowering his loaded bow, he turned and silently watched her approach, his expression unreadable. His eyes were watchful, seeing more than she really wished him to. But that was Gideon.

  “Walt asleep already?” he inquired.

  Nodding, she pressed her hands against her full indigo skirt. “He was tuckered out.”

  A tiny smile quirked his lips. “I’m not surprised. He splashed around in the stream for hours.”

  Evelyn hadn’t thought he’d noticed, consumed as he’d been with erecting his cabin.

  He hesitated, distracted by a pair of mockingbirds swooping beneath the branches. Dusk colored the world in an odd yellow light. “He hasn’t spoken a single word?”

  “No.” Her fingers curled into her skirts. “I thought in his excitement today he’d let something slip. Burst into speech. But nothing.”

  “It wasn’t my intention to worry you.”

  A dry laugh escaped her. “I do that all on my own.”

  “Have you thought about taking him into Guthrie to see a doctor?”

  “Theo doesn’t think a doctor would help, but the longer he goes without speaking, the more I think I should take him. I have to try, at least. If he doesn’t speak within the month, I’ll make plans to go.” While she respected her brothers’ opinions, Walt was her son. She had to do what she thought was best. “In the meantime, I’ll continue praying for God’s healing.”

  His fingers flexed on the bow. Questions flashed in his eyes. “No one’s around except you and me. Wanna give it a try?”

  She debated. What would it hurt? Really? Gideon wasn’t the type to criticize or make fun of her.

  “Are you truly uninterested,” he said softly, “or are you afraid to try?”

  Her feet carried her to his side. The scent of campfire and leather and clean shirts stirred pleasant memories; his solid strength made her feel safe. Looking deep into his eyes, she said, “Imagine what it was like having three strong-willed, overprotective brothers. I had to fight for the chance to do things on my own. Is there such a thing as loving someone too much?”

  His smooth brow furrowed, but he didn’t offer an answer.

  “I don’t know the answer to that,” she mused aloud. “All I know is that at some point, I started to question myself. And then I married Drake.”

  Gideon stood very still. His sculpted mouth pursed, and his eyes darkened to storm-cloud-gray. His dislike was plain. She wondered for the first time what her husband’s final moments had been like and what, if anything, he’d said to this man.

  “He, uh, was not easy to please.” Oh, this was so hard. She hadn’t spoken of this to anyone. Ever. But she forced the truth out. “He continually criticized my efforts, magnified every mistake. My cooking wasn’t good enough. It was either too hot or too cold, too bland, too spicy. His clothes weren’t ironed the way he wanted them. The house wasn’t tidy enough. I wasn’t a good mother.” She cringed. That was the hardest to endure, the ridicule of her handling of Walt. “Eventually I became paralyzed, knowing that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t do anything right in his eyes.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw, his eyes now a fiery silver. “And you became afraid to try new things. Afraid to make mistakes.”

  “Exactly.” A strange lightness expanded her chest. Gideon understood. Even more wondrous, there was no judgment in his expression. He didn’t find her lacking.

  “Drake Montgomery was an idiot,” he pronounced, a fierceness to his tone she found fascinating. “You are an amazing woman, Evelyn. Brave and kind and smarter than I’ll ever hope to be.”

  This elicited a self-conscious smile. She soaked up his praise like a flower striving for the refreshing rain.

  “I’ve watched you with your son. You’re a wonderful mother. You know how to balance love and affection with instruction and discipline. Don’t let Drake’s skewed views shackle you for the rest of your life. Don’t let him win.”

  Evelyn knew it would take more than compliments to change her thought patterns, but it was a start. Gideon gave her hope. And courage to try.

  Drawing in a steadying breath, she held out her hand. “I’m ready.”

  He smiled then, a full-fledged grin that hit her with the force of a gunshot. A happy and lighthearted Gideon Thornton was a sight to behold. Beneath that “keep your distance” scowl was a man of true beauty.

  “You may not get it on the first try but I promise you this—you will have fun.”

  Then his arms came around her and a new thrilling sensation chased away her trepidation.

  * * *

  Her wobbly smile turned his heart to mush. Reduced his defenses to dust. Gideon was taken aback by the intensity of his reaction to her admission, the drive to encourage her, protect her, lo— Whoa. Hold on a second. Love was not on the accepted list of emotions. Not where Mrs. Evelyn Chaucer Montgomery was concerned.

  Sure, holding her close resurrected memories of their kiss, made him long to repeat it, but that didn’t mean he could lose sight of what was important. Remember Susannah.

  He should never have married the lively, outgoing Southern belle. A wealthy socialite accustomed to having her way, Susannah had been bold and beautiful and determined, pursuing him in spite of the obstacles he’d tossed in her path. Ultimately, loneliness had triumphed over caution. The need for something deeper than what he shared with his brothers, the appeal of female companionship weakened him.

  Unfortunately, their post-wedding bliss fizzled out quicker than a fire in a downpour. She became demanding, greedy for his time and attention. He’d thought having Maggie would change things, thought a baby would satisfy his wife. He’d thought wrong.

  “Gideon?” Evelyn angled her head, bringing her luscious mouth to within inches of his.

  He swallowed hard. “Uh, sorry. I was lost in thought.”

  Concentrating on the task at hand instead of the silky hair teasing his chin, the smell of gardenias washing over him and the brush of her back against his chest took a level of skill he hadn’t known he possessed. As soon as he’d gone through the motions and she’d shot off the first arrow, he dropped his arms and stumbled back, wrestling the tornado of yearning into submission.

  “Good try.” His voice was gruff. “It may take several attempts before you come anywhere close to hitting the target, however.”

  Molasses eyes sought his. “How many did it take you?”

  “So many I lost count.”

  Her smile had a devastating effect on his control. He backed up a couple of steps. “Remember to relax.” He sounded anything but. “Concentrate.”

  Watching her, Gideon knew it would take everything in him not to fall hard. In the year and a half since Susannah’s death, he’d admitted to himself that he hadn’t truly loved her. Cared for her and wanted her to be happy, yes, but love hadn’t been a part of the equation. It was different with Evelyn...his heart recognized the danger she posed and was susceptible.

  Evelyn and Walt represented everything he desired but couldn’t have—family, home, belonging to something bigger than himself.

  He just had to be strong a little while longer. The cavalry soldiers had said to expect to wait a month or two for their case to be heard. Maybe in a couple more weeks they would know the outcome. One of them would leave. After that they’d never have to set eyes on each other again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Your brothers are coming.”

  Gideon’s pronouncement carried a hint of caution, reflected in how
his stiff frame unfolded from his perch on a fallen log where he’d been observing her and Walt take turns with the bow. In the three days since that first lesson, she’d improved until she was able to at least hit the target’s edges. One thing he’d been right about—she was having so much fun she wasn’t as focused on getting it perfect. His encouraging, nonjudgmental attitude gave her the freedom to mess up.

  Lowering the bow and arrow, Evelyn scanned the fields separating the stable and this small meadow behind the cabin site and spotted their three mounts approaching at a fast clip. Her stomach knotted with apprehension. All three wore matching grim expressions.

  Had there been more trouble out at their spreads?

  Then she intercepted the hateful glare Theo shot at Gideon. Foreboding skittered along her nerve endings as insight flashed. They came to check up on me and are angry because I’m here with him. She could only imagine how they’d interpret this seemingly cozy scene.

  Please, God, I don’t want trouble.

  As Walt immediately set off to greet his uncles, she handed the bow and arrow to Gideon. Could he read the anxiety simmering inside her? He didn’t utter a single word as he solemnly took the items from her, his gaze on her brothers—in his eyes, the enemy. She lifted the quiver over her head and handed that to him, as well.

  Tugging her bodice down, she squared her shoulders and, walking away from Gideon, went to meet them. The farther away they stayed from him, the better. If she was lucky, she’d steer them back to the stable and distract them with talk of their progress on their claims.

  “Hey, guys.” She attempted a casual attitude. “If you’d come earlier, you could’ve had some of the fried fish I fixed for supper.”

  Brett lifted Walt into his arms and stared hard first at her, then beyond her shoulder at Gideon.

  Theodore’s boots hit the earth with a thud. He came around the front of his horse, his dark eyes smoldering, fists clenched at his sides. “What’s going on here, Evelyn? I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say we didn’t expect to find you cavorting with the enemy.”

  Reid slapped his hat against his thigh, frustration etched in the planes of his face. “Have you switched sides?”

  “You are being ridiculous.” She searched for the right words to deflect their wrath without revealing the true state of her heart. “Gideon was just showing Walt and me how to shoot an arrow. That’s it.”

  “You can’t fool me, sis.” Reid drew closer, his sharp gaze probing hers. “You’ve completely tossed aside our warnings and have allowed yourself to be duped by this man.”

  Theo snorted. “Surely you haven’t abandoned everything Ma and Pa taught us about that horrid family!”

  Evelyn wavered. Did she pacify her brothers with half-truths, thereby possibly avoiding an all-out war? Or did she assert herself—defend her own stance? In the end, truth won out.

  She looked at Walt. “Sweetheart, I want you to go to our room for a bit.” When he hesitated, she added, “Perhaps you can draw pictures for your uncles.”

  Brett reluctantly let him go. She waited until he was out of earshot to continue. “I am a grown woman capable of making my own decisions. I have a mind that works just fine, thank you very much, and I’ve undergone a change of heart. The Thorntons are not our enemies.”

  Reid looked about ready to explode. Brett scowled. Theo spluttered.

  Holding up a hand to forestall their responses, she said reasonably, “Think about it. Our parents’ dispute was with Jacob Thornton, their father. We were kids when he chose to side with the North, as were Gideon, Elijah and Clint. They didn’t cause our ruin. The war brought hardship to many, many people. Yes, our family suffered, but so did theirs. Just as we lost our brother in battle, they lost their father.”

  She barely remembered their oldest brother, Preston, who at fifteen had run off without their father’s permission to fight for the South. She wasn’t allowed to forget, however, the price he’d paid. Somehow her parents had found a way to blame even his death on the Thorntons.

  “I won’t stand here and listen to you be disrespectful to our parents,” Reid growled.

  Evelyn put a hand out. He flinched. She recognized then the chasm she’d created with her admission. “Please, Reid,” she implored, hating that she was hurting them. “You know I loved them both dearly. The fact that I disagree with some of their assertions doesn’t mean I don’t respect them.” She looked at Theo. “Don’t think with your emotions. Try and be objective.”

  “Oh, that’s rich,” Theo snarled, “coming from you. Tell me you’re being objective where that slime is concerned.”

  “That’s not fair—”

  “Evelyn?”

  At the unexpected sound of Gideon’s voice close behind her, she jumped. Three riled Chaucers swiveled to glare at the intruder. She turned on her heel, a warning spilling out. “You should go.”

  He didn’t so much as blink. His honed body looked to be on high alert, and his attention was centered on her. “Are you all right?”

  Reid pushed past her and got up in Gideon’s face. “You got wax in your ears, Thornton? You’re not wanted here.”

  As he edged sideways, his eyes held hers. “I want to hear it from her.”

  Evelyn’s heart kicked with a giddy sort of pleasure, completely unreasonable considering the situation. Apparently her state of being was worth risking a confrontation. “I’m fine.”

  Then her brother shoved Gideon, and her knees went weak with fear. “Reid, no!”

  As she sprinted to put herself in between the two men, he shoved Gideon a second time. Gideon raised his fists to return the favor just as she reached them. The knuckles of his right hand glanced off her cheek. Pain radiated along her cheekbone. Biting hard on her lip in a bid to keep silent, she covered that side of her face with her hand.

  “Evelyn!” he gasped. “I’m so sorry—” He reached out to her, horror stalking his eyes.

  The movement was halted, however, by Brett and Theo, who took hold of Gideon’s arms, one on each side.

  “I’ll teach you to lay a hand on my sister,” Reid growled. Rearing back, he planted a fist in Gideon’s gut.

  Almost dizzy with fear, she pounced on her twin, holding tight to his wrist. “Leave him alone, Reid!”

  Adrenaline pumping, he easily shook her off. “Stay out of this.”

  Gideon struggled to free himself. “Go, Evelyn.”

  “No!” She refused to leave him to the mercy of her brothers. Tears stung her eyes. Begging silently for God’s intervention, she cast about for a way to end this. They wouldn’t listen to words. She had to take action.

  Gideon grunted as Reid struck his face. Her body shuddered as if she had been struck.

  The bow and arrow.

  Racing over to where he’d laid it down, she seized it with trembling fingers and ran back as fast as her legs would carry her. Because of her nervousness, it took three tries to ready the arrow. She aimed it straight at Reid.

  “Let him go or I’ll plant this arrow in your leg!”

  Her brother’s eyes went wide. His fist hovered in the air. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “No, but you have,” she said, fury overtaking fear. How dare they act like heathens after she’d defended them to Gideon? Law-abiding citizens, she’d said. How dare they put her son’s well-being at risk? “All three of you! Release him at once.”

  Not surprisingly, Brett was the first one to see reason. “She’s right. We shouldn’t be doing this.” He dropped his hands and stepped back.

  With one arm free, Gideon sprang into action, twisting free of Theo’s hold. Fists up, he edged away from them. Closer to her.

  Reid advanced a step, his face flushed with anger and telltale disappointment. “I don’t know what to say, sis.”

  “How about an apology?” />
  “I’m not the one who’s betrayed my family here today.”

  She winced at the sting of his words. “I couldn’t stand by and do nothing while you beat a man who’s innocent of wrongdoing. What happened was an accident, and you know it. You should’ve kept your distance instead of instigating trouble.”

  Gideon reached her side. Placing a steadying hand on her outstretched arm, he applied gentle pressure, silently urging her to lower the weapon. “It’s okay.”

  Risking a glance at him, she sucked in a harsh breath. A slash of deep purple underscored his left eye, and the opposite jaw, red and angry looking, was already swelling.

  “Let’s go,” Brett called, snatching his hat from the ground. “We all need a little time to calm down.”

  Muttering something under his breath, Reid pivoted on his bootheel and stalked off. Theo’s eyes narrowed. “We aren’t finished, Thornton. I promise you that.”

  Then, with a lingering reproachful glance at Evelyn, he joined his brothers and jerked himself into the saddle. When they directed their mounts toward town, her knees gave out. Gideon caught her about the waist, guided her across the grass to the fallen log he’d occupied earlier.

  Tears spilled over and tracked down her cheeks. The enormity of her actions registered in her brain and a ripple of disbelief shuddered through her. Had she really threatened her twin with bodily injury?

  “They’ll never forgive me,” she whispered.

  His arm tightened about her waist, sheltering her, lending comfort. Gideon placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to his. Admiration and compassion swirled in his eyes. “You’re their sister. Of course they’ll forgive you. Give them time.”

  “I didn’t think.” She swiped at the tears with the back of her hand. “I just reacted.”

  “I’ll never forget what you did for me,” he murmured.

  Slowly registering his nearness, the heat of his upper body enveloping her in a warm veil, she studied his injuries. “Are you all right?”